Page 7

"Come on, Laurel. It's a beautiful day." Cassie yanked open the curtains allowing sunshine into the room. "You must get out of bed. Lady Katherine is about to come in here herself and believe me, you do not want that."

For the past two days Laurel had been doing fairly well and had even joined the Winchesters and Cassie for tea and dinner.

However, last evening she had caught a glimpse of the evening newspaper and the headline announcing Richard's sentence of twenty years after he entered a plea of guilty to the charges.

It had barely been a week since he was arrested and Laurel was surprised he had capitulated so quickly.

Though she held no great regard for her stepbrother and his actions had caused her a most severe humiliation, she still could not get over the severity of the charges or the sentence.

Her only living relative was a convicted felon serving a sentence in prison.

After all of that, she had not had the courage to face the day.

Cassie had other ideas. "I know you are feeling low, but lying in bed is not the answer." She tugged on the bedcovers. "You need some fresh air and it is important for you to be seen. You cannot allow others to believe you are hiding out."

"I am hiding out," Laurel replied, digging her fingers into the blankets and attempting to pull them over her head. "Leave me alone!"

"No," Cassie said, giving a mighty yank to the linens. Laurel, equally determined, did not let go, but the force of Cassie's pull on the blankets brought Laurel to an upright position in the bed and she blinked at Cassie in surprise.

"You're strong," she said.

"I'm motivated," Cassie said. "Now, you're sitting up. Might as well get dressed and we'll go for a walk." She gave another tug and Laurel felt she had no choice but to get out of bed.

"Fine," Laurel said, resigned to her fate.

Thirty minutes later the two friends stepped out of the front door of the Winchesters' townhouse. Laurel blinked. "I guess it has been a few days since I have been outside," she said.

"Precisely my point," Cassie said, linking her arm in Laurel's. "Come along, you look stunning in that dress and you need to show it off."

Cassie's enthusiasm was contagious, and Laurel felt her mood lift a small amount as she felt the morning sun on her face and took in deep breaths of the cool air. Spring flowers were in bloom and it was difficult to feel too far down when new growth sprung up all around.

"Thank you, Cassie," she said as they entered Hyde Park. "I do not know what I would have done without you and the Winchesters."

Cassie squeezed her arm. "I am happy to help. It pleases me to see you feeling a bit better. We both know that neither your stepbrother nor your former-fiancé are worth getting upset over. Now, let us enjoy ourselves and see who is out and about this fine morning."

Just this brief amount of time out of doors had settled her nerves and she began to feel like her old self.

The self she was before she ever met Lord Gerald Onslow.

She shuddered inwardly thinking what her life might now be like if it had not been for Richard's arrest. With a bit of fresh air in her lungs, Laurel began to see that it had all been for the best. Both Gerald and Richard had been cast from her life without any effort on her part.

She did feel slightly bad about Richard being in prison, but she could not say it was unjust.

Cassie took a deep, yet ladylike, inhale of the air. "Ah, this feels good. I am so glad to get out of the house. Not that I do not simply adore Lord and Lady Winchester, but there is nothing quite as invigorating as a stroll around the park to see friends."

A smile spread over Cassie's face. "Oh, look.

Here comes Lady Lydia and Lady Susan Forrester.

How fortunate. I am sure they will have all the latest gossip and fashion news to share.

Come." Cassie, with her arm still linked in Laurel's, tugged her friend across the path to the other side so they could speak with the aforementioned friends.

Laurel was eager for some news and a friendly chat.

As they waited expectantly for their friends to join them, a most astonishing thing occurred.

The sisters both looked directly at Cassie and Laurel, then turned ninety degrees without acknowledging them and strolled by on the path which Laurel and Cassie had abandoned in order to greet their friends.

"Wha—" Cassie's face fell as a cold sensation washed through Laurel. Both young ladies stood transfixed, as the sisters, who had been their friends for several years, acted as like they were invisible.

"The cut direct," Cassie whispered, as though seeing a ghost.

Laurel felt Cassie's hand tremble as it continued to grasp Laurel's elbow, though now it seemed her friend needed to hang on to her for support, not just companionship.

