by Joyce Alec
And now she knew the truth of his heart and it was more beautiful than anything she could ever imagine.
“I do hope that Lord Yardley’s townhouse will not yet be shut up,” she mused, looking up into Lord Stoneleigh’s face and seeing the knot of his brows as he considered what she had said. “It has been some time since and I worry that the place will have been sealed and settled for whoever is next in line.”
“Then let us hope that the next Baron Yardley has agreed to keep on a small staff within the townhouse,” Lord Stoneleigh replied, a trifle gruffly. “I do not know what we shall do otherwise.” His gaze caught hers, the brownish hues in the depths of his green eyes seeming to swirl about, as if distant thoughts were coming to the fore, only to be caught up in all the others that had gone before. “Although I am certain you would have thought of something else to do, Lady Prudence. Your determination to see this through speaks well of you.”
She smiled, aware of the warmth in her face that even a single word from him now seemed to bring. “Let us pray I shall not need to,” she replied as they turned the corner to approach the house. “Even if only the butler remains, I shall be very contented indeed.”
Despite her determined words, Prudence could not help but feel a little anxious as they climbed the stone steps. Lord Stoneleigh rapped sharply and took a small step back, as did Prudence. Prudence’s maid remained at the bottom of the steps, waiting for her mistress to return, whilst Prudence herself prayed desperately that their knock would be answered.
Eventually, someone came to the door.
“Yes?”
Quickly, Lord Stoneleigh explained who they were and what they sought. Prudence stood quietly beside Lord Stoneleigh, fully aware of the amount of scrutiny that the butler was now giving to her.
“I was cousin to Mary, Lady Yardley,” she said, wondering if the butler knew her. “Lord Yardley was a gentleman I was well acquainted with.”
The door opened at once. “I remember, my lady,” the butler said, bowing low before gesturing for them to come inside. “I was with the master during the time his wife became ill. After she died, he sent me here, to make certain the townhouse was prepared for him.” A small, sad smile crept over his face. “I believe seeing even the staff around him who had looked after his wife was too much to bear.”
“I think you are correct,” Prudence answered, rather surprised that the butler should show so much feeling over his late master and mistress. It was true, it seemed, that a good master could bring about a sense of loyalty and even affection from one’s staff. “Thank you for allowing us in. As Lord Stoneleigh has said, I am seeking a way to contact Lord Yardley’s sister.”
A frown instantly crept over the butler’s expression. “Lady Brunswick?” he asked with a shake of his head. “There is something very wrong going on with that particular matter, Lady Prudence, if it is not too bold to say. Lord Brunswick himself appeared here shortly after Lord Yardley’s demise and made up some story that I knew not to be true. He called himself Lord Hawksworth, but I recognized his face for I had seen him before at Lord Yardley’s estate, when he came to make arrangements for the marriage.” He shook his head. “I could not say that I knew very well who he was, but I was greatly unsettled by his presence.”
Prudence glanced at Lord Stoneleigh, who was, by now, frowning very hard indeed, a dark anger seeming to flood into his expression. The butler was more forthcoming than either of them had expected and Prudence had to admit that she was very grateful. Taking a moment, she decided that she would be forthright also, making certain to explain what she could to the butler in hope of his assistance.
“The reason we seek Lady Brunswick is because of a situation that has come to our attention,” she said, lifting her chin just a little. “You may be aware already, but Lord Brunswick is engaged. I am concerned about what has occurred to Lady Brunswick, for I have had no report of her death.”
The butler held her gaze steadily, which was most unusual for a servant to do. “You speak the same words that Lord Yardley himself spoke, Lady Prudence,” he said after a moment or two, his voice shaking with unexpressed emotion. “He appeared at the house one evening and I had never seen him as upset as he was then.” Shaking his head, he pulled a large, white handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed at his eyes. Prudence’s heart ached for him.
