Gail Whitiker (26 page)

He got up then, and slowly walked towards her. ‘I hope, in your heart, you can forgive the foolishness of two young people in love. For it was love as well as foolishness that resulted in your birth.’ Stopping before her, he pulled something out of his coat pocket and put it into her hand. ‘I sincerely regret that I was not there to watch you grow up. But I hope, on this blessed Christmas Day, that you will accept this as a token of my love, and see it as a special gift to you, my first and truly special daughter.’

Hannah looked down at the silver locket in her palm, holding her breath as he opened the clasp to reveal a tiny miniature of a woman inside. ‘Oh, how lovely.’

‘I had that portrait painted of Ellen shortly after we met. I’ve kept it with me all these years. Now, I wish you to have it.’

Hannah felt tears spring to her eyes. Here, finally, was her mother; the woman who had given her birth. She would never be any dearer to her than Lady Winthrop, but she was, by the simple fact of
being
her mother, the person Hannah had so desperately wanted to know.

‘She’s beautiful,’ Hannah said, gazing at the picture. ‘
This
is beautiful. But I couldn’t possibly accept it. It has far too great a sentimental value for you.’

‘Your mother will always be with me, my dear,’ Lord Kilkerran said, gently closing Hannah’s fingers around the necklace. ‘In my heart, and in my mind. But you are here with me now. And even if I were to forget how my darling Ellen looked, I have only to look at you to see her image.’

Hannah opened her palm and looked at the locket again. ‘I regret I have nothing to give you in return.’

He smiled then, and looking up at him Hannah saw the brightness of tears in his eyes. ‘The greatest gift you could give me is to say that you forgive me.’

Hannah saw the hope in his eyes, and when he put out his hand, she couldn’t help but put her own into it. ‘I can do nothing
but
forgive you, Papa,’ she whispered. ‘Nor could I help but love you, for you are, in every sense of the word, my father.’

Robert left them then, aware of being an intruder on a private moment. He was glad he’d been present for Lord Kilkerran’s confession, and he was deeply moved by the man’s graciousness in offering Hannah a sincere and heartfelt apology. He was also relieved that they had accepted one another. Because it meant, quite simply, that Hannah had no excuse not to marry him. She was now in effect Lady Hannah Kilkerran, daughter of a Scottish earl. And there wasn’t an argument in the world that was going to convince him she wasn’t good enough for him now!

He found her an hour later, still in the room where he’d left her talking to her father. But she was alone now, standing by the tall windows that gave view out over the snow-covered fields.

‘Have you sent him away already?’ Robert asked. ‘I thought you might at least have offered him the hospitality of one night at Gillingdon Park.’

Hannah turned to him then, and the change in her appearance was astonishing. It was as though the doubts and worries that had plagued her over the last few months had disappeared, leaving her eyes bright and her
expression clear. ‘Actually, I did take the liberty of offering him a room for as long as he wished to stay. I didn’t think you would mind me imposing on your generosity.’

‘Well, given the extraordinary circumstances, I think I can overlook the breach of etiquette,
Lady
Hannah.’

The use of her new title caused the colour to rise prettily in Hannah’s cheeks. ‘Dear me, I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to hearing
that
. But even more astonishing is finding out who my father is. And I have only you to thank for that, dearest Robert. I never truly believed you would find him. I never thought…I never dreamed, that one day he would walk into the room, and that we would sit down together and talk. I still have to pinch myself to believe it’s really happened.’

‘You have no reason to doubt it any more.’ Robert strolled into the room, but rather than join her at the window, he stopped and warmed himself by the fire. ‘By his own admission, Lord Kilkerran is your father, though there was never any doubt in my mind once I saw him. The resemblance between the two of you is striking. I can see now why Lady Thorpe was so taken by it.’

Abruptly reminded that Robert had travelled north with the Thorpes, Hannah said, ‘Have you told Lady Thorpe of your discovery?’

‘No. She was anxious for news, of course, and I was tempted to ask her if Lord Kilkerran was the man whose name she had been trying to remember, but I thought it best to wait. After all, it was only right that
you
be the first one to hear the news. But I am not surprised they knew one another. Living so close to the border, Lady Thorpe would have had occasion to see him at society functions in Edinburgh. With your permission, I shall write to her and tell her what has happened.’

