by Aria Norton
That had saved her time, but she had still needed to walk a good distance to get home. Fortunately, Aurora still remembered the way or she would have been discovered by Alba’s henchman. She had seen them quite by accident when she had stubbed her toe on a small rock and bent down to massage it. Thankfully, Aurora had been behind a thick bush, so they had not seen her, but she had been alerted to their presence. She decided to keep to the trees, using her knowledge of forests to help her remain hidden. They were still somewhere close by, but Aurora knew a secret way that would have her enter from the back of the house.
Keeping her head down, Aurora looked for the little hole in the hedge that surrounded the rear of the house, crawling through it and landing in the garden. The first thing Aurora saw were the flowers she had planted with Lydia. It seemed like months had passed since that day, but it had only been weeks.
Remaining on her knees, Aurora peeked through the hole to see if the men had followed her. I cannot see them. They must still be somewhere in the front. It was quite dark already because night had fallen, but she would at least be able to see their shadows if they were indeed near her.
Aurora got to her feet, and still keeping her head down, quietly let herself into the house.
“Where are they? Surely they have not retired to bed already?”
She couldn’t see the servants either, but Lydia usually gave them the evening off once the last meal had been served. Aurora decided that the parlour was her safest bet as Lydia preferred to do some reading and have her final cup of tea before bed. The door was open, but no one was inside. She had seen Carlos’ carriage outside, so he had to be home. That had somewhat surprised her at first because Aurora was sure she had heard Alba say that Carlos was coming to rescue her.
“Why would he be at home? Did he decide to leave me to my fate?”
No, that was unlike Carlos. He probably would have got to the building and seen that she wasn’t there.
“Perhaps he came here hoping to find me at home.”
It made perfect sense. Lydia would have questioned him about her absence – what could he have told her?
“He wouldn’t want to cause her any concern. Perhaps he told her that I decided to stay a little longer and he would eventually return to London to get me.”
Lydia would likely have given Carlos a talking-to for leaving her behind. Aurora smiled. Poor Carlos.
Aurora knew that he would undoubtedly be awake at this hour. The man seldom slept before eleven and woke up at four every morning.
“He must be in his study.”
Aurora tiptoed, not wanting him to hear her until she was ready to reveal herself. She wanted the element of surprise, to see the shock and relief on Carlos’ face. He might even be happy. As she got closer to the study, Aurora heard two voices.
“Oh, so they are both inside. I wonder if they are talking about me?”
She put her ear to the door, closing her eyes to listen better. Aurora would wish that she had never eavesdropped on Lydia and Carlos’ conversation for days to come.
“You know that this marriage was nothing but one of convenience,” she heard Carlos say.
Aurora did know that, but for some reason, it hurt to hear him say it.
“Yes, yes, but do you not love your wife?” Lydia asked.
Aurora held her breath. What would he say? Did Carlos also feel drawn to her as she did to him? If he admits to having a tendre, then I will not feel so terrible about admitting it as well. Instead, she heard him laugh.
“Love? How can I love Aurora?”
“But–” Lydia began.
“Please, Mother. Marrying her was never about wanting a wife. I wanted to get closer to my father, and she was the opportunity I needed for that to happen. Now that I know that it cannot happen, it is better that I cut my losses and move on. Frankly, I am glad to be rid of her.”
Aurora had always thought that she knew what pain was. After all, she had been neglected by her own father and brothers and then rejected by her peers. However, the pain of a broken heart was entirely different.
“Carlos!” Lydia scolded. “How can you say such a thing about your wife?”
“Why not, Mother? ’Tis the truth. I am sorry that you grew so attached to her, but I should have known from the start that she wasn’t the right woman for me. I was just so desperate to get near my father that I threw all common sense out of the window. What a waste.”
“I cannot believe this, hijo. I know what I saw. Not even you can fake such tenderness.”
“But I did,” Carlos insisted. “I had to. How else was I going to keep that woman from running away? I had to set my pride and annoyance aside and pander to her every whim like a lapdog. I did it, hoping that I could gain justice for my birth mother and finally expose Alba for the monster she is. We would then have returned to Spain, and I would have my birthright.”
Realisation dawned on Aurora like lightning. It had all been true! Everything Alba had said had been confirmed. He is not a commoner but the count’s son! The revelation was astounding.
