Louisa’s eyes shone. “But everyone’s out now; this is when they drive! Papa promised.”
Winston smiled faintly. Cordelia alighted from the carriage, taking Adeline’s offered hand.
“There’s no refusing the child when she’s set on something. Don’t worry, Louisa. We will come. It has been too long since I walked in Hyde Park.”
Adeline hesitated. The sunlight felt too bright, the noise of London too loud.
“I ought to settle first. And rest.”
“You’ll settle better after fresh air,” Cordelia said. “You can change if you wish, but don’t take too long. I think we will walk to the Park, don’t you , Winston?”
Adeline could hardly refuse her employer without raising questions. She contemplated feigning illness; she knew she already looked pale.
“Very well. A short walk is probably just what the doctor ordered,” she said, forcing cheeriness, which was exactly what Louisa wanted to hear, and in the right tone too.
The girl grinned, hopping on her toes. She went inside, escorted by Winston. When Adeline followed soon after, she found the house both elegant and oppressive. The ceilings were lower than at Greystone, the corridors narrower, yet everything gleamed, the work of servants anticipating their master’s return. In her chamber, she adjusted her gown with unsteady fingers. The mirror showed her a composed face again, but her stomach felt hollow. She drew her shawl closer, as if fabric alone might keep danger at bay.
The walk to Hyde Park took little time. Louisa pointed out every landmark, the clubs along St. James’s, the crowded shops, the glint of the Serpentine ahead. Cordelia added her own commentary, walking arm-in-arm with her granddaughter while Winston escorted Adeline.
“Do I take it you are a confirmed country dweller?” he asked.
“You can assume so,” Adeline replied, truthfully. “Why does it occur to you?”
“Because you are walking as though you expect to be assaulted at any moment. It is a common opinion of London’s streets, I believe. That they are all utterly lawless. You are quite safe so close to Westminster and the King’s Palace.”
“And I have you to protect me,” Adeline said.
“You do,” Winston replied.
Two words but heavy with meaning. Adeline looked at him, but he was staring ahead at his chattering daughter and brightly clad empress of a mother. She took the opportunity to study his face, to watch the contours of his noble profile. As she did, the anxiety eased. She felt she could breathe a little deeper. There was that strength in his face, reinforced by the tone of his voice.
But you cannot protect what you do not know. Adeline Wilkinson could be protected by you because she is innocent. Adeline Warren is not.
The park was alive with movement, carriages circling, riders trotting along the Row, ladies strolling arm in arm under parasols that flashed like white sails.
“There are so many people!” Louisa said as they entered Hyde Park. “Look, Adeline. That lady’s hat is bigger than mine.”
Adeline followed her gaze but saw only a blur of faces. Each turn of the wheel brought another man in a dark coat, another profile that caught her breath. For an instant, she was sure she saw her father, standing near the railing, his cane lifted, eyes sharp and searching. Her hands tightened on her reticule. When she looked again, the man was gone.
The man had vanished, but Winston was staring at her suddenly. He leaned close.
“Are you unwell?” he asked.
She forced a smile. “The crowd makes me dizzy.”
“We’ll go slowly.”
The concern in his voice made her heart break. The lie was leading him to protect her when she did not deserve it. Because, though the accusations her father levelled at her were untrue, what was undeniable was that she had allowed a lie to be perpetuated for two years.Adeline tried to breathe evenly. Every passerby seemed threatening. The creak of carriage wheels became the pulse of her own fear. She glanced toward the lakeand saw another figure in a brown coat that could have been her father’s. The tilt of the head, the familiar stance…She looked away sharply. Her throat felt tight.
“Adeline?” Winston’s voice again, low. “You are sure you’re well?”
“Yes,” her reply came too quickly. “I only need air.”
“We are out in the open,” he pointed out.
“I mean, free of the crowds.” Adeline pivoted, clasping her hands together in front of her.
“I think perhaps we should return to the house,” Winston said.
