Page 95 of Miss Wylde and the Wynd

“Was Grace visiting Trade Wynd?” If he said that she had, then Damian would begin to doubt his word because there had been no mention of any other visitors. Then again, he had not asked.

“She was about to enter the office and had hoped to gain the address of the office in Southampton. It had been her intention to send me a letter, which was no longer necessary since we met face to face.”

“The two of you had not corresponded?” Georgie asked.

“No,” he answered. “When I left Carrera, it was assumed that by the time any letter reached me in Southampton, that I would be on a ship already returning there for more marble.”

Damian supposed that made sense. The Charlotte Rose was barely in port a sennight after unloading before it was sailing back to Carrera for more marble. Except, Fisher had sailed on the Despoina, which was still being repaired.

Not that it mattered now.

“Her heart was not crushed?” Georgie asked.

“No. She was rather relieved and pragmatic. She had rushed in her decision to come to England to find me but after spending time with Viscountess Mountrath on a ship with nothing to do but think, she realized that her feelings for me were more infatuation and less love and that my appeal was that I would take her away from Carrera, which was no reason to pursue a man.”

Of her two sisters, Grace was the one who acted first and considered consequences later. However, she had never run away and sailed to another country before.

“Where did Grace go? What was she going to do?”

Had the two of them been chasing someone who had already left the country and was already on her way back to Italy?

“She decided to remain a companion for Lady Mountrath, who was going to travel to her estate where she would remain until the spring. Grace accepted the position because I think she was embarrassed by her rash actions and wasn’t eager to face your parents.”

“Are you certain that is where she is?” Georgie demanded, not that Damian could blame her since they’d traveled days and miles already.

“Yes. She had arrived at the Trade Wynd office in a carriage with the Mountrath crest on the door and an older woman was sitting inside. They were also accompanied by four outriders in livery for what I assume was protection.”

“Did she at least write home?” Georgie asked.

“I assume that she did.” Fisher shrugged.

“Did Grace happen to mention where Lady Mountrath’s estate is located?”

“Ireland, I believe,” Fisher answered.

“Clara,” his wife provided. “My father made me and my sisters memorize every title, estate, and location if they had a bachelor son. Lady Mountrath lives at Byrne House. She also has three sons, all bachelors, and now one is the Viscount.”

*

While she was grateful for a location, Georgie knew little about Ireland other than what her father had told her. But she was just as certain that they could find out where Clara was located easily enough. They just needed to get to Ireland.

“Thank you, Mr. Fisher. I wish you and your wife well in America.”

She then turned away from them and strolled down the dock until she found a place to sit.

“All this time I have been chasing the wrong woman across England.”

“You did not know it was the wrong woman,” Damian reminded her.

“Yes, but I upset your life, you spent so much money on this venture, and the woman was not even my sister.”

“But, had you not gone after her, you would always have wondered, at least until Grace finally came home.”

Georgie supposed that he was correct. She, her mother, and younger sister would likely have fretted with worry, waiting for news, and it was because of her mother being overset that Georgie had made her decision to go after Grace. However, that did not erase the guilt for the difficulties she had put Damian through from the moment he caught her in Southampton. Though, she wasn’t sorry for the time that they had spent together.

“What are you going to do now?” she asked, though she already knew his answer, Georgie did not want to make any assumptions.

“Book passage on a ship to Ireland,” he answered simply.