“Well, I’m not sure that’s what I want,” Bridget said. “If they come looking for me, it won’t be because they miss me or careabout me. It won’t be because they want me home. I don’t know what would drive them to come after me after all this time, but I’d imagine it wouldn’t be anything good. And I would be just as happy to avoid that kind of encounter.”
It wasn’t entirely true. Even though the past was fraught, they were still her parents, and to have them come looking for her for any reason would have moved Bridget. What she truly didn’t think she could stand was getting her hopes up. She didn’t want to send them a letter with details of her life and allow herself to believe that they might care—that they might reach out to her. She would only be disappointed, and she wanted to spare herself that pain.
“You can tell them,” she told Vicar John. “If they come after me, if they search for me here, you can tell them where I went. But unless that happens, I don’t see the point in communicating with them about it, because it isn’t going to make any difference. They won’t care. They have never cared about what I’m doing, and they’re not going to start now.”
Vicar John sighed. “I hate that you feel that way.”
“Well, it’s just the truth,” Bridget said. “It’s good to be able to acknowledge things that are true, even if they aren’t necessarily positive.”
“I suppose you’re right,” Vicar John said. “All right. We won’t write to your parents, but if they come looking for you, I’ll tell them where you can be found.”
Bridget nodded. It was more than fair, and she was sure her parents wouldn’t try to find her, so it didn’t matter.
Prudence was another question. She did have a good relationship with her cousin. Should she write to her?
I’ll do it once I get there. Once I’m settled into this new life. Right now, it still doesn’t feel very real.Once she reached Greystone, she would be able to tell her cousin a bit more about what was going on and what to make of it all.
The duke mentioned that Leonard was his friend.Surely that was a good sign. Bridget liked and trusted her cousin’s husband. He wouldn’t have befriended anyone too terrible. And maybe if they really were friends, there would be visits between them. There would be the comfort of a familiar face. Maybe Prudence would even be a regular part of her life while she was at Greystone. She could hope, anyway.
She finished putting her things in her bag and turned to face the vicar. “My biggest worry in all this is the orphanage,” she said. “It feels wrong to be leaving it all behind to care for a single child. But at the same time, I know she needs me.”
“You don’t have to worry,” Vicar John assured her. “We have plenty of hands here. I’ll never make light of your value or diminish your importance to us. We need you. But until you come back, we’ll manage. I promise.”
Bridget let out a sigh, hoping that it was true. “All right,” she said. “In that case, I don’t think I dare keep the duke waiting anylonger. He’s made it clear that he’ll happily leave without me if I do.”
“Make sure you take good care of yourself,” the vicar said. “You know how important you are to me.”
She knew he wasn’t talking about the orphanage anymore, but about how much he cared for her as a person. “You’re important to me, too,” she said. “I don’t know if I would have survived if it hadn’t been for your kindness. I just need to show that kindness to this little girl, too. She needs it now just as much as I did then, if not more.”
“I’m proud of you,” Vicar John said. “Never doubt it.” He placed a hand on her shoulder. “It’s a good and brave thing you’re doing.”
Bridget nodded her thanks and picked up her bag, feeling a wrench in the pit of her stomach. It was hard to leave the orphanage behind.
But she was confident that, right now, Emma needed her more.
CHAPTER 5
Thankfully, the carriage was a large one, and Bridget got the impression that her new acquaintance must be wealthy. She had dreaded the idea of being confined in a small space with the duke, for he made her uncomfortable, but there was as much distance between the two of them as could reasonably be expected.
Bridget sat beside Emma, who was curled up in a ball on the seat, looking tense, if not necessarily unhappy. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of candy, one of the few things that had reliably put a smile on Emma’s face while she was at the orphanage. “Here,” she said, passing it to the girl with a smile. “I think today calls for a little celebration, don’t you?”
Emma uncurled herself and accepted the candy, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips. She popped it in her mouth and leaned against the side of the carriage.
Bridget noticed the duke watching her, looking between her and Emma. It occurred to her that maybe she shouldn’t have done that now that the girl’s father was here. Maybe he didn’t like her to have candy. But wasn’t it worth it if it put a smile on Emma’s face?
She pulled a second piece of candy out of her pocket and offered it to the duke, mostly so that he wouldn’t feel in doubt about what was going on. “It’s peppermint,” she explained. “Emma loves peppermint.” Then she felt like a fool. “Well, I’m sure you already know that,” she said quickly.
The duke raised his eyebrows, but he said nothing and made no move to take the candy from her.
The man next to him leaned forward. He was one of the two men who had accompanied the duke into the orphanage—the other one was now driving the carriage. This man was even taller than the duke, which Bridget wouldn’t have believed possible if she weren’t seeing it for herself. He was muscular, too. Bridget thought he probably would have had no trouble lifting her over his head if he’d wanted to do that.
And yet, for all that, he wasn’t intimidating. Maybe it was the warm smile on his face, or the way that smile reached all the way to his eyes. It was impossible to imagine that he meant her any harm.
He held out his hand, palm up. “I’ll take that peppermint, if His Grace doesn’t want it.”
Relieved to have someone who at least appeared to be on her side, Bridget dropped it into the man’s hand.
“Thank you.” He popped it into his mouth. “Very glad to have you with us, Miss… I don’t think I got your name?”
