Henry nodded his head vigorously and Sam chuckled. Henson appeared and said, “Come along my lord.”
Clara smiled as Henry followed behind Henson. Sam held his hand out, and she took it, feeling the connection between them. He led her to a chair, and she sat.
She looked around expectantly, wondering what was going on. Jack stared sternly out the window. She could tell from his expression this would be a serious talk.
“Jack, would you join us?” Sam asked.
Sam looked far more serious than she had ever seen him. Everyone was silent. Clara studied Sam, trying to guess what he would say. She glanced around the room and realized everyone was concerned by his tone as well.
Sam took a deep breath and said, “For the past few months I have been protecting a young woman named Abigail Simmons. She is the Marquess of Dolan’s ex-lover.”
Clara smiled sadly, thinking again about how much they had kept from each other. Sophia and Annie looked at each other surprised but Mercy and Jack didn’t seem shocked by his declaration. Yes, so many secrets that had kept them all from truly getting to know each other.
“Why would you need to protect her?” Sophia asked.
Sam hesitated and looked at Clara. “May I share our past encounters and what happened with you and Dolan in more detail?”
Clara nodded, wanting everything to be out in the open.
Sam ran his fingers through his hair as if trying to figure out where to start. Annie looked at him questioningly. “What does this have to do with Clara?”
“As you know Clara and I married due to what London would consider a scandalous encounter. There is more to the story than our encounter in the garden the night of the ball.”
Everyone looked at both of them curiously. “We met at Adderly’s country estate party prior to the season,” Clara said softly.
A picture of Sam laughing as they hid out during the scavenger hunt flashed in her mind. He looked at her, and she knew he was remembering the same moment. How could she have doubted this man?
Sam nodded and said, “We became discreet friends.”
Clara nodded. Her mate, how she missed him.
Sam continued, “After I returned to London for the season a friend of mine brought Abigail to my house. The young woman I met had been savagely beaten, and it was apparent the abuse was not just a onetime thing but continuous. At first, she was too terrified to reveal who the attacker was. Her friend knew it was a lord.”
Clara closed her eyes at the horror. She shivered realizing now how much Sam had truly saved her.
“Eventually she revealed it was Dolan. We discussed going to a constable, but she was resistant.”
“That’s understandable the way the papers portray lords,” Annie said with disgust.
Sam nodded. “We sent her to Liverpool to start her life over.”
Addie was right. The mistress written about in the papers wasn’t Sam’s mistress at all. He had saved her. Clara felt the urge to cry but pushed it down. How was this man so noble?
“Shortly after this, I found out that Clara would be betrothed to Dolan. I was very concerned for her.”
“We quarreled over it, and then my parents’ sent me to walk with Dolan in the gardens,” Clara said, taking over.
Sam nodded and Clara pushed down the embarrassment that she knew was illogical. What happened had never been her fault.
“Dolan didn’t like the way I behaved, and we fought. I ran away from him and fell.” She took a deep breath. “He was very angry, and I know he meant to harm me, to teach me a lesson as he insinuated but Sam showed up.”
Sam nodded. “I gave Clara an option, not one that left her much choice. She could marry me or Dolan.”
They looked at each other and Clara realized that Sam thought the two choices were comparable. He was so much more.
“And I am so grateful you did,” she said, looking at him, wanting him to understand that she didn’t regret that choice. She looked around the room and stopped herself from saying more. Too much etiquette training prevented her from being so forthcoming.
“Shortly after our marriage I left for Liverpool for business and to get Abigail away from London, though that was not my only reason for leaving.” He took a deep breath and looked at Clara directly, “But to give you space. I know perhaps marriage to me was a shocking turn.”
