Surrender Read Online Free PDF Page A

him and their daughter, in such circumstances, had
been exhausting enough, and when his illness had become so severe, it had been
even worse. She was exhausted now. She wondered if she would ever feel young and
strong again, if she would ever feel pretty.
    She stared at her reflection more intensely. If the tin mine
could not be turned around, the day would come where she would not be able to
feed or clothe her daughter. And she must never let that happen....
    Evelyn inhaled. A month ago, when it had become clear that the
end was near, Henri had told her that he had buried a small fortune in gold
bullion in the backyard of their home in Nantes. Evelyn had been incredulous.
But he had insisted, right down to the details of where he had buried the
fortune. And she had believed him.
    If she dared, a fortune awaited her and Aimee in France. And
that fortune was her daughter’s birthright. It was her future. Evelyn was never
going to leave her daughter destitute, the way her own father had left her.
    She ignored a new, terrible pang. She must do whatever she had
to for Aimee. But how on earth could she retrieve it? How could she possibly
return to France, to recover the gold? She would need an escort; she would need
a protector, and he would have to be someone she could trust.
    To whom could she turn as an escort? Whom could she possibly
trust?
    Evelyn stared at the mirror, as if the looking glass might
provide an answer. She could still hear her guests in conversation in the salon
downstairs. Tired and grief stricken, she was not going to find any answers
tonight, she decided. Yet she was almost certain that she knew the answer, that
it was right there in front of her; she simply could not see it.
    And as she turned, a soft knock sounded on her door. Evelyn
went to her daughter, kissed her as she slept and pulled up a blanket. Then she
crossed the room to the door.
    * * *
    L AURENT WAS WAITING for her in the hall, and he was stricken
with worry. He was a slim, dark man with dark eyes, which widened upon seeing
her. “ Mon Dieu! I was beginning to think that you
meant to ignore your guests. Everyone is wondering where you are, Comtesse, and
they are preparing to leave!”
    “I fell asleep,” she said softly.
    “And you are exhausted, it is obvious. Still, you must greet
everyone before they leave.” He shook his head. “Black is too severe, Comtesse,
you should wear gray. I think I will burn that dress.”
    “You are not burning this dress, as it was very costly,” Evelyn
said, ushering him out and closing the door gently. “When you see Bette, would
you send her up to sit with Aimee?” They started down the hall. “I don’t want
her to awaken, alone, with her father having just been buried.”
    “Bien sûr.” Laurent glanced
worriedly at her. “You need to eat something, madame, before you fall down.”
    Evelyn halted on the landing above the stairs, very aware of
the crowd awaiting her downstairs. Trepidation coursed through her. “I can’t
eat. I did not expect such attendance at the funeral, Laurent. I am overcome by
how many strangers came to pay their respects.”
    “Neither did I, Comtesse. But it is a good thing, non? If they did not come today to pay their respects,
when would they come?” Evelyn smiled tightly and started down the stairs.
Laurent followed. “ Madame? There is something you
must know.”
    “What is that?” she asked, over her shoulder, pausing as they
reached the marble ground floor.
    “Lady Faraday and her daughter, Lady Harold, have been taking
an inventory of this house. I actually saw them go into every room, ignoring the
closed doors. I then saw them inspecting the draperies in the library, madame,
and I was confused so I eavesdropped.”
    Evelyn could imagine what was coming next, as the draperies
were very old and needed to be replaced. “Let me guess. They were determining
the extent of my fall into poverty.”
    “They seem amused to find the draperies moth-eaten.”