Page 78 of Song of the Caged Duchess

And Hugh deserved to know that truth.

I should have confessed it to him long ago. Maybe hearing it from me would have changed things. Maybe he would have been able to accept that my feelings were genuine.

She didn’t know.

And now she never would.

“You should go to sleep, My Lady,” Amelia said, taking her teacup gently from her and helping her to her feet. “You’ve had a very long and difficult day.”

Esther didn’t argue. She allowed her lady’s maid to help her to her bed and lay down, closing her eyes.

Maybe things would look brighter in the morning.

But right now, it was difficult to see how they could.

Chapter 29

Esther was awakened by the sound of a door slamming.

The sound jarred her from a dream. She had been chasing after Hugh in a massive garden, certain that if she could only catch up to him, she could make him love her again. All she had to do was to correct the negative impression he had of her, and then everything would be all right—

She sat upright and looked around her room. It was full of maids, none of whom were looking at her as they went about the business of pulling her things from the wardrobe and packing them into her trunk.

“Excuse me,” she said, pushing back her covers and getting to her feet. “What’s going on here? What are you doing with my things?”

The door burst open and Amelia came running in, her hair in disarray. “My Lady!” she gasped. “I just heard—I’m so sorry I wasn’t here!”

“What’s going on, Amelia?” Esther demanded.

“Lady Harcourt has given orders that all your things are to be packed up immediately,” Amelia said, wringing her hands. “According to the other members of the staff, she means to send you home today.”

Esther felt as if her heart had dropped into her stomach.

She’s sending me hometoday? But that means I’ll never see Hugh again.

“She can’t do that,” she said, her voice hollow. “I’m supposed to stay until the end of the Season. I’m supposed to attend all the balls and find someone to marry. That—that was what Aunt Tabitha and my parents agreed on.”

“I don’t know what’s happened,” Amelia said. “All I know is that everyone is saying we’re being sent home. And—” She looked around the room. “It does look as if it’s the truth, doesn’t it?”

“It does,” Esther said. “Help me dress, Amelia, quickly. I must find my aunt and learn the explanation for all this.”

Amelia started toward the wardrobe, then hesitated. “My Lady…all your things have been packed.”

“Oh, for goodness’ sake!” Esther cried. “She can’t possibly expect me to travel home in my nightclothes.” She stormed over to the nearest of her aunt’s household maids. “Give me something to wear,” she said, her voice flinty.

The maid hesitated.

“That ismygown in your hands,” Esther pointed out. She reached out and grabbed it, and when she pulled it toward her, the maid released it without argument.

Esther stood before the looking glass as Amelia laced her into the gown, her head spinning.

What could possibly be the meaning of all this? I haven’t done anything to Aunt Tabitha. If anything, I have reason to be wrathful toward her—but certainly not the other way around. How can she justify sending me back to my mother and father so early in the Season?

No, there must be a mistake. Perhaps a servant had misunderstood something. Or maybe this was simply intended to frighten Esther into compliance. She knew her aunt was upset with her for declining to go to the sitting room last night. Maybe that was what this was all about.

She’ll be at breakfast. I can ask her about it there.

It wasn’t until Esther had made her way downstairs and to the dining room that she remembered who else would be present at breakfast.