Knowing Juliette would dance wherever shelived, he hired investigators to search for her among the largestcities on the Continent, but she had not been found. Now he wasinto a new Season, already bored with the balls, entertainments anddebutants being presented and Juliette was still missing.
“Drake, you are not dressed for the RichmondBall,” his mother scolded as she sailed into the room.
“I am not going.”
“What? But you must!” she cried.
“Why?” Acker sighed but he already knew theanswer.
“You are not getting any younger. You mustmarry, and you need an heir,” she wagged a finger at him.
Three and thirty was not that old. He hadplenty of time to marry and produce a passel of children if hewished. The difficulty was he thought he wanted Juliette as themother.
His mother strode toward him. “You’ve notshown an interest in any young lady. Not during the Little Seasonafter you returned, nor this Season so far. Even when you believedyou and Eleanor may one day wed, you didn’t ignore thedebutants.”
He pushed his fingers through his hair andreturned to the sideboard to refill his brandy. Perhaps he wouldn’tknow love, at least not like his parents. It was a depressingthought.
“Who is she?”
Acker turned, glass in hand. “Pardon?”
“I asked, who is she?”
“I am sure I don’t know what you mean.” Didhe dare tell his mother about Juliette? What would she think?
Mother crossed her arms over her bosom andnarrowed her eyes. That look used to make him cower when he was asmall boy, not that she would ever hurt him, but the narrowed eyesand pursed lips were enough that he did not want to risk anyfurther displeasure.
“Since you have returned you’ve no interestin Society or even your friends, other than that house party youhosted when you returned last summer.”
Yes, the house party. He had wanted toreconnect with his friends, put Juliette behind him. He thought hewas going to be with Eleanor until he realized she was in love withBentley, and Bentley her, even though the man didn’t realize ityet.
That was also the time he learned the secretsof Bentley’s family and that his mother was very much aware thatthe late Lady Bentley and her daughter had not died when theircarriage went over a bridge but that they had run away to France.Acker recalled the conversation as if it occurred yesterday. He hadbeen meeting with Bentley when his mother arrived. Lady Bentley,Adele, had been taking Julia, who was only two or three at thetime, and running away from her husband because he had taken awillow switch to Julia. The two had gone to Paris and remainedthere until she was eight and ten, just like Juliette.
“How old would Julia be now?”
She frowned. “Four and twenty, or perhapsfive and twenty. Why do you ask?”
Was it possible?
No, he shook the thought from his mind. “Itisn’t important.”
His mother settled into the dark green chair.“I daresay it is, or you wouldn’t have asked.”
“A mere curiosity.” Mother would think him afool.
“Indulge me. Now you have my interest.”
Acker nearly groaned. He should have neversaid anything because now she would not leave until he told hereverything.
“And pour me wine,” she ordered with asmile.
Acker did her bidding and told her the storyof how he met Juliette, leaving out the part that he tried toseduce her and make her his mistress. There were some things amother did not need to know about her son. “The coincidence struckme. Juliette and her mother left England when she was a childbecause her father had died. She was raised in Paris until shortlybefore her eighteenth birthday when her mother moved her and hersisters to Italy.”
“Sisters?” His took another sip of herwine.
“Yes. Twin sisters, approximately three yearsyounger than Juliette.”
“I am sure Adele would have told me if shewere expecting.”
“Would she?” Acker questioned.
His mother sighed. “I am not so sure now. Iwas not to know where she was to go for certain and then sheactually did end up in Paris, with her grandmother.”
Acker stiffened. “Juliette’s mother returnedto her grandmother in Paris, after she left England.”
His mother sat up and leaned forward. “Didyou meet this Juliette’s mother?”
Acker shook his head. “No. Juliette wasn’teven to have contact with me, or any gentleman for that matter. Wemet in secret.”
“What did she look like?” Lady Acker askedbefore she drained her glass and rose to pour another.
“Reddish gold hair, emerald eyes.”
His mother turned and stared at him. “Howtall?”
“Her head came to my nose.”
His mother pursed her lips and thought, notlooking at Acker. A moment later she shook her head. “It cannot bepossible. I am sure it is a coincidence.”
“A very odd coincidence.”
“Julia and Juliette are similar names, thoughI don’t know why Adele would change it.” His mother sank into thechair once again and sighed. “Adele did love the theatre.”
Juliette took a deep breath and knocked onthe stage door of The Theatre Royal. She had to find work within.Even if she wasn’t allowed to dance, she could play small companyroles in any production. Their funds were dwindling and she and hersisters couldn’t afford to lose their rented set of rooms, not withmaman ill. Her cough had worsened and it kept them all awake atnight. Though her mother tried to hide the evidence, Juliette hadseen the dark specks of blood on the handkerchiefs. If only theyhad the funds for a doctor and medicine, but at the moment, theycould barely afford rent and food and that was only becauseGenviève had found a position as a maid. It only required Genvièveto be gone during the day so it didn’t pay as well as one thatrequired maids to live within the home of their employers, but shewas still earning badly needed income. If only she and Hélène couldfind positions, they could get mother the care she needed.
Why had her mother taken so long
