Page 30 of Redemption

“I don’t—”

“Five o’clock, Rhea. I expect you to be ready.”

His expression told her to think twice about arguing with him, and she agreed to his command as he exited the vehicle. Rhea accepted his hand and descended from the vehicle. He saw her to the foot of the steps leading to the door of Sherrington House. As she made her way up the brick stairway, fire skimmed across the back of her neck. The sensation told her that Percy was watching her, but she refused to turn her head. She was feeling far too vulnerable at the moment. As she opened the door of Sherrington House, she heard the carriage rolled away.

The sound left her feeling relieved and bereft at the same time. She’d agreed to trust Percy and accept his help. She wasn’t exactly sure what that entailed, but for the first time in years she didn’t feel quite so alone in her efforts to protect those she loved. The front door closed behind her, Rhea removed her hat and laid it on the highly polished surface of the hall table. Marston emerged from the main salon and bowed slightly.

“Lady Sherrington and Mrs. Fremont are in the salon, miss. Her ladyship asked that you join them as soon as you returned.”

Startled to hear her aunt had arrived in London, Rhea’s chest tightened with fear. Had her aunt brought the children with her? If Ruckley were to find her—no, when he found her—the children would be in jeopardy.

“Thank you, Marston,” she said with a nod then walked into the salon. Beatrice Fremont saw her first and extended her hand in a warm gesture of affection.

“There you are, dearest, we were wondering when you would return.”

“I didn’t think you’d planned on coming to London for another few weeks.” Rhea bent and kissed Beatrice Fremont’s cheek as she struggled to keep her fears at bay. “Did you bring the children with you?”

“No, I left the boys in the capable hands of Albert and Mrs. Turner.” Beatrice’s explanation made Rhea breathe a small sigh of relief. It was one thing for Ruckley to find her, but if he found the children—she crushed the thought as her aunt turned her head to smile at Arianna. “However, I did bring Lucy as I know how fond Arianna is of the child.”

“I always love seeing Lucy,” her sister said as her face lit up with a happy glow.

“She is a sweet little thing, isn’t she? And I’m convinced she’s going to be terribly spoiled when she’s older. The boys adore her.” Aunt Beatrice said with a laugh. “And with your happy news, dearest, it means Lucy will have a child close to her own age when you visit Green Hill House.”

Rhea looked at her sister who was smiling, but the haunted look in Arianna’s eyes made Rhea’s heart ache for her sister. An image of Ruckley flitted through her head, and Rhea bit down on her lower lip. Arianna was strong, but her pregnancy would make it difficult for her sister to manage her emotions as well as she usually could. Before she could share her bad news, Beatrice Fremont turned her attentions to Rhea again.

“Your sister tells me Percy Rockwood came calling this morning, and how he spirited you away to lunch with his sister.”

Rhea’s gaze jerked her head to look at her sister. Had Arianna told their aunt how they’d left Percy for dead in the museum? Arianna sent her a small smile as if she’d read Rhea's mind.

“I told Aunt Beatrice that Mr. Rockwood seemed quite smitten.”

The apologetic expression on her sister’s face made Rhea wince. Clearly Arianna had maintained her silence about the museum, but in exchange, her sister had offered her up like a sacrificial lamb to their aunt’s aspirations for Rhea’s marital status. Beatrice Fremont’s face was one of satisfaction as she looked at her nieces.

“I’m not surprised. The man was quite disappointed yesterday afternoon when he paid us a visit,” Beatrice Fremont said with a smile of delight. “And to arrive here this afternoon to learn you’d gone to have lunch with Mr. Rockwood and his sister gives me hope.”

“Hope, Aunt Beatrice?” A puzzled frown furrowed Arianna’s forehead as Rhea rolled her eyes and grimaced.

“Yes, hope, Arianna,” Beatrice Fremont said with a happy smile. “Your sister has been adamant in her refusal to consider the possibility of marriage.”

“I would hardly call lunch with Percy Rockwood and his sister reason for you to hope, Aunt Beatrice,” Rhea said with annoyed exasperation. Heaven help her when the man arrived in a few hours to take her to dinner with the remainder of his family.

“That’s where you’re wrong, dearest.” Beatrice shook her head with a complacent smile. “The man took you to meet his sister. A man doesn’t introduce a woman to his family unless his intentions are serious.”

“He wanted to show me the orphanage his family sponsors,” Rhea said between clenched teeth. “We hardly know each other.”

“Perhaps, but it’s still an excellent sign that the man finds you intriguing.”

“Not nearly as intriguing as Lord Foxworth found you, aunt,” Rhea said in a desperate effort to turn the conversation away from Percy.

How she was going to leave the house this evening without her aunt being even more gleeful was a problem she wasn’t sure how to avoid. As she met her aunt’s gaze, Rhea noticed how Beatrice Fremont’s cheeks had flooded with a dark pink color. Rhea narrowed her eyes at the older woman. She’d found her aunt’s Achilles’ heel. Going forward Rhea could counter Beatrice Fremont’s matchmaker efforts with her own suggestions about Lord Foxworth. As she met her aunt’s gaze, the older woman shook her head as a stern expression crossed her lovely face.

“Marriage is for the young, and my past history with Lord Foxworth does little to endear the man to me.”

The moment her aunt spoke, Rhea knew she was lying. Whether it was to herself or to her nieces it was difficult to discern. Her aunt was definitely not admitting the truth. She’d seen the older woman in Lord Foxworth’s company. Despite her objections to the man’s authoritative manner, Lord Foxworth clearly had a disturbing effect on her aunt. With a shake of her head, Rhea didn’t bother to continue the argument. She could no longer put off her bad news. The fear spread its tight web around her. It made it difficult to breathe as she looked at Arianna.

“Something’s happened,” Arianna said and paled with trepidation as she slowly rose to her feet to stand stiff and unmoving in front of her chair. Rhea flinched at her sister’s words and nodded.

“Ruckley has a way to find me—us.” Silence greeted her words as her sister and aunt stared at her in horror. Beatrice was the first to recover.