“I would know that smell anywhere,” Emmaline chuckled. “I loved them as a child.”
“Then help yourself,” Sean insisted, holding out the box with the open bag of lemon sherbets on top.
“Oh no, I couldn't!” She protested. “They are the duke's.”
“I won't tell if you don't,” Sean said, offering her a wink. “Besides, I think he should like you to have one while I let you in on one secret about him.”
Intrigued, Emmaline took a sweet and popped it into her mouth, leaning forward to hear what he had to say. “They are his favorites too.”
Emmaline straightened up, feeling a little giddy. It was such a small, simple thing to like the same sweets, and yet it was something that made Emmaline smile immensely. If they could share something as simple as that, what else did they share a love of?
She was about to suggest that maybe she should be the one to deliver them to the duke when Sean sighed, his expression becoming somewhat unreadable.
“Is something the matter?” she asked instead, cocking her head slightly to one side.
Sean shook his and cleared his throat. “No, nothing is the matter. In fact, quite the opposite. I'm glad that Alex found you.”
Emmaline raised a brow.
Sean glanced down at the box in his hand, cleared his throat and quickly said to the shopkeeper, “Thank you. That will be all.”
“Please, allow me to open the door for you, My Lord, Your Grace.”
The shopkeeper hurried to the door and did just that, yanking it open with a dinging of the bell.
Sean didn't speak again until they both stood on the cobblestone pavement, the shop door closed behind them. “What I meant to say is, I am glad you found each other. I cannot speak for you, but I can see that the duke has been much happier since you arrived.”
“Truly?” Emmaline asked, shocked. Much of the time she found the duke quiet, brooding and far too interested in his work to ever find happiness anywhere.
She could only imagine what he had been like before.
“The ball where you met, and then the one where he announced your marriage is one of the few the duke has attended since his accident,” Sean explained. “In fact, save for the club, he seldom leaves the house. I do not remember the last time he walked anywhere, especially to the park.”
Emmaline's eyes widened. “That cannot be true. It has been years since his accident.”
“Indeed,” Sean nodded, “But it is true.”
“But… but what about business meeting and such? Surely he has left the house for those?”
“Indeed though I'd hardly call leaving the house under the cover of night, wearing a mask to climb into a carriage and back out again at the club leaving the house, would you?” Sean asked, his brow furrowed. He silently offered her his elbow then before he asked, “Shall we return to the carriage so that I might offload this? It is quite heavy.”
“Oh, of course!” Emmaline insisted, taking his elbow while he held the box still in both hands.
“Perhaps afterwards we might go to the tearooms for a late luncheon?” Sean suggested, “On me, of course.”
“I'd like that,” Emmaline smiled. In truth, she would have liked to know more about the duke, much more, and seeing as Sean was his closest friend it only seemed right the stories should come from him. Who could know him better?
“You said he hasn’t left the house since the accident but in truth, I have no idea what that accident actually was,” Emmaline said, gulping past the lump in her throat. When she felt Sean stiffen, she added, “I'm sure you know the rumor mill has thrown out all manner of explanation for the duke's injuries?”
“Indeed, Your Grace, though I am afraid that story is not mine to tell.”
Emmaline clenched her jaw. She had felt so close to learning the truth. Why couldn't someone simply tell her what had happened?
“I understand,” she said through gritted teeth. “I only wish to know what kind of hardship faces the duke so I might know how best to help him.”
“Help him?” Sean looked shocked at that. “In what way do you hope to help him?”
He looked down at her with a quizzical expression.
