A Little Bit Sinful(63)

“Not for lack of searching though. I’ve been looking for her, or rather her identity, for years.”

“I could help,” she said.

He gave her a sideways grin. “Help me find my mother?”

“Yes, I’m certain I could prove useful.”

“Why would you want to do that?”

“I am your wife,” she said, hoping that was enough. She certainly empathized with him. She knew what it was like to grow up without a mother. “I never had a mother,” she said, “not really. Rebecca was there for me as was Aunt Maureen, but even though I never met her, I’ve always missed my mother.”

He eyed her for a long while as if estimating whether he believed her or not. “It’s very sweet of you, Chrissy, but there’s nothing you can do.”





Chapter Fourteen


Justin led Clarissa into the ballroom, her arm linked with his. Hell, he hadn’t wanted to come to this thing tonight, but he knew it was important for Clarissa’s sake. If she disappeared from Society now, it would only breed more contention and rumor surrounding her compromise and their marriage.

He knew what it was like to live at the fringe of Society and he didn’t want that for her. So he fully intended to go with her to whatever party she wanted to attend and he’d dare anyone to say anything untoward about her or to her.

He didn’t know where her interest in his mother had come from. But he suspected she might want to discover that his mother was, indeed French royalty in an effort to make Justin himself seem more noble, more worthy to be among the rest of them. He suspected, though, that should they ever uncover his mother’s identity, Clarissa would be sadly disappointed.

…

It was their first outing as a married couple and to say Clarissa felt waves of nervousness was a gross understatement. She had no way of knowing how she would be greeted, or what everyone was saying since her compromise. Did people believe it was she and Justin who had been caught in an embrace that night, or would she be brandished a fallen woman? She wasn’t certain if Justin’s name was enough to protect her from the sharper tongues of London.

The conversation in the carriage on the way here about his mother had not gone as well as she’d hoped. Perhaps she should have been more gentle when bringing up the information about his mother, but how was she to know that he’d been lied to his entire life?

She’d, at least, seen a photograph of her mother and had heard her brothers speak of her. Clarissa knew she favored her mother in coloring, if not temperament. But Justin, he had nothing save what someone had told him and she had ripped that away from him. She sighed.

Perhaps if she brought him some information, something concrete, then he’d see how helpful she could be. Tonight she would speak to Lady Forrester, see if she could get additional information from what Ella’s mother had told her. She didn’t want to desert him when they first arrived, but she was eager to find Ella. She made a quick excuse once Justin was safely surrounded by Marcus and Vivian and Aunt Maureen.

Clarissa spotted Ella and grabbed her arm. “I have been waiting for you forever,” she said. “Come with me.”

“Where?”

“To speak with Lady Forrester.”

Ella grinned broadly. “I’m pleased to see you are following up with matters concerning Mr. Rodale’s mother.”

That gave her pause. Perhaps this was not the most appropriate task for her to pursue in light of the fact that he hadn’t seemed too keen on the idea. But if she could uncover his mother’s identity for him, that would be worthwhile.

Justin had been kind enough to insert himself back into Society, a place she’d always assumed he hated, in order to support her. She owed him. Yes, that was most certainly why she was looking into the identity of his mother.

“Have you ever met Lady Forrester?” Ella asked.

“Yes, but it was years ago. Haven’t spoken to her since,” Clarissa said.

“Well, we simply cannot walk up and ask her which French woman had an affair with the Duke of Chanceworth.”

“Of course not. We shall have to be more delicate.” As they approached the woman, Clarissa hoped that delicate manner would come to her because at that very moment, when Lady Forrester turned to look at them, Clarissa didn’t have the slightest idea of what she would say.

Both she and Ella curtsied.

“My lady,” Ella said. “My mother was telling us the most fascinating story the other day.”