A Principle of Honour

Chapter 12

'Verity,' Maisie said in a fierce whisper, later that night after they had both gone to bed, 'you are indeed a dark horse.'

'Maisie,' Verity said defensively, 'I do not know what you mean?'

'I did not know you knew a Colonel, and a handsome one at that.'

'I first met him just after my father's funeral.' Verity said, trying to make it sound like meeting a handsome officer was an everyday occurrence.

'He had a very charming and handsome friend, Captain Richardson. I liked him and, I think, he liked me,' Maisie said, in a dreamy voice. 'He wants to meet me again next week.'

'Do you think that is wise?' Verity replied, 'Lady Wrexham said he was betrothed to an heiress.'

'It is only for a stroll around the park. I am not planning on running away and eloping with him.' Maisie paused, then added mischievously, 'well, not yet anyway.'

They lay in the darkness in silence, until Maisie, once more, broke the silence, 'Verity, what is wrong?' she said, at last, 'you have been even more quiet than usual since this afternoon.'

'I suppose it was the shock of seeing Reggie again. He has grown up so much since I last saw him.' Verity still remembered her brother as the tall, lanky thirteen-year-old lad; she had last seen at the funeral. This afternoon, he may have been only fifteen years old, but he looked every inch the grown man.

'He was also incredibly rude. I did not like the way he spoke to you.'

'I can hardly blame him for that. He was only copying our father. We all had an unusual upbringing.'

'That is not a good enough reason to speak to a member of his family in such a manner,' Maisie replied forcibly. 'I thought he did not show any respect.'

Verity sighed. She was all too aware of her brother's harsh words, and how they came across to others. But Verity never blamed her brother for his opinion regarding her. Their father, over the years, had influenced him. 'I am worried about him, Maisie, he has new guardians, and I know that they are men without honour.'

'They cannot be that bad. They bought him a commission in a good regiment. They would not have done that if they did not have his best interests at heart.' Maisie replied, trying to reassure her friend.

'But Maisie,' Verity said, her voice full of passion, 'he is only fifteen years old. He is far too young to be fighting and endangering his life on the battlefield. They should not have encouraged him. I know his former guardians were not up to much, but at least they would have insisted that he stay on at school and then attend university. He would then have been old enough to make an informed decision about his future, and whether or not he wanted a military career.'

Maisie did not reply immediately, and Verity understood her friend's reticence. Words of comfort, regarding Reggie, would have seemed hollow and ill placed. 'It is not just Reggie,' Verity, at last, said, 'he told me that my sister, Cassie, did not die, but is alive and here in Brussels.'

'Are you certain?' Maisie replied, sitting up in the darkness. 'I know you did not want to accept that she had died, but surely, after all this time, you cannot believe that she is still alive. If she were, she would have been in contact with you before now. And what would be the motive for your father's solicitors deceiving you?'

'I do not know,' Verity said as she felt the sting of tears in her eyes. 'I do know that from the start, I found their story unbelievable. What if something had happened to Cassie and she was unable to contact me?' She reached for the candle on the small table and lit it. The pale orange light, flickered against the cream painted walls of their room. 'I think her disappearance had something to do with my brother's new guardians.'