Family Scandals Read Online Free PDF Page B

his brother’s return in 1864, his father had procured a commission for him and he had been posted to India immediately. He had been too pre-occupied with attaining what had been his dearest wish at the age of twenty-four to realize his father had done so in order to shield him from the ugliness of the events following his departure. If the gossip that made its way to India in the ensuing months had even a kernel of truth in it, the months after he left England had been ominous indeed for his brother and sister-in-law.
    Now, he looked over at Lord Sherbourne and said, “I did not expect to receive remuneration for leaving.”
    “Very well. All that is necessary, then, is that you tender your resignation and it be accepted. Acceptance, you realize, is a mere formality, but it must be observed, nevertheless.”
    “And who would I address my resignation to?”
    “The War Office should be adequate,” was the reply. “You will receive a letter by return post informing you of the Office’s acceptance.”
    Marcus rose to his feet. “Thank you, sir.”
    Lord Sherbourne did not bother to rise, but nodded his head dismissively.
    Marcus turned on his heel and left. Once outside, he looked up into the cloudless, blue sky, suddenly feeling freer than he had in many years.
    Three days later he left London.

Chapter Three
    If this letter finds you at St. Ayers, I will meet you there in approximately a fortnight.
    Major Lord Marcus Waring to his brother, Brand, Duke of Warringham
     
     
    Corinna sat on a large rock watching the gulls overhead swoop and dive in a cloudless sky, their shrill voices filling the air. On the beach, Michael and Caroline scampered barefoot over rocks and splashed in pools left by the tide, gathering shells, rocks, and treasures alike.
    “Corrie, look,” Caroline brought yet another shell for her inspection, laying it beside the rest. They had been collecting and playing for some time now, and, looking up at the sky, she knew it was time to get back to the house. But not yet, she told herself. She wanted to stay just a few minutes longer.
    “That’s very pretty,” she told Caroline. “Which one do you like best?”
    Caroline studied the various shells intently for a moment before picking up a small, oyster-shaped one. The pink and white lines across the back were symmetrical ridges, but the inside was very smooth and a darker shade of pink. “I like this one,” she announced, “because it reminds me of Penelope.”
    Penelope was Caroline’s favorite doll. It had a porcelain face with bright pink cheeks painted on, blue eyes, and golden hair. Although the doll had other clothes, Caroline kept her dressed in a pink and white ruffled confection that made her look like a piece of sugar candy. Thankfully, Caroline was too much of a hoyden to allow herself to be dressed similarly.
    “If we put it on a piece of string, it will make a pretty necklace,” Caroline continued.
    Michael came up to see what they were looking at. With his hair windblown and slightly damp, his cheeks reddened from the salt breeze, he could have passed for any of the village boys who often combed these shores.
    “I found a crab,” he announced. “But it was very small, so I didn’t pick it up.”
    “That was probably for the best,” Corinna told him. “It will probably go back out to sea on the next tide.”
    “When it gets bigger, a fisherman will probably catch it for dinner.”
    Corinna didn’t react. She had learned that Michael enjoyed making comments that often ended with something being eaten. He was fascinated by what his father referred to as the “food chain”.
    “Show me,” Caroline demanded, and the two scampered off.
    Corinna smiled and watched them go. They had been at St. Ayers for almost two weeks now, and she had fallen in love with the rugged beauty of the estate and the Cornwall coast. Now she understood why it had once been the domain of freebooters, smugglers, and even a few pirates. The