by Joyce Alec
James thumped the counter hard, startling Miss Weston. “Get to the point, man. How do you know Mrs. Avis?”
The man’s smile faded, his expression hardening. “I do not,” he said with a slight shrug. “I do not know her. All I know is that she was in here with him very often, although she was always forced to stand at the back by the door. Lord Andrew sold off lots of things that I was sure did not belong to him.”
“What kind of things?” Miss Weston asked, her voice thin and pained.
The pawn merchant looked at her, and James saw the way his hard expression softened just a touch. “Lady’s things,” he replied quietly. “Pearls, earrings, that kind of thing.”
“The pendant?”
The pawn merchant nodded. “I was surprised she did not come forward herself to tell you that she was present when I bought that from Lord Andrew. Not that it is my business, which is why I did not say anything.”
James felt his heart still in his chest. “Mrs. Avis was present when Lord Andrew gave you that pendant?”
The man nodded, his lips thin. “Lord Andrew was in some state that day, I can tell you. Staggering about all over the place. It is a wonder he managed to sign his own name. He had to lean on the lady, as he made his way out of the shop.”
“He was drunk?”
The pawn merchant’s eyes flickered to Lord Higgs. “Yes, just as I said. Now, is that all you want to know? I got business to see to.”
“Do you know anything more about her?” Sarah begged, reaching for the man’s hand. “Please, she is a very dear friend of mine. Anything you can tell me would be a great deal of help.”
Holding his breath, James saw the pawn merchant look down at the way Miss Weston had clutched his fingers, his instincts telling him that this man knew a little more than he was saying.
“I will make it worth your while,” he murmured, pulling some notes from his pocket. “Please do not hold anything back.”
The pawn merchant’s greedy eyes flickered to the notes in James’s hand before returning to Miss Weston.
“There is only one more thing I know,” he said, as she released his hand. “Lord Andrew never referred to her as Mrs. Avis.”
Sarah stared at him, holding his gaze. “Then what was her title?”
He shrugged. “I only ever heard him refer to her as ‘my dear’ or some other kind of affectionate term. The kind a man might use to refer to his wife.”
James sucked in a breath at the very moment he heard Miss Weston gasp with shock.
“Thank you,” he managed to say, wrapping one arm around Sarah’s waist and pulling her to him, as tears began to trickle down her cheeks. “You have been very helpful.”
Not caring how much he gave the man, James threw down the pile of notes, and gesturing to Lord Higgs to hurry ahead of them to the door, he helped Sarah to walk to the door.
“We must return home to discuss this,” he whispered in her ear, as her head dropped forward in despair. “Come to the carriage, my dear. Lean on me if you need to.”
Within the hour, they had made it back to the townhouse and were now sitting quietly by the fire that crackled in the grate. It was not usual for James to have a fire lit in the middle of the day, but given how pale Miss Weston appeared to be, he had thought it best.
His mind spun with questions, his heart thundering with guilt and pain, as he cursed himself repeatedly for never once assuming that Lord Andrew was talking to Mrs. Avis.
“Do not blame yourself,” Lord Higgs said, the moment the maid left the room, leaving the tea tray in front of Miss Weston. “None of this is your fault, Thorndyke, nor yours, Miss Weston.”
“Sarah, please,” she said in a broken voice. “I cannot be dealing with titles now, not when everything else is so very confusing.”
“Sarah, then,” Lord Higgs replied kindly. “You must not take any blame onto your own shoulders.”
“I was there,” Sarah whispered, hoarsely, looking up at them both with pain written in her eyes. “I could have seen him; I could have tried to stop him.”
“And put yourself in danger?” James interrupted, shaking his head. “No. I would never have allowed you to.”
Sarah looked at him steadily, her lips trembling just a little. “But he was not there for me,” she said slowly. “Remember? He said something about looking all over London for Mrs. Avis. It is she he has been searching for, not I.”
James leaned forward, his head in his hands. “It does not make sense,” he muttered, his thoughts dark and clouded. “I cannot understand what any of this means.”
There was nothing but silence for a long time, each one occupied with their own thoughts. Try as he might, James could not let go of the fact that Lord Andrew still posed a threat to Sarah, unable to believe that it was just Mrs. Avis the man had been searching for.
“She is Lord Andrew’s wife,” Sarah said, her voice breaking the quiet that had settled over the room. “That is the hardest thing to believe. Why did she never say anything? Why set herself up as my companion, knowing that she was the wife to the man I was trying to avoid?”
“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 whate
ver 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, Sara
h. 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.”
