Did I actually show it to him?
After that, everything was a complete blank, so Nate must have brought her home. A loud groan escaped as she pulled the pillow from under her head, and covered her face. The trouble she soon faced would not be forgiven so easily.
A soft knocked sounded at her bedroom door. She contemplated ignoring it, but eventually she would have to face her father, so she eased herself up. “Come in.”
Sylvia entered, smiling.
Oh, God, why did it have to be her?
“How are you feeling, dear?” The woman quietly approached the bed.
“Awful.”
“Your papa would like to see you downstairs when you’re feeling up to it.”
“I’m sure he does.” Lucy lay back down and moaned when her head hit the pillow.
“Do you want me to help you?” Sylvia walked to the window and pushed the drapes aside.
Light poured into the room, and Lucy placed her hand over her eyes. “For heaven’s sake, close those drapes.”
Sylvia sighed. “Your papa’s been waiting for a while to talk to you, so I think you better wash your face, brush your hair, and come on down.”
“I know how to take care of myself, thank you very much.” Lucy threw off the cover and swung her legs over the side of the bed.
“All right, I’ll leave you, and see you downstairs.”
Once the door clicked closed, Lucy took the few steps to where she kept her hidden brandy bottle. Her eyes grew wide to find it empty. It couldn’t be possible she’d drunk so much. Only yesterday she’d pinched it from her father’s liquor supply.
She rinsed her mouth out with lavender water, washed her face, and brushed her hair. Twisting it into a chignon, she slipped her shoes on and left the room.
Once she arrived downstairs, she could hear Sylvia and Papa talking in the library, so she headed there.
The couple sat side by side on the settee. Her father held Sylvia’s hand as she leaned close to him, and spoke softly.
“Come in, honey.” He smiled when he noticed Lucy in the doorway.
Tears immediately welled up in Lucy’s eyes. Dabbing with her handkerchief, she sniffed and took the soft leather chair in front of the fireplace.
“I’m so sorry, Papa.” She wiped her cheeks. “I know I shouldn’t have had that one drink this morning. I had a chore to do I wasn’t happy about, so I needed a little bit of courage.”
Her father left Sylvia’s side, proceeded to where Lucy sat, and pulled her up. “Girl, don’t you know courage from a bottle is no courage at all?”
“I know that now.” She sniffed daintily, and peered up at him, her lip trembling. “I’ve never done that before, Papa, and I can assure you I truly learned my lesson.”
Sylvia’s eyebrows shot up at the blatant lie, but she remained silent. Her father gathered Lucy into his arms, and rubbed her back. “It’s okay, sweetheart. I know you did.”
Lucy smiled against her father’s shoulder, and glanced at Sylvia. She hadn’t fooled the older woman, but didn’t care. Her papa would always take care of her.
“Papa, I’m really not well. I’m not used to spirits, and I feel a little sick. May I go back to my room and lie down?”
He released her. “Of course, honey. You go on upstairs and lie down for the rest of the day. You’ll feel much better tomorrow. I’ll have Cook send a tray up for you in a little bit.”
Thank you, Papa, I love you so much.” She gave him a kiss on his cheek. Turning, she walked out of the library, wondering how soon he would leave the room so she could replenish her liquor stock.
Nate and Angel entered Damian Lawton’s unassuming office on Main Street. Angel looked around as they approached his desk.
Although the man must’ve collected healthy fees from Eli’s various businesses over the years, the lawyer apparently didn’t spend the money on his office.
A worn desk sat in the front of two windows. Papers and files were stacked on top of the desk, and on the floor alongside his chair. How did the man find anything? The walls were painted a sickly green color, the wooden floor scratched and worn.
“Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Hale,” Damian said, rising from his seat. Although clean and neat about his person, his suit showed wear in various spots.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Lawton, can we have a minute of your time?”
“Of course, please, have a seat,” he pointed to two aged wooden chairs in front of his desk.
