My heartbeat increased tenfold. I was not ready to confront the memory nor let my mother know I was aware of her and James’s secret.
“There is my beautiful wife and ever faithful and dutiful daughter.”
Lifting my gaze from my mother, I watched as my father approach
ed, wearing neither a smile nor a scowl. He simply wore an expression that I could not read.
Composing herself quickly, mother spun around and rushed into my father’s arms, telling him how much she had missed him. Had she? How many times had she and James secretly met whilst my father had been away on business?
My father. This man before me is not my father.
Lies.
My life has been nothing but lies.
Part 3 – Quinn
The crisp morning air filled my lungs as I strolled beside Jonathon. The swish of my light-blue walking dress brushing against my camisole filled the silence whenever there was a lull in the conversation—which was not very often.
“Thank you for allowing me this stroll, Quinn.”
I peered up at him, my hat barely shading my eyes from the summer sun. “Tell me, Jonathon, what brought you to Salem, and more importantly, what brought you to be in Mr. Hathorne’s home the night he called for me?”
He gazed down at me while lifting the left corner of his mouth into a smile. Oh, how that made my lower stomach tighten so.
“My father and Mr. Hathorne are good friends. They schooled together at Harvard. A few months back, Mr. Hathorne sent a correspondence to my father, asking for his help. Imploring his help, really. He suspected his daughter was in danger and carried on about some secret group he had accidentally stumbled upon. Just the mere mention of the word daughter caused concern, for my father knew Mr. and Mrs. Hathorne had only sons. Needless to say, the letter concerned my father enough to pick up and move to Salem for the time being.”
My heart sank. “You will not be staying then? In Salem?”
Jonathon stopped and turned to me. “Why is there a hint of sadness in that question?”
With a tilt of my head, I batted my lashes at the handsome Mr. Young and replied, “Possibly there is. I have grown rather found of you during this walk.”
Jonathon threw back his head in a roar of laughter.
“Back to our conversation. Your explanation does not answer my question. Why were you in the room and not your father if he is Mr. Hathorne’s friend?”
“My mother has been ill of late. Another reason Father wanted to leave Boston for a bit. The city air is not good for her.”
“I see. I’m so sorry she is not well. Will she be okay?”
He gave me a brilliant smile. “Yes. We see an improvement already in the short time we have been here. She seemed eager to get up and move around this morning when I mentioned I would be calling on you. I may have mentioned how beautiful you are. And the fact that you have filled my dreams each night since I first met you.”
Placing my hand to my cheeks, I grinned with delight. “Are you always so… flirtatious, Mr. Young?”
“Will you always address me by my surname when you are serious, Quinn? Or will you relax a bit and simply call me Jonathon?”
My good senses left me yet again, and without a thought for what I was saying, I blurted out, “Jon for when we are alone.”