In the lobby of the Palace of Westminster, while businessmen and noblemen hurried about, I stared at the Earl of Perth and he stared back at me. The sitting area could have been a wardrobe as my world narrowed to one single man. A man I quite possibly shared a close kinship with. I never dared to hope for something so unreachable before.
"Tell me about your meeting with General Hayes," he said, tackling the hard task of bringing us back to our senses.
I swallowed and wet my lips, willing my body to cooperate so I would not come off looking foolish. "We met at the Sea Dog Pub and Scrub. I only did it because the rumors had gotten too much. The innkeeper where I stayed swore I looked just like the general's daughter. And before long, I was the topic of speculation.
"As for the general himself, he was not pleased with the meeting. He treated me disparagingly and left the pub quite upset. I felt compelled to deliver an apology to the man, which I did before I left Chatham. A few days passed before I received a missive from him telling me that I might find some answers about my parentage through you."
The earl sat with his mouth tight and his fingers tapping the arm of the wingback. I could not tell if he was becoming angry with me or with the story I had just relayed. "It sounds to me like the old buzzard is still making everyone's lives miserable. It was a wonder Laurel bloomed at all under his command." He looked straight at me, and the muscles of his face relaxed. "The innkeeper was not lyin'. You are the image of Laurel. I noticed it straight off when I saw your eyes. I thought I was lookin' at her."
His Scottish accent had grown thicker, if I wasn't mistaken, and, once again, we took to staring at each other. I allowed myself to hope. "When was the last time you saw her?"
He took a breath, although it sounded more like a gasp, as if he had been holding the air inside his lungs. "It was thirty years ago...almost to the day. We met secretly. She told me she was leaving to get away from the hateful comments coming from the townsfolk. But mostly it was to escape the daily battles with her father. I would not be surprised if he'd been the one to throw her out. She would've been nearing her fifth month of pregnancy by then. Do you know the day you were born?"
"Yes. September twenty-second, seventeen eighty-three. I was born in a foundling hospital here in London."
The earl's demeanor turned thoughtful again, and his lips moved silently. "The timing does work out. And so does the name."
"What name?"
"Your name. Before she left, Laurel promised that if the child was a girl, she would name her after my sister who died when she was nary six years old. Her name was Rose."
I stifled a gasp. "That is something of a coincidence, isn't it? I am sorry for your loss."
"It has been long enough now. But it was still painful back then. I wonder, did the general say anything about his daughter? Did he ever hear from her after she left?"
"I'm afraid not. The general has adopted the idea that she is dead. But I do not believe there is any proof to support that claim. Did you ever hear from her after that?"
"No. But I expect it was not because she didn't wish to. I was waging my own battles with my father at the time. Being a noble, he had opposed our relationship from the start. When he learned I had been responsible for Laurel's untimely condition, he became a tyrant, making horrible threats that frightened us both. I worried for her safety, so I didn't attempt to locate her until my father passed fourteen years later. By then, the trail had gone cold. None of the foundling homes I queried knew of Laurel or her child."
"That would have been after the Ratcliffe fire that destroyed the foundling home where I was born. I was out of the orphan asylum and living with my foster family by then."
Another long moment of silence passed between us, although the lobby still buzzed with activity. A nobleman paused to greet the earl and received only half a glance. I had begun to worry about his state of mind when his countenance suddenly brightened. "May I see your feet?"
His odd question did not lessen my concerns that my unexpected appearance had caused him distress. "You wish me to remove my boots here...in the lobby of parliament, your grace?"
"Yes, please. Just one foot will do. It would go a long way to proving our relation. Isn't that what you came here to do?"
"I suppose it is. But..."
I stopped mid-sentence when he began untying his boot laces. It seemed he had no qualms removing his stockings in front of his peers, and I could not help liking him a little bit more for it. If I was to be related to a nobleman, I certainly didn't want him to be a self-centered arse.
I followed his instruction and unlaced one of my boots. Our strange behavior caught the attention of the ancient gentleman in the corner, and he leaned forward in his chair, rubbing his eyes and squinting at us. When we each had one foot exposed, the earl stood from his chair and set his foot close to mine.
"Well, would you look at that," he said. "You've got the Erskine toe." He bent over and pointed to the second toe of my foot, the one I'd always been self-conscious of due to its extraordinary length. "See how that one stretches above the others? It's a family trait that goes back five generations, perhaps more."
I looked at his foot, and while any other woman might have been completely taken aback by its naked appearance, I was used to seeing men's feet without their stockings. His second toe did, indeed, extend far above the rest.
"I say, Robert. What are you doing to this poor woman?" A man wearing a black top hat and carrying a cane appeared at my shoulder, looking down at us through a monocle. Just when I realized who the man was, the earl greeted him with a broad smile.
"Ah, prime minister. How fortunate you should be the first to learn the news. I would like you to meet my daughter, Mistress Rosalind Hayes."
The prime minister blinked, removing his monocle to assess me further. "I wasn't aware you had a daughter."
"Neither was I, until just now. See, she has the Erskine family toe." He pointed down, and a rush of heat filled my cheeks as a second gentlemen joined the prime minister, and all of them ogled our bare feet.
Soon, the lobby became filled with talk of the earl's long-lost daughter, and while he seemed completely chuffed by the news, I knew very well how easily false rumors got started. The earl still didn't know a thing about me, which was what worried me most.
I was tying my boot laces when the duke arrived in the lobby, and I hurried to explain to him what was happening. "Please, your grace. Is there some way we can temper this crowd? I don't want the earl to become embarrassed should the papers print something untoward about my profession, which he, at present, knows nothing about."
"Leave this to me."
