But dinner came, and still, there was no sign of Rachel.
That was deliberate. She was making a point.
“Shall I have a plate sent up to Her Grace, Your Grace?” the butler offered sympathetically, sensing the tense manner in which Simon glanced at the entrance to the dining hall now and then.
Simon set his knife down, lifting his wine glass instead. He took a slow sip, letting the silence stretch. So, this was how she wished to go about things?
“No,” he answered at last, his tone neutral. “That will not be necessary. The duchess is perfectly capable of requesting a tray if she wishes to eat.”
If she meant to make a statement, then he would let her. It would pass.
“As you wish, Your Grace,” the butler replied.
But Simon’s own appetite had vanished now. He had had enough of this.
He decided to take matters into his own hands.
Within moments, he was on his feet. He had to find the duchess himself, for she had made up her mind to avoid him entirely.
It took him some searching, but he finally found her on the balcony. For a moment, he simply took in the sight of her. He had not seen her all day.
She was leaning against the railing, apparently lost in thought.
Simon coughed to make his presence known. But she did not turn around to acknowledge him.
Right,he thought to himself. She was not going to make this process easy for him.
“Did I disturb you?” Simon began calmly. “I do not wish to intrude on your hiding place.
“Hiding implies I did not want to be found,” she replied almost immediately.
“Did you not?”
“I would not make that assumption without knowing the truth,” she shrugged.
“It is hard for me to tell what the truth is, considering that you have been missing all day,” Simon stepped forward, clearing his throat. “So which is it? Were you hiding away here, or simply out for some fresh air?”
She took a long moment before answering. Simon found himself growing curious about what she must be thinking. “I suppose that depends on why you’re looking for me.”
“You missed dinner,” he said, eyeing her closely. It was silly to think like this, considering she had only missed two meals, but it looked like she was thinner.
Simon found himself worrying instantly.
“I am surprised you even noticed,” Rachel quipped, still not looking in his direction. “Or that you were even present at the mealtimes to begin with.”
Simon ignored the sarcasm in her voice.
“Were you attempting to make some kind of a statement by not showing up?” he asked bluntly. “A protest of some kind, by depriving yourself of food?”
“You tell me?” She turned to face him fully. “What didyoumake of it?”
Simon studied her for a long moment.
“I should tell you that your statement has been received,’ he sighed. “If that was what your intention was.”
She seemed to soften at that, but only for a moment.
What are you thinking?Simon even surprised himself by just how curious he got when it came to her. Usually, he couldn’t care less about the internal workings of people’s minds, but with her,it was different.
