My dear boy looks more troubled by the day and I wish I knew how to help him. Since the terrible row with his father I feel in my heart they are divided forever, and our home is bereft of any comfort or harmony in consequence.
My husband spends more and more time in his counting house. Liam assumes his father's purpose is to go back over the work he did, checking the receipts and the figures. I know this is not true, and that my husband is suffering because he did not give his son a chance to explain, but rather too readily condemned him when the mistakes came to light.
The ledger, the sum of money in hand and the quantity of stock in the warehouse did not tally at Lady Day. There were substantial differences. I've never seen my husband so angry. To begin with, he accused the clerk of taking money without making a record. But eventually, the discrepancy was traced to mistakes in the acquisition of stock, something which Liam had been doing for the previous four weeks.
So now my husband must climb down and apologise, and point the finger at his own son. But as he knew, and everyone knew, anyone with access to the warehouse could have taken the stock after it had been checked. There was no way of knowing that Liam did anything dishonest.
News of any scandal travels fast in this town, and I can hardly hold my head up when walking out. And, the liberties people take when one is under a cloud! Why, only last week when I walked to the milliner, that jade from the tavern (I think she goes by the name of Molly) approached me and tried to bring up the subject. You can imagine, I am sure, how I cut her short and walked on.
It cuts Liam deeply to know that his father doesn't trust him. He has stopped going into the warehouse at all, and when his father sees him in the garden or sitting in the house, he is reminded of how unjust he has been. Then he takes it out on the lad, accusing him of being no good and lazy, when it is hardly his fault this time.
Although I do not blame him for it, I am worried in my mind that this idleness will lead to some new misfortune. Liam should be active, he has a nature which is well suited to hard work and a brain capable of great application. Now he sits, with no aim or purpose, and I fear the devil will find work for his idle hands.