It was a shame Alyssa had never known her mother, but he knewthe lady’s good traits lived on in her, and the daughters she had would likely bear the same similarities.
Travell’s heart clenched as he suddenly pictured a girl with brunette curls running across his estate.
He clenched his jaw, thinking that it might be a good day torideabout the estate and check on his tenants, where temptation wasn’tso easily accessible. Otherwise, he might be inclined to break his own promise to leave Alyssa alone.
Travellleft the conservatory andordered his horse to be saddled. But before he could take one step out the door, Ives intercepted him. “I’m afraid there’s a problem, my lord,” he said grimly.
This didn’t sound good at all. “What is it?”
“It appears thatLord Trenton has gone missing.”
***
Alyssaschooled her expression to presentthe pictureof calm as she rode to Rosewood.Seatedacross from her maid,she kept hershoulders back, hands in her lap,andnow and then glancedat the countrysidebeyond the window,although she noticed very little of it.Of course,it was all a façade to hide the fact she was a mess on the inside. If anyone were to lookclosely, they would see the tightset ofher mouth and the shadows beneath her eyes.Anyonemightthink that paying a visit to her Blue Ladies would be enough to lift her spirits, but when she stopped tothink aboutseeing Lord Curdiff again, the butterflies began to flutter furiously in her stomach.
She closed her eyes briefly and released a slow breath. She could do this. After all, it wasn’t as if she hadn’t faced him in the pastafter that first kiss. But while her ardor had beenstrongbefore, now it was positively flaming. All night she’ddreamedof his kiss, her body yearning for more of his touch.
However, when she’d dressed andgonedownstairs to find Caroline waiting for her, any fantasies had quickly vanished. Just the sight of the woman was enough to dampen the mostpleasantofmoods. Thankfully, Alyssawas able to make another easy escape.
“Who is that?”
Daisy’s query caught Alyssa’s attention and sheactually focused on the passing scenery. “Oh, dear God. It’s the earl!” Instantly, her lungs froze and she rapped on the roof of the carriage. “Stop!” she shouted.
She opened the door and vaulted out of the vehicle before it had even come to a complete stop, rushing across the field toward the pond where Lord Trenton was standing along the edge. He was still attired in his nightshirt and shedidn’tevenwant toimagine how he might have slipped past the servants at Rosewood to end up here.
As she drew closer, she slowed her pace. She didn’t wish to startle him. “Papa?”
He turned his head and narrowed his eyes. “Amelia, why on earth would you call me that?”
Alyssa sighed inwardly. So she was to be his wife again. “John, please, come back to the house and stop this foolishness.” She held her hand out to him, but he continued to glare at her.
“Why? So you can just yell at me again?”
A prickle of warning began to crawl up her spine, but she continued to speak to him in a soothing manner. “You know that we settled our differences.”
He snorted. “Did we? Because just this morning you were complaining about the time I spent at the gaming tables.” He shook his head. “I can’t seem to make you happy, Amelia.”
“Of course you make me happy, John. How could you not? We have two wonderful children—”
“Enough!” He sliced his hand through the air and Alyssa fell silent. “We both know this marriage was doomed from the start. We’ve always chosen different paths. You wanted to be a countess, so that’s what I gave you. Now it’s time to think of my own happiness. I love Sophie.”
Alyssa didn’t have to know the earl’s history to figure out that must have been the name of the scullery maid he’d run off with.She also knew this is where she had to tread carefully. “You must do what you believe is best for you. I won’t stop you.”
He laughed at that. “You alreadytried to have her sacked, but I refuse tohave you destroy our child.”
“Sophie’s withchild?”She choked out, her mind spinning with the implications of this knowledge.
“As if you didn’t already know. But then, you’re embarking on your own peccadilloes, aren’t you?” His mouth twisted. “HowareLord and Lady Fremont these days?”
Alyssa put a hand to her head, as the blood ran cold through her veins. She knew she would have to relay this conversation to Travell, but how could she possibly tell him any of this?
“Where is Sophie now?” she whispered. If, by chance, they could manage to find the former maid, perhaps she could shed some light on all of this.
Unfortunately, she realized she’d overstepped a little too late.
He advanced on her, his fists clenched, his blue eyes nearly crazed with mania. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you, Amelia? You want to see me fail in every way. But I refuse to be held under your thumb any longer.” He grabbed Alyssa by the throat and began to squeeze. “For years you told me I was worthless, a disappointing lover and a bad father, just so you could become the victim and do as you pleased without any remorse. But those days are over. I’m leavingwith Sophietonight.”
Alyssa gasped for air, darkness starting to close in on her vision. She tried to talk, but his grip only tightened. Desperate, she clawed at his arm, but he was too strong.
