Helen Dickson Rogue's W

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Hardy lived in Chelsea with her husband and two children.
Leaving Mr Quinn and Nan at the hotel where they were to
spend the night before taking the train north the following
morning Amanda went to see her with Sky.
Kit s cousin was a tall, attractive, dark-haired woman who
welcomed Amanda warmly. The minute she laid eyes on Sky
she knew who she was. The moment was an emotional one
for her; scooping the wide-eyed child up into her arms, she
hugged her tightly. So you are Kit s little girl, she said when
she had composed herself, setting Sky on her feet once more
and tracing her cheek with her finger. I have waited a long
time to meet you. I have heard all about you in the letters your
dear papa sent to me from America.
Sky s dark eyes did not flinch from the older woman s
touch. She was gazing up at her with interest, for, like
Amanda, she, too, noted the similarities in Victoria s features
that likened her to her dear papa. Becoming distracted when
a fair-haired little girl entered the room, no bigger than herself,
she went to her to introduce her to her doll, the one Amanda
had bought for her in Charleston and from which she refused
to be parted.
She s a delightful child quite adorable, Victoria said. So
like Kit in her mannerisms, but her Indian ancestry is evident
in her features.
She s been so good and brave, poor lamb. Everything has
been so confusing for her of late. Taking Kit s letter from her
reticule, she handed it to Victoria. Amanda had no knowledge
of what the letter contained, but she knew it would bring
Helen Dickson 65
Victoria pain. Kit asked me to give you this. He explains ev-
erything. Although I must tell you that the news will be up-
setting for you.
Victoria looked hard at this lovely, rather solemn young
woman she didn t know, and then turned and moved away to
read her cousin s letter. Amanda went to the nurse who had
accompanied the little girl into the room. Telling her that Mrs
Hardy had just received some distressing news, she asked her
to take the children to play in the nursery for a while.
After Victoria had read the letter, wiping the tears of grief
from her eyes, she slowly folded it and turned to Amanda,
shaking her head in disbelief. How could this happen? Kit
never hurt anyone in his life and to accuse him of murder&
I will never believe it. Her voice was raw with pain. Suddenly
a thought occurred to her. Does Sky know that her papa will
not be coming back?
No. When we left Charleston the the execution had not
been carried out, and I have heard nothing since. I asked
some friends of his Agatha and her husband to write to
you, to let you know when&
Victoria swallowed hard, trying to contain her grief.
Thank you. Do do you think he did it?
No, I don t and I m not alone in that. Unfortunately,
proving his innocence is another matter. There isn t a whisper
of proof to support his side of things. The one man able to bear
him witness has disappeared.
How can I tell Sky that she ll never see her papa again,
that he s dead? I won t say anything to her until I know
more. Poor Kit. He didn t deserve this. If he is dead, then may
he rest in peace, and, wherever he is, let him be assured that
I shall do my best in raising his daughter, that she will be like
one of my own.
Amanda hadn t stayed long after that. She had been deeply
66 Rogue s Widow, Gentleman s Wife
anxious about her meeting with Victoria Hardy and how Sky
would react when the time came for them to part, but now she
had met Kit s cousin she realised that there had been no need.
Sky had taken to her at once, and the fact that her new cousin
had two children would help her settle in. In fact, when
Amanda had left, the two little girls had been playing happily
together in the nursery.
And now, on the train heading north, thinking of Kit
about how angry and unhappy he must have been, worrying
about how his daughter would be taken care of she asked
herself if there was anything more she could have done, and
finally decided that there was not. She had done everything
he had asked of her and now she must put it behind her. It
was over and she must look to the future. A year of widow-
hood would soon pass and then she could do exactly as she
pleased. She looked out of the window, watching the land-
scape fly past, and wondered why her heart felt so heavy and
why she should feel so despondent when she had finally got [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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