Chapter Sixteen
Mid-morning had come and gone before Luke and Serenity finally dressed to face the day. After their lovemaking in the bathtub, he’d washed her slowly and thoroughly, showing her all the passion and tenderness he’d held inside for so long. Then they’d fallen back into bed for even more lovemaking, which had required yet another quick rinse in the tub. By the time they were done, the bathroom had been a complete disaster, and he reminded himself to give the maid a small bonus for having to deal with it.
They’d had a late breakfast, chatting about a book they’d both read, but soon the specter of their missing child had been impossible to ignore, and they’d lapsed into uneasy silence. As wonderful as it was to renew their love for each other, neither of them could ever truly be happy until they knew for certain what had happened to their child. And he dreaded the thought of what would happen if that day never came.
When he found that they were both headed to Adrian and Vanessa’s house, he wanted to tell her to stay home, but she looked so lovely and hopeful when she mentioned how Vanessa had been so kind to her, asking her to accompany her on some errands.
Knowing how few women friends she’d had in her life, he wanted to do all he could to facilitate the relationship between Serenity and his brother’s wife, however, it made him very nervous to have her there until he’d finished his investigation. When she found out that she’d been so close to the boy who might very well be her child, yet he hadn’t told her his suspicions, she’d no doubt be furious.
So, he said nothing, and instead, he ordered up the carriage and they rode there together. After a little bit of friendly chit-chat, he drew his brother aside, leaving the women on the other side of the room with their heads bent together companionably.
“May I see Gabriel again?” Lucien asked quietly.
Adrian’s brows rose, and his posture immediately got defensive. “Why? He’s told us everything he knows.”
Pride for his brother’s fatherly instincts warred with his impatience and sense of guilt. “No,” he said soothingly. “I just realized that I haven’t made much of an effort to get to know the boy, given everything that has been happening the last few weeks, and I’d like to.”
“All right,” Adrian said slowly, obviously sensing that there was more to it than that. “Come on.”
They went to the nursery, where Gabriel was once again playing with his army men. While Adrian greeted his adoptive son, Luke devoured the boy with his gaze, a feeling of both wonder and doom settling over him as he took in the child’s inky black hair and bright blue eyes.
My son?
Yes. To his very soul, he felt it. Somehow, despite all odds, his brother had managed to rescue the child Roger had taken from them. But now Gabriel was being raised in a happy and loving home. Gabriel loved Adrian and Vanessa. He finally had a family of his own. How could he take the boy away from his own brother?
Adrian glanced up at him and suddenly stilled. He looked between Luke and Gabriel, his face growing pale.
With a muttered curse, Adrian suddenly stood and pulled Luke from the room, shutting the door sharply behind him. “I can’t believe I didn’t see it sooner,” he said, shaking his head. “Because of the resemblance, everyone assumed he was my love child, that Vanessa and I had been together for years. But he looks so much like me because he’s yours, isn’t he?”
Luke sighed. “I don’t know. But when I went and spoke to Miss Hawley, she said that the baby Roger brought her was a boy. That it was Gabriel.”
“This is going to kill Vanessa,” Adrian muttered. “She loves the boy. As do I.”
“I don’t know what to do,” Luke told him, pain at his own loss twisting with guilt at the thought of hurting his brother and Vanessa. “I don’t know who is telling the truth. I don’t know what’s real. I can’t take Gabriel from you, especially if I don’t know if he’s even mine. What if he’s not? What if Miss Hawley is lying, and my daughter is still out there? Gabriel is so happy here.”
“We need to find out more,” Adrian agreed, seeming relieved that Luke was not going to take the boy from him at this very moment. “Who would know the truth?”
“Roger,” Luke said grimly. “It all comes back to Roger. I need to check with my man and see if he’s had any luck. We need to get Allison back, and then we can make him tell us the truth.”
“Every time I think we’ve managed to rid ourselves of him, he comes back, destroying any happiness we manage to find,” Adrian said, and for a moment, he wasn’t the happy family man he’d recently become. Instead, he was the angry, haunted man who’d terrorized the city, saving those who were suffering as he had.
Luke clasped his brother’s arm. “It will be all right. We will figure out the right thing to do. We will do the right thing for Gabriel.”
“It will hurt one of them,” Adrian said with a sigh. “No matter what we do, either Serenity or Vanessa will be destroyed.”
