Richard blinked his eyes open, saw Christiana’s upset expression and realized he’d been speaking the memories aloud as he’d recalled them.

Clearing his throat, he shrugged. “I was fortunate enough that a farmer named Teddy McCormick found me. He put me in the back of his cart and took me to his farm. He and his wife, Hazel, both took care of me. They saved my life.” He smiled at the memory of the couple.

“The moment I was well enough I wrote a letter to Daniel explaining all . I had no family except for George,” he explained quietly. “And Daniel was my closest friend.”

This time when he paused to look at her, Christiana nodded solemnly. She was aware of his lack of family, of course. She’d been married to his brother this last year. Well, sort of, Richard thought to himself, relieved to note that she was also looking much less suspicious and frightened. She believed him.

“I stayed with Teddy and Hazel and worked the farm with them to pay them back for their trouble in saving me, and waited what seemed like forever to receive a reply. It was almost a year to the day since the attack in my townhouse when who should ride up to the farm but Daniel.”

Richard smiled at the memory, recalling his shock and joy on seeing him. “I’d expected him just to purchase me passage on a ship or send someone to fetch me, but he got on a ship and came after me himself. He brought clothes for me and had a ship waiting to bring us back to England.”

“Us? The McCormicks too?” Christiana asked.

“What?” he asked with surprise. “Oh, no. They were happy on their farm, but I had Daniel leave some money with them for all their trouble.” He frowned now and added, “Which reminds me I have to pay him back. What with everything that’s happened since our return I haven’t got around to that yet.”

“And exactly what is everything that’s happened?” Christiana asked quietly. “How long have you been back in England?”

“Ah.” Richard managed a crooked smile. “We arrived in port yesterday morning.”

Christiana suddenly moved over to the bed to drop to sit on the edge of it. The action seemed to suggest her legs would no longer hold her up, but he couldn’t tell what she was thinking from her expression.

“Daniel and I had decided that the best way to handle the situation was to confront George at the Landon ball . As the season opener, it would be attended by nearly everyone in the ton and the plan was to surprise a confession out of him.”

“Except he was dead,” she said quietly.

“Yes, and he was married to you, which put a wrinkle in our plans,” Richard said quietly.

Christiana blinked at him in surprise. “Why did that put a wrinkle in them?”

“Because George had escaped justice by dying. It was only you and your sisters who would suffer in the scandal that would ensue if I revealed what he’d done, and the three of you are innocents.”