“Oh,that.” Relief came swiftly, as did a fresh wave of mortification. She waved her hands at him, Cook, and the maid, who still looked as if she’d been struck by lightning. “He fell asleep beside me. It’s not what it sounds like.” But then, was falling asleep beside her—after traveling for days with no chaperone—really any better in the eyes of others?
Cook cleared her throat before swiftly scooping up the spoon from the ground, moving to rinse the utensil, and changing the topic. “I heard the duchess was confined to her bedchamber and half the servants were let go.”
Ah, yes. Her father hadn’t wasted any time in handling matters. And Louisa seized the change of subject with both hands, “Papa and that woman are leaving for London soon. I’m afraid some rumors might start soon about our family and the duchess.”
“Never mind that, dearie,” Cook said, shaking droplets from the spoon, “so long as you and your brother are all right.”
“I believe we shall be,” Louisa murmured.
“Me too,” Leo said, nodding. “I never liked her to begin with.”
Loui’s brows lifted. “You didn’t? This is the first time I’m hearing this.”
Her brother shrugged. “You never asked me.”
“Well, I never liked her either. I wonder what Papa saw in her.” She smiled at her brother, warmth creeping into her heart. “But thank you for taking my side.”
“Of course,” Leo said, eyes bright. “You are my family.”
Louisa cocked her head, studying the child. “Papa is your family as well.” In fact, he was the head of the family!
“Yes, but you are closer to my age than him.”
A loss. She stared at Leo at a complete loss. This boy’s reasoning truly stumped her at times! Before she could formulate a response, a voice cut through the air.
“Ah, my lady! There you are!”
Louisa turned her head to find Tabitha, one of the chambermaids, hurrying toward her, a folded piece of parchment clutched in her hand. “A letter just arrived for you.”
Louisa’s stomach twisted. “Oh? A letter for me?”
She took the parchment from Tabitha. Her fingers brushed against the wax seal—no crest, no initials. Who could it be from? A face suddenly swam in her vision. A cold face with a warm freckle beneath his eye. Could it be from Oliver? If this was the duke, the man certainly had mettle, sending her a letter with her father still in residence.
She broke the seal and unfolded the paper, and her eyes widened at the bold sentence scrawled there.
She blinked and then scowled.
What on earth did this mean?
*
Oliver had madefew rash decisions in his life. In fact, he could only recall one: saving Lady Louisa that day when he’d discovered his father had ordered her kidnapping and she was being held in the cottage he considered his refuge.
Determination welled in his being. And he knew it wouldn’t let go until he had completed his mission. Her look of horror surfaced in his mind again, and he pushed it aside. Not the time. Not the place. Not with the task that lay before him.
But he couldn’t rid himself of it completely. He could shove it from his mind, but he couldn’t drag it from his heart or yank it from his bones. And a memory without bounds would turn into a nightmare with no end.
Oliver stood at the base of the imposing mansion, its dark silhouette grim against the moonlit sky as he stared up at the wall he needed to scale. His chest tightened with the force of his racing heart, determination and trepidation colliding in his veins. Would she be there? Would she be waiting for him? Or would she have a servant waiting for him? Or worse, her father. He shook his head, dismissing the doubts.
He had to try.
If he didn’t, he would regret it for the rest of his life, and he still wanted to live a long one. He had no desire to become the kind of man who stared out of windows, penning tragic poetry about lost chances.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” the devil murmured at his shoulder, so damn close that Oliver nearly shuddered. “I didn’t mean to encourage you tothisextent.”
He cast Helgate a flat look and pressed a finger to the man’s shoulder to add some distance. “You cannot take it back the moment before it happens.”
“Right, but looking at this wall... I fear for your life.”
