A Christmastide Kiss by Lana Williams

Author:Lana Williams [Lana Williams]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lana Williams
Published: 2023-11-29T00:00:00+00:00

Frances entered the bookshop with her maid just before the appointed time and was thrilled to see Thomas already waiting.

“Good afternoon,” she greeted him. It took only one glance at his tight expression for her to wonder if something was amiss.

“And to you.” His gaze shifted from her to her maid and back again. “At least the weather has improved since yesterday,” he said with a polite smile.

She glanced out the nearby window, realizing she hadn’t paid any attention to the weather. She’d been too focused on seeing Thomas again. Clearly, that hadn’t been the case for him. Disappointment speared through her at the thought, and she found herself dropping her gaze, uncertain how to respond.

With a quiet huff of breath, she forced her eyes upward. “Y-yes. So pleased the wind has calmed.” There. That sounded like something a normal person would say.

As if restless, he glanced around the shop, but only one other customer was there, and he was speaking with the clerk.

Worry had Frances taking another step closer. “Is Peter well?”

“Yes.” Thomas’s lips tightened. “As well as can be expected anyway.”

“The poor dear.” If Peter wasn’t the problem, then what was causing his distress? “As I said in my message, a few ideas emerged from the league.”

“I appreciate any and all assistance.” He shook his head. “I certainly haven’t been able to locate the family despite hours of searching. It’s frustrating.”

Thomas seemed disappointed with himself for not finding them. In her opinion, it would be a small miracle if he did, given the circumstances.

“It’s a big city. But I have complete faith in you.” If anyone could do it, he could.

His gaze held on her, and he slowly smiled. “Thank you. That means more than I can say.”

“It’s true.” She believed in him with all her heart. “And I meant what I said—that I want to help. I can’t imagine having to return to Peter each time you venture out only to share that you’ve had no luck.”

She glanced at the clerk and the customer, then drew closer to keep her voice low. “Lady Harriet’s uncle is fluent in German, which could prove useful. The league members are speaking with their servants to ask them to mention the situation to other servants to see if anyone can aid in the search. You’d be surprised by the network among the servants. At times, I think they’re better connected than the ton.”

“I’m sure that’s true. It’s a fine idea.”

“Do you know the specific region Peter’s family is from?” When Thomas shook his head, she said, “We wondered if there’s a specific place—a church or a tavern or the like—in the East End where immigrants from that particular area gather.”

“I’ll find out. Excellent idea. I hadn’t thought to visit churches, but I will add that to the list as well.”

“With so many possibilities, I’m sure it’s overwhelming. Perhaps we could create a message of some sort to explain the situation and have it distributed to those places rather than you trying to visit every one of them.

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