A Family Affair by Jennifer Wenn

Author:Jennifer Wenn [Wenn, Jennifer]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: (¯`'•.¸//(*_*)\\¸.•'´¯), Regency
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Published: 2013-03-24T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

Lord and Lady Newbury sat silently in the marchioness’s salon, staring at their daughter with disbelief written on their proud faces.

Fanny, who had been just as shocked when she heard Penelope’s story the night before, stayed quiet following her recital of the details she’d learned. Her parents obviously needed a chance to digest the whole ugly truth.

Earlier, when she awoke from a night filled with nightmares, Penelope had still been sleeping soundly, and Fanny had dressed herself quickly before sneaking out from her bedroom without disturbing her exhausted friend. To spare Penelope the pain of telling her horrible story again, she had sent a maid to collect her parents, so that she instead could tell them.

Her parents never said a word. They didn’t interrupt her once, which told her more than anything how much it affected them. Finally George woke from his numbed state and took his wife’s cold hand. “I’ll kill him.”

Caroline shook her head. “No, you won’t. He is not worth it.”

“No, he isn’t, but Penny is.”

“Please, Papa,” Fanny begged, as she leaned forward and put a hand on his knee. “Don’t do anything stupid. This is so hard for Penny, and she would never be able to live with it if more evil came out of it.”

George looked at his only daughter. “What if it had been you in such a situation?” He shuddered, then nodded.

“I’m going to talk to her,” Caroline said as she arose and headed toward the door. “Don’t do anything without telling me, and don’t tell anyone else. Especially not Rake.”

George turned toward his daughter with a frown. “Why not Rake?”

“Oh, come on, Papa,” Fanny said, not believing her ears. “You know why.”

“No, I don’t,” George answered, bewildered.

Fanny didn’t answer, though. She was trying to sort out this horrible situation of Penelope’s in her head.

“I can’t believe it happened,” she whispered hoarsely. “He’s her bloody father! He should love and protect her, not sell her.”

George went to Fanny and hugged her closely for a long time, the father needing to reassure his daughter that his love for her was true and the daughter needing to feel fatherly love truly did exist.

Butler came in, his grave face more serious than ever.

“Lady Nester, for Lady Newbury.”

George froze. His gray eyes darkened with a seething anger he could hardly control, and Fanny shook her head at him.

“No, you won’t,” she soothed him quietly, before she told Butler to send the woman in.

George released her and strode to the fireplace. He grabbed the mantel with as much strength as he could muster, until his hands turned white from the effort.

To Fanny it looked as though he was trying to keep from hurling himself upon the woman who walked through the door.

Lady Nester stopped short as she saw who was waiting for her. “I came for Lady Newbury,” she shrilled with a slightly hysterical voice.

“My mother is occupied, for the moment. Maybe I can help you?” Fanny asked politely, not sure how otherwise to approach the older woman.

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