His Redemption, Her Legacy

Part 1

'You may break, you may shatter the vase, if you will,
But the scent of the roses will hang round it still'

-Thomas Moore

Fletcher Alley;

The onyx carriage maneuvered its way through the murky pathway, lined by rows of dingy dwellings.
It came to a rugged stop in front of an iron-wrought gate, big enough to conceal the fancy building behind it.

Sigourney rushed through the guards at the gate, raising her skirts in her hands.
She stopped with a flushed face just as a man descended the carriage.

"Lord Seaborne! Thank you for gracing our humble abode with your eminent presence."
Sigourney bowed as Lord Richard Seaborne came to stand before her.

"I concurred that it was time for me to get some news of the establishment. It had been too long since I visited."
Richard spoke as he ran his eyes about him.
The aforementioned establishment was illuminated with lamps and candles on silver scorns.
Everything about it screamed elegance.

Sigourney stole a glance at Lord Richard Seaborne.
He was just as handsome as she remembered him to be. Age had certainly done him justice.
If she had been a few years younger, she could easily imagine herself being smitten by his rugged looks and honey-like eyes.

It was indeed a shock to her when the errand-boy came to her to announce the arrival of Lord Seaborne.

It was completely unexpected considering the fact that it was the first time in the last sixteen-or-so years that he had made his presence known at the place of which he was a patron and at which he used to be a regular customer for as long as she could remember.
They had been dealing only with his subordinates for almost the last two decades.

Sigourney knew not what had transpired to change a man like Lord Seaborne.
His reputation had been that of a philanderer in the entire kingdom till he suddenly stopped his acts altogether.
He even stopped visiting the brothels, hers being one of them.

The entire kingdom had been perplexed by his everted behaviour.
For a man who tried- and almost always succeeded- in getting under the skirts of any Lady, notwithstanding the fact whether she was married or unmarried, he unexpectedly turned to a celibate.
But she, along with all the men of the kingdom, was not complaining.
Not as long as he continued his monetary support for her brothel.

"Do allow us to serve Your Lordship tonight. I can arrange the best of the beauties to keep you company."
Sigourney stated in a meaningful tone.

Richard looked at the woman in front of him with a wry smile.
She was no longer the lithe beauty that he remembered her to be.
Her sagging shoulders and wrinkled face reflected her years but her eyes had still not lost their fierce spark. It was the one thing that allowed her to survive amongst the wolves.

"I thank you for your generous offer Sigourney but I have to decline it.
The manor awaits my return. There is a lot that needs to be done. I simply came to see whether my old acquaintance was fairing well."
He spoke in a soft tone.

Sigourney smiled widely.
"By the generosity of His Grace over the years, I have been able to keep this humble abode running. However, I feel we have been taking undue advantage of your kindness, Lord Seaborne. You have not even visited us for so long. At the very least, let us serve a few delicacies to you."