The duke hurried toward a bellman standing at the door, and a moment later the bellman disappeared outside. Turning on his heel, Philip made haste back to where the earl was talking animatedly with a group of men. He interrupted whatever conversation had them engaged and ushered the earl into a private corner.
I did not take my eyes off the two noblemen for the next few minutes, speculating what the duke might be saying. At one point, the earl's eyes went wide, and my stomach flipped uncomfortably when he glanced my way. Not long after this, a journalist arrived, and the duke attended him to make introductions.
"Mistress Rosalind Hayes, may I introduce Norris Fairmont. He works for The Times. I thought it would be fitting to give them a chance to redeem themselves after all the speculation they've been making of late."
The jaw of the journalist unhinged at the duke's insinuation. Which was completely true. "I will do my very best to report the truth for our discerning readers." Norris rebounded with a tactful reply, but this didn't appear to impress the duke.
Over the next thirty minutes, I sat with these four gentlemen and recounted the pertinent details of how I came to discover my relation to the Earl of Perth. For his part, the earl helpfully provided details about my mother, the daughter of a military general in Chatham. I was afforded the opportunity to set the record straight on my relationship with the duke now that Captain Thompson was commanding my attention.
It wasn't until the journalist asked if a wedding date had been set that I wished for the whole business to be over. I repeated what I told everyone else who had asked the same question, and he seemed content to take his notebook and hurry back to his editor. Evening was upon us when I left the lobby in the company of the duke and the earl. Fortunately, the rain had stopped as we stood in front of our carriages.
"Well, I dunna remember a more exciting end to a House of Commons session." The earl seemed in good spirits despite the fact he had just learned he had a daughter operating as a courtesan for the better part of a decade. "I'm famished. Can I interest either of you in a light supper at Vauxhall Gardens?"
I was not surprised the earl had suggested such a locale. Vauxhall Gardens had a reputation as the most expensive eatery in London. But my body and mind ached to return home and dull the events of the day with a glass of port. Thankfully, the duke came to my rescue again.
"Why don't you join me and Rose at my home on Piccadilly? My cook can prepare anything the chefs at Vauxhall can. And we won't be bothered with inquiries."
The earl turned to me, wearing his concern in the crease of his brow. "Would that suit you, Rose? I know you must be exhausted, but I have a number of questions I fear will plague me if I don't ask them before I set off for home tomorrow."
"That suits me just fine, your grace."
The news of my noble parentage had Tilda and Jasper falling over themselves to cater to us. You would have thought it was them who'd been handed the monarchy. Clara and Douglas had gone for the day, but there was plenty of food for a light supper, and the earl offered many compliments that were kindly received by a perpetually blushing maid.
When we retired to the sitting room and a serving of port was warming my belly, I learned that the earl had married a woman of noble birth. Someone his father approved of and who had been a kind wife. Unfortunately, she only bore one child, who died before he reached two months. Because of her poor recovery, it was decided that she not risk her health to attempt another pregnancy.
"My younger brother, Laurence, will take over the estate upon my death," the earl explained. "While I'm not opposed to Laurey taking the reins, his son is a spoilt brat. I blame my mother for that. She has always favored Laurey's family over mine."
It seemed to me the earl had allowed the drink to loosen his lips. While I chose to stick with port, he and the duke were halfway through a bottle of brandy.
"She sounds like a mother who cares more about the monarchy than the wellbeing of her offspring. I know what that's like," the duke said. "What will she say when you tell her you have a daughter whose mother is not of noble blood?"
"She'll have a royal fit!" The earl laughed heartily, as if he couldn't wait to tell her. Somehow, this made me feel better.
"I hope your wife...that is, the countess, isn't terribly distressed by the news," I offered. "I assume she knows of your relationship with my mother."
"Yes, she knows. My parents made sure of it. But don't worry about her reaction. I have a feeling she will be pleased to know I sired a child who did not die within its first months of life." The earl drained the rest of his glass and set it on the serving tray. Then he leaned forward and stared at me with a suspicious crook in his brow. "I have been wondering all evening about that pendant around your neck. Where did you come by it?"
The blasted pendant again. Perhaps I should have listened to Jules and kept it locked in my jewelry box. "This was a gift from a captain I befriended while I was on board the HMHS Surety. We rescued him and his crew after his vessel was destroyed."
"Is that so? You sailed the Atlantic on the Surety's maiden voyage?"
"I did. It was an experience I will carry with me the rest of my days."
His head bobbed, seemingly impressed by this admission. Yet his gaze narrowed as he scrutinized the piece further. "Did this captain tell you where he procured the pendant? Did he tell you its worth?"
"I'm afraid I don't know its origin. And he claimed it had little value, although it held great meaning for him."
"Is this a captain of the king's royal navy?"
"No. He is not a military captain. He hails from Algeria."
The earl seemed satisfied with my story, nodding politely as he stood from his chair. "I appreciate you attending me in your home. Both of you. But I must get some rest before my journey tomorrow."
The duke and I stood to see him to the door, and before he left, he took my hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "I am very pleased to have learned of your existence, Rose. It is like a weight has been lifted from my mind. I will be in touch with you soon."
After we bid the earl farewell, the duke and I remained in the foyer. I had no desire to return to the sitting room. I could only think about my bed and my desperate need to curl beneath the linens and let the exhaustion take me.
"How are you feeling?" the duke asked.
"Tired, but I am happy to have learned my parentage."
"You don't look happy."
"Perhaps I am too tired to look happy. I expect a good night's sleep will bring me round."
"I suppose it is a good you are no longer engaging with your patrons, then."
"How do you mean?"
The duke's eyes twinkled with mischief as he pressed a chaste kiss to my cheek. "Because I would be taking you to bed if you were."