“Hush.” Damian set her down gently. “I’m fine. You’re fine. I simply missed my sisters.”
But Joan knew her brother too well to believe that was the only reason for his unexpected arrival. She opened her mouth to press him further, but Peters cleared his throat.
“Begging your pardon, Lord Sinclair, but Miss Victoria is still in the carriage. Asleep.”
Damian immediately moved to the carriage and carefully extracted Victoria from the seat. She stirred slightly as he lifted her, her head lolling against his shoulder.
“Too much excitement,” Joan murmured, following her brother into the house. “She danced every dance. I don’t think I’ve seen her so happy in months.”
They made their way upstairs to the room Joan and Victoria shared. Damian laid Victoria gently on the bed while Joan began the careful work of removing her sister’s dancing slippers. Sarah appeared with a basin of water and a cloth, and Damian took them with a nod of thanks, settling beside the bed to gently wipe Victoria’s face.
Joan watched her brother tend to their sister with such careful devotion and felt her throat tighten. They had all raised each other, in the end. All learned to be both child and parent, sibling and guardian.
Victoria sighed in her sleep, a small smile curving her lips. Whatever she was dreaming of, it was pleasant.
Damian tucked the blankets around her and pressed a kiss to her forehead. Then he rose and gestured for Joan to follow him.
They ended up in the overgrown garden behind the manor, where a stone bench offered a view of the star-strewn sky. The night air was cold, but Joan’s elaborate gown and the lingering warmth of the wine kept her from feeling chilled.
Damian settled beside her with a heavy sigh. “That’s a beautiful dress. New?”
“A gift,” Joan said quietly. “From the Duke. For my work assisting him.”
“The Duke.” Damian’s tone was carefully neutral.
Damian was silent for a moment. Then he said, “Julian sent men here. To find Victoria.”
Joan’s blood turned to ice. “When?”
“They arrived yesterday. I intercepted them before they could reach the village.” Damian’s voice was grim. “I paid them handsomely to report back to Julian that neither of you were here. That Fairfax Manor stood empty.”
“Will he believe them?”
“For now, perhaps. But Julian is desperate, Joan. His courtesan, she stole documents from him. Important documents related to his business affairs. She leaked them out of spite after he tried to cast her out.” Damian ran a hand through his hair. “His reputation is in tatters. He’s at risk of losing his title entirely if the Crown decides to investigate the allegations in those documents.”
Joan inhaled sharply. “Then he needs Victoria more than ever. Marrying a respectable woman, especially one he was already betrothed to would be his only hope of salvaging anything. No other family would have their daughter associate with him.
“Exactly.” Damian leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. “He won’t stop looking for her. The men I paid off today won’t be the last. He’ll send more. Eventually, one of them will be clever enough or persistent enough to find you.”
“We can’t relocate now,” Joan said. “We have no money for it. And if we try to flee, Julian will simply force us back to London. At least here, we have some distance. Some warning if he comes.”
“But for how long?” Damian’s frustration was evident in every line of his body. “How long can we hide? How long can we keep Victoria safe?”
Joan reached out and placed her hand on her brother’s shoulder, squeezing gently. “We’ll lay low for a while. Be cautious. Keep Victoria close to home. And we’ll figure things out, just as we always have.”
Damian leaned against her, his head resting on her shoulder in a gesture that reminded Joan of when he was fourteen years old and trying so desperately to be brave. “I’m grateful for you. You know that, don’t you? For everything you’ve done to hold this family together.”
“And I’m grateful for you,” Joan replied, pressing a kiss to the top of his head.
But even as she said the words, Joan felt the weight of uncertainty pressing down on her chest. How long could they hide? How long before Julian’s desperation drove him to extremes they couldn’t anticipate?
And what would happen to the school, to the children who were finally learning to trust her, if she had to flee?
The next morning, Joan sent word to the children through Peter that she had caught a cold and Victoria would be taking over lessons for a few days. She assigned generous homework to keep them occupied and promised to return as soon as she was well.
Then she sat at the small writing desk in her chamber and penned a careful note to the Duke.
Your Grace,
