Sarah listened with only half an ear as Lord Thorndyke and Lord Higgs discussed what they intended to do once they reached Lord Andrew’s home. Her mind was troubled. She had no intention of remaining at Lord Thorndyke’s home whilst they both went out in search of Mrs. Avis. At the same time, she grew sick with the thought of seeing Lord Andrew for the first time, the man who had engineered the death of her mother.

Her hands were folded in her lap, her fingers twined together tightly as she stared, unseeingly, out of the window.

“Sarah?”

She started, turning towards Lord Thorndyke. “Yes?”

His hand reached for her joined ones, settling over them both. “Are you quite all right?”

Nodding, she tried to smile at him. “I am.”

“Are you sure? I can tell that you are worried.” His smile grew softer, as his eyes flicked across her face. “You have lines that only appear when something is on your mind.”

A little self-conscious, Sarah rubbed at her forehead. “I want to be here for this.”

“I know you do,” Lord Thorndyke replied gently. “But if it all becomes too much, there is no shame in returning to the carriage. I will support you in whatever way I can, but here, in the carriage, is safety. Do you understand?”

Sarah looked up into his face, her eyes fixing on his. Lord Thorndyke was so kind, so tender, that she could not help but smile back at him, her heart filling with affection for him despite the thundering emotions rattling all through her. “Thank you. You are always so considerate of me.”

“As I should be,” came the sweet reply, making her smile all the more. “Remember to be careful, my love. I would not have anything happen to you.”

She nodded, promising to be careful whilst continuing to hold his gaze. He really was a man of honor, a man who would be a wonderful husband and friend over the years of their life together. After all, not every gentleman would have allowed her to come here, but Thorndyke had known why she needed to join them, why she needed to see Lord Andrew. He had understood her without her having to explain. Already, there was a deep attachment between them.

“Here we are,” Lord Higgs murmured, as the carriage rolled to a stop. “Carefully now, Sarah. Remember to stand behind us.”

“Out of sight initially,” Lord Thorndyke said, as the carriage door opened. “Just until we know what kind of welcome we are to have.”

The house was small, squeezed between a long line of other houses, which all had the same dimensions. The small wooden door was dulled and scratched, the knocker falling heavily on the peeling wood.

“Not the best place in London,” Lord Thorndyke commented, glancing behind him to ensure that Sarah had placed herself out of sight of the front door by standing just behind him, one step below. “But then again, given Lord Andrew’s financial difficulties, I am surprised he has managed to secure even this place.”

The door swung open to reveal a tall, lanky young man, who wore what had once been a clean and pressed footman’s uniform. It was loose about the man’s neck, the sleeves flapping over his hands.

“Lord Andrew, please,” Lord Higgs said at once, taking a step inside. “Where is he?”

The young man gawked at Lord Higgs, his face paling.

“Don’t tell me that he has gone out, for I shan’t believe it,” Lord Higgs continued airily. “Where is he, please? If you do not tell us, then I am afraid we shall have to go in search of him ourselves.”

The young man turned to look at Lord Thorndyke before turning back to Lord Higgs.

“I ain’t meant to say, milord.”

Lord Thorndyke stepped forward, gesturing for Sarah to follow. “Then let me make it worth your while,” he murmured, pulling a few gold coins from his pocket. “Will this loosen your tongue?”

Sarah watched as the supposed footman’s eyes widened, accepting the coins greedily.

“Well?” Lord Thorndyke asked impatiently. “Where is he?”

“Second door on your left,” the young man mumbled. “Thank you, milord.”

Lord Thorndyke said nothing but followed Lord Higgs down the corridor with Sarah in tow. She could feel her heart beating frantically as they walked, aware of the beads of sweat trickling down her back. She was frightened yet hopeful, determined yet unsure.

“Wait here,” Lord Thorndyke murmured, as Lord Higgs came to the door. “Just until I call you in.”

Sarah knotted her fingers together and nodded, her jaw jutting out as she fought to contain her frustration.

“Thank you,” Lord Thorndyke whispered, dropping his head to press a light kiss to her lips. “Courage, my dear. It will all be over soon.”

Looking up at him, Sarah held his gaze for a moment, drawing in some of the strength she found there as the imprint of his lips on hers remained.

