For the Heart of a Roguish Duke by Harriet Caves

Chapter Seventeen

“Are you certain we can find my parents, Your Grace?” Scarlet couldn’t believe she heard it correctly. “Did Mr. and Mrs. Hargreave suggested these ideas?”

“I asked them first if they were aware of anything, a note perhaps left from your parents. But they denied it.”

“That is quite interesting,” said Scarlet. It was fine, cool morning. Scarlet and Alexander promenaded in the expansive garden, quite close to one another. Scarlet could feel her heart beating quite rapidly.

“Well, then what do we do?” Scarlet felt hopeful.

“We go to the orphanage first. You know the nuns, so it shouldn’t be difficult to obtain the information,” said Alexander. “I propose we begin the search right away to find your parents.”

“Yes, Your Grace. That would be a good plan,” Scarlet said simply. “I will be eager to receive a note from you this evening about the arrangements.”

* * *

The carriage drove down the narrow lane toward the orphanage. The atmosphere was tense inside the carriage. Scarlet sat on one end looking out from her side and Alexander watched the countryside roll by as he looked out from his window from his side.

Scarlet sighed, she detested the quietness. “Your Grace, I must apologize for my childish behavior in the garden yesterday. I shudder what you may think about me,” she said finally.

Alexander turned toward her. “It is not your fault, not at all, Scarlet. But I don’t wish to talk about this again. Let it be forgotten.” He gave a small smile. “We shall find your parents, I assure you of that,” he turned the conversation around.

“Of course, Your Grace.” The rest of the drive was quiet as before. When they arrived at the orphanage, it was indeed a relief to be out of the carriage and among other people.

Scarlet greeted Sister Maria in the playground. The children were running around and making much noise. There were two new children, a girl, and a boy.

“They are twins, but not identical. Poor children, their mother and father died together in a carriage collision,” said the nun sadly. She was quiet for a moment, as if thinking about the incident. But then she focused on Scarlet. “Now, what can I do for you?”

They sat down in their chairs. Sister Mary peered at Scarlet and Alexander over her glasses with a smile of curiosity. As Alexander began to talk, Scarlet stopped him.

“It’s all right, Your Grace. I can speak, it won’t be difficult.” Scarlet took a deep breath for she was quite nervous even though she told the Duke she was fine.

“Sister Mary, when I was born or around that time, I was given away to the late Duke of Bentley. But now I am seeking my parents, I want to know who they were. I was hoping very much if my mother had come here before, or you may have known about such things? I understand it is a while and you may not remember, or perhaps you were not working here.”

“My Dear Child, I am sorry to hear you were given away. Now I understand why you are so devoted to our orphanage,” said Sister Mary.

“Yes, this orphanage is important to me,” Scarlet looked around the room.

“Well, we have records going back many years. We can begin there,” said Sister Mary helpfully.

Alexander smiled. “I will leave you and Miss Snow with the search. I would like to see the children and speak to them, with your permission.”

“That is lovely, of course you may, Your Grace.” Sister Mary rang the bell and a young nun appeared. “Please take His Grace to the children. He wishes to converse with them.”

“Very well, Sister Mary,” the younger nun said and led Alexander to the children.

Sister Mary took Scarlet to some large cupboards at the back of the orphanage. It was kept clean and void of cobwebs. “I am quite strict in keeping a clean storage place for all the files,” Sister Mary said. “The other nuns believe it is a waste of time as we don’t use them much.”

“Will I find the name of my mother and father in one of these files?” Scarlet felt a small flutter of hope in her stomach.

“Perhaps,” said Sister Mary. “I kept the names of every child and their parent’s names when I first began working here. You may be fortunate.”

Scarlet looked at the rows of files dismally. There seemed to hundreds. It would take her a long time before she would be able to locate her mother and father.

“You must not fret, I will help you look,” the nun said kindly.

Scarlet and Sister Mary began looking through the files immediately and started with the records of the time she was born. The lists of children who came to the orphanage then were quite long. The file listed children who arrived, how long they stayed or lived.

“Oh,” Scarlet felt tears prick her eyes as she went down the list of babies and children who died.

“It is very sad,” said Sister Mary. “Many children didn’t live long due to disease or the cold. It always breaks my heart when I see a child go to God too early.”

“Do they still die so early?”

“Yes, they do,” said Sister Mary. “Now, let’s not dwell on that. You are here for you.”

“Quite right,” said Scarlet, blinking her tears away.

An hour later they came upon a file where a child’s name was noted, Scarlet. That was it. There was no mother or father’s name associated, it was just Scarlet.

“I don’t know why, but I remember this day. It was a dark night, and the wind and rain was high. A woman shrouded in a black shawl came to me. She put a small baby, a girl, into my arms. And then she went away silently. But fourteen days later, she came back and took the baby away. She offered no explanation. It was rather odd behavior. I wonder if that baby could be you?” Sister Mary said wide-eyed.

“But if I am that baby, I still don’t know who my parents are,” Scarlet said, feeling quite sad.

“I am sorry I was unable to aid you more than this, Miss Snow.”

“I am grateful for what you have done, Sister Mary. You have given me some of my earliest days of my infanthood,” Scarlet smiled.

Scarlet and Sister Mary walked through the orphanage and to the playground where they found Alexander surrounded by the children. He was telling them a story. Scarlet’s heart filled with a deep ache, she wanted this to be her future, she wanted Alexander to be among their children telling them fairy tales.

Alexander looked up and smiled up at her. He then finished his story and stood up. “That was a beautiful thing to do, Your Grace,” said Scarlet, forgetting about the hostility in the carriage before. “You have quite delighted the children.”

“Well, I didn’t mind. I find them to be enchanting,” said the Duke.

“And they were quite enchanted by you,” said Sister Mary with a very wide smile. “Little Angelica doesn’t seem to want you to leave.”

It was true, a small girl perhaps four or five, clung to his trousers. Alexander crouched down to her height and took her small hands into his large ones. He whispered something into her ears. The girl smiled, nodded her head, and then embraced him. She went back to play with her friends.

“She has taken to you, Your Grace. Angelica is quite a shy child, and she wouldn’t go to anyone. You are the first person she has liked,” Sister Mary said.

“She is certainly a dear child,” Alexander said. He looked toward Scarlet. “Did you find any clues?”

“I’m afraid not,” said Scarlet. “But I may have found out something at least.” Alexander looked confused. Scarlet and Alexander said goodbye to the children and the nuns.

“What do we do now?” Scarlet asked as the carriage moved. She heard the horses neigh and their hooves begin their clomp, clomp.