Chapter 1
A shiver snaked down Alberta Brown's spine, and she
gripped the Seaward Lady's wood railing. Hoping she
appeared outwardly calm, she quickly scanned her
surroundings.
Crewmen shouted to one another, laughing as they tossed
thick ropes and adjusted sails in preparation for the
ship's imminent arrival in London. Voices from the
bustling English port drifted over the tangy sea-scented
air, blending into an indistinguishable hum. Passengers
stood in clusters around the ship's rail, chatting in
excited tones, grinning, waving to people on the docks.
Everyone appeared perfectly normal and eager at the
prospect of stepping on dry land after nearly three months
at sea on the voyage from America. No one's gaze appeared
fixed upon her.
Still, she could not dismiss the eerie sensation of
menace. The weight of someone's stare surrounded her like
a shroud. Her heart thumped in slow, hard beats, and she
forced herself to draw a deep, calming breath and return
her attention to the nearby active port. I am perfectly
safe. No one is trying to hurt me.
She prayed to God it was true.
Yet she couldn't banish the sick feeling that it was not.
She glanced downward at the froth tossed upon the hull as
the ship cut through the gentle waves, and her stomach
turned over. Dear God, less than three hours ago she'd
fallen into that indigo water. . . .
A shudder passed through her, and she squeezed her eyes
shut. The shock of being shoved from behind, falling . . .
falling, desperately clawing the air, frightened cries
ripped from her throat, cut off when chilly water closed
over her head. She would be forever grateful to the trio
of barking dogs who'dalerted a quick-witted crewman to the
accident. Yet in spite of his fast thinking and her
swimming ability, she'd nearly drowned.
The accident. Yes, that's what everyone was calling it. An
improperly secured winch had swung around, catching her
between the shoulders, propelling her over the side.
Captain Whitstead had reprimanded the entire crew.
But was it really an accident? Or had someone purposely
unfastened the winch and pushed it toward her?
Another tremor edged through her, and she sternly told
herself it was merely due to the fact that her hair
remained damp under her bonnet. Yet she could not ignore
the fact that her near-tragic tumble into the sea was not
the first strange incident to befall her on this voyage.
First had been the inexplicable disappearance of her
silver wedding band. Had she lost it--or had it been
stolen? While the piece held no great monetary value, she
sorely missed the sentimental token, as it was a physical
reminder of what she'd had . . . and what she'd lost.
Then there was that headlong flight down the stairs, which
thankfully had not resulted in any broken bones, although
the painful bruises marking her skin had taken weeks to
fade. She'd felt a shove . . . common sense told her it
was merely an accidental jostle, yet she couldn't dismiss
the feeling that she'd been pushed. And what of the
mysterious stomach malady she'd suffered last week? No one
else had been ill. Could someone have tampered with her
food?
But why? Why would someone wish her harm? She'd asked
herself that question dozens of times, yet could not
arrive at a definite answer. She wanted to believe she was
perfectly safe, but an inner voice warned her that the
possibility she wasn't was all too real. Had some threat
from the past followed her to England?
She glanced around again, but noted nothing amiss. Her
unease abated a bit and she gave herself a mental shake.
The ship would dock in less than an hour. She'd simply
melt into the crowd and disappear into the anonymity
offered by a large city. No one knew her here. No one
knew . . .
Her gaze lowered, riveting on her black mourning gown, the
stark bombazine rippled by the brisk breeze. An image of
David's warm smile flashed through her mind, and she
squeezed her eyes shut in a vain attempt to ward off the
onslaught of pain that thoughts of her late husband still
brought, even now, three years after his sudden death.
Dear God, would the ache squeezing her heart ever cease?
Would she ever truly feel whole again?
Her fingers involuntarily drifted over the material of her
gown, while in her mind's eye she pictured the small item
hidden beneath the voluminous folds, sewn into the hem of
her petticoat. To keep it safe. And always close to her.
Especially after the unexplained disappearance of her
wedding band. This is the last leg of my journey, David.
After I right this last wrong, I'll be free.
"Alberta! There you are. The boys and I have been
searching for you everywhere!"
Allie turned toward the familiar, imperious voice,
grateful for the interruption of her disturbing thoughts.
