Page 127 of From Rakes to Riches

“He had plans with you that same night and yet he ignored them.”

“The reason why still remains unanswered.” She paused, her voice losing its bluster. “The longer this goes on, the more I feel I hardly knew my brother at all.”

“It’s my hope we can locate his journal and then many of these questions, if not all of them, will be answered.”

“His journal? I’d forgotten you were inquiring with Timmons about that.” Margaret perked up. “What did he say?”

“He didn’t know the location of the book, unfortunately, but Timmons did confirm Stephen wrote in a journal often. I know we searched through his belongings and his bedchambers, but we must have overlooked it. Timmons didn’t know where Stephen kept the book, but he did share that it has a brown leather cover with a black binding cord securing a lock.”

“I don’t recall seeing anything like that.” Margaret frowned. “Although I wasn’t often in Stephen’s rooms.”

“Right,” Theodore said, pushing on. “Timmons also mentioned items from the house being sold. Paintings and other valuables disappearing on a steady basis.”

“I asked Stephen about that once and he mentioned wanting to rid the house of its old décor, so whenever I noticed a crystal vase or some other antique had disappeared, I assumed Stephen wanted them gone and he would purchase new collectibles when he was ready.” Margaret’s expression grew pinched with worry. “In day-to-day life, these situations all sound mundane, but now, in light of what happened, I feel foolish for not realizing something was terribly wrong.”

“No good will come of blaming yourself,” Theodore said, hoping to ease her distress. He walked over to where she stoodby the window. “Would you mind if I went up to Stephen’s bedchambers to search for the journal again? I’d also like to have a look in his study if its not in his rooms.”

“Yes, that’s fine.” Margaret sighed. “I’m sorry, Theodore, about my comments earlier, in regard to the Vauxhall performers. I didn’t mean to upset you. My emotions are all over the place.”

“I understand and appreciate your apology,” he said, not wanting for there to be anger between them. “But that doesn’t change what I said or how you should regard Miss York in the future.”

Content to have the last word on the subject, he left the room and went upstairs to begin his search.

“Tell me everything,”Sofia demanded with a sly smile. “And don’t leave out a single detail.”

Lola smiled in return, their table located in a shady corner of the square in front of Gunter’s Tea Shop. They’d returned for the second time this week, this visit coming at Lola’s suggestion. Her skin still hummed from the feel of Theodore’s body next to hers, the thrill of his kisses and the precious intimacy they’d shared. Maybe an ice would cool her from the inside out.

“I didn’t know what to expect by his visit actually. I worried he might be disappointed with me after traveling to Ipswich,” Lola said as she spooned up a mouthful of lavender ice.

“Why would he be disappointed?” Sofia asked, her attention on the cup of saffron mousse in front of her. “Ipswich was where you grew up. What else is there to find out?”

“Ipswich is also the place I fled to come to London.” Lola placed her spoon atop her napkin, prepared to supply all the details Sofia requested, even if they pertained to a completely different subject. She trusted her friend without question. “Twoyears ago, my father was wrongly accused of a crime. No one believed his claim of innocence and his words went unheard by the magistrate who automatically accepted the nob’s insistence my father stole from him.” Lola paused, sighing heavily as she closed her eyes tight and opened them again. It would be a relief to talk about the secret she carried around inside, but that didn’t make it less difficult. “I couldn’t allow my father to go to prison. It would have destroyed him and broken my mother and sister. It was horrible enough to be displaced from our home and realize a decade long friendship meant very little when it involved a matter of money. I couldn’t stand by and watch my father be punished for something he didn’t do. He had no choice in the matter, but I did, and I made a decision that changed everything.”

Sofia looked at her with wide eyes, her dessert forgotten. “Dio mio. What did you do?”

“I confessed to the crime,” Lola said matter-of-factly. “I knew enough about the situation to create a credible story. My father was released from custody and I was to be taken before the magistrate the following day, but that night I fled Ipswich. It didn’t fix the problem completely, but at least my family stayed together.”

“But they’re not,” Sofia protested. “You’re here in London, apart from them. Don’t you miss them?”

“Yes, very much.” Lola picked up her spoon and stabbed her ice with more force than necessary. “But there was no other way for me to help.”

“That’s as terrible as it is amazing,” Sofia replied.

“Why do you say that?” Lola asked, unsure how anything about her story seemed amazing.

“You’re far braver than me,” Sofia said with awe in her voice. “I mean, I knew that already from watching you walk therope, but to sacrifice yourself to save your father…” Sofia’s eyes widened again. “That’s truly amazing.”

“I don’t think of it that way.”

“You left everything behind? And you haven’t seen your family since?” Sofia prodded; her tone incredulous.

“That’s right. Although the other day, when I was window shopping along Bond Street, I had this moment where I thought I saw my sister,” Lola replied, her own voice taking on a note of wonder.

“Could it have been her?”

“I suppose. She’s old enough now to be courted, but I hardly think she’d be in a position to enter polite society. Not with my family being displaced and carrying the shame of my confession of a crime. I just hope in time a different scandal makes all of this seem like old history and my sister will have the chance to find a respectable husband.” Lola exhaled heavily.

“What aboutyourfuture?” Sofia said, taking up her spoon again.

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