I frowned. “What do you mean?”
Octavia took a sip from her cup. “You have missed the news.”
“News?”
Mrs. Pike exchanged a look with Victoria. “Unfortunately, our party has decreased in numbers again.”
My heart plummeted.
“You may have noticed a few people are, well…absent this morning. The housekeeper informed us that Lady Tottenham sent several of the guests away. After the events of yesterday evening, they will no longer be welcome at Birch House.”
CHAPTER 21
ALEXANDER
Istopped the coach outside of Martins, stepping out onto the crowded cobblestones. I lowered the brim of my hat on my forehead and tightened my cravat. I needed to look fashionable if I hoped to obtain a loan from the banker at Martins. It couldn’t come across as a desperate plea, or I would be sent away. All I needed was enough to live on until I could obtain more clients in York. Leaving London at the end of the house party was no longer part of my plan. If I could help it, I would stay long enough to have a fighting chance at Anne’s hand in marriage.
I walked quickly, weaving through the crowds that gathered on the streets. I had grown comfortable with the location of Birch House, so far removed from the heart of London society. Lady Tottenham had no rules in place that prevented her guests from venturing into town for business, so I didn’t expect she would have a problem with my departure that morning.
I hadn’t slept more than an hour or two the night before, and not only because my bed had been the floorboards of the hexagon room. My mind and emotions had been spinning out of control. After learning of the written proposal Miles had sent to Anne, I was no longer certain what his intentions were. He might have assumed she had money from her previous marriage, but perhaps he didn’t. He might have truly loved her.
It was hard to imagine Miles loving anyone, but if there was a woman who could soften his heart, it was Anne. It was impossible not to love her.
I had been falling in love with her since the first day of the house party.
I smiled at the thought of her face squished against the sofa cushion, curls falling over her forehead. Her eyes had been twitching with a dream of some sort. I had left her there, sleeping, when I heard the door unlock just after sunrise. My trip to the bank was my last hope of remaining in London after Lady Tottenham’s hospitality expired. The money Miles owed me was likely long gone, but that wouldn’t stop me from confronting him when he came back to London.
I stopped walking, my gaze catching on a man at the threshold of the gentleman’s club, Russell’s, across the street. I rubbed my eyes, blinking hard. My lack of sleep must have been causing hallucinations. I looked at the doorway of Russell’s a second time, my brow creasing.
The man with the navy blue jacket looked exactly like Miles.
I froze, watching him as he started walking in the opposite direction. I had only caught a short glimpse of his face, but with his back turned, I recognized his height, the shape of his shoulders, and even the saunter in his step. It was my brother. I was sure of it.
My plans at the bank vanished, falling down my list of priorities. I jogged across the street, narrowly dodging a team of horses. The coachman cursed at me as I ran, but I didn’t care. What was Miles doing back in London already? I could hardly believe my luck at finding him on the street, but his presence in town was more troubling than it was fortunate. Anger pulsed in my neck as I slowed my approach, taking large strides up the cobblestones behind him. When I came close enough, I stopped walking.
I spoke in a loud voice. “I didn’t think I’d see you for another fortnight.”
His steps halted.
I had known he would recognize my voice, even amid the noise all around us. He turned around slowly, a lopsided smile on his mouth. “Alexander?” He scoffed with disbelief. His skin was tanner than usual, freckles smattered across his cheeks. He had won the favor of countless people with his blue eyes and wide smile. He had an innocent face no matter what expression he wore. His brown hair had been lightened in the sun, but it was combed and styled neatly. Not a hair was out of place. His cravat was starched and clean, and despite my efforts to intimidate him, he was completely unaffected.
“Was India not to your liking?” I asked, not bothering to hide the venom from my voice. “You spent just as long on the boat as you did in the country.”
Miles took a step closer, his smile growing. “You don’t have to greet me with such animosity, brother. I plan to repay you in full.”
I crossed my arms. “Where have I heard that promise before?” My voice was hard. “And your confession? I have spent the last four years as a stranger to our family because they still blame me for your mistakes.”
He groaned, reaching into his pocket to withdraw a snuff case. “Do relax, brother. I’ll tell them the truth eventually, and the money will be back in your pockets. Have patience.” He took a pinch of snuff before drawing a deep breath. “I miss the sea air. It smelled much better than London.”
My jaw tightened. “Don’t change the subject. You will repay me, in full, the two-hundred pounds I lent to you by the end of the month.”
He laughed. “You have grown far too serious. Two-hundred pounds isn’t a matter of life or death.”
“In my profession, that’s nearly half my annual income.”
He shrugged, crossing his arms. “At least you’re earning more than you would have in the church.”
My anger flared. “Are you suggesting I should thank you for ruining the life I had planned for?”
