Chapter 24 #2
Clara clapped her hands and happily skipped over to the window.
“Do you need anything?” Eloise asked, turning to Sarah. “Tea? Something for Clara?”
Sarah shook her head. “No. We are well.”
She reached into her bag and took out the small book she had packed for Clara. She walked over and handed it to her daughter.
“Sit here, my love,” Sarah said. “Read while we talk.”
Clara climbed onto the window seat, opened the book, and settled in with quiet contentment. Sarah watched her for a moment, grateful for her joy, then joined Eloise on the sofa.
Eloise reached out and gently grabbed Sarah’s hand.
“I just finished reading your letter,” she said, her voice tight with disbelief. “Lady Spencer really said all of that in front of Lady Arabella?”
“She did,” Sarah said. “She did not hesitate. She wanted me to hear every word.”
Eloise exhaled sharply and leaned back a bit. Clara glanced up from her book, then returned to the page.
Sarah shook her head. “As humiliating as it was, I cannot help but be grateful that it is all out in the open. I now know the force that drove me out of Lady Vane’s house, but I also know that His Grace knew all along what his aunt had done.”
Eloise leaned forward, her eyes sharp. “And his aunt took action based on the duke’s own actions?”
“Yes.” Sarah’s voice dropped.
Eloise shook her head as she tightened her grip on Sarah’s hand. “And then once you were released from Lady Vane he offered you the position you have now.”
Sarah nodded as she blinked back tears, unable to speak.
“And the way he has treated you since you have been there…” Eloise continued, quietly. “It seems as if His Grace rescued you from a fall he caused and then let you build hope on silence.”
Sarah nodded, unable to meet her friend’s eyes. The two women sat together in silence.
After a few moments, Lady Eloise gently asked, “Are you certain he knew the entire time?”
Sarah looked up. “What do you mean?”
Eloise shifted slightly on the sofa, her expression thoughtful. “In your letter, you said the duke admitted he knew his aunt had interfered. But perhaps he did not know the fullness of her interference.”
Sarah felt a small glimmer of hope as she began to consider her friend’s words.
Eloise continued, her voice calm. “It is possible he had a suspicion. And if he did, he may have acted out of guilt. Offering you the position, trying to make amends without knowing everything she had done. That would mean he did not fully deceive you. It would mean he did not know the full truth.”
Sarah felt a small flutter in her stomach. “I had not considered that possibility,” she said.
Eloise nodded. “Sarah, it is possible. It would explain why he said nothing. He would not want to accuse his aunt without certainty, and it would mean he acted to help you rather than to deceive you.”
Sarah looked down at her hands.
“That only makes everything harder,” she said quietly. “I do not know whether I am angry with him, afraid of trusting him again, or simply afraid of how deeply I have come to care for him.”
Eloise nodded. “You need space,” she said gently. “Stay here for a few days. Both of you.”
Sarah smiled despite her confusion. “I must admit, I was hoping we might stay. I packed some necessities in my bag this morning.”
“Then it is settled,” Eloise said. “You and Clara will stay. You should not go back there until you have had time to think.”
Clara looked up at the sound of her name. “Stay where, Mama?”
Sarah turned toward her. “Here, my love. Lady Eloise has invited us.”
Clara’s eyes widened. Before Sarah could say more, Eloise stood and stepped closer to the window seat. “Would you like to stay at my house for a little bit?” she asked gently.
“Yes,” Clara said, her voice bright with excitement. “I would like that very much.”
Sarah felt a surge of relief at hearing her daughter’s happiness. “I should send word to Mrs. Hensley,” she said. “She will worry if we do not return.”
“Of course,” Eloise replied. “You will need paper.”
She crossed the room and opened a small writing cabinet near the mantel. She took out a sheet of paper, a pencil, and a small board to rest it on. She brought them to Sarah, setting them on the low table beside her.
“I will keep Clara occupied,” Eloise said.
She went to a cupboard near the far wall and opened it.
Inside were a few children’s things kept for visiting families.
She looked over a small wooden puzzle with painted pieces, a set of colored ribbons for threading through holes in a board, and a little box of smooth stones meant for arranging patterns.
Eloise chose the puzzle and carried it to Clara.
“Try this,” she said, placing it beside her. “See if you can fit all the pieces together.”
Clara lit up and began working at once, her fingers moving quickly over the wooden shapes. Eloise sat beside her, helping her turn a stubborn piece.
Sarah settled at the table and wrote the note, feeling more confident with each word.
Mrs. Hensley,
Clara and I will be away for a short while. We are both safe and well. Please do not worry. I will write again soon.
Sarah Shaw
She folded the paper neatly and set it aside for the servant to deliver.
The rest of the morning passed gently. Clara finished her puzzle and then explored the drawing room with Eloise’s encouragement. After a light meal, Eloise showed them the garden behind the house, pointing out the trimmed hedges and the small pond near the orchard.
Clara walked ahead, happily stopping every few steps to look at flowers or peer into the water. Sarah followed in step with Eloise, grateful for the comfort of her friend’s presence.
By early afternoon, a guest chamber had been prepared. Clara carried her little book inside and placed it carefully on the bedside table. Sarah helped her change into a fresh dress, then watched her settle on the bed.
As the sun lowered, Eloise brought Sarah to a smaller sitting room near the guest chambers.
They talked softly, the conversation drifting between practical matters and gentle reassurances.
Clara played nearby with a set of wooden counting rods Eloise had found in a cupboard, arranging them in neat rows on the carpet.
When evening came, Clara grew tired. Sarah helped her wash and change, then tucked her into the guest bed. Clara’s eyes closed almost immediately, her breathing steady and peaceful.
Just then a knock sounded at her door. Sarah stepped into the corridor, pulling the door softly behind her. A servant stood waiting, his hands folded neatly before him. When Sarah met his eyes, he bowed his head slightly.
“Mrs. Shaw,” he said, his voice low. “His Grace has called at the house. He asks to see you.”
Sarah’s heart began to pound.
He came here. I cannot believe it.
She took a deep breath and calmed herself. “Please inform His Grace that I am not receiving visitors.”
The servant bowed and left to deliver the message.
Sarah closed the door and leaned against it, feeling the weight of the choice settle through her. For a few moments she stood still, listening to Clara’s quiet breathing. She whispered a prayer of gratitude that no matter how much turmoil she felt inside herself, that room felt peaceful and safe.
A few moments later she readied herself for bed.
She changed into the nightdress Eloise had provided, folded her gown over the chair, and sat at the edge of the bed until her thoughts slowed.
She was still tangled in everything she had felt and feared, but when she finally lay down, sleep came easier than it had the night before.
The next morning Sarah woke to the soft sound of footsteps in the corridor. A knock followed, polite and quiet.
“Mrs. Shaw?” a maid called softly.
Sarah rose and opened the door. The maid held a folded note on a small tray.
“This arrived for you,” she said.
Sarah thanked her and took the note. The handwriting on the front was unmistakable.
The duke’s hand.
She carried the note to the small desk near the window and set it down without opening it. Her fingers lingered on the edge of the paper before she drew them back.
Not yet. I need time. I need to understand whether his silence was guilt or fear. And whether either can be forgiven.
She stepped away from the desk, leaving the note untouched.