Nate ushered Angel to a chair, while she shifted Julia-Rose, who slept on, in her arms.
When they were all settled, the lawyer avoided pleasantries and got right to business. “What can I do for you?”
Nate drew the court order from his pocket, and handed it to the attorney. Damian opened it, and read through the entire document, his brows furrowing as he skimmed the paper.
“I don’t understand,” he said to Nate, glancing up.
“Neither do we, Mr. Lawton.” Angel moved the baby and leaned forward on her seat.
“Do you have a lot of contact with,” Damian referred to the paper, “Mr. and Mrs. Belford?”
Nate shook his head. “My deceased wife’s parents have visited our home to see their grandchildren exactly twice. They came right after Matt’s birth, and never again until almost a year ago. My boys didn’t even know them.” Nate’s jaw worked as he finished speaking.
“Well. That’s certainly an interesting fact. I wonder what’s motivating them to seek guardianship?”
“The only thing I can think of is a religious issue.”
Damian raised his eyebrows at his comment.
“Amy’s parents are staunch Catholics. I’m not. Angel and I attend the Methodist church with the children. When the Belfords were out last year for their second visit ever, they were upset to discover that.”
“A difference of opinion on religious upbringing is hardly a reason to seek guardianship.”
“I know, that’s why I can’t figure out where the ‘unfit parent’ thing comes from.”
Damian leaned back in his chair, and tapped his chin with a pen. “Do either one of you have anything in your backgrounds to give these people reason to believe you’re unfit parents?”
Nate shrugged. “No, nothing. I’m as confused by this as you are.”
The lawyer reached for the paper and read it over again. He folded it carefully, and rested his hands on the desk. “I suggest you allow me to attend this hearing with you. The Belfords will have an attorney, and I think it would be wise for you to have one as well.”
“Thank you, we appreciate that.” Angel smiled for the first time since she’d entered the room.
“Should we bring the children with us to court?” Nate asked as he took the baby from Angel’s arms.
“There’s no reason to involve them at this point, unless the judge requests their presence. This is only a preliminary hearing. Leave them home, you two wear your best Sunday clothes, and meet me at the courthouse.” He glanced at the paper again. “On the twenty-fifth.”
Following a long, worrisome week, Nate and Angel sat on a long bench in front of the courtroom. A gloomy day, it mirrored their mood. The inside of the building showed scant light, oil lamps casting off barely more than shadows. Angel shivered and rubbed her palms up and down her arms. Every once in a while she would let out a deep sigh.
Nate checked his pocket watch, and cast a glance out the heavy glass doors.
Restlessness overcoming her, Angel rose and paced the small entrance hall. Occasionally she, too, scanned the glass door, and then resumed pacing.
Nate grabbed her hand as she strode by. “Honey, we arrived almost an hour early. You’re making yourself a wreck. Why don’t you take a walk around the block to calm yourself?”
“No, I’m fine.” She sat down, took his hand, and squeezed it. “We’ll be fine.” She paused. “Won’t we?”
The outside door swung open and Mr. and Mrs. Belford, along with an older man, entered the courthouse. The Belfords barely acknowledged them, but the older man approached.
“I’m Jeffrey Strickland, and I represent Mr. and Mrs. Belford. May I assume you are the Hales?”
Nate stood, and took the man’s outstretched hand. “Yes sir, I am Nathan Hale, and this is my wife, Angelina.”
“Do you have a lawyer, Mr. Hale?” Strickland asked.
“Yes, he should be here any minute.”
An officer of the court came out of the small door alongside the bench at the same time Damian Lawton entered through the front door.
“If everyone is here, the judge is ready,” the officer said.
They entered the silent courtroom. A desk sat on a raised platform against one wall, with a Bible resting on it. Several benches were positioned in rows in front of the judge. He struck Angel as a pleasant looking man, probably in his late fifties. His black hair showed streaks of silver, and the sharp blue eyes behind his spectacles twinkled with humor. He wore the robe of his office, and smiled at all the parties as they entered the room.
