Page 23

T he next morning, Alicia went down to breakfast with two feathers in her hair instead of one.

For the first time, she was not embarrassed when she saw the servants, and instead of nervousness at what Seth’s reaction might be, she only felt anticipation.

Hiding a smile, she sauntered onto the terrace, relishing the little smile on his lips as his eyes traveled up to her head until they reached the tips of the feathers.

“Good morning,” she said cheerily, sitting down and pulling the plate of toast toward her.

Seth sipped his tea, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Will you be wearing that to meet your friends today?” he asked.

“Oh no,” she said with mock outrage, running a finger over one of the feathers. “They would never fit in the carriage.”

Seth chuckled, placing his teacup down as he continued to read the paper, and Alicia smiled to herself as she buttered her toast.

A few letters sat beside the newspaper, stacked neatly in a pile, and Alicia eyed them, recalling what he had said about who had written them.

“Did you find what you were searching for?” she asked tentatively, wondering if it was impertinent to mention them.

Seth glanced up at her, but there was no hint of irritation in his gaze. He picked up his tea again, sipping it thoughtfully. “No, not yet.”

“But you are still searching for something?”

“Indeed. But as it stands, I am not certain what it is.”

She watched his eyes grow sad once more, the need to banish the sorrow from his countenance rising within her. She wanted to see him grin again as he had done the night before, but his mood this morning seemed contemplative.

She was curious, not to say intrigued by what he was looking for, and a part of her wanted to probe for answers. Something terrible must have led to the accusations against him and the subsequent trial, but looking at his expression, she decided not to pry.

She usually liked to solve mysteries, but she did not wish to make him unhappy. He would tell her in his own time.

She took a bite of her toast. “I hope you find whatever it is you are looking for. It is clearly important.”

Seth stared at her over the rim of his cup, his hand frozen momentarily. Then, he lowered it and tilted his head to the side as the breeze rustled the trees beyond them.

“Thank you, Alicia,” he said softly. “I very much hope I will.”

They both ate their breakfast silently, but the tension bled from Seth’s shoulders with each minute.

Slowly, he relaxed back in his chair, watching her curiously.

“Are you taking the carriage to the park today?” he asked. “It is still your intention to promenade with Lady Bridget and Miss Hill, is it not?”

“It is. I was thinking I might take the landau if you do not need it?”

“It is yours.”

She looked up at him in surprise. “Is it?”

Seth smoothed his hand down his waistcoat, tugging at it awkwardly. “Yes. I thought that it would be required. It has been many years since a lady lived in this house, and my carriages are not designed for elegance.”

“Thank you, it is beautiful.”

He shrugged, scratching his chin as he glanced furtively at her. “In any case, the weather is fine. You should be able to travel with the roof down.”

“Well then,” she said, stroking one of the feathers theatrically, “perhaps I can wear these, after all.”

“It is so wonderful to see you!” Katie squealed, all but running to the carriage as Alicia climbed out.

Bridget followed behind her at a slightly more sedate pace as the two women embraced in the sunshine.

Alicia motioned for the coachman to wait and turned to her friends happily.

“You look so well,” Bridget said, her eyes narrowing immediately. “Have you managed to annul your marriage already? That is the only reason I can think of that you would look so cheerful.”

They set off along the pale gravel path as Alicia linked arms with them both.

“Not quite,” she said guiltily, heat rising up her neck at just how far from annulling the marriage she was.

If he had not stopped last night, I would be in no position to do so at all!

“So, how is the plan progressing?” Katie asked eagerly. “Surely he must be growing tired of you by now?”

Alicia watched some geese flying overhead, following their descent as they glided to the water’s surface.

At her silence, her friends turned toward her. She could not look them in the eye.

“What has happened?” Bridget asked.

“I think I have to put a stop to our plan altogether,” Alicia confessed.

Katie came to a halt as Bridget gasped in shock.

“What?” Katie sputtered, bewildered. “Why?”

“Because he has been wise to what I have been doing since the beginning!” Alicia said with exasperation. “Bridget, even the kitten has become friends with him. I believe she prefers him to me.”

“But what of the gossip and the inane chatter?” Bridget asked fervently.

