Free The Hungry Heart Fulfilled (The Hunger of the Heart Series Book 3) by Shannon Farrell Page B

words
    and actions have condemned you.
     
     
“And before you
    call her greedy and
    grasping, just stop to think for a minute. If she had married me,
    she would have
    had a half share of
    everything I own! If
    she was so
    greedy, then she would have married me straight away on the
    ship when we had a
    chance to, not allowed herself to be fobbed off for only a few
    thousand
    pounds. 
     
     
"If she did take
    the money, it
    was because she was desperate, not because she was mercenary. And we
    can see what
    she did with the
    money, can't we? She hasn't run off to live in the lap of
    luxury. No, she's
    shown her true colors, for she has taken your blood money and
    set up an
    orphanage to help even more people."
     
     
Frederick's brows
    knit, but he was
    determined to find fault with her no matter what. "Aye, and
    orphanage, to
    better to lure more people into parting with their cash. Or
    better still, it's
    a front for a house of ill repute, with underaged girls all—"
     
     
"Your mind is like
    a cesspool,
    and I will not listen to another word against the woman I
    love, do you hear
    me?" Dalton barked.
     
     
Frederick lapsed
    into glowering
    silence.
     
     
"So here's what
    we're going to
    do, Father. I am going to see Emer now to clear up all these
    misunderstandings,
    and you're coming with me.
    I want
    the truth from both of you, and God help you if you've done
    all I suspect you
    have,” Dalton growled.
     
     
“We can’t go now.
    Look how late it
    is! It can wait
    until morning,”
    Frederick protested.
     
     
“No, it can’t,”
    Dalton
    insisted. “It
    can’t wait another
    minute. I
    already nearly lost Emer
    once because of you. 
    I’m not
    going to rest in my bed until she knows the truth, and comes
    home with me here
    as my intended bride.”
     
     
“If you wish to
    marry her, then you
    are no son of mine. I’ll
    disown
    you,” Frederick threatened, turning purple.
     
     
Dalton snorted in
    contempt. “I never
    wanted your money, Father, I only ever wanted your love. But this
    proves to
    me how little you
    care about me, and that you're incapable of such a deep,
    abiding, pure emotion.
     
     
"So mark my words,
    Father, if
    you don’t come with me now, in addition to publicly breaking
    off my engagement
    to Madeleine, I
    shall also tell
    the good people of Quebec exactly what you’ve done to that
    poor girl."
     
     
"You
    wouldn't dare—"
     
     
He gave his father
    a look that
    quelled him at
    once. "For
    Emer's love, I would dare anything. Get your cloak, we’re
    leaving now,” Dalton
    ordered, and went to tell the stable manager to prepare their
    carriage.
     
     

 
CHAPTER NINE
     
     
Adrian Lovell had
    worked long and
    hard in the fever-ridden slums throughout the day and night,
    doing what little
    he could for the many suffering souls who had fallen prey to
    cholera.
     
     
He and Dalton had
    seen to
    preparations to ensure that an epidemic didn’t break out in
    Quebec, and he had
    lingered behind to see if anyone needed to be brought to the
    fever hospital
    urgently.
     
     
After Dalton had
    gone home, one thin
    emaciated young man had beckoned him over, and asked, “That
    wasn’t Mr. Dalton
    Randall, was it?”
     
     
“It was, son. Why do you ask?”
     
     
“I was on the Pegasus with him last summer, and recognised
    him.”
     
     
“Did you also know Emer, and Captain and Mrs. Jenkins, and Patrick
    Bradley?” Adrian asked.
     
     
The boy struggled
    to sit up, “Oh,
    please, sir, are they alive?
    Do
    you know where they are?”
     
     
“I do indeed. They're all in a
    big house over on the
    other side of town. Emer’s
    been
    looking for everyone who sailed with her, for she knows all
    about you being unfairly
    dismissed, and wants to offer you a job, and a place to live,”
    Adrian said
    reassuringly.
     
     
“Did she end up
    marrying Mr. Randall
    then, and becoming very rich?
    They
    sure were in love with each other when they were on the