The Forgotten Family Read Online Free Page B

Tommy, Bert, Charlie, June, Pearl or Maggie. I won’t forget them. Never!
    Henry Jenson’s house was only two miles away, so Albert took a fresh mount and headed for his brother-in-law’s. It was nearly midnight when he arrived. The door was opened as soon as he thumped on it, and he swept aside the flustered servant, storming into the library, knowing that was where he would find Henry.
    ‘I ought to give you the thrashing of your life,’ hegrowled, as Henry leapt to his feet in alarm.
    ‘Now, Albert.’ He backed away, hands up in defence. ‘Mary will take good care of the child.’
    ‘Mary can’t take care of herself, let alone a troubled child who has been taken away from her family and dumped with strangers. The little girl’s terrified!’
    ‘That bad, is it?’ Henry visibly blanched as his brother-in-law took a menacing step towards him.
    ‘Now, I’ll tell you what you’re going to do. From this moment on, that child is mine! You are to see that the adoption is legal. I don’t want anyone else to have a claim on her.’
    ‘I’ll see to it—’
    ‘You make sure you do. You make this legal – and with the utmost speed. If anyone comes near me trying to take her away, then I’ll break your bloody neck. Is that understood?’
    ‘I’ll get straight on to it, Albert.’ Henry swallowed and cleared his throat.
    ‘Make sure you do, or your life won’t be worth living. And as soon as it’s done I want a notice put in the papers announcing the adoption.’
    Henry nodded and held up the decanter. ‘Er … would you like a drink?’
    ‘No, I wouldn’t!’ Albert stormed out of the house, and galloped away.
    Henry collapsed into a leather armchair, pulled the stopper out of the decanter with his teeth, and filled a glass with brandy, his hand shaking. Albert Warrender was a powerful man, with hair as black as night, andeyes that glowed like burning coals when in a rage.
    He emptied the glass in one gulp. Facing his sister’s husband when he was in that kind of a mood was not something he would recommend to anyone.

Chapter Three
    October 1905
    Her father, standing in his usual spot by the fireplace, glowered at her, but Ellie wasn’t fooled for a moment by his stern expression. She loved him and knew his every mood, and his mouth had twitched when she’d walked into the room. Even so, although he had always been extremely indulgent and forgiving of her boisterous moods, she knew he was near the end of his patience.
    ‘Your explanation had better be good, Eleanor. This is the second school to send you home in disgrace.’ He held up the letter she had given him from the school. ‘Fighting again!’
    ‘I’m sorry, Father.’ She cast a quick glance at her mother, but she was sitting with her hands in her lap, clearly content to leave this matter with her husband. Ellie drew in a deep breath. ‘They started it first.’
    ‘They? There was more than one this time?’
    ‘Um … three, actually.’
    He looked up at the ceiling for a moment, then back to her, his amber eyes smouldering. ‘I can see they gave you a black eye. I was hoping that the exclusive finishing school would teach you to control your temper. Why were you expelled when it was three girls who attacked you?’
    Shuffling carefully, she slipped out of her shoes. For some strange reason she always wanted to get rid of her shoes when she was in trouble. ‘I think I broke one girl’s nose, and the other two—’
    He held up his hand to stop her. ‘There’s no need to go into details as I shall, no doubt, be receiving letters from the outraged parents.’
    ‘They deserved it, Father. They called us – me names, and I wasn’t going to put up with that. Just because they come from titled families they think they’re better than everyone else.’ She held his gaze boldly. ‘I told them you were richer and more noble than all of them.’
    ‘You were defending me ?’ He shook his head in disbelief.
    Ellie squinted at her father