Page 48 of Romancing the Heiress
Except Genevieve had aptly pointed out Leah’s dilemma: how could she return here given her estrangement from her family? Unless Leah decided that didn’t matter, that she could move past it. Why should her family get to dictate Leah’s future? They’d already made a great deal of her past unbearable.
Perhaps it was time to break free of that anguish and pain. As awful as it would be to see her mother, Leah wondered if there was a small chance that doing so would help in the end.
There was only one way to find out. Was she strong enough to endure the confrontation?
She would have to be if she truly wanted to be free.
Leah stood, determined to face her past. A wave of unease swept through her, turning her stomach and lightening her head. “I shall go downstairs while your visitors call.” She fetched her bonnet and gloves from the dresser.
Genevieve blinked at her. “Why do you need those accessories if you’re only going downstairs?”
Caught. “I may decide to stroll outside for a spell.”
“I won’t tell,” Genevieve whispered conspiratorially. “Hide them behind you while you walk through the sitting room, and I’ll distract Mother.” Her eyes glowed with merriment.
Sometimes, Leah glimpsed the charm and humor that Mrs. Selkirk had mostly driven out of her daughter. “You should indulge in mischief more often.”
Leah managed to leave the suite without so much as a glance from Mrs. Selkirk. Donning her bonnet and gloves, she made her way downstairs filled with an odd, unsettling mix of anticipation and dread.
The walk to Black Sheep Farm took a quarter hour, and at several points along the way, Leah contemplated abandoning her errand. But each time, she reminded herself that she was courageous and bold—or so others thought. It didn’t matter. She needed to do this.
As she neared her former residence, her stomach tied itself in knots, and her breathing grew rapid, as if she’d run at top speed. It reminded her of the many times she’d done just that, rushing home after being gone too long with Phin or Sadie.
The thatch-roofed two-story house loomed like a specter before her. She paused, her gaze settling on the window that had been her chamber—little more than a narrow closet, really. Her sisters had shared the room next to her, a large space with two windows and a wide bed that would have fit at least three of Leah’s, if not four. And they’d had a fireplace, of course, while Leah had not. She’d been given an extra threadbare blanket to keep her warm in the winter. Leah had slept in an additional layer of clothing as well.
The sound of sheep bleating almost made her smile. They’d been her favorite creatures here. Were any of her favorites still there? She doubted she’d get a chance to find out.
Taking a deep, wobbly breath, she forced her feet forward and opened the gate. A black dog she didn’t recognize raced toward her and barked happily.
“Well, aren’t you a happy fellow?” she asked.
A child walked from the side of the house, apparently following the dog. “Hal, come back!”
A mop of dark blond hair partially obscured the boy’s eyes. He looked up at Leah. “Who are you? You shouldn’t pet my dog.”
This had to be her nephew, who hadn’t been born until just after she’d left. “You must be Barney.” He’d been named after his father, or that had been the plan before she’d escaped Marrywell.
The boy frowned at her. “My name is Jacob. I’m going to get my father.”
“You don’t have to. I’m your Aunt Leah.”
His eyes widened with recognition. “I didn’t think I’d ever get to meet you.”
This didn’t surprise Leah, but she wondered what the boy had been told about her. Was he predisposed to find her lacking?
“You’ve heard of me, then?”
“Just from my parents and once in a while from Grandpapa.”
“But never from your grandmother?”
Jacob shook his head. “We’re not allowed to talk about you around her.”
That sounded about right. “Well, I’m here for a short visit. I wonder, do you have siblings?”
“A younger brother and a younger sister, but she’s barely walking. And she can’t really talk. She’s very boring. They’re both taking naps.”
Leah stifled a smile. “What about this handsome pup? Hal, is it? Is he yours?”