“The master wrote a letter to his sister that evening, Lady Prudence,” the butler continued, managing to collect himself. “He said he had only just discovered where she was and intended to ride out to her the following day. Only that he had to first speak to Lord Brunswick once more.”
Prudence closed her eyes and a shudder ran through her. “But he did not return,” she said slowly, and the butler made a noise of agreement. “Pray, do you know the address that was on the letter Lord Yardley wrote?”
Opening her eyes, she saw the butler dabbing at his eyes again. “I did not send the letter, Lady Prudence,” he said hoarsely. “I meant to do so the following day, for it was much too late that night to do so…but with all that occurred with the master, I did not have the chance to. And then to discover he was gone and that he would not set foot in this house again—I…I dared not send it to her.”
“You will find no blame on our lips,” Lord Stoneleigh answered reassuringly. “But might you find the letter and give it to Lady Prudence? It is of the utmost importance that we seek out Lady Brunswick at once.”
The butler nodded, hesitated, then moved away. Prudence let out a long breath of relief, although such was the sorrow within her that she could not speak. The poor Lady Brunswick did not even know that her brother was gone, and now Prudence herself was to go and seek her out. Was she to be the one to impart such dreadful news?
“Here, my lady.” The butler handed the sealed letter to her with a small bow. “Please, give my condolences to the lady when you see her. On behalf of all the staff here.”
“I shall, of course.”
Lord Stoneleigh cleared his throat. “Is the new Lord Yardley to take up residence here?” he asked, and the butler nodded. “So soon, it seems.”
The butler’s expression lit with a ghost of a smile. “He is to come and inspect all of his property,” he said with a wry smile. “But he is a good man, from what I know of him. A relation of the late Lord Yardley’s that I have met once before. I am hopeful that he will be a good master.”
“You do Lord Yardley a great honor in remembering him so,” Prudence said, seeing the man’s eyes fill with tears again. “I wish you well.” She held the letter close to her chest. “And I thank you.”
It was not until they had rounded the corner that would lead them back to Lord Devonshire’s townhouse that Prudence dared look at the letter. Lord Stoneleigh paused also, reading the address quickly and then looking at her with astonishment.
“That is less than a day’s ride from here,” he said, and Prudence blinked in surprise, staring at the address as though she thought it might change before her very eyes. “Can that be so?”
“It must be,” Prudence answered weakly. “Lady Brunswick, so close to London and yet so unaware of all that is going on.”
Lord Stoneleigh let out a strangled sound, which Prudence took to be both frustration and anger at what Lord Brunswick had done.
“I must go to her,” Prudence said quietly. “I will convince Mama that we must travel to see her at once, to comfort her at this difficult time.”
“But will she go?” Lord Stoneleigh asked, looking a little doubtful. “After all, your engagement has only just been made certain. Surely she will want to—”
“I will convince her,” Prudence replied firmly. “There is nothing else for me to do but that.” Looking up at Lord Stoneleigh, she held his gaze and felt her fortitude rise up within her. “Have no doubt, Lord Stoneleigh. I will go to her, and I will discover the truth.”
Lord Stoneleigh nodded slowly, a glimmer in his eyes that she hoped came from a trust and a belief in her that she could do as she s
aid. “Then return swiftly, Lady Prudence,” he told her, reaching out to touch her cheek gently. “For I will not be contented until you are back in London and again by my side.”
Her heart flooded with delight and she smiled up at him, her worries disappearing as she saw the tenderness in his eyes.
“I will return as quickly as I can,” she promised. “For I will spend every moment longing to return to you.”
Despite the fact that they stood in the middle of a London street where a good many people could see them, Lord Stoneleigh caught her hand and brought it to his lips. Prudence blushed all the more as she felt the warmth of his lips on her hand, knowing full well that, should things continue as they were at present, she would find herself quite in love with Lord Stoneleigh. And that, she thought, would truly be the most wonderful thing in all the world.
