Page 33

“ I s your mistress at home?”

Seth waited patiently on the doorstep, watching the butler look over his card, the man’s eyes old and tired as he squinted at the printed words.

That morning, he had awoken at dawn, the betrayal on Alicia’s face fresh in his mind as he thought back to their arrival the night before.

He hated the idea that he had upset her, but he also understood that if he tried to make her his before he was ready, they would never truly come together as he desired.

Alicia deserves to have a husband who can give himself to her fully. The only way I can do that is by finding out the truth. Once and for all.

The butler’s gray eyes rose to him. “The Marquess and Marchioness have gone out for a stroll in the park, Your Grace. They should be back within a half hour or so if you can wait?”

“No matter,” Seth said, nodding his head in thanks.

I need not wait for her when I know where she will be.

It had not taken much to discover the name of the lady in the dark blue dress. The patronesses of Almack’s were always happy to help him with any inquiry he made, and they had been most forthcoming.

Lady Nicole Clarendon was her name. Whether or not she had ever possessed the name Forsythe was of little importance.

If she has something to hide, I shall hear it from her own lips.

He climbed down the front steps of the townhouse, tugging on his glove, and headed for the dark metal railings and swaying trees in the distance.

The butler had not specified which park his lord and lady went to, but Seth could assume, with the Marquess’s poor health, that it would not be too far.

His assumption was rewarded as he stepped through a gate on the west side and saw several couples ahead of him, but only one that could be his quarry.

The Marquess was sitting in a wheelchair at the lakeside. A nursemaid stood behind him, and his wife was a little further back, accompanied by her maid.

Seth’s fingers were tingling with anticipation as he made his way toward her.

As he approached, he noticed that the Marchioness’s hair was streaked with gray, her spine stiff and straight. She barely moved. The only sign she was not a statue was the whisper of wind through her hair.

Her maid saw him first, stiffening and murmuring something to her.

Seth came to a halt, waiting for the inevitable moment of truth. Either she would recognize him or not, and he would finally have his answer.

The lady turned around, and it was as if he was thrown back in time to that moment in the basement of Godolphin House. Those wide brown eyes still stared at him imploringly, but this time they were filled with fear.

She gasped, glancing furtively back at her husband, and took a step away.

Seth raised his hand, trying to make himself look as non-threatening as possible. “My Lady, I am sorry to trouble you. I know we are not acquainted, but I have to speak with you.”

Nicole glanced at her lady’s maid and swallowed visibly. “Y-Your Grace,” she said, her eyes darting everywhere but in Seth’s direction, as though she was seeking an escape.

“Please, I only want a moment of your time.”

Again, she looked back at her husband, but he was facing the lake. From what Seth could tell, he might have fallen asleep.

“Do you remember me?” he asked.

Nicole nodded once, wringing her hands.

He felt eighteen all over again. It was as if nothing had changed.

“Do you know why I have come here?”

Nicole did not reply, her eyes widening further as she looked at him, her lip trembling.

“Thirteen years ago, you came to Godolphin House to find my friend, Lord Gordon Fernside. A few hours later, he was found dead.”

A single tear rolled down her cheek, the sounds of the park fading around them as Seth watched her fight her emotions.

“All I ask, My Lady, after all these years, is that you tell me the truth. Do you know what happened to him? Were you involved in any way?”

“I cannot speak to you, Your Grace. My husband is a jealous man.” Her French accent was thicker than before, her voice trembling.

“One moment, that is all it will take,” he implored. “A nod or shake of the head is all I need. I do not wish to have you punished; I just want to know the truth.”

She took a small step forward. “I do not know what happened to him. I swear it on everything I love in this world. He was only ever kind to me. I believed that he might save me. But…” Her shoulders slumped.

“But he could not?”

“It was a fool’s hope. My father would never have allowed me to go against him. And in the end, it did not matter. I was taken to France, and after six months, I was married to Frederick.”

“And did your father find out about your tryst with Fernside?” Seth asked.

Her breath hitched again. “No, he never knew. But he almost discovered them both?—”

She clutched at her chest, her fingers trembling in fear.

Seth took a step forward. “Both of them? Was there someone else who also wished to marry you? To help you?”

Her fingers trembled as she glanced back at her maid helplessly, before wringing her hands in despair. “The only man I have ever loved was Gordon Fernside. He was kind and loved me for who I am, despite my flaws.”

“And the other man? You did not want him?”

She shook her head. “Never. He was cruel, forceful, even though I told him I did not want him.”

Seth’s eyes flicked to the Marquess. The nurse was turning his chair at the edge of the lake, and Seth hastily stepped back a few paces, appearing as if he were just another man strolling through the park.

He nodded to the Marchioness. “You have my thanks, My Lady. I am sorry that he was unable to save you from this fate.”

Nicole gave a faint smile. “We make the best of things.” Then, she frowned. “Do you not wish to know the other man’s name?”

