Summer's Distant Heart by Laura Landon

Author:Laura Landon
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2020-07-31T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 8

The look of surprise on Miles Halloway’s face told Hunter he’d stumbled onto something monumental.

“What did you say?”

Hunter took a threatening step closer to Halloway. “I asked you who Lia is and why your aunt called Lady Atherton ‘Lia’.”

Miles Halloway finished his brandy in one swallow, then rose and walked to the other side of the room.

“No lies, Halloway! Why would your aunt call Lady Atherton ‘Lia’?”

Miles braced his hands against the window frame and lowered his head between his outstretched arms. “I shouldn’t answer you. It’s not my place to tell you. It’s…Lia’s.”

“I presume Lia is the woman who is lying unconscious upstairs?”

“Yes.”

“Since she is unable to speak, Halloway, the responsibility falls upon you.”

Miles Halloway turned away from the window, then reached for his glass and filled it again before returning to his chair. “I told Lia she wouldn’t get away with her lie for long, but she said she couldn’t risk you finding out until she was sure of your intentions.”

“What is it she couldn’t risk me finding out?”

“I have two sisters: Amelia, who is upstairs, and Janice. My sister Jannie was married to your brother. She died shortly after giving birth to young George, so Lia has pretended to be the child’s mother.”

“Why?”

“Why? Good god, man. Because she was afraid you would take George away from her. She thought if you knew that she wasn’t George’s mother her chances of keeping the babe would be nil.”

“She thought I would take the babe away from her?” Hunter asked, unable to believe she trusted him so little.

“You or your father. She didn’t think there was a chance that she could keep the babe when your father discovered there was a Trentridge heir.”

Hunter tried to digest the information that was thrown at him, but before he and Miles could discuss matters further, the doctor came from seeing Lia.

“How is she?” Hunter asked rising to his feet.

The doctor shook his head and Hunter’s heart clenched in his chest. “What is it? What’s wrong with her?”

“An inflammation of the lungs, it seems, though not tuberculosis. That coupled with exhaustion has laid the good lady quite low, I’m afraid.”

His assessment made all kinds of sense to Hunter. She’d spent days caring for her sister, then managed the travails of her death. She’d cared for the newborn babe, and had gone night after night with little or no sleep. Plus, the worry of losing the babe. No wonder she was ill.

“With rest and the proper care, she’ll be good as new.”

“Thank you,” Hunter said handing the doctor a few coins. When the doctor was gone, Hunter turned to Miles who stood silently beside him. He put a compassionate hand on the worried fellow’s shoulder.

“I need to see her,” Lia’s brother said.

“Go on up. I’ll check in on her later.”

Hunter watched as Miles left the room. He felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from him. He’d never been so concerned in his life. He recalled the sight of her slumped over in the coach and his heart skipped a beat.

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