“No,” Thea said with a light chuckle. “I didn’t think so,” Esme said.
“But I almost did. Once.”
Her frank answer surprised Esme. Over time Thea had become a dearer companion than Esme could ever have imagined. Yet there were still things she didn’t know about her aged friend. Thea had family from which she was estranged, yet Esme had no idea why. In her more romantic moments, she always imagined Thea as the heroine of a tragic love affair, though Esme had never inquired about it before. Tonight she needed to know.
“Tell me about him,” Esme requested.
“Oh, it was so long ago. Though I suppose I remember it all as if it were yesterday. I was two and twenty. And he was so handsome, so strong.” Thea’s expression took on a dreamy look, her smile winsome. “Albert Moore was his name.”
“Were you in love?” Esme asked, but instantly she wished she hadn’t. Part of her didn’t want the answer to that question. Don’t be foolish, she reminded herself. She was not in love with Fielding. She was merely suffering the effects of a curse.
“I believe I was, although I didn’t recognize it at the time.” Then Thea frowned. “Well, that’s not precisely true either. I did know it was love; I simply didn’t realize how rare such a love is. I was young and foolish and believed love abounded around every corner.” She gave a sad laugh. “I never would have imagined how wrong I could be.”
“Then you did not marry?” Esme asked.
“No, but not for lack of asking on his part.” Thea absently scratched Horace’s fur.
Esme’s heart broke for Thea. “You didn’t want to?”
“No, I did. Desperately. But my mother didn’t think he was good enough for me. He didn’t have a fortune, and therefore she believed him to be beneath us.” She leaned forward and scratched under Horace’s chin. “She convinced me another suitor would come along, one I’d love even more, and foolishly I believed her. It didn’t take me long to realize that I should have fought for him, should have run away with him, but by then it was too late.”
“Did he marry another?” Esme asked.
“I don’t know. When I went to find him, I discovered he’d left for Egypt.” Then she smiled. “He’d been a student of antiquities when we met. I suppose he finally decided to quit reading about them and headed off to see them himself.” She was quiet for a moment then said, “It was why I was so often at the Guildhall Library. I thought for so long that I was looking for him, but I know now that I was there simply so I could find you.” She tweaked Esme’s chin.
Esme’s eyes filled with tears. “Oh, Thea, I wish I’d known.”
“We all make our choices, Esme. Choices that might not change anything—and then there are those that seem so simple at the time, yet end up altering every aspect of our lives.”
“Have you ever tried to look for him? Contact him?”
“No. I’ve seen his name in the newspapers from time to time. He’s become an accomplished explorer. Found all sorts of exotic artifacts for museums all over the world.”
“Then he has made his fortune,” Esme said.
“Ah, yes, the great irony in that story, I suppose. It goes to show that you should always follow your heart.”
They sat in silence for several minutes, and Esme searched for the right thing to say, but before she could, Thea spoke again. “You should get some sleep, Esme. You look tired.” Thea’s familiar smile returned. “And you know how much sleep I require to maintain my youthful beauty.”
Esme stood and kissed her aunt on the cheek. “You are the best family I’ve ever had,” she whispered.
On her way to her bed, Esme contemplated Thea’s lost love. If Thea’s Albert was often mentioned in the papers, then chances were he had connections to London. Surely he would want to see Thea again, provided he wasn’t married.
Esme made a vow to try to locate him. If he was that well known, it shouldn’t be too challenging, provided she didn’t get arrested tomorrow for breaking into the British Museum.
CHAPTER 14
I cannot believe we’re going to break into the museum. Do you realize this is a royal institution?” Esme asked.
Even in a whisper her voice sounded shrill. “It will probably be considered treason, what we’re doing tonight. Treason is punishable by death.”
“We’re here,” Fielding said.
She was still gazing out the window, trepidation written all over her face.
“Listen to me.” He tilted her chin so that she would look at him. “We’re going to go in and walk around as standard patrons.” He flipped open his pocket watch. “They close in an hour. Before that time we need to find somewhere secure to hide, then we wait.”
“Wait for what?” she asked.
