Page 75 of Sinful Persuasion of a Lady in the Making
This place has sent her mad!
“Well now, look who can’t handle the truth?”
“It is not like that,” Sebastian growled through his teeth. “Lady Alison and Mr. Jones are—”
“Please, Lord Hartwood,” Jenny said softly, putting a hand on Sebastian’s arm. She let the warmth of her heart run through her fingertips and into him, calming his flames of fury. He smiled gently at her, and then closed his mouth, letting her take the lead. Tina huffed loudly, looking around the room.
“What’s this about?” she asked. “A girl’s got a busy schedule around here. I’ve got a ball to prepare for, didn’t you know?”
“I don’t want to keep you, Miss Reynolds,” Jenny said. Tina threw her hand in the air, waving her away.
“Drop theMiss, will you? Reminds of something I’m not anymore.”
Jenny thought she could see a hint of something akin to sadness in her eyes, her voice dropped low and heavy. She could have felt sympathy for her, if she hadn’t done such an awful thing to the Duke’s family.
“All right, Tina then,” Jenny said, looking down at her hands that were clasped together on the tabletop. “The thing is, we’re—”
“We’re what?” Tina growled.
“We’re family,” Jenny said, looking up to meet Tina’s shocked expression.
Tina scoffed and turned away.
“It’s true,” Sebastian said.
“And I’m supposed to believe that, am I?” Tina asked, swinging back around to face them. “What sort of fool do you take me for? I’m not like your naïve little lady friends, you know.”
Sebastian opened his mouth to speak but Jenny put her hand out to halt him. Then she leaned forward, eyes soft and voice softer, and she replied.
“Please, Tina. I have no reason to lie, nor to be here if it wasn’t the truth. Our mother’s name is Lola Reynolds, and your father is Jacob Reynolds, although mine is… well, we’re not sure.”
There was a long pause in which the whole of Tina’s demeanor changed. She no longer held herself tall, no longer attempted the intimidation she had tried for earlier. Her chin wobbled slightly, her eyes beginning to water. Jenny suspected the idea of family in a place like this was a thought both painful and heavenly at the same time.
“H… how?” Tina’s voice was so soft now that it was a whisper, a whimper almost.
“When our foster father died, he gave us the name of our real mother.” Jenny pressed her lips together for a moment.
“Yes,” Tina squeaked, pushing forward in her seat and making the legs of the table scrape across the floor, scrambling to get closer to Jenny, to the words she spoke and perhaps to the very memory of her mother. “Mother. She—”
“She had unfortunately passed by the time we received the—”
“Eight, nine, years ago?” Tina swallowed, her chin creased with coming tears. “Just before I became Victoria… I miss her terribly.”
Jenny said nothing for a moment, letting the emotion wash through Tina instead. And then, when she did speak, her tone was one of understanding and kindness.
“We had the good fortune to meet Mrs. White though, and she told us everything.”
“Oh!” Tina really did whimper that time, a hand flying to her open mouth and her brow creased. “Mrs. White! Is she all right? Please, tell me she’s all right.”
“She doing well,” Jenny said, smiling kindly. It meant a lot to her that Tina cared for Mrs. White. “And Luke and I are helping her a little, and she’s happy enough. Although she misses your—our—mother.”
“They were the best of friends,” Tina said, looking wistfully in the distance. “Mrs. White was like an aunt to me. Always there. I miss her almost as much as I miss my mother. I wish I could see her, just one more time.”
“I can’t imagine that being possible,” Sebastian said.
“No,” Tina replied, shaking her head. “I don’t suppose it would be.”
Not least because Mrs. White would not want to see her.
