Chapter 25

Hopefully this chapter accelerates the story enough for those waiting for the final chapter.

Sir Henry grasped the arms of his dining chair in anger and raised himself angrily to his feet. He was a much taller man than either Robert or Arthur would ever be and his face was red with rage heading towards purple. ‘Gadzooks. You Sir will live to regret this day. I will have my way and you will suffer as a consequence. You may think that you are smart but you are still wet behind the ears. The pair of you will suffer.’

At that Sir Henry stormed out of the hotel collecting his hat and cane on the way and muttering loudly that included a few choice curses not fit for a ladies ears. Nor for a gentleman’s for that matter.

He had barely touched his dinner that was removed by a waiter to keep it safe and warm until his return.

‘There will be no return you may feed to the cats in the kitchens Sir.’

Robert looked at Adele who was smiling and raised her glass to toast goodbye to a Cad.

Robert touched Adele’s arm and asked her to take a breath and consider what she had just done and if it was foolhardy and impulsive. Adele just whispered back ‘I know what I am doing, trust me.’

‘But not only did you tell him that we are engaged that we are not but you presumed we would be married soon and I think you are well ahead of yourself.’

‘How so you will marry me surely. Your Aunt, your grandmother, has declared it and has offered you a future of bliss. I can take care of the business and teach you like your blood father taught her. You have no need to return to the drudgery of life in your other fathers failing business.’

‘But Adele I see too many problems ahead if we don’t consider this more carefully. I am not a woman in the first place and I doubt I can carry this on much longer. I have been a boy and a man all my life. You expect me to give that life up and let you take your place as my spouse living this life you have decided offers you more freedom and opportunity.’

‘Well would it be so bad?’

‘Of most concern is that you assumed too much. You expected me to agree and most alarming of all is we never even discussed it. You have never asked for my hand in marriage and neither have I asked for yours. The proposal was spoken by Aunt Roberta nay it sounded almost like an ultimatum.’

‘I give you that Robert but it caused no offence to me so why would you rect differently. I saw it as the perfect solution for all of us. If you must know it is my opinion that as a pair we are meant to be, we are ideally suited. Why not live the lives that fits our personalities? That surely is the one being offered and not imposed as an ultimatum. Who knows what the future might bring? ’

‘But Adele this means we live a lie and I’m the loser here surely. You are the winner.’

‘How so? We have chance to live the Upper Class life in London thanks to Aunt Roberta’s generosity and this is her chance of redemption in her final years. She has carried the guilt of giving up her daughter rather than risk her losing her patrimony.’

Robert recalled his personal discussions with Aunt Roberta and a few things began to register in his mind that had seemed confusing. She had suffered a terrible injustice in her life when her one true love, William, had been taken away from her. He had been bullied by his family, cajoled and even black-mailed into marrying Mary Fitzgerald, the daughter of a rich Irish businessman from Dublin who had built a lot of the dock area in Bristol and had invested in a floating dock that made the family rich. The Fitzgerald’s had some sort of hold over Williams father who had met them through his trading connections in Ireland.

Robert explained that according to Aunt Roberta this woman had a firey temper and a deep resentment of her being jealous of her relationship with William. Her father wanted the two families to join in business since he had extended himself too much with the costs involved in the dock. After their wedding Mary Hudson knew he’d maintained contact with Aunt Roberta and eventually the family found out about their love child Elizabeth that incensed them even more.

They had then threatened Aunt Roberta using their connections in the Irish community in London and eventually they tried to harm Elizabeth. Adeles grandfather, Judge Fleming, had been consulted and he arranged for solicitors to issue a legal letter of warning to the Fitzgeralds that quietened them for a while.

That gave William chance to spend time with Aunt Roberta and Elizabeth at Tavistock Square and he set up businesses with Aunt Roberta. He used the Club as an excuse for his time in London who gave him receipts but he in fact would stay with Aunt Roberta.

William was embarrassed to have two children by his wife Mary Hudson and Aunt Roberta tried to understand but that still didn’t provide distraction for his wife and matters got worse because the businesses he’d started with Aunt Roberta were flourishing whilst the Fitzgerald business in Bristol was struggling. Robert decided to leave and move to London and went home to Bristol to make the announcement and gather his belongings. He never returned to Tavistock Square and Aunt Roberta had no contact or messages.

When she eventually heard of his death in an accident from Judge Fleming it broke her heart and her immediate thought was to protect Elizabeth who was sent to live with Roberta’s brother and wife where she’d stayed on frequent occasions as an infant. William had helped them set up a business and buy a small property.

Adele was quick to understand that by now Robert would have aunts or uncles with the Hudson name and perhaps several cousins by now as well as more distant relatives with the Fitzgerald name. She expected they all resented Roberta Deane’s success and laid claim to the shares in the Club as well as half shares of the businesses. Adele knew the Fitzgerald name in Bristol that had been in the press regularly.

However despite this analysis Adele could think of no connection to this cad Tancred so perhaps they ought to consult further with Aunt Roberta in the morrow.

They decided to go to their room since Adele was still feeling uncomfortable and she knew the pain was likely to get worse within the next twenty four hours before the pressure in her stomach was released. Robert was concerned so she had to explain that this was a common problem and she knew how to deal with it.

Once in their room Adele was able to assist Robert to remove his outer clothes and then his corset. She commented on the beneficial effect of being corseted for a few days and Roberts ability to deal with the discomfort. They washed and Robert put on his nightdress and sat brushing his hair whilst Adele disappeared into the small adjoining room to prepare for bed in privacy.

Save hugging each other and an exchange of kisses there was no intimacy once in bed together and for some reason Adele preferred that Robert keep a distance. He was in a mood to forgive her but she was soon sound asleep. He lay still reflecting on everything that had happened that day and the proposal from Aunt Roberta.

Surely it was a crazy idea that would never work. It needed more consideration and he needed to understand more about what was wrong with Adele. How could they be intimate together if she was in need of treatment from a physician.

Adele slept solidly all night but Robert tossed and turned and before long the sun was up. So frustrating not to be able to take advantage of their night together.