“Yes. It made perfect sense that she would go to Aunt Beatrice. And even though I felt ill at ease not to hear from her and know for sure, I eventually accepted that shemustbe there. Only now I know she never was. So, you see, I had to go out looking for her today.” She closed her eyes. “I feel as if these clothes—strange as it seems—might be my only hope of ever finding her.”
CHAPTER 12
“We’re going home,” Levi told Caroline firmly.
“What?” Caroline blanched. “Levi—no—we can’t go home. I can’t just go home without finding her, or at the very least finding out something about her. Don’t you understand that this is my sister I’m talking about?”
“I understand very well,” Levi said firmly. “I also understand that Prudence has been missing for weeks.”
Caroline was horrified. “You can’t possibly be suggesting that I give up on her. I won’t!”
“Caroline, I’ve been very tolerant with you, but youwillheed me when I give you instructions.” Levi’s face grew hard. “We are going home. If you continue to argue with me, I’ll see to it that you don’t leave your room until you’re ready to be more cooperative.”
“You would confine me to my room?”
“Rather than risk catching you wandering through gentlemen’s clubs unattended? Of course I would. I am your husband. It’s my duty to keep you safe and under control, and I won’t allow you to engage in any more of that type of behavior.”
“But my sister?—!”
“Listen to me, please. Your sister has been away from home for weeks. I amnotsuggesting that you give up the attempt to locate her. I have every intention of aiding you in that quest.”
“You do?”
“Of course I do,” he said. “I can’t understand why you didn’t come to me right away when you understood that she was missing. You must have known that I would have resources that could be brought to bear in the search—or were you determined to play the hero and find her yourself? Is that it?”
“Of course that isn’t it!”
“Then tell me why you didn’t ask me for help.”
“It wouldn’t havebeenhelp,” Caroline said.
“You don’t believe I would have helped you find your sister? Do you think so little of me?”
“That isn’t what I’m saying,” Caroline said. “I’m saying…youwould have been the one to play the hero. You would have left me out of it altogether, forced me to stay home while you handled everything. I still think you might do that. Why else are you so determined that I should burn these garments?”
“Because I don’t want you dressing as a servant boy, I can’t be trusted?”
“Well, answer me this, then, is it your intention to allow me to help in the search for Prudence? Now that you know about it, are you going to include me in whatever you do next? Or have you decided that this is a problem for you to solve, and that I ought to be left out of things?”
She held her breath, waiting for his answer. The truth was that she wanted to be wrong. She wanted him to tell her that, of course, she ought to be involved, that he wouldn’t dream of making her sit at home waiting for news when Prudence could be anywhere, in any sort of harm. She wanted to think that after their time together, he understood her well enough to know she would need this.
“We’ll talk about it at home,” he said quietly. “My carriage is just there. I’ll send someone back into town to retrieve the horse that you…borrowed.”
His tone of voice was clear—there was no room for argument, and she knew better than to make the attempt. She also knew that while he hadn’t put it into words, he had answered her question. He didn’t mean to let her help with the search forPrudence. He didn’t consider it appropriate, no doubt, for her to be involved in such a thing.
Perhaps that was her own fault. Perhaps she had alarmed him so badly with her behavior today that he felt the need to seize control of the situation.
And really, does it matter if I’m involved? As long as Prudence is located, that’s what is most important. He’s right. He has more resources than I do. I’m glad he is involved in this. I’m glad he’s going to help me find her.
Even as she had that thought, though, another one nudged rebelliously at the back of her mind.
He won’t make me stay home. He won’t lock me out of the search. Prudence is my sister, and no force on Earth will ever prevent me from trying to find her.
When they arrived home, Caroline went directly to her room without speaking further to Levi. It wasn’t that she was angry with him exactly, but she feared what he might say if she gave him the chance. He might demand that she dispose of the clothes she was wearing at once, in front of him, so that he could confirm it had been done. She had to at least make the attempt to keep them. Who knew when she might be able to put them to effective use?
She squirreled the garments away at the bottom of her trunk and changed into a simple but feminine gown with lace at the sleeves and the collar, hoping that her appearance might wipe the other image from Levi’s mind. Even if he persisted in scolding her for her behavior today, maybe he would forget that there were clothes he wanted her to be rid of. She would hope for that.
She lingered in her room for the better part of an hour and then forced herself to go down to the midday meal, lest he develop an idea that she was hiding from him. At first, she thought he wasn’t going to make an appearance—maybe he was avoidingher—but then he arrived and took a seat.