* * *
“You’re going to love Fiona,” Vanessa said, her lovely face alight with pleasure. “She is so wonderful with the children.” Her smile dimmed slightly, a shadow passing across her eyes. “And I want so badly to see baby Hope.”
Serenity knew only the basics of what had happened to Morgan’s wife. But what she couldn’t comprehend was how his grief could have possibly kept him from his baby girl. Serenity would have done anything in the world to hold her child just one more time. Had she known where her child was, nothing could have stopped her from going to her. One look at Vanessa and Serenity knew that she felt the same.
“Mama, why are you sad?” Gabriel asked, scooting closer to Vanessa on the coach seat, squeezing her gloved hand and peering up at her anxiously. “I can’t wait to see Mrs. Bohannan again.”
Serenity shared an amused look with Vanessa. The little boy was so precious. This was the first time she’d met Adrian and Vanessa’s son, and she’d immediately been enchanted.
“I can’t wait to see her either,” Vanessa told the boy lovingly. “And you’ll meet your new baby cousin as well.”
Gabriel seemed a little less excited about the thought of the baby and returned to playing with the army men he’d brought along.
“Is Brookhaven where you found him?” Serenity asked quietly.
Vanessa grinned a bit wickedly, obviously reliving a very special memory. “Well, not exactly. Perhaps I’ll tell you that story sometime.”
Serenity blinked and stared out the window at the large white house they were approaching, not wanting Vanessa to see how much the thought of being part of Luke’s life for long enough to get to hear that story appealed to her. She still didn’t know what they would do when they found their child. But he was still an earl, and she was still an upstairs maid. She sincerely doubted that it would work out for them now any more than it had the first time.
The best she could hope for was that he’d let her and their child return to the cottage, and that maybe he’d come and see them sometimes.
“We’re here,” Vanessa announced brightly as the coach came to a stop.
Moments later, they were entering the lovely orphanage that Adrian had established. Serenity was pleasantly surprised by the homey atmosphere. They were ushered into a dark-paneled office, and a lovely redhead, who was much younger than Serenity had expected, rose from the desk. “Vanessa,” she cried, coming around to embrace Vanessa in a hug. “How are you?”
The genuine kindness and concern in her gaze when Fiona drew back to look at her friend made Serenity a little jealous. This world Luke had introduced her to, a loving and caring family and friends, was something she had always wanted. She wished she could somehow be a part of it, that these women would someday be as glad to see her as they were to see each other.
At last the two women pulled apart, and Fiona resumed her place behind her desk. “Who’s this then?” she asked with a smile, turning in Serenity’s direction.
Serenity cringed a bit, wondering how Vanessa could possibly explain her relationship to Luke without making her sound like his mistress. Which she supposed she was, she realized, remembering their passionate lovemaking this morning.
“This is Serenity Pratt, the love of Hawkesmere’s life,” Vanessa said with a smile. “They’ve recently been reunited, and she’s come to visit you and baby Hope with me.”
Fiona raised a brow, but there was no censure in her bright green gaze. “Nice to meet you, Miss Pratt.”
“Can I go play with the others?” Gabriel asked, bouncing up and down with excitement.
“Of course, sweetheart,” Vanessa told him indulgently.
“He’s looking very well,” Fiona said, once the little boy had raced off. “I’m so thankful to you for giving him such a wonderful home, my friend.”
“I am thankful to have the opportunity,” Vanessa said simply. “Now, where is my niece?”
“Come with me,” Fiona said, and then led them up a flight of stairs and down the hallway to a sunny room at the back of the house.
An older woman sat in a rocking chair, holding a baby. She smiled and put her finger to her lips, indicating that the child was sleeping.
“She’s beautiful,” Vanessa whispered, tears pooling in her lovely dark eyes. “Oh, I wish Anne could see her.”
Serenity instinctively moved forward and put her arm around Vanessa, hugging her tightly.
“How is the father?” Fiona asked in a carefully neutral voice, but Serenity could tell she was as bothered by Morgan’s lack of interest in the child as she was.
Vanessa sighed and shook her head. “He sat by Anne’s coffin for days. He wasn’t going to let them bury her. If not for the earl’s intervention, he’d probably still be there. I think he’s still in so much denial about her death. He can’t bear to face Hope and think about what he’s lost. I don’t think he knows how to raise a baby by himself.”
“He doesn’t have to raise her by himself,” Fiona said in a huff. “There are plenty of people who would be willing to help him. He can hire a nanny.”
“I’m sure he will.” Vanessa sighed. “He just needs a little more time. It’s been less than a week. We just need to allow him time to mourn.”
