“Miss Fox? Dandy?”
He was greeted with silence. The room looked neat and tidy, nary a hint of either Addy or her incorrigible mongrel. Perhaps she was keeping his sisters company. The three of them had been inseparable these past few days.
Frowning, Lion made his way to Lila’s chamber, where he knew they had been convening, giggling and making an indecorous amount of noise. He hadn’t minded, even if he had been envious of his sisters for having all of Addy’s attention.
He rapped on the door. It opened to reveal Lila with tear-stained cheeks and a red nose.
“What is the matter?” he asked, instantly concerned.
“Addy’s had to leave,” Lila said with a sniff. “She needs to return to New York City.”
“Her betrothed, Mr. George Smith, broke his leg when he fell off a horse,” Letty added from behind a handkerchief.
She punctuated the announcement by loudly blowing her nose.
Lion stared, struggling to comprehend what his weeping sisters had just said.Her betrothed. Mr. George Smith. She needs to return to New York City.
“What the devil?” he blurted out.
“Addy’s father sent word that she must return to tend to Mr. Smith,” Lila explained, frowning at him as if he were the world’s greatest churl.
“Who is Mr. Smith?” he demanded.
“Addy’s betrothed,” Letty said slowly. “Have you not listened to a word we’ve said?”
“I’ve listened, but listening and comprehending are two different beasts entirely,” he said grimly. “When did Miss Fox leave?”
“It was easily an hour or two ago,” Lila told him. “She came to us, quite distressed, and explained that she and her aunt Pearl needed to go to York so that they wouldn’t miss the train to London. Or was it three hours ago?”
“She gave us each the most beautiful pair of earrings for Christmas,” Letty added. “Sapphires and emeralds to match our eyes.”
“I do wish she hadn’t left in such haste. It’s not like her.”
“She did seem at sixes and sevens. I’ve never seen her in such a state before.”
“I’ve got to stop her,” he said as much to his sisters as to himself.
His mind whirled with these unexpected revelations. Mr. George Smith? Why had she never spoken of the man tohim? Why had she given herself to Lion if she already had a betrothed? And why would she leave without at least deigning to tell him goodbye? Only yesterday, she’d expressed an intention to stay beyond Christmas.
None of it made sense.
Lion spun on his heel.
“Lion?” his sisters called after him. “What are you intending?”
“I don’t know,” he tossed over his shoulder as he stalked to the staircase.
All hedidknow was that he couldn’t let Addy go. Not like this.
He rushed to the stables and ordered Athena saddled. Jacob, his head groom, confirmed what his sisters had said, that Addy had left with her aunt, Dandy, and Alfred several hours before. They had taken his carriage, considering that the carriage she had hired for her journey to Marchingham Hall had yet to be repaired. Which meant that not only was she leaving him, but Lion’s own blasted grooms and coach had assisted her.
She had a few hours of advantage, and Athena was bred for endurance rather than speed, but Lion was determined. He would find her in York, and he’d have his answers there.
Addy,Alfred, Aunt Pearl, and Dandy had reached York with just enough time to make passage on the last train leaving to London before Christmas. They were settled in a comfortable private car now, the locomotive rattling down the tracks that were carrying them out of the station. It was something of a miracle they had been able to secure tickets, but when she had realized there was a chance they could leave York today, she had seized it.
Addy stared out the window, trying not to weep as Dandy sat in her lap.
“Are you going to tell me why you suddenly decided to leave Marchingham Hall without warning, and on Christmas Eve, no less?” Aunt Pearl asked quietly.