“Come on,” Lord Higgs hissed, his hand on the door handle. “Time is of the essence.”

Lord Thorndyke smiled at her before turning back towards Lord Higgs. With a nod, Lord Higgs threw open the door, and the two gentlemen strode in, leaving Sarah to stand outside behind the door that was only open a crack.

“What is the meaning of this?” she heard a voice exclaim, recognizing it to be Lord Andrew. “You cannot burst into my home like this!”

“Mrs. Avis,” she heard Lord Thorndyke say gently. “How good to see you again. We are come to take you back home with us.”

There came a harsh laugh, making Sarah wince. “She is not going anywhere with you,” came Lord Andrew’s angry voice. “She is my wife. She remains with me.”

“I do not think so,” Lord Higgs replied, his voice frustratingly calm. “Come, Mrs. Avis. It is best that you leave at once.”

The sound of a pistol being cocked made Sarah gasp, her hands flying to her mouth to cover the sound. It could only be Lord Andrew’s gun, for neither Lord Thorndyke nor Lord Higgs had brought their pistols, arming themselves with swords instead.

“I will thank you for leaving my wife well alone,” Lord Andrew snarled, his voice coming ever closer to the door. “Come with me, now, Laura. No questions.”

“I do not think you want to do that,” Lord Thorndyke said quietly. “We know more about you than you think, Lord Andrew.”

Sarah held her breath, as the sound of scurrying footsteps came towards the door. Clearly, Mrs. Avis had done what she had been told. Her mind screamed at her to run, to leave this situation in Lord Higgs and Lord Thorndyke’s capable hands and to make her way back to the safety of the carriage, but instead, she remained exactly where she was.

“Rubbish,” Lord Andrew laughed darkly, his shadow now falling across the half-open door.

“Murder?” Lord Thorndyke replied quietly. “We have proof.”

There was a short, stunned silence, and Sarah took this opportunity to look through the crack in the door, keeping herself as quiet as possible.

Lord Andrew stood just in front of the door, his back to her. She could not see past him, but should she push the door as hard as possible, then she could knock hard into Lord Andrew and take him completely by surprise.

“Put the pistol down,” Lord Higgs said, his voice hard. “Threatening anyone is not going to help your cause.”

Sarah’s heart climbed into her throat. Was Lord Andrew threatening someone? Who? Lord Thorndyke? Mrs. Avis? Lord Higgs?

“My wife is coming with me, and you are to leave my home,” Lord Andrew grated, as Sarah heard Mrs. Avis let out a whimper. “Proof or not, you have no right to march in here.”

“And now I suppose you intend to leave this place?”

Sarah frowned, as Lord Andrew laughed again in answer to Lord Thorndyke’s question.

“Yes, I do,” he said, chuckling. “You have given me ample warning, and I will be heading off to another part of this wonderful country.”

No, Sarah thought to herself, one hand tightening around the door handle. He cannot stay in England. I will never be safe. My brother will never be safe. This has to end.

Drawing in a deep breath, Sarah closed her eyes, and then, with all of her might, she threw the door forward, hard. She used every bit of her strength, feeling it slam into something solid.

There came shouts, cries, and the sound of hurrying feet, but Sarah still clung onto the door handle, not quite sure what to do. She half expected to feel the steel pistol pressing against her back, her eyes closing tightly for a few moments.

“Sit down, Lord Andrew.”

“Sarah!”

She let out a long breath, looking over her shoulder to see Lord Higgs marching Lord Andrew to a chair, pistol in hand. Lord Thorndyke held her tightly, turning her around so that she was held securely in his arms.

“I am all right,” she gasped, her breath leaving her body as she stared at the man now sitting opposite her. “I am all right, Thorndyke. Really.”

“You are incredible,” he murmured, as she stood tall beside him. “He had the pistol pressed to Mrs. Avis’s back. If you had not done what you did then he most likely would have left with her.”

Sarah saw Mrs. Avis sitting down carefully in a chair opposite her, her face white. A huge swell of relief flooded Sarah, as she saw her familiar face, her hand tightening on Lord Thorndyke’s.

