“I have no idea, and I am not certain she knows. She seemed rather lost, the poor thing. She is just through here.” He held open the door to the drawing room, and the young woman was hurriedly putting away what appeared to be a handkerchief.
She rose to greet them and offered a formal curtsey to Madeline when he introduced them. “Forgive me for troubling you, Senhor and Senhora Gardiner. I will take my leave now.” She spoke politely, but there was a hard stubbornness in her manner. Madeline, however, was quick to perceive the faint reddening around the young woman’s eyes, and the nervous twisting of her fingers.
“That will not be necessary,” she soothed. “Come, my dear, you must be in need of refreshment. You are more than welcome to stay until your family can be contacted. Perhaps we may talk matters over and learn what manner of mistake was made.”
The young lady reluctantly allowed Madeline to serve her a cup of tea, and Gardiner had begun to think himself an unnecessary addition to the room. He stood back, his mind turning over the day’s mysteries. Darcy alive! And this unknown woman begging friendship! He could think of no means of searching for more information on the first question, but perhaps he might look over his recent transactions to see if Noronha’s name turned up.
He started for the door when his manservant entered again. “Colonel Fitzwilliam is calling, sir,” he introduced in a low voice, not wishing to disturb the ladies at their tea.
This was welcome news! “The colonel! Show him in, please.” Gardiner breathed a sigh of relief as he awaited the gentleman. Perhaps he might now learn the answer to one riddle, if not the other. Surely the man brought word of Mr Darcy, and what precisely had taken place at Pemberley.
Fitzwilliam’s red uniform appeared, and with it the colonel’s familiar smiling face. “Colonel Fitzwilliam! I am glad to see you returned from your travels. Your timing is a very great blessing, sir, for only today, I… Colonel?”
Fitzwilliam did not appear to hear him. The anticipation of pleasure had vanished from the man’s face, and he was staring mutely across the room. He nearly swayed and was obliged to put out a hand to support himself on the door frame.
“Oh, my dear!” Madeleine was crying. Edward glanced back just in time to see the young woman’s composure flee. She had gone white to the lips and seemed to be experiencing some trouble breathing. In another instant, she would fall out of her chair entirely. Edward started toward her, but he was too slow, as a flash of red darted to the lady’s side.
Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam, decorated war hero and son of one of England’s most illustrious families, was on his knees and cradling the mysterious refugee. Her arms were about his neck, gentle tremors shaking her frame as she babbled a string of unintelligible sobs. Fitzwilliam was stroking back her veil and whispering words of comfort, and if Gardiner dared ascribe such to a man of his character, it might be said that he wept as freely as she.
Edward Gardiner exchanged amazed looks with his wife. It was another moment before Fitzwilliam recalled himself, but when he did, he gently assisted the lady back to her seat. She seemed reluctant at first to release him, but at last she rested again in her chair with her handkerchief clasped in trembling hands. He stood then, his fists clenched and his head low in shame.
“Colonel Fitzwilliam,” Gardiner spoke hoarsely, his eyes on the lady rather than the gentleman, “I believe we should speak privately.”
“Indeed, sir, we should,” the colonel agreed.
Chapter sixty
Amáliacastanervouslook about the delicately papered bedroom. A maid had already begun to sort her few belongings in preparation for an extended stay, but she still knew nothing about this house, nor how she had come to it. Richard was here, somewhere below stairs, and that was enough… more than enough.
“Ah, here we are!” came the kindly tones of her hostess, Mrs Gardiner. The lady’s cheerful countenance emerged from the dressing room, and over her arm she carried several lightly coloured gowns. A lady’s maid followed her, bearing yet more. “I thought that I had kept these, and I am so glad I did. I believe they will suit you perfectly.”
“Senhora Gardiner,” Amália pleaded, holding up a reluctant hand, “it is not necessary that you go to such trouble.”
“It is no trouble at all, my dear,” smiled the lady. “I have five nieces, and one of them, at least, is bound to have left a gown or two here that would suit you. You must be quite in need of refreshment, and I’ve already had a bath drawn for you in the next room. Now, let me see, I believe my nieces are all slightly taller, save perhaps Mary, but she favours browns. Oh, now this is lovely! It was Elizabeth’s two seasons ago, and I think she had scarcely had it made up before it was too short for her. I do not believe it was ever worn. Do you like creams and yellows, my dear?”
Amália could not help the wistful look in her eyes. She had not worn that shade since she had been a girl, for such youthful colours had been deemed unbecoming to the mistress of the Vasconcelos household. She took a breath and tore her longing gaze away. “Senhora Gardiner, truly you are kind, but—”
“My dear girl,” Mrs Gardiner interrupted, “I can see that you do not wish to impose or put me to any inconvenience, but I assure you, the pleasure is mine. It is plain to anyone that you are in need of a friend, and I am not so very much older that I do not cherish a young friend as well. Anyone known to Colonel Fitzwilliam is welcome in our house, so pray, do not be troubled.”
Amália dropped her gaze uncomfortably to the floor. Could this woman know what Richard was to her? Certainly, that display in the drawing room could have left little doubt, but Mrs Gardiner was still acting toward her as if she were a maiden, not a… she swallowed and closed her eyes. Not a faithless wife, hiding from her husband!
“Come, my dear,” Mrs Gardiner was now reaching confidently for her hand, almost as a girlhood friend from her school days might have. “Let us help you out of these traveling clothes. Once you have refreshed yourself, you may rest in the sitting room or try the instrument, or you may wish to write some letters. I will have some tea brought up for you.”
Amália permitted herself to be led a few steps, then halted. “Senhora Gardiner,” she withdrew her hand, hesitated, then forced herself to speak. “I fear you do not know what trouble I am.” She halted again. How delicious it had been for a few moments to allow this woman to treat her as an honourable guest, and a young lady of good repute! “I… I have a husband in Portugal. I left him, and he does not know where I am.”
Mrs Gardiner’s eyebrows lifted very faintly, and Amália’s suspicions were confirmed. The woman had not fully comprehended her introduction and had assumed her to be unwed. And why would she not? What woman fled her husband so disgracefully?
“I am sorry, Senhora Gardiner,” Amália twined her fingers together, regretting for only half an instant that she had thrown the golden band of her station into the sea during her voyage. It was an adornment she would happily do without, but she was sorry that its absence had caused this good lady to be misled. “I never did mean to deceive.”
“My dear girl,” Mrs Gardiner reclaimed her hand with the firmness of a mother, or an elder sister. “How you came to be with us is a conversation for later. For now, the bath is hot, and there is nothing quite so disappointing as delaying so long that the water cools before you can enjoy it.”
“Sheismarried?”EdwardGardiner tilted his head forward and his scissor spectacles nearly slipped from his nose. “Oh, dear, I am afraid I did the lady a disservice in my address. She was gentle enough not to correct me.”
Richard fumbled with his thumbs and squirmed a little in his chair. “I doubt that it disappointed her much not to be spoken of as Senhora Vasconcelos.”
Gardiner tossed aside the spectacles he had used to read the letter given him by Captain Lopes, and pinned the colonel with a hard look. “Colonel Fitzwilliam, if the lady is married, and the gentleman is not yourself, I think I must ask you to explain that little scene in my drawing room.”
Richard dragged a long sigh through clenched teeth. “There are many things I would rather not disclose. What you must know is that I intend no dishonour to her, sir. I did leave your address with her brother, in case he had need of a discreet and trustworthy means of contacting me. I had no idea that he might find himself in a dire enough position that he would have given your name as a safe destination for her. It was not done with any design on my part, for it had been my recommendation that she travel to Brazil.”
