Page 43 of The Wise Daughter

Aaron’s teeth clenched. He had wondered that very question over the years about his own mother. How had she born it, leaving him like that? Though he was in no state to explain it all to Nora, he knew something of the pain that little foal felt, being abandoned without warning, having no idea why.

His voice came out cold and bitter. “Experience tells me a mother can be parted from her son all too easily.”

“Aaron, how can you say that? You should understand better than anyone since your own mother…” Her voice trailed off, leaving only the clopping of the horses’ hooves.

He needed several minutes before he could look at her again and face the worried sympathy etched in every line of her features.

“Aaron, I… I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt or offend you.”

He swallowed back the bitterness that melted into a familiar sorrow. “I know you didn’t.”

“I should have realized… Your mother hurt you terribly when she left.”

It wasn’t a question, but he didn’t want to discuss it now.

“Nora, I know how my actions must look to you, but I beg you to trust me.” He breathed in and looked back just to be sure they weren’t being followed. “I didn’t want to leave the foal or walk away. I promise you, I know exactly who that man is.”

“You do?”

“I don’t know how you managed to find him, but he is the same man I followed out of the castle the night I met you, the same man who I chased to the edge of the woods until his friends came out and beat me.”

Nora covered her mouth and looked behind her at the path they had just trodden.

“We aren’t walking away forever, Nora, but I need to think. You and I weren’t prepared to apprehend him today. If you had come to me about this scheme of yours earlier, I could have prepared for this.”

Her lips pinched together. “It’s easy to say that now that you know who he is. If I had come to you yesterday, explaining this strange business with the foal, do you really think you would have believed me?”

“Of course I would have.”

She looked straight ahead, her hands tightening around her reins.

“You don’t believe me?”

She pinched her lips together before answering. “Do you believe that man’s nonsense about arranging the business with Mr. Carver?”

Carver hadn’t said anything to Aaron about it, but that didn’t mean the men hadn’t worked out some sort of payment. Carver wouldn’t have known Gaines was a thief.

“Either way, you and I know he’s a thief.

I’m going to hold him responsible for his crimes, but I won’t make any hasty decisions regarding the foal until I’ve heard Carver’s account.

” When she huffed, his tempered swelled.

“I know you are suspicious of Carver, but every time I speak with him, he has very reasonable explanations and shows a great deal of patience despite my doubts.”

“So, you do doubt him?”

“Only because you suggest it. All we’ve learned today is that the mare you sit on misses her foal.”

“And we found one of the men who beat you.”

“And for that he will pay.”

They brought their horses to a standstill. Aaron looked straight into those profoundly blue eyes of hers, bewitching even while blazing in the heat of her frustration.

“Once I’ve escorted you back to the castle, I shall return with more men to apprehend Mr. Gaines, but I must look into the business of the foal before deciding anything else.”

“Oh, for pity’s sake, Aaron, no more wasting time!” Nora seized his arm and yanked him toward her. “I won’t sit idly by, watching those around you harm you further.”

“And I refuse to sit by while you exclude me from schemes that put your life in danger. Do you realize how difficult it is to walk away from that thief without taking some sort of action against him? Well, it’s not nearly as difficult as imagining all the horrible things he could do to you if my strength was not enough to protect you. ”

She blinked, her eyes wide. “Aaron, I… I never meant to exclude you.”

“But you did. You and Ruthers worked this out, didn’t you?” His skin prickled as the realizations spilled. “Even with your suspicions against Ruthers, you trusted him more than me.”

She shook her head. “That isn’t true. I only wanted to make progress. I only wanted to prove to you–”

“That you were right? I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. I already know how brilliant you are. I don’t need you putting yourself in harm’s way like this!”

Her eyes now glistened with tears, setting the determined spark inside them more fiercely aglow. She leaned as close as she could atop her horse, her voice a husky whisper. “My safety means nothing to me when yours is at stake. I’ll risk it every time.”

She looked off in the distance, her face suddenly aflame, and gave her reins a quick whip. In a blink, she was racing away, leaving a trail of clouded dirt behind her horse’s hooves, her riding habit billowing behind her.

“Nora–”

Aaron pointlessly reached out. He wanted to follow her, but he was too stunned, too frustrated with himself to give chase without first aligning his thoughts.

Her last words whistled and spun around his head, their meaning elusive, until a warmth settled into his chest and quietly burned there with a new understanding.

She loved him. She must, else why say such a thing? But why run away? Was she embarrassed? Had he wounded her with his own frustrations?

His horse shuffled beneath him, restless to move again.

“Oh, Nora.” Aaron heaved a sigh. “I love you dearly.”

His horse’s ear swiveled, the only indication that anyone else was listening.

Nora didn’t remember how she arrived back at the castle.

She couldn’t recall what paths she had ridden or the light sprinkling of rain that must have dampened her hair and clothes.

She didn’t remember what she said to Ruthers who greeted her at the stables, wanting to know whether the foal was to be returned.

When her father approached her inside with his head hanging, asking for a moment of her time, she couldn’t recall what excuse she gave before escaping to her bedchamber.

She didn’t know how long she had lost herself in sleep, but the window now showed a sky edging toward the night, a whole day wasted.

Her heart ached for so many reasons.

She loved Aaron.

She loved him deeply. Her conviction, her devotion, her commitment to him solidified each time she said it to herself, as did her mortification over how foolishly she had behaved. After a quick swipe of her eyes, she saw something on her dressing table that made her heart soar.

