Did he truly feel so indifferent? Or had he already done his grieving weeks ago upon receiving one or both of Natalie’s letters? He was too much a stranger for her to discern the answer.

The Duke of Clayton had shown the most genuine emotion. When she’d broken the news to him in the post chaise about Audrey’s death, stark distress had flashed over his face. He had regarded his second cousin as a sister, he’d said, having grown up with her in this house.

At present, he stood somberly waiting for Natalie to speak.

She took a certain solace in his grave countenance. It was clear that the duke, at least, had felt an affection for sweet, generous Audrey, who’d never had an unkind word to say about anyone. She had been an admirable person of strong convictions, brave enough to leave behind a life of luxury to be with the man she loved with all her heart and soul.

They all needed to hear about that, not just her death.

Natalie swallowed the lump in her throat. “To understand what happened,” she began, “first you need to know about Audrey’s life in America. She and her husband, the Reverend Jeremy Bellingham, shared a deep love for each other and for God’s word. They settled in the state of Pennsylvania and devoted themselves to preaching their faith to the people there. I first met them in Philadelphia about seven years ago. They were raising money to build a mission in the wilderness.”

Wymark pulled a sour face. “Surely my sister wasn’t begging.”

“Seeking donations for a worthy cause is far from sordid,” Natalie said sharply. “And your sister is to be commended for her dedication to helping the poor. Since I had connections in local society, I offered to help Audrey collect the necessary funds. She and I became fast friends. Even when she moved away, we kept in touch by mail. When she wrote two years ago to ask me to join them on the western frontier, I … welcomed the chance.”

Natalie had to stop herself from admitting precisely why she’d been so eager to leave Philadelphia. Her own confession of woe had no place in a tale about Audrey.

Lady Godwin curled her lip. “The frontier? Are you suggesting that my stepdaughter lived among the savages?”

“There were native tribes in the area, yes,” Natalie said coolly. “But they were friendly and we often bartered with them for wild game and cured hides. There were also a few farmers, as well, who had cleared the land to grow crops. The mission itself was a small settlement named Bellingham by the locals. It was enclosed by sturdy log walls, with a small church and a school inside the compound. I taught reading and arithmetic lessons to the children, while Audrey tended to the sick. She had a gift for healing, did you know that?”

Everyone else looked blank, but a slight smile lifted one corner of the duke’s mouth. “She used to doctor her dolls in the nursery, as I recall. And if I ever so much as scraped a knee, she would insist upon playing nurse with all of her ointments and bandages.”