Page 20 of Dared By a Lyon
“You see, I had just lost my husband the year before. I know I should not feel this way, but, well, it felt like too much loss and too much sorrow. No parent should outlive their children. I know that Gabriel probably told you all of this. Sometimes, I cannot help but want to tell it again. Perhaps that is wrong of me. But in a strange way, it keeps their memory alive.”
Ashlyn wiped the stream of tears that flowed from her eyes. “I’m so sorry…so very sorry for your loss, for Caro’s loss.”
“I’msorry. Now I’ve made you cry,” the countess said, wiping her own tears.
“No, my lady. Please don’t be sorry. I am heartbroken for your granddaughter, and for you and your son. To have lost your family like that… There are no words,” Ashlyn said. She stood, went to the countess’s side, and hugged her. And then, realizing she may have overstepped, pulled back. “Forgive me, my lady.”
“There is nothing to forgive. It is good to have another young woman here again,” the countess said, touching Ashlyn’s cheek. “We have had a difficult time getting through it, and there are emotional scars for all of us. But I am grateful that you were there last night to help Caro.”
Ashlyn’s throat ached with sympathy. “I’m really glad I was there too, and that I somehow knew how to calm her.”
“Yes.” The countess nodded. “Dr. Baker directed us not to wake her suddenly but to soothe her until she drifted into deeper sleep. And you did just that. Gabriel told me you sang to her—the same lullaby I once sang to him and Olivia when they were children.”
Tears again welled in Ashlyn’s eyes. “The same lullaby my mother sang to me, my lady. Imagine—such a simple song, carried half a world away, yet shared between us.”
The countess dabbed at her own eyes with a handkerchief. For a moment, they simply sat together in shared silence.
“Now then,” the countess eventually said, “there are so many questions I have for you about America. I’ve never been, but this morning I woke thinking it might be a wonderful place to visit someday.”
“I would love to answer your questions; however, I don’t have extensive knowledge. I have been to several of the larger cities in the northeast, but there are many exciting places I’ve yet to visit.”
Ashlyn was pleased to take the conversation to a topic that made her smile. She missed her home and was happy to sharewhat she knew. In no time, the two women found themselves comparing Boston to London.
“I also read that your father, Mr. Vickers, is among the most successful men in America, and that he and your mother intend to visit London. I should like very much to extend them an invitation here. Bath is not far; we might enjoy day trips together. I have many friends there who would delight in making their acquaintance.”
Ashlyn smiled and inclined her head. “I am certain they would be honored, my lady.” Inside, however, her heart twisted with guilt. The deception pressed more heavily with each passing hour. She loved Elizabeth dearly, but to mislead this kind woman, her son, and the whole household—it felt less like a kindness and more like a trap from which she could not escape.
As though sensing her unease, the countess steered the talk elsewhere. “Will you still attend Mrs. Dove-Lyon’s house party, do you think?”
“I do not know,” Ashlyn admitted. “It will depend upon the roads, I suppose…and I do not yet know the state of our carriage.”
“Do not be troubled by that, my dear,” the countess said. “Just this morning, I received a missive from Lady Ashbourne, whose estate is to host the gathering. She has postponed the festivities, owing to the storm. It will be a shorter party than planned, but Mrs. Dove-Lyon will still preside over the dinners and entertainments. Gabriel and I were invited, though we had declined at first.” Her smile turned wry. “But given the circumstances…”
A familiar, deep voice broke in from the doorway. “Given what circumstances, Mother?”
Ashlyn’s breath caught as Gabriel entered the room, the scent of rain still clinging to his hair.
Gabriel walked intothe breakfast room to find his mother and Miss Vickers chatting quietly about various places to visit in Boston, Massachusetts. His mother had never expressed any interest in visiting across the pond, and suddenly, she was planning a sightseeing trip to Philadelphia and Boston. He glanced at Miss Vickers, who was smiling in his direction with an expectant look on her face, as if waiting for him to say something. He realized he hadn’t greeted them. Instead, he had been staring in her direction. Well, of course he had, because his first instinct had been to sweep her up in his arms, knowing everything she had been through. She had been through an ordeal as well, and he had not known the extent of it until that morning.
Lightning flashed and thunder cracked outside the window, reminding them all that Mother Nature hadn’t finished toying with them.
“Good morning, Miss Vickers,” he finally said.
“Good morning, my lord,” she replied with a soft smile.
Damn, but she was lovely.
The countess delicately cleared her throat.
“Mother, I hope I didn’t disturb your discussion.”
“Not at all, dear.” She smiled. “We’ve been discussing places to see, should I decide to visit America. And Miss Vickers has told me of its beauty. Now, you are welcome to join us. There is enough to feed an army.”
Gabriel nodded, moving to the sideboard to fill a plate.
“We were grateful for the brief respite from the thunder and lightning, but I see it’s returned. As much as I enjoy the wonderful benefits of rain, this weather has worn out its welcome.” She arched a brow at his plate.
He smiled as he set down his plate on the table and took a seat.
