She wished she’d told him before she departed Latakia. Lisbeth bit her lip, pondering her next steps, and then she glanced at Louise. “I’m sorry you will become mixed up in this. Thomas will be furious with you as well. I know it.”
Louise nodded and took a sip of her drink. “He has every right to be mad, and I will accept his fury. Still, I plan to explain that you had no other choice, and he wouldn’t be the acclaimed Thomas Easton without your encouragement.”
She flushed, unsure if she felt comfortable with accepting any part in Thomas’s success. He’d done that mostly on his own. “He did that. Also, please don’t fight with your son because of my choices. You should enjoy his return, not worry about defending me.”
Louise snorted. “I love Thomas, but he was never naturally adventurous. Before the two of you ran off, he’d accepted that he was to be a servant in a household. It was you who encouraged him to seek something greater. He is a practical type. What did you use to call him?”
“Serious Thomas,” she provided. “We complemented each other. He kept us out of trouble, and I ensured we tried new things.”
The older woman nodded, agreeing with her. “Exactly. Thomas would be a butler right now without you. Not that there is anything wrong with that field, but I suspect, based on the allowance he gives me without any thought, he is richer than most lords in London.”
“I don’t think he understands how famous he is or how popular the serials about him are.”
“Well, he is about to find out,” Louise drawled.
What Louise said made sense, but she couldn’t imagine Thomas not being devastated about being kept from his daughter. She needed to tell him as soon as possible. The paper indicated he would return in the next few days.
“I imagine he will come here first; will you send word when he arrives? I want to speak with him as soon as possible.”
Louise nodded. “I think that would be best.”
Lisbeth shook her head. “I feel both relieved to tell him and terrified.”
“Do you still love him?”
The question startled her. She’d buried all her feelings for Thomas so deep that she’d not dared think about them. Louisewatched her intently. Guilt coursed through her again that she’d roped Thomas’s mother into all of this. “Louise, I don’t want you to get your hopes up. Thomas and I are not the same people as when we were young. I kept his child from him; he will hate me when he finds out.”
Louise smiled softly. “He may be angry at first, but the two of you were always a team. I suspect you both still love one another.”
Lisbeth wouldn’t allow herself to hope for a future with Thomas. So much had happened. “I don’t want you to be optimistic.”
The older woman shrugged. “We’ll see.”
*
Thomas had finallyarrived in London. He’d been startled to be greeted by so many people when he stepped off the ship. How had so many reporters discovered he was in England? He sat in the carriage, trying to decide where he should go. When he’d been trying to escape the crowds, he’d told the hack driver to take him out of the area.
Now, he had to determine his next stop. The carriage raced down the cobblestone street as Thomas glanced out the window to see the London Docks drifting out of sight. He’d earlier bid Matthison goodbye. They planned to meet up in the next few weeks.
Thomas was intrigued to learn about Matthison’s new position. It involved building the Crystal Palace, the main area that would house the Great Exhibition’s displays.
The carriage came to a halt, and then the driver opened the door. “Where should I take you, Mr. Easton?”
Rationally, he should head to his mother’s, but the desire to see Lisbeth surged through him. He could at least stop there andsee if she was in. Was that rash? Likely, but he found himself fixated on seeing her.
“Can you take me to Mayfair and locate where the Duchess of Lusby resides?”
The driver nodded. “Of course, I have associates in the area.”
Thomas nodded. “Thank you.”
He sat back as the carriage drove on. Was it reckless to go to her immediately? Perhaps, but Thomas had to see her. She’d always haunted every aspect of his life, but now that he’d seen her, touched her, he couldn’t fathom waiting to see her again. He leaned his head against the back of the seat, hoping he wasn’t being reckless.
Almost an hour later, the carriage halted. They’d stopped before so the driver could obtain Lisbeth’s address, but this seemed as if they’d arrived somewhere. He pulled back the window curtain. He was correct. They were outside of an elegant townhouse in the heart of London’s most prestigious neighborhood, Mayfair.
His stomach clenched, feeling like he didn’t belong in the area where he grew up. In truth, some might say that was correct. His mother was a housekeeper in Mayfair, and as a child, he shared a room with her in the attic of the Earl of Adnin’s home. It wasn’t a bad life, but now, being away for so long, he was aware it wasn’t wrong to aspire for more.
Still, this wasn’t the Earl of Adnin’s home, and in truth, he could buy multiple of these posh townhouses. His gaze fixated on the front door. His chest burned. This is where Lisbeth lived with her children. It was where her day began every day.
