“Austin?” Colin looked two shades paler. “Have you two grown so close?”
Lavender didn’t get the chance to think of a response to that before Alice came up to her side, sliding her arm through hers. “If she says that she was safe, then I believe her. There isn’t any need to hound her now. Let us just be happy that she is here.”
Vincent sighed dramatically. “I suppose I should sent a letter of apology to Lord Derby. I was rather rude when I arrived.”
“I’m happy you realised it,” Lavender said. “Though I doubt he really took your words to heart.”
Colin paced away, looking agitated. He moved over to the staircase and leaned against the balustrade with his arms crossed, a scowl on his face. Lavender frowned at him. She couldn’t understand why he seemed so…frustrated.
But she didn’t want to ask him about it right now. She was tired, since she hadn’t slept much last night, and felt a little overwhelmed at the high emotions circling the room at the moment. She could get answers about why Colin was here before Vincent had gone to see Alice or when Vincent would stop sulking about it.
“If you all do not mind,” she began, making her way to the staircase. “I am quite tired and wish to retire to my chambers.”
“I shall come with you,” Alice announced, not letting go of Lavender’s arm. The look in her eye told Lavender that there was a reason for it so she didn’t bother to protest.
“Very well then.” Vincent began heading in the direction of the hallway next to the staircase. “Mr. Asher, let us finish our discussion, shall we?”
Discussion? Lavender paused, watching as the scowling Colin avoided her eyes and followed behind her brother. What could they possibly be discussing?
Probably business matters, she dismissed after a moment. She didn’t care about such things.
Suddenly too tired to question anything, Lavender made her way up to her chambers with Alice by her side. The moment she was in her bedchamber, she collapsed onto the bed with her arms and legs spread wide, watching as Alice absently made her way to the sofa next to the fire place.
Exhaustion settled over her eyes the moment she sank into her bed. But Lavender knew she couldn’t sleep just yet. She knew Alice well enough to know that there was a reason she had followed her up here.
True to what she’d expected, Alice sat with her hands clasped in her lap, staring expectantly at Lavender.
“Out with it,” Lavender sighed. “I know you have your questions.”
“Quite a few,” Alice admitted with a private smile. “But before that, I do hope you understand how worried you made everyone.”
“I did not think word would reach to both Colin and you,” Lavender sighed. “But yes, I suppose I should have been more mindful. Though, I must add that there wasn’t anything I could do at the time.”
“Yes, I am aware. Which is why I am opting to hold back most of my chastisement. Now, for the questions.” Alice leaned forward and rested her chin on her lap, her elbow balancing on her knee. “How was it spending the night with the Earl of Derby?”
Lavender turned her face away to hide the blush that suddenly rushed to her cheeks. Slowly, she sat up and ran her fingers idly through her hair, giving herself enough time to think of the right answer.
What was the right answer? She’d done so many scandalous things in the past few hours that she was afraid of saying it aloud. She knew that her secret was safe with Alice but saying it would be admitting aloud things she was yet to admit to herself just yet.
So she settled on skirting around the full truth as best as she could. “He was a gracious host,” she said and then cringed inwardly when she heard how unbelieving that was. “Well, as gracious a host as the earl could be. You know his temperament as well as I do.”
“Perhaps not as well as you do,” Alice hummed, that smile still playing around her lips. Almost as if she knew more than she was letting on. “What possessed you to go there unchaperoned in the first place?”
“I am not sure,” Lavender admitted. “I had time on my hands and thought that it would be a good idea to prepare him for what was to come. Things took quite a turn, however.”
“In what way?”
“Well…there was the storm.”
“And?”
Lavender frowned at her. Did she know about the kiss? Surely she didn’t? Or was she simply reading the blush on Lavender’s face and assuming that something might have happened?
“And…nothing,” Lavender said finally, avoiding her eyes.
Alice laughed. “You are a magnificent liar, Lavender, but you have never been able to lie to me. Something happened. I noticed it the moment you walked through the door. And I think Colin might be thinking the same thing.”
“Nothing happened and Colin was only worried about me, like you said.” Lavender felt a bite of guilt at the lie. Alice said nothing and the silence bore down on her until she couldn’t help but crack. “All right, perhaps something did happen.”
