Record physiological changes during first contact.
Compare to symptoms of acute stress.
Expected Conclusion: Hysteria, not harmony.
I lie awake tasting only the ghost of you.
Longing to press my mouth
To the warm hollow of your throat,
To drink the slow pulse there
Until dawn forgets its name.
Come soon.
Let me taste the spell I have hungered for.
The Scarlet Duke
“Theo? Are you listening?” Evelina placed her teacup on the table next to her.
“Hmm?” Theodora glanced from the window seat. “Sorry, Evelina. I was just thinking.”
Evelina wrinkled her nose. “I know your thinking face. That was your worry face. Anything I can help with?”
Theodora glanced down at the letter in her hands. It was from the Duke of Hawthorne. He had written to her almost every day, and of course they were dirty and scandalous little notes.Not the sort of thing at all a duke should be writing to a young woman of theton.She wanted desperately to tell Evelina of her acquaintance with him, but she knew her sister’s true feelings about the man. And she realized what her sister would say if she found out that Theo was corresponding with a man when they were not betrothed to one another.
There was also the Duke’s own secret she needed to keep. Although, that one was not too hard since she did not truly know his secret. Her fingers played with the edges of the most recent letter and her lips threatened to smile but whenever she thought of the secretive Duke she could not help but think of her father and his own secret she was made to keep.
“What’s that you’re holding?” Evelina’s voice cut through her thoughts.
“A letter from a friend is all.”
“Bad news?” Evelina pushed.
Theodora shook her head. “No, just your usual correspondence about balls and dresses.” Theodora inwardly winced. Lying was becoming too easy for her. Plus, this fabrication was not even a particularly good one. Surely, Evelina would know that Theodora was not writing to friends about such fripperies.
Men of science sought out the truth and here she was making up lies left and right. Evelina stood and joined Theodora on the window seat.
“Mother should be home soon. I cannot wait to hear about her time in Bath. I have always loved traveling. I wish to do more of it.”
While her sister looked out over the front courtyard Theodora sank further into the seat. It was one thing to keep her father’s secret on her own, but in the presence of her mother, it would be another issue all together.
Theodora shook her head. “I am excited to see her. She has been gone awhile.”
Evelina lifted a shoulder. “I am sure Papa will be delighted to have her come home, as well. Has he not been asking after her?”
