He shrugged. “I was merely stating the truth. And you, Valerie, are avoiding the question.”
“No, I am not!” she protested. “I just… do not know where to begin.”
“At the beginning, the middle, or the end; I do not mind,” he encouraged, offering her the same quiet patience that she had shown to him.
At first, he did not know if she would respond at all, or if she would simply move onto something else. Her gaze seemed wary, her fingertips tapping the side of the glass in agitation, her entire demeanor on edge. So much so that Adrian began to regret asking at all.
But then, with a shaky breath, she began to speak, “You see, there are actuallyfourWhitman siblings, but I only discovered the existence of that fourth a few weeks ago, not long before I set out for Scotland. She is… my twin and I intended to travel to Scotland to find her, for that was the last known location of her.”
“A twin?” Adrian could not hide his astonishment. “How could you not know about a twin?”
Valerie shook her head. “She was taken away at birth. I found a letter, written by mother, that detailed our birth. The letter hadbeen hidden for a long time, but the moment I read it, there was… part of me that knew that someone, or something, had always been missing.” She rubbed her throat as if to dislodge something. “The orphanage she was taken to was in Scotland.Thatis why I set out upon this journey, to find her. Foolish, I know, but… I felt compelled to, without delay.”
“Was she born sickly?” Adrian asked, not at all certain he was as good at comfort as she was. “Is that why she was removed?”
He could think of no other reason why twins would be separated. Then again, if her father was even half as cruel as his father had been, anything was possible for any reason at all.
Valerie shook her head. “There was no mention of anything like that in Mama’s letter, so I do not know. All I know is that my twin sister was taken away and my mother was devastated by it.”
If Adrian had not been watching her so intently, he might have missed the cagey look upon her face that she hurried to hide by gazing toward the fire. The trembling sip of port that followed did nothing to quieten his suspicions that she was not telling him the entire story, but he was content to permit omissions; it was not his place to demand every detail, particularly as this was the most she had said about her past in one go. He would not ruin that by being too aggressively inquisitive.
“I am sorry,” he said instead of pressing her further. “That is a noble pursuit indeed. If there is anything I can do to assist in your search, all you need to do is ask.”
She turned to him, eyebrows raised. “You… would help me?”
“I may have spent the past ten years alone here, but I still have connections and associates,” he replied. “I would be happy to enlist them to aid you. Several visit Scotland quite often. Consider it an apology for tearing down your decorations.”
Color rushed into her face, her gaze lowering. “You do not need to apologize for that. It was my mistake.”
“Yet, it could have been dealt with more peaceably on my part,” he insisted. “So, let me help you. Indeed, a friend of mine is very well connected. He would not hesitate to assist in this endeavor, for he relishes a challenge.”
“That would be… wonderful, Adrian,” she said softly, her voice thick. “Wonderful indeed. Thank you. Truly, thank you.”
He nodded. “You are very welcome.”
It is the least I can do, after what you have done for the town of Blackwall.He did not say it, but he thought it, not yet ready to admit that it had been… pleasant to help her prepare for the party. And pleasant to be around the festivities of Christmas again, however bittersweet.
“In truth, I thought you might be on your way to a wedding,” he said, after a moment. “You were a lady traveling through awful weather by herself, unchaperoned and seemingly eager to reachScotland no matter what. I think most people would have been suspicious that you were trying to reach Gretna Green.”
An odd stillness fell across Valerie, who suddenly sat rigid in her chair, no longer agitated but entirely unmoving, as if she did not dare to. He had been aiming for a jest, but it appeared it had fallen flat. Either that, or there was somethingelsethat she was not saying to him.
Did the twin go to Gretna Green? Did Valerie lie to protect her sister, fearing what I might think?
“No, I assure you I was not,” she said at last, flashing a smile that did not reach her eyes. “Although, I daresay it is a pleasant place. Only those who wish to fight for their love venture there, so determined to wed that they risk everything just to be united in holy matrimony.”
Raising an eyebrow, he sat back in his armchair. “I had not thought of it like that before.” He paused. “I cannot say that I have much experience in the matter of marriage. After all, my one fleeting betrothal never concluded in a wedding. What of you? Have you come close to a betrothal?”
Name the man and I shall tear him to pieces in my nightmares.It was the last thing that Adrian wanted to hear about, but he had no other questions to ask her. And, in truth, he was curious to hear her opinions about marriage.
“Never,” she replied stiffly. “Having witnessed the marriage between my mother and father, it is not exactly an aspirationof mine. Indeed, I believe that marriage should be for love and only love. It should never be a means to an end, a convenience, a… mere business exchange. I do not think that is what the Lord intended for marriage to be for, if you will pardon my language, that is hellish for all involved.”
The passion with which she spoke was not what he had anticipated. It was not the dreamy passion of a woman who had imagined her wedding day all of her life, and had long had fantasies of finding a husband to love and be loved by. It was the passion of anger rising, barely contained to a simmer. Meanwhile, her eyes were steely, glaring down at the fireplace as if the flames had insulted her terribly.
“Forgive me, Adrian,” she said abruptly, rising from her chair. “I did not realize the hour. Tomorrow will be a long and trying day, and I will need all of my rest and strength to survive it.”
He got up as a gentleman should, not altogether convinced that the prospect of tomorrow’s party was the reason she was leaving in such haste.
“Of course,” he said. “Rest well, Valerie.”
