Page 34 of Legacy of Roses

Three pairs of eyes stared at her.

“Did you already know he was back?” Oscar asked, astonished.

“Unfortunately, yes,” Rosalie sighed.

They waited for her to say more, but she stayed quiet. There was no way she was disclosing what Jace had done to her brothers of all people. They’d just demonstrated that they couldn’t be trusted to make sensible choices, and the last thing she needed was them vowing to track Jace down and kill him.

“Why didn’t you tell us he was in Thebarton?” Vernon asked, indignation in his tone.

She raised her eyebrows, and he immediately subsided, his cheeks flushing.

“So what does Jace have to do with any of this?” she asked.

“This morning we went to pay the latest interest installment like usual,” Vernon said. “But the man who lent us the money refused the payment. He said he’d sold our debt.”

Rosalie clapped a hand to her mouth, her meal turning over in her belly.

“He sold your debt to Jace? How did Jace even know about it?”

Vernon shrugged, none of the boys disputing her assumption. It was true, then. Her brothers owed Jace money. Possibly a lot of money. She needed to ask them the total, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it yet.

“Our original moneylender told us to go see our new creditor and pay him the interest,” Ralph said. “We didn’t know who itwas at that stage, so you can imagine our astonishment when we found Jace waiting for us.”

“We tried to give him the coins, but he refused to take them,” Vernon said.

“He refused your money?” Rosalie wasn’t foolish enough to be relieved. Jace clearly had some terrible purpose for her brothers and their debt.

“Actually he demanded more,” Vernon said. “He said the initial loan period has passed.”

“Which is true,” Oscar interjected. “But the original lender was quite happy to keep receiving interest.”

“I bet he was,” Rosalie muttered.

“So now Jace is demanding we pay back the whole loan immediately,” Ralph finished. “He says he’s giving us three days, and if we can’t produce the money, he’ll have the guards call in the debt. Which of course means they’ll arrest us since we can’t produce money we don’t have.”

Rosalie frowned. “Surely that’s a bluff? Jace would never go to the guards. Not after what he did to us. He’s a cheat and a liar, and the whole town hates him.”

“Obviously, he didn’t buy the debt in his own name,” Oscar said with distaste. “He seems to have followers now, and officially, it’s all been done through one of them. Jace’s friend will be the one to go to the guards if it comes to that, and we’ll have no evidence he’s connected to Jace.”

Rosalie had already seen Jace’s new followers with her own eyes, so she could easily believe he had someone to stand in his stead. Their family’s stolen money was enough to buy a lot of loyalty.

“They can only arrest me,” Vernon said staunchly. “I was the one who borrowed the money, so I’m the only one they can lock away.”

“Actually,” Rosalie said in a hollow voice, “you weren’t the one to borrow the money. Not officially. It’s Father’s name on the papers Jace purchased. He’s the one the guards will come for.”

All three of the boys’ eyes widened, and if it was possible for them to look more sick, they did so. It clearly hadn’t occurred to them that their father would be the one arrested in their stead.

“I’ll…I’ll tell them it was me!” Vernon said. “I’ll swear it and insist they take me instead.”

Rosalie gave him a withering look. “Do you really think Father would allow that? Or the guard would listen? They won’t drag off a minor when an adult’s signature is on the debt.”

Vernon swallowed. He knew as well as she did that their father would take full responsibility to shield his son. And the Legacy would help him do so. When it came to a bargain, the Legacy loved substitution. A father for a son would suit it perfectly.

“I didn’t…I didn’t mean for Father to have to…”

“No,” Rosalie said poisonously. “It’s clear you didn’t think from start to end of this whole affair! And now we’re all in trouble. If Father can no longer work, we won’t be able to pay the rent on even this tiny cottage. He may be arrested, but we’ll be on the streets.” She paused, letting that fully sink in before she added, “Not that we can allow Father to be arrested, obviously. We’ll have to find a way to escape the situation in the next three days.”

The simplest option—however unpalatable—was to find enough money. As much as she hated paying a single coin to Jace, she would do it to save her family. And if they couldn’t find the money, they would have to think of another way to avoid Jace’s scheme. The alternative was unthinkable.

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