“We found her,” she breathed, as Lord Thorndyke led her towards the couch near Mrs. Avis. “Oh, Mrs. Avis, I am so glad you are safe.”

To Sarah’s horror, the woman’s face crumpled, as Sarah drew near, tears beginning to pour down her cheeks.

“I am so sorry,” she gasped, as Sarah took her hand. “I should have told you everything, but I was so afraid.”

Sarah pressed her hand tightly, crouching down to look into Mrs. Avis’s face. “It is quite all right,” she murmured gently. “You have nothing to worry about any longer, Mrs. Avis. You will come to live with Lord Thorndyke and me for the rest of your days. You will be Mrs. Avis, not Lady Andrew Fairley, and you will be a most precious part of our family.”

Mrs. Avis cried all the harder. “I do not deserve your kindness.”

“You do,” Sarah replied firmly. “You were the one to put the locket under my pillow, were you not?”

Mrs. Avis nodded, her eyes red-rimmed. “I had to. It took me two days of travel, but I had no choice. He—” her eyes shot to Lord Andrew, whom Sarah had not yet turned to look at. “He had discovered where you were. Apparently, your uncle’s solicitor was a little too talkative when he was in his cups.”

“Mr. Featherstone,” Sarah murmured, recalling how she had taken an instant dislike to the man. “Mrs. Avis, none of this is your fault. It is all squarely on Lord Andrew’s shoulders.”

Closing her eyes for a moment to steady herself, Sarah rose to her feet and turned around slowly to look at the man who had killed her mother. He was somewhat diminutive, with a stick-like figure and a shock of grey hair and light blue eyes that were filled with fear.

And, at that moment, all of Sarah’s trepidation left her at once. Lord Andrew was not the tall, strong, terrifying man she had expected. Instead, he was small, wiry, and seemingly afraid of her presence.

“Lord Andrew,” she said, getting to her feet. “I believe you killed my mother.”

Lord Andrew’s eyes opened wide, staring at her for a long moment.

“And I believe you had been pursuing my brother and me whilst my father was still alive,” she continued calmly. “And yet it is I who now has the power over you. I have no fear, whereas you ought to be the one who is more than a little afraid.”

“And why is that?” Lord Andrew asked, one eyebrow raised. “I hardly think I have anything to fear from a child such as you.”

Lord Thorndyke made to speak, but Sarah shook her head, glancing back at him in the hope he would understand. She had to speak. She had to be the one to do this. Lord Thorndyke understood at once, his mouth closing as he nodded at her gently.

Feeling courage bubbling up within her, Sarah turned back to Lord Andrew, who remained sitting, kept in place by the threat of Lord Higgs holding a pistol.

“Lord Andrew, I know what you did to my mother,” she said firmly. “I also know that you took the locket from around my mother’s neck and took it as your own.”

Lord Andrew’s mouth fell open in shock, confirming to Sarah everything she thought.

“A beautiful locket, decorated with seed pearls and an amethyst,” she continued, seeing the shock spread through Lord Andrew’s features. “But you could do nothing with it, since it tied you to my mother and her death. How foolish of you to try and pawn it.”

From behind her, Sarah heard the rustle of Mrs. Avis’s skirts, as she rose to her feet to come to stand behind Sarah.

“He was drunk,” she said in a trembling voice. “Otherwise I do not think that he would ever have thought to go to the usual shop. That was why he had to steal it back, once he had realized what he had done.”

Sarah glanced back at Mrs. Avis, seeing the determination on her pale face.

“I understand,” she said quietly, reaching for Mrs. Avis’s hand. “That was why he went back to the shop to steal it, yes? In the hope that he could find the locket and the books and remove all trace of his presence.”

“Except the books were not there,” Mrs. Avis finished, holding Sarah’s hand tightly. “He came back with the locket, but that was all.”

Lord Andrew grimaced, his eyes dark. “Stupid woman,” he spat, looking at Mrs. Avis. “You took the locket. You gave it to her.” His eyes shot to Sarah, venom in his features. “And then you tried to run away.”

Mrs. Avis drew in a shaking breath and glanced at Sarah before dropping her gaze to the floor. “I did not expect Andrew to notice I had taken the locket. He was so pleased to have discovered your whereabouts, that he got himself blind drunk. I knew then that I had to act quickly. Usually his bouts of drink last a week, so I knew I had time to get the locket to you and then return home without Lord Andrew ever knowing I was gone.”

