One Penny Surprise (Saved By Desire 1) (9 page)

Clarence suddenly lurched forward in his seat. “You would be wise to remember those words yourself, my dear,” he warned her.

“Are you threatening me? After everything I have done for you, you
dare
to threaten me?” She studied him. She had never been so disappointed in anyone in her entire life. For a moment she wasn’t sure what to think other than she couldn’t be sure why she had wasted her time on such an odious creature for so long in the first place.

“You have been a burden to me since the day you were born,” Clarence declared flatly. “I wanted a son, but your mother was too weak to have another child after lumbering me with you. All you have done is cost me. You have no marriageable qualities, even to the labourers in Cumbria. I can’t even find you a decent husband who will accept you without a dowry, and you are certainly too old now for a come out. What now? Am I to be burdened with you for the rest of my days? Shall I have no peace and freedom to go wherever I want to go of my own accord without having to pander to the delicate eccentricities of a daughter with no qualities?”

Poppy stared at the hatred in Clarence’s eyes and tried to ignore the foul stench of fetid alcohol on his breath. She had never been close to Clarence. For as long as she could remember he had been a distant figure to her; someone who pretended to be interested in what she did but really wasn’t. It pained her to have all of her lifelong suspicions confirmed, but deep down she knew that she had to hear them at some point. Harbouring false hopes that one day he would be nice and they could be on friendlier terms was nothing but foolish, and something she resolved never to spend another second on from this moment forth.

“I apologise for not being born the right sex to suit you, Clarence, but I am not responsible for it. Your disappointments are you problem. However, given I am a weak and useless female, I see no reason why my lack of skills in any department should work to deliver any more packages for you, cook any more of your meals, launder any more of your clothing, or sort out any further financial woes your vices sink you into.”

The slap that landed across her cheek brought tears to her eyes and made her flesh burn. In that moment something inside her died, and she stared at Clarence with all the disillusionment she felt toward the man who had lurched out of his chair and was now leaning over her with pure menace in his eyes. Determined not to be thwarted by him, she pushed at his shoulders so swiftly and with such determination that he stumbled back and landed against the dresser with a heavy thump.

Before she could speak, the sudden rap of a knock on the door shattered the silence. Fear flooded Clarence’s gaze as he threw a panicked look at the front door visible down the long corridor that ran through the centre of the house.

“It’s for you,” she whispered, unrepentantly merciless.

He threw her a beseeching look, but seemed to realise from the steely look in her eye, and the red mark across her cheek, that he was going to get no help from her.

“Go on then, answer it,” she taunted when the knocking became heavier. “They are waiting.”

Clarence swallowed but didn’t move.

“If you ever lay a hand on me again, I shall turn you over to them myself and let them have at you,” she declared coldly. “Someone is at the door. Nobody even knows I am here so it can’t be for me and you are, after all, the man of the house. Answer it.”

“I-I can’t,” he mumbled.

“God, you are nothing short of a coward,” she spat when he didn’t move or speak. “I wonder what mother ever saw in you. You are a coward and an ingrate.”

“Watch your mouth,” Clarence snapped.

This time though, Poppy was not going to be bullied by him. She took a breath and opened her mouth. “I wonder what they would do if I screamed?”

“Bloody keep quiet,” he snarled. Racing to the back door, he frantically slid the bolt home with a dull thud. When the knocking continued, he raced to the hallway door and closed it quietly before he tore across the kitchen and drew the bedraggled pieces of fabric across the window. They didn’t meet in the middle, but it was enough to provide them with some shelter from prying eyes outside.

“Where are you going?” he gasped in horror when she moved to the hallway door and went to open it.

“It is you they are after, not me,” she replied. “There is no reason why I should hide.”

With more confidence than she really felt she yanked open the door and made her way to the stairs. She could see the tall, dark silhouette on the doorstep and knew immediately that it wasn’t the man she had met in the park: Luke Brindley. He had lighter hair and was even taller than the unknown caller on the doorstep. Sensing it had something to do with the money in the kitchen cupboard, she hoped and prayed that Clarence was indeed a coward and wouldn’t find the confidence to open the door. At least then he wouldn’t learn the truth for another few hours. That’s all she needed now to decide not only what to do next, but how she was going to go about doing it.

“You can’t go walking about in London by yourself,” she whispered as she closed her bedroom door behind her to block out the repetitive knocking Clarence refused to answer.

“It’s time to leave,” she murmured.

“Poppy, get down here gel,” he demanded in a hushed whisper, but she ignored him.

She had no intention of ever doing anything Clarence told her to do again. Not while she had breath in her body and a brain in her head. She was an independent woman of means now. It was irrelevant to her that those ‘means’ didn’t actually belong to her. She had borrowed the money from Peter, so for now it really belonged to her and she had every right to use it for herself.

It still bothered her that when he had handed the money over, Peter had issued a few cautionary words that she was never to allow Clarence to get his hands on any of it. It had been as though he was trying to warn her about something, or knew of the problems that lay ahead. Either way she would do as Peter told her to and use the money to leave the hovel. Now, after Clarence’s despicable behaviour this morning, she was going to use as much as she needed to keep a roof over her head, clothing on her back, and food in her stomach while she decided what to do with her life.

“Poppy, get down here this instant or I shall come up there and fetch you.”

Poppy reasoned that she had to go downstairs at some point anyway to fetch the precious bag. Before she did so, however, she took a moment to pack the remainder of her few precious belongings back into a second carpet bag and carried them with her as she descended the stairs. She placed those carefully in the cupboard beneath the stairs. It was the quiet click of the latch that alerted Clarence in the kitchen that she was there and he promptly appeared in the doorway.

