“That is true,” I conceded. I had my own ideas about Denis’s motives, but I decided not to give voice to them. “Will you accompany her on this short journey?”
“If I am able. I have many other things that require my attention.”
As usual, Denis gave an answer and did not at the same time.
I lifted the cup to sip more coffee then abruptly clicked it down again. “A moment. You referred to her as the young woman I call Lady. Is that not how you address her? Do you know her true name?”
Another nod, this one infuriatingly cool. “I did discover her identity, which was not difficult once I’d heard what she would tell me of her story. Details tend to stick in my mind.”
“Who is she?” I blurted out, too curious to still my tongue.
“That, I promised not to reveal. But I can tell you she is the daughter of an Irish peer. Or, at least, that is how her parentage is recorded in the parish registry of her village. Her mother had a reputation for promiscuity, and rumor has it that several of Lady’s siblings have different fathers.”
“Ah.” I did not have a list of the peerage running through my head, though Donata would likely know whom he meant. “I understand why Lady would want such a thing kept quiet. People might say that she is the product of her mother.”
“They did say such things, which is why she departed her home near Galway, once she found herself in her unfortunate predicament. She traveled to London, to put distance between herself and her past.”
“The poor woman,” I said with feeling.
“She was quite resourceful, ensuring she had enough funds for the journey as well as finding a house to go to once she reached London.”
Denis sounded indignant that I’d think of Lady as a pathetic waif. Also admiring that she’d not simply fled, penniless, to waste away on the streets.
“Even so, to be forced to cut all ties and begin a life in the slums of London must have been a terrible thing,” I said.
“Her home life was not all that happy, she admitted,” Denis said. “Her father suspected she was not truly his—whether she is or not will remain a mystery, as her mother is now deceased. He was not the most tenderhearted of fathers, and her mother had little time for her. She confessed that she committed her indiscretion because the gentleman in question was kind to her. At first, of course.”
“Then abandoned her.” My voice hardened. “I long to search for this gentleman and explain why he made a mistake.”
“She will not name him, but I have begun making inquiries.”
Denis’s gaze met mine, the two of us in perfect accord.
“Lady will not thank you for it,” I said.
Denis shrugged. “The man might be dead and already beyond my reach. Life is perilous for those with close ties to the English government in Ireland. It is a restless place.”
Rebellions had happened in that country before, and I suspected they would again. Local men risked death if they opposed their overlords, but that did not stop them from trying.
“Will you share with me who it is if you find out?” I asked.
“I will find out, and no, I will not reveal the information,” Denis answered with finality. “You are too rash, and she does not need to face any more shame. You will let me take care of the matter.”
I subsided. I knew that if Denis did not want to tell me a fact, I’d never pry it out of him even to save his life.
I also knew that Denis would indeed, as he put it “take care of the matter.” What Lady would do if she found out, I did not know. Or perhaps he would tell her. Denis could be painfully honest when he thought it best.
He’d never reveal all to me, however. It was Lady’s business, and Denis was a master at pigeonholing every aspect of his life.
I eyed him sternly. “She is paying with her life and her heart for one mistake she made with a careless gentleman. Do not let her make another.”
Denis regarded me without expression. “I am pleased that you worry about her welfare. However, do not assume that I would rush to exploit her weakness—a trait she does not possess, by the way. I am not as iniquitous as you assume me.”
“Then you will not see her again?”
Amusement entered his blue eyes. “I will certainly see her again. As I said, I might accompany her to Epson. I will also remain informed about the welfare of her daughter, which I will report to her from time to time. I enjoy speaking with her. She has a quick and appreciative mind.”
I recalled the two chatting—if Denis could be said to chat—about the painting on the landing. At that moment they’d simply been two people with a common interest in art.