‘Yes, of course. As long as you do not think Lord Kilkerran will mind.’

‘He will not mind at all. He is very proud to recognise you as his daughter.’

Hannah sighed. ‘Do you know what the best part of all this has been?’

‘What?’

‘Hearing him say how much he loved my mother. I know I should feel sorry for the lady who became his wife, but I can’t help but be happy knowing that he loved my mother with such passion. It makes everything so much better. So much more…forgivable.’

‘And do you intend to forgive
me
for not writing to you the whole time I was away?’

‘I’m not sure I should.’ Hannah’s eyes sparkled like polished sapphires. ‘I thought you had decided to heed my advice, and to take up with the delightful Miss Thorpe.’

‘Did you indeed?’

‘Well, as the days went by with no word from you, what else was I to think?’

‘You should have remembered what I said to you the day I left. Namely, that there could never be anyone else in my life but you.’ Robert took a step closer, and his smile turned mischievous. ‘However, I did find out that Miss Thorpe is a most accomplished young woman, knowledgeable in any number of subjects, some of which I have to admit I found rather surprising. She would make any man a good wife.’

‘
Any
man? Hmm. Perhaps it is just as well, then, that I have accepted a position as governess to a young family in Dorset.’

Robert’s joking mood vanished. ‘You’ve done
what
?’

‘Well, being that I had no intention of staying here,
and that I had to secure some manner of employment in the event you discovered I was not the daughter of an earl—’

‘Yes, yes, but in
Dorset
?’

‘I’ve heard it’s a very pretty place,’ Hannah continued, avoiding his eye. ‘The house is situated on the coast, and the two young ladies are supposedly very nice. I thought I would do quite well as their governess. After all, I have the skills required.’

‘You have skills far beyond those required for employment in another man’s house,’ Robert growled. ‘And being that you are now the Lady Hannah Kilkerran—’

‘I’m not really.’

‘Of course you are. The Earl told me he intends to introduce you to society as such.’

Hannah’s eyes widened. ‘Does that mean I shall also be required to live in Scotland?’

‘Well, I suppose you might have to, at least until the wedding.’

A curious swooping sensation in the pit of her stomach caused Hannah to press her hands to it. ‘Then…you have not…changed your mind?’

‘I could never have a change of mind—or of heart—when it comes to you, my darling.’ Robert came to her then, and taking her hand, led her away from the window. ‘I love you, Hannah. I don’t intend to spend the rest of my life without you. I’ve already wasted too many years as it is. I want us to be married as soon as possible. And you can’t tell me you’ve any reason to object, unless it’s to say that
I’m
not good enough for you.’

‘What?’

‘Well, as the Lady Hannah Kilkerran, you
are
the
daughter of an earl. And one who owns, I might add, a vast estate in Scotland as well as a very nice townhouse in London. I, on the other hand, am a lowly viscount, in possession of a considerably smaller estate called Gillingdon Park. As such, I may be unworthy of
your
notice.’

‘I suppose that must be taken into consideration,’ Hannah said slowly, ‘but since you’ve already secured my father’s approval to the match, I don’t see that I have any reason to object.’

‘Then…’ Robert dropped to one knee before her and took her hand in his. ‘Will you marry me, Hannah? Will you agree to be my wife and become a Winthrop lady once more?’

Hannah gave him her most breathtaking smile. ‘I should be honoured to be your wife, and a Winthrop lady, as you say. But I should warn you that our arrival at Mrs Branksmuir’s dinner this evening as a newly engaged couple will likely raise quite a few eyebrows.’

He looked at her in surprise. ‘We are going to Mrs Branksmuir’s for dinner?’

‘Well, I did accept her invitation, and it would be very bad manners to decline on such short notice. But then, I suppose it might be considered equally ill-mannered to arrive with uninvited guests, especially when one is my newly discovered father and the other my husband-to-be.’

‘You make a good point.’ Robert slowly stood up. ‘Still, it is Christmas. A time when all slights are forgiven and good will is extended towards all men, even by Mrs Branksmuir.’

A smile of adoration lit up Hannah’s face. ‘I’m willing to take my chances if you are.’

‘Oh, I most definitely am.’ Robert smiled as he drew her into the circle of his arms. ‘Because, as a delightful young lady once said to me, under the circumstances, it does seem the most appropriate thing to do.’