Afterthought - M J Marlow (pdf to ebook reader .txt) 📗

knew he would recognize everyone immediately when they got there. He was puzzled when they stopped in front of the church. The Vicar was engaged in sweeping the stairs. He saw Evangeline and waved at her and smiled. “Vicar,” Evangeline smiled as she stopped so the man could approach. “I would like to introduce you to my brother…” “Sebastian Roza!” the Vicar cried out excitedly and grabbed the young man’s hand, shaking it fiercely. He saw Evangeline’s confusion. “You did not know that your brother played professional soccer, Miss Evangeline?” “I didn’t know I had a brother until yesterday,” Evangeline told him honestly. “Imagine your being related to ‘the’ Sebastian Roza. He set such records when he was playing.” He smiled at the young man. “So we hear that you’re going to be a doctor now, young man. I am quite certain you shall be just as committed to that endeavor as you were to the game of soccer.” Evangeline was astounded by the Vicar’s ready acceptance of her brother because he had been a soccer player. She went in to pray for a few moments and came out to find the men still in conversation about soccer. They bid him goodbye and left the horses where they were to walk down the main street to the shop Sebastian had asked about. As Evangeline sat down on a bench and watched, her brother thoroughly charmed the old man who ran the shop. Old Hathaway never smiled, and Sebastian had him smiling and laughing aloud. She was related to a true charmer. They went to the local pub to have lunch and the locals all found some way to arrive and be introduced to her handsome brother. The pleasant hour sped by and was only marred when the door burst open and James strode in. “Evangeline!” her usually gentle cousin snapped as he came to the table. “You were supposed to be at lunch with us today.” He looked at Sebastian insolently. “I’m told that you are her brother. You may have been raised to disregard commitments, but Evangeline was not!” “It is not his fault, James,” Evangeline defended her brother. She was shocked at James’ uncharacteristic behavior. “I quite forgot…” “You have no need to defend me, sister,” Sebastian said calmly as he rose, his eyes never leaving James’. “You have quite a temper for a student of religion, Mr. Sterling. You will apologize to my sister for snapping at her as if she were of no account.” James went bright red as he realized he had yelled at his sweet cousin. He turned to Evangeline and went down on one knee asking for her forgiveness in his best manner. Evangeline threw her arms around his neck and assured him that she forgave him. She had forgotten her commitment to his family and was quite mortified. There was nothing she could say in her defense that would excuse such an oversight. She got to her feet and went with him, leaving Sebastian to find his way back alone. He decided to remain in town a little longer as he pondered his sister’s behavior. “Miss Evangeline chose the path of no resistance from the very beginning,” the Vicar said when he went to talk to the man about his feelings. “She thought it would lessen her cousins’ resentment towards her if she was the obedient child.” He frowned as he remembered some of the earlier counseling sessions. “It did not, but she refused to blame them. Your sister has a very rare gift…” “She sees beneath the surface to the heart of things,” Sebastian finished for the man. The Vicar looked at him in surprise. “Our mother had such a gift and it terrified her to the point of retreat.” “Your mother was a weak woman,” the Vicar said plainly and with no sign of apology. “Aileen could have been so much more than she allowed herself to be. I blame the family for that,” he continued, happy to have someone he could finally talk to about his concerns for the girl; “they spoiled that young woman and let her have her way far too often for her own good. Lord Sterling seems to be repeating this destructive pattern with his own children.” Sebastian spent another few hours with the Vicar. By the time he left the town, he had a more complete picture of the Sterling family. Despite his bad behavior, James and his sisters, along with David, were good decent young people. Their parents had not allowed them to be lazy and shiftless pranksters. Those four had done all they could to protect Evangeline from the lord Sterling’s deadly trio. So, Sebastian nodded, the entire family was not to be written off. He only wished Daria were more like his sister and less like his mother. She would be nearly perfect in such a case; it was too bad she was his cousin. He smiled at the direction his thoughts were taking. Perhaps he would enlist his little sister’s help in teaching Daria how to be a good woman? As if the thought of her conjured her into existence, she and Alexander’s daughters were in the library with his sister when he got back. “Wow!” Jessica said as she saw Sebastian for the first time. “You didn’t tell us your brother was a hottie, Evie!” “Sebastian,” Evangeline blushed at her cousin’s statement. “You haven’t met Uncle Alexander’s daughters yet. Jessica is the outspoken one. Jennifer is the other.” “And James would be their brother?” Sebastian queried as he smiled at the pretty brunettes. The seventeen year olds were both quite lovely and had far better manners than their brother or older cousin. “Tell me, pretty cousins; do you share his temperament, or can I hope you are more gently natured?” “James does not