Aubrey returned to the house slowly. After folding the bedding and rinsing out the washcloths they used—she gathered her belongings and made one last inspection.
He’d left nothing of himself. The room seemed emptier now than it had when they’d arrived. Had that really been less than twenty-four hours ago?
She picked up Mr. Dog’s leading string and descended to the kitchen below. After thanking the Wootens and promising she would visit next time she was in the area, she finally crossed the garden to where Mr. Daniels stood beside the carriage, waiting impatiently.
When she lifted Mr. Dog inside, he hopped onto the seat, sniffed around, hopped down and seemingly confused, turned to look at her. If she was not mistaken, she’d guess he was looking for a certain gentleman with a vaguely French accent.
“He is gone,” Aubrey told the dog. “It is just you and me now.”
She waved goodbye, one last time, out the door and then climbed in to sit beside her pet.
At least she had Mr. Dog.
As the carriage pulled out of the yard, Aubrey sat feeling stunned. It was as though Chance had not existed at all, as though he’d been nothing more than a figment of her imagination.
Princesse
She closed her eyes and memories of the night before washed over her. He had worshipped her with his body. He’d made her feel more sensual, more beautiful, more lovable than she had in her entire life.
Aubrey lifted her feet to the bench and hugged her knees. The pain of his betrayal felt so great that her body couldn’t process it. She was numb.
Lost.
Mr. Dog jumped up and licked at her chin. “We’ll be all right,” she reassured the pup as much as herself. The words came out flat, though. They must be true. She’d endured worse, hadn’t she? “We’ll be all right,” she said again, this time in an attempt to convince herself.
As the miles passed, anger gradually crept in to fill the emptiness inside. He’d promised her that he’d not leave without saying goodbye… and then he’d done exactly that! Things had changed between the two of them, hadn’t they? When they’d made love?
True, he had indicated her over and over again that they would part from one another in London, that they must say goodbye. But.
Aubrey blinked. Making love had changed all of that, hadn’t it?
But it hadn’t
The overbearing, dishonest, dissolute no good cocky rogue! How dare he sneak out of her bed after everything they’d shared and run away without having the decency to say goodbye! How dare he!
Mr. Daniels stopped at a clean but sparse inn before nightfall and she felt none of the temerity she’d felt before when signing the register for a room. She was not a timid and innocent girl. She was a woman. She’d taken a lover even.
Lying in the strange bed that night, however, her righteous indignation fled.
He’d pushed her away from him on more than one occasion. He’d not pursued her.Shehad disrobed in front of him. What did she expect? She’d been so forward with him that he’d had no choice but to make love to her. And then he’d felt he had no choice but to abandon her before they arrived in London. He likely left fearful that she’d cling to him with pleas and tears.
And she might have.
If she’d acted like a proper lady, like a moral lady, then he would not have felt it necessary to flee.
She curled up in the strange bed, berating herself—questioning things she’d said to him. Replaying the numerous warnings he’d expressed more than once.
This was her fault. She had only herself to blame.
* * *
The next day,late in the afternoon when the carriage weaved its way through the busy London streets to her new home, her new beginning, she did her utmost to summon some of her former enthusiasm. She was on her own. She was not dependent upon any man.
By the time Mr. Daniels halted the vehicle outside of a brick covered, three story stately townhouse, she’d garnered enough strength to face any servants who might be in residence. She climbed out on to the sidewalk, holding Mr. Dog securely, and stared up at it in awe.
What occurred next, was completely unexpected.
The front door opened and an elegant gentleman appeared, followed by two uniformed footmen and then four other servants, one friendly looking, older lady, two uniformed maids, and a buxom woman with flour on her face.
