His gaze slowly drifted up and down her frame, and she felt incredibly exposed. But the sense of beingseenhit her once again. It was as though she had spent so long being invisible to her husband, a wife and mother to honor his duties, but otherwise a non-entity.
Yet, even though the Duke’s suspicion was insulting, somebody was finallylookingat her.
“I do not know if he will return tonight, Your Grace,” Sibyl sighed, somewhat ashamed every time she had to admit her husband’s absence, for it only confirmed her lack of knowledge about the man she was married to.
The Duke’s mouth quirked. “Then I am certain I can survive staying awake for a few more hours.”
Frustration strung a chord through her, and she wished to demand whether he was always this stubborn. But then she forced a polite smile, nodded, and looked to where Mrs. Collier waited in the doorway with a chambermaid. She motioned for them to go upstairs.
“If you are certain you can wait, I shall retire for the night,” she lied.
The Duke nodded, seemingly appeased, and she hurried out of the room.
Down the carpeted hallway, Sibyl kept her footsteps light and quick. Both Hermia and Isabella had slipped out of Wickleby Hall and their London townhouse plenty of times. That’s how Sibyl picked up a few tips on how to leave undetected.
Back then, she had been scandalized by the rebellion. Now, she was grateful to her sisters for their unintentional lessons.
Hurrying to her room, she swapped her dinner gown for a plain, humble dress that didn’t attract attention—a mere beige slip. She pulled a dark blue cloak around her shoulders, tucked her hair beneath the collar, and then slipped into the hallway.
Pausing outside the nursery, and knowing the door was locked, she heard Hannah read a story to Rosie.
While Rosie wouldn’t understand the story, Hannah’s soothing voice would lull her to sleep. It was why Sibyl often reminisced about her childhood with her sisters, telling Rosie about her aunties.
For now, she was satisfied that all would be well.
Despite her racing heart and knowing the risk she was taking, she exited Kerrington House via the servants’ entrance and slipped quietly into the night.
Chapter Two
“What do we have here?” one of the men asked, his smile charming, but the glint in his eyes made Sibyl’s insides wither. “Are you a little lost, lady?”
The Spindle was a notorious gaming hell, and one Sibyl had heard her husband mention several times. Edmund rarely left London, so she knew he could not be far, and perhaps that was what annoyed her less.
If he was not far, then was it such a challenge to return home after four days?
Inside, the main hall was crowded with men who threw down their cards, rowdily shouted about their bets and claims of winning, and accused their opponents of cheating. Sibyl felt quite overwhelmed by the sight.
The ceiling went high, gilded and golden above her. Around the room, balconies on higher levels offered patrons a spot towatch from high above. Sibyl had also spotted curtains that gave privacy.
She had known some gaming hells offered further indulgences beyond gambling, so she had quickly averted her gaze. Instead, she had assessed the nearest tables, aware that she was a lady and that she stood alone.
How out of place she must have appeared, if the side glances she received from the gamblers around her were any indication.
But Rosie needed security, and Sibyl had to protect her. That meant finding Edmund, or a lead on Edmund, in this crowded place.
The room was circular, with the aisle winding around tables and leading up to the main staircase at the far end. Sibyl had veered right and approached a table. At once, the four men sitting there had looked up. She hated how their curiosity had turned to lingering stares as they sized her up.
She had to bite back her irritation. They would not know she was the Countess of Kerrington, but their casual tones grated on her.
She had endured her mother’s matchmaking schemes to secure that title, had given up her dreams for it. But now, she understood that she needed the disguise.
“No,” she answered now, softening her voice. “I am looking for somebody.”
“Oh?” One of the other men, whom she recognized as Lord Benjamin from the many balls she had attended over her Seasons, smiled with interest.
Her breath caught as his eyes roved over her face.
She hurriedly turned her face away, pretending to be interested in another game, but she had to keep herself hidden. Then again, men spoke to so many ladies, and Sibyl had never stood out in a crowd, so she imagined he did not remember her as well as she recalled him.