Vanessa’s compassion and understanding of her brother-in-law’s pain made Serenity feel a surge of sympathy and kinship with Luke’s brother. Who was she to judge how he dealt with the loss of his beloved wife? She also realized just how much Luke had been through in the last week. When had he even had the time to help his brother, with everything else that had been going on? She made up her mind to do better. To help him more. To take a little bit of the stress he must be feeling on her own shoulders.
Fiona leaned down and took the sleeping baby from her nurse, cuddling the infant tenderly. “Well, until her daddy figures things out, we’ll just have to give her all the love she needs, won’t we?”
She passed the baby to Vanessa, who looked down at the child with mingled sorrow and joy. “Yes, we will.” She sighed. “I’ll come every day. I’m sorry it took me this long.”
“You were grieving, too,” Fiona told her quietly. “And that’s what I’m here for.”
Serenity peered over Vanessa’s shoulder at the beautiful baby’s sleeping face. Her heart accelerated at the sight. She’d not been this close to a baby since she’d lost hers. She desperately wanted a chance to hold Hope herself, but she was equally certain that holding that warm little body would be the thing to push her over the edge, to crack the shell she’d been trying to build around her emotions since she’d found out that her own child was out there somewhere, alone and afraid.
Seeming to sense something of what was going on, Fiona linked her arm with Serenity’s. “Let’s let Hope and her aunt have some time together,” she said brightly. “Come, I’ll show you what Adrian and I have built here.”
Serenity nodded and let Fiona lead her out into the hall. She was struck by a sudden thought. “Do you have any seven-year-old girls here?”
Fiona gave her an odd look. “Yes, a couple. Why?”
Taking a deep breath, Serenity decided to be honest with her. “I had a child. A daughter. Seven years ago. She was taken from me. Luke… Hawkesmere and I, we’re trying to find her. He’s running all over town looking for her, and I just thought… maybe there was something I could do to help. Maybe I could find her myself.”
“Oh, you poor dear,” Fiona said softly, squeezing her hand and pulling her back downstairs and out the back door to a grassy garden where a dozen or so children played. She gestured to a small grouping of three girls sitting on a blanket, having a tea party with a few dolls. “Those are the only ones who are in the right age range.”
Serenity drew closer, staring closely, trying to somehow decide if one of these girls was her daughter. One was a redhead, which seemed improbable. One had mousy brown hair and brown eyes. Serenity was certain her child would have light-colored eyes. The last little girl had blond hair and green eyes. Serenity stared at her the longest. This one was possible. Her hair was not as pale as Serenity’s, and her eyes were a deeper green, but there was a bit of a resemblance. Maybe there was something about the tilt of her nose?
Tears filled her eyes. It was hopeless. Would she forever look for hints of herself or Luke in every little girl she saw?
Suddenly, Gabriel crossed her field of vision, chasing a ball, stumbling into the group of girls. They shrieked and scattered, complaining loudly. Gabriel glanced back toward where Fiona and Serenity stood, his blue eyes sparkling, a deep dimple appearing briefly in his cheek as he smiled. “Sorry about that, ma’am.”
Luke’s eyes. Luke’s dimple. Luke’s charm.
He took off running again, and Serenity leaned forward, bracing her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath, feeling as though she’d had the wind knocked out of her.
“Are you all right?” Fiona asked, sounding worried.
Serenity forced herself to stand straight again, her mind whirling. “Gabriel,” she said, her voice trembling. “Would you happen to know… how old he is?”
Fiona frowned. “Six or seven, I believe. There’s no way to know for certain. Why?”
“Where did he come from? Did he come from Miss Hawley’s Gentleman’s Club, perhaps?”
“Yes,” Fiona said slowly, her eyes widening. “How did you know that?”
“Are you sure the child was a girl?” Luke had asked. She hadn’t understood why he’d asked that question at the time, but now she was utterly certain that he’d found out something when he’d gone to that horrible place, something that had made him doubt that their child had been a girl.
Did he know? Did he know about Gabriel? If so, why hadn’t he told her? Maybe he’s closer than you think.
“That’s where they took my child,” Serenity whispered. “I thought the baby was a girl, but yesterday Luke asked me if it could possibly have been a boy, and Gabriel looks just like Luke…” She trailed off, her gaze glued to the beautiful little boy. “That smile. I knew it when I saw his smile.”
“Oh, my God,” Fiona breathed.
