Page 59 of An Unwilling Earl
She shook her head, dislodging more tears. “I should have then,” she whispered. “And I don’t know why I didn’t. I should have warned…” She drew in a shaky breath. “I left right after Penny disappeared. Maybe a month later, I’m not sure.”
“Penny?”
“The maid.”
“Did he…?” He couldn’t quite make himself say it.
“I don’t know. I hope not. But something told me to get out of there, and so I did. I took the candlesticks and I snuck out in the night.”
She started crying in earnest, and Jacob drew her to him, pressing her head against his shoulder, and he let her cry, suspecting that this was the first time she had allowed herself to finally let the emotions out. Her sobs came from deep within, and he absorbed them, took them as his own and felt each ragged breath she took. He promised himself that he would protect her with everything he had. He was an earl now, surely that meant something. Surely that leant her some extra protection.
He would use whatever was at his disposal for her and then some.
…
Lady Morris was the last to leave, and the church doors shut with a solidthunkbehind her as she made her way down the steps, her Bible clutched to her chest like a knight with a shield. It was funny, the way some people could take religion and twist it until it was more evil than good.
Jacob approached as she descended the last step, and she drew back with a look of distaste.
“Lady Morris,” he said, touching the brim of his hat.
It took her a moment to recognize him. “Mr. Baker.” Her nostrils pinched, and he got the impression that she would give a mongrel dog the same look.
“Actually, it’s Lord Ashland,” he said with a small smile.
“Lord?”
“Earl of Ashland.”
She sniffed as if not impressed, but he had a feeling she knew she’d been put in her place. The tables had turned, and he was no longer beneath her, a servant she could give orders to, whom she couldpayto do her bidding.
“I’ve come to talk about your niece, Miss Charlotte Morris.”
“I know her name,” she snapped.
“Of course.”Be nice. You’ll get nowhere with her if you snip back.“I wondered if you had found her yet.”
She looked him up and down, her pointed nose lifting just a fraction, her lips pursed, as if she found it repugnant to speak to him. “You made it perfectly clear that you had no interest in locating her.”
“I admit at the time that I had no interest in the case, or the fact that you wanted the investigation done in your own way. But I’m intrigued.”
“A lord like you would take on work for pay?”
“I’m a solicitor. That was why you contacted me in the first place.”
She looked around as if she could find help, or an escape. But everyone had drifted off, and they were alone in front of the church.
“Have you found her?” he asked. It was a calculated risk because if she knew that Charlotte was staying with him, then she would know he was far deeper into this than she wanted him to be.
“No.”
“Were you able to hire someone to find her?” Was someone out there looking for Charlotte right now? Would this person visit Sarah and discover Charlotte was with him?
“No.”
“I see.” He looked around as if searching for someone. “Where is your son? I thought he would be at church with you.”
Was it his imagination, or did she pale a bit?
