Chapter Fourteen
Lanora took the steps of the servant’s staircase two at a time. Tears burned her eyes. She couldn’t tell if they were of anger or fatigue. They weren’t from sorrow, for she’d lost nothing in William’s betrayal. She’d known from the start he was a rake and not the man she would wed. No man was. She would live like her aunt. The people she and her father watched over would simply have to hope their new lords were worthy when Lanora ended their branch of the Solworth line, childless.
She managed to gain the security of her room before tears fell in earnest. Collapsing on her bed, she let them well forth with bitter sobs. She didn’t want to die childless. She wanted William’s son. A lively, mischievous boy who would be nearly more trouble than he was worth, but with the heart of an angel. She wanted William’s arms about her. His kiss. The security of his love.
She slammed a fist down on the coverlet. She would never have that security. He’d selected her name from a list. She hadn’t even been at the top. An afterthought, near the end. She hated that page, with its coldly drawn up list of only the wealthiest, most desirable young women. She hated William’s signature, so bold at the bottom, but smudged as if written by someone who used their left hand. His signature was like the rest of him, perfection artfully disarrayed.
“Lanora.” Grace burst into the room.
Lanora lifted her head, taking in her friend’s red-rimmed eyes.
Grace rushed to her and pulled her into a hug. “Where have you been? I’ve been beside myself with worry. This is all my fault, for letting you go off alone. What happened?”
Lanora drew in a long, shuddering breath, hugging Grace back. “Nothing. Nothing really. Does my aunt know I was missing?”
Grace let go, holding Lanora at arm’s length to look her over. “Nothing? Your hair is a mess. Your gown is wrinkled. You’re crying.” Grace’s eyes flew wide. Her face drained of color. “My God. Your hair, your gown…Lanora, you didn’t.”
“Didn’t what?” She blinked several times, trying to clear her thoughts.
“You’ve gone and let your virtue go.” Grace heaved a sob. “Oh no. Oh, this is not good.”
“What? I most certainly have not.” Lanora looked down at her dress, creased from her time hiding under the desk. She pushed at her hair, though there was little hope of achieving any order. The few remaining pins fell out. “Grace, listen to me. I didn’t give up anything. Don’t cry so.”
Grace grabbed her arm and pulled her across the room. She shoved Lanora in front of her mirror. “Look at you.”
She did look awful. She could understand Grace’s fear. “Honestly, I haven’t given up my virtue.”
“Then where have you been? What happened? I told your aunt you’re too ill to go out. She didn’t say anything, but even the dogs looked suspicious. I know they could tell I was lying.”
“I can explain.” Letting out a sigh, Lanora returned to the bed and settled on the edge. “I didn’t tell you, but I kissed Lord William when we were in the park. Once.” She offered a glare. “Which was your idea, if you’ll recall.” She paused, organizing her thoughts. “Then, when he didn’t come to the theater as he said he would, I was…angry.”
Grace was dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief. “You kissed him? How could you not tell me? So, it was a good kiss? You must have learned you care for him, or you wouldn’t have been so out of sorts this morning.”
“I do not care for him.”
“Do you really believe that?”
“You will as well, once you hear all.” Lanora looked down. Grace was not going to like the next part. “After handing out bread this morning, I went to spy on Lord William, at his mistress’s house. I wanted to confront him when he came out.”
“Lanora.” That single word held a wealth of disappointment.
“He never came out. Nor did she. Someone else was watching for him too, though, just as Joseph reported. When the man watching the house left, I decided to try to learn who else cared where Lord William went.”
Grace stood with her hands on her hips, glaring. Lanora realized her days of going out alone as Mrs. Smith were over. From the look on Grace’s face, it would take all of Lanora’s persuasiveness to keep her aunt from being informed of her behavior.
“The man went to an attorney. I followed him in and eavesdropped.”
Grace threw up her hands. Her tears were dry now, scorched away by her anger. “Lanora.”
Lanora winced. “It gets worse. I had to hide under a desk, so I wouldn’t be seen. That’s how I ended up locked in the attorney’s office. I was trapped.”
“By all that’s holy, Lanora.”
“I know, it was bad, but I did learn a lot.” Bitterness laced her tone.
“Let me have a bath drawn up in your dressing room and you can tell me what you learned. We have to get you cleaned up.”
“I can help.”
