Page 86 of Hearts of Briarwall

She frowned. “He used your idea, anyway, didn’t he? For the bakery?”

Spencer nodded, resentment evident on his face.

“And how’d that go for him?” Andrew asked.

She whipped her head around. “Andrew. Show some respect.”

“Respect? Eight people came close to losing their lives within the first three weeks. Holes were literally burned in their guts, crippling them forever. Mr. William Hayes died in jail, Lydia.”

She cringed at the thought of the pain those people endured. “But ...” She turned to Spencer. “But your father said he didn’t know, correct? That he was taken advantage of?”

Spencer lowered his eyes. “Mother said he told her not to eat the bread. He never brought it home. No biscuits for Nell. Ever.”

Lydia searched between the men for some sort of saving grace. She pulled on Spencer’s sleeve. “Butyoudidn’t know, right? You didn’t know what your father was doing.”

He kept his eyes on the ground.

“Spencer?”

“Mother wrote to me, suspecting that he was involved in something underhanded.” He pushed his hands through his hair. “I didn’t want to know. I was angry. Resentful. It wasn’t until accusations were made and he was arrested that I realized how truly bad it was. Even if he didn’t know, he had to have turned a blind eye.”

“And would you?” Andrew spat out. “You promised my sister she would be investing in motorcarsafety.”

Spencer frowned in confusion. “I didn’t—”

“Feedingupon her emotional tie to our parents’ demise—”

“No.”

“Would you turn a blind eye tothat?”

“Andrew that wasmyidea,” Lydia cut in while trying to find truth in all this muck.

Andrew turned on her. “Was it?Are you going to trust this veritable stranger with your bright future—trust that he won’t ‘turn a blind eye’ to whatever sort ofpromisehe’s made you?”

Something in her snapped, and she stepped away from both of them, slipping from Spencer’s grasp. “You mean the same way I trusted my own brother with mybright future?”

Andrew’s eyes widened.

Spencer turned to her, eyes pleading for her to believe him. “I’m not my father, Lydia. I swear, that isn’t who I am.”

Lydia’s chest ached. For those injured people. For this animosity from Andrew. And for Spencer, and the truth he’d withheld from them. For the truth about his father. For the truth about hers.

“I’m tired,” she whispered.

Andrew looped his hand around her arm and pulled her to him. She came limply.

He glared at Spencer. “You will pack your bags and leave. You are no longer welcome.”

Spencer shook his head, his chest moving up and down. “You can’t mean that.”

“You have nothing to offer here.”

“Andrew,” Lydia said, pleading in her voice. “Where is your compassion?” Tears burned her eyes.

He rounded on her. “It dissolved when I walked in here and found you in a compromising position. Your judgment is addled. You will go to your room and stay there until I say otherwise.”

“Myjudgment is addled?” Lydia wrenched her arm free and backed away. “Where is Ruby?” she asked.

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