“What will you do now, Miss Jones?” Lady Alexander asked, and Sarah could feel the hot prick of tears at the back of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall until she was well away from this house.
“I will go home, I suppose,” she said. “Back to America. There is nothing holding me here any longer.”
Lady Alexander nodded and stood.
“I will walk you to the door.”
Sarah nodded, allowing herself one final look at her aunt before she followed Lady Alexander. Her aunt sat there, staring straight ahead, and Sarah could only shake her head as she continued on. Once they reached the front door, Lady Alexander turned and surprised Sarah by taking her hands in hers.
“Lucy has become quite bitter over the years,” Lady Alexander said quietly. “I am sorry for that. I agreed to help her because I thought this might bring her some closure, but it appears it has only worsened the situation and has caused you some pain, for which I apologize. I wish you all of the best, Miss Jones, in whatever decision you make.”
Sarah nodded. It was on her lips to thank Lady Alexander, but then she recalled that the woman had lied to her, deceived her, for what was now years.
“I hope you find whatever brings you happiness, Lady Alexander,” she said in all honesty, and then with one last quick nod, she hurried out the door and down the stairs, away from this house and all the secrets it held.
CHAPTER27
David was much smarter this time. Instead of darkening Lord Torrington’s door only to be turned away by his wife once more, he determined, with some help of a groom who was willing to do anything David required for a few shillings, that he could find the man at White’s — perfect.
When David finally tracked him down in the card room after searching through various rooms of the Club, Torrington eyed him somewhat warily as he approached.
“Redmond,” he said when David neared his table. “What brings you to seek me out once more? Here with more tales of long-lost loves?”
“Ah…” David replied, scratching his head, “Perhaps we best call it a continuation of our previous conversation.”
Torrington sighed, looked over to his two companions and excused himself before standing and motioning for David to follow him to a nearby table.
“The last time we spoke I became caught up in memories and nearly forgot myself,” the Earl said as they took a seat. “Please be quick about it today.”
“Very well,” David said, not taking the man’s curtness as a good sign, but forging on nonetheless. “Previously, I asked you about a woman — Mary Jones.”
“Yes, I remember well,” Torrington responded, although this time he did not seem to be inclined to share any further.
“I told you that I knew Mary Jones through an acquaintance. Well, the truth is, I have never met Mary Jones. But I have met her daughter.”
That caught the Earl’s attention, as his eyes snapped up to meet David’s.
“She had a daughter?”
“She did. I have never met a lovelier young woman.”
“She must be like her mother,” Torrington murmured, and David nodded. Of course, he had never met Mary Jones, but from the sound of it, Sarah was the woman she was today because of her.
“She is,” David said. Then took a deep breath. “Miss Jones — the younger Miss Jones, Sarah — came to visit you yesterday.”
“To visit… me?” Torrington repeated, his brow furrowing. He clearly didn’t realize the meaning of that statement quite yet.
“Yes,” David said, clasping his hands together and leaning over the table toward Torrington.
“Mary Jones left England over twenty years ago to settle in America. There, she had her daughter, Sarah. It was only recently that Sarah learned she had a father in England, and she came here to find him, for no reason other than a familial connection.”
The Earl didn’t move as he stared at David, the realization of all he was saying finally settling in.
“And then she came… to see me.”
“She did.”
David reached into his pocket, finding the ring he still held, that he had forgotten to return to Sarah.