by S. G. Rogers
“You know, I rather think he does.”
Her stomach grumbled loud enough for Myles to hear it. He and Larken both burst into laughter.
“There’s an ogre in your tummy!” he exclaimed.
“Yes, I haven’t eaten anything since lunch yesterday.” She ruffled the boy’s hair. “Let’s get you dressed and then we’ll go down to breakfast.”
When Theo entered the dining room, both his hands sported bandages and his cheekbone was purple. In addition, he moved gingerly, as if his muscles were stiff. Although she knew it wasn’t her fault, Larken still felt guilty.
“How is Brandon this morning?” Theo asked.
“He woke up long enough to drink some water,” she said. “He seems to be sleeping soundly now.”
A sigh of relief. “I’m so glad.”
After he got himself breakfast from the sideboard, Theo sat down with his plate to eat.
“I’m sorry you’re injured,” she said.
A chuckle. “Don’t give it another thought. My attempt to dispatch the gigantic ruffian who was guarding the warehouse took a bit more out of me than I’d anticipated.”
“David and Goliath,” Myles said.
“Yes, but in this case, my face was the slingshot.”
“Even with your injuries, you managed to defeat Simon,” Larken said.
“Fortunately, I was more skilled in fencing than he was, but I should’ve disabled him so he couldn’t threaten you with his pistol. I’m awfully sorry.”
Myles’ eyes grew wide. “Fisticuffs, swords, and pistols? That does sound exciting!”
“It’s exciting now that it’s over,” Larken said. “While it was happening, however, it was terrifying. The man who was fighting Brandon—”
“Neville.”
“Yes, Neville. He seemed an uncommonly skilled swordsman.”
A frown clouded Theo’s handsome face. “Indeed he was. We had a lot in common, he and I. We were both classically educated gentlemen who’d fallen from grace. I’m pained to discover he’d fallen further than I’d realized.”
“There is one development that cheered me greatly,” Larken said. “Josie was there last night.”
Theo looked baffled. “Your pretend friend was at the warehouse?”
Myles’ mouth was full of bacon, but he looked equally confused.
“No, the real one,” Larken said. “The pretty girl with the dark hair who cut me free with Hetty’s knife.”
“Oh, you must mean Miss Elysium Fields! She’s an understudy with the company, and a rather plucky young lady, I must say.”
“Elysium Fields is her stage name, then. When I knew her, she was just Josephine Wilkes. I must thank her for what she did for me. Do you suppose she’ll be at the theatre today?”
“No doubt she’ll be performing, if Hetty has disappeared.”
“I should like to go see her, if the new nanny arrives on time.”
Myles chewed and swallowed. “New nanny?”
“Yes, you’ll like Ginny,” Larken said. “She’s an orphan too, like you and me.”
The police had not yet recovered Brandon’s horses or carriage, so Larken was obliged to take a cab to the matinée. The performance was the same one she’d attended before, but she was glad for the opportunity to actually watch it this time around. Another actor was playing Theo’s part, and Miss Elysium Fields was announced beforehand as assuming the part of the ingénue. Larken found the matinée delightful, especially with addition of her friend. Josie was genuinely fresh and unspoiled in the role, whereas Hetty’s innocent persona had been painted on. Nevertheless, Larken was worried for her. The theatre was no life for a respectable young girl, particularly since she had no family and nowhere else to turn.
After the matinée, Larken sought out the stage manager and pressed a coin into his palm.
“I’m here to see Miss—”
Even before she’d finished speaking, Josie spotted her. “Larken!”
As Josie ran to embrace Larken, her eyes were sparkling with excitement and her cheeks were flushed. “Don’t tell me you were in the audience?”
At Larken’s nod, Josie’s hands flew to her face.
“Oh, I’m so glad I didn’t know or I would have been too nervous to perform at all!”
“You were absolutely splendid,” Larken said. Many pairs of curious eyes were upon her, and she lowered her voice. “May we speak privately?”
