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They made their way out of the church and onto the steps, where a cry of delight caused Eloise to turn. There was Delphine, and she flung her arms around Eloise and embraced her.
“Oh, My Lady. How I’ve missed you. I never thought… oh, how wonderful,” she exclaimed, kissing Eloise on both cheeks, before standing back, looking somewhat embarrassed.
Eloise was overjoyed to see her, and Jackson sang her praises for all she had done to help in the search for Alice.
“Poor Delphine, she followed me faithfully around every orphanage in London. But we never gave up, did we?” Jackson said, and Delphine smiled.
“No, Your Grace. We never gave up. And we never would’ve, either. But to see you and your sister reunited, My Lady… oh, it brings joy to my heart.”
“And it brings joy to my heart to see you, too, Delphine. I was so worried after what happened on our journey to Bath. How did you get back to London?” Eloise asked.
“I walked, My Lady. And I went straight to His Grace and told him everything I knew. We’ve been searching for your sister ever since. But… oh, let’s not dwell on the past. Let’s dwell on the future, instead.” Delphine clapped her hands together in delight.
Eloise thought that to be a very good idea, indeed. Suddenly, an exasperated shout from a nearby carriage made them all look up.
“Well, come on, we haven’t got all day. Are we going to drink a toast, or not?” Jackson’s uncle called out, and everyone, even Eloise’s father, laughed.
CHAPTER34
Many toasts were drunk that evening. The party returned to the Viscount’s house, and whilst the Viscount was somewhat subdued – hardly surprising given the scandal that had engulfed him – the rest made merry at his expense. Claret and champagne were proffered, and Eloise learned more about her sister’s remarkable story.
“You have a child, then?” Eloise asked as she and her sister sat by the hearth with their glasses of claret.
“Two, Annabelle and Samuel. She’s five and he’s three. They’re delightful. I can’t wait for you to meet them, and James, too,” Alice replied.
Eloise was amazed, even as it should have come as no surprise to her to learn her sister had a life of her own. Many years separated them since their last encounter. A lifetime of change. And there was so much more for them to discover about one another.
“A niece and a nephew. How wonderful. And your husband, he’s a gentleman farmer, is he?”
“We farm in a village called Draycott. It’s a charming place, a day or so by carriage from London. It’s so peaceful there. He’s been good to me. I’ve been very happy.”Alice’s eyes twinkled.
This, too, sounded strange to Eloise. She had imagined her sister’s life to be a tragedy – the runaway, left destitute, and with nothing. But this was not the case. Alice had made a life for herself, and it was one to be envied. She was happy and had found love. She had two children and lived in contentment.
“I’m glad. Oh, I’m so glad, Alice. All these years, I’ve wondered where you were, if you were happy, what you were doing. I’ve longed to hear from you, and now, I can hardly believe you’re here.” Eloise took Alice’s hand in hers.
“When Jackson and Delphine arrived at the farm, I was cautious. I didn’t know why they’d be looking for me. I thought of you every day, but so much time had passed, and… I didn’t know if you’d want to see me again. It was all so complicated, and I didn’t know what Father had told you. Perhaps he’d poisoned your mind against me. I was illegitimate, and it would’ve created a terrible scandal. No, it has created a terrible scandal. But when I heard of your plight, I knew I had to do something to help you.” Alice squeezed her sister’s hand.
Eloise smiled. Alice still possessed that same kindly disposition she had known when they were children. Alice was her elder sister, and elder sisters always took care of their younger siblings. She recalled an incident when she had fallen from her pony whilst out riding with Alice in the park, and it had been Alice who had held her head in her lap and called for help from a passerby. They had been the closest of friends, and Eloise felt certain they could be so again.
“And you did. I knew you’d been found. Jackson got a message to me. But I didn’t know where you were, or when you’d be coming back. I never lost faith, though. I thought of you every day, and I’m just so grateful to have you here.”
Alice smiled and took Eloise’s hands in hers.
“We’ll never lose one another again, I promise. Nothing can separate the love between two sisters. It’s a sacred bond, and we know that more than anyone,” Alice vowed.
They talked a while longer, and it felt to Eloise as though no time had passed at all since the evening before she had discovered Alice’s disappearance. They had taken up at precisely the point they had left off, at ease with one another as though this was merely the continuation of that last conversation. At length, the hour grew late, and Jackson’s uncle had a carriage summoned to take him home.
“Are you coming, Jackson?” he asked, but Jackson shook his head.
“I’ll follow on, Uncle. You go. I’d like to talk to Eloise,” he said, and Eloise smiled.
Her father made no objection, and since it was a warm evening, the two of them stepped out into the moonlight and walked arm in arm through the garden. Eloise could only feel the greatest sense of relief at what had happened, even as she longed for the possibility of what might come next.
* * *
“It’s a beautiful evening, isn’t it?” Eloise said, as she and Jackson paused in the rose garden, where the lingering scent of late summer roses hung in the air.
“The sun sets on happiness and tragedy alike. But how glad I am to find it setting on happiness today.” He nodded.