It had taken a great deal of convincing for Lady Devonshire to agree to this strange trip that Prudence was so eager to make, but it had helped that Lord Stoneleigh had been there when Prudence had asked. He had stated that he thought Lady Prudence to be more than generous in her desire to be a comfort to the lady and therefore, after a few moments more of deliberation, Lady Devonshire had agreed.
“We will return very late indeed,” Lady Devonshire complained as the carriage turned into a small, secluded village which seemed to have nothing of particular interest within it whatsoever. “And I had to awaken much too early also.”
“I am sure you will manage, Mama,” Prudence replied calmly. “We are going to be there very soon, and I shall only take an hour or so to speak to the lady.”
Lady Devonshire sniffed and shook her head in evident disdain. “There is no need for you to speak to a lady unknown to you, Prudence,” she said firmly. “Even if Lord Stoneleigh thinks you kind and gracious to want to give your condolences in person, I confess that I think you to be ridiculous. You should be in London, garnering all the attention that you can.”
“That is not at all my desire, Mama,” Prudence protested, knowing that she could not very well tell her mother the truth. Not as yet, anyway. “I feel a strong desire to speak to Miss Somers to give her my condolences before I can fully indulge in my own happiness.” She shrugged. “If you so wish, you might stay in the carriage and wait for me to return.”
Lady Devonshire’s lips turned down. “I can hardly imagine doing something such as that, not when I have been sitting already for a good many hours,” she complained. “I shall be utterly weary come the morrow.”
Prudence did not reply, allowing her mother to complain a little longer as she herself watched out of the carriage window, looking at where they were going. The village was now far behind them and they seemed to be following a winding track. Wherever this place lay, it was very far away indeed.
Finally, they reached what appeared to be a country house. It had well-maintained gardens, and whilst the house itself was not overly large, it certainly appeared to be a fine and very suitable establishment for a lady of quality.
“This is where Miss Somers lives at present?” Lady Devonshire asked, sounding very surprised. “The sister of a mere baron?”
Prudence gave her a quick smile. “Lord Yardley was a very wealthy gentleman, Mama, despite his lower title. You would be surprised to hear of the extent of his wealth, I think.” She said nothing more until the carriage pulled up at the door, glancing once at her mother before she stepped outside.
There came no one immediately to answer them as both she and Lady Devonshire stood by the carriage. The large wooden door was firmly closed, and Prudence could see no sign of anyone within.
“Whatever is this, Prudence?” Lady Devonshire said with obvious exasperation. “Did you bring us here solely to stand outside an empty house?”
Prudence made to retort, but bit back her reply. Instead, she walked toward the door and lifted her hand to rap sharply, only for the door to open. Stumbling back, she saw a tall, rather thin man standing in the doorway, dressed in a butler’s livery.
“I must apologize for the tardiness in answering, my lady,” he said, bowing low as a footman rushed out to hold the door open for them both. “Lady Brunswick did not expect anyone today.”
“She is not expecting me,” Prudence replied, glad that her mother had been too far away to hear him speak Lady Brunswick’s name. “But might you ask if she will take an audience with me? Her brother married my cousin and I would be glad to speak to her again.” She smiled softly. “I am Lady Prudence and my mother is Lady Devonshire.”
“I will take tea in a private parlor,” Lady Devonshire told the butler, marching straight into the house. “It is my daughter who wishes to speak to your mistress, not I.”
Both embarrassed and, frankly, relieved that her mother would not be present, Prudence smiled apologetically at the butler and followed Lady Devonshire into the house.
“If you will wait here for a few moments,” the butler murmured, having shown them both into a small parlor, “I will just go and prepare my mistress for your arrival.”
Prudence nodded and the butler quit the room at once. She waited for him to return but did not say anything to her mother, who was looking all about the room with an expression of disdain. Prudence tightened her hands together in her lap, feeling a good deal more anxiety than she had expected. She had never once met Lady Brunswick but now she was to sit with the lady, take tea with her, and ask her a good many personal questions which the lady had no cause to answer.
