“I will do as you say, my lord.” Thakur bowed out of the room with the letter in his hands.
Hannah’s response was quick. Within an hour, he had her scribbled note saying she would be at the train station at the agreed upon time.
Now he only needed to while away the hours until he could have her in his arms again.
CHAPTER 30
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIMEshe had been so excited about anything? She couldn’t remember. Never. This elation was new. Twirling in her bedchamber, she held Gabriel’s note to her chest. Silliness, of course. It was nothing more than a simple holiday on the coast. She had had those before. Harold insisted they spend a couple of weeks at his beach cottage every summer. She enjoyed those occasions and even took advantage of the private beach to bathe in the sea without the need for bathing machines.
But this was different. Being with Gabriel made it different. She didn’t even care about the sea. They could have spent those days in a cave, and she would treasure every moment.
Walking into her dressing room, she rang for Edith, her maid, to help her prepare her suitcase.
“You rang, Your Grace?”
Hannah turned to her with a grateful smile. Edith had been her maid for the past fifteen years. From the time of her marriage to Harold. She was an unassuming woman of middle years. Not particularly warm or given to cheerfulness, but practical, accomplished, and even-tempered. Unflappable, more like it.
“Edith, I need you to help me pack for a holiday at the beach. I’ll be leaving tomorrow.”
“Of course, Your Grace. But the beach? At this time of the year?” It was a sign of how surprised her maid was that she dared to question her mistress.
Hannah gave her a twisted half smile. “I don’t suppose we will be doing any sea bathing. Pack as if for the country. Very simple outfits I can manage by myself with a minimum of fuss.”
“As you wish, Your Grace. But there’s no need to limit yourself to simple garments. I’ll be more than happy to assist you,” the maid replied.
“Oh.”
Hannah had an uncomfortable realization; she had to give her maid some excuse as to why she was not coming. And it had to be a good one. With the usual reserve of a well-trained servant, her maid had not shown that she found anything amiss with her mistress’s out of character late arrivals. But she had to wonder. And draw conclusions.
“You are not coming with me, Edith. I’ll be visiting a friend from my childhood. She lives in a modest house and there’s no room for extra servants.” It was the best excuse she could come up with on the spot. And she thought it was a good one.
The maid, however, was as distressed at the news as if she had dismissed her. “But Your Grace! How will you manage? Who will tend to your toilette and care for your garments?”
“I’m sure my friend’s servants will be up to the task. I don’t wish to overburden them, however. That’s why I ask that you pack simple garments.”
“I...as you wish, Your Grace.” the maid capitulated, unconvinced. “For how many days will you be away?”
“I don’t know, a week, maybe two.”
The maid gave her a stiff nod before turning to pack her clothes in silent disapproval.
Oh, heavens. That had not gone well. She looked at her actions from Edith’s perspective and winced at what the maid must be thinking. Hannah’s husband was ill, and instead of being by his side, she was gallivanting all over London, attendingevents, and returning in the early morning hours. And now she was taking off on some mysterious holiday.
The servants would have to be fools not to realize there was something afoot. And if... no,whenshe conceived, they would wonder about her virtue. How could they not draw certain conclusions? She trusted the ducal servants. They were all the epitome of discretion, but she would rather not have her business exposed to them.
Who knew it would prove so difficult to hide a forbidden liaison?
Despite her misgivings, Hannah thrummed with excitement on the way to the train station early the next day. Two footmen were in charge of her luggage and before leaving home, she had even given instructions to her maid to send a telegram to the duke informing him of her plans and assuring him she would send him another telegram upon arrival. That should allay some of her maid’s suspicions and show that she had her husband’s approval. Still, the duplicity sat heavy on her chest.
The feeling didn’t last as she entered the excitement and hectic energy of the station. She headed straight for the platforms, flanked by her trusted footmen. Enlisting a porter to help her navigate the station had been easy. Now she sat ensconced in the first-class train coach. Gabriel had joked about whether she could withstand a few hours in rough accommodations, but she found nothing to complain about in the luxurious interior of the coach.
Now if only Gabriel had arrived already. The train would depart in just five minutes, and she had seen no sign of him. Her eyes darted between her pocket watch and the window. Peering into the crowds for a glimpse of his tall, dark-haired figure.
Where was he? What if he didn’t make it on time? Would the train leave without him? Of course it would!
The slip of the ground beneath her had her gasping and shooting out of her seat. Oh no! The train had started its slow progress out of the station. Her face glued to the window as she frantically scanned the passing crowd outside. Where was Gabriel? Was it too late to get out of the train? Yes, it was. And too late for him to get on, too. How could their plans have gone so awry when, just a few minutes before, she had been looking forward to this trip with so much anticipation?
Her heart plummeted to the bottom of her stomach. Only to somersault to her throat when, just as the train cleared the station and picked up speed, the door that led into the train hallway opened, and Gabriel walked in smiling at her.
