A Principle of Honour

Chapter 24

They stood next to each other in silence, looking at the scene below. 'I am worried about my brother, Reggie,' she eventually said, breaking the silence.

'When I met your brother the other night, he seemed to me to be a sensible young man.' Lord Harrington said, trying to reassure Verity. 'He is with a good, well-led regiment, and they will look after him.'

'I hope so,' Verity replied. There was another long silence, as they continued to look out of the window until Verity, once more, broke the silence. 'I have not been honest with you, or Lady Harrington for that matter. There is something I need to tell you about my family.'

Lord Harrington turned around and smiled at her. 'Come, sit down,' he said motioning to the comfortable chairs near the fireplace. 'I will get you a brandy, and you can tell me everything in your own time.'

Verity walked over to one of the chairs and sat down. As she sat in silence, she watched Lord Harrington pour two glasses of brandy. Once he had given her a glass, he sat opposite her and waited for her to begin.

Verity reached into the folds of her wrapper and pulled out her brother's letter. 'Colonel Mitford gave me this letter this evening. It is from my brother.' She then handed it to Lord Harrington. 'Please read it, my lord,' she said as he took the letter.

There was silence as he unfolded it and read it.

After Lord Harrington had given the letter back to Verity, she then said, 'it is easy for me to forgive my brother for what he did to me. My father influenced him and helped him form a negative opinion of me, but my sister...'

'Your sister is dead, is she not?' Lord Harrington said.

Verity shook her head. 'I am sorry, but I lied when I told you she had died. She is alive and here in Brussels.'

'Why did you not tell us?' Lord Harrington said gently.

Verity bowed her head, and a few tears fell down her cheek. 'I am sorry,' she said again, 'that I lied. But, I could hardly believe the truth about her myself.'

'Have a drink,' Lord Harrington said, motioning to the glass of brandy in her hand, 'and then tell me everything in your own time.'

Verity took the glass in her hands and took a sip. 'Do you know Major Ellington? she said looking down at the glass she was holding.

'Only from a distance,' he replied, 'I have never been friendly with the man.'

'My sister, Cassie, is in a house of ill-repute, run by Major Ellington.'

'How did she end up in there?' Lord Harrington said, his voice full of concern.

Verity then told him everything. She first told him about how she had met both Major Ellington and Colonel Mitford at Hadlands after her father's funeral. Then she related to him about how she was told, by her family's solicitors, that her sister had died. She also told him about the doubts she had experienced concerning her sister's disappearance. Lastly, she told him about how she had discovered Cassie's whereabouts, here in Brussels, and her brother's knowledge of her sister's fate. 'I am sorry I misled you and Lady Harrington,' Verity eventually said, once she had finished. 'I will, of course, leave your household immediately,' she then added.

'You will do no such thing,' came the reply. 'Major Ellington took advantage of your sister when she had no one to protect her. I am afraid that this happens all too often.' He paused and then added, 'I will, of course, make enquiries into your sister's whereabouts. If she is still here in Brussels, I will find her. Do not worry; I will bring her back to you.'

There was a long silence that was eventually broken by Lord Harrington. 'Of course, now I am beginning to understand your friendship with Colonel Mitford. And why you were invited to attend tea at Lady Wrexham's on the afternoon you first met Lavinia.' He looked over to Verity and said, 'he wanted you to meet his family, did he not?'