Page 105 of Enslaved to the Seduction of a Lady
“Mother,” Alison said, tutting, “they’ve already told you once.”
“Humor me,” the Duchess said, throwing her daughter a withering look. “I’m old and forgetful.”
“My beautiful wife and I were, unfortunately, unable to bring a child into this world. And we knew of an unfortunate young woman, who did not have the means to support her family.” The Duke of Carrington looked sadly at his lap. “We were fortunate enough to help that young woman, and gain a beautiful child in the process.”
“And we were from the same mother,” Luke said, “but were taken in by Jack, as you know. Just before Jack passed, he told us about our mother, and I went in search of her.”
“It was there he bumped into me,” Lord Denninson added. “I was also searching out my past—to satisfy my curiosity, more than anything else, after months of uncertainty.”
“And that’s not even the best bit,” Alison said. “Mr. Jones told me all about it earlier on.”
It was true. They had met up in secret, as they often did, and Luke had told Alison everything that had happened to them in the previous weeks.
“Oh, yes?” Teresa asked, turning on Alison curiously. “Iamintrigued now. You didn’t tell me there was more!”
“We have another sister,” Luke said.
Alison could see the nerves in his face, could see how unsure he was about what he was soon to reveal.
“And? Where is she?” the Duchess asked.
Luke glanced at Alison wide-eyed, and Alison said, “Go on, tell them.”
“All right. She’s in prison.”
The Duke of Salsbury blanched.
“Prison? Well, Mr. Jones, let’s hope your future endeavors are more—”
“No, Papa!” Alison chided. “Listen first.”
“You may have heard of her,” Lord Denninson said. “Her name is Tina Reynolds.”
“Tina—”
Teresa laughed and David joined her, but the Duchess coughed at the name.
“TheTina Reynolds?” she asked.
“The one and only, I’m afraid,” Luke said, looking a little sheepish.
“Isn’t it just bizarre?” Alison asked. “Whoever would have known?”
“I am so very glad it is not just my own family with a cupboard full of secrets,” the Duke of Carrington chuckled.
“But we are your family, Father,” Lord Denninson said, a mischievous grin on his face.
“Did you know, Mr. Jones?” the Duke of Salsbury asked, his expression serious and his tone stern. The laughter around the table died down, replaced with fluttering nerves.
“I can assure you, Your Grace, that I had no such knowledge.”
“I think it shows a difference of upbringing,” Lord Denninson said. “I, brought up to be a gentleman, am a lord. Luke, a servant for many years, was brought up with integrity and manners. Tina, however, was brought up in the slums of London and, I suspect, grew up to behave in accordance to their moral set.”
The Duke of Salsbury thought this through for a long moment, every person in the room hanging on to the hope that the laughter would return. Eventually he nodded, and then he laughed.
“It really is a small world, isn’t it?”
“Goodness, man,” the Duke of Carrington chided with good humor. “I thought you were going to call a halt to our celebrations, then!”
