After she was there though, he couldn’t imagine what he intended. He wasn’t about to wed again. Nor would he shock the nation by wedding her, but he simply couldn’t bear to carry on without her. Especially with Penny and Simon figuring they could bluster to Roland without consequence. With Fish present, the reconciliation would go much more smoothly.
He was tugging on his coat, when suddenly, the door opened, and Libby strolled in. She hadn’t expected anyone to be standing in her foyer, and he hadn’t expected to bump into her, so they both blanched with surprise.
He regrouped first. “Hello, Libby. May I still call you Libby?”
“Hello, Lord Roland. To what do we owe the pleasure?”
Her tone was chilly and unfriendly, and he glanced down to check that his buttons were buttoned correctly.
“I was chatting with Fish,” he said.
Libby peered over his shoulder, but Fish was nowhere in sight. “You were chatting? Really?”
He wondered how much Fish had revealed about their antics. “She was tired, so she’s . . . ah . . . upstairs in her bedroom. Resting.”
“She doesn’t usually take naps.”
“For some reason, she . . . ah . . . was fatigued.”
He sounded like a dunce, and he decided to shut up about Fish. Besides, he and Libby had more important topics to address than his sexual misconduct with her companion.
She whipped away from him and yanked off her cloak and bonnet, and she made a great display of hanging them on the hook by the door. He sensed her aggravation, and he couldn’t fault her for her fit of pique.
What must it have been like to know for months that she’d found her father? Then to have him instantly reject her so she couldn’t even mention the possibility? He wished he had a machine that would whisk him back in time so he could retract the terrible comments he’d uttered that last afternoon.
“I had news to share with you,” he said. “It’s why I’m here.”
She turned to face him again, coolly asking, “What is it?”
“Your cousin, Simon, has eloped to Scotland with Penny.”
Her shoulders slumped. “I’m very sorry, and I hope you don’t blame me. When I was at Roland, I learned that he was flirting with her, and I ordered him to leave her alone. As you’ve discovered, he doesn’t always listen to me.”
“I don’t blame you.”
“Well . . . good.”
Their conversation faltered, and they stared, a thousand issues swirling between them. He yearned to raise the subject of her being Henrietta, but he wasn’t sure how. What subject was she yearning to raise? She was likely trying to devise a method to politely kick him out of her house.
“Could we talk for a minute?” he said.
“Aren’t we talking now?”
“Libby . . .” He had to swallow over and over before he could continue. “Fish had me read your box of letters.”
She was aghast. “You read them?”
“Yes.”
“Clearly, Fish should butt out of my private business.”
“Don’t be angry about it. I’m glad she showed them to me.”
There was a lengthy pause, one that was so protracted it seemed the whole universe was eagerly awaiting her response.
“Why would you be glad about it?” she ultimately asked.
“Because I think they’re genuine.” It was a tepid remark, and he said, “I should rephrase that. I know two of them were penned by your mother. I recognized her handwriting, so your Uncle Harry couldn’t have forged them.”
She frowned. “You believe I’m Little Henrietta?”
“Yes, I believe you are.”
“I guess I’m delighted to hear it. I’m shocked, but delighted.”
“That’s my feeling too: shocked, but delighted.” He reached out and took her hand. “We need to have some extensive discussions about how to go forward.”
“Maybe.”
“Would you travel to Roland and stay with me for a bit? Please?”
She drew away from him, but what had he been expecting? Had he imagined she’d weep with joy and tumble into his arms?
Yes, actually, he’d imagined exactly that. He was such an idiot!
“I would hate to encounter your sister-in-law again,” she said.
“She’s no longer at Roland. After she had you and Fish arrested, I sent her home to live with her own relatives instead of mine.”
“Good. I didn’t like her, and she didn’t deserve the spot she occupied in your life.”
“Penny and Simon will ride in very soon,” he said. “They’ll be a pair of annoying newlyweds, and I’m struggling with how I should greet them. They have to understand how upset I am, but I won’t cause a rift with them right off the bat. It would be a tremendous benefit to me if you were there when they arrived.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“You tried to tell me you were Henrietta, and I never gave you a chance to speak up. I most humbly apologize for that.”
“I was positive that it would be hard for you to swallow. It’s hard for me to swallow, and I’ve had months to ponder it. It’s why I didn’t inform anyone.”
“With our stumbling on the truth, we have to develop a plan for the future. I want to publicly claim you so you’ll be part of my family. I hope you want that too.”
He waited with bated breath for her to gush, Of course I want that too! Of course I want to be your daughter!
But her composed expression remained firmly in place. “I can’t decide what’s best. I have to ask Fish her opinion, then I’ll have to engage in some serious reflection.”
“If it will help in your deliberations, I’ve invited Fish to return to Roland too. You’re aware of my fondness for her, and it’s vexing me that she left. I’d like her to come back. In fact, I begged her to come back.”
“Has she agreed?”
“No. She’s being entirely stubborn about it.”
Libby smirked. “I like that you’ll have to work to get back in her good graces.”
“Do you suppose I’ll succeed?”
“Yes, eventually.”
“What about your good graces?” he asked. “Will I ever manage it?”
“I can’t predict what will occur.” She pulled the door open. “I appreciate you stopping by. It was kind of
