April opened the note and scanned its contents:
My dear Duchess,
I trust this finds you improved in health. Please forgive our sudden departure—we did not wish to disturb your rest after your terrible fright last night. My wife and sons send their fondest regards. You have made Stone Hall a warm and gracious place, and it was a pleasure to spend time under its roof. I do hope we might visit again.
Yours most sincerely,
Gregory Roth
April stared at the signature a moment longer. She folded the note carefully, placing it aside.
She knew. She had no proof, but she knew it had been Loretta who pushed her. There was malice in the woman’s every glance, every veiled compliment. But what could she say? That she suspected Theo’s cousin’s wife of attempted murder on the basis of a hunch and a history of petty jabs? She would sound mad. Theo had so little family left, and Gregory clearly adored his wife.
She could not risk fracturing something that fragile.April cleared her throat. “Where is His Grace?”
Mrs. Maple Maple’s eyes darted around for a moment, as though she was reluctant to answer. “He left shortly after sunrise. Said he had business in Dorset and will be away for several days.”
April rose at once. “Miss Evans, help me dress. Mrs. Maple, thank you for the breakfast. I will take it shortly.”
Once the housekeeper had left, April turned to her maid. “I want you to pack a bag for me. I am going to London”
Miss Evans looked up sharply. “Are you certain, Your Grace? London is a day’s journey, and you are still unwell.”
April offered a small smile. “I feel quite well, and I simply wish to see my family. That is all.”
“How long will you be gone for so that I know what to pack for you?”
“A sennight.”
Her maid did not look convinced about April’s motive, but she obeyed.
An hour later, dressed in a pale lavender morning dress and a under a cotton travel, April descended the steps of Stone Hall and climbed into the waiting carriage.
She arrived in London as the sun was setting, and April looked up at Stone House. This was the very place that made herquestion Theo’s humanity, yet it seemed to be her refuge now. She did not feel safe in Kent. That knowledge was unbearable.
theThe following morning, the carriage pulled into the drive, the front doors burst open, and her mother and sisters poured out in a chorus of surprise and excitement.
“April!”
“Good heavens, what a wonderful surprise!”
“We were not expecting you!”
She was pulled into embraces, laughter, warm hands, and cheerful exclamations.
In the drawing room, her mother beamed as she poured the tea herself. “You have come at the most wonderful time, my darling. Your papa is resting now, but he is much improved. The new doctor—the one recommended by your husband—is doing wonders.”
“Truly?” April asked, setting down her gloves.
“Yes. He studied in France. Very modern and quite brilliant. And now that you are safely married, I have no need to march your sisters into dreadful drawing rooms all over London.”
April smiled though her chest felt hollow. It all sounded so perfect. Why did it feel like her world was shifting beneath her feet?
When their mother left the room to check on their father, May immediately turned to her. “How long are you staying, truly? I saw the bag the footman took upstairs.”
April looked between her sisters. “I am unsure… I… needed air.”
June frowned. “Did something happen?”