“What would you have done with your wife if you had achieved all of this?” Lydia questioned.
Aurora also wanted to know. It would probably hurt her much, but she needed to know.
“I probably would have sent her back to her family. I did promise her father that I would never take her out of the country. In time, I might have procured a divorce so that I could be free to marry a woman from my own country.”
Aurora covered her mouth, but she couldn’t stop a little whimper from escaping. Had they heard her? Thankfully, she couldn’t hear anyone walking towards the door.
“I cannot believe that you would do such a thing, Carlos,” Lydia scolded. “This is not how I raised you.”
“Do not be so disappointed, Mother. One day, I will marry again, but preferably with all the honour due to me as Tomas Ortez’s son. My plan to use Aurora may have backfired, but I still have my mother’s locket and a pocket watch belonging to my grandfather. The birthmark on my lower back should be evidence enough, but I would have to be close to my father for him to see it.”
The birthmark? Aurora recalled walking into Carlos’ room and found him removing his shirt. She had turned away quickly, but not before seeing a half-moon shaped birthmark above his two dimples on his back.
“I still do not think you are doing the right thing, Carlos,” said Lydia. “You could have at least allowed me to say goodbye to Aurora. She became like a daughter to me.”
“I know, Mother, but she is happier where she is. She belongs at home.”
Aurora was aware that Carlos knew that she had been kidnapped, so why was he telling Lydia that she was at home? She sagged against the door. It was obvious, wasn’t it? Carlos had never planned to rescue her; he had likely been happy to have her off his hands.
“There is no use in thinking about the past now, Mother. I’ve decided that Scotland is the best place for us to settle for now.”
Aurora didn’t want to hear anymore. She walked away, hardly able to feel her legs. It was too late to go anywhere, especially with the henchman looking for her, so Aurora decided to sleep in the stables. Before first light, she was going home.
***
Netty would say that the good Lord was shining down on Aurora because she had been able to find a farmer going in the direction of her hometown. Clutching the locket and pocket watch she had retrieved from Carlos’ study after midnight, she jumped down, thanking the farmer for his kindness. The man bid her a good day, slapping the reins to get his horse moving again. Fortunately, the man had dropped her off within sight of her home, but she still had at least thirty minutes of walking before getting to where the estate began.
“I suppose I better start walking, or I will never get done what I have planned.”
While lying on the hay last night, Aurora had decided that although Carlos had hurt her, he had never actually promised her love. She had always known that he had married her for his own ga
in, but she could never have guessed that it was anything as big as getting justice for his mother’s murder and taking back his identity.
“He was full of secrets that I could have never guessed.”
Alba had wreaked much havoc and destruction, and she needed to be punished for it, but Carlos had tried to do it at Aurora’s expense.
“I was kidnapped because of him. Well, I cannot directly blame him since Alba did the deed, but he had to have known the dangers.”
If the countess had been able to kill her own cousin and had attempted to kill a helpless baby as well, what wasn’t she capable of? Perhaps not even Carlos had foreseen the kidnapping.
“No wonder Carlos had not been himself after the ball. He had just met his father for the very first time.”
It must have been a significant moment for him. And now, he had to leave the country because Alba had figured out his plan. Despite her pain, Aurora felt terrible that Carlos had to walk away from his own father once again. Her head had wanted to ignore the disappointment he was clearly experiencing, but her heart had rallied against that. It wanted to help him. The plan Aurora was on her way to fulfil had simply walked into her mind and made the way forward as clear as glass.
“I hope it works for his sake.”
Tommy saw her first, shouting her name as he ran towards her. The boy was the first friendly face she had seen in some time, making her cry. Tommy stopped short of embracing her, looking into her face.
“Aurora? What happened?”
She shook her head, unable to speak. The boy frowned as he observed her, probably seeing her dirty face and clothes.
“What happened?” he asked again. “Are you hurt?”
Her body didn’t hurt so much, but her heart did. “Aren’t you happy to see me?” she managed to say.
“Of course! But you don’t look the same. You look sad, and you’re dirty. Why are you walking alone? Did you run away?”
Unwilling to answer his questions just yet, Aurora chucked him under the chin, forcing a grin.
“Fewer questions, yes? Walk with me.”
