Page 67 of The Heiress in Disguise
She laughed ruefully. “If anyone had seen that, we might both have been in terrible trouble.”
“But nobody did see,” he pointed out. “So we’re all right. But speaking of trouble… where were you? I worried when you didn’t arrive at the appointed time. It’s so unlike you to be late when we’ve arranged to meet. Is everything all right?”
“Everything is fine,” she said. “I apologize for my lateness.”
“No, don’t apologize. There’s no need for that. But Iwasconcerned. What kept you? Was there trouble?”
“No,” she said. “It’s just that it’s such a beautiful day, and as I headed into the woods, I found myself thinking about… about my mother and father.”
Antoine was thrilled. She had never confided in “Philip” about her past before. “I’m sure they were lovely,” he said carefully. He couldn’t slip and let on that he knew who her parents were. That would destroy everything.
“They were wonderful,” she agreed. “I wish they were still here. If they were… I don’t believe my current situation would be what it is.”
“With Lord and Lady Leicester?”
“That’s right. My parents… well, they wouldn’t have allowed me to work for anyone who treated me cruelly, I know that. They would have found me a better situation. They would have made different arrangements for my life.”
How he longed to tell her that he knew the truth of her identity, and that he was sure her parentshadmade better arrangements for her. “It must be a comfort to know that they would want the best for you,” he said.
She smiled and nodded. “It is,” she said. “All thoughts of them are so comforting. So freeing. And that’s why I was late to meet you, which I truly am very sorry for. Between that and my exuberant greeting, I’ve made quite a spectacle of myself today, and I am embarrassed. But I was so caught up in thoughts of them that I found myself letting a song escape.”
“It was very pretty,” Antoine assured her. “I’m glad you took a moment to sing. It’s all right that you were late. I was only worried that you might have come to harm, but now that I can see you’re all right, I don’t mind a bit that I had to wait to see you.”
“I’m sure you were worried I had gotten myself into some sort of trouble.”
“I was worried that trouble had found you.” The distinction seemed important. “You serve cruel masters, Ella. I don’t think you getyourselfinto trouble. I think trouble finds its way to you.”
“Well, I would say that’s often the case,” Angelique admitted. “It is difficult.”
“I wonder—do you have any evidence of the way they treat you?”
She frowned. “Evidence?”
“Is there anyone who might speak on your behalf? Testify to the things you’ve suffered?”
“Well, yes, I have a few friends among the household staff,” she said. “But why would they need to speak on my behalf? And to whom? Who needs to hear these things about my life?”
“I don’t know,” Antoine admitted. “I only wondered whether it was a possibility.”
“I suppose,” she said. “Molly or Peter would certainly speak up if they thought it would be of help to me—though I don’t really see how it would. And Jane…” she hesitated.
“What about Jane?” He recalledher from the card game. A sweet enough girl if a bit pushy. She hadn’t seemed to understand that he had no interest in her, and he hadn’t wanted to be rude by pushing her away.
“I don’t know.” Angelique admitted. “There was a time when I would have called her one of my closest friends, but that seems a long time ago right now. Things haven’t been right between me and Jane for some time. No, I wouldn’t think of her as someone I can trust.”
He nodded. “But the other two. Molly and Peter.”
“I trust them with my life, but why are you asking?”
“I wondered, that’s all. Whether you had someone loyal on your side.”
“I don’t think it’s idle curiosity,” she disagreed. “You sound as if you’re asking me something quite urgent. What I can’t figure out is why it matters so much. What difference does it make to you if I have people I can trust or not?”
“I care about you,” he said. “I wouldn’t want you to be without that.”
“I appreciate it, but what I mean to say is that it can’t help,” she said. “No matter what Molly and Peter might be willing to say, it doesn’t change anything.”
“Maybe not.” But maybe it did, he knew. If he needed to present evidence of the fact that Angelique had been mistreated by her family, those two could be just who he needed. They would have seen the whole thing—all the years of abuse and neglect. They could tell the whole story better than anybody else, and Angelique had just confirmed that they would do it if they were asked.