The signet ring was sitting with the hairpins as if it had never been missing.

How could she have missed it earlier? Maybe it had been knocked out of the small container, and Janie had found it.

Whatever the case, it was a relief to see that the thieves had not stolen it.

Nora slipped it over her thumb and sighed with the happy, familiar feeling the added weight brought, steadying her like an anchor.

But then she remembered her last conversation with Aaron.

She dropped back onto her bed, plucked a nearby pillow, and hugged it to her chest. What a terrible thing it was to realize how very much she loved him when she had no idea what was occurring in his mind.

“He must be so upset with me.” She hadn’t meant to exclude him from her plans. She had only wanted to gain the upper hand on the thieves. She had assumed acting quickly would achieve that. She hadn’t wanted Aaron to protest or delay or stop her from–

“Oh no,” she groaned.

He was right. She should have trusted him more. What had seemed like such a simple, clever plan now looked flimsy and ill thought-out now that it had been executed. The truth was, she had put them both in danger by not confiding in Aaron. She had behaved so foolishly.

“It’s all because of that stupid wish on the bridge!”

She took a pillow and threw it across the room.

She didn’t believe in wishes. Wishes were for children and fairy tales.

And apparently naive ladies who thought themselves wise.

She grabbed another pillow and plowed her fist into it, sending a small flurry of feathers bursting across her bed.

A feather stuck to the wetness of a tear on her nose, making her sneeze.

Why had she rushed off on her horse like that? Only because she couldn’t stand how his gaze had made her feel naked, every weakness exposed, every flaw and every feeling seen. She had been humiliated in the very moment she realized she had completely lost her heart to him.

She hiccupped and plucked another feather off her cheek. “I’m being utterly foolish.”

“I can’t imagine you ever being foolish about anything, Miss Lacy, though when it comes to your own heart, I’m not entirely sure.”

“Janie!” Nora sat up and rapidly rubbed away the tears and any remaining feathers off her cheeks. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

Balancing a tray heavy with food, Janie dipped into a small curtsey. “I apologize, Miss Lacy. I did knock. Twice. When I heard no answer, I let myself in.” She laid the tray on a table by the fire. “I thought you might want some refreshment.”

“Thank you.” Nora hadn’t realized she was hungry until the savory smells reached her. “Please disregard whatever nonsense you heard me mumbling to myself just now.”

“Of course, Miss Lacy.” Janie surveyed the room, her eyes landing on the pillow on the floor and the feathers scattered across Nora’s bed. “I’ll have this all cleaned up for you in a moment.”

“Oh no.” Nora couldn’t stand watching Janie gather those feathers. “Leave those.”

“But Miss Lacy–”

“You might as well call me Nora.”

“But–”

“We’re really not so different, Janie. I came here a beggar, remember? I’ll never forget that I was very nearly the one stoking the fires. And any way, I want you to leave those feathers right where they are for the moment. They’re my fault, and I want to see them.”

Janie twisted the apron tied around her waist. “Well, Miss Lacy–”

“Nora.” She could see that she was making Janie uncomfortable with her strange mood, so she took a deep breath and summoned her usual composure. “Please.”

“There is something I need to tell you, Miss Nora. I know how much you want to catch the thieves, and I want you to catch them too. We all do.”

“We?”

“All the servants. We all want you to stay. We’ve seen the changes since your arrival.

The duke actually talks to us sometimes.

He’s kind, and everyone seems a little happier.

Did you know he’s going to raise our wages?

We all used to look suspiciously at one another, but for some reason, once you arrived, that stopped. ”

Before Janie could protest, Nora pulled her in and wrapped her arms around her. “Thank you for telling me that, Janie.”

Janie gasped at the surprise but hugged her back.

“Miss Lacy, this morning, when I was outside doing the washing, I saw something fall out of Mr. Ruthers’s coat.

He didn’t notice, so I ran over and picked it up.

” Janie dropped something cold and heavy into Nora’s hand, a diamond necklace and a ring to match.

“They were the former duchess’s. I know because I’ve been selecting things from her wardrobe for you. ”

Nora looked over the jewelry. It was very fine. “Do you mean to say he stole them?”

Janie nodded. “It seems impossible that someone as kind as he is would do such a thing, but I don’t know what else to think. As much as I don’t want to see him in trouble, I knew I had to tell you.”

“Thank you, Janie. I’ll keep these safe and let the duke know.” Nora regarded her maid. “Janie, with such an important discovery, why did you not tell the duke himself?”

“He isn’t home. I thought about telling Mrs. Manning, but it felt right to come to you.”

Nora pulled her in for another hug. Janie bid Nora good night and left. Alone again, Nora held up the necklace. It was exquisite in detail, each diamond carefully set in silver leaves, dropping to a center pendant holding three large diamonds. It must have been worth a fortune.

Ruthers? After his help discovering the foal, which had led to their discovery of Mr. Gaines, Nora had been ready to give up her suspicions against him, but how could she now when she held the evidence? Her stomach, however, would not settle over it.

“There is something in this that I’m missing.”

Nora paced across her room several times, rubbing her arms and wrapping and rewrapping her shawl around her shoulders. Why had Aaron not yet returned? Had Mr. Gaines hurt him again?

She wandered over to her window and pushed open the glass. The darkening sky was heavy with the scent of rain. Nora tried to breathe it in, anything to push out her worries when a heavy thud sounded in Aaron’s bedchamber.