“Let’s sit in the theatre for a little while,” Josie said. “We can chat there.”
A few minutes later they were sitting alone in one of the private boxes overlooking the orchestra pit. The audience had left, but a few musicians were still packing up their instruments and theatre employees were sweeping the aisles.
“How is your husband faring?” Josie asked.
“He lost a great deal of blood, but the surgeon feels he will recover,” Larken replied. “He did manage to eat some soup for lunch, and a little color has come back to his face.”
“I’m so glad!”
“Thank you for what you did for me,” Larken said. “Theo—Apollo—described how you insisted on helping. I’m so terribly grateful.”
“Don’t thank me too much. I knew Simon was plotting something against Apollo, and I should have found a way to warn him. Truly, I thought Simon meant to play a stupid prank, not kidnap Apollo’s sister-in-law!”
“You couldn’t have known.”
Josie frowned. “The theatre sometimes attracts a rough sort.”
“I’m surprised to find you here, actually. I visited the orphanage, hoping to find where you’d gone.”
“When I left the orphanage, I worked as a maid for a long while, and then as a salesclerk. I met Hetty about a month ago when she came into the shop to buy a shawl, and she asked me if I was interested in going on the stage.” She bit her lip. “I want you to know I’m still respectable.”
“Of that, I never had a doubt. Josie, I want you to come with me to Newcastle and live at Graceling Hall.”
Josie rolled her eyes and gave Larken a wry smile. “I just made the leap from understudy to actress and you want me to leave it behind?”
“You can start over in Newcastle, and possibly find a husband.”
“Nobody would ever marry me and you know it.”
“I know nothing of the sort! You’re a beautiful girl with an amiable, sweet nature. You won’t fail to catch some gentleman’s eye.”
“You’ve always had your head in the clouds.”
“Not at all. I’ve already hired one of the girls from the orphanage as a nanny, and I’m hoping to find places for others at Graceling Hall.”
“No, I—”
“Josie, I’m not leaving here without your address. As soon as I know when we’re to leave London, I’ll send word. The theatre is exciting, to be sure, but in a few years’ time your youth will begin to fade and you’ll become more desperate. I’m sure Hetty was young and beautiful once, too.”
The lingering smile on Josie’s lips was tinged with sadness. “Oh, Larken, you can’t save everyone.”
Eight days later, Brandon was fit enough to travel. The King entourage was larger by three as they waited at the station for the northbound train to arrive. Theo and his newly hired valet had joined the party, as well as the new nanny, Ginny. The jovial young woman kept Myles amused with an endless supply of jokes, stories, and riddles.
As Larken observed Theo and Brandon chatting together, she was struck by the transformation wrought in both brothers since their reunion. Whenever they were together, they seemed an invincible duo. Rowe had mentioned Theo and Brandon were popular in the ballroom, but Larken had begun to suspect the handsome men had struck terror in the hearts of many a girl’s parents! Theo’s attire was now indistinguishable from a wealthy gentleman, and his aura of tragedy had been lifted. For his part, Brandon appeared to be younger than before, and he seemed incapable of making a frown. Never before had Larken heard his laughter be so carefree, and she reveled in it.
As he’d regained his strength from his injuries, he’d acquired a rather cocksure attitude, which she found endearing.
Vibrations from the train’s arrival made the soles of Larken’s feet tingle. She cast an anxious glance over her shoulder as she searched for Josie’s distinctive features amongst the crowd. Brandon must have noticed, because he joined her.
“Is everything all right?”
“I thought Josie would at least come to say good-bye.”
“I’m sorry, but at least you can write to her now.” As the train came to a stop, he offered her his arm. “It’s time to go. Shall we?”
With a lump in her throat, Larken nodded. A few minutes later, she’d settled herself into a compartment with Brandon and Theo. Movement on the platform outside caught her eye and she shot to her feet. Josie! Without a word, she hastened from the compartment, ran to the steps of the train car, and waved madly. “Josie!”
