Page 61 of Sleepless in Saunton
“That is what she repeatedly called her.”
“But … Tatiana is only nine years old. I know there are families that do such things, but I could never send a child away that young.”
“I informed the widow that I, too, would not consider it.”
Aurora was silent. Then she cleared her throat and asked the inevitable question. “What did she think of that?”
“It does not signify. Any woman who asks me to send my child away while she still mourns her mother’s death can … get hanged.”
Aurora chuckled. “I presume you were not so eloquent with the widow?”
“I was not. I did make it clear that there was no future for us.”
“Why were you pursuing her, Barclay? I sensed that there was something between you and Jane Davis. Why would you pursue another woman if your affection is engaged by someone else?”
“I thought … that given our situation, I should not inflict it on someone so young. Someone with such a promising future ahead of her.”
“You mean my recent situation with the London Virtuous Committee of Charitable Endeavors?”
Barclay’s shoulders slumped at the memory of his mother crying earlier that week. “I do.”
“Jane Davis strikes me as a sensible young woman with a good head on her shoulders. And her cousin is a by-blow, so she is aware of the difficulties associated with our situation. What were her thoughts on making a match? Is that why she was avoiding you?”
“No. She avoided me because I severed our connection.”
“Oh, Barclay.” Aurora covered her mouth with her hand, crestfallen.
He straightened up in his chair to defend himself, his gaze averted. “I thought I was doing the right thing. That Mrs. Gordon was the logical choice, given her maturity and social standing.”
When he glanced over at his mother, it surprised him to find pity on her face. “Barclay, it is not about the logic of the match. It is about the person in question. Their integrity, their loyalty. Your loyalty. Natalya was not a match that made sense, but she stood by your side every day of your marriage. She did not care about the scandal in our family, she cared about us. As a family, we are strong. We can face adversity together.”
Barclay hesitated for several seconds before admitting the truth of it. “Jane would make a wonderful addition to our family.”
“I agree.”
“I think it is too late.”
Aurora stayed silent, waiting for him to explain.
“I hurt her, and I believe Mr. Dunsford intended to propose to her earlier in the library. Given how things are between us …”
Barclay let his words trail off. If Jane had accepted a proposal, it would cause a scandal for her to reverse her position.
Unburdening himself to Aurora had helped ease the tension in his mind. In doing so, he turned his attention back to Tatiana to run through their last few conversations so he might seek a clue to where she might be.
Inspiration hit. Jumping to his feet, Barclay hastened out the door for the one place he had not searched. This time he was certain he would find his child, but he hoped she would be safe, recalling the pond’s slippery edges covered in green algae that lay nearby to his destination.
CHAPTER17
Barclay darted from the terrace, jogging across the gardens toward the woods. He was aware of drawing curious looks from the other guests, but he did not give a damn. He needed to reach Tatiana and ensure she was safe. Approaching the woods, he stopped to scan for the path they had taken days before.
As he entered the woods, the call of birds and the singing of insects were his only companions as he strode down the path. When he left the manor, he had been certain he would find Tatiana, but doubts had crept in as he kept walking. What if Tatiana was not there? His breath caught at the thought. That would mean she was still unaccounted for.
Why did he agree to this damned house party? It had created nothing but chaos and hesitation. He had been perfectly satisfied in his prior life, working hard and mourning Natalya’s absence. Now he was in love with a young girl whom he had wronged, and his daughter was missing.
It was all so … complicated.
It was with a huge sense of relief that he caught sight of the pond through the trees. Picking up his pace, he jogged the last of the path and, navigating a final bend, the pond came into view. Across its expanse stood Persephone, gazing back at him over the water. Barclay steadied himself on his feet, giddy with joy when he noted the figure of his daughter scrunched near the feet of the statue.
