Page 11 of The Unseen Hour (The Unseen Hour Duology #1)

DECEMBER

I had feigned a stomach illness not long after the engagement, which my mother had chalked up to nerves.

She’d summoned one of the physicians to visit us at Scopshaven, rather than giving in to my insistence that I could make it into town.

That first attempt at snooping around the apothecary was thwarted before it began.

It was a reaction I should have anticipated, but I didn’t let myself dwell on disappointment.

My guess was that our manor wouldn’t be a successful location from which to launch a plan, and I’d need to be in Fox Haven already before trying again .

I’d come up with the perfect ruse: a migraine. Mother suffered from them, and it stood to reason that I might have them as well.

The only issue was the timing and the location.

If I feigned the headache at home, my brothers would simply send for a physician to be brought to me again, and I’d get no information at all, stuck in my rooms and under the watchful eye of Mother, Ambrose, and all the staff.

Bram might have participated in my mischief, but it would have meant telling him my plan.

I didn’t want to risk being stopped, or even worse, having him insist on joining me.

I knew what could happen if this whole scheme went wrong, and while I was determined to risk myself, I wouldn’t put the lives of anyone else I loved on the line.

I’d have to be in town, and preferably late enough in the day that only the overnight physician would be in the apothecary.

Someone was always available for the ill, but if I tried my ruse in the afternoon, there would be multiple doctors or assistants running about.

I stood my best chance if I only had one person to get past.

In the end I had to resort to a few tactics I wasn’t entirely proud of.

I’d been skirting the rules all year, and honestly before that, but I didn’t like to draw anyone else into my troubles.

I simply hadn’t figured out a way around it.

I couldn’t go into town alone, and I couldn’t risk going with our own staff or my family.

They wouldn’t let me out of their sight.

I needed someone close enough to act as my chaperone, and lenient enough that I could manipulate the circumstances a bit.

A carriage pulled up in front of Scopshaven, and when the footman opened the door Charlotte gave a merry wave. Thomas sat across from her and lifted his hand as well.

“My sister tells me I am to take you both to the library,” he called.

The footman offered me a hand. I accepted and put my other one around my skirts, lifting them as I climbed into the carriage. Today’s ensemble was just another wave of hot pink. This one matched my eyes almost exactly.

“You look lovely,” Charlotte gushed, wearing another green gown that brought out her eyes.

She’d made it through the season without any proposals, although she’d actually been hoping for one.

Lord Elmond Whipples had spent half the season promenading with Charlotte and danced with her a gossip-inducing number of times, but then his father had taken ill and he’d had to return to his larger estate in the northwest.

“Elmond wrote to me,” Charlotte confided. “He has been in contact with our parents as well and has expressed his intention to formally propose as soon as matters at his estate are settled.”

I gave her a genuine smile, reaching for her hands. If she was happy, then I was happy for her.

“That’s wonderful news, Charlotte! You’ll be moving, then, in the new year?”

Charlotte stared at her feet, fidgeting.

“Yes, but don’t think this means you’ll be rid of me.

” She looked back up. “I’ll write you weekly letters, and it’s not so difficult for us to make some trips to the capital.

Please say you’ll visit more yourself. I’m sure you could convince Temple or Bram to accompany you!

Especially now that Ambrose will be getting Penny settled in. You will promise, won’t you?”

Thomas was smirking at me across the carriage, his head quirked to the side.

He knew I didn’t care much for the capital and its smoggy streets and crowded buildings.

Even so, that wasn’t the reason I hesitated.

Thinking of how my family and friends would react to my disappearance was something I’d tried over and over to ignore, but it was difficult to do with Charlotte’s hopeful expression panging my soul.

I chewed on the inside of my cheek, grasping for any answer that didn’t stack one lie on top of another. I could tell the two of them my plans, but they’d probably have me committed. At the very least they’d feel they had no choice but to report my intentions to Mother and Ambrose.

After all, a plan to poison oneself and wander around during the hour could hardly be coming from a sound mind. Even if they didn’t panic, I ran the same risk that had kept me from telling Bram. I couldn’t ask Charlotte and Thomas to put themselves in danger.

“If you are there, it will be well worth the visit,” I managed, not quite a promise to go.

When we got to town, Thomas bid us farewell and headed toward a law office to complete some estate filings on behalf of his father. One of the Huberts’ maids, who had been out shopping, met us near the town gates.

“Marie will accompany us to the library,” Charlotte explained.

Thank both gods I hadn’t based my plan on limited company. It would work just as well with Marie present. Perhaps better.

The three of us made our way into the library and spent a pleasant few hours perusing the shelves, reading poetry, and then having tea at a small cafe across the street. Thomas had yet to return, which further helped my plans.

After Marie twice suggested that we head back on our own, and I twice insisted we should wait just a bit longer, she started to look truly nervous.

“We’d really better be leaving. It’s getting dark,” Marie fretted, glancing up and down the street and watching for Thomas.

There was nothing to fear about a normal December night, but as the hour drew closer, some people grew more superstitious.

Charlotte gave Marie a comforting smile.

“If we need, we could take the carriage back and leave a note for Thomas at the town gates. He’ll borrow a horse from the watch or remain in Fox Haven for another day. I know he was planning to return later this week regardless,” she offered.

Most of the time I was thankful for her compassionate and generous nature. This was not one of those times.

The city watch at the gates of towns often kept a stable of horses for when a fast response time was needed.

