Page 4 of Claiming His Lost Duchess (The Dukes of Sin #8)

CHAPTER THREE

FIVE YEARS LATER

“ C ousin! How wonderful to see you!”

Joan stared at Georgina in surprise for a moment, then she remembered her manners and stepped away from the doorway to let her in as she mimicked the same sentiment.

“Georgina! What a lovely surprise! How are you? Goodness, it has been so long!”

It had taken a lot of focus to keep her voice from shaking as she spoke, her brows furrowed in confusion as she wondered if she might be hallucinating, and if she was not, what had brought her cousin to see her.

“Oh, I have been well! And I see that you have managed to pull through, just as you said in your letters.” Georgina said, looking around the entrance of the estate with an odd expression.

Joan couldn't help but hope the visit would be brief.

In all the years Joan had been here, she had exchanged numerous letters with her cousin, but the other lady had never mentioned wanting to visit, and Joan never thought to ask. Because she did not want Georgina tainting the life she had built for herself here.

The letters were meant as a way to keep her cousin away, hoping that she would simply believe that Joan was doing well without needing to check on her to ensure that was the case.

She had done quite well for herself in that time and did not need to rely on Georgina for anything. She had gotten a job as a tutor to young ladies in town, and she lived in a small estate that had belonged to her aunt, although the woman had passed and the possible new owner had yet to be found.

Life had been quiet and quaint, and they had been peaceful days that Joan wouldn't trade for anything.

“Did you doubt it? I am quite resourceful, you know,” Joan joked, raising her head proudly.

“I can see that as well,” Georgina said dryly.

The air around them grew awkward quickly, and the discomfort it brought wasted no time getting underneath Joan's skin.

“Not that I am not thrilled to see you, dear cousin, but I have to admit that I am quite surprised. I never expected to see you here, especially without any word beforehand. What brings you to my humble home?” Joan spoke up eventually, hoping to hurry things along.

Georgina seemed momentarily distracted by her curious glances around the foyer, but when she eventually looked at Joan, the latter could see the distress hidden behind her eyes.

“Father is dead.”

Joan felt her heart still for a moment, and she tried to comprehend what Georgina was telling her.

Benedict was… dead? When? How?

“What do you mean —”

“He took a trip to France a few weeks ago, and he was in an accident. I received word about an accident. Father did not survive.”

It was as though the world around Joan was threatening to spin out of control. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

For all her hatred for her uncle, she had never imagined that what would sever any connection between them would be his death. She waited for relief to come, but all she felt was her breath leaving her lungs and struggling to come back in.

“So… why have you come to see me? You could have sent this message through the post,” Joan reasoned, still confused by Georgina’s presence.

Georgina sighed, as though she thought she would not have to explain herself.

“Since Father is gone now, I thought you might want to return to London and start your life anew. I understand… that you had to leave because you did not feel comfortable being around him. Us. But I was hoping that you would put that behind you now and come home.”

Joan took a defensive step back as she shook her head.

“I-I do not think so. I like my life here. Things are simple and quiet, and I appreciate what I have managed to achieve here, away from all the noise and prying eyes in London. I have already had to start anew once. Twice is not an appealing idea, honestly,” she explained, wrapping her arms around herself as she walked towards a window.

Georgina huffed, her tone strained as she emphasized, “It would not be exactly like starting over the way you did here.

You are familiar with London and the way of life — and you know things are better there.

You'll have better work opportunities there, and you'll have a bigger, better home.

Not to mention, it is an ideal place for the growth of a child.

Think about doing what's right for you and your daughter, Joan. Please.”

At the mention of her daughter, Joan peered through the window into the garden, a smile crawling up her lips as she spotted her daughter seated on the grass as she played with a doll that Joan had saved up to buy for her.

The very sight of her made Joan's heart swell with pride as she took in everything that made her little girl so special and lovely, from her fair skin, her small hands that always reached for Joan's whenever she was close, her blue eyes that always shone with curiosity, and her auburn hair.

Joan loved her daughter with everything she had, and she wanted the very best for her. Perhaps she ought to consider this idea a little more thoroughly.

“I wouldn’t want to burden you, Georgina. You should be living your life for yourself, not stuck taking care of me and my child,” she expressed after a few minutes.

“Do not think of it that way. You can merely stay with me for the time being, until you can sustain yourself.

And you could use the opportunity to find a husband as well!

You are still quite beautiful, despite all the time you've spent in these parts. Surely there are a few men who would be interested in taking you as a wife,” Georgina suggested, grinning as it seemed that Joan was buying into the idea.

However, Joan was quick to refuse her suggestion.

“I have no interest in looking for a husband, Georgina. I am fine with the way my life is — just my daughter and me. That is all I need. I will only be going to London because there are more young ladies there whom I can help with my teachings. Nothing more. I will not be taking a husband,” Joan said firmly.

