countryside. When she turned back to him, she was smiling. “I suppose that means she forgave him, then?”
“She did. Although,” he added, chuckling, “it took some spectacular groveling on his part.”
“I am so very happy for her—for them. Serena loved Jonathan very much. She was devastated when he cut her and we were sent back to Antigua. I thought she’d never smile again.”
“She smiles now,” Will said. “Often.”
“I’m just glad Serena didn’t reject him out of spite, though I imagine she was inclined to.”
Again, she looked down at Jake. “My twin sister is married to an earl, Jake. Which means, she’s not just Serena anymore. She’s Lady Stratford .” She said the title with reverence, and her smile finally reached her eyes, shining there like polished silver.
Will took another strengthening breath. Tell her. Tell her now before you’re in London and it’s too late.
“Meg, you must know—” He hesitated, not knowing quite how to say this. “Well, you need to know that Serena… Well, she no longer goes by that name.”
She frowned. “What do you mean?”
Oh, God. This was more difficult than he thought it would be. She was so beautiful, looking at him with that slight crease between her eyes. He wanted to press his thumb to it and make it smooth again. Instead, his news would probably deepen her concern, and that crease.
“She’s… taken on your name.”
She stared at him uncomprehendingly.
“Her name now is Margaret Dane, Lady Stratford.”
Meg’s expression didn’t change. She didn’t understand.
“Everyone calls her Meg,” he continued. “Even your other sisters.”
She shook her head. “I don’t—”
“For the past two years,” he blurted, “she’s pretended to be you.”
Meg sucked in a breath, then she wrenched her head to the side for long, silent moments. This time her eyes were vague and unfocused and he knew she wasn’t seeing the countryside. He remained quiet, allowing her to process the information, fighting with himself to keep from reaching for her and offering comfort.
Bored with the conversation—or, rather, lack of conversation—Jake turned to his window and began to point at the grazing sheep they were passing, his lips moving as he counted in an undertone.
Will remained still, quiet, sitting straight and stiff as the carriage rolled along beneath him. As much as he hated to be the bearer of this news, there was more that she wouldn’t like. So much more, and most of it would make him look like a fool in her eyes. No, more than a fool. A complete ass.
He sighed, resolute and determined, as she turned back to him.
“Why?” she asked, her voice quavering.
Pain radiated in those stormy gray eyes, so sharp and compelling that Will couldn’t stop himself from touching her. He leaned forward and gathered her hands in his own, squeezing gently. “She was forced to. She was placed in an impossible situation—told that as Serena, she’d never be able to return to London, never make a good marriage, and worse, none of your sisters would have the opportunity, either.”
“My mother told her this,” Meg said. It wasn’t a question, but Will answered as if it was.
“Yes.”
“Where is my mother now?”
“Serena brought all your sisters to London, but your mother has remained in Antigua.”
“So Serena… became me.” Meg blinked hard.
“Yes.”
“So who am I, Will?”
“You’re Meg.” His answer was automatic, because who else could she be? He squeezed her hands in his own, running his thumbs soothingly over her palms. She had small, delicate hands, but for the first time, he saw the calluses and redness of her skin. The sight of those beautiful hands marred by work made him want to throttle the man—that unnamed captain—who’d done this to her.
“I’m sure London society won’t look approvingly on twin sisters with the same name.” Her chest rose and fell on a heavy sigh, and she lowered her voice.
“She did. Although,” he added, chuckling, “it took some spectacular groveling on his part.”
“I am so very happy for her—for them. Serena loved Jonathan very much. She was devastated when he cut her and we were sent back to Antigua. I thought she’d never smile again.”
“She smiles now,” Will said. “Often.”
“I’m just glad Serena didn’t reject him out of spite, though I imagine she was inclined to.”
Again, she looked down at Jake. “My twin sister is married to an earl, Jake. Which means, she’s not just Serena anymore. She’s Lady Stratford .” She said the title with reverence, and her smile finally reached her eyes, shining there like polished silver.
Will took another strengthening breath. Tell her. Tell her now before you’re in London and it’s too late.
“Meg, you must know—” He hesitated, not knowing quite how to say this. “Well, you need to know that Serena… Well, she no longer goes by that name.”
She frowned. “What do you mean?”
Oh, God. This was more difficult than he thought it would be. She was so beautiful, looking at him with that slight crease between her eyes. He wanted to press his thumb to it and make it smooth again. Instead, his news would probably deepen her concern, and that crease.
“She’s… taken on your name.”
She stared at him uncomprehendingly.
“Her name now is Margaret Dane, Lady Stratford.”
Meg’s expression didn’t change. She didn’t understand.
“Everyone calls her Meg,” he continued. “Even your other sisters.”
She shook her head. “I don’t—”
“For the past two years,” he blurted, “she’s pretended to be you.”
Meg sucked in a breath, then she wrenched her head to the side for long, silent moments. This time her eyes were vague and unfocused and he knew she wasn’t seeing the countryside. He remained quiet, allowing her to process the information, fighting with himself to keep from reaching for her and offering comfort.
Bored with the conversation—or, rather, lack of conversation—Jake turned to his window and began to point at the grazing sheep they were passing, his lips moving as he counted in an undertone.
Will remained still, quiet, sitting straight and stiff as the carriage rolled along beneath him. As much as he hated to be the bearer of this news, there was more that she wouldn’t like. So much more, and most of it would make him look like a fool in her eyes. No, more than a fool. A complete ass.
He sighed, resolute and determined, as she turned back to him.
“Why?” she asked, her voice quavering.
Pain radiated in those stormy gray eyes, so sharp and compelling that Will couldn’t stop himself from touching her. He leaned forward and gathered her hands in his own, squeezing gently. “She was forced to. She was placed in an impossible situation—told that as Serena, she’d never be able to return to London, never make a good marriage, and worse, none of your sisters would have the opportunity, either.”
“My mother told her this,” Meg said. It wasn’t a question, but Will answered as if it was.
“Yes.”
“Where is my mother now?”
“Serena brought all your sisters to London, but your mother has remained in Antigua.”
“So Serena… became me.” Meg blinked hard.
“Yes.”
“So who am I, Will?”
“You’re Meg.” His answer was automatic, because who else could she be? He squeezed her hands in his own, running his thumbs soothingly over her palms. She had small, delicate hands, but for the first time, he saw the calluses and redness of her skin. The sight of those beautiful hands marred by work made him want to throttle the man—that unnamed captain—who’d done this to her.
“I’m sure London society won’t look approvingly on twin sisters with the same name.” Her chest rose and fell on a heavy sigh, and she lowered her voice.
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