A Virtuous Man by Clare Jayne

Author:Clare Jayne [Jayne, Clare]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-08-30T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Four

GIVEN THE house she had grown up in, Fiona was used to hostile atmospheres but the air of the carriage was stagnant with Mr Calder’s bad mood.

“We should get there in a couple more hours,” Padraig reassured her and she gave him a smile. Any adventure – even an unwanted one – was better with him beside her.

“I will give that boy the flogging of his life for this behaviour,” Mr Calder said to no one in particular. “I blame his mother entirely for being too lenient with him all these years.”

Fiona tried to think of something to say to lessen his ire but could come up with nothing. Hugh Calder had behaved recklessly. She hoped he loved the young lady he had eloped with in a lasting way and would not regret the decision that was creating a rift between him and his parents. From his sister’s comments about his previous infatuations – ones that were swiftly forgotten when something or someone else caught his interest – she had doubts about his sincerity.

The journey was taking longer than she had anticipated and she hoped they would be able to get back to Edinburgh tonight and not have to find some unknown establishment to sleep at. They had brought a small trunk in case it was needed, though, and, even if they had to endure the older Mr Calder’s annoyance, Fiona was eager to find out what had happened to Mr Littleford. Mr Hugh Calder could not have actually killed him, could he?

They stopped once for refreshments before continuing their journey and reaching the small town where Hugh Calder had written his letter from. The couple were staying with a cousin of the bride, a man who was clearly working-class, who eyed his visitors nervously as he invited them into a tiny house.

Hugh Calder was sitting in the parlour and jumped to his feet at the sight of his father. The cousin, Mr Perry, went out, returning with a woman – clearly Betsy – who ran to Hugh’s side and took his arm. He and his new wife were both young and fair-haired. He was several inches taller than she, but Mrs Calder had the more confident expression, meeting the gaze of the visitors where he was looking everywhere but at his father. There was no sign of Joshua Littleford, not that she could imagine why he would stay here, but he must have been involved in this somehow.

“What do you mean by this?” the senior Mr Calder demanded, waving the letter from his son in the air. “Have the two of you really had so little respect for your families that you eloped behind our backs?”

Hugh Calder cringed and stared at the floor, so it was left for Mrs Betsy Calder to say, “We love each other and we knew we would never have your support.”

“You fool!” Mr Calder raised his fist and Mrs Calder jumped in front of her spouse.

“I’ll thank you not to harm my husband. This is nae your house.

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