Revenge and Retribution (The Graham Saga Book 6) by Anna Belfrage

Author:Anna Belfrage [Belfrage, Anna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Timelight Press
Published: 2017-06-09T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 25

“You think Luke sent it,” Jacob said next morning.

“No. I know Luke sent it,” Alex said.

Jacob gave her an angry look. “You don’t know. How can you?”

Alex tapped her stomach. “Gut feeling. If it comes to a crunch, trust your gut more than your head.”

“But why?” Jacob sounded desolate.

“Luke has a long memory, and Simon was instrumental in drafting those final documents that humiliated him entirely before Matthew.” She stared off for a moment, recalling that long gone summer afternoon when Luke had been forced to renounce Ian – return him to Matthew, his true father – and, on top of that, to pay the princely sum of five hundred pounds to Matthew in compensation for the multiple wrongs done to him. “I suppose he found it amusing, to imagine Simon looking too deep into the painting.”

Jacob didn’t reply. He had his herbal open, and had, until she came in, been busy entering the properties and qualities of his latest additions, carefully drawing stems and leaves and bell-shaped flowers. Now, he traced the outline of datura stramonium with his finger, lost in thought. Rather apt, given their subject, Alex reflected, this plant being as deadly as a nest of vipers.

“I reckoned he’d destroyed it,” Jacob said.

“Yeah, that would have been the right thing to do.” She gave her son a long look. From the way he was chewing his lip, she suspected Luke had somehow put the painting to the test, with Jacob as a witness.

“And why, if he knew what it was, didn’t Simon make sure it was burnt? How could he be so remiss?”

“Or Lucy so disobedient.” She hitched her shoulders to show she had no idea, and now it was all too late. Four innocent women gone, and God knew where they had ended up.

“How come you know of these pictures?” Jacob asked.

Alex sighed and shifted in her chair, uncertain how to answer. Mrs Parson knew since decades back as did Simon and Joan, Ian knew of a need, and Mark she’d told as well, but to share all this with more of them… Jacob’s eyes never left her, and, just like his father’s whenever he was truly intent, the irises were a bright, penetrating green.

“I just do.”

He looked very unconvinced.

“I found one like it,” Alex said, deciding a half-truth was better than nothing. “In Cumnock, very many years ago. And it was so pretty to look at, but when you held it too close…” She dropped her eyelashes to hide her eyes. “It made me sick to the stomach – very, very sick.”

“Aye,” he whispered, thereby confirming her previous suspicions regarding Luke’s penchant for empirical observation. “I still don’t understand. How can you think Uncle Luke would do something so malicious?”

“He is malicious, and when it comes to your father and his brother-in-law, Luke has some very blind spots.”

Jacob glared at her. “That isn’t true. He has forgiven Da for all that with Margaret and his nose.”

“Oh, how high-minded of him.” Slicing off Luke’s

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