Alexander gave a bow in Mrs. Pike’s direction. “Please excuse me.” He met my gaze before starting up the stairs again.
I wanted to stop him, but he turned around too quickly. I watched his back as he disappeared around the corner and his footfalls faded into the distance. I glared in his direction. Why wouldn’t he tell me what had happened? He was being far too mysterious. My relief at seeing him again hadn’t lasted long. Now I was worried for other reasons.
“Lady Daventry, would you like to join us in the drawing room for a game of whist?” Victoria’s voice came from behind me. “Mrs. Pike doesn’t wish to play, and I need a partner.”
What I truly wanted to do was run to my room and hide under my blankets. I could still feel the weight of the locket in my reticule. I wouldn’t be able to focus on anything until I spoke with Lady Tottenham face to face.
“I don’t feel well. I’m sorry.” I cast Victoria an apologetic glance before starting up the stairs. I held tight to the bannister. My heart pounded as I walked up to the first floor and turned right. All the guest bedchambers were on the left. I had never had a reason to turn toward Lady Tottenham’s wing of the house.
I was likely forbidden to do so.
The silence in the corridor was eerie. My spine tingled with fear. Was it wise to intrude on her solitude? I could wait until she joined the party again, but I doubted I would keep my sanity in the process. My curiosity raged inside me, forcing my feet forward. I didn’t even know which room was hers. I almost turned around when a maid stepped out of the first door to my left.
Her dark brown eyes widened when she saw me. She carried a bowl of water, and it sloshed over one of her arms.
“I’m sorry!” I reached forward to steady it. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”
She curtsied, holding the bowl tight against her body.
“Is this Lady Tottenham’s bedchamber? I heard she was unwell today and thought I might pay her a visit.”
“Indeed, ma’am. She just awoke.” She curtsied again before passing to my right, leaving me alone in the corridor.
I pressed down my nervousness, taking a shaky breath. And then I knocked on the door. “My lady?” I spoke in a loud, clear voice. “This is Lady Daventry. May I enter?”
“You may.” Her raspy voice sent my heart pounding. I had never been as intimidated by her as I was now. I opened the door. The curtains were partially closed, so my eyes took a moment to adjust to the dimness. The four poster bed looked tiny compared to the vastness of the room. The furnishings showcased her wealth just as heartily as the other rooms of the house. Lady Tottenham’s ginger curls spilled out over her white pillows, her eyes no less sharp than usual as she watched me step into the room.
I gave a deep curtsy. “I am very sorry to intrude, my lady. I heard you were unwell.”
“I have had better days.” She sat up against her headboard with a groan. The ruffles of her night dress consumed her entire neck. “I suspect your day has been a bit more riveting than mine.” She raised one eyebrow.
I reached inside my reticule and withdrew the locket. “Are you referring to this?” I cast her a nervous look.
Her wrinkles deepened with a gleeful smile. “I knew you were clever enough to find it. You were my first choice from the beginning. Octavia showed promise, but she ultimately failed.” In a matter of seconds, Lady Tottenham had transformed away from the feeble woman I had seen lying in the bed. She grinned. “I am most eager to hear your thoughts on the matter. I trust you spoke with Mr. Burrowes?”
I moved to stand by her bedside, searching for the right words. “I did—but, my lady, I find it difficult to accept such an undeserved inheritance. All I did was solve a riddle.”
“You may not like games, my dear, but you are good at them.” Her eyes gleamed with delight. “You did more than solve a riddle. You showed a determined spirit, wit, and independence. I have watched your heart open during the course of my party. Nothing has brought me greater entertainment than watching you fall in love with Mr. Holland despite your initial resistance. I told you there would be many different opportunities to secure your future comfort.”
I felt a pang of guilt. She didn’t know the courtship had been fake. Accepting her inheritance would haunt me forever if she didn’t know the truth. I lowered my gaze to the floor. “My lady, you are too generous. I must confess something.” I took a deep breath. “When you arranged the midnight parlor game between Mr. Holland and me, his victory in our chess game led us to the agreement that we would pretend to form an attachment in order to prevent the attentions of the other guests—Lord Kirkham and Octavia in particular.” My words rushed out. “We are not actually courting.”
Lady Tottenham’s expression didn’t falter. “I knew that. I’m not as easily fooled as the others. I have a keen sense for truth and falsehood.” She shrugged. “Besides that, my footman heard your conversation that night and relayed it to me.”
“You knew all along?” My face burned.
“Yes, but that is no matter. As the days have gone on, I have seen your attachment become real. I will not retract my words from before, in fact, I will reaffirm them. It has been a joy watching you fall in love with Mr. Alexander Holland.”
I opened my mouth, but no words came out. I wasn’t in love with Alexander—he was my friend. He wasonlymy friend. I repeated the words in my mind. I had told myself that exact thing countless times, yet it was becoming difficult to believe. I thought of him more than I thought of anyone else…even Miles. It vexed me. My chest flooded with frustration.
Lady Tottenham continued speaking. “I admit that I was wrong to try to match you with Lord Kirkham. If I had known he was such a bother to you, I would have sent him away much sooner.”
I gathered my thoughts. “Whydidyou send him away?” I needed to discover if he had been the cause of Alexander’s injuries. Had they argued? Had Lord Kirkham challenged him to fisticuffs? It wouldn’t have been surprising.
Lady Tottenham’s upper lip pursed with distaste. “When he declined my invitation to the midnight game yesterday evening, I was forced to retract my hospitality. Mr. Barnwall and Mr. St. Vincent ignored my invitations as well. It vexed me greatly.” Her nostrils flared. “With little time left to live, I no longer have any reason to endure company I don’t enjoy.”
I had been guilty of not enjoying Lady Tottenham’s company on multiple occasions, but looking at her now, I admired her. She had been dealt a difficult hand of cards in life. She didn’t seem to care for her money nearly as much as she cared for her late husband. I would wager that she would have traded it all at any moment for one more day with him. She didn’t care what anyone thought of her, yet she still formed a strong opinion of everyone else. Somehow, she liked me. She liked me enough to leave me with fifty thousand pounds. A grim feeling enveloped my heart.
“I was very sorry to hear of the state of your health,” I said.