usually lose his temper,” Jennifer excused her older brother’s poor behavior readily. “He had just had some unpleasant news about his last exams and was feeling annoyed.” “Father was quite put out when he heard about it,” Jessica nodded. She ran her hand along the skirts of a burgundy gown. “These are all so lovely, Evangeline. Your father must be quite rich to afford to give you so much.” Sebastian caught Evangeline’s frown and knew that the confrontation was coming. His father had made it quite clear that none of the Sterling family was to know the truth about their family yet. He wished he could tell her what was coming, but he had never disobeyed his father’s wishes once in his twenty-five years of life. Stefano always had good reasons for the decisions he made, and he was almost invariably correct. As much as he might wish to put his sister out of her misery, he would not. Sebastian was not going to start second-guessing his father now. “He’s had sixteen years to save up for it,” Sebastian smiled at them. “I believe you had a talk scheduled with Father, little one?” he said to Evangeline. She nodded. “Why don’t you go along? I’ll keep our pretty cousins entertained.” Evangeline nodded and left the room without a word. She was near to bursting with the questions she needed answered. But search as she might she could not find their father anywhere. Emilio, the man mountain who was in charge of the small army surrounding her father, told her that Doctor Roza had gone up to the main house to speak to her uncle. He would be back in time to change for dinner, which they would be sharing with the Sterling family. “Emilio,” Evangeline asked as she started to go. She turned to see him attentive. “How long have you known my father?” She could see him debating whether it was wise to answer her question. But what harm could it be for her to know how long he had known her father? He seemed to think the same thing because he softened even further and sat down on the edge of the couch. His smile was warm as he cast back in his memory and it softened his face and made him less threatening. Evangeline found she liked this man much better than the stern-faced giant she had met yesterday. “Since we were in parochial school together in Florence,” Emilio told her. “About forty years now.” He could guess where this was going. “I can tell you he is a good man, Miss Evangeline; you could want no finer man for a father. What I cannot tell you are the very things you wish to know. Those answers should come directly from him.” “You are his most loyal friend,” Evangeline smiled at the man. He returned her smile easily and he enchanted her by his manner. Her father must be a very good man indeed to have such friends and loyal companions. But there was something she was not being told and whether she knew it or not, the danger she had sensed earlier was coming because of that secret. Somehow she knew that whatever was coming would touch her hardest of all. She rejoined the others and Evangeline encouraged her cousins to try on whatever gown struck their fancy. They were of a size with her, if a bit taller, and the gowns fit them well. On her they had been a bit loose to allow her to wear them a bit longer. She made them smile by giving them the gown that each had chosen as a gift from her. Madame Clermont and her assistants came to pack up the gowns and dresses, leaving only the blue one out for Evangeline to wear on the night of her birthday. They went up to the main house an hour later and Sebastian was introduced to the other uncles and aunts. They took in the look of the young man and were quite impressed. He was every inch his father’s son, but he had not yet learned to be hard. He was quite charming and he had the aunts blushing and giggling like young girls. Evangeline took a moment to go check on Sylvie, who had been put on bed rest. The nurse who had been arguing with the woman over medication left the room. “You’re off to Paris with your father then?” Sylvie snapped at Evangeline. The girl forgave her; she knew it was sadness and sickness making her beloved companion so nasty. “You won’t want me along, will you?” Evangeline sank down in the chair next to the bed and took Sylvie’s hands in hers, stricken with anguish. This dear old woman had been a mother to her. There was no way she could leave her. Sylvie had been the one who had seen to her education. The woman had been the one who had stayed with her when her mother wandered off looking for something new. There would be days, or even weeks, when it would be just the two of them. Evangeline could not see going anywhere without Sylvie. “I wouldn’t leave you behind,” Evangeline told her. “You’re my dearest friend and companion, Sylvie. What would I do without you?” “Become the young lady you are meant to be, child,” Sylvie replied. She smiled at the girl weakly. “I have watched you grow up and I have never been prouder of a charge. But it is time for you to move on without me.” She held her hand up as Evangeline started to protest. “You are too old to have an old woman as your companion. Your father will have other companions chosen for you who understand the world you’re going to be part of now.” “They won’t be you, Sylvie,” Evangeline sniffed. “You’ve been like a mother to me all these years. I will be leaving a part of my heart behind if you remain.” Sylvie’s pale blue eyes were swimming with tears she refused to shed. She held out her arms and Evangeline went into them with a