THE HEIR'S REVENGE

chapter 82

Chapter 93

"Victoria's document will be introduced as prosecution evidence regardless," Patricia said. "Her sister has been asked to cooperate with the prosecutor's office and has agreed to hand it over. She did not entirely understand what she had been asked to carry." Patricia said.

I nodded.

“Margaret Vane wanted to be on her sister's side so when Victoria contacted her for the first time in years for something she thought was a favour, she agreed without much question.”

I thought about Margaret Vane in her hotel room. Thirty years abroad. Barely knowing her sister. Getting a phone call and agreeing to help because she was family and family asked.

"Leave her alone," I said. "She was used the same way everyone in Victoria's life was used. She did not know what she was carrying."

Patricia looked at me. "The prosecutor may want to speak with her."

"She can speak with the prosecutor," I said. "I just mean do not make her a target. She is not the story."

Patricia nodded. "Agreed."

She gathered her papers and left. Henry closed the door after her and turned to look at me.

"Well," he said.

"Well," I said.

He came and sat down across from me at the meeting table. He didn't sit as a worker but as a friend.

"Your mother would have found Sandra Wealth very funny," he said.

I looked at him.

"She had a very direct manner," Henry said. "Sandra Wealth. The way she spoke. Your grandfather used to say that the only people worth trusting completely were the ones who looked you in the eye and told you things you did not want to hear." He paused. "Sandra Wealth looked you in the eye and told you she would also give Victoria Pierce a comment and you should agree to it."

"She was right," I said.

"Yes," Henry said. "She was. And you agreed without hesitating." He looked at me. "Six months ago I am not sure you would have done that."

I thought about that.

He was right. Six months ago I had been so focused on the outcome that I might have wanted to control every element of it. Might have wanted to make sure only the version that served my purpose was visible.

Now I wanted the truth. All of it. Even the parts that complicated things.

That was different.

"She is going to give Victoria a comment," I said. "Whatever Victoria says through her lawyers is going to be in that piece."

"Yes," Henry said.

"And it will not matter," I said. "Because the truth is stronger."

Henry was quiet for a moment.

"Your grandfather believed that completely," he said. "He used to say that the truth did not need defending. It only needed telling."

I looked out the window.

The afternoon had moved while we were in the meeting. The light was lower now. The city was shifting toward evening outside the glass.

"Henry," I said.

"Yes young master."

"Thank you for finding her," I said. "Margaret Vane. For knowing to look. For having the contact who found out what she was carrying." I paused. "I would not have known to look."

"You would have looked eventually," Henry said. "You always do."

He stood up and straightened his jacket.

"There is one more thing," he said.

"What?"

"Lily called the office phone this afternoon," he said. "She wanted to know if you were coming home for dinner."

I looked at the time.

It was almost five thirty.

"What did you tell her?" I asked.

"I told her you would be home by six," he said.

"Then I should go," I said.

"Yes," Henry said. "You should."

I picked up my jacket and my phone.

At the door I stopped. "Sandra Wealth is going to write about my mother," I said. "Properly. The way she deserves to be written about." I had to say it out loud to believe it myself.

Henry looked at me.

"Yes," he said quietly. "She is."

I stood there for one more second, then decided to go home.

Lily was at the door when I arrived. She seemed to have been waiting for me at the door

She was in her pajamas already even though it was only six, which meant she had decided the day was over and had changed into comfort clothes the way she sometimes did when she had been patient long enough and needed to stop performing.

She had her rabbit under her arm.

She looked at me when I got out of the car.

"You look different," she said.

"Different how," I said.

She thought about it seriously the way she thought about everything.

"Lighter," she said.

I looked at her.

She was six years old and she used the same word Henry had used months ago and she had no idea she had done it.

I walked up to the door and picked her up and she wrapped herself around me the way she always did and her rabbit was pressed between us and the house was warm behind her and the evening air was cold and somewhere inside Mrs Park was making something that smelled like it was going to be very good.

"I have something to tell you," I said.

"What?" she said into my shoulder.

"A very good writer is going to tell your great aunt Sarah's story," I said. "The real story. So that everyone knows who she was."

