Over the next two days, Hannah took in the waist of one of Marianna’s spencer jackets to fit her, and discreetly began gathering the things she would take when they left—only necessities and as few of Marianna’s belongings as possible. If her own things had not been lost, she would take nothing for herself that had not belonged to her. But she could not leave without proper clothes. Besides, Marianna no longer had need of them.
The next afternoon, Mrs. Turrill knocked and announced through the closed door, “There’s a man to see Sir John, my lady.”
Hannah’s nerves jangled in alarm—had Mr. Fontaine returned? With her shoe, Hannah nudged the partially filled valise under the bed and went to open the door. She gestured Mrs. Turrill inside and closed the door behind her.
“The same man as before?” she asked.
“No. A Mr. James Lowden.”
Lowden? The name rang a distant bell in Hannah’s memory, but she could not place it. Surely it wasn’t anyone of their acquaintance. Had not Sir John kept their destination a secret? Of course, Mr. Fontaine had managed to find them, and fairly quickly.
“Did you tell him why Sir John is unable to receive him?”
“No, my lady. I thought it best coming from you.”
She wondered if this Mr. Lowden was acquainted with Lady Mayfield.
“Please tell Mr. Lowden Sir John is unable to receive him at present and ask his business, if you please.”
Mrs. Turrill hesitated, a slight frown creasing her brow, likely wondering why her mistress didn’t ask him herself, but too polite to ask. “Very well, my lady.”
While the housekeeper was gone, Hannah paced. Now what? Why hadn’t she left earlier as she knew she should have?
Mrs. Turrill returned a few minutes later and handed her a calling card. “Says he’s Sir John’s solicitor. From Bristol.”
Hannah’s thoughts whirled. Had Sir John informed his solicitor of their whereabouts? Or had the accident been reported in the newspaper and the man had come on his own initiative? She asked, “How did he hear of the accident?”
“I don’t think he has. Says he’s come on some matters of business. He seemed confused when I told him Sir John was unable to receive him, and asked to see you instead. By the way, he rode his own horse, over two days. Ben’s tending to it in the stables. Heaven knows if there’s even any feed in there. We shall have to borrow some from the Parrishes....”
But Hannah wasn’t really listening. Instead, she stared down at the card, heart thumping hard.
James Lowden
Messrs. Lowden & Lowden,
Attorneys and Solicitors
7 Queen’s Parade, Bristol
She squinted at the print, as though to conjure the man’s face on the card. Had she met Sir John’s solicitor? Again, the distant ring of the memory bell. She believed she had glimpsedthe silver-haired solicitor while in the Mayfields’ Bristol house, but only the vaguest recollection remained. An older gentleman, well-dressed. Had he seenher? Not likely. Would he have met Lady Mayfield? Very likely.
Now what?
There was no way she could gather Danny and Becky and their things from the nursery and sneak off now, not with Mrs. Turrill standing there regarding her anxiously, and Mr. Lowden waiting downstairs.
There was nothing for it. “Very well, Mrs. Turrill. I will see him.” She cloaked her fear and said as casually as she could, “I hope he will not regret coming all this way in vain.”
Mrs. Turrill nodded and opened the door for her.
Hannah slowly descended the stairs, pulse pounding double time. As she entered the drawing room, she pressed a hand to her chest and took a shaky breath.
The man who rose when she entered was nothing as she’d expected. He was neither old nor silver-haired nor vaguely familiar. She was quite certain she had never laid eyes on him before in her life. He was a handsome man in his early to mid-thirties with golden brown hair, darker side-whiskers, and striking green eyes. He wore riding boots, a dark cutaway coat ... and a frown.
For a moment he simply stared at her, hard. Did he know she was not Marianna Mayfield?
Her throat dry, she said, “Mr. Lowden. How do you do?”
He winced in apparent disbelief. “Lady ... Mayfield?”
