Page 64 of Lady of Charade
“Is this yours, Lord Torrington?”
He set it down in the middle of the table between them, and Torrington reached over, picking it up and turning it over in his fingers. His face still wore an expression of incredulity, as though he could hardly believe what he was seeing.
“This is my mother’s family crest,” Torrington said, staring at it as he ran his thumb over the crest. “Her father gave it to me when I was a young man. I gave it… I gave it to…” he swallowed deeply. “The woman I thought I would love forever.”
“Mary Jones.”
“Yes,” the Earl said, his word coming out just above a whisper. “I wished to marry her, but it had always been planned that I would marry Lavinia, who is now my wife.”
He was silent for a moment.
“I hadn’t decided what to do — whether to leave all for Mary, or to see if she would have only what I could offer her while I did what my family asked of me, marrying Lavinia and then one day becoming the earl.”
He let out a short, bitter laugh.
“I didn’t realize the decision I should have made until it was too late and Mary was gone. I never knew if my father had convinced her to leave or if she had left me of her own accord, but it haunts me to this day.”
“From what Sarah tells me, she left so that you would not have to make the decision put before you.”
“She would,” he nodded and then paused for a moment before looking back at David. “A daughter… I never had any children, did you know that, Redmond?”
David shook his head.
“Where is she?” Torrington asked.
“At this moment? I believe she is preparing to return home to America.”
“What?” he said, making as if to rise, his face astonished. “Why, when she has come all of this way?”
David shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He wasn’t sure of the current relationship between Torrington and his wife and had no wish to come between the two of them, but he also felt Torrington should know the truth.
“When Sarah came to see you, your wife greeted her. Apparently, she surmised much of the situation and told Sarah that you had no wish to see her nor have anything to do with her.”
“Shewhat?” The last word came out as a bit of a roar, and many of the other patrons turned to stare at the two of them.
“Sarah tried to make it clear that she is not here for any financial gain, but I believe your wife is quite concerned about what Sarah could do to your reputation as well as your finances.”
“Well, I never…” He said, glowering, and David flinched. “I want to speak with her — the girl.”
“I hate to be impertinent, my lord…”
“But you will be, all the same.”
David took a breath. “What will your response to her be? Would you accept her, or would you turn her away, as your wife did?”
The Earl’s gaze slightly darkened as he stared at David.
“I know you ask out of concern for her, which is why I am answering your insolent question,” he said. “I have not yet decided how I will greet her nor include her in my life, but I will not turn her away without any acknowledgment of who she is, that I can tell you,” he said, and David nodded, satisfied with his answer.
“I’ll see if I can find her,” David said. “Then I will send word as to where we should meet you.”
“Please see that you do,” the Earl said, direct yet still obviously flummoxed. As David rose, Torrington held out a hand to stop him.
“Tell me, Redmond, what is your involvement in all of this?”
“Sarah and I have become… rather close.”
“I see,” said Torrington, as he raised an eyebrow. “How does your family feel of such a thing? I had heard a rumor you were to marry the daughter of Lord Buckworth.”