“Do not be silly, Joan. You need a husband! You cannot afford to bring your daughter up properly if you do not have the money or influence to introduce her into the proper circles. That might have sufficed on these parts if you wished to continue with the subpar life you have lived till now. But you do want Sophia to have a good upbringing and good prospects when she is of age, do you not? Then it is important to give her a good education and a good family. Men will not take her seriously if they hear she was raised by her mother alone. If you worry about what men might think about you having your daughter out of wedlock, no one has to know. We can say that her father passed away, and you are a widow, nothing more. The ton will not know a single thing,” Georgina assured her.

Joan still felt reluctant to wholly accept the idea, but she knew better than to argue with Georgina, who would go to whatever lengths she could to get what she wanted.

Still, she did not want to give the impression she was willing to bend the principles she had lived by so easily, based on a suggestion.

“Sophia deserves to live as good a life as possible. And I have worked hard to provide for her as best as I can. I do not know if I feel as though I like the thought of relying on someone to care for her the way I do – especially someone who was not directly involved in her conception. But… I will consider it,” Joan said slowly.

Georgina looked as though she wanted to press more on the former matter, but inevitably chose to swallow her disapproval, focusing instead on what was certain.

“So, you’ll do it? You’ll move back to London?”

Truth be told, Joan did not have much to lose, other than the peace of being out of reach from the ton. And so, for the sake of her daughter’s future, she would do everything she could.

“Yes. I will.”

After dinner that evening, Joan decided to use her daughter’s bath time to broach the subject of moving.

As always, Sophia was excited to splash about in the tub, giggling excitedly as her mother gently washed her hair.

“Someone’s happy tonight,” Joan teased, closing her eyes for a moment to signal Sophia to close hers. “Did you have an enjoyable time playing today?”

“I did! So much, Mama!” Sophia gasped as though she didn't have the words to explain just how much she loved playing outside.

“Even though you had to play by yourself today?”

“I like playing by myself,” Sophia said, rubbing her eyes after Joan had rinsed her hair thoroughly.

“Really? You do not like playing with the other children? They seem so fond of you.” Joan frowned in confusion.

As far as she had observed, Sophia did not have any issues with the other children. They seemed to like her because she was much younger than most of them, and she was quite adorable.

“They always tease me for not having a father. Annabeth said it was strange my mama did not have a hus… hisbon?”

“Husband,” Joan corrected instinctively as her heart sank.

“Um-hmm. That. I said my mama and I were happy together, but they laughed at me… why don't I have a papa, Mama?”

Joan did not know how to explain the subject of her birth when she was so young and wouldn’t be able to comprehend the complications that surrounded the actions that yielded her. But still, it served as a good opportunity to bring up the subject of moving to London.

“Some people just do not have fathers, my peach. But that doesn’t make you any less of a special biscuit. Do you understand me?”

Sophia giggled and shook her head. “I’m not a biscuit, Mama! You can’t eat me!”

Joan grinned and brought Sophia’s hand towards her mouth.

“Are you sure? What if I take a little bite right here?”

“Mama, no!” Sophia squealed, splashing around in the tub.

Joan relented, not wanting her to get hurt, smiling widely when Sophia pressed her hands to Joan's cheeks and scolded.

“No biting, Mama. It is bad.”

“That is true. I agree completely,” Joan conceded before she tried to get the matter back on track. “Darling… what do you think about leaving this house?”

Sophia stared at her, eyes wide.

“Leaving? Without you, Mama?”

“Oh, no. Heaven forbid. You are never going anywhere without me,” Joan shook her head quickly. “I'll come along. We will live in London together. I'll keep tutoring young ladies, and you will get to play in a bigger house, a bigger garden. Perhaps you might even make some nicer friends.”

“That does sound nice,” Sophia gasped, pressing her hands to her lips.

“Doesn't it?” Joan smiled softly at her. “London is much different from the countryside, though. It is louder, full of more people, and well… things might be difficult at first. But I want to make sure that you live a happy life, poppet. So I would like us to go there. Together, of course.”

“Will you be happy too, Mama? I like it when you're happy.”

Joan thought about the shadows of her past that lingered there, the life she had run away from, hoping never to return to.

Things are different now, she told herself as she looked down at Sophia's hands in hers. He's dead, and he can never try to hurt you again.

“I hope so. I will try to be,” she promised.

“Good. I hope we’re happy together!”

Joan smiled and gathered Sophia in her arms, wrapping her swiftly in a cloth to keep her from catching a cold, and she dried off.

“As do I, my love. As do I.”

The next morning, Georgina asked her again, as though she was trying to make sure Joan had not found a way to dissuade herself under the cover of night.

“Are you ready to chase a new beginning in London?”

Joan looked down at Sophia, who was busy with her breakfast, her auburn hair held back by a pretty pink bow, and smiled.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”