"No, no, you mistake me. I merely wondered how you came here and what did our uncle think when he met you so suddenly.”
"I had proof." She spoke vehemently, and then she smiled. "Ah, I could prove who I was. I had his signet ring-the ring worn by all the holders of the title. I brought it back to our uncle, who now wears it on the third finger of his right hand. Our father wore it on his little finger.”
I nodded. I remembered that ring. It was gold, with a stone called bezoar. I could hear his voice then telling me this when I had shown interest in it.
"Our father was a big man. The ring just fitted his little ringer. I brought his watch too-and there was the letter. These things I brought because they were given to my mother by Lord Hessenfield in case something should happen to him. He loved well his daughters did our father. He wanted us to be taken care of. That was what he always said. He wanted me taken care of as well as you.”
A maid came in with cans of hot water and Aimee said she would leave me to wash.
Then, if I would pull the bell rope it would tell them in the kitchen that I was ready to be taken to my uncle. We could then talk together until dinner was served.
I felt in a daze as I washed the grime of the journey from my hands and face. My saddle bags were brought up, and I was glad to get out of my riding clothes and into a red dress which I felt was rather becoming. I wanted to look my best so that I might not compare too unfavorably with Aimee.
When I was ready I rang the bell as I had been told to, and was conducted back to the room where my uncle was impatiently awaiting my coming.
"Ah," he said, "now you are ready.”
I looked for Aimee, and he said, "I implied that you and I should best get to know each other alone at first. Were you surprised to find you had a half sister?”
"Yes, indeed I was.”
"My brother was always a lusty man. All of the Hessenfields are ... except those who are incapacitated." He spoke without bitterness. He had a very sweet expression and I began to warm toward him.
"John-your father, that is-was always an adventurer. He was the eldest of a family of brothers. We were all daring. As I said, it runs in the family. But he was always the leader. John led, we followed. Sometimes we shared his adventures. He was a wonderful man in so many ways. It has always been as though he lives on. And so he does in a way in you two girls. Strange that he should have left girls. One would have imagined he would have had sons.”
"Would you have preferred them?”
"Not now I have seen you both.”
"How did you know where I was?”
He hesitated for a moment. "Oh ... I was told. A friend of a friend-one of those coincidences.”
For the first time he seemed to lose that open look, and I felt my question had embarrassed him. I decided not to probe just then but to try to discover who the friend was later.
"My brother sent messages from France. You know he was one of the leading Jacobites.”
I nodded.
"If he were alive today ...”
"You are going to say that he would bring the Chevalier of St. George to England.”
"I am sure of it.”
"And you share his views?”
He was evasive. "These could be dangerous times," was all he said. After a slight pause he went on. "Let me tell you what your father wrote to me about you. He said you were the most adorable child he had ever seen and he was proud of you. He loved you dearly, you know.”
"Yes, I did know it. It is something one knows even at an early age. I still remember it.”
"He loved your mother too. He regretted there could be no marriage. She was already married. He told me all about it. It was one of those adventures that came his way.”
"And what about Aimee?”
"That must have been some time before. I don't know much about Aimee's mother, but he must have been fond of her to give her the watch and the ring-particularly the ring. I think he must have known your mother was dying. You see, this ring is a rather special one in our family. It has always been worn by the head of the house. It has special properties.”
"Does it bring good luck?”
"It is not that. Here, take a look at it." He took the ring from his finger. I remembered it vaguely. I did not find it attractive. It was heavy gold, with a stone of a nondescript color. The setting was elaborate. "It meant a good deal to me to get this back,”
my uncle went on. "It is important in the family. When he knew that he was dying of the same fatal illness which took your mother too, he sent for Aimee's mother and gave her the ring and his watch to bring to me with the letter. I thought we had lost the ring forever and that because of his illness it would have been buried with him.
When Aimee arrived with it she had brought back the Hessenfield heirloom. It convinced me that she was his daughter. I knew he would never have parted with the ring unless he was dying and could not give it to your mother. Of course, owing to the war, a long time elapsed before she was able to get here.”
"When did you hear of his death?”