Still frowning, Tommy nodded, walking in step with her. More of the children saw her and came running to her, but Tommy hushed all of their questions. He seemed to sense that she couldn’t explain everything just yet. Aurora needed to gather her thoughts before speaking to her father as he was the critical part of her plan. Without him, it would not work. Aurora was going to tell him everything, and hopefully, he would agree to help her. He owes me that, at least.
“Have you run away?” the baron asked, pouring himself a brandy.
Aurora shook her head, her hands twisting on her lap. She had known her father would assume that, but she couldn’t blame him. I did threaten to do it.
“Then what happened? You must admit that ’tis alarming to find my daughter in this condition. Your clothes are filthy and torn, your face is covered in dust, and is that straw in your hair?”
Aurora touched her hair, grimacing when she felt how messy it was. She thought to loosen it from its plait and shake out the straw, but her father would not appreciate his study being messed.
“I need your help, Father.”
Aurora proceeded to tell him the entire story, watching shock and anger register on his face. Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes when she got to the end, but she held firm. There was still one more thing she had to do before she fell apart.
“I need you to please call on the count and give him a letter I will write explaining all I have told you. Please, do not let Alba grow suspicious of your visit, or she will try to stop you, and do not tell her that I am at home.”
Her father shook his head. “You still wish to help Carlos after all he has done to you? Why?”
Aurora looked away. “I cannot explain my reasons, Father, only promise that you will do all I have asked you.”
The baron sighed. “Very well, I’ll do as you wish. I do not understand it, but I will do it. The Lord knows that I owe you this much.”
Relieved, Aurora wrote a detailed note, enclosing the locket and pocket watch in the envelope. If everything worked out well, Carlos would finally get what he had always wanted. But what would she get? I’ll know that he is happy.
Chapter 25
George arrived at his London townhouse late afternoon the following day. His servants were surprised to see him as he had only sent word just that morning of his pending arrival, but George wasn’t concerned that the house wasn’t in its usual top form. He was on a mission to help his daughter, and that was all that mattered.
Before he had even removed his coat, he was in his study writing a short letter to the count to call on him the very next day. After giving the note to a footman, George poured himself a brandy and sat down. He couldn’t help feeling anxious about the entire plan.
“Never could I have thought that Alba is capable of such things! To have killed her own cousin and then kidnapped my daughter?”
The countess had gone too far. She was undoubtedly dangerous, and there was no telling what she might do if she managed to figure out Aurora’s plan before the count had a chance to read the letter. Would the woman come after him?
“She has henchmen at her command. I do not doubt that she would send them after my family and me for coming against her like this.”
George wasn’t concerned about himself so much, but he was worried about his daughter. Aurora possessed so much strength and courage for a woman her age that it humbled him and made him feel ashamed.
“I was a fool to reject her as I did, and now I will have to live with these regrets.”
Although he disagreed with her plan, helping Aurora was his way of seeking forgiveness for all his crimes against her. Neither he nor Carlos deserved her in their lives, but if Aurora would give him a second chance, he would gladly and humbly accept it.
“At least when I see my wife one day, I can say that I tried. I know nothing I do can ever be enough, but at least I will have tried.”
That was all he could do. Feeling weary, he put his head back on his armchair and closed his eyes.
***
George felt that he had hardly slept two winks when he heard someone knocking on his door. Frowning, he wondered where all the light was coming from. Looking at the window, George realised that it was morning. Had he slept in his study all night? Groaning, he got to his feet, feeling aches and pains everywhere.
“That will teach me to close my eyes while still in my armchair when I should have gone straight to bed instead.”
Slightly bent at the waist, he opened the door to find his housekeeper. “Yes, Mrs Cole?”
“My Lord, the Count of Santa Sessa, has come to call on you.”
“Eh?”
“The Count, My Lord. He is in the drawing room. Would you like me to have the servants draw you a bath before you meet him? I will offer him refreshments in the meantime.”
I just sent a letter last night! I didn’t expect him to come here. In fact, I was hoping to receive a message from him later this morning. However, it suited him well that the count was here. Had he come with Alba?
“Is his wife with him?”
“No, My Lord. He came alone.”
Someone up there must be helping me. Netty would say it was the Lord. “No, do not worry about a bath right now. Send refreshments, and please tell the count I will be down in a moment.”
George could at least wash his face and rinse his mouth before meeting his old friend.