His Sudden Bride (The Brides # 1) COMPLETED

Chapter Seventeen, Part One

This was worse than anyone could ever imagine. For one, His Grace, the Duke of Wellington's face was turning purple with rage at the sight of the one person he never wished to see.

"What is the meaning of this?!"

Alas, the thunderous duke had exploded.

The meaning in which he was inquiring was the unfortunate situation in which Lexa found herself in. In the drawing room of  Drumbroke Manor, Lexa was astonished to find Phoebe as a guest along with Edward and his mother.

It was a rather bewildering shock when Lexa realized that it had been Phoebe whom she encountered in Hyde Park after she assumed that Phoebe had left for America.

She had gotten the truth a few minutes after. Winston Abernathy had fallen ill prior to the departure and died shortly after shocking his son and daughter. They had given him a small funeral and both Phoebe and Seth were unsure what to do before deciding to remain in London. That was when she encountered Edward and his mother. Whom Lexa had learned was Phoebe's mother as well.

The revelation preceded everything Lexa had had her suspicions on.  The uncanny resemblance, the reemergence of an estranged mother...

Charlotte gracefully sat in between her two bewildered children. Phoebe looked dangerously pale and Edward looked enraged. A cold beauty was her mother-in-law, her cold smile revealed her enjoyment of the chaos she caused with this havoc.

"Why do you look perplexed, my dear?" Her voice dripped with malice. His Grace narrowed his eyes coldly at her.

"What reason is there for you to be here?"

"Surely you'd want answers, Horace," Charlotte replied, "after all, this lovely lady—" she waved her hand toward Phoebe, "—is your daughter."

His Grace was rather calm when Lexa feared his temper would implode. He looked at Phoebe who cringed in fear and then spoke again, "Your cruelty surely has no bounds, Charlotte. To think you have a right to drag Miss Abernathy to this mess!"

Charlotte was rather calm at the duke's outrage. Once it was over, she replied calmly, "Phoebe is very much involved. She is your daughter."

"Do you think me a fool to trust your word?"

"Of course," Charlotte was sly, "how can you trust me on base on your oblivious lack of intellect. However I assure you, Phoebe is your daughter because she was born prior to our divorce."

That caused the already tense room to further tense at the revelation. But of course, His Grace did not take her word for it.

"I shall not believe you," he declared. "You may say that but I have no daughter. You only bore me Edward. My heir, might I remind you."

Charlotte did not bat an eye at  his taunt. "Yes well. I did bare you a son. My duty done right. But you owe me my dowry ."

His Grace exploded in anger and said, "I owe you nothing , Charlotte."

Lexa glances worriedly at Phoebe. It was unfortunate that she was in the middle of this mess. She looked perplexed with anxiety. Fiddling with her hands, Phoebe stood up which caused His Grace and Charlotte to halt their argument.

"What are you doing?" Charlotte hissed.

"It seemed I overstated my welcome. I am leaving." Phoebe said, calmly.

"You cannot leave we have matters to discuss!" Charlotte coldly replied.

"We do not have anything to discuss, Mrs.Abernathy."

Before Charlotte could say anything further. Phoebe walked out of the drawing room. Lexa stood up and was hot on her trail.

There was silence as she walked behind Phoebe and Lexa nervous wondered what her dear friend was thinking of. They neared the front entrance when they both stopped.

"Phoebe," Lexa began, but Phoebe cut her off by raising her hand.

"Please Lexa," said  Phoebe in an almost pleading voice, "I beg that you say nothing."

Lexa remained silent as her friend wished. Of course, what was she to do? After all, Phoebe has so much to digest with what occur. It must be too much to handle at the time. Were she to learn of an unknown brother  and father whom she never heard or met before, it would have been difficult for her.

Phoebe smiled weakly at Lexa, "Do forgive me for everything. You must be confused with me being here and all."

Lexa took Phoebe's into hers and said, "Do not  apologize, my dear."

With those kind words, Lexa began to weep, tear spilling down her cheek. This alarmed Lexa. The sudden state of her friend's distress disturbed.

"I had not seen her once I was a young girl," Phoebe confided. "I didn't think I would ever see her again."

"Is Mrs. Abernathy related you in any sort of way?"

There was a lengthy silence before Phoebe spoke.

"She is my mother."

With those words, it confirmed Lexa's theory. Lexa however was unsure of she felt of this revelation. At the moment, she wondered was Edward was thinking.

****

The chaos that ensue was rather a brief one, Edward concluded with the awkward state that his mother caused. He still found difficulty understand how he had a sister—not a half-sister— but a biological legitimate sister. The legitimacy he was unsure of, however. But if she was, she would be a lady. The daughter of a duke and be formally styled as Lady Phoebe Wellesley.

The room was silent and the woman who caused this chaos was sitting there daring to sip tea as if everything was okay in the world.

His father, as Edward observed, was furious. He looked almost apoplectic. After all, the last time he saw his wife he did demand that she never show her presence.

Edward blew a sigh and cleared his throat which made both his father and mother turn to him.

"Perhaps," he said, at last, "You both would be so kind to tell me how Miss Abernathy is my sister."

Charlotte pursed her thin lips and said, "Very well then. I shall tell you."

"This ought to prove interesting. How my deceitful ex-wife reveals her tale."

Charlotte marred her beautiful face by snarled at His Grace, but the duke merely ignored her.

Edward sighed internally and thought to himself. This ought to be a very long tale...