Portia and Viola met them in the hall. Viola’s face clouded with concern. “What happened?”
“Later,” Bea said with a pointed look that Rosalind didn’t miss, even in her stunned state. “I’m assuming you didn’t find anything.”
“Not a thing,” Portia said.
“I did,” Bea said. “Shall we go back to that pub and see what we have?”
“Let’s just get out of here,” Rosalind said, walking out of the house before the walls closed in on her. She strode back to the waiting car, aware of her sisters trailing behind her and their whispered concerns.
But she couldn’t talk right then. She wasn’t sure what to say. Nick and Sara were the children of her father’s mistress. Had they known?
Of course they had. They’d come to his funeral.
So why didn’t they tell her?
Because they were looking for the will, too.
The air rushed out of her lungs, and she doubled over with the force of her hurt.
“Rosalind.” Portia’s face peered up at her, upside down. “Are you all right?”
She shook her head. Right at the moment, she didn’t think she’d ever be all right.
Bea took her other arm, and they helped her into the car. As Nigel pulled away, Bea reached under her skirt and pulled out a small silver flask. “For emergencies,” she explained. “I think this qualifies.”
She took a swig, wishing the whiskey were less smooth and more biting. Niamh would give her something that’d curl her toes and purge her hurt.
When they arrived at the bar, she and Viola went to sit at a table in a dark corner while Bea and Portia ordered drinks from Niamh. The locked box rested on the table in front of them, along with the framed picture.
Rosalind couldn’t take her eyes off it.
Viola slipped her arm around her waist. “All men are lying cheats. At least you didn’t have time to get invested in him.”
Her throat closed with emotion. She nodded, because it was all she could do.
Vi slipped her arm around her shoulders and hugged her like she might have done Chloe.
Bea glanced at the two of them before handing her a hefty shot. “Drink this now.”
She was too in shock to bristle at her sister’s bossy tone. She downed it, shuddering as it went down.
Portia pulled it closer, looking around it. “We need to open this box.”
“Let me.” Bea waved it over. Pulling something from her purse, she bent over the lock, and a moment later it popped open.
“That was impressive,” Viola said in awe.
“Don’t ask,” their oldest sister said as she lifted the lid and began going through the contents. “There are a lot of pictures. A deed to that house. A few letters. No will.”
Portia reached in and plucked a photo out. “This is Father and that woman. It looks old.”
Rosalind leaned over to look. “Based on their clothing, I’d say it’s thirty years old.”
Portia wilted in her chair. “He’s been seeing her that long?”
Viola held out another picture. “The little girl looks like Chloe did at that age. You don’t think …”
Rosalind looked at the image of a young Sara. “She has the Summerhill cheeks and eyes.”
“And hair,” Bea said. She waved a sheet of paper. “And if we needed more proof, this is her birth certificate. Her name is Summer Welles. Ten quid to the person who names her father.”
“How can that be?” Portia asked incredulously.
Bea raised her brow. “Please don’t tell me I have to explain the birds and the bees to you, Portia.”
“We have a half-sister, and she’s named after us.” Portia said in a shocked tone. She looked at Rosalind. “You talked to her.”
She was designing a wedding dress for her. “She told me her name was Sara.”
“What’s she like?” Portia asked reluctantly.
Lovely. A lot like her. Only she was a liar.
“On the bright side, Nicholas Long was adopted by Tabitha Welles.” Bea handed over the adoption papers. “Not that he could have been Father’s son. He’d have claimed him in a second.”
She hadn’t even thought of that. Not that she could feel relief over it. Mostly she felt numb. Shaking her head, she stood. “I have to go.”
Viola’s eyes were sad for her. “Do you want company?”
No, because that’d only remind her what an idiot she’d been. She shook her head and moved to leave.
“Rosalind.”
She stopped and turned around at Bea’s command.
Her sister opened her mouth. Then she shook her head and said, “We’re here when you need us.”
Her eyes filled with tears, and she nodded, knowing without a doubt they had her back.