“You took your time,” he groused.

“I am not beholden to you,” she retorted. “What do you want?”

“Deliver this message for me,” he demanded holding out a piece of parchment to her.

“Deliver it yourself,” she snorted. “I am not your messenger.”

“You will deliver this for me or you will be out on your ear.”

“Fine, I shall pack my belongings and be out of your hair then. See if you can cook a meal for yourself. The next time your creditor comes calling,
you
can deal with them, and while you are at it, you are all out of food so you need to go and purchase some with whatever money you have left.” She was proud of the keen disinterest in her voice as she spoke, and was aware that Clarence hesitated before he replied, but that didn’t detract him from trying to bully her once more.

“If you expect to remain in my house then you will do as you are told. You are too bloody wilful for your own good and need to mind your manners. No wonder I cannot find a husband to take you on. Not only do you not have enough looks to attract a man, but you are too mouthy and don’t have the brains you were born with,” he snorted derisively.

“Ha, I haven’t cost us the roof over our head in Cumbria,” she retorted.

It was a wild shot in the dark but she knew from the look on his face that was in fact what he had done. Her heart broke at the thought that she had lost the beloved home that meant so much to her, but she couldn’t think too much about that right now or she might break down and cry. Instead, she turned the pain into anger and glared hatefully at the man who was soon to become a part of her past. “You had to go and push it didn’t you? You are supposed to be the man of the house and work to provide for the family. You are supposed to deal with the running of the finances, and ensure there are enough funds available to put a roof over our heads and food on the table, yet you couldn’t even manage to do that properly. Peter was right about you, you are a selfish ingrate.”

She caught his hand before he slapped her again. This time she squeezed his wrist as tightly as she could in silent warning. “Don’t you ever touch me,” she breathed through clenched teeth as she tightened her grip as painfully as she could, and dug her nails in for good measure.

Her eyes met Clarence’s for what she suspected was the last time. If she was completely honest, she wouldn’t be sorry to see the back of him. Eventually, when his stunned gaze flickered to her hand, she threw his wrist away and turned her back on him before he could say anything else.

“You had a wonderful house in Cumbria, and a wife who loved you for what you were. Whatever she saw in you she stood by you but you didn’t even treat her properly. She died of heartbreak far too soon, not that you cared. I am sorry if I have been a disappointment to you but I didn’t ask to be born. You knew when you had me that you were accepting responsibilities as a father. Reneging on those in the way you have has been the worst act of cowardly selfishness I have ever come across. I am sorry to call you my sire. Given you have practically handed the house in Cumbria over to the creditor; am I to understand that you have also taken steps to ensure the furniture is put into storage? Or have you sold that too?”

“It is my furniture,” Clarence replied. “It is nothing to do with you.”

“Fine. Then I shall endeavour to ensure the remainder of my belongings are removed from the house forthwith because they were given to me by mother, and are not yours to give away,” she said coldly.

“So, what are you going to do? You have no skills with which to work and have no house in Cumbria to go back to. That house is no longer mine. I sold it,” Clarence declared maliciously. “It has paid all of my debts off in full. The money that I have left is there to provide for my future.”

Poppy stared at him in disbelief. At first she was unsure if she had heard him correctly. When he opened his mouth to speak she lifted a hand and motioned for him to stay quiet.

“What do you mean you have sold the house and have now paid all of your debts off in full?” She watched him and wondered whether he would try to bluff his way out of this particular lie, and lie he had because, if he had paid all of his debts off, who was she supposed to have handed the money over to this morning?

“I sold the house to clear off my debts. There was enough left for the rent here, and food, as long as you eat sparingly, and that is all. The coffers are empty now.”

Poppy knew he was lying and wanted to challenge him about it but then doubted she would get the truth.

“You lied to me,” she whispered, horrified that she had put herself in danger all for nothing. She still had no idea what was really going on but the contents of the bag were now more precious to her than ever before.

“Well? What are you going to do now?” Clarence demanded, desperate to change the subject.

“See to my own future,” Poppy retorted.

As far as she could see there was no relationship between her and her sire any more, and she had to wonder if there ever really had been. After all, over the past several years she had been the one to look after him, not the other way around. She had been at his beck and call. In return, all she had received had been scorn, derision and the occasional questioning of her skills. If she hadn’t bothered to try to appease him the discord between them would have been evident long ago.

“Do that,” he snapped. “We will see how long you are out there all by yourself. You won’t stand a chance.” He snorted and shook his head. “I will give you a day before you come back.”

Poppy shook her head. “Being dragged about while you evade your creditors has prepared me for whatever is ‘out there’ as you put it,” she growled. “Believe me when I tell you that I won’t be back.”

For the first time in her entire life she desperately wanted to hit another human being. So much so that her fists clenched into tight balls of fury and she had to fight to keep them by her side. She was visibly trembling with rage but refused to unleash it. She knew she wouldn’t be able to live with her own conscience should she stoop so low as to harm another human being. Not even Clarence was going to drag her that far down. Before she could say anything else, loud hammering began on the front door again.

Poppy sighed and turned to look over her shoulder. “They are persistent, I will grant you that. I suggest you go and answer it before they kick the door down,” she mused wryly.

Inwardly she was filled with horror at the possibility and wished once again that she had remained beside the corpse in the park. Anywhere else was better than here. She watched Clarence stare worriedly at the door and wondered what other messes he had gotten himself into, but then didn’t ask because she didn’t really care.