I looked at the Cadbury Milk tray he put on her table. It was not the type of chocolate my father would have been caught dead buying; this was an impulse buy at the hospital shop, meaning that he was here for another reason.
“I’m fine, it was just a fainting fit. More fear than harm, really.” Ava smiled but it did not reach her eyes. How had I missed that before? Her reluctance to lie, her hate of deception.
Because you saw what you wanted to see.
I reached for her hand resting on her side and brushed my fingers against it, not sure if to pacify her or myself.
My father’s eyes flickered at the gesture and he pursed his lips with disapproval. Suddenly his presence was more worrying than irritating.
“Hugo, do you have a minute, please?” he asked, jerking his head toward the door.
I knew the request was only for Ava’s benefit. You never questioned Reginald St-John, whether you were his employee, his wife or his sons.
“I don’t think now is the right time, Father. As you can see, Ava—”
“Isnoneof your concern,” he lashed out, with a coldness I was familiar with, except that I was not usually at the receiving end of it. He turned toward Ava, trying to soften his hard lines. “It was good to see you, my dear. I hope to see you more often.”
Ava nodded warily; she was smart to be cautious with my father. He may have been this aristocratic man with graying hair, but I knew how cunning he truly was.
I looked at Ava, hoping she’d ask me to stay and say that she needed my support.
She shook her head. “Go. Your father is right. None of this is your concern.”
I glared at her, silently promising her we were far from being done with this conversation as I followed my father out of the room.
“What is it?” I asked him as soon as we exited the room.
My father kept on walking briskly and I followed like a puppy, my irritation growing with each step.
I was about to snap when he looked through the window of a room and opened the door.
“What could be so important?” I asked, not even bothering to hide my level of annoyance anymore. It was something that I usually toned down with him; today was simply not the day. “I need to go back to—”
“No, you don’t, and this is why I came.” He straightened up and gave me the hard, commanding look that he usually kept for my brother or for people who were crossing him. “This girlrightfullywants you far away from her. She’s your brother's fiancée and she is pregnant!”
With my child!I took a deep breath, trying to remain cool. “She’s confused. You don’t know the whole story, Father. There’s more to it that you don’t know.”
“I know more than you think. I’ve always known more. You have to leave that girl alone, do you hear me? She’s pregnant with a St-John, which one planted the seed doesn’t matter. She is Ethan’s and will remain Ethan’s if it’s what they want. You don’t belong in this equation.” He looked at his watch and huffed. “I need to be at the airfield in forty-five minutes. Your mother is waiting for me.”
I tightened my hands into fists. “Stepmother.”
“Don’t be unreasonable, Hugo. We both know you don’t care for her. You just want a toy someone else has! You’re a man in your thirties, so act like one!” he snapped, adjusting his coat. “You’re leaving with me now and you’re not coming back. We don't need the scandal this will cause.”
I scoffed. “The scandal of an affair within the same family?” I raised an eyebrow. “Are you serious? This is practically a prerequisite for noble blood.”
He waved his hand dismissively. “I couldn’t care less about the affair. It’s the rest.”
I saw his mouth tipped down with disgust and I felt a coldness settle in my stomach.
I’ll right my wrongs.That had been the last thing Ethan said before leaving. I never would have believed him to have the gall to cut the last thread he had to our father, not after how hard he'd worked to create this whole lie with Ava, and yet—
“Ethan?” I tried.
My father’s scowl deepened. “Your brother came to me and he told me his….truth.”He spat the word as if my brother's homosexuality was an infectious disease. “As long as it was his secret, I didn’t care much, but he threatened to tell everyone and that I can’t accept. No son of mine will be asodomite.”
It was my turn to tip my mouth in disgust, not at my brother’s choice of lovers, but at my father’s attitude.
It took everything I had in me to remind him how much of a hypocrite he was as he seemed pretty fond of sodomy when he was the one giving it to young women with starry eyes.