章節 220: Chapter 220
Pearl woke up with her laptop folded on her chest, laying on the couch in the study, her legs laying over Sebastian's body, his head on the opposite end of the couch. He looked different in jogging pants and a hoodie, she thought. He opened his eyes and yawned. His black hair a bit of mess.
"I apologize, I don't recall falling asleep." He said as he moved into a sitting position. He stretched and moved his neck, as the sleep for both of them was not comfortable.
"What were we talking about again? Before we passed out?" Sebastian asked.
"The last name Fournier. We need to find out all we can about that name and any ties it has to the royal family." Pearl said, wiping the sleep from her eyes.
"That's easy. Let's join them for breakfast and ask." Sebastian said.
They entered the large dining room together and sat down, both looking like sleep evaded them.
"How did it go last night?" Edward asked. "Believable, I hope." He said.
"Yes Uncle. It went well. Casual chat and lots of photographers." Sebastian said, with some distaste.
"Good. Then you'll do it again this afternoon. You will go shopping for party decor and gifts. Buy whatever, just make it look believable. Augustus, you will also be going." He said. Auggie looked at him and rolled his eyes. None of them wanted to try to pretend like everything was fine. It wasn't.
Pearl put her head down. She didn't want to go out. She didn't want to do anything but find Erik.
Sebastian saw her reaction. "Uncle, can we maybe go tomorrow? We are all still quite exhausted. If we wait til tomorrow, that will buy us another day." He said.
Edward considered it. "Fine. Try to get some rest. We need you all to be a part of this family, and help." He said. Sebastian nodded. Auggie mouthed "thank you" to him.
"Uncle. Are you acquainted with the Fournier family?" Sebastian asked.
"Fournier? No. I don't know anyone by that surname." Edward said. "Why do you ask?"
"Oh, no reason. Just found the name in an inscription in a book in the library, an old book." Sebastian said.
"Yes. Many of the books there were handed down several generations. Good to see you're reading again. Your mother, if she were here, would be happy to know that." Edward said. Sebastian smiled. "Yes. I imagine so." He said.
After breakfast, Pearl and Sebastian went back to the study. "Thank you, for diverting us having to go out again." Pearl said.
"Of course. I saw how badly you reacted and wanted to help. We are all in pain right now. I understand." He said.
"What did Edward mean about you reading again?" Pearl asked.
"I majored in literature at the university, Oxford. I've written a book. My entire childhood was spent living other lives in various books and stories. But after my mother died, I stopped. Altogether. Threw myself into my military work." He said.
"Oh. I had no idea." Pearl said.
"Ah, what? You imagined me to be meat headed, simple and dense?" He jested, mocking her statement from dinner the previous evening.
"Yes. Yes I did." She said, smiling. He shook his head and laughed.
"Ok, let's find out all we can about the Fournier family." He said.
They spent hours searching ancestry sites and various other places. "Pearl, we need to walk around. Move. We have been doing this for an entire day." Sebastian said. Pearl stretched and told him she would go to the kitchen with him.
He pulled out a loaf of bread and some deli meat. The staff were already back to their rooms for the evening. It was after midnight. He put a sandwich together and handed it her. "Eat." He said. She took it and nodded. He jumped on the counter next to her and for awhile, they ate in silence.
"After our teen years. After I saw so much ugliness and hate in Erik, I never thought I'd feel jealousy towards him ever again. And haven't. Until now." He said, looking at Pearl. She had a mouthful of food and wasn't expecting him to say that.
"Sebastian, I... " she started to say.
"No. Please don't take offense. It's not my intention to make you feel uncomfortable. You are good to him. You are relentless and strong. He's a lucky bastard to have you. That's what I meant." He said, smiling.
She smiled back. "Thank you, Bash."
He smiled bigger. "Bash. That's better. Less formal. Formalities are the worst." He said. They finished their sandwiches and went to their own rooms to try to actually get some sleep.
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"Look happy, Bash. That's why we are here." Pearl said. They were at a party favor and decor shop and Pearl was trying to look interested in the festive items there.
"I'm sorry. I just despise being a pawn in my families charades. I always have. That's why everything happens for a reason. I would have made a disastrous crown prince." He said.
Auggie walked around like a zombie.
"You know what? Fuck this place. Let's go look for flowers. Flowers make me happy." Pearl said.
They followed her out and into a shop across the street. Several photographers following them.
"Lillies. We want all of the Lillies. And the cream and blush roses. Can you deliver them to the palace tomorrow at noon?" Pearl asked.
"What are you doing?" Sebastian asked.
"If your father wants us to shop, shop we will." She said.
They went to a dress shop next and then a soap and bath store. It got her mind off of things and it seemed that Sebastian was enjoying himself as well. Poor Auggie looked terrible. Pearl hugged him and told him that Erik was going to be ok. And that he needed to at least try to sleep. He nodded and told her he knew he needed to, he just couldn't. Pearl told him she understood.
They got back to the palace and Pearl got back on her computer. She checked her email and saw that one of the ancestry sites had sent her search results she had requested. One or more of the members of the Fournier family had died that had lived in London in the last 50 years. She looked up their names and found a newspaper article. Mother, 32 years old, Abigail Williamson found beaten to death in her home along with her 9 year old son, Robert Williamson. Her husband, Michael Williamson, is still missing."
What. What? Pearl thought. She looked at the date on the article. It was exactly around the time Erik would have been 10 years old. Oh my god. This was Robbie. Erik's Robbie. But how was he linked to the Fournier name?
She looked up each of their birth certificates. She started with the father, Michael. His parents were listed. Father, Michael Williamson, Sr. And then mother Charlotte Fournier Williamson. Fournier. Oh. God. What was the connection? Pearl thought that sounded familiar. She looked back at Charles' information. His mother's name was Charlotte as well. Charlotte Thomas. Different last names. She looked into Charlotte Fournier in the census directory she had bought. She scrolled down and found her. Her maiden name was Fournier. Charlotte Fournier. Charles middle name was Fournier. She looked up Charlottes family lineage and then she saw it. Charles was born at a home for unwed mothers. And his delivery doctor's last name was Thomas. Andrew Thomas. Charlotte was both Charles AND Micheal's mother. They were brothers. It was Charles who set him up. She dropped the computer and ran to the main room.
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