“You… you look like my sister, Victoria, but I know you aren’t—” She stopped with a gasp, her hand flying to her mouth as a tear slipped down her cheek. “It cannot be…” She took a deep breath. “Emiline? My sweet little Emmie?”
Emmie’s heart sang with gladness upon hearing the name she’d missed being called all these years. Tears swam in her eyes, impairing her vision. “Yes, Mother. I’m your little Emmie.”
Her mother stood and slowly walked to her, tears streaming down her face. She gently touched Emmie’s hair, and then her cheek. “Is it really you, or am I dreaming?”
“If you are, then I’m having the most perfect dream as well.”
“Oh, my little Emmie.” Her mother sobbed and threw her arms around Emmie, pulling her in for a tight hug. “I thought I had lost you.”
“Mother,” Emmie cried, wrapping her arms around her mother’s waist. “We thought you had died. If we had known you were still alive—”
Daphne pulled back and looked into Emmie’s eyes. “We?Who else are you referring to?”
Emmie offered a shaky smile. “Father and I.”
“Your father is alive, too?”
“Yes.”
“Oh dear. I had better sit before I swoon.” Daphne pulled Emmie to the sofa, where they both sat, still in each other’s embrace. “But this doesn’t make any sense. I was told you and Byron were coming to join me here when your ship was attackedby the fearsome Captain Hawk, and everyone on board was killed.”
“That is the same story we heard happened to you.”
Daphne shook her head and pulled Emmie against her again. “We’ll find out the truth, but right now I want to hold my little Emmie.”
Emmie breathed a sigh of relief and cuddled her mother, who smelled like fresh flowers. Lilies. Emmie smiled—just as she remembered from fifteen years ago.
As she glanced around the room, she realized Mr. and Mrs. Crampton had left them alone.How very thoughtful.
Her mother stroked Emmie’s hair and kissed her forehead. “Sweetheart, I need to tell you something that will come as a shock to you. But if I don’t tell you now, you will find out soon enough.”
“What is it, Mother?”
“You have a brother.”
Emmie sucked in a quick breath of air and sat up, breaking her mother’s hold. Daphne clasped Emmie’s hands in hers and nodded.
“Yes, my dear. You have a brother. From what he has told me—and from what Mr. Crampton said about last evening’s party—I think you have already met Elias.”
“I have?”
“Yes. He was the one that caught you climbing a tree.”
Stunned, Emiline couldn’t speak for a few moments.I have a brother?“But Mother, he was very rude. I cannot possibly have a brother who is that spiteful.”
Daphne laughed. “When Elias told me about the girl he found in the tree last night, he said she was very ill-mannered, and he could not believe how disrespectful she was—for a footman.”
Although Emmie should be insulted, she couldn’t help but laugh. “Oh, Mother. I was only pretending to be a footman so I could spy on Mr. Goodfellow’s party to find you.”
Daphne cupped her daughter’s face and smiled. “And now you have found me.” She kissed her.
“But did you remarry?” Emmie held her breath. “Is that why I have a brother?”
“No, my dear. I was pregnant with Elias when I sailed to visit my family—although I didn’t know I was with child. It wasn’t until a month after I had heard you were dead that I realized I was going to have a baby.”
Emmie grinned. “Father will be very pleased. He always wanted a son to teach to walk in his footsteps.”
Her mother arched an eyebrow. “Pray tell, what has he done with himself all of these years?”
