She turned her ear just in time to hear him say that he was just using her, and then two pairs of feet moved away into the night while Eugenia stood there, in the deep shadows under an arbour, unable to move. She could barely even breathe. She was crushed. She had been so hopeful that things were going to work out between her and Lord D’Asti. He had seemed to be everything that she had ever wanted in a man. He was kind, caring, loyal and loving. At least, she had thought that he was those things. Apparently, she had been very well deceived.
Eugenia stifled a cry with the back of her hand and ran for the house, only bothering to be quiet because she didn’t want the other house party guests to be witness to her pain and humiliation.
She burst into Susan and Neville’s room, sobbing at the horrible revelation she’d just been subjected to.
“Good heavens!” Susan threw the covers back and shot up, instinctively wrapping Eugenia in a fiercely protective embrace. “What on earth happened, dearest?”
Wracked with violent sobs, it took several minutes before Eugenia could speak clearly enough to explain. She quoted the exchange she’d just overheard out in the garden, word for word, and Susan grew paler and looked more ill with each word that Eugenia spoke.
By the time she was finished, Eugenia rather wondered whether Susan might cast up her accounts at any moment.
“I can hardly believe that he would say such things.” Susan shook her head, utterly shocked and dumbfounded. Although they’d gotten off to a bit of a rocky start, with him trying to take advantage of the rumours which Lady Henrietta had started inan effort to win Lord Seabury for herself, everything Susan knew of Lord D’Asti since he’d admitted it all to her ran contrary to what Eugenia had just told her. “Are you sure it wasn’t just a bad dream, from the sleepwalking?”
“I wish it weren’t true, but I assure you I was quite wide awake.” Eugenia’s voice cracked on another trembling sob. “I heard those awful, soul-crushing words with my own ears, and I would know his voice anywhere. The Italian accent is unmistakable.” It was all too much for Eugenia. She sagged against Susan and cried harder. “Please, Susan, I want to leave. I want to wash my hands of this whole sordid affair and go home.”
“In the middle of the night?”
Susan’s brow furrowed with concern.
“Yes, if we can. It’s only a short distance from here to Thistlewayte Hall. I’m certain we can safely reach it, even if it is the middle of the night. I just… I can’t bear to see Lord D’Asti. More than that, I don’t want Lydia to see me this wounded. She would enjoy it far too much.”
“Are you certain that this wasn’t, somehow, Miss Errington’s doing? Don’t you want to give Lord D’Asti the benefit of the doubt, or at the very least the opportunity to defend himself against such a reputation-shattering accusation?”
“I heard him, Susan, and I don’t think I could bear to ever lay eyes on him again. My heart is entirely shattered. Please just let me slip away in the middle of the night, while everyone sleeps, so I don’t have to suffer through the humiliation of facing them all in the morning, knowing what I know now.”
“I still can’t quite bring myself to believe it.” Susan sighed, then rushed to explain herself at the pained expression on Eugenia’sface. “I’m not implying that you’re lying, if that’s what you think. I believe you about what you heard. I just wish I could come up with any kind of explanation which makes sense, because I genuinely did not believe him to be capable of doing such a terrible thing. We are friends… were friends. But if you’re certain that you know what you heard, we shall wake Neville and leave right this minute.”
They awoke Neville, who was an astonishingly heavy sleeper and had not awakened at Eugenia’s entrance, or even her crying. Then they woke the staff who had accompanied them to Bellingham Park, and they all slipped out of the house on silent feet, leaving only a note saying that they had discovered urgent family matters which needed their immediate attendance, and they apologised for not having the time to speak with their hosts or the other guests before leaving.
Their party retreated, the slow carriage ride away from Bellingham Park far more silent and sombre than it had been on their arrival. Eugenia stared out the carriage window into the dark of the night, where the carriage lanterns cast an eerie pale gold glow onto trees and the road before them, with unseeing eyes while hot, silent tears trailed down her cheeks.
She had fancied herself head-over-heels in love with the Count D’Asti just yesterday. And now? Eugenia didn’t think that she could stand to see him or hear his voice ever again.
Marco knewthat something was amiss the moment he stepped into the dining room for breakfast the next morning. Everyone was talking over each other, the conversation at the table at the level of a dull roar until the hosts and guests noticed Marco.Instantly, the room fell into an uncomfortable silence. Marco stiffened and clasped his hands behind his back.
“It would seem that something is going on. What have I missed?”
He kept his voice carefully neutral, although a sense of dread made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. Lady Rosebury leaned forward, her beady eyes dancing with barely contained glee.
“We have a mystery on our hands!” Lady Rosebury gave a theatrical flourish and pointed at a piece of paper clutched in Lady Bellingham’s hand. “Lord and Lady Seabury, Lady Eugenia, and their servants, all vacated Bellingham Park in the middle of the night, leaving only a note stating that they had urgent family matters which required their presence.”
Marco froze for a moment, thrown completely off balance, but forced a stiff smile which he was sure looked more like a grimace.
“I am sure that is exactly what happened, then.”
“Don’t be wilfully ingenuous, Lord D’Asti,” Lady Rosebury snorted. “Something scandalous or shocking must have happened, and I intend to find out what it was.”
Lord Greywood shifted uncomfortably at Lady Rosebury’s words, and Marco’s gaze locked onto him. Marco narrowed his eyes at the man who was all but squirming. Was there something here? Was this a clue to what had motivated the man to send saboteurs to his estate, and to continue to attack Marco since his arrival at this house party? Surely all of this wasn’t just about retaliation for the situation with Lady Henrietta, months ago?
“You look uncomfortable, Lord Greywood.” Marco’s voice was dangerously soft and even. “Perhaps you could use some fresh air out on the terrace?”
“No.” Lord Greywood stammered. “I don’t think—”
“Oh, please.” His sister, Lady Henrietta snorted, rolling her eyes. “You look like you’re about to cast up your accounts on the breakfast table. Go and get some fresh air.”
Casting a withering glare at his sister, Lord Greywood rose and strode out of the dining room toward the terrace which overlooked the garden, with Marco hot on his heels. The moment the doors closed behind them, Marco rounded on Lord Greywood, struggling to contain his fury.
“I know that you had something to do with Lady Eugenia’s sudden departure, just like you had everything to do with the sabotage at my estate. I can see it written all over your weaselly face.” Marco advanced on the man, backing him up against the wall at the corner of the terrace. Lord Greywood had paled at Marco’s mention of the sabotage – it would seem that the man had not realised just how much Marco knew. “Tell me why Lady Eugenia left so suddenly. Right now.”
