“Annie?”
She blinked and shifted her attention to Hattie. “Yes, I’m coming,” she said, gathering her skirts as she stepped onto the pavement. “Where are we going? Do you have somewhere in mind?”
“Not particularly,” Hattie replied. “I’m just content to be out and about. Is there anywhere you’d like to go?”
Annie first looked left and then right, her gaze lingering on the latter as the memory of a recent encounter with a handsome gentleman arose in her mind. “This way,” she said, struck by an unbidden moment of fancy. “I’d like to go this way.”
*
“He was atthe door not even ten minutes after you left, Miss Annie.” Teary-eyed, Bridget sniffed, pulled a crumpled handkerchief from her pinny pocket, and scrubbed it over her nose. “I told him you weren’t home and to come back later, but he insisted he wait here. All but pushed his way in, so he did. Been waiting in the parlor ever since.”
“The nerve of him,” Hattie muttered. “Want me to send for a bobby?”
Frowning, Annie set her parasol in the hallstand, removed her bonnet, and looked toward the parlor door. “No.” She drew a deep breath and placed a hand on her stomach, as if to quell its churning. “At least, not yet. I’ll see what he wants.”
“Nothing good, I’m sure,” Hattie said, folding her arms. “You’ll not be going in there on your own, either. I’ll be right behind you.”
“I’m sorry if I’ve done wrong, Miss Annie, but he scared me.” Bridget sniffed again. “Shall I bring tea?”
A ripple of fury subdued the flutter of nerves in Annie’s stomach.How dare he come here unannounced and frighten her?“No, Bridget, no tea,” she replied. “And don’t upset yourself. You’ve done nothing wrong.”
With Hattie in her wake, Annie went to the parlor door, opened it with a determined flourish, and stepped inside. Her fury increased when she saw him seated in her father’s chair.
“You were not expected, Leo,” she said, clenching her fists as he rose to his feet. “And given the timing of this impromptu visit, I can only conclude that you have been spying on me.”
A brief expression of surprise, or perhaps guilt, crossed Leo’s face. “What an odd accusation, my dear. Spying? What on earth would compel me to do such a thing?”
“Because you feared I would refuse to see you,” Annie replied, “which is why you waited till I was not at home and then bullied my maid into allowing you access.”
His subsequent laugh was more derisive than humorous. “Utterly ridiculous. My visit is entirely coincidental to your absence. Yes, I insisted upon waiting, but the girl had no reason to fear me. She is obviously prone to fancy.”
Annie heaved a sigh. “Why are you here? What do you want?”
“We have things to discuss.” He gave Hattie a pointed look. “Alone.”
Annie scoffed. “I am certain you and I have nothing to discuss at all, alone or otherwise.”
Leo moved toward her. “I beg to differ, my love. We need to discuss the circumstances of your father’s death, for one thing. I trust you do not apply any blame for his demise on me, for I was not the one responsible. That distinction belongs entirely to Karl Hoffman.”
Struck silent by the sheer audacity of Leo’s statement, Annie recoiled a step, though more from revulsion than fear. “First of all, I amnotyour love, nor I suspect, have I ever been. A fortnight has passedsince my father’s death, and over a week since his funeral, all without a single word from you. Not a single word! Where have you been? As to laying blame, Papa’s death inarguably came about due to your violent reaction to Mr. Hoffman’s accusations. Did he find you? He swore he was going to track you down after you ran off.”
“Hoffman?” Leo’s lip furled. “No, fortunately for me and for him, I have not seen him.”
“Well, if you’re here looking for absolution, you’ll be disappointed. This discussion is now concluded, sir, nor will there be any more between us in the future.” Annie stepped to the side and gestured to the door. “Please leave. You are no longer welcome in this house.”
Leo sucked in a hard breath and Annie barely suppressed a shiver of apprehension. Had she pushed him too far? But then his shoulders dropped, and his expression softened. “Annie, please, I beg of you, at least give me a chance to explain. I insisted on waiting this morning because I needed to speak to you. I need to bare my soul and yes, I am here to beg your forgiveness. That isexactlywhy I am here, in fact. I admit I lost my temper in the church, but it was purely in response to Hoffman’s lies and filthy accusations. My uncle could not be present at the wedding because he is simply too busy to travel. I believe I explained that to you. I never intended to hurt your father, you must surely know that. I always had the greatest respect for him. His death was an accident, a terrible, terrible accident, and the law agrees with me on this. But seeing him lying there, realizing he was gone, and knowing I was the one who…” He winced as if in pain. “May God forgive me, Annie, I could not bear the shame of my actions. And, until I learned where I stood with the law, I also feared the consequences of them. Prison, perhaps, or transportation to the other side of the world. So, I panicked and fled, taking refuge in a miserable rented room this past while. It was wrong of me, of course. I see that now. I should never have left you alone. I should have stayed by your side and faced the consequences. The blame, after all, was never mine to bear. Karl Hoffman was entirely the one responsible. If not for him, I would now be married to the woman I love. And I do love you, Annie. I have loved you since childhood.” Leo’s jaw clenched momentarily. “But that… that bloody bastard ruined everything.”
“Language,” Hattie muttered.
“Yes, I beg your pardon.” Leo inclined his head. “I am simply speaking from my heart.”
Weighed down by grief and fatigue, Annie’s resolve wavered. The explanation and apology had sounded sincere, as had the declaration of love. But, with Karl Hoffman’s words playing in her mind, she studied Leo in continued silence, seeking any signs of pretense or deceit. He rewarded her with a smile, but one that held no warmth, no emotion. It appeared to be nothing more than a physical manipulation. A counterfeit response. Hattie appeared to agree, judging by the whispered word that brushed softly across Annie’s left ear. “Snake.”
Annie propped up her sagging determination, drew breath, and fired a question at him. “What of Karl Hoffman’s sister?”
The smile vanished. “What of her? As I said, Hoffman’s accusations were false.”
Annie shrugged. “There is no smoke without fire, Leo. Upon consideration, I find it difficult to believe Mr. Hoffman would go to the trouble of traveling all the way to England to confront you unless there was some truth in those accusations.”
