As Edward made the short walk from his home to that of Lord Hamilton, he could not help but ponder the changes in his life in the relatively short amount of time since he had gone off to Talcott House intending to return with Hyacinth as his wife. Frankly, he had lost track of the days, but he knew it could not have been more than a month, perhaps six weeks, since he first encountered his sweet Daisy. Had he not been on the street where others could observe him, he would have guffawed heartily. As it was, he pressed his finger to his upper lip, giving off the impression of suppressing a sneeze, should anyone care to notice.

Yes, life had gone from dour and dreary to a veritable carnival of fortune tellers, games of hide and seek, and secrets. And the list did not even include the carnal pleasures. All of it was due to one impish, adorable, endearing and sometimes scandalizing woman—his beloved Daisy. He would have no other.

Before ascending the stairs to the entry of Hamilton Manor, he took a deep breath and said a silent prayer. There was one final matter to resolve and he hoped he had not been wrong in his decision.

He handed his gloves and hat to the butler and waited in the foyer for Lord Hamilton to receive him. In the years since his parents’ death, Lord Hamilton had proven to be a loyal friend to Edward, giving him advice and counsel on the proper management of an estate. Not that Edward’s father had left him completely in the dark about such things, but no one had expected the former Earl of Sterling to pass away at such a young age.

A bout of nerves assailed Edward but he tamped them down, assuring himself of the wisdom of his mission. He would do anything—slay dragons, endure torture, cut off a limb—to secure the happiness of his sweet Daisy. A mere discussion with a gentleman was a pittance in comparison.

The butler escorted him to Lord Hamilton’s study and the older man rose to greet him. “Edward, I am pleased to see you, though I admit I did not expect a visit from a bridegroom so soon after taking a wife. You are not here for advice on marital relations, I assume? I was sorry you could not attend our garden party, but being young and in love, I can understand why you might not wish to spend an afternoon with a group of stuffy old people such as myself.” Edward was taken aback by the bawdy implications of his host’s words, but Lord Hamilton’s jovial manner quickly put him at ease.

Given the bracket-faced shrew who was Lord Hamilton’s wife, Edward was often surprised at the man’s good spirits.

“No, thank you, my lord, that will not be necessary. I have come on a matter of business.”

“Business, you say?” Lord Hamilton resumed his seat and invited Edward to do the same. “It must be quite a proposition if you have torn yourself away from your bride to come here and speak to me of it. Please,” he gestured with his hand, “do tell.”

Edward took a deep breath. He had played the following piece of conversation over in his mind repeatedly and now hoped it would accomplish his desired outcome.

“I have come to make an offer of employment to Vickers and thought I ought to discuss it with you first. I should hate for you to believe I had gone behind your back to lure away a valuable servant.”

“Vickers? My steward? And what of your own steward, Chauncy? Has he left your employ?”

“No, Chauncy is still very much in my employ. However, it has come to my attention that Vickers did an extraordinary kindness for my bride a few years ago. It was as a direct result of this kindness which led to my wife being taken to Talcott House, which is how we came to be wed. She has only recently told me of the incident and I wish to reward him for his actions and I should also be pleased to have a man of such character on my staff.”

Lord Hamilton sat back in his seat and studied Edward, his hands steepled in front of him. “There is more to this story, is there not? Before I give my blessing for you to attempt to sway a dedicated and important member of my household to leave, I trust you will enlighten me as to this heroic deed.”

Perhaps he was being a coward for not coming right out and explaining the situation to Lord Hamilton, but he feared the shock might have an adverse effect on the man, and so he had chosen a less direct method.

“Several years ago,” Edward began, “my wife was evicted from her home and Vickers was instructed to transport her to the workhouse.”

Lord Hamilton’s brow furrowed. “Was he in my employ at the time? I do not recall evicting any of my tenants, and I would never give an order for a young woman to be sent off to the workhouse. Please, explain yourself.”

“The order was given by Lady Hamilton, my lord.”

At the mention of his wife’s name, a scowl covered his face. “I ought to have known. I made a grave error in marrying that woman. I had hoped to be able to live amicably with her until Lady Millicent leaves home. However, recently I have given serious thought to sending her off to the country. Alone.”

“With all due respect to your lordship, you have borne up well under your matrimonial burden. No one would think less of you if you were to, shall we say, desire some distance from your wife.”

“I ought to have taken a switch to her years ago. But, I was overwrought with guilt...” His voice trailed off and Edward assumed he had stopped himself from revealing his relationship with Daisy’s mother. Lord Hamilton shook his head. “Please, continue your story. I am sure my wife shall not come out of this well.”

“Instead of taking the girl to the workhouse, Vickers disobeyed Lady Hamilton and drove this young woman, who at the time was a poor orphaned child, to Talcott House and left her in the care of Miss Wickersham and that is where she remained until our marriage.”

He paused while Lord Hamilton digested that information.

“An orphan, you say?” Lord Hamilton had gone pale.

“Yes,” Edward said, “I believe her mother was a governess.”

Lord Hamilton fell back in his chair as though struck by a mighty blow. “Charlotte…” he whispered in a daze. “She told me she was dead. I searched and searched…”

Edward went to the sideboard and poured them each a drink, handing a glass to Lord Hamilton he said, “She is under the impression you are her father.”

“Yes, I am,” he said after a pause. He smiled ruefully. “That is the first time I have ever acknowledged her as my child.” The drink seemed to revive his lordship and suddenly he stood. “She is alive you say? And you have married her?”

“That is correct.” Edward stood as well.

“I must go to her.” He charged toward the door at an ungentlemanly pace and suddenly halted when he reached the hall. “Will she see me? After all that has transpired?” He stared into Edward’s face and for the first time ever, Edward saw genuine fear in Lord Hamilton.

Edward clapped him on the back. “Yes, she is most eager to see you.”

* * *

Daisy peeked through the curtains of the drawing room for what was probably the one hundredth time since Papa’s departure. He had insisted it was the proper thing to do and she had reluctantly agreed. Daisy had never been one to let a sleeping dog lie, but in this instance, where her past would be brought front and center and her suspicions about her parentage would be either confirmed or denied, she had a hard time believing it would not have been better to leave well enough alone.

But she had vowed never to have secrets. Though the vow had been to Papa, she had determined not to live a lie any longer. No more hiding. With Papa by her side, she could face anything. Even Lady Hamilton.

Mrs. Daniels came in to ask a question and when Daisy looked up after the housekeeper left the room, there he was. Her father, Lord Hamilton. She had envisioned this moment countless times over the years, but now that it was upon her, she could only stare. Lord Hamilton had aged since she last saw him. Worry lines etched his face, but his eyes held the same kind gaze she remembered. She could not control the smile that burst across her face and she stepped toward him.

Apparently that was all the encouragement he needed as he crossed the room and engulfed her in an embrace filled with love and sadness and regret. All the emotions they had both experienced during their separation. She looked past Lord Hamilton’s shoulder to her husband and reached her hand out to him.

Her heart was full. Her life complete.