Baroness Gaddlestone approached Allie with a vigor that
belied her plump figure and sixty-three years. Of course,
part of the reason for the baroness's brisk pace was the
three energetic Maltese straining at the ends of their
leads. "The boys," as the baroness referred to her furry
brood, dragged their mistress along as if they were mighty
oxen and she were a produce-laden cart.
Pushing her worries firmly aside, Allie crouched down to
receive the enthusiastic yip-filled greeting the small
balls of fluff bestowed upon her.
"Edward, behave yourself," the baroness scolded as the
smallest of the trio dampened Allie's face with joyful
kisses. "Tedmund! Frederick! Cease at once!"
The boys blithely ignored their mistress, as was often the
case when they were excited, but Allie enjoyed the dogs'
noisy confusion. Indeed, she owed them a debt she could
never repay. Their insistent barking had alerted the
crewman when she'd fallen overboard. She therefore quite
willingly overlooked their individual bad habits and
focused on their undeniable charm. What did it matter that
Edward was fond of marking every bit of wood and rope
within his reach as his own? Of course, on a ship, this
kept the small dog quite busy, and he fell into his doggie
bed each night completely exhausted.
And how could she fault Frederick's predilection for
nipping ankles when he'd all but dragged her rescuing
crewman to the rail while his brothers barked themselves
hoarse? Her gaze found Tedmund, who had wandered several
yards away to engage in his favorite activity, this time
with a discarded pile of rags. Oh dear. She had tried on
numerous occasions to explain to Tedmund that it was not
polite to try and make puppies with anything other than a
female dog--and then, only in private--but Tedmund
remained unrepentant.
After discreetly removing Tedmund from the pile of rags,
Allie doled out equal parts of affection for all three
dogs, then stood and gazed down at their prancing
antics. "Sit," she commanded.
Three canine bottoms instantly settled on the deck.
"You simply must explain to me how you do that, my dear,"
the baroness said, her voice tinged with
exasperation. "I've been unable to calm them since I told
them we were arriving home this morning. You know how
anxious they are to run in the park." She beamed a smile
at her babies. "Don't worry, darlings. Mama promises to
bring you for a nice, long walk this afternoon." The boys'
tails swished across the deck like a trio of mops at the
happy news.
Warmth stole through Allie. She genuinely liked the
baroness, whose bright green eyes and rounded elfin
features reminded Allie of a grandmotherly sprite. She was
grateful to the woman for hiring her as her traveling
companion. Without the baroness, she wouldn't have been
able to afford the passage to England. And there was no
denying that the baroness's lively, talkative nature and
her energetic pets had relieved some of the loneliness
Allie had lived with for so long.
"You were looking for me, Lady Gaddlestone?"
"Indeed, my dear. I wanted a private moment to thank you
for your excellent companionship on this voyage. My
previous companion who accompanied me to America proved
most unsatisfactory." She leaned closer to Allie and
confided, "Several times I detected the odor of brandy on
her breath. Most shocking. But worst of all, she had no
patience with the boys. Edward, Tedmund, and Frederick
could not abide her at all. Oh, that Mrs. Atkins was
simply horrid, wasn't she, boys?" The baroness wrinkled
her nose and shivered, and the boys narrowed their black
eyes and growled their agreement. Allie could almost hear
them saying, "Yes, Mama, she was horrid, and if she ever
dares come back we'll bite her ankles, chew her shoes, and
piddle on her bedclothes . . . again."
"But you, my dear," the baroness continued, smiling warmly
at Allie, "you are what I call a 'dog person.' Not
everyone is, you know."
"I enjoyed your company as well, Lady Gaddlestone." She
looked down and winked at the trio of mischief-
makers. "You and the boys."
"Yes, well, I hope you enjoy your visit to my country."
Her gaze flicked over Allie's black mourning gown.
Sympathy softened the woman's features, and reaching out,
she clasped Allie's hands. "Clearly you adored your David,
but three years is long enough to mourn, my dear. I
understand perfectly that it's difficult to move on.
Heavens, I never thought I'd recover when Gaddlestone
passed on. But time does heal those wounds."
Allie pressed her lips together to keep them from
trembling. "Some wounds can never truly heal," she said
quietly.
"I understand how you feel, my dear. But you're still
young. Don't close your mind to the possibility of finding
happiness again. The Season is well under way. A mere word
from your friend, the duchess of Bradford, could offer you
entree into any soiree you wished to attend. 'Twould do
you good to socialize a bit." Her gaze turned
speculative. "I recall you saying that the duchess's
brother-in-law will meet you at the dock?"
