Lark was about to get up when the dowager added, “Speaking of family, Collingswood is in town.”
Lark had to work to keep his face from wrinkling with distaste. Lord Collingswood was Hugh’s cousin. He was a small, petty man who, although he’d made a fortune from the family plantation in Jamaica, had the misfortune of not being born into the Baxter line destined to inherit the dukedom. Lark suspected this was why the dowager had been pestering Hughabout marriage lately; she wanted a grandson and heir to ensure Collingswood never got his hands on that title.
“Has he been to see you?” Lark asked.
“Yes, three days ago. He came by while Hugh was out meeting with his solicitor. He wanted to speak to Hugh directly and would not share the topic of his meeting with me, so we exchanged pleasantries and then he left. I was supposed to pass the message on to Hugh but did not get a chance before…”
Lark blew out a breath. “Collingswood should have stayed in Jamaica.”
“Indeed, but I suspect he has business here in town.”
The dowager reminded Lark quite a bit of his own mother, so he understood that she was implying that, in addition to trying to track down Hugh, Lark should try to learn why Collingswood was in town. He nodded. “It appears I have quite a bit of work to do.”
“I recommend speaking with Hugh’s solicitor. Matthew Hogarth. He has an office on Broad Street.”
That seemed like a reasonable suggestion, so Lark nodded and stood up. “I will call on him as soon as practicable and report back when I learn anything.”
“Much appreciated, my dear.”
*
The memories inhis brain might have gone missing, but the memories in his body were clearly still there. His body knew, for example, that when a man was on a walk with a beautiful woman, that man should offer her his arm.
Although “walk” was relative. They were slowly taking steps around the garden behind the house. It was a small garden, butit was well-tended, and he was content enough to take a few steps with Lady Adele at his side.
He still had a headache, though it had diminished to a dull ache instead of the incessant pounding of the day before. He still got dizzy if he moved too fast, so walking in the park seemed ill-advised. Still, it had felt good to get out of bed and put on clothing that morning. The earl’s clothes were a little snug, but not obscenely so. He wanted to shave, but Adele had not yet been able to locate a razor, so that would have to wait for now. Still, his face itched, and he knew enough to understand that the easiest solution was to remove the stubble from his jaw. He wondered if he looked handsome and rakish with such beard growth, or if he just looked tired and haggard. Did Adele think him handsome?Washe handsome? What did he look like?
He stopped walking as he realized he could not recall the contours of his own face.
These moments of panic had been hitting him at regular intervals for the last day and a half, since he’d woken up in the countess’s house. Things he didn’t know kept occurring to him, or he’d feel confused or lost, and fear would begin creeping in. How could he not know what he looked like? How could his memories still be locked away? How would he ever find his family and his home again?
“Are you all right?” asked Adele.
He swallowed and tried to speak calmly. “I just realized I do not know what I look like.”
Adele looked him up and down. “Well, my lord, you are quite tall. You have dark hair, which I imagine you’ve gleaned for yourself. Blue eyes.”
He wanted to ask if she found him handsome, but that seemed quite forward. So he rephrased the question. “How old do you think I am?”
“Five and thirty, I think. Maybe a little younger or older.”
“Perhaps when we go inside there is a mirror I could look at.”
“Yes, there is one above the fireplace in the gold salon.”
“Maybe seeing myself will jog something in my memory.”
“Doctor Willis implied that seeing familiar things could help bring your memory back. I would like to be able to do more of that, but we are presented with the enduring mystery of where you came from and what might be familiar.”
He nodded. He wished he could remember… anything. Feeling a little dizzy with the effort of just trying to recall his name, he sat on a stone bench in the garden. “Perhaps we should focus on my health first.”
“I will admit, it is strange to see a man of your… stature feel so weak. But head injuries can be quite serious.”
“Let us go back in when this dizzy spell passes.”
“Please take all the time you need.”
She sat beside him, so he took a moment to take her in. Her dress was off-white and unadorned. Her hair was pinned up away from her face, and the style was simple, but it gave him the opportunity to admire her. She had long eyelashes and high cheekbones. Her skin was like porcelain, and her lips looked…
