Page 166 of Rogue of My Heart

Brandt. “Oh, my lady! How lovely it is to see you again!” She offered a slight curtsy. “I daresay I’ve missed making your gowns.” She paused.

“You are here to have a special one made, no?”

Albina didn’t have the heart to decline. “Of course.”

“Wonderful!” The woman clasped her hands together in delight. “I have just the material in mind. Wait just a moment.” She held up a finger and then disappeared behind a curtain that led into her work area. She reappeared seconds later, carrying a lovely gray silk that caught the light from the window, making it appear to sparkle with a myriad of colors.

“It’s breathtaking,” Albina breathed as she reached out and rubbed a section of the fabric between her thumb and finger.

“And perfect for the celebration on St. John’s Eve!”

The woman literally beamed, although her words gave Albina pause.

“The viscount still holds the celebration each year?”

“Naturally.” The woman bobbed her head excitedly. “Lord Beauley makes sure of that. The entire village looks forward to it every summer solstice. It’s only a fortnight away. I do hope you will be joining us this year, my lady. That would be ever so nice. Now, if you’d just step into the back of my shop, I can get your measurements.”

The lady continued to prattle on as she pinned and murmured numbers to herself, but Albina was sadly distracted, so she participated very little in the conversation.

She’d had no idea that Michael had continued to host such an extravagant annual party and not even invite her. It rather stung that he had excluded her. Granted, they might not have been on intimate speaking terms for the past five years, but they’d still corresponded, and they were still husband and wife.

Did that not account for anything?

While she had always enjoyed St. John’s Eve before, at this point, she wasn’t sure if it would be something to celebrate this year — or if it would be just another day that passed.

She bid Mrs. Brandt goodbye shortly thereafter, the woman’s well wishes following her out the door.

* * *

Albina stood in the street, the excitement of the day marred by the realization that Michael had obviously moved on with his life. Without her.

Her thoughts were miles away as she headed back to Beauley Hall.

She had to make a decision about whether her husband was worth fighting for, if their marriage was worth fighting for, or if it was time to abandon this quest before it was too late and there was no recovering from it.

She’d known all along that the true reason she’d returned to Yarmouth wasn’t because she was trying to find the writing inspiration that had deserted her, but because she’d wanted to try to repair things with Chael. But even she was smart enough to know when there was nothing left to salvage. Ever since her arrival, things had been strange and…

detached, as if she didn’t belong there.

Perhaps it was time she returned to London.

Albina was moving along at a clipped pace when a flash of brown fur suddenly ran out in the road. The rabbit startled the mare enough that she reared back and pawed at the air with her forelegs. Set off balance, the phaeton tipped to the side. Albina heard the sickening sound of an axel breaking right before she closed her eyes and was thrown out of the vehicle.

Five

A lady must exercise proper dress…

Lady A’s Advice Column

* * *

Albina landed on the ground with a hard thud, the impact temporarily knocking the wind out of her. By the time she’d gathered her wits, a loud crack of thunder shook the ground beneath her and a fat drop of rain splashed the tip of her now scuffed boot. She laid there for a moment, trying to decide if anything was broken, although her muscles screamed in so much protest that it was hard to tell.

She could definitely tell that she was getting older. When she was a child, a similar situation would see her jumping right back to her feet.

Now, as a wave of dizziness assailed her as she slowly rose to a seated position, she had to groan. No doubt her entire body would ache in the morning.

As the rain began to fall in earnest, Albina finally rose to her feet, but she stumbled when the heel of her boot snapped off. Unsteady, she reached out and grabbed the side of the phaeton, which was listing heavily to one side. Dripping wet, she shivered inside of her thin cloak, as a brisk, north wind sent a chill up her spine. She would have worn something heavier, but then again, she hadn’t known she was going to be stranded in the middle of a rainstorm.