Page 44 of A Stolen Heart

“What does it matter what he thinks?” Aunt Hortense asked. “As long as you know the truth.”

“It shouldn’t, I know, but…” Alexandra frowned. “Aunt Hortense, Mother said something to me this evening. I didn’t have a chance to tell you, but when I found her this evening, she looked at me and started to cry. Then she said, ‘I’m sorry, Simone.’”

“What?” Aunt Hortense gaped at her.

Alexandra nodded. “Just like the Countess did. It cannot be coincidence.”

“No. I suppose not,” Aunt Hortense agreed unhappily.

“Could Mother have known the woman? They were in Paris at the same time. Could it be that Father and this woman—”

“No! I don’t know.” Her aunt’s frown deepened. “I have an awful feeling about all this. I wish we had never come to London.”

“So do I.” Alexandra shrugged. “Well, we will be leaving soon.”

There was a pause, then she burst out, “Damn that man! I hate to run off and let him think that he scared me away. That I left because he had exposed my scheme and warned me away from the Countess!”

“I don’t know what you can do,” Aunt Hortense pointed out reasonably. “Unless you want to pretend to be the granddaughter in order to spite him.”

Alexandra made a face at her aunt. “No, of course not. I would never do that to the Countess. Poor woman.” She tilted her head, considering. “Though I might just go and see her before I leave, to say goodbye and wish her well.” Her dark eyes flashed. “And make him worry a little.”

ALEXANDRA SPENT THE NEXT FEW days working on her business affairs, trying to get all the loose ends tied up so that they could return to the United States. She had found that there was a ship sailing for Boston in a little over a week, and she was determined to be on it. All too often, however, her mind wandered from the subject at hand, and she found herself rehashing her bitter confrontation with Lord Thorpe or remembering the look in her mother’s eyes when she had called Alexandra Simone.

What had happened in Paris? Had her mother known Simone? Could she have rescued the baby, then adopted her? But if she had, why had she kept Alexandra’s origins secret all these years? Alexandra could see nothing shameful in taking in an orphaned child.

Alexandra wished intensely that she could get her mother to talk to her. But though she had gone into her mother’s bedroom several times, she had not managed to get the woman to say a word to her. Rhea had lain on her bed, sunk into silence, her eyes closed or staring off into space. Alexandra had seen her mother like this a few times before, and she did not understand it any more than she understood why Rhea secreted bottles of liquor about the house and drank from them furtively.

Three days after her confrontation with Lord Thorpe, she took a hackney to the office of her London agent, with whom her company had worked for years. Mr. Merriman greeted her with his usual politeness, but as they talked, Alexandra could see that there was something troubling him. Finally, he stopped in the middle of a discussion about a shipping contract, and said, “Miss Ward…”

He stopped and shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

Alexandra waited, and when he did not continue, she prompted, “Yes?”

“I—well, an odd thing happened two days ago. I don’t know what it means, but I feel it incumbent upon me to tell you.”

Alexandra stiffened. “Please do.”

“Mr. Jones came to visit me. Lyman Jones, the businessman for Lord Thorpe. I don’t know if you remember him—”

“Oh, yes, very well.” Alexandra’s face hardened. “Do go on.”

“He asked me a number of questions about you—how long I had been your agent and how much business I had done with you over the years, things like that.”

“What did you tell him?”

“Well, I said I had done business with you for many years, and our exact dealings were none of his business. As if I would tell him the details of one of my client’s business transactions!” Merriman’s eyes lit with remembered indignation. “I told him he was a presumptuous upstart and sent him on his way. I also reminded him that we had a signed contract with Burchings Tea, and if he tried to weasel out of it now, I would have him in court faster than he could blink. He was all apologies, of course.” The agent looked a little smug. “Said he wasn’t interested in backing out of anything, but his client, Lord Thorpe, had told him to find out all he could about you and your company.”

“I am sure he did,” Alexandra replied grimly, wishing that she had Lord Thorpe before her right now so she could tell him exactly what she thought of him.

“Then you know about it?” he asked, relieved.

“I did not know that Lord Thorpe sent Mr. Jones to question you. However, I am aware that he has taken some rather peculiar notions into his head.”

“The oddest thing he asked was if I was sure that you were you.”

Alexandra ground her teeth. “That blackguard.”

“I told him that of course I had never met you personally before, but I had no reason to doubt that you were Alexandra Ward. Your credentials and letters of credit all were in order.” He frowned, and Alexandra could see the faint touch of uncertainty on his face.