Julius chuckled. “For the record, it was awful. The featured soprano was supposed to be a professional opera singer of some renown. Do you remember nothing of the recital, Gory?”
“No.” Tears formed in her eyes. “A musical recital that I cannot recall. An argument in my uncle’s study, the details of which I also cannot recall. A wedding gown that should have been carefully stowed away. Who helped me put it on? Why did I put it on? Was it connected in any way to my uncle’s murder?”
She buried her face in her hands. “He was such a sneaky rat, and I loathed him. But to know he met such a violent end? Who would do such a thing to him?”
CHAPTER 3
JULIUS ESCORTED MR. Barrow downstairs because he wished to ask a few questions outside of Gory’s hearing. “Is there anything you’ve learned so far that you did not wish to tell Lady Gregoria?”
“No, m’lord. I would not have held anything back from her. Indeed, not her. She’s smart as a whip and obviously frustrated by her inability to recall what happened.” He cleared his throat. “Which leads me to another very delicate matter.”
“What is it, Mr. Barrow?” Julius could see the man felt extremely uncomfortable, for he was rubbing a beefy hand across the back of his neck, and his face was now as red as his bulbous nose.
“She was struck across the head, but was she accosted in any other manner? Forgive me, my lord. But the question–”
“That is why I escorted Dr. Farthingale out, to ask him this very question,” Julius admitted. “He saw no indication of violence other than to her head.”
The Bow Street runner released a breath. “Thank goodness.”
“Indeed,” Julius muttered, his heart aching over the possibility of what might have happened while she was unconscious and defenseless. This left him even more furious with himself for choosing to sow his wild oats rather than commit to Gory and settle down.
His oats turned out not to be all that wild in the first place because the only woman he wanted – even though he was stubbornly denying it to himself – was Gory. Once he had finally accepted his feelings, he could not bring himself to touch another woman.
He loved Gory.
“I had better get back to her,” he said. “Dr. Farthingale suggested she keep to a light repast for the next day or two, some tea or broth, and soft breads to start. I’ll leave her to the staff once she has finished eating because I want to check out the Easton home, too. Her bedchamber, especially. Why would she have changed into her wedding gown? This troubles me. It simply does not fit.”
“Agreed, my lord. Well, I shall see you there shortly.”
After escorting him out, Julius slowly climbed the stairs to return to Gory’s side. He was lost in his thoughts, so he did not immediately notice that the lump in his bed was not Gory. “The little minx,” he muttered, sensing something was wrong when she did not respond to his return.
She had tucked pillows under the covers to make it look as though a person was sleeping there.
He headed straight for his sister-in-law’s dressing room which was the only logical place she could have gone.
“Why in blazes are you out of bed?” He growled low in his throat upon finding Gory rifling through Adela’s wardrobe.
She looked achingly adorable in his robe that was too big for her slight frame. Her chestnut curls were in an unkempt tumble down her back and her big, hazel eyes glistened because she was still a little dazed.
Her cheeks were stained pink and her mouth was in a pout.
He wanted to kiss her.
Lord, how he ached to kiss her.
“I am looking for something to wear. Is it not obvious?” She stared up at him with her eyes wide in challenge and a brazen purse of her sweet mouth. He had gotten to know that look so well because Gory was always one to push boundaries and dare anyone to stop her. “I need proper clothes if I am to go out.”
She had just pulled out one of Adela’s gowns, a dark green wool that he knew would look spectacular on Gory. But he took it out of her hands and tossed it over a nearby chair. He shut the door to the wardrobe and gently pinned Gory against that enormous piece of furniture, purposely trapping her between his arms and leaning in with the full breadth of his body.
Her glorious eyes widened further.
Lord, she’s so pretty.
“You need to get back in bed,” he said with a soft growl.
Yes, that is what she needed to do and where she belonged.
In his bed.