Seth’s gut churned as he turned away. “It does not matter. I know of whom you speak.”

White’s was busy when he entered.

He was not certain where his friends would be, but he was relieved when he saw Isaac on the other side of the room.

His friend had his injured leg resting against the fire surround and was listening intently to Lucas, who was gesticulating with his hands.

Seth made his way toward them, marveling at how still and silent Isaac could be when he was concentrating.

In contrast, Seth felt as if his body was moving in every direction at once.

Ever since he had left Nicole, his mind would not calm down, flitting from one thought to the next until he felt he would go mad.

Have I truly found the answer after all these years? And if I have, am I brave enough to speak it aloud?

Isaac was the first to see him, frowning as he looked up, and Lucas twisted in his chair to see what had caught Isaac’s attention.

“Radcliffe!” Lucas greeted happily, giving him his usual warm smile. “This is becoming a habit, my friend. I have seen more of you in the last three weeks than in the last three years!”

Isaac signaled to a servant on the edge of the room, and a chair was brought over for Seth.

He was glad of it, his skin too hot, his breathing ragged as he tried to tamp down the desperation to tell them of his suspicions immediately.

Patience, Radcliffe. Patience. This must be handled in the right way or not at all.

“Should you not be with your lady wife?” Isaac asked, leaning back in his chair, a frown still on his face. “You look as if you have news to share. I hope all is well.”

Three glasses of brandy were brought to them, the servant placing one before each.

I did not even see Isaac order them.

As the servant retreated, Seth picked up his glass and knocked back three-quarters of it. He felt the familiar burn down his throat.

Isaac and Lucas stared at him in amazement as he placed the glass back on the tray before him.

“Good God,” Lucas muttered, putting his own glass beside Seth’s and peering at him curiously. “Are you ill?”

Seth patted his chest with his fist, feeling the brandy moving through his system. It warmed his blood and allowed him the clarity of thought he needed to speak to his friends.

“Come for supper tomorrow,” he said abruptly.

Isaac and Lucas exchanged a long glance.

Lucas gave his standard sardonic smile and chuckled, looking at Isaac knowingly. “The Duchess has discovered that he is unbearable already, and he is forced to spend the first few weeks of his marriage with his friends, instead of his wife. How tragic.”

There was a comic tone to his voice, but Seth did not appreciate the sentiment behind it. He had been unbearable to Alicia in many ways, and he was lucky she had put up with his unpredictable moods all this time.

“It has nothing to do with Alicia, Oakley. I require your presence.”

“What for?” Isaac asked. “I have a prior engagement.”

“Sitting in that chair and drinking whiskey until dawn is not an engagement, Stone. It is a habit,” Seth growled.

Isaac glowered at him but did not contradict him.

Lucas snorted. “Well, you know I would do anything to spend time with my friends, so I would happily accept. But what is this in aid of? I hope your Duchess will attend also; I do enjoy her company.”

Seth knew Lucas was baiting him, and he was irritated to find that it worked just as well as it had on their wedding day.

Lucas smirked, finally taking a sip of his drink, and Seth steeled himself for what was to come.

I am dragging them back into the past with me, when they have told me repeatedly that they want to forget.

But he had to know the truth, and he knew that his friends would stand by him in that. They had to.

“I believe I know what happened to Fernside.”

Lucas and Isaac went still, their glasses held to their lips, and their gazes met.

Isaac’s was familiar, his green eyes bright with interest. But Lucas looked nothing like himself at that moment.

His eyes were more serious than Seth had ever seen them, the blue in them like storm clouds as he lowered his glass to his knee.

Seth stayed silent as both men observed him.

“You will drive yourself mad with this,” Isaac said patiently.

“I have. For years,” Seth conceded. “And I am the only one who has pursued the matter, wanting to know what happened after all this time.”

“Of course we wanted to know,” Lucas spat. The rage in his voice was new. “I haven’t slept easily since that day—none of us have. But the fact remains that we have moved on, Radcliffe. We had to. Fernside is not coming back.”

Seth bit his tongue, wanting to reveal everything he knew instantly, but knowing they would never believe him.

They must hear it from the culprit, or I shall become the villain.

“Come over for dinner,” he insisted. “If I am wrong, then you have my word I will never speak of it again. I will never speak his name again.”

Isaac sighed, placing his drink beside Lucas’s and staring into the fire. “I do not wish to banish him from our memories, Radcliffe. I just cannot stand another conversation about what happened to him. He slipped and fell. That is the end of it.”

“Come to dinner,” Seth insisted. “Michael will be there too.” The bitterness rose, sharp and unpleasant in the back of his throat. “It will be like old times.”

Lucas patted Isaac’s good knee and laughed, rolling his eyes. “We will be there, Radcliffe.”

Seth nodded, before rising to leave the club.

Tomorrow night, everything will finally come to an end.