“He enjoys it. A few nights ago, I spoke with him about the Lorensen affair for thirty minutes. He asked at least a dozen questions! By the end of the evening, he had asked me so many questions that I was curious myself about the facts I did not know and wrote to my sister to ask her for more information.”

Katie burst out laughing, and Alicia shook her head at her.

“It is quite useless.”

“And the dresses? Did you manage to make anything that shocked him beyond bearing?” Katie asked.

“Yes, plenty . One was not fit to be seen, and he liked that one best of all.”

“What do you mean, he liked it?” Bridget asked.

Alicia’s mind returned to the gloom of the library and the hot pleasure rushing through her body.

I do not think it is healthy to dwell on that night as much as I have.

“I have worn a collection of different monstrosities, each one worse than the other,” she continued, dodging Bridget’s question. “Last night, he told me he knew what I was doing. It seems futile to continue doing it now.”

“Are you seriously accepting your fate after so short a time?” Bridget asked, outraged. “You cannot wish to be married to one of the most ruthless and dangerous men in the ton.”

“You do not truly believe he is a murderer, do you?” Alicia asked.

“The only person who can answer that is the Duke and God himself,” Bridget insisted. “But I have heard some dreadfully shocking things—things that came out at his trial.”

Alicia frowned at her. “Such as?”

They had reached the water’s edge, the ducks and geese quacking loudly about them, but she tuned them out.

She did not like the way Bridget was speaking about Seth. It dawned on her that over the years following the trial, all anyone had to say about him stemmed from rumors and conjecture.

No one had any facts at all.

But I have seen parts of him no one else has. I cannot believe he is a villain… and sometimes he treats me as if he truly values me.

“Apparently, the trial focused on the Duke’s relationship with Lord Fernside,” Bridget continued.

“He was accused of jealousy. Fernside was top of his class, effortless in his intelligence. Whereas, the Duke had to work much harder to reach the same position, what with being under the thumb of his overbearing father.”

“And how would you know such a thing?” Alicia asked indignantly.

Bridget smoothed a hand over her skirts, clearing her throat somewhat awkwardly. “Lady Verity Williamson. I remembered her mentioning that her husband attended the trial when the Duke’s name came up in conversation some weeks ago. I wrote to her to ask what she knew?—”

“Oh, Bridget!” Alicia huffed, stomping her foot in frustration. Katie stared at her in confusion.

“What?” Bridget demanded. “Was I supposed to allow my dearest friend to marry a terrible man without full knowledge of what he was? Lady Williamson said that he lost his friends because of it, save for the small group around Lord Fernside, and everyone believed they were hiding something.”

Katie nodded. “I heard that, too. The one prevailing belief from the trial was that they had been hiding something between them.”

“But no one knows he was guilty. What proof do they have?” Alicia asked, her ire rising with every moment that passed.

“Do you know any details of the trial?” Bridget countered.

“No, but?—”

“In that case, why have you not tried to find out everything you can from him? I would not have been able to stop myself from asking him a thousand questions every single day if it were me. You are his wife; you have a right to know what haunts his past!”

“But it is Seth’s business, not mine, and he will tell me should he wish to. I do not believe it for a moment!”

Alicia glared at her friends, knowing in her heart that she was being irrational and unfair.

As far as they were concerned, Seth was still the unfeeling, cold statue of a man she had married. They did not know of the little wrinkles around his eyes when he smiled, of how he lit up when the robin visited him on the balcony.

The man I know could not have hurt anyone.

“Alicia, I do not understand,” Bridget murmured with infinite patience. “Do you not wish to know the truth?”

But Alicia had heard enough.

She tugged at her sleeves, her jaw clenched so tight it ached. Turning, she spotted her carriage at the other end of the path and made her decision.

“Alicia?” Katie’s tone was soft as she laid a hand on her arm.

Alicia flinched and pushed it away, watching the hurt bloom across her friend’s face. “I have a headache. I am sorry, I must go home.”

Ignoring their protests, Alicia marched away, pushing aside everything they had told her, determined to believe that Seth was not who they thought him to be.

But there was a doubt at the very back of her mind.

What is in those letters? And what has he been searching for?