“Ah, but this time was different, was it not, my dear,” Lord Andrew asked, his voice filled with anger. “I knew you had gone. I knew you had taken the locket.”

“I only had the one opportunity,” Mrs. Avis whispered, tears beginning to pour from her eyes again. “I had to leave him. I took what I could with me and left for a nearby inn.”

“You should have come to tell me the truth then,” Sarah replied softly. “I would not have turned you away.”

Mrs. Avis shook her head, a sad smile on her face. “You could have easily turned me away, especially when you were only then learning about who you truly were. I could not risk that, nor could I risk Andrew finding me. I was running out of money, and when the opportunity came to be your companion, I took it. I thought I would be gone from your life before you ever found out the truth.” She smiled softly and glanced back at Lord Thorndyke. “I thought you would marry Lord Thorndyke first and then follow the path of the pendant afterward.”

“Except I was too stubborn to just do as was expected,” Sarah replied with a wry smile. “I had to find out the whole truth before I would accept his proposal.”

“I am so terribly sorry,” Mrs. Avis whispered, her eyes sparkling with tears. “I never meant to hurt you.”

“And you did not,” Sarah promised gently. “You are to live with me and Lord Thorndyke, Mrs. Avis. You will not have to go near him again.”

There was a short silence, broken only by the sudden sound of a rasping, hoarse laugh coming from Lord Andrew.

“You are just as stupid as your father was,” he breathed, as Sarah turned to look at him again. “Do you really think you can just take my wife away from me and that I am going to go without a fuss? You have the locket, yes, but that proves nothing.”

Lord Thorndyke stepped forward at once, his anger almost radiating from him, but Sarah held out her free hand to stop him.

This was hers to finish.

“Lord Andrew, my father was a great man. He was kind and generous and gave you more than enough opportunities to turn your back on your gambling ways. From what I hear, you spat that back into his face. I never knew my father because of you, even though it was not his life that you took.” Anger began to burn through her veins, making her step forward towards Lord Andrew and let go of Mrs. Avis’s hand. “As for the locket, yes, you are right, it might not be all that much in itself.” She paused for a moment, seeing the smug look on his face before allowing herself one of her own. “However, I would say that proves a great deal since I have a letter from my brother, the Duke of Brighton, that states this locket was lost on the day of my mother’s death. In addition, Lord Thorndyke has sent his steward to fetch the books from the pawn merchant that prove you were the one to hand this locket in all those years ago. I think these things will prove a great deal, Lord Andrew.”

The smile on the man’s face faded as he looked up into Sarah’s eyes. There was nothing there now but fear. Fear that she would use all she had to send him to jail, and, eventually, to his death.

Sarah felt no regret. This was justice. This was right. She had nothing more to do than to take Mrs. Avis with her and start living her life the way she should have all those years ago.

“You are done for, Lord Andrew,” she murmured, stepping back from him and looking down at him with a mixture of both relief and disgust. “You are to face the punishment you deserve for what you have done to my family.” She saw him shudder but felt no sympathy. “As for me, I am going to do what I have been hoping for these last few weeks. I shall marry the man I love and meet my brother, the Duke of Brighton. And then I shall be happy, free from fear, and free from confusion, knowing that the person responsible for all of this will paying for his crimes just as he ought.”

Without waiting to see what Lord Andrew had to say, Sarah held out her hand to Mrs. Avis, who came over to her at once.

“Come, Mrs. Avis,” she said softly. “Let us leave this place and allow Lord Higgs and Lord Thorndyke to deal with Lord Andrew. I have had more than enough of this place and that man. I am sure you feel the same.”

“I do,” Mrs. Avis replied, holding Sarah’s hand tightly as they walked arm in arm towards the door. “Thank you, Sarah. I will never forget this.”

Sarah managed a small smile, turning her head back to look at Lord Thorndyke, who nodded at her in understanding, pride shining in his eyes.

“Thank you, Mrs. Avis,” she replied, turning back towards the open door. “Without you, none of this would have been possible. I am more thankful than you will ever know.”