by Alec, Joyce
“It was purposeful, obviously,” Lord Higgs said slowly. “She wanted to be your companion. Perhaps to protect you somehow?”
James looked up; his eyes fixed on Sarah as an idea hit him. “Perhaps she was the one to put the locket under your pillow?”
He waited as Sarah opened her mouth to refute this, only to close it again. She sighed heavily and passed one hand over her eyes.
“I do not know what to believe,” she said eventually. “I thought she truly cared for me.”
“And she does,” Lord Higgs said firmly. “Just think about this carefully, Sarah. Mrs. Avis came into your life at a time when you needed a companion. She has never once taken you anywhere dangerous, never encouraged you to go out and about, but has rather urged you to be careful, has she not?”
Sarah nodded slowly, her color slowly returning. “She appeared to be very relieved when I told her I was to marry you, Thorndyke.” Her hand flew to her mouth as she gasped, her eyes wide. “In fact, I believe she mentioned Lord Andrew even though I had never spoken his name to her.”
“In what context?” James asked quickly, his fingers knotting together.
Sarah gave him a small, sad smile, her eyes glazing with tears. “She told me she was glad I was to marry you—for you would be able to keep me safe from him,” she said slowly. “She wanted this. Perhaps she knew that Lord Andrew had found me and was, therefore, trying to encourage the marriage.”
“That might explain why she put the locket under your pillow, if it was her,” Lord Higgs said quietly. “If Lord Andrew had discovered your presence somehow and she knew what he intended, then she must have done all she could to protect you without revealing herself. She could not risk you knowing the truth all at once, for you might never have believed her.”
“Or done something reckless that could have put you in danger,” James added, feeling as though they had hit on the truth. “Mrs. Avis, I believe, was trying her best to keep you safe from Lord Andrew by directing you towards London so that you might marry me.”
He saw Sarah nod slowly, color now rich in her cheeks. “Then that only leaves one question,” she said slowly with a little more determination than James had expected. “How are we to get her back?”
13
Sarah paced up and down the library floor, her heart so filled with pain and confusion that she could do nothing other than walk. It had been two days since Mrs. Avis—or Lady Andrew Fairley, since they suspected that was her true title—had gone missing. Thorndyke had not allowed her to return home, insisting that she remain in his home and promising that no one would know of her presence here. The staff, he assured her, were under no illusion—any gossiping about her would result in the termination of their employment with him, which secured their silence. This brought Sarah a modicum of relief.
They had not formed a plan as yet, although Lord Higgs had gone out to learn whatever he could about Lord Andrew. Once they discovered his whereabouts, he intended to return to them all so that they might come up with a plan.
What that plan was, Sarah had very little idea.
“Sarah?”
The library door opened, and Thorndyke stepped inside, leaving the door ajar. He was dressed in his shirt sleeves, with no cravat at his neck or jacket on his shoulders, his hair a little messy, as though he had run his hands through it a few times. She had not seen him since dinner time this evening, where they had been joined by Lord Higgs, who had not said all that much, promising to return tomorrow with more news.
“You cannot sleep?”
She shook her head, not sure what it was she was feeling as he came closer to her. She was struggling with what they had done in the alley, not because she now regretted kissing him, but that their actions meant they had not looked for Mrs. Avis; they had not even realized that she was gone.
“Can I have the staff bring you something to drink?”
“They will all be abed by now,” Sarah replied, shaking her head. “I do not want to disturb them. My sleeplessness should not affect them.”
He smiled at her then gently. “Come with me to the kitchen. I am sure we can make you something to drink that will help. Perhaps cocoa?”
The kindness in his expression made her heart lift a little from the despair that it was wrapped in. “Thank you, Thorndyke.”
To her surprise, he offered her his hand instead of his arm, and after only a momentary hesitation, she took it. It was warm in her own, sending a wave of heat all through her, whilst bringing a certain degree of peace to her soul. They walked together in silence; the way lit only by the candle held in Thorndyke’s hand.
“We will find her—somehow,” Thorndyke said, as he lit a few more candles in the kitchen, letting her hand go so that she could sit down at the roughhewn table. “I know you are upset and confused, but Lord Higgs plans to call in the morning with whatever information he has managed to find. Apparently, his steward has been doing a great deal of work and will report to him tomorrow.”
She gave him a quick smile, which did nothing to ease her inner torment. “That is good to know.” Lord Higgs had not shared this with her at dinner, probably not wanting to distress her any further.
She watched him as he set about warming milk in a pan, a little surprised at his ability to do so. Sarah had always believed that gentlemen did very little for themselves, since Mr. Stanton had never once done anything more than was expected of him. She was not even sure that Mrs. Stanton, for all of her ladylike ways, could even make a pot of tea on her own.
“You look surprised,” Thorndyke commented, glancing back at her. “No one has ever made you cocoa before?”
Seeing the twinkle in his eyes, Sarah felt her tight nerves begin to slowly loosen, a shy smile on her face. “Of course, but it was always the maid, or I made it for myself.”