The young woman hastened over just as a shot of steam and a short whistle meant the train was about to depart. As the wheels began to move, Josie grasped Larken’s outstretched hand and gave it a squeeze.
“Good-bye!” Josie cried.
“Write to me!”
“Yes, I will!”
The train picked up speed and Josie was obliged to let go. Larken waved until she couldn’t see her friend any longer. When Larken turned around, Brandon was waiting to envelop her in his arms.
“I’m glad you got to say good-bye,” he murmured.
“Me too.”
Hand in hand, they headed down the corridor. Before they reached the compartment, Brandon stopped.
“Wait a minute, I just thought of something. Have you overcome your fear of trains?”
A shock went through Larken as she realized she hadn’t had a moment of anxiety since she climbed on board. “Why…I suppose I have.” She laughed. “Imagine that!”
Chapter Fourteen
Wynstone Park
UPON THEIR RETURN TO GRACELING HALL, Brandon was dismayed to discover Theo intended to occupy a small guest room on the uppermost floor.
“That’s absurd,” Brandon said. “You must take a proper suite with a sitting room. As it is, you’re nearly in the servant’s quarters!”
“I’ve grown accustomed to a lack of grandeur in my life, and I wouldn’t know what to do with myself in a suite.”
“Nevertheless, you have a valet to consider. You don’t want to tax the man by forcing him to climb an extra flight of stairs all the time, do you?”
“I suppose not.” Theo nodded. “All right, you win. I’ll find a more suitable accommodation.”
Brandon’s flush of victory was short-lived when Larken took him aside.
“You can’t bully your brother into feeling comfortable,” she said. “Coming back here was a big step. You must let him settle in the way he sees fit.”
“I just want things to get back to normal again, as quickly as possible.”
“I’m sorry to say things will never be the same as they were.”
“But this house should have been his, and he has every right to occupy it fully.”
“Don’t let your need to expiate any residual guilt derail a promising beginning,” she said. “Give Theo time to adjust, and all will be well.”
Brandon gritted his teeth, but he knew Larken was correct in her assessment. His growl of frustration was followed by a nod.
“How did you get to be so wise?”
“Adversity is a hard taskmaster but an effective teacher. My painful experiences taught me a great deal, it seems. I suggest you attempt to draw Theo slowly into those activities he used to enjoy, and let things unfold from there.”
Brandon pondered a moment. “Perhaps it will do Theo good to see a few old friends?”
“Indeed it will. I’m going to ask Lord Rowe and Lady Clarissa to resume my dance lessons. You and Theo can stop by.”
“They’ll be greatly surprised to find he’s alive.”
“Undoubtedly, but they know everyone. They’ll tell all their friends Theo’s back, and it won’t come as quite a shock to the neighborhood when they see him out and about.”
“I daresay the neighborhood will be emotionally overwrought at Theo King’s return—particularly the ladies.”
Larken laughed. “I daresay you’re quite right.”
Dust motes swirled in the air as the attic was emptied of paintings. A new newly-arrived maid, a former resident of the orphanage, carried the paintings down the attic stairs, under Larken’s supervision. When Theo and Brandon’s childhood portrait appeared, Larken beckoned the maid to follow her into Myles’ room.
“Let’s hang this one where Mariah’s portrait is now, and move hers a little closer to the bed,” she said.
As the maid lifted Mariah’s painting from its hook, she lost her grip and it slid to the floor with a crash.
“Oh, no! Are you all right?” Larken asked.
“Yes, Mrs. King. I-I don’t know what happened.” The girl’s lower lip trembled, and she began to cry.
“Come now, Elizabeth, it’s not the end of the world.”
Despite Larken’s soothing words, the girl burst into tears.
“Please don’t send me back to the orphanage! I can try harder.”
“I’m not going to send you away! Go on down to the kitchen and ask the cook for a cup of tea. You’ll feel much better afterward, and we can resume our work.”