“Good morning, folks. I’m Judge Raymond Hathaway.” He motioned to the benches in front of him. “Please, make yourselves comfortable.”
Angel took a deep breath and followed Nate to a bench directly in front of the desk. Once everyone sat, the judge retrieved the papers before him, and adjusting his spectacles, read the documents. Every once in a while he would glance up, apparently to identify the various parties from the paperwork.
After several minutes, he nodded in Strickland’s direction and leaned back in his leather chair. “All right, let’s hear from the petitioners first.”
Jeffery Strickland stood, and smoothing his hair and tugging on his cuffs, faced the judge. “Your Honor, my clients are the maternal grandparents of the Hale children. They are,” he stopped and checked his notes, “Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Julia-Rose.”
The judge smiled at Angel and Nate, and then returned his attention to the lawyer. “Go on.”
“Your Honor, my clients have done some investigation, and they have reason to believe Angelina Hale and Nathan Hale are unfit parents and the court should remove them from their guardianship and place them with their grandparents.”
Hearing the words spoken out loud caused Angel’s stomach to tighten. She glanced at Nate who wiped sweat from his forehead. He reached for her hand, and gripped it.
“That’s a pretty strong charge, Mr. Strickland. I assume you’re prepared to tell this court exactly what the reasons are?” The Judge regarded the lawyer over his spectacles.
“Yes, Your Honor. My clients have discovered that some time ago, Nathan Hale kidnapped a woman from her home.” The attorney turned, and faced Nate. “Then he held this woman against her will, until such time as her husband rescued her.”
He paused, and continued to stare at them. “And Angelina Constanza Hardwick Hale was expelled from Miss Pennington’s Finishing School for Young Ladies in New York City for stealing a very valuable necklace.”
Angel and Nate turned to each other in shock.
“You kidnapped someone?” she gasped.
“You stole a necklace?” Nate choked.
The Belfords eyed each other and smiled.
Chapter 20
Damian stood and addressed the judge. “Your Honor, since this is the first time we’ve heard these charges, I request we adjourn this hearing, and resume it after I’ve had a chance to discuss this with my clients.”
The judge slammed his gavel. “This hearing will be continued in five days.”
“Your Honor.” Mr. Strickland rose. “My clients live out of the area and staying here for five days would place a burden on them.”
“I’m sorry, counselor.” The judge wiped his spectacles with a handkerchief. “Your clients have asserted serious charges. It’s only fair the Hales have the opportunity to defend themselves. If Mr. and Mrs. Belford want to pursue this, they’ll have to either stay here, or come back.”
With a heavy heart, Nate escorted Angel from the courtroom, and walked her in silence to their buggy.
“I need to see the two of you in my office as soon as possible.” Damian slapped Nate on his back.
“Is tomorrow morning all right?”
“Fine. Come by at nine o’clock.”
They climbed into the buggy and started off. “I think we need to talk before we see Mr. Lawton tomorrow.” Nate glanced briefly at Angel as they pulled away from the courthouse.
Angel twisted her hands in her lap. “Yes, I think that would be best.”
“Since we have someone watching the children, I suggest we drive out of town, and find a quiet place where we can talk privately.” Sensing her distress, he shifted both reins to one hand and took her hand in the other.
The ride continued in silence, each deep in thought. They left the town behind, and continued on until they reached an area with nothing but miles of grass and woods in every direction. Nate pulled the buggy to a stop. He turned to face Angel and ran his fingers through his hair.
“I guess I’ll go first.” Taking a deep breath, he said, “About ten years ago, I thought myself in love with a married woman.” He looked up, and not seeing the shock he expected on Angel’s face, continued.
“Emmaline and I had grown up together, and even though we were close, she fell in love with, and later married, a local man. I was young and heartbroken, so right before the wedding, I joined the army, and was sent out West, and never thought to see her again.