Season Of Mists

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‘Maybe.’ Hannah acknowledged her words. ‘But the fact remains that Piers had no reason to doubt their veracity. Surely now you realise how he must have felt. Good heavens, he didn’t even tell you, even though that had been his mother’s intention all along.’

‘But she couldn’t have believed that it would make any difference to my feelings for Piers!’ Abby was incredulous.

‘Why not? Most young women want children, even today.’

‘But we could have adopted a child.’

‘It’s not the same. Or at least, Piers didn’t think so. Abby, try to put yourself in his position. How would you have felt if some doctor had told you you couldn’t have children?’

Abby shifted in her seat. ‘Nevertheless, he should have given me a chance to explain——’

‘I suppose he should. But the evidence was pretty damning, wasn’t it? And then your discovering you were pregnant only weeks later.’

‘Aunt Hannah!’ Abby gazed indignantly at her aunt. ‘Whose side are you on?’

‘I’m only playing devil’s advocate,’ replied Hannah smoothly. ‘I sympathise with you, my dear, you know I do. But I can’t help thinking that running away didn’t help anything.’

‘I couldn’t have stayed here.’ Abby shuddered. ‘I couldn’t have had my baby here.’

‘Why not?’

Abby shook her head. ‘I didn’t want Piers to see me. I didn’t want him watching me, observing me—despising me when I grew fat and ugly——’

‘Pregnant women do not grow fat and ugly,’ exclaimed Hannah, impatiently. ‘Stop exaggerating, Abby. You ran away because you hadn’t the guts to stay and face them!’

‘Aunt Hannah!’

‘Well, it’s true, Abby. I’m sorry, but it is. You’ve let the Roths determine how you live your life. Oh—going off to London may have been fine, and I’m not denying you’ve made a niche for yourself there. But don’t imagine it was solely to prove your independence you left Rothside. You left because you let the Roths drive you away.’

Abby got up from the chair and walked unsteadily across to the windows. ‘Is that what you really think of me?’ she asked, in a small voice, and Hannah clicked her tongue before going after her and slipping her arm about her.

‘My dear, you mean everything to me, you know that. But it’s no use deluding yourself that by running away from a problem you can evade it. Sooner or later it always recoils on you, and I suggest that this is what’s happened now.’

‘With—with Matt, you mean?’

Hannah nodded.

‘But what can I do?’

‘Well, running away again isn’t going to help.’

‘What do you mean?’ Abby turned to look at the old lady.

‘Matthew isn’t going to forgive you until you can prove to him that you were not to blame for what happened.’

‘And how can I do that?’

‘By coming back here to live. By giving him the chance to see his father as he really is.’

‘No.’ Abby moved her head vigorously from side to side. ‘Aunt Hannah, I told you before, I couldn’t do that.’

‘Why couldn’t you?’

‘I told you. It wouldn’t be fair.’

‘To Piers?’ Hannah made a sound of exasperation. ‘Abby, Matthew is Piers’ son!’

‘I know.’

‘Then what earthly right has he to be allowed to ignore the fact?’

Abby caught her lower lip between her teeth. ‘What would people say? What would they think?’

‘Does it matter? They’ll probably think you had the child while you were in London. Which you did,’ she added dryly, ‘but you know what I mean.’

Abby hesitated. ‘But how could I ever prove Matthew is Piers’ son. He’ll never believe me.’

‘Perhaps you won’t have to.’

‘I don’t understand.’

‘Matthew,’ said Hannah simply.

‘Matthew?’ Abby was confused.

‘My dear, if you bring Matthew to live here, if you install him in the school at Alnbury, and you let him mix with the other boys from the village, can you imagine how Piers will feel?’

‘I doubt he’ll feel anything.’

‘Won’t he?’ Hannah looked sceptical. ‘Don’t you think, human nature being what it is, he’ll resent it.’

‘Resent it, yes, but——’

‘Listen to me, Abby. I’m a lot older and perhaps a little wiser than you are. All right, I agree that to begin with Piers will resent it, but give him time. Sooner or later, other emotions will take its place, and that’s when his heart-searching will start.’

‘Heart-searching!’ Abby’s lips twisted. ‘Aunt Hannah, I think you’re deluding yourself.’

‘Remember, Abby, he’s not going to be able to ignore you. Valerie Langton knows who you are, and thanks to Matthew, she knows who he is as well.’

‘Do you think Piers will allow that to trouble him?’ Abby expelled her breath heavily. ‘Aunt Hannah, you know what Piers will have told her. The truth—as he sees it.’

‘Nevertheless, the doubts have been planted.’

‘Aunt Hannah, you’re not being realistic.’

‘No? The man loved you once, didn’t he?’

‘ “Once” being the operative word.’

‘Even so, seeing you again, hearing about you from other people in the village, as he’s bound to do, is going to revive memories.’

‘Memories he would rather forget.’

‘Some of them, I agree. But there are others, Abby, that he won’t find so easy to ignore.’

Abby moved away from her. ‘Aunt Hannah, if you think, after all that has happened, I could ever forgive Piers for what he did——’

‘I don’t expect miracles,’ retorted Hannah flatly. ‘I thought we were talking about Matthew. It’s Matthew you should be thinking about, Matthew’s future that should be ensured. He is Piers’ son, Abby, and by rights the Manor estate should eventually come to him.’

‘Well, yes, but——’

‘At least give nature a chance. The boy is like his father. Oh, maybe it’s not immediately obvious from his appearance. His colouring is yours, and just now, with that terrible haircut and those awful boots, he bears little resemblance to Piers at that age. But given time, and a change of environment, who knows what might happen? And I’d really like to see Piers’ face when he begins to suspect he may have been wrong all these years.’

Abby’s lips tightened. She would like to see that, too, she thought bitterly. Even if it wouldn’t make any difference to what happened to her, it would be sweet revenge to know Piers was having to live with his folly for the rest of his life …

Matthew appeared at lunchtime. Hannah had taken his breakfast upstairs to him, and although she grimaced rather ruefully at Abby when she came downstairs again, when the tray was finally returned it had been cleared.

Abby was relieved to see her son and reassured to find he had apparently got over his distress. Apart from the faintly sullen expression in his eyes when he looked at her, he seemed much as usual, answering Aunt Hannah when she spoke to him, and making short work of the steak and kidney pie she had baked for lunch.