Even as tears coursed down her cheeks, Elizabeth gave a little curtsy. “Thank you, Mrs. King. You’re terribly kind.”
The poor girl fled the room. Larken picked up Mariah’s portrait, dismayed to see the frame was cracked at the corners. The painting itself appeared to be undamaged, however, and if she could release it from the frame, Myles wouldn’t be deprived of his mother’s company while the frame was sent out for repairs.
When she turned the painting over, she noticed the backing was already loose. As she slipped a finger underneath to free the painting, she discovered a piece of paper had been wedged inside. She managed to free the paper, which turned out to be an envelope. To Larken’s astonishment, it was an unopened letter sent from Mariah Pettigrew, in America, to Mr. Theodore J. King.
She left the painting propped up against the wall and immediately brought the missive to Brandon in his study.
“I found this old letter secreted behind Mariah’s portrait,” she said. “It’s addressed to Theo.”
Brandon frowned as he peered at the envelope.
“Actually, it’s addressed to my father. Although Theo was named after him, his middle name is Nathaniel.” He paused. “How very odd. The stamp was canceled on a date after my father’s death.”
“So he never read it?”
“No.” He gave Larken a bewildered glance. “Why would Mariah have written to my father?”
“And who would have hidden the letter?”
“There’s only one way to find out.”
Larken sank down into a chair while Brandon slit open the envelope and withdrew the single sheet of stationery inside. As he read the words Mariah had written to his father many years prior, his eyes grew wide and his hand shook. Although Larken was anxious to learn the contents of the letter, she forced herself to remain silent. When he finished reading, he rang for a servant, who appeared momentarily.
“Please find my brother and ask him to come to my study.”
“Right away, sir.”
After the servant left, Brandon sat back in his chair—clearly stunned.
“I suspect it was my mother who hid this letter because she didn’t want to know what it said.”
“Which was?”
“My father and Mariah were lovers. Myles is, in fact, my younger brother.”
After the initial shock passed, Larken felt a strange sense of relief. “I’m glad of it. Now I don’t have to fear some stranger from the past coming to claim Myles.”
To her surprise, Brandon laughed. “I thought the exact same thing.”
When Lor
d Rowe and Lady Clarissa arrived at Graceling Hall the following afternoon, Larken met them in the ballroom.
“I hope your cold is improved, Lady Clarissa?” she asked.
“It’s much better, thank you, and please call me Clarissa. Did you enjoy town?”
“Indeed we did. I hope you’ll stay for tea after our lesson. We brought back someone you might particularly wish to meet.”
“Clarissa and I always enjoy meeting new friends,” Rowe replied.
Larken and Rowe practiced the waltz for several minutes, and then moved on to the two-step. With a little concentration and practice, Larken managed to complete one half circle around the room. As they began dancing toward the piano again, the music came to a discordant halt. Clarissa rose, a look of shock on her face. Like his sister, Rowe stood with his mouth agape. Brandon and Theo had entered the ballroom.
“Hullo,” Theo said.
“Forgive the interruption, but I thought you should know my brother is alive,” Brandon said.
“It was all a terrible mistake, and Theo’s been living in London all this time,” Larken said.
Clarissa burst into tears. Theo winced and hastened to offer her a handkerchief.
“I’m awfully sorry to have caused such a commotion,” he said.
Rowe finally found his tongue. “How can you be amongst the living when they found your body?”
“It was a case of misidentification. The Liverpool police discovered my pocket watch on the dead man, and drew an erroneous conclusion.”
“If it hadn’t been for Larken, Theo wouldn’t be here,” Brandon said. “She was the one who recognized him.”
Although Rowe’s face was still ashen from shock, he hastened to shake Theo’s hand. “I’m not sure I’ve ever been so happy to be wrong.”
“Let’s resume our lesson some other time,” Larken said. “I believe we could all use a cup of tea.”
“I believe I could use something stronger,” Rowe said.
Larken led the way into the drawing room, where Rowe gratefully accepted the tot of brandy Theo gave him.
