As Colin rowed them from the folly back toward the house, he kept his attention on the oars. The storm cloud she’d envisionedover his head when they’d first met returned, and he appeared troubled.
What had she done now to annoy him?
Although he sat mere feet from her, she felt as if a great chasm separated them, and if she dared to reach across and bridge the gap, she would tumble into an endless abyss.
Back inside the house, he kissed her lightly, the passion they’d shared in the folly disturbingly absent. “I must return to my work. I will see you at supper.”
She wanted to kick him in his retreating backside. “Men,” she muttered.
By supper, whatever had led to Colin’s sudden shift from warm and loving to cold and distant had passed, and although there still seemed to be a cloud hovering over him, it had become less stormy and more puffy and white, with peeks of sun poking through on occasion.
Part of her wished to jab him with her fork just to get some kind of reaction from him. Even their lovemaking that night seemed different. He was still a generous lover, that had not changed, but he seemed to restrain himself, as if he were afraid to unleash whatever part of himself he withheld.
When she woke in the morning, he was gone, which wasn’t especially surprising as he often rose earlier than she did, but he wasn’t in either the breakfast room, his study, or the morning room with the girls.
Ellie popped off the sofa, raced toward her, and threw her arms about Anne’s waist. “Anne! He’s gone to get them!”
A frown pinched Anne’s forehead. “Who’s gone? To get whom?”
Ellie peered up. Excitement lighting her face. “Papa has gone to get the puppies! He received word from Mr. Ford this morning and left immediately.”
Anne hugged her stepdaughter. “That’s wonderful, Ellie. Did he say how long he would be gone?”
Cassie joined them and shook her head. “Notreally. He said he had something else important to attend to and would be back some time either late this afternoon or early evening.”
A whole day! The idea initially annoyed her until she remembered the hidden passageway. Colin would be away from his study, and she would have most of the day to explore unhampered!
That was unless the girls demanded her attention. Wicked delight shivered through her as Miss Hart entered, a stack of books in her arms.
She smiled warmly and curtsied toward Anne. “Lady Manning. Should I return later with the girls’ lessons, or would you care to join us?”
Although she’d grown to love the girls as much as she loved Colin, albeit in a different way, Anne didnotlove lessons. She offered a quick, and if she said so, an excellent excuse. “As tempting as the idea is to join you, I feel a headache coming on. I think I shall retire to my room. If you see Mrs. Campbell before I do, tell her I don’t wish to be disturbed.”
She hugged Ellie and Cassie once more, telling them the new puppies were certain to make her feel better, then slipped from the room.
Almost at Colin’s study, Greene’s voice from behind stopped her.
“Madam. If you are looking for his lordship, he advised me to tell you he’s left on an errand.”
She spun toward him, careful to school her expression into one not arousing suspicion. “Thank you, Greene.”
When the man continued to stand before her, Anne summoned her most commanding voice. “Is there something else you wish to tell me?”
Greene’s gaze darted behind her, where Colin’s study awaited mere feet away. “No, madam.” The obnoxious man had the audacity to hold out his hand as if ushering her back the way she had come. As if it weren’t her own home and she couldn’t go where she pleased.
Yet, she had to be careful, and it was the perfect opportunity to plant her lie. “Very well. I was simply going to tell him I have a headache. I will be in my room and do not wish to be disturbed.Will you kindly relay that to Mrs. Campbell and the rest of the staff?”
“Of course, madam.”
Anne skirted around the man toward the staircase, keenly aware he watched her every move. Once on the upper floor, she waited a few moments, then peeked around the corner to find Greene walking away from the study.
Thank goodness!
He stopped momentarily when Mrs. Campbell approached, and the two exchanged hushed words. Then both dispersed in opposite directions.
The hallway where Anne waited remained blessedly free of servants, but she had her excuse at the ready, as long as she wasn’t caught going toward the study again.
On tiptoe, she crept back down the staircase, holding her breath with each squeak of a step or sound of a muffled voice. When she reached the study, she darted inside and went straight to where she’d seen Greene slipping through the opening in the wall.
