No. She had to keep a lid on the anger. What would people think of her if she blew up at her long-thought-dead father at her own birthday party? Struggling to hold her composure, she bit her lip.
Whitney broke the silence. “Why did you come up here?” While there wasn’t any anger in her voice, it certainly wasn’t warm and friendly.
Dad swallowed, then leaned forward and put his hands on his knees. He took several breaths and swiped a hand down his face. “My main reason was to come tell you all the truth and ask for forgiveness. I wanted you to see the difference in me. But I had another reason as well. My brother-in-law came up here in ’03. Supposed to come back home six months later, but no one has seen or heard from him. So Ruth—that’s my sister-in-law—asked me to come find him.”
“Your brother-in-law?” Madysen tried to keep her tone from being too clipped, but to hear Dad talking about this other family made her want to run away and hit something. Not a welcome feeling. But she forced herself to stay . . . she needed the truth more than anything else.
“Stan—Stanley Robertson. He’s married to Ruth, who is . . . that is . . . she’s Esther’s sister.” He took a shaky breath. “Esther is the woman who . . .”
Madysen held up a hand. It took too much effort to keep a lid on her emotions. Her words spilled out. “The woman you got pregnant before you supposedly died and left us.”
“Maddy!” Havyn’s sharp retort stopped her.
Dad’s shoulders stiffened and he lifted his chin. “I know I messed up. I failed. But I married her after that. She was my wife, and I would appreciate a touch of respect for her. She was a good woman.” His voice caught.
“So was our mother. A better woman than you apparently knew.” Madysen didn’t even try to keep the accusation out of her tone. It left her with a sour feeling in the pit of her stomach.
“She was that. She was a saint. The woman had an endless ability to forgive. She never made demands on me.”
“Maybe she should have.” Crossing her arms over her chest, Madysen didn’t care if her words stung.
He nodded. “I agree. Maybe if she had . . .” He shook his head. “No. I’m not going to try to make excuses. Your mother was a wonderful woman, but Esther was good too. She stood by my side and cleaned me up. If not for her, I wouldn’t be here today.” His eyes shone with a glaze of tears. “I would have died for sure with a bottle in my hand.”
Madysen shifted in her seat. To hear her father’s story, she’d have to hear about the other woman. Esther. She looked at her sisters. Whitney stood as still as a statue, her brow furrowed. Havyn looked like she might cry. Or be sick.
Madysen understood that feeling all too well as the taste of bile crept up her throat. But they had to get this over with. She swallowed. “Go on.”
His face paled. “Esther passed away last year. It tore me up. But Ruth helped me with the kids. Even though she was having an awful time with her own brood with Stan being gone. So when she asked me to come up here, I couldn’t refuse. Not after all she’d done for me. My other . . . well, my other kids are with her.”
Other kids. Just like Maddy and her sisters had heard about . . . but now they seemed more . . . real as their dad talked about them. Madysen closed her eyes again for a brief moment and put her hand to her stomach before looking at him again. She could do this. “How many do you have?”
Pride filled his face, and his lips hinted at a smile. “There’s three—other than you and your sisters. Matthew is eighteen, Elijah—we call him Eli—is fourteen, and then there’s Bethany. She’s twelve.”
They had three more siblings. Three. The oldest of which was a mere three years younger than herself. That meant . . . she shook her head. She refused to think about what that meant. Heat crept up her neck.
Whitney turned in a swift motion and marched away. Madysen couldn’t blame her. The look on Havyn’s face wasn’t shock—she’d known about their father’s indiscretions since she was young—but the pain there was profound.
Dad’s face fell. “I can see the wheels turning, Maddy—”
“Please, don’t call me that as if we can just pick back up where you left off.” She wouldn’t look into his sad eyes. She wouldn’t. He didn’t deserve mercy or acceptance.
“Madysen. I’m sorry. I know what you’re thinking, and you’re right to think I’m an awful person. I was—”
She held up a hand and stood. “No. No more. It’s my birthday, and it’s supposed to be a celebration after all the grief we’ve endured. This isn’t a good time.”
He stood too and took her elbow. “Is there ever going to be a good time? This is hard on me too, you know. I lost Esther and now Melissa. And my kids are having to stay with their aunt while I’m up here.”
Was he really comparing his pain to theirs? Wanting their sympathy? After all he’d done to them? “You’re good at leaving your kids for someone else to raise, aren’t you? Well, if you are feeling guilty about that, why don’t you just go back to them?”
Havyn’s gasp followed her as she turned and walked away as fast as she could from that horrible man.
Anger—one. Mercy—zero.
TWO
Madysen knocked on the Beauforts’ back door. It opened, and she couldn’t contain her smile when she saw her beloved friend. “Granny, I’m so glad you’re back.”
Granny, as she was known to everyone, wrapped Madysen up in her thin but strong arms.
She relished the warmth of the older woman’s embrace. Her heart lifted just knowing Granny was finally back.
The tiny woman pulled away and drew Madysen into her home. The scent of cinnamon lingered in the air, while a fire crackled in the fireplace. It felt like . . . home. Like she was loved here and belonged.
Reaching for Madysen’s hand, Granny studied her with eyes that had seen their fair share of the ups and downs of life. “My dear, I’m so sorry for all you’ve suffered this summer. Had I known, I would have returned from Seattle immediately.”
Tears sprang to Madysen’s eyes and ran down her face before she could bid them to stop. Swiping at her cheeks, she blew out a breath. “It’s been almost more than I could bear at times. But God got us through. And John. What a blessing he’s been. We couldn’t have done it without him.”
“John seems like the perfect husband for Havyn.” Granny gestured toward the parlor. “Let’s sit so we can have a nice long chat.”
“Oh, he is. And a wonderful brother to us, and a foreman of the farm. He’s been Granddad’s hands and feet and such a support.” She pulled a hankie out of her pocket as everything threatened to overwhelm her at once. If she talked about all that had happened this summer, she might just spend the rest of the day crying. “Anyway, John told me you were back when we came into town to purchase supplies for our new venture. While he takes care of some errands, I had to rush over here and get in a quick visit.”
“Well, let’s have some tea. Then you can tell me all that’s on your mind.” Granny Beaufort led her to the settee.