Page 28 of The Chef and the Countess (The Duke’s Bastards #2)

Late January,

1899

Devil’s Acre, London

Doctor Drew Hornsby had to come to Devil’s Acre once again. He could not stay away. Had he seen the Duchess of Barnsdale when he’d visited this rookery with Liam three weeks ago? The possibility had nagged him ever since, enough to compel him to investigate.

With his busy schedule, finding time to conduct a search was difficult. He had a few hours to spare and the weather was not overly cold, so why not?

It was not as if he expected to see her, as Devil’s Acre was a maze of crowded rundown tenements, shacks, dark alleys and courtyards. Why would a duchess stay in such a notorious area? The rookery was barely three miles from the Barnsdale residence. Why would she not travel further?

Drew pulled his wool coat’s collar upward as he strolled along the broken cobbles. He had left his doctor’s bag home, not wanting to draw attention to himself. What were the odds he would see her?

Since he had met her last April on a medical call, the duchess had never been far from his mind. Selena Woodhouse, the Duchess of Barnsdale, was an extraordinarily beautiful woman with golden red hair. In fact, she was one of the loveliest ladies he had ever seen in his twenty-five years. Yes, she had made quite an impression.

The duchess would be easy enough to spot, unless she wore a disguise. Drew scanned the streets. Since it was the middle of the afternoon, quite a few people milled about. He watched each of them carefully.

Around the corner, a woman emerged, carrying two wicker baskets on one arm, while holding a large shawl in place with her free hand. She had it over her head, so he could not see the shade of her hair. She hurried along the walkway in a swift manner, keeping her head down.

Drew had to see what she looked like. He followed her as close as he dared. Then he crossed the street, walking on the opposite walkway, hoping to catch a glimpse of her profile at least.

A loud bang, like the backfire of an automobile, sounded. The lady in the shawl stopped for a few seconds and turned enough toward the noise that Drew got that glimpse he had wanted. It was only for a moment, but enough that their eyes met. One second, two, three… Then she ducked into the alley.

Blast it all, he could not be certain, not one hundred percent, as the lady had a scarf across the lower part of her face. Drew tried to cross the road, but multiple carriages passed each other, delaying his action. By the time he reached the alley, there was no one there.

Gone. Again.

But that would not deter Drew. Not at all.

He would return, and find the duchess, one way or another.

I hope you enjoyed Celia and Liam’s story. And don’t worry--Drew and Selena will find their own happy ending in The Doctor and the Duchess . Coming soon…