“If you would come with me, Lady Prudence.”
Prudence rose at once and followed the butler, just as a maid came in with a tea tray for Lady Devonshire. Her chest tightened as she walked along the hallway, worrying that she would see a frail young lady or someone unable to give her any sort of clear answer about anything.
“Lady Prudence, my lady.”
The moment was upon her. Prudence stepped into the room and saw, much to her astonishment, a young lady with bright blue eyes and golden hair looking back at her. As Prudence moved forward, the lady rose and greeted her cordially, with as much gentility and elegance as any of Prudence’s other acquaintances.
“You look a little surprised, Lady Prudence, but I confess that I, too, feel much the same,” Lady Brunswick began as Prudence flushed with embarrassment and went to sit down in the seat offered to her. “I do not think we have met.”
Prudence shook her head. “We have not, Lady Brunswick,” she answered quietly. “But I knew your brother, Lord Yardley, for he wed my cousin, Mary. I—I wanted to come to…” She trailed off, struggling to find the right words to express what she wanted to say.
Lady Brunswick sat up a little straighter. “Do you mean to say you came this long way in order to express your condolences?” she asked, her voice a little tremulous. “Goodness, Lady Prudence. You must be a very kind soul indeed.”
It was with an effort that Prudence managed to stop herself from exclaiming aloud. She had thought that Lady Brunswick would have remained entirely cut off from the world and would have no knowledge, as yet, of what had occurred. Instead, she took a few moments to collect herself before she replied, which allowed Lady Brunswick a chance to pour tea for them both. Prudence took it from her with a small smile and murmur of thanks.
“You are aware of what occurred, then?” Prudence asked softly. “I thought that, perhaps being away from London, you might not yet have been informed.”
Lady Brunswick smiled sadly. “My husband informed me of it,” she said, a little dully. “He wrote to me the moment he heard the news—a day after the event, I believe.”
“I see,” Prudence murmured, tilting her head just a fraction. “That would have been the twenty-first, I think.” She watched Lady Brunswick closely, her heart beginning to hammer hard within her chest.
“The day before, in fact,” Lady Brunswick sighed as a tight hand clasped around Prudence’s heart. “I recall that he wrote the date as the twentieth at the top of his letter.” A small sigh escaped her. “You are very
kind to come all this way to visit me.”
Prudence said nothing for a moment, studying the lady carefully. There appeared to be no guile in her, nothing that would make Prudence believe that there was any sort of falseness to her manner. The desire to tell her what Lord Brunswick was doing was still deep within her heart, but Prudence knew she could not. It would only break the lady’s heart when she was already in the depths of sorrow.
“You did not want to come to London yourself, with Lord Brunswick?” she asked, picking up and sipping her tea.
Lady Brunswick shook her head. “I thought about attending, but I confess I have always had a sensitive constitution. My health can be, at times, rather frail and my husband thought it best for me to remain here.” She smiled fondly at the thought of her husband, astonishing Prudence somewhat. “Besides which, I am soon to go into confinement. Thus, I did not want to hold him back from the enjoyments of the Season. I look forward to his return.”
Prudence blinked in surprise before quickly congratulating the lady. With such a thin figure, she had never once suspected that the lady was with child, but it seemed that she was so and very happy with it. “I must admit that I had not heard of your marriage,” Prudence said, hoping she had not insulted the lady with such a statement. “Lord Yardley did not once mention it to me.”
Lady Brunswick nodded. “It was all kept rather quiet,” she said, a faint blush in her cheeks. “I shall not tell you all, Lady Prudence, for it is to my own shame that the marriage took place so hastily. But it is all settled now, at least, and for that I am very grateful indeed.”
Prudence hesitated for a moment, then pressed on with a question that she knew might very well have the lady no longer eager for her company.