“Then, I am glad to be of service to you,” he replied, pouring it carefully into a mug and handing it to her. “No standing on ceremony, I am afraid.”
She took the cup carefully and set it on the table, waiting until he had sat down opposite her before taking a sip.
Thorndyke looked at her with one eyebrow raised. “Any good?”
Smiling, she nodded, feeling her mind free itself of its dark thoughts. “Very good. Thank you.”
“My pleasure.”
They sat there quietly for some time, just looking at one another as they grew quiet with their own thoughts.
“Should we manage to bring this to a close, you will have a choice before you, Sarah,” Thorndyke began, after a few minutes. “I would not have you unaware that our continued engagement is entirely in your hands.”
She frowned, tension suddenly coiling in her belly.
“If, somehow, we manage to bring the danger of Lord Andrew to a close, then you will be free to do whatever you please,” he continued, not managing to look at her. “I will not insist on our wedding if you would prefer to choose for yourself.”
That was something she had never considered before, and to her surprise, Sarah found the prospect less than ideal.
“This is all based on the premise that everything works out with Lord Andrew,” Thorndyke continued quickly. “If he is still a threat to you when we manage to retrieve Mrs. Avis, then I will insist on our marriage, but if somehow he is no longer a danger to you, then you will be free to go about your life as you please.” His eyes finally made their way to hers, looking at her carefully. “I will be a part of your life if you wish it, Sarah, but I will respect your choice if you do not.”
Drawing a deep breath, Sarah let it out slowly, steadying herself. “Might I ask if you find the prospect of our matrimony to be a pleasant one?” she asked quietly, suddenly afraid of the answer. “Or is it something that you would be glad to be free of?”
To her surprise, he grasped her fingers with such a ferocity that she jumped.
“No, I would not be glad to be free of it,” he said fervently. “I just do not wish my own feelings to affect your decision.”
She smiled at him then, relief flooding her. “I am glad to hear it. I do not think that I should find another gentleman of your caliber, even if I were to search all of England.”
Thorndyke looked away, seemingly embarrassed.
“You are a kind, compassionate, honest, and dedicated man,” Sarah continued, putting her other hand atop their joined ones. “You have shown me care and consideration from the very moment we met, even though I cannot believe that the prospect of marrying a stranger was ever something you looked forward to.”
He chuckled, looking back at her. “That was not the case until I met you, my dear.”
The tenderness in his eyes warmed her heart, and she smiled back at him, her eyes gentle. “I do want to marry you. I will not pretend that I feel nothing for you, that the feelings in my heart have not continued to deepen over these last days. I feel as though there is so much more for us to share, so much more for us to discover about one another.” Her smile grew soft, as he ran his fingers over the back of her hand. “I want to marry you, Thorndyke, no matter what happens.”
A long breath escaped him, as though he were awash with relief.
“You are glad, I hope?”
He did not say anything but got out of his chair and came around to her, pulling her gently to her feet. When she looked up into his eyes, she saw the deep intensity there in his gaze and the fire burning within.
His lips met hers, and Sarah gave herself up to the emotions that began to fly through her, pushing away the confusion and the grief for a few moments. She held onto Thorndyke tightly, her fingers twining into his hair.
“Sarah,” he murmured, his forehead resting gently against her own. “I have been drawn to you as a butterfly is drawn to the flower. You are sweet and kind, showing such courage and such tenacity even when you are besieged with what has occurred. To go through such a struggle as you have brings me only admiration for you.”
His kind words were a balm to her troubled heart, and she closed her eyes, feeling as though this was precisely where she belonged, where she was meant to be.
“I do not want to ever be separated from you again,” he continued, his hands tightening around her waist. “My own affections are already burrowing into my heart, and I cannot—and will not—deny them.”
“Then we are agreed,” Sarah replied softly. “We will marry, whatever happens.”
“Whatever happens,” he agreed, before gently kissing her again.
14
“Well?”
Lord Higgs looked over at James, who was waiting desperately for him to speak.
“I found her.”
James heard Sarah gasp in shock and saw her hands fly to her mouth, as Lord Higgs nodded.
“You found her?” James repeated, blinking furiously. “Where? When?”
Lord Higgs cleared his throat, sitting forward in his chair. “It is as you suspected, Sarah. Mrs. Avis is Lord Andrew’s wife but was doing her best to escape from him, it seems.”
Sarah shook her head, and James saw that she was battling tears. “Why did she marry him in the first place?”
“Because not everyone has the choice of whom they marry,” James replied, coming to sit by her instead of pacing up and down the room. “I suspect that she had no choice in the matter.”
Lord Higgs nodded. “Precisely that. This was a great many years ago and did not take place anywhere near London. In fact, I was told that Lord Andrew was near the border at the time, so possibly it was even in Scotland, although I cannot be sure. It appears that Lord Andrew got better at cards for a time, and during one game, he agreed that the gentleman he was playing against—Viscount Davidson, I believe— could place his unmarried daughter’s hand in marriage on the table.”
James closed his eyes and took a few moments to let his anger rise and then fade away again. How any gentleman could treat his daughter in such a way was beyond him.
