and my sorrow like a weight. “He’s your
son.
”
Junius gave me a troubled look. “You have a good heart, Lea. But there are some people who don’t deserve it.”
“You don’t know that he’s one of them.”
“You don’t know that he isn’t.” He dragged his hand through his hair and turned back to the door. His shoulders sagged, he looked tired and
old
. “I’m sorry, Leonie,” he said again. “You don’t know how much.”
But I was still angry and guilty and hurt, and I wondered which he was sorry for—not telling me about the son he’d abandoned, or for being caught in the lie?
I followed him out, back into the chill. Lord Tom was still on the porch, his chair angled back against the wall, his hat pulled low. He’d no doubt heard every word.
He tilted his hat back. He was frowning. “Your son is still in the barn.”
Junius went down the stairs. As I made to follow, Lord Tom reached out, touching my arm, stopping me. When I looked back at him, he said softly, “Bad luck.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” I said impatiently, but his words startled me; I looked at the barn, Junius striding toward the young man waiting inside.
Lord Tom said, “
Kloshe nanitch, okustee.
”
“Yes, of course I’ll be careful.” I pulled away, hurrying after my husband.
At the barn door, Junius paused, and I came up beside him. Daniel Russell was inside, as Lord Tom had said, and he was standing by the mummy, holding the lamp, looking at her with a kind of studious attention that made me pause, uncertain whether to be pleased or troubled. When he heard us, he turned around, lowering the lamp, and I found myself looking for Junius in him, some evidence of blood. He had the same color eyes, Irealized, and that alone was enough to make my stomach sink.
Junius’s son. Who was not mine.
Junius said, “I imagine that wasn’t the greeting you were hoping for, boy. I’m sorry for it. You...you caught me by surprise.”
Daniel glanced at me. He was nearly vibrating with anger. He glanced back at Junius. “I imagine so.”
Junius licked his lips a little nervously. “So I...what do you want from me?”
“Junius,” I warned.
“He’s come with some expectation, Lea, as I said. I just want to know what it is.”
“It’s all right,” Daniel said. “It’s a fair question. As it happens, I do want something.”
Junius turned to me triumphantly.
Daniel went on, “I want a story about the mummy for the paper I work for.”
“A story?” Junius’s voice was heavy with suspicion.
Daniel’s smile was thin. “A story.”
“You didn’t come all this way for that.”
“My editor says I did. But you’re right, that’s not the only reason I came. I wanted to see you as well. Now that I have, well...I guess the story’s the better reward.”
Junius’s mouth tightened. “Talk to your stepmother about it then. She’s the one studying the damn thing.”
Daniel looked at me. I said quickly, “Of course. I’ll tell you whatever you want to know. But...well, it could take some time to discover anything of interest, and in the meantime, perhaps you could stay here with us.” I said the words before Junius had time to protest.
Daniel raised a brow.
Junius glared at me. I glared back at him. “It would give you and your father a chance to know each other.”
Daniel laughed shortly and glanced away.
I felt a swift surge of anger, of dislike. Before it could gain sway, I nudged Junius, who said bluntly, “If you decide to stay, it won’t be free room and board. You’ll work like the rest of us, but I’ll pay you fairly for it.”
His distrust was in every word.
Daniel let out a breath. He looked back at me, and then at Junius, and that gaze was assessing and distant, uncomfortably so. Suddenly I was sorry I’d suggested it. I wanted him to say no, to walk away and let me forget he existed. Junius was right; he was a stranger, and one who had plenty of reason to hate us both.
But I could not
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