Page 74 of A Gentleman's Wager

“Wakefield’s?” He gulped.

Bella finished tugging on the ribbon fastening of her cloak and squared up with him. “You’re not going to be horrid about it, are you? Get all preachy about how they shouldn’t be alone unchaperoned.”

“Given that I left you with Lucerne, it would be rather hypocritical. Dammit!” He scratched his head, then curled his fist over his mouth.

“What?”

He flailed without saying anything.

“Whatever does”—she mimicked his gesture— “ mean?”

“It means,” he said in a plaintive tone. “That he’s with bloody Millicent Hayes, isn’t he?”

Bella let her cloak drop to the hardwood floor, then cursed both parties roundly. Millicent for being a treacherous tart, and Wakefield… Oh, there weren’t words in her vocabulary expressive enough for him. Later, she would regret not having the presence of mind to ask why, or how it had come about. Presently, she met her brother’s hazel eyes, then as one they raced along the corridor to intercept Louisa.

-43-

Louisa

Louisa received no response when she tapped on Frederick’s door. It had taken a deal of courage merely to do so. Her heart was pounding so hard, she wasn’t sure she would hear his response if he called ‘come in’ instead of opening the door. At least this time there was no Pennerley about to scare her away.

Perhaps he wasn’t here. He might be with Joshua. The landlady had seemed quite certain both gentlemen were present in the inn. She tapped again and thought perhaps she heard a mumble.

“Frederick,” she said meekly, and lifted the latch. It made a sharp click and the door swung inwards. It was an odd sort of room, L-shaped in design, with the bed tucked away around the corner. She could see its posts even though the room sat in semi-darkness, the curtains still drawn against the daylight despite it being after noon.

Louisa padded forward another couple of steps. The room smelled odd, sort of raw and masculine. Discarded clothes littered the floor, along with several empty wine bottles. Was this really his room? Perhaps the landlady had been mistaken. This squalor, she could not believe it of Frederick. He was always turned out so nicely, exactly as one expected a soldier to be.

Perhaps he was ill, and she’d come at the wrong time.

Or the right.

Of course, she would see that he was cared for.

“Freddy?” She reached the bottom end of the bed. The curtains were drawn around it, but there was a small gap between two of them. His head lay upon the pillow; hair mussed, and eyes closed, though the smile upon his lips suggested he wasn’t sleeping. She ought not to be here while he was in his bed. Then again, how might he react if he saw her now? She would tip-toe around, perhaps sit beside him and stroke his brow.

Before she could enact any of that, the bed clothes rippled. A second head emerged from beneath them, and a thin arm snaked across his torso.

Only a handful of days apart and he’d forgotten her. Bile rose up her throat, almost making her retch. Horrified, she watched Millicent Hayes rest her chin upon his chest.

She wasn’t sure how she ended up back in the corridor. Or came to be sitting in an armchair cradling a cup of tea, while Bella rubbed circles on her back.

“It’ll be all right, Louisa. I promise.”

Perhaps it would. She clutched tight Bella’s lace kerchief, too numb to cry. Joshua hovered in the background seeming entirely superfluous. His hands shook when he poured the tea. It was scalding hot and made her lips tingle with pain, but at least it made her feel something.

Joshua kept glancing towards the door and checking his timepiece. “Maybe it would be best if you left. Sunset is early these days, and I’d prefer you weren’t on the roads after dark.”

“Yes,” Bella concurred, perhaps for the first time in her life demonstrating an ability not to be contrary. “If you think that best.”

“Oh, unquestionably. Definitely.” He lifted Bella’s cloak from the back of the armchair. “You’d probably ought to set off at once.”

-44-

Wakefield

Wakefield spotted Lucerne’s carriage from the window. By the time he’d jogged into the street, it had already rolled off around the corner. He fell in beside Joshua, whose gaze lingered on the horizon.

“Was that Lucerne?”