“Vanessa loves that boy so much,” Serenity whispered, her voice choked with tears. Even in their brief acquaintance, Serenity had seen how Vanessa doted on the boy. How happy Gabriel was to have a family of his own at long last.
And she knew then, why Luke hadn’t told her yet. He wanted to be absolutely certain that Gabriel was theirs before he ripped his brother’s family apart.
“Oh, no,” Serenity said, leaning forward once again, feeling as though she couldn’t catch her breath. “It would be cruel to take him from them, wouldn’t it? Even if he is mine, I could never take him from Vanessa and Adrian.”
“I don’t know,” Fiona said, rubbing small circles on her back. “I’m so sorry. Are you certain Gabriel is yours? Please don’t do anything with this knowledge until you know for certain.”
Serenity nodded, forcing herself to take deep breaths until finally, the world stopped spinning around her. “I don’t know anything for sure,” she said at last. “I just looked at him and suddenly, I knew. My heart and soul knew that he was mine. But don’t worry, I won’t say anything to Vanessa. Not until there is some proof.”
“Thank you,” Fiona said, letting out a breath of her own. “Gabriel’s just been through so much…”
“I know,” Serenity said, guilt and regret filling her until she thought she’d burst. “It’s all my fault.”
“I know only what you told me,” Fiona said, guiding her over to a bench in the shade. “But I know enough to be certain that none of this is your fault.”
“Luke is probably having such a hard time with this,” Serenity mused sadly. “But he didn’t tell me. He didn’t feel he could trust me.”
“Maybe he just didn’t want to hurt you anymore,” Fiona argued. “Maybe he didn’t tell you for the same reason you just decided not to tell Vanessa. Because you don’t know for sure and don’t want to hurt her.”
“But if he’s my child, and he’s this close, close enough to touch…” Serenity swiped at the tears that were blinding her. “I want to go to him so badly.”
“I understand,” Fiona told her quietly. “But at least if he’s yours, you know that he’s still alive and that he’s safe. That’s all that matters, isn’t it? The rest will work its way out. You’ll see.”
“Yes, I suppose you’re right.” Serenity gazed after the boy, a sudden sense of peace settling over her. Fiona was right. If Gabriel truly was the child she had lost, then he was alive. He was healthy and happy, and he had parents who loved him.
She couldn’t take that away from him, not when she’d never been there for him.
* * *
Roger had just stepped into the lobby of his hotel, after a very enjoyable evening spent in a brothel that catered to his particular tastes, when he noticed a man speaking with the front desk clerk, his very clipped British voice carrying across the room.
“I need to know what room Lord Winters is staying in. My name’s O’Brien. Quinn O’Brien, and I have reason to believe he’s kidnapped a young girl.” The man had burnished blond hair and a military bearing. Roger knew immediately that the bastard was working for his stepbrothers.
The hotel clerk refused the man’s request, but Mr. O’Brien had the look of a man who would not take no for an answer.
Skirting the perimeter of the lobby, Roger used the potted palms as a screen and headed directly for the discreet doorway that led to the stairs. He bounded up them two at a time, all the way to the fourth floor.
Breathing heavily, he sprinted down the hall and unlocked the door to his room, glancing repeatedly over his shoulder at the lift, certain the private investigator or whatever he was would appear at any moment.
Entering his room without incident, he was immediately besieged by Allison, who had gone from annoying to downright petulant.
“Where have you been?” she cried. “I’m tired of being trapped in this room day after day without any distractions! I want to go back to London! I need to prepare for my first Season!”
He frowned, his pulse still thundering in his chest, his irritation with the girl finally reaching its limit. “You want to go home?” he yelled. “Then go down to the lobby. There’s a man down there looking for you. He’s been sent by your perfect brother Lucien, no doubt.”
Her bottom lip began to tremble. “I want you to take me, Roger. I want you to take me home now!”
“I can’t!” he told her, all patience gone. “If I go back to London, Lucien and the twins will see me hang! If you want to go back, this is your chance. Go down there and throw yourself on that private investigator’s mercy.”
“Don’t think I won’t!” she screamed, her lovely face contorted with anger. “You’re a bad man, Roger! I know that now!”
They glared at each other, chests heaving, until Roger managed to get his temper in check. “I’m leaving within the next few minutes. Either come with me, or I’m done with you. And if that’s the way you want it, that the man in the lobby is probably your best bet to get home.”
She squared her shoulders. “What does he look like?”