Page 13 of An Unwilling Earl
“All is forgiven,” she said. “Please, let’s sit.”
To Jacob’s relief, Lady Crawford took her tea to the other side of the room and let the two of them have some privacy.
After they were settled, and a sip of tea lay warm in his stomach, Jacob gathered his thoughts. “I’ve actually come to talk about Miss Charlotte Morris,” he said.
Sarah’s hand jerked, and she placed her full cup of tea in her saucer with a forceful clatter, making her mother look up with a slight frown.
Lady Sarah put her cup and saucer on the table and faced Jacob fully.
“What about Charlotte Morris?” Sarah asked in a low voice so her mother didn’t overhear.
Jacob scooted closer to the edge of his seat, closer to Sarah, but not close enough to cause concern. “I hear you two were good friends.”
“We are.”
Present tense. That was interesting.
“When was the last time you heard from her?” he asked.
“Why should I tell you?”
Protective, as well.
Jacob weighed the information he had, trying to decide what and how much to tell Sarah. The hell with it. He’d tell her what he knew and see where it went from there.
“Lady Morris paid me a visit.”
Sarah’s lips twisted in distaste.
“She asked me to locate Charlotte.”
Sarah’s gaze widened. “Locate? You mean she’s missing?”
Jacob hesitated. “She’s been missing for almost three weeks now.”
Sarah sat back, clearly stunned. Her fear-filled gaze met his. “What happened to her?”
“I don’t know. I was hoping you had some answers.”
Sarah shook her head, mute.
“Lady Morris seemed…”
“Harsh? Cruel? Unfeeling?”
“Stern. Rigid.”
Sarah twined her fingers together. Her knuckles were white. “You’re far nicer than I am regarding that witch.”
Jacob shot a glance at Lady Crawford, but she was intent with her needlework.
“You don’t hold a high esteem for Lady Morris?”
“She’s a miserable woman whose goal is to make everyone around her just as miserable.”
“Charlotte didn’t like living there?”
“Charlotte hated it.”