"Yes."
"Very handsome young man," the baroness mused. "Known him
since he was a boy. Always high-spirited, and quite the
charmer. Of course there was that trouble several years
ago; some transgression or another . . ." A frown creased
her brow. "I cannot recall the details. I was traveling in
the north at the time, and my mind isn't what it used to
be. Most vexing." Her expression cleared. "Oh, but you
know how these gossipy things flare up, then fizzle out
once the next enticing on dit comes along. I remember most
clearly that Lord Robert's incident occurred just before
Lord Feedly's only daughter eloped with one of their
footmen! Oh, such a scandal! That news usurped all else at
the time, and reached me, even all the way up in
Newcastle. And I do recall that Lord Robert's misconduct
did not concern a young lady, so you've nothing to worry
about. Lord Robert has always been a perfect gentleman."
She waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. "Naturally,
young men are prone to find themselves knee-deep in at
least one mishap, and this happened a long time ago. I'm
certain he'll prove an entertaining escort during your
journey to Bradford Hall."
The baroness gave Allie's hands a final squeeze, then
released them. "Come along, boys," she said. " 'Tis time
for your morning snack before we disembark." As the boys
pulled her away, she called to Allie, "I'm sure we'll see
you on the pier, my dear."
Alone again, Allie reached into the deep pocket of her
skirt, withdrawing the last letter she'd received from
Elizabeth, who was now the duchess of Bradford. The brief
missive had arrived two weeks before Allie sailed to
England.
Unfolding the thick vellum, she reread the words, although
she knew them by heart.
Dear Allie,
I cannot tell you how excited I am at the prospect of your
visit. I am so eager for you to meet my wonderful family,
most especially my husband and darling son. Unfortunately
I will not be able to meet you in London as I'd planned--
but for a very happy reason. At the same time your ship is
scheduled to arrive, Austin and I shall be awaiting the
imminent birth of our second child! Indeed, by the time
you arrive at Bradford Hall, I may already be a mother
again. Please do not worry that your visit will be
inconvenient. I recovered from James's birth with what
Austin calls "alarming speed," and as you know, I am most
robust. And do not worry about your journey to Bradford
Hall. The estate is only several hours from London, and I
have already extracted a promise from Austin's brother
Robert that he will meet your ship and escort you here.
I've enclosed a sketch of Lord Robert, and I shall give
him one of you so that you can easily find each other at
the pier.
I am counting the days until we see each other again,
Allie. I've missed you so!
Wishing you a safe journey, your friend,
Elizabeth
Allie stared at those last two words that always brought
an ache to her heart. Your friend. Yes, Elizabeth, you
have always been my friend. If only I had appreciated and
understood that more. . . . I bless your forgiving nature.
Drawing a deep breath, she slowly slid the letter behind
the second sheet of vellum and stared at the sketch of
Elizabeth's brother-in-law. Elizabeth's considerable
talent with charcoals had only grown over the years, and
the image all but leaped from the page.
It would be easy to pick this man out of a crowd. She
perused his features and her stomach knotted. He reminded
her of David in so many ways . . . his crooked smile, his
laughing eyes, the boyish charm so evident in his
expression. Except Lord Robert Jamison was even more
handsome than David, something she would not have thought
possible.
She recalled Lady Gaddlestone's words regarding Lord
Robert. There was that trouble several years ago; some
transgression or another. What had he done? The instant
the question popped into her mind, she shoved it aside. It
did not matter. His past was of no concern to her. Nor did
it matter what he looked like. He sparked no interest in
her other than the fact that she wanted him to get her
away from the docks and the menace she'd felt, as quickly
as possible. Still, guilt pricked her at the thought of
his wasted trip to fetch her.
How would he react when she told him she had no intention
of traveling to Bradford Hall with him?
Robert Jamison stood on the pier watching the Seaward
Lady's crew secure the majestic vessel to the berth. He
dragged a deep breath into his lungs, and a smile eased
across his face. Damn but he loved the docks. Loved the
sight of crewmembers working in perfect unison hoisting
sails and securing ropes. Loved the cacophony from the
vendors hawking everything from meat pies to bolts of
colorful silk. He even loved the harsh medley of smells
that combined with the pungent salty air to create a scent
that could be found nowhere else in England.