“She was married and her dowry given to Lord Andrew. It was fairly substantial, I believe, but Lord Andrew is not a man known for his considerate ways when it comes to money.”
Sarah let out a heavy sigh, and James reached for her hand, feeling it cold in his own.
“I feel so terrible for her,” she said softly. “To be forced into matrimony like that? How desperate she must have been.”
“And for so many years,” James added quietly.
Lord Higgs nodded again, his expression grave. “It is not known how long she knew of Lord Andrew’s reputation, nor of the whispers about what he had done to the duke’s wife, but I would assume that she was always horrified by him. Lord Andrew was forced to, over the years, sell almost everything of value as his gambling habits continued.”
“The locket,” Sarah replied, glancing up at James.
James pressed her hand. “It is not unthinkable to believe that she managed to steal it back, although perhaps she found someone to do it for her.”
“For what reason?” Lord Higgs asked, frowning. “That is the only thing I cannot understand. Why give you the locket and then never tell you who she really was? If she intended to be your companion, then she could have simply told you the truth.”
There was a short silence, as they all thought hard.
“Perhaps she was afraid that Lord Andrew would find it again, and then he would trace the theft back to her,” Sarah said slowly. “But that does not explain why she told me to find the owner of the locket.”
James made to speak, only for the door to open and the butler to step in with an apologetic look on his face.
“I apologize for intruding, my lord, but you did request that any letters be given to you at once.”
“Thank you,” James replied, taking the letter off the tray and turning it over. “Oh, it is from your brother, Sarah. I hope you will not mind if I open it.”
“Of course, please,” Sarah responded, looking surprised that he had even thought to ask.
Breaking the seal, James read quickly, only to feel the life go out of his limbs. Slowly sinking back down beside Sarah, he reached for her hand again and held it tightly, reading each word the duke had written over and over again.
“What is it, Thorndyke?” he heard Sarah ask, her voice seeming to come from far away. “What is the matter?”
“It is here,” James replied, his voice hoarse. “I understand it all now.”
Her hand tightened in his, as Lord Higgs cleared his throat, drawing James’s attention.
“Your brother, the Duke of Brighton, has written various things, and he is vastly delighted with the news that we are to wed, Sarah, so you need have no concerns there. However, when I wrote to him, I mentioned the locket. I described it, in fact.” He looked up at his betrothed, seeing her eyes filled with questions. “It belonged to your mother.”
Sarah gasped, her eyes filling with startled tears as her fingers clung to his.
“Your brother identified it from the description,” he continued quietly. “He says that on the day your mother went riding, she had it around her neck. It had a miniature within of your father, and it was, apparently, something she always wore. At the time of the accident, no one could find it. It was presumed that it had fallen off somewhere, and it was never thought of as particularly important.”
“Until now,” Lord Higgs said firmly. “My goodness, Sarah. Do you realize what this means?”
Sarah drew in a shaking breath, as James tugged her a little closer. “It means that we have the proof that Lord Andrew killed my mother.”
“Precisely,” James replied, filled with a sudden burst of hope. “We will have to have a copy of the books from the pawn merchant, but the evidence is there.”
“Remember how the pawn merchant told us that Lord Andrew was in his cups at the time, when he handed in the locket?” Lord Higgs continued, a look of triumph on his face. “It was clear that he was not thinking clearly then, for what kind of man would put a piece of evidence into the pawn shop without using a false name? Why use the same shop you had used be
fore if you wanted to keep your identity a secret?”
“And that is why the shop was broken into,” Sarah finished, her shoulders slumping. “Lord Andrew tried to retrieve it once he had sobered up and realized what he had done.”
James nodded, his arm wrapping around Sarah’s shoulders as she wiped her eyes. “It is just as well the pawn merchant took his books home with him that evening, else all evidence might have disappeared. I suspect, Sarah, that Mrs. Avis never intended to be your companion, but perhaps she had no other choice. Perhaps she needed to escape and to be your companion was the only way. Perhaps she was too afraid to tell you the truth, hoping that you would marry me before discovering the truth about the locket. That way, she would have the funds you would give her as payment and she could leave your side without you ever knowing the truth about her.”
“We have to get her back. She cannot stay with him.”
James smiled at the determination in Sarah’s voice, feeling himself grow as resolute as she.
“Of course, we will,” Lord Higgs said calmly. “All we need is a plan.”
Setting the letter from the duke aside, James turned to Sarah and took both of her hands. “My dear, we must be careful in this. I would much prefer you remain here whilst we go to fetch her.”
“What do you intend to do?” she asked, a trace of frustration in her voice. “Simply march up to his house and demand he release her?”
Lord Higgs shrugged. “Most likely, yes. We will present him with the evidence we have and then hand both him and all we have into the authorities.”
“My guess is he will be on his way to the jail before the end of the day,” James replied, squeezing her hands gently. “It will be the gallows or transportation for him.”
“Then, I am coming with you.”
There was a short pause. “No, my love. I cannot let you do that,” James replied carefully, aware of the spark in her eyes and the determination in her gaze. “You will be putting yourself in danger should you do so.”