Page 37 of Fortune’s Final Folly

Chapter 13

A’laya finally had her Katherina next to her; she could smell the scent of her skin, hear the lilt of her voice, and see the resemblance they shared. And she could barely bring herself to meet her daughter’s stare as the tears flowed warm and unabated down her face. She’d dreamt of this moment for nearly two decades, and now words eluded her. All the things she’d labored over every day and night, all the people she’d cursed with every breath, and the immense, hollow, gaping hole within her still gnawed at her.

She’d played no hand in Katherina being taken from her, yet A’laya could not cast off the shroud of guilt she felt regarding her part in it all. She’d been young and naïve. She’d allowed herself to believe that anything was possible with love. She’d given trust when it hadn’t been earned nor warranted.

And Katherina had paid the ultimate price.

Living every moment knowing her daughter was out there somewhere but having no notion where and with whom, had been a horrid way to live. But what would come next? Katherina had lived a normal life with two loving parents, a home, and a future, only to have it stripped from her by a stranger. She would question everything in her life thus far: her childhood, the people she’d thought family, and even her own identity.

Yet again, A’laya was to blame.

A’laya had had years to come to terms with what Pierce and his family had put her through, forced upon her, and how they’d discarded her.

Katherina did not know the entirety of it all. She only knew that her life was being torn asunder.

Was it selfish for A’laya to come into her daughter’s life after all these years?

Perhaps Katherina would have fared better had A’laya not searched for her.

She lifted her head and brushed the tears from her cheeks.

She would not think in such a way. Could not think in such a manner. She needed Katherina. And no matter how it all hurt in that moment, her daughter needed her, too.

There was so much she longed to share with Katherina, and even more that A’laya desired to learn about the daughter who’d grown up without her. When had she taken her first steps? What had been her first word? Did she excel at learning? Had she many friends? Did she prefer summer over winter? Even the simplest question, Katherina’s favorite color, was unknown to A’laya.

“My lady.” The soft tone of Lord Joshua Stuart’s voice was unexpected. “With your agreement, I think we should return to my townhouse. Kate—Katherina—has been residing there since the fire. I have plenty of room, and I am certain we are all famished. My carriage is just outside.”

A’laya had arrived in London expecting to face a foe in the solicitor, yet she’d found him to be kind and, most of all, trustworthy. An ally. Lavinia had taught her years before that reading someone wasn’t about mystic powers as much as it was about intuition. A’laya could confess that she’d been severely lacking in instinct. With Lavinia’s tutelage and support, she’d learned the skill with a swiftness the older woman had claimed was uncommon and a rarity.

When she’d held the lord’s hand earlier, he hadn’t tensed, nor had his palm moistened with nerves. He’d looked her in the eyes, and his stare hadn’t wavered even an inch. His breathing did not quicken nor halt. He hadn’t bestowed a false smile on her nor evaded her questions, except when it came to withholding information that would protect Katherina.

She hadn’t known a more honorable peer since her father’s passing.

A’laya suspected that if he thought she would cause Katherina any harm, the lord would not have allowed her to get within sight of her daughter.

“I appreciate your offer and desperately wish for more time with Katherina,” A’laya said, accepting the man’s kindness. “I shall follow on my mare.”

“It is late, and the temperature is falling rapidly.” He shook his head as he stood. “You will ride in the carriage with us.”

She caught Katherina studying her, taking in her attire and her hair. She should have spent the extra coin to bathe at the inn the previous night, but A’laya hadn’t known what she’d discover when she arrived in London, and she had only enough coin for one more stay at an inn.

“I think it best I follow on horseback, my lord.” She’d come to speak with the solicitor. She hadn’t dreamt she’d find Katherina so quickly. The situation was moving far faster than A’laya had expected, and a few moments to think everything through would be beneficial for both of them. “I will ride behind you the entire way.”

“Night is upon us, and I fear this is when thieves and other miscreants frequent the streets of London.” Katherina stood and stared down at her, her eyes softening. “It is not safe.”

“I can care for myself.” Never, not since being dumped on the side of the road, had A’laya allowed herself to be helpless in any situation. “The offer of a bed and a hot meal are generous enough.”

And the opportunity to spend more time with Katherina. It was more than she’d hoped to gain on her journey to London.

“It is settled.” Lord Joshua Stuart clasped his hands and gave both women a tentative smile. “Katherina and I will ride in the carriage, and the countess will follow on her own horse. Shall we be off?”

A’laya’s knees and back ached as she stood. She shook out her skirts and nodded.

She should be overwhelmed with the idea of seeing her daughter after all these years; however, finding her was only the beginning. There was so much they needed to discuss—mostly that A’laya never would have consented to giving her babe away. Nor would she have abandoned her… not for anything or anyone.

As they departed the building, she was struck by how much Katherina resembled A’laya’s own mother. Her coloring was several shades lighter, but her upturned nose, her rounded chin, her long, curling, ebony hair were all things inherited from her Barbadian lineage. In addition to the likeness, Katherina had her grandmother’s kind heart but without A’laya’s ingenuousness. The woman was capable and independent. She possessed a cultured tone despite being raised away from a noble family. She seemed skilled at knowing who to trust, as evidenced by Lord Joshua’s presence in her life.

Katherina had survived without A’laya. She’d done more than survive, she’d thrived.