Page 94 of Miss Wylde and the Wynd

“If Grace is not with you, where is she?” Georgie demanded.

“We left her in London,” he answered.

“London?” Georgie cried.

They had come all this way and Grace was back in London where anything could happen to her.

“If you saw her in London, why is she not with you? You are the reason she left Carrera.”

Fisher glanced to the dark-haired woman beside him. She grimaced and Georgie’s heart sank.

“I swear, I was going to return to Carrera and pursue Grace, I promise.”

“Then why are you here with …

“Elizabeth…Fisher”

“You were already married?’ Georgie cried.

“No. It is not like that. I truly liked Grace. Loved her. She was my friend. We were close. She knew about Elizabeth, I just never thought…”

“My father is Gerald Montgomery,” Mrs. Fisher started to explain.

Damian knew the name. “He is a shipbuilder and merchant out of Boston, Massachusetts, is he not?” Damian had purchased a few of his ships, even though many were built in England.

“Yes. My father brought me and my sisters to England so that we could marry well. I met Harold during the crossing. He worked on the ship, and we fell in love but father would not allow me to marry so far beneath me. His belief, not mine.”

They may both be considered commoners in England, but Mr. Montgomery had more wealth than many of the lords he knew. Montgomery probably hoped to dangle a large dowry in front of a title to make his daughters ladies. It wouldn’t be the first time a wealthy American had come to England for the same reason.

“How long ago did you fall in love and arrive in England?”

“Three years,” Fisher answered.

“When we arrived in London, we parted, but through trusted servants in my household, we still corresponded,” Mrs. Fisher explained.

“I left London for Southampton because being in the same city was too much of a temptation, and that is when I went to work for you, Mr. Wynd.”

“My father betrothed me to a viscount, whom I did not even like.”

Just as Damian had suspected. Dowry for title with little thought to the daughter.

“When Grace and I first became friends in Carrera, I told her all about Elizabeth and how she was lost to me, but that I would always love her. Then Grace and I grew closer and I thought that I could love her, and a part of me did. It just was not the same as I had with Elizabeth, who I never thought to see again.”

“She loved you,” Georgie said.

“I know, and I feel horrible for what happened.”

“What did happen?” Damian demanded.

“When my father suddenly passed nearly a month ago, I did not hide in the house in mourning but left for Southampton as soon as I could get away. I was free to find Harold and now we just want to return to Boston.”

“You said that you saw Grace in London. What happened?” Georgie demanded.

“It was a chance meeting and quite unexpected but I am glad we crossed paths in the Port of London,” he said.

“Where exactly was that?” Damian asked. The odds of an accidental encounter at such a busy port were nearly impossible.

“Outside of the Trade Wynd office there,” Fisher answered. “Elizabeth and I had just left. We had inquired after passenger ships.”