Julian gave a snort of laughter.“Remind me never to look to you for sympathy.”
“I will offer sympathy when I feel the situation warrants it,” she assured him.“This situation happened two years ago.As such, it does not require anything but a feeling of regret on your part and one of understanding on mine.We have both expressed that, and it is now time to move forward again.For instance, I cannot help but think that, despite how many people we have talked to these past two days, we have still overlooked someone,” she murmured, her brow creased as she sat back in the chair.
Julian shook his head.“Dalton said we have spoken to everyone I employ.”
Georgiana continued to frown in thought for several more minutes before that frown gave way to an expression of triumph.“Correction.We have interviewed all the household servants who arestillworking here.”
“I already told you that none of the servants have left my employ?—”
“None ofyourservants, but what of the duchess’s maid, for example?I am presuming that, unlike me, she did have one?”
“Well…yes,” Julian acknowledged.“But with Annabel gone, there was no reason for her to remain here.She left the household within a week of Annabel’s disappearance and returned to London.I presume she is now working in the household of some other society lady.”
“But you do not know that for certain?”
“Well…no, I had no reason to.”Again, Julian had been too preoccupied with Annabel’s disappearance to take notice of where her maid had gone or care for whom she was now working.
“Did the duchess have any other personal servants?”
“No, just the maid she brought with her.”
“Then I will write today and have Lily and Chloe look into that situation for us,” Georgiana stated.“It will mean explaining my true whereabouts to them, but that is a small price to pay if we can locate the duchess’s maid and talk to her.”
“And what of St.Albans when they learn he has not told them the absolute truth?”
“He has not lied to them either,” she defended.
“If those two young ladies are anything like you, I do not think they will consider that a reasonable explanation,” Julian drawled.
Georgiana gave a dismissive grimace.“St.Albans is more than capable of defending himself.In any case, what is important is that your duchess’s maid will have had a far more personal knowledge of her mistress than any of the other servants.”
“More than me, I am sure,” Julian stated harshly
Georgiana’s brows rose.“The two of you were married.”
“Annabel was not…an affectionate or confiding person once we were married.”Julian’s embarrassment was such that this was as close as he could get, for the moment, to admitting the marriage had never been consummated.Indeed, he could no longer look at Georgiana, in case she saw the truth of that humiliation in his expression.
“How long did you know each other before the wedding?”
“A week,” he admitted grudgingly.“Annabel thought it would be romantic for us to run off to Gretna Green together.”Julian admitted to what he already knew had been beyond impetuous behavior on his part.
A week was barely enough time to know anyone.As he had learned to his cost!
“I had only recently returned on leave after we had defeated Napoleon.”He attempted to defend his actions.“I was enjoying a stroll in Regent’s Park when I first saw Annabel.The sun was shining, and she appeared to me as a golden-haired, blue-eyed angel of innocence and beauty.Everything, in fact, I believed I had been fighting to protect.I was instantly bedazzled and immediately engaged her in conversation.”
“The two of you met while strolling in a park?”Georgiana eyed him incredulously.
“Yes.”
“And she simply allowed you to walk up to her and begin a conversation?”
“Well…yes.”
“Herchaperoneallowed such familiarity?”
“Annabel was alone that day.”
“But— No unmarried lady of thetonwould be allowed to go outside without a chaperone,” she pointed out.“As I no longer wish to be a part of London society, I do not include my own behavior in that statement.”
