Lady Tottenham took a bite of roasted pigeon. “Mr. Miles Holland attempted to call upon you this afternoon,” she said to me with a look of distaste. “I told him you were not accepting visitors.”
My eyes flew to her face. “Did he mention Alexander?”
Lady Tottenham shook her head. “I’m afraid not. His location is still a mystery.”
I wanted to thank her for sending Miles away, but I couldn’t find the words. I wasn’t ready to face him again, though it would have been helpful to ask him if he had seen Alexander. This was the second time he had disappeared without warning, and it troubled me even more than the first. How dangerouswasMiles? Had he done something to harm Alexander? The thought made me ill. I set down my fork.
When the meal was over, the ladies withdrew to the drawing room. Octavia’s continuous notes on the pianoforte clunked soundlessly. Lady Tottenham arranged a game of hunt the slipper. I tried to enjoy myself, but my worries consumed me. My distrust of Miles had been building all day, flooding my mind with paranoia.
I stared out the dark window and the raindrops that fell on the glass until Octavia finally abandoned the bench of the pianoforte.
CHAPTER 31
ALEXANDER
Dim candlelight glowed in the windows of Birch House as I approached the front door. Waiting until nightfall to return had been essential in order to prevent any suspicion from Miles. After collecting my two hundred pounds from him at Russell’s, I had agreed to leave Birch House by the next morning.
But that didn’t mean I would leave London completely.
With the money I had secured, I had spent the day searching for a lease on an apartment near Lockhart square so I could court Anne properly and begin building my professional connections in Town. If Anne remained here, I couldn’t possibly leave her to go to York.
I could hardly believe that Miles had searched the bedchambers the night before to discover which one was mine and left a note inside my door. He was desperate, and he viewed me as his greatest threat. I had almost crumpled the note, but I had stopped myself. In his desperation, Miles had made a fatal mistake. I could show his note to Anne at any moment as proof of his character and intentions…if that hadn’t been made clear enough to her already.
I was no longer afraid that Miles would win. I had felt a sense of peace the night before with Anne. She might have finally trusted me completely. Perhaps after thirty-one years, Miles’s lies had caught up to him. I needed to see her, to explain why I had been gone the entire day, but the house was quiet when the butler ushered me into the vestibule. Had everyone already gone to bed?
I passed Anne’s room on my way to my own. Her door was closed, but candlelight still flickered through the crack under the door. I was too late to speak with her tonight. I would have to wait until the morning.
Inside my bedchamber, I removed my jacket, loosening my cravat before falling back onto my bed. I released a tense breath, staring up at the ceiling. My confidence regarding Anne’s feelings had grown, but Miles had a power I couldn’t explain. He was an expert at deceit. What if I hadn’t done enough to win Anne’s trust? I was fairly certain Miles had come to Birch House that day. He could have fed Anne an abundance of lies while I was finding an apartment.
A scratching sound came from behind me. I rolled over just as a folded note passed under the door, skittering across the floor until it came to a halt near the edge of the rug.
I crossed the room to pick it up, reading the words scrawled across it.
Dear Mr. Holland,
You have been selected from amongst my guests to participate in this evening’s secret parlor game. Please meet in the parlor at midnight.
Your hostess,
Lady Tottenham
ANNE
Would Lady Tottenham change her will if I didn’t attend the midnight game?
Considering how quickly she had sent Lord Kirkham and the others out of the house after they had ignored her invitations, it did seem quite possible.
And after what she had said that day about taking me out of her will if I chose to marry Miles, it seemed quiteprobable,actually.
I replaced my shoes on my feet, adjusting my pink gown in the mirror before slipping out my bedchamber door with a candle in hand. I couldn’t guess what to expect as I approached the parlor. The numbers of the party had diminished. We were all weary of so many games. I opened the door, the hinges creaking in the silence. There was already light coming from inside.
My heart thudded in my chest.
Alexander stood on the other side of the room. He looked up at my entrance. A hint of surprise crossed his expression. “Anne.”
I couldn’t blink as I took in the sight of him.
“We don’t have a chess board this time.” He flashed a smile, gesturing at the table.
