Dickie raise one hand and continued to gasp. CB handed him a glass of water, which the lad gulped down too quickly as he began to cough. Leo slapped him on the back. “Tell me, dammit!”
“Leave him alone, Ath. You’re not helping.” Leo leapt to his feet and began to pace once more.
“Scotland,” Dickie gasped. “The old bugger is sending ’er to Scotland. Some old relic of a Scots duke is paying the duke a fortune for ’er. Gets to keep ’er dowry and makes a profit. Told the old Scot she’s ruined so they’re sending ’er to Scotland to make certain she’s not carrying. Lock ’er up in a moldy old castle in the ’ighlands. This Scots duke rode ahead to find a vicar to marry ’em soon as they can. Avonlea told Bitworth she’s ruined so ’e’s packing up to scarper back to Sussex with Mummy.”
Leo rummaged through his desk and pulled out all of the money he could find. He shoved the wad of notes and the handful of coins into a small purse and grabbed his greatcoat from the rack by the door. When he turned to leave CB leaned against the door, arms folded over his chest.
“Do you have a note, Dickie?” CB asked.
“From the maid. She gave it to the butler. Miss Esme lost her position. She’s with Mrs. Seaforth. Her ladyship’s doing before the duke arrived.”
Leo snatched the note from Dickie’s hand.
Dearest Leonidas,
Father is downstairs shouting my name as I write this. I have locked my chamber door, but that will not hold for long. As soon as I received your note I packed Esme, my horse, my naughty book collection and as many of my possessions as I could off to Julia. I know she will care for them well. Father will not strike me, but he would have no trouble beating Esme or shooting my horse to get back at me. Now you know why I love your cats so. I never dared have a pet of my own.
Do not come for me. There is nothing you can do. I suspect I shall be married in the next few days so there truly is no point in your riding to my rescue. I cannot tell you how much our time together has meant to me. In another world perhaps we might have been more to each other. I am glad you have my portrait to remember me by. I hope every time you look at it you smile.
Your Honoria
“There’sa note for you too, sir.” Dickie handed CB a scrap of paper.
CB read the note and laughed.
“What does it say?” Leo demanded. He needed to read her note again. He didn’t understand. All he knew was he had to do something.
“She says if you do anything foolish, I am to break your leg.” He dropped the noted into the drawer on Leo’s desk. He plucked Leo’s purse from his hand and pulled a bank note from it. “Run along, Dickie, and buy yourself a proper dinner. After you eat come back. We may have need of you.”
“Aye, guv’!” He ducked past Leo and hesitated at the door. “Yer going after the lady, right?”
Leo didn’t say a word.
Once the boy was gone, CB shoved Leo into the armchair by the fire. “You will not help her going off without a plan. But first of all you need to decide what you want and what your intentions are. If you can’t offer her anything more than a moldy castle and a moldy duke in Scotland then don’t bother. She’ll be better off without you. What do you want to do?”
Leo had never felt so helpless and confused in his life. He had nothing to offer her, but he wanted to have something to offer her. She seemed resigned to her fate. Why?
“Do you love her?”
Leo looked at CB as if he were speaking Russian. “What?”
“Do. You. Love. Her? It is a simple question.”
“I don’t know.” He didn’t, did he?
“Bollocks. Either you do or you don’t. If you don’t I suggest we go to White’s and have dinner. If you do then you need to decide what you are willing to sacrifice to save her.”
“Dinner? Have your wits gone begging?” Leo picked up his purse and put on his coat.
“Have yours? If you go after her, what will you do with her? Bring her here? Where will you live? A trip to Scotland will take money. So will a special license.”
“I have some money. If you will lend me—”
“No.” CB got to his feet and put on his own coat. “Not a farthing. Not a carriage. Not a broken-down nag. You have money and carriages and two homes to which you can take Lady Honoria if she will have you. You know what you have to do. All you have to do is decide if she is worth what you have to do. Send Dickie around when you decide.” He walked out and closed the door behind him.
What the hell?
Leo looked frantically around the room. He counted the money he had. Even with the final payment for the duke’s portrait he had less than fifty pounds. He picked up Honoria’s note.
