Christopher couldn't help but notice that the butler seemed nervous. He narrowed his eyes. “What is wrong?”
“I’m afraid it’s the Duchess, sir.”
“What about her?”
“Well, we—we can’t find her.”
“What?” He froze. He was out of his rooms in an instant, intending to storm to her room to make sure of the fact. “Where have you looked?”
“She is not in her rooms, or any other part of the castle she has seen.”
This made him pause. “Whatever do you mean by that?”
Just then a maid rushed over, her eyes so focused on the butler she missed him standing a bit further away. “Sir I have news of_ oh! Your Grace, please pardon me, I did not see you!”
“That’s alright.” he nodded to them before turning to move through the castle once more.
“Out with it Jane,” the butler said.
“I believe I saw Her Grace walking towards the restricted section of the castle.”
Christopher didn’t need to hear anymore. For he could see the still ajar door of his study. And the Duchess moving towards his desk, towardsthatletter, his blood ran cold.
“What exactly do you think you’re doing in here?” he snapped.
She froze like a child caught with the cookie jar.
“Your Grace!” she gasped, taking a step away from him.
“Did you hear me? I asked you what you think you are doing here?”
“I wasn’t doing anything,” she insisted. “I was just exploring and I stumbled on this room.”
“And when you realized it was my study, you decided it was appropriate for you to continue?”
He took a step toward her and her face went red, eyes darting to his chest. And his hands.
Christopher cursed himself. He had been in such a rush he hadn’t had time to change fully from his ride. The simple white shirt he wore hung open at the neck, allowing some of his scars to peek out from under the fabric.
And his hands didn’t have gloves. He turned away. He didn’t yell, but his voice came out colder than ice. “Get out. Now!” He shook his head, storming off to his room to change out of his dirty clothes.
How much did she see?He tried to calculate how much time she could have spent in his office. How many letters like the one she held did she read?
The thought was like a stab to his chest.
That room had been a safe haven. A place where his old self could still exist... where Alexander could still exist.
I knew I wasn’t ready for this.
“No.”
Her voice stopped him in his tracks, and a moment later she stood in front of him, blocking his way.
“Stand aside!” he snarled.
“I said no. I will not leave. Not until you tell me why you hate me so much.”
He could feel the blood drain from his face.She knows. She knows about Alexander.“What you saw in my study...”
