Beechwood Court was forher.
On the eternity it had taken Leo to cross the Atlantic, a terrifying experience he was in no hurry to endure again, his feelings for Georgina had ebbed and flowed along with the waves that had pushed him closer to her and America. He’d had plenty of time to look hard at the truths of his life. Leo remembered with startling detail watching Tony cradle his dead mother at the bottom of the stairs at Cherry Hill. The screams of his own mother, Molly, at seeing her mistress at the bottom of the steps. How Molly had taken his hand and dragged him away, cursing both herself and Leo for being the instruments of the duchess’s death.
In his heart, Leo blamed himself because she’d found out about him. Her husband’s bastard. But it was Marcus Barrington’s fault for making him a bastard. Maybe that’s why, when Tony vowed that his father’s legitimate line would end with him, Leo had vowed to end the illegitimate line as well. Solidarity with the older brother he adored.
Guilt was a wonderful motivator.
But Leo adored children. The only reason he’d ever gone to the Averell mansion in London was to see his half-sisters. He would bring them dolls. Ribbons. Hold serious discussions with Romy about dressmaking or study Theodosia’s paintings pretending he had an eye for art. Olivia would have him drip honey on her toast while Phaedra pranced about, antagonizing the staff.
He’d been halfway to America, finally able to keep his meals from coming back up, when he’d allowed the pure joy of knowing he had a child to fill him. True, his child was a bastard, something he would have to remedy with money and a good solicitor, but so wanted.
As Marcus had wanted him.
Leo scratched his chest at the slight pain, regret over how he’d treated his father. Marcus had died a better man. Leo hoped he would too.
And yes, he had told Georgina he hadn’t wanted a child and had sputtered something about an apothecary. But nottheirchild. Not part of Georgina. His perfect person.
Leo set aside the champagne glass.
He glanced in her direction again. Everything inside Leo told him to go to her, but he didn’t. It was time to leave Mrs. Rutherford’s lovely party, as he had no desire to sit through an opera or endure any more of Miss Schuller’s chattering.
Excusing himself, Leo walked through the crowd, beginning to make their way upstairs, stopping only to glance in Georgina’s direction. He was unsurprised to find her gone, though her escort still lingered.
Miss Schuller caught sight of Leo and tried to waylay him as he made his way to the doors, but he ignored her. Once outside, Leo surveyed the line of carriages, wondering which one held Georgina. Anger still simmered beneath his skin, so it was probably for the best he hadn’t caught up with her.
But he would. Eventually.
18
Georgina walked into the tall brick building on Pearl Street which housed Rutherford Shipping. It was a huge departure from the previous line of warehouses near the Battery that had once housed her father’s business. The fire years ago had burned hundreds of tenements, warehouses, and even the Merchant Exchange, destroying nearly everything in its path made of wood. Wisely, upon rebuilding, brick or stone had been used.
Ordinarily, Georgina wouldn’t have come down to Pearl Street. Seeking out her father wasn’t something Georgina cared to do. There were only so many recriminations a daughter could take for her past mistakes. But Jacob Rutherford was still in Baltimore, so there wasn’t any chance she’d see him today.
No, she was here to see Ben.
Her heels snapped sharply on the floor of Rutherford Shipping, several of her father’s clerks looking up from their desks at her approach. Most stayed where they were and merely stared at her, so terrified of her father that they dared not speak to his daughter.
“Ma’am.” A short, ginger-haired clerk came forward, his nose sniffing the air as if he’d caught her scent. He reminded her unfavorably of a terrier. “Is there something I may assist you with?” His eyes roved over her elegant walking dress of indigo wool.
“Good afternoon. I am Mrs. Masterson.”
Two of the clerks immediately looked away and pretended to go back to their work, their eyes darting back to her every so often. One scurried off, probably to retrieve Ben.
Good.
The terrier cleared his throat. “Mr. Rutherford isn’t in at present.”
Georgina gave him one of her most disarming smiles. “I’m not here to see my father, Mr....?”
“Alfred,” he stuttered, a blush reaching up his cheeks. Poor man was probably wondering why he’d bothered to leave his desk at all. “May I offer you some refreshment?”
“That won’t be necessary, Alfred.” Ben sauntered through the maze of clerks toward Georgina, eyeing her as if she were a dangerous animal. As well he might after he’d neglected to tell her that Leo Murphy was in New York. After the opera house opening, Georgina had been so shaken by her conversation with Leo, she’d been frozen by her mother’s side for some time before her feet had led her out to Ben’s carriage. She’d left without telling either he or her mother goodbye, her mind reeling from the fact that Leo had appeared in the middle of the opera party.
But he doesn’t like ships. Or the ocean.Her confused mind kept sputtering as Ben’s carriage deposited her at home.How can he be here?
Stella had taken one look at Georgina and ordered a bath and a bottle of bourbon.
Today, however, was a different matter. Before she visited with Daniel, Georgina meant to take her cousin to task for not warning her. He’d obviously known Leo was in New York but hadn’t told her. Clearly, Ben hadn’t considered Leo a threat to either her or Daniel. She supposed he wouldn’t be. Once he wasn’t so angry at her.