Nobility technically had the right to request them in cases like this and were trusted to return the horses.

As members of the nobility helped fund the watch, it had never presented an issue.

Marie relaxed, and since more insistence on my part to wait would look odd, we made our way back to the carriage.

If I wanted to ensure the apothecary held only a single physician when we arrived, I needed them to stay at least until the sun had fully set.

This time of year, that just about coincided with the close of many shops, including the apothecary.

Then it would only be approached in emergencies.

The footman helped Charlotte and Marie inside the carriage, then turned to me.

My moment had come.

“Oh no! I’ve dropped one of my gloves. My hands are like ice.” I shivered for good measure, the glove in question having been stuffed down my bodice.

“Do we need to go back and look?” Marie asked. Her face was tight, and I knew she wanted to get home before we were on the road in pitch darkness.

“I’m sure I had it when we left the cafe. It can’t be far,” I insisted.

Charlotte turned to her footman.

“Harold, would you mind just retracing our steps up the street? We can spare a few moments.”

Charlotte’s footman nodded, striding quickly back up the road, which was fast clearing of people.

“I’ll check out here by the carriage. No need to get out,” I called. I made my way around the carriage and loosened the horses’ hitch.

“Hyah!” I waved my arms at the horses.

The two of them whinnied and began running toward the open town gates. I grabbed up my skirts and ran several steps away, far enough not to look suspect.

“I found it, and … oh my!” I shrieked, bringing Charlotte and Marie’s heads popping out of the carriage.“What was all tha— oh no!” Marie’s mouth gaped open, eyes wide as she watched the horses run through the gate.

Harold was already hurrying back, no doubt having heard my shrieks.

“I’ll round them up, Misses, don’t worry! I’ll get someone from the watch to help me.”

I only hoped the horses were the flighty type.

“We may be waiting for some time. Perhaps we should go somewhere warmer, and well-lit?” I suggested, glancing at Marie. “It’s getting awfully dark to be out here alone, and the sun will be fully set soon. Surely there’s somewhere we could get dinner? Aren’t you growing hungry, Charlotte?”

“Oh yes, very.” I knew my best friend would agree with me if it meant a fresh meal and getting out of the cold.

The plan was working perfectly. Harold had rushed off after the horses.

Charlotte’s chaperone had been somewhat reluctant about staying out in the dark with two young ladies she was responsible for, and it was only too simple to persuade her that obtaining some food at a local inn, regardless of what types of “ruffians,” as Marie put it, we might see there, would be much more respectable than freezing in the quickly darkening streets.

My plan was further helped when Thomas finally made an appearance at the inn where we had taken refuge, having heard of our troubles when one of the horses proved tricky to catch. Harold had found him and led him to us.

“We managed to get the horses rounded up, but it’s too late to go home at this hour.

I’ll secure you ladies some rooms at another inn in town.

There’s one that caters specifically to women, and it’s quiet and clean.

We’ll keep the horses in the watch stables and return home tomorrow.

Hopefully your family won’t be too worried, Celia. ”

My stomach clenched. Everyone would be worried, and Thomas and Charlotte were kinder than I deserved.

“Thank you, Thomas,” I managed.

“I’ll walk down the road to secure your rooms, then come accompany you when they’re ready.”

The lamps outside were being lit, and it was well and truly dark. Perfect timing.

“That sounds wonderful. I don’t think I could have made the ride back home. I’m beginning to feel rather ill. My head is splitting.” I threw the back of my hand against my forehead and slid back in my seat. The posture no doubt was undignified, but it would absolutely make me look even more unwell.

I’d been wheeling my feet under the table as well, trying to work my cheeks into a flush. Judging by the concerned look on Charlotte and Thomas’s faces, it had worked.

“It’s been a long day. A good rest should help. I’ll check on the rooms and return quickly.” Thomas grabbed his overcoat and threw it over his shoulders, rushing out the front door of the establishment. I bit the inside of my cheek.

It’s necessary. If I told Thomas and Charlotte, they’d only worry for me.

They might be my friends, but they were naturally curious. If I’d told them the headache was fake, I’d have had to explain why I was trying to conjure a way to get into the physician’s office at night.

For all the sneaking about I did, I wasn’t a natural liar. I considered the two things separate. It was one thing to try to gain more freedoms, another to deceive my friends.

But my hands were tied.

I waited maybe five minutes after Thomas had left, and then flung my upper half down on the table with a moan.

“Oh, I don’t know that I’ll make it through the night without assistance. This must be what my mother talks of with her own headaches. Oh, it’s awful, Charlotte, truly it is.”

Charlotte’s maid stood hovering over me and worrying her hands.

“Could it have been the food? Perhaps we shouldn’t have stopped here,” Marie fretted.

“No, her mother gets this same affliction,” Charlotte said, putting a reassuring hand on my back and patting me.

“And only the physician works for Mother. Oh, I wish we’d brought some of her medicine with us and … Ah!” I clutched my head. By this point, several patrons were looking over at us.

Marie’s eyes went wide, seeing the amount of attention we were now drawing.

“Perhaps we should take her to the physician’s, then. People are staring here, and we don’t want to make a scene.”

Charlotte turned toward me.

“Celia, do you think you can walk that far?”

I made a great show of trembling as I pushed myself up, and when I nodded to Charlotte, I winced and put a hand to my temple.

“I really must, I think. That’s the only thing that ever helps my mother.”

I was so close, and after tonight, I’d be ready.