Page 116 of Miss Vincent’s Vow

If you are reading this letter, you have already learned the truth—that Granville Wade is your father.

It is no excuse, but I was young and in love, and foolishly thought he would marry me when he discovered I was with child. I was so ashamed. I wanted to die—but you gave me reason to live. Granville would have kept me as his mistress, but I refused. The only way I could protect you was to hide the truth.

I know God has forgiven me and pray you will find it in your heart to forgive me too.

If your father should enter your life, treat him more kindly than you think he deserves for my sake. He did not act right by me, but he has done more for us than many men would have done.

I pray that one day you will know what it is to be in love, but that you will make better choices than your father and I did. When you marry, be sure to keep your wedding vows—love and honour your wife faithfully, forsaking all others.

God bless you.

Your loving mama

He lifted the letter to his lips and kissed it. “I forgive you, Mother, but why, oh why, did you never tell me?”

Jethro brushed a tear away. How ironic. She urged him to love and honour his wife, when her actions had stripped him of his own honour, by the shameful circumstances of his birth.

What would Cassandra say? How could he ever look her in the eye again? She had tied herself to him, believing him to be a respectable man. But he wasn’t.

The thought fell like a lead weight to the pit of his stomach and stayed there. The shame of it overwhelmed him.

Was there even a chance Cassandra might grow to love him when he had dragged her down so far?

A loud noise broke in on his thoughts. What was that? It was coming from inside the warehouse.

Had Crowley come to check on something? Unlikely. It was the middle of the night. Then what? Had someone broken in?

Stuffing his mother’s letters and the miniature into his pockets, he grabbed the fire poker as a defence against intruders, and tucked it under his arm. Senses heightened, he picked up the candle and opened the office door.

A draught of air greeted him, snuffing out his light.

But he was not plunged into darkness. A brilliant glow was coming up the staircase.

Jethro hurried forward to investigate, but recoiled at the smell of smoke.

To his horror, he realised what the brightness was.

The foot of the stairs was engulfed in flames.

Chapter 62

When Cassandra awoke the next morning, her first thought was of Jethro.

She had stayed up waiting for him for as long as she could, but had finally given up and gone to bed. He still hadn’t returned home when she fell asleep.

She was not surprised Jethro had been reluctant to believe Mr Wade’s claim. It would be a tremendous change in his thinking to accept that his father had not died when he was an infant, but had been supporting him in secret all his life.

Cassandra was inclined to think Mr Wade was telling the truth. But what had happened between him and Jethro’s mother—why had he left them? Had it been a voluntary act, or had Mrs Hunt made him go? The separation must have been absolute, as Jethro did not bear his father’s name.

How long had the two men talked after she and Xander had gone?

Had Jethro followed her advice and visited the warehouse to examine the contents of his mother’s desk, which he had so readily dismissed when she’d first given them to him? Had the letters convinced him that Mr Wade was his father?

Poor Jethro. It must be so disconcerting for him.

Her heart ached for her husband, knowing the painful revelations he had been forced to confront. She longed to go to him—to comfort him. To ease that pain in whatever way she could.

She wanted to assure him she did not think the less of him because he was Mr Wade’s son. That she still cared deeply about him.