“I do apologize for the necessity of this,” Herridge said. “But I truly need those diamonds, Mr. Eston.” He turned to Simons. “See to it, Simons,” he said, pulling open the drawer and retrieving a pistol from the interior. He handed the pistol to his majordomo. “Shoot him if necessary.”
Simons took the pistol wordlessly and pointed it at Douglas as the two men dragged him out the door and up the stairs.
Sarah dressed in a very simple black gown. For the occasion, she wore jet earrings and a small jet brooch. She dispensed with large hoops, only wearing two petticoats, but one of those was lace-edged taffetathat made a slithery sound when she walked.
Although she hadn’t seen Douglas since the morning, she’d given Cook orders that dinner was to include all of those foods that Douglas had requested in the last few weeks. Consequently, they had a variety of meats and puddings—Douglas had a liking for sweets—some fruits, and two wines.
Unfortunately, all of her plans were for naught when she was informed that Douglas had left Chavensworth hours earlier.
She stared at Mrs. Williams, hoping that the woman could not discern her shock.
“He’s left?”
“I understand Mr. Eston has business in London.”
“Who told you this?” she asked, very calmly.
“The stable master,” Mrs. Williams said.
Sarah managed to eat her dinner, remembering her manners at the end of it. She called Cook and her staff into the dining room.
“I only wish that we had more visitors,” she said to all three of them. “Other people deserve to eat your food. As it is, I consider myself very fortunate to live at Chavensworth. Thank you for a wonderful meal.”
She was beyond humiliated. Cook and her staff had labored for hours to produce a feast that only one person had eaten.
“Please distribute the food among the staff.”
“And we’ll save a bit for Mr. Eston,” Cook said, smiling brightly.
Could he do no wrong in their eyes? A smile from him, and the silly women beamed for the rest of the day. If he jested with them, they blushed and simpered. This meal had been for him, and he’d missed it. So whatdid they do? Simply accepted it, put some food back for him, and eagerly awaited his arrival.
Douglas didn’t arrive in the next hour, when she paced through the public rooms. Nor any hour after that when she made a point of walking in the corridor near the Duke’s Suite. Finally, she gave up and returned to her own room to find Florie sitting on the bench at the end of the bed, looking undeniably fatigued.
“Go to bed, Florie,” she said. “I won’t need you anymore tonight.”
“Let me help you with your dress,” she said.
The unfastening done, she waved Florie off. “You’re the one who looks like she needs her bed,” she said. “Go and get some rest.”
Night was a whisper, a soft entreaty to sleep. Sarah stood on the terrace outside her chamber, staring off toward the eastern sky. Tonight she could see the heavens in all their glory, marveled at the clear summer night, feeling small, insignificant, and yet part of all the majesty that God had created.
A breeze, scented with lavender and roses, swept over her, tenting her nightgown.
I’ve been advised that there’s something called the Matrimonial Causes Act. That it’s possible to have a marriage dissolved.
Dear God, was that what his business was in London? Surely not. Not after her spending hours in his arms, weeping in bliss against his chest. Not after last night. Or even this morning, when he’d carried her back to Chavensworth and treated her as if she were precious and rare.
She walked to her escritoire, took out her journal, and began to write, putting into words all her heartache, allthe sudden and inexplicable sense of loss she felt. When she was done, she put her pen down, watching as the ink was wicked from the tip to the blotter.
When she began to cry, she told herself that her tears were for her mother.
Chapter 30
The next morning, Sarah sent Florie back to her own room, with instructions for her maid to take as much time as she needed to recuperate from the journey to Scotland. Florie looked drained and exhausted, and if she weren’t better in a few days, Sarah would insist upon her visiting the physician.
She next went in search of Alano, discovering that finding their guest was almost as difficult as locating her husband. Alano wasn’t in the chamber assigned to him, or helping clean up the area around the observatory. When Sarah inquired as to his whereabouts in the kitchen, one of the cook’s helpers volunteered, “I’d ask Mrs. Williams about that man,” she said, then looked away.
Chavensworth had not been the same since she married. Some of the changes were long overdue, but some of them were very odd. She opened the door to the kitchen garden and stepped outside.
