Chapter Twelve
Leonora’s heart lodgedin her throat as she followed the duchess from a distance, hoping she was being stealthy enough. Only, she didn’t feel stealthy at all. Oh, no. It felt as if a magnifying glass were trained on her every movement. At any moment, she half-expected the duchess to turn and wink in her direction as if to say,“Oh, yes, I see you there, darling. Sleuthing is not in your blood.”
She pushed those thoughts away, forcing herself to focus.
Had the duchess seen her at the fight?
She didn’t think so. The woman had been staring at the match before she’d turned on her heel and made for the exit. Leonora hadn’t paused to think—she’d simply followed. Too many questions whirred in her head. What was the duchess doing here? Alone? What could her motives possibly be? Had she come with someone like Leonora had? And was she truly who Leonora suspected her of being?
She wanted answers.
Needed answers.
Too many threads fluttering loosely in the wind—the secret meeting in the park, the duchess calling on Dare, her offer at the lake. Leonora squared her shoulders with determination. She might feel like a criminal creeping along the street, but she would follow the duchess, and hopefully, today would bring some of the answers she sought.
Leonora’s footsteps quickened as she padded after her. She was just about to turn into a street the duchess had already disappeared down, her gaze fixed ahead, and—crash!—she collided with something—someone—solid.
Lord!
The sudden impact jolted her a step backward, and she gasped, trying to regain her balance as the world seemed to spin for a moment. Firm hands gripped her arms as she wobbled, steadying her.
Oh, dear. This is what happens when you creep about!
She took a step back, lifting her head to apologize, ready to offer thanks for the man’s quick intervention, when her eyes locked with his. A cold chill ran down her spine, and for a breathless moment, time seemed to stretch, her heart nearly stopping in her chest.
No.
This was in no way a good moment. What were the horrifying chances? What were the impossible odds of such an encounter?
Heart?
I was careless.
“Careless?” His eyes darkened as his face twisted into fury.
Had she spoken out loud?
“You are right about being careless, Leonora,” he growled. “In fact, careless doesn’t even begin to describe it! Reckless is more like it!”
Her brain went blank. “What are you doing here? Were you at the fight, too?”
“You are askingmethat? What the devil areyoudoing here?” He swept the area with a cold look. “Why are dressed like that? Are you here with someone? Whose jacket is that?Wait—what fight?”
Leonora struggled to keep up with his flurry of questions, but the last one hit her like a blow. Drat. Why had she asked himthat? She’d outed herself without meaning to! And she had no good reason for being here.
“Heart?” A voice came from beyond her brother. His back shot straight, his eyes opening wide.
The duchess.
Leonora instinctively took two steps back while Heart stood at the corner of the two streets, blocking the view between her and the woman. Had the duchess passed her brother and retraced her steps? For now, at least, Leonora was hidden, obscured partly by Heart and partly by the building, keeping her out of the duchess’s line of sight.
“Heart? That is you, isn’t it?” the duchess pressed. “Are you just going to ignore me? I thought someone was following me, but I never expected to be you.”
Leonora stared at Heart.
So many emotions flashed across his face, emotions Leonora had never glimpsed on him before while he kept eye contact with her. The Duchess of Crane meant something to him. Or at least, she had meant something to him at one time in the past. That much was as clear as the sky above them.
He turned to the woman in question.
