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“I was. But I received some correspondence you should see.” He set Lydia down and nudged her back toward Scarlett, catching the redhead’s eye as he did so. Scarlett immediately scooped Lydia up and took her off to another room, murmuring something about a story.
Arthur took a deep breath. “After we returned... I wrote to your father, informing him of my intention to wed you and seeking his permission, as is customary. I told him the story I mentioned to you in Bath regarding Lydia’s ‘father.’ I received his response a few minutes ago, along with this.” He held out the letter addressed to her.
Nora took the letter and unfolded it, reading slowly over the words. Her eyes went wide, then filled with tears that she blinked rapidly to keep from falling. A trembling smile nudged at one corner of her mouth. “It is from my mother. She says she and father are in London, and she wishes to see me.”
“That is similar to the letter I received. Your father has requested to visit here in three days time to speak to both of us, and meet your daughter.” He saw a flash of fear in Nora’s expressive eyes and reached out to rest his hands gently on her shoulders. “I swear, he’ll not take our girl. And if he cannot be courteous, or is unwilling to truly reconcile, then he shall be dismissed from the house.”
Nora nodded, still shaky. “Thank you.” Her gaze flicked in the direction her daughter and friend had gone.
Arthur released her. “I will write to him.”
She nodded and offered him a slightly stronger smile. “Thank you, Arthur.”
Arthur watched her follow their daughter and made a note as he turned to retrace his steps to the office.
He rather thought Scarlett ought to be at the meeting as well.
* * *
Nora felt as though her stomach was going to rebel at any second, so strong were her nerves.
Her family was expected to arrive at any moment, and for the life of her, she could not think what she would say to them.
It helped that Arthur was beside her and that Scarlett and Lydia were close by as well, all of them in the large receiving room off the front hall. Even so, she did not think she had ever been so nervous. Not at her coming out ball. Not at her first attempts to find work in London, with virtually no skills worth mentioning.
Four years of separation, and for all that she had longed for reconciliation, she could not help wishing it might be delayed a little longer.
She heard the tell-tale rumble of wheels on the drive and took a deep breath, refusing to look out the window as Lydia was doing.
She could do this. Shewoulddo this.
The seconds seemed to each be the length of hours as they ticked by as she waited for Bradstone to escort her parents to the room.
Finally, the door swung open, and Bradstone announced, “Lord and Lady Beaumont.”
The man and woman who entered were both achingly familiar and, at the same time, much different from the strong figures she remembered. Her mother’s hair held much more gray than she recalled, and her father’s neatly trimmed beard had gone white, his dark hair having transitioned to salt-and-pepper coloring in the intervening years.
And yet, the stern set of her father’s jaw was still the same as she remembered. So were her mother’s wide and tear-filled eyes as she stepped away from her husband and hurried forward. “Nora…”
One moment she was standing beside Arthur. The next, she was in her mother’s arms, embracing her tightly and feeling the pressure of her mother’s arms around her. Tears leaked from her eyes as she breathed in the familiar scent of jasmine and lilac, which was her mother’s favorite. “Mother.”
“Nora. Oh, how I’ve missed you, my darling daughter.” Her mother finally broke their embrace to look at her. “You look well.”
“I am.” She breathed deep in an attempt to regain some measure of composure and decorum. “I am doing quite well.” She studied her mother’s face, lined with cares she was sure had not been present when she left home and felt the prick of guilt. “Mother, I am sorry I never told you where I was, but I did not want…”
She was silenced by another embrace. “I know, dear heart. I know, even if I do not agree.” After a moment, she looked over Nora’s shoulder to where Lydia and Scarlett stood. “Is that…?”
Nora stepped back and turned, gesturing Scarlett and Lydia closer. “Mother, this is my daughter, Lydia. Lydia, this is my mother, Danielle Beaumont.”
“Nice to meet you.” Lydia studied her mother with wide guileless eyes. “Are you my gran’mother too?”
Nora’s mother laughed softly and reached out to brush a stubborn lock of hair back. “I am indeed, darling. I am your mother’s mother.”
“Gran’mother.” Lydia nodded, then looked at Lord Beaumont. “And is he my gran’father?”
“If he wants to be.” Nora stroked her daughter’s hair softly. Then she looked past her mother’s shoulder to her father, who still stood by the door.
After a long moment of hesitation, her father strode forward and inclined his head stiffly to Lydia. “Father, this is my daughter Lydia. Lydia, this is my father, Lord Nelson Beaumont.” She paused, then added the last words, unable to resist. “Your grandfather.”
