Page 28

R ichard sat in the family pew. An empty pew, just as it always had been, at least as long as he could recall.

He had a few memories of attending church with his parents when they were at his country seat, but only one such memory of doing so at St. George of Hanover.

His parents had come up to London together.

He was perhaps seven or so at the time and had not yet gone off to school.

His father, the previous Earl Orson, was to attend an event at the palace, and Philip Orson was required to escort his wife to the gathering.

Long after the death of both his father and mother, Richard was to learn how his parents rarely were seen together in public.

He later learned they both had taken lovers.

Such was why the tale of his mother dying from a broken heart always left Richard with a sour stomach.

Lady Caroline Orson loved Lady Caroline Orson, first, last, and always.

Reports he had heard long after the woman’s death said she despised being with child, and the pain of labor had her, for some time, denying both her husband and her lover from her bed.

Yet, her desires could not be contained by a weak memory.

She died from taking large doses of quinine to abort the child she carried, the one belonging to Sir Lewis Hutchinson.

Richard touched the hard bench reverently and said a prayer to one day view several children sitting on the seat between him and Lady Emma.

Finally, the service ended. He lingered, speaking to first one lord and then another, attempting to discover whether one of Davidson’s men still trailed him or not.

“Do you require a lift?” Lord Towson asked.

“It is less than a mile to my residence,” Richard assured, “and the walk would do me well.” He bowed to Towson. “I appreciate the gesture. It is very gracious of you, my lord,” he said, though Richard held no doubt the offer was Lady Towson’s idea. The Towsons had two daughters of marriageable age.

With a bow, Richard started off in the direction of his home, but his coach was waiting for him on the other side of St. James Park.

He turned to his right and walked two streets, pausing occasionally to look upon an enticing entranceway or garden and to view whether his “shadow” still followed him.

Casually, and without thinking much upon his choices, he turned upon the street where Emma dwelled and was surprised to spot one of the women from the print shop leaving Emma’s house.

When the woman saw him, she momentarily hesitated, nodded, and turned in the opposite direction.

Richard wished to follow, but he feared someone in Lady Emma’s household would see him. Therefore, he decided to trace after the woman, but on a parallel street. She looked back to him right before he set out at a light run to keep her in sight.

He hid at the corner as she crossed the first street, though she looked in his direction twice, evidently, she did not see him, for she made her way to where he stood, but on the other side of the street.

Richard waited patiently until a carriage turned close to where he stood.

Then, he walked beside it, nodding his greetings to those inside long enough that when it pulled away from him, he simply circled behind it to appear on the street before the woman.

She startled and meant to dart away, but he said, “I would advise you to have a conversation with me, miss, or is it missus?”

“Miss Babbington, my lord. If it is any of your concern,” the woman said in sharp tones. “Why did you seek me out?” she asked with a lift of her chin.

“It seems odd to me that only yesterday we spoke, and my friend and I asked of your relationship with Lady Emma. You must pardon me as I assumed from our brief discussion that you were not acquainted with Lady Emma’s staff, and you, like the others, feared for Lady Emma’s life in regards to the threatening messages her ladyship has received.

Explain, if you will, how I might continue to trust you? ”

The woman pulled herself up in a stance of defiance.

“How do any of us know you mean Lady Emma no harm? You think I have not viewed you staring at Lady Emma while we gathered before White’s?

Perhaps Lady Emma denied your advances, and you took your vengeance and anger out on her.

I believe she is now in hiding, and you wish us to assist you in finding her. ”

Richard wanted to shake the foolish chit, but he knew such was only his response to what had happened to Lady Emma.

Therefore he steadied his voice. “I pray your silly notions bring no more harm upon Lady Emma’s head.

If so, England is not large enough for you to hide from me.

I will come against you and your family with all my resources.

Now, I ask again: Why did you call upon Lady Emma’s household this Sunday morning? ”

The girl studied him for more than a minute. “I simply wished to ask if Lady Emma was home. I thought perhaps she was simply ill or upset. She has been more than a bit distracted of late.”

“And what were you told by Lady Emma’s butler?” Richard demanded.

“Mr. Palmer said Lady Emma had returned to her family on the Continent,” the woman told Richard.

“Balderdash! Why would Lady Emma leave for the Continent? Her parents have not sent for her before and no one with reason would believe they would do so now that the war has intensified. Even you must see how preposterous this would be. Now, I would like the truth. You are coming with me, and we will sit on the bench in the small park on the other side of the street. At that time, you will tell me what you said to Mr. Palmer and what he said to you. If I later discover you have lied to me, my earlier threat will become your reality. Now, tell me you understand what I am asking of you.”

“I understand.”

Richard was again considering his encounter with Miss Babbington when his coach turned onto the road leading to Beaufort’s lodge.

He had not realized they were so close to his destination.

He had completely missed Whaddon, though he imagined the streets there were quiet with it being a Sunday.

In another quarter hour, he would lay eyes upon Lady Emma again.

Had it truly only been a bit over three days?

His heart named the separation too long.

He had stopped only once for a quick meal, a change of horses, and to send Theodora a note regarding Miss Babbington.

He did not want Theodora to agree to meet with any of the women unless someone accompanied her.

There were bits of truth in what he had learned from the woman, but his instincts told him there were many untruths mixed in.

He simply must shake off the cobwebs to know the real truth.

Now, he was looking for his first sighting of the lodge, which, in truth, was basically a small farmhouse.

He slid to the side of the coach to look out the small window to watch the house slowly materialize before his eyes.

First, the roof peeked out from the tree line.

Then, the garrets showed their faces. The upper storey was revealed, and, finally, his carriage crossed the stone bridge leading to the drive before the house.

He did not wait for his footman to climb down from the box. Instead, Richard released the latch, dropped the steps into place, and stepped down, only pausing long enough to wonder in which room Lady Emma dwelt. Will she come out to greet me or wait until I come to her? he wondered.

He had not long to discover the truth, for though Graham and Beaufort preceded her, within a heartbeat, the woman was scrambling past her companions to rush into Richard’s embrace.

Her arms came about his waist, and she buried her face into his cravat.

“Finally,” her warm breath whispered through the fine linen of his shirt, and his heart answered, “Finally.”

He bowed his head to place a kiss on the top of her head. “It is well, my girl,” he assured her. He tucked her into his side to lead her back to the house. “Permit me to greet the others, and then we may sit together. I will protect you, my lady.”

She nodded and permitted him to lead her to where his friends waited. “Glad you are both well,” he said as he shook Graham’s hand, and then Beaufort’s. “Has everything gone as we planned?” Richard asked.

“Yes and no,” Beaufort said. “Come in, and we will bring you up to snuff.”

Richard looked to where Emma had turned her head into his shoulder in apparent embarrassment. “Have you discovered more of your memories?’

“A few,” she admitted shyly.

Richard wished to reassure her, but it was an impossible task with his friends looking on. He did not have the right to comfort her beyond what they had previously shared.

Within minutes, they were sitting together in the one small parlor in the house. “Perhaps you should begin,” Graham suggested.

Richard seated Lady Emma beside him on a settle, and, without considering his actions, he reclaimed her hand. “Thank you for sending word regarding the yellow lilies,” he began. “As you suspected, they have been removed from the house’s garden.”

Lady Emma began to weep, and Richard tightened his grip on her hand. “Nothing remaining?” she murmured.