Lily was quiet for a moment before she said: "Like a book?" She was just too innocent to know things like this and I really hoped I didn't have to break the news to her.

"Like an article," I said. "A very important one."

She thought about this.

"Will she say that she was a good person?" Lily asked.

"Yes," I said. "She will say exactly that."

Lily was quiet again.

Then she said: "Good. Because she was."

I held her tighter for a moment.

Then I carried her inside and closed the door behind us.

The evening was ours.

And tomorrow the truth would start being told.

_________________________

When I went to bed that night, I was scared of what could happen. I didn't know what I should expect or what I should do but waited for the next day.

Henry had already left for his home and I sat in my office, alone wondering if once again this was the right decision. I didn't know what to do, I felt hungry but my stomach felt bloated.

I was tired but I still didn't feel sleepy. My feelings were literally all over the place. I looked around my office and realized that sitting there wouldn't make me fall asleep. I headed to my bedroom but not before I went to see Lily.

She was sound asleep, thank goodness. After talking to her about the news tomorrow she seemed downcast. She seemed like she was tearing up.

I honestly didn't want these to affect Lily. She was just an innocent girl that had to go through this even when she clearly didn't deserve it.

I went into my bathroom to wash my face. I looked at my reflection in the mirror and for the first time, I was truly proud of myself. I was just nineteen soon to be twenty and in just one year, my life had really turned around for the good.

Or was it for the worst.

Sometimes I really wish Derek if this life was really better than my old one. The one where I had to beg to eat. The one where no one knew or liked me. The one that made me beg for love.

Lily seemed to be like the only one who was making this new life of mine worthy to be lived. Henry and Yemi too.

If I had never come to the Blackwell family. I would have never met these amazing people if I never came here.

I took a deep breath.

Tomorrow might turn out to be a good day or a very bad day. The only way to find out was to wait and probably get some sleep while waiting.

I did manage to get some sleep but that was after two more hours of turning on my bed. And even at that, I still got up two hours before it was time for me to wake up.

I was restless. I mean I had slept but I was still terribly tired and hungry.

Having coffee this morning was probably not what I needed but it would give me the strength to go through my day so I headed downstairs to get some coffee.

The house was cold and quiet. None of the staff was awake, Lily too.

I wanted to go to her room and probably have some chit chat with her but I decided not to. It was too early and a girl really needs her sleep.

After all, I really don't know what the day has for us. She needs all the rest that she can get in order to get through the day.

I went into the kitchen to make my coffee. I didn't want to add any sugar, I mean today might turn out to be a bad day.

I'd tried to convince my mind to stop thinking about how the day would end but I can't stop myself. I wanted the day to truly end.

I was too hurt to expect such a great day when all I've had all my life were bad days.

Before I could take a sip of my coffee, I heard a knock on the door.

I was a bit startled. I mean it was quite too early but I knew that it was either Henry or Cole.

But why would Henry be this early? I wondered.

Then it must be Cole. He was on duty and must have seen me turn on the light. He was very diligent and observant and maybe that's why I liked him.

When I opened the door, I was surprised at who I saw.

Yemi.

She was standing at the door with a careful smile.

“Glad I caught you.”

Caught me?

I stood there literally glaring at Yemi standing with a park of something which she held out. I couldn't say a thing, I mean I hadn't expected this.

“Yemi.” I called.

“Yes, you were about to take that coffee right?”

I looked back wondering how she must have noticed that I had come down for coffee.

“Wait. Cole is supposed to be on duty.” I said, noticing that she was dressed for work.

“Well, I took his shift because I wanted to see you.”

See me, don't talk to me? Was that really what she wanted?

That was a lot to take in. I stood there dumbfounded for a while before I could say anything else.

“Can I come in?”

“Yes.” I answered quickly, scratching my head in confusion. “You can.” I made way for her to enter the house.

I still couldn't believe that she was standing right next to me. I couldn't believe that she had actually come.

“I got you some cake.” She said, her voice low like she was whispering. “Thank Goodness I arrived before you could take this coffee. There's no sugar right?”

I shook my head.