Lady Alexandra's Lover (Sex and the Season #3) - Helen Hardt Page 0,19
said to Sophie. “I’m afraid Lord Evan and Lady Alexandra have not yet arrived in London. I just got word from a wire.”
“Not yet?” Sophie gasped. Now she really was worried. The rain had ended, and who knew what the weather was like in London? Evan surely would have sent a wire ahead to let the caretaker know if they were to be detained any longer.
“Do you wish to send anyone out to look for them?”
“Whom would I send? Lord Brighton and my mother are gone.”
“Some of the servants would be happy to assist.”
Sophie chewed on her lip. “Darkness has fallen.”
“Yes. I suspect they’d wait to start in the morning.”
She nodded, her nerves jumping. “Yes, Graves. Please have them leave at first light.
* * *
Ally walked briskly toward the informal parlor in the Lybrook mansion. Sophie and Rose were napping, and Lily was gone on her wedding trip. It was nearly teatime, and Ally was famished for a scone with lemon curd. She halted when her mother’s soft voice wafted out the door.
“Yes,” Iris, Ally’s mother, said, “but it’s difficult to tell David everything.”
“You should try,” another voice said. Auntie Lucy—Miss Lucinda Landon, her mother’s best childhood friend.
“It’s so horrid, Lucy,” Iris said. “He might think less of me. The things I let Longarry do…”
“None of this is your fault,” Lucy said.
“You wouldn’t think it if you knew.”
“You can tell me if you’d like. Sometimes it helps to talk. I promise you’ll be no different to me one way or the other.”
“I… I know what my daughters must think of me. They think me weak. And I was. But I did it— I let him do whatever he wanted to me… I was…” She exploded into sobs.
A few moments passed as Iris sniffled and wept.
“What, Iris?”
“H-He, he said if I didn’t succumb, he would turn to the girls. He would r-rape them.”
In the foyer, Ally’s heart leaped into her throat. Her father was evil, but even she hadn’t imagined such…corruption.
Lucy gasped. “My God.”
“I… I couldn’t let that happen.”
“Of course you couldn’t.”
“He had all the power by law. There was nothing… I was so helpless…”
“I know, my dear.”
“And even that wasn’t enough. He beat them badly, Lucy. Ally took the brunt of it. She provoked him. Sophie and I tried talking to her about it, but she was determined. She has such strength, Lucy.”
“Yes, she does. Both of your daughters are lovely. It’s a tribute to you, Iris, that they are so well adjusted despite what you all lived through.”
“I should have done more…”
And then more sobs, muffled.
Sobs Ally had heard many times before…
Alexandra awoke with a jolt.
Not a dream, but a memory of a conversation she’d heard between her mother and Auntie Lucy over a month ago. She calmed her rapid breathing as shame overwhelmed her. In the past, she’d often thought her mother weak for submitting to her father. She’d had no idea that he’d threatened…
Her mother had protected her and Sophie, just like Ally had protected her sister. Ally and her mother were more alike than Ally had ever known.
Once her heart rate returned to normal, she looked around. Darkness had descended. Something odd met her ears. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it until… Silence. The rain had finally stopped!
Her stomach gurgled. She’d gone nearly thirty-six hours without sustenance. She rose, wrapping herself in one of the discarded linens, and drank a dipper of water from the tub. What must the hour be? She had no idea. Evan breathed softly on the bed. She hated to wake him up. Where might his pocket watch be? She checked his garments. Nothing.
Well, what did it matter? When the sun rose, they could go for help. Thank goodness.
Evan was probably dying of thirst. She refilled the dipper and brought it to him. “Evan.” She nudged him.
His eyes fluttered open. “Yes, sweet?”
“I brought you some water.”
“You’re an angel.” He sat up and drained the dipper. “How are you feeling?”
“A tad achy, but fine. And I have some wonderful news. The rain has stopped.”
He smiled. “So that’s what sounds strange. Nothing.”
“I had the exact same reaction.” She returned his smile.
“I’ll leave at first light,” he said.
“We’ll leave at first light.” She punched him lightly on his upper arm.
“Very well. We will indeed.”
“I’m so very hungry, Evan. The water was refreshing, but it’s far from enough.”
“I know. We’ll be all right. Now that the rain has stopped, I can go out and look for something to eat.”