Including myself.
CHAPTER 18
ANNE
Where was thatblastedkey?
My mind wandered as I sat in the drawing room after dinner that evening. I had focused my attention back on the game, hoping it would distract me from the other events of the day. Since that morning, I had been too preoccupied with the clue Lady Tottenham had given Octavia and Victoria, and not on my own clue. At ten o’ clock that morning in the hexagon room, no key had materialized in front of us. I hadn’t expected it to be that simple, of course, but I had nothing to work with. Perhaps all Lady Tottenham had done was reveal the location of the key. Was it somewhere in the hexagon room? Thatwaswhere Lord Tottenham’s portrait was located, after all.
There was still the matter of those elusive ‘letters’ I was meant to find. By heeding the clue about the leeches, I was skipping an important part of my own riddle. The verse had read,You’ll find the key underfoot of the game.Did that refer to the last parlor game of the day? How did Octavia’s clue intertwine with my own? My brain hurt from trying to solve the puzzle.
Was it all worth the effort? The mysterious prize was beginning to feel like a sham.
The men were still in the dining room, so I sat exclusively among all the female guests in the drawing room. I picked up a book, but I wasn’t actually reading. I couldn’t focus. I had failed the game of deceit that morning miserably. Soon enough, I would have to pay a forfeit.
Victoria sat alone on a settee by the bookcase. Her blond curls were tight against her forehead, her intelligent eyes observing the other women in the room. I stood, crossing the rug to join her on the settee. “Good evening, Miss Colborne,” I said with a smile.
“Good evening, my lady.” She shifted to allow room for me to sit beside her. “How are you faring? I thought it was cruel of Lady Tottenham to force you into sharing such a personal story from your past.” She scowled in our hostess’s direction. Thankfully, Octavia was playing a jubilant song on the pianoforte, drowning out our voices.
Victoria’s kind eyes were so different from her sister’s. My heart was touched by her sympathy. “I am well now, thank you,” I said. “I thought I should warn you about a conversation I overheard at breakfast this morning. You may want to be wary of Lord Kirkham and Mr. Barnwall. They have agreed upon a competition to win your favor.”
Victoria’s eyes widened, and then her nose scrunched with disgust. “Thank you for warning me, that is very kind of you. I shall be on my guard. I despise them both.”
I laughed. “I must agree with you.”
She tipped her head to one side. “I heard a rumor that you kissed Lord Kirkham at the first midnight parlor game.”
Would that ever stop haunting me? I grimaced. “I regret that decision deeply,” I said with a laugh. “I would never choose him a second time.”
Victoria gave a mischievous grin. “Surely you would choose Mr. Holland now.”
I swallowed, putting on a smile of my own. “Yes, of course.” I thought of that morning, when Alexander had held my hand after I returned to my chair. I could practically still feel his fingers around mine. They had left an impression. It had only been my hand, but no one had ever touched me like that. His touch had spoken to me without words. It had awoken new emotions, and silenced others. Dread, pain, fear—they had all vanished. It was unlike anything I had ever felt before.
But then we had argued outside in the rain. Guilt stabbed at my heart all over again.
Victoria leaned closer, interrupting my thoughts. “I’m very glad you managed to steal Mr. Holland’s attention from my sister. She always gets what she wants. It’s infuriating.” She sat back with a smug grin.
I didn’t know how to respond to that. I gave an awkward laugh, casting my gaze toward the door as the men made their entrance.
My heart hammered when I saw Alexander. Our last conversation had been repeating in my mind all evening. I had been trying to formulate an apology, but the right words had evaded me. Was it better to keep distance between us? Our ruse had successfully deterred Octavia and Lord Kirkham. What point was there in continuing it? There was only one week remaining of the party.
My shoulders straightened, my heart in my throat as Alexander’s gaze met mine. His dark hair shone in the candlelight, his wary eyes seeming to debate the wisdom of sitting beside me. If he didn’t, there would be speculation about the strength of our attachment. If he did, the evening would be painfully awkward.
He started in my direction.
I held my breath and lowered my gaze to the book in my lap.
I felt his weight shift the settee cushion. I gathered the courage to look up. His gaze was already on my face. Before I could say a word, Victoria leaned across me.
“Good evening, Mr. Holland. Lady Daventry and I were just speaking of you.” She gave a broad smile.
Alexander cast me a sidelong glance. “Well, I’m sorry to have interrupted such a diverting subject.”
She laughed. I tried to join, but it sounded more like a whimper. I cleared my throat. With Victoria sitting close by, it wasn’t the proper time to attempt to formulate an apology. We were in public, so it was all we could do to act as if nothing was amiss between us. Alexander seemed to recognize that all too well.
“Was Lady Daventry telling you how much she adores me?” he asked with a charming smile.
Victoria nodded. “Not in such obvious terms, but yes, she was.” She threw me a wink.