"It is my fault," Laurel said, once she was able to speak.

After the scene on her wedding day she did not think anything could affect her so profoundly, but it turned out that the obvious snub hurt even more than being jilted at the altar.

She had no respect or affection for Lord Gerald Onslow and was just as glad to have him gone from her life.

But Lydia and Susan had been part of her circle of friends and she counted them as people she cared about and admired.

In fact, she had been somewhat surprised not to have had at least a note of concern from either of them after the debacle of her wedding, but had assumed they simply did not know what to say.

Apparently their choice was to say nothing in the loudest way possible.

"I am certain they did not see us," Cassie said, recovering from the shock. "That is the only explanation. We have been friends since girlhood."

"No, it was intentional," Laurel said. "I am so profoundly sorry. My shame is now affecting you."

She disengaged Cassie's hand from her arm and turned, moving as quickly as she dared. She could not stand the idea of drawing even more attention to herself or worse, to Cassie.

Ducking into the shrubbery, she took a shortcut that brought her out just a block away from her own home.

Adjusting her hat so that it covered as much of her face as possible without being too obvious, Laurel strode toward her home.

No doubt the servants had all left but she would be safe there and could manage for herself.

How she would do so when her only discernible skill was choosing flattering fabrics, she had no idea. At the moment, all she wanted was to lock herself away in her own home as she ought to have done instead of going to the Winchesters' home and taking the taint of scandal along with her.

Yes, that was what she would do. She would steer her own course, chart her own destiny and as many other boating related analogies as she could muster. No more hiding under the covers. No more allowing others to make choices for her.

With a renewed confidence she reached the gate of Bernard House.

Chains and padlocks bound the gate closed. A sign hung on the gate, glancing past it, she saw the same thing on the front door.

These premises have been seized by The Crown for

the repayment of crimes committed by the owner.

Anyone setting foot on this property will be prosecuted for trespassing against The Crown.

Laurel gaped at the scene. Even from the street she could see that the contents of the house had been removed.

The stained-glass lamp which had been her stepfather's pride and joy and usually glowed from the front window was no longer there.

Laurel did not wish to consider what might have happened to it.

"There you are." Cassie came to stand next to Laurel, her hat askew and her breath coming in rapid pants.

Laurel did not say anything, but she watched as Cassie read the sign. "Come on," Cassie said, linking her arm with Laurel's again. "Let's go home."

Julian stood near the window of the drawing room of Rose Crest Manor. The afternoon sun dappled over the patterned rug while Julian watched the traffic pass by. He set the book in his hand, a dull tome on Roman architecture, on a table. It had failed to distract him from his ongoing predicament.

A discrete knock on the door interrupted his melancholy.

"Enter," Julian said, turning from the window.

Kenley stepped inside with a letter on a silver tray. "This just arrived by footman, my lord, from Lord Winchester."

"Winchester?" Julian said, picking up the envelope. "Oh, I believe Grandfather had suggested I call upon him while in town, but I have not had the time for social calls."

The letter, addressed in precise script on paper embossed with the Winchester family crest, smelled faintly of pipe smoke.

Lord and Lady Winchester request the honor of your company for tea, two days hence, at four o’clock at Winchester House. We look forward to becoming acquainted with the grandson of our dear friend, Lord Ebersole.

"Curious," he murmured. "My grandfather has certainly told many stories about Lord Winchester. I understand he is an American by birth and rather an unconventional sort."

"I believe that is the commonly expressed opinion of him," Kenley said, holding back a smile. "He is reputed to be both a gentleman and a rabble-rouser when necessary."

"Well, I wonder which of them I will encounter," Julian said, more to himself than to his valet. "Please send word that I will attend."

"Very good, my lord," Kenley said and exited the room.

Julian read the letter again. Rather than talking with a married couple, he ought to be out meeting eligible young ladies.

However, he had heard enough rumors about Lord Thomas Winchester, as well as the reputed charm and beauty of his wife, to stir sufficient curiosity for Julian to deem the excursion worth his time.

Besides, nothing ventured, nothing gained.