Page 34 of An Earl's Scandalous Return
“No, wait, please, Seraphina.” Thankfully, the young woman paused, and she looked at Arabella with those big, bright eyes. “We don’t have to talk about all this today. It can wait, but I will tell you this one thing. I believe you to be the Earl of Montrose’s daughter.”
Seraphina’s green eyes went wide, and she pulled the basket in front of her like a shield. “Me? The daughter of an earl? That is mad, for certain. If that man is my father, then who is Gregory, the man who has raised me, calling himself my father?”
Arabella tried to tamp down her excitement. How on earth could they have missed him out of all the Gregorys they’d searched for? Why had no one mentioned him?
“I can’t talk about this,” Seraphina said, her cheeks flushing a bit. “I have to go home. My father will be wondering where I am, and then it will cause all kinds of gossip and scandal. Even now, so many people at the market are looking this way.”
“Of course, I understand. Well, this also means that you are my sister as well.” Arabella knew she was saying too many things and too quickly, but she wanted her to know that, at least.
Perhaps this will convince her to meet us again.
Seraphina frowned, and Edward jumped in. “Tomorrow, then. Meet us here tomorrow at the same time. Perhaps we can speak in the church, which will keep things more private. Please come, and you will hear all the explanations. You can ask questions, and we will try to answer them as much as we can. Like you, Arabella is new to this news as well.”
Arabella watched with eagerness as her half-sister said nothing else but nodded and then hurried away. Strangely, it felt like a tiny piece of her had broken off and rushed away with that girl.
A sister.
She had never had a sister, never even dreamed of a sister. It was a wondrous thing to have a brother, so much love and kindness between them, but having a sister would be like having a true kindred spirit. She watched her sister rush away from her down a village lane, and then she felt a soft hand on her shoulder.
“She’ll return, Arabella. I’m sure of it,” Edward said at her side.
She wanted desperately to curl into him, to feel his comforting presence, but after she’d pushed him away last night, she knew he would only stiffen in response.
“How do you know that?” she asked a little sharply, turning to look at him with hope in her eyes.
“Because.” He was still watching Seraphina race off.
“I asked her if she felt like there was something odd about her life, that she never really belonged in it, and that was the one thing that made her stop running away and turn around and face me again. That was the reason she stayed to meet you. Even if Gregory is pretending to be her father, I could tell there was something she didn’t feel right about. She’s searching for those answers. She’ll come back.”
Arabella nodded, trying to feel some comfort. When Edward offered her his arm, she took it, too tired to think more about the repercussions.
“I was right, though, wasn’t I?” he asked with enthusiasm. “Looks just like you.”
“She certainly does.” Arabella shook her head. “It is a strange thing. I felt as though I were in a dream, but now I know I’m fully awake. I hope that soon, we can solve this mystery and we can return home for Alvin. And we can help Seraphina, too.”
She didn’t tell Edward this, but she secretly hoped that Seraphina would very much like to return home with her.
Chapter 37
They were silent on their way back to the inn, but Edward wasn’t disheartened. Deep down in his gut, he was certain that Seraphina would return, even if Arabella didn’t believe him yet. Everyone wanted answers in their life, himself included, so, with this her one opportunity to learn, Seraphina would return on the morrow to find out.
He tried to put himself in her place, wondering how it must be like to learn suddenly that everything you ever knew was wrong. That the man who’d raised you and kept you in his home was not your father and that he knew secrets about you that you didn’t even know yourself. He could understand the young girl’s hesitation. He would be angry, surprised, and likely have run away too.
Edward looked across the carriage at Arabella, whose eyes were fixed outside the window as the inn came into view. Arabella was always happy, always cheerful, but that day, seeing Seraphina for the first time, he’d seen something light up inside her. It was as if a sudden craving for something had now been recognized and might soon be fulfilled.
Helping her out of the carriage, he said, “I see you’ve got a book with you.”
Arabella blinked as if in a daze and replied, “Oh, yes, there is a small bookshop there.” She pointed. “I went out after breakfast, a little frustrated that you left me on my own for so long. I thought you had gone to discover Gregory’s whereabouts on your own, and I was leaving the inn in defiance.”
He chuckled at her dry tone. “I’m sorry for that.” He held the door open for her, and she walked in first, seating herself at a table by the fire. Edward joined her, for the day had begun to turn cold. “I wanted to see the fruits and vegetables Maidstone has to offer, and now we have a basketful of a few good things to take with us on our next journey.”
“Thank you. That is good.” Arabella was looking into the flames, and Edward left her to her thoughts for a moment while he ordered them some drinks. When they were on their own again, she spoke while she tapped a finger atop her new book. “Where did you sleep last night, Edward?” she asked, then her eyes turned to his.
“Ah.” He folded his hands on the table, a little surprised she wanted to discuss this instead of meeting her likely half-sister. “I slept in the carriage.” He gave her a sheepish grin as he rubbed a hand over his hair.
“In the carriage. Why?” she asked, shaking her head.
“I wanted to give us both time, Arabella.” He spoke honestly but did not say more than that before their drinks arrived. “Now, I think we should speak about what to do tomorrow. How can we approach the girl in a better way so that she will not be so scared? As all men, I am completely at a loss when it comes to understanding a woman’s mind. You will have to enlighten me.”
