“Letty could have arranged all of this.”
“It is possible,” Willa conceded. “She seemed very pleased with herself.”
“Give him a chance to explain, Willa. Hear him out.”
“I will.” It would be difficult... but she would try to listen to her husband, even if she didn’t believe him.
And then? Well, Willa knew she’d have a decision to make. A hard one.
At a nod from her mother, Lloyd opened the coach door and Willa climbed out. Thoughtfully, she walked to where Marshall waited. She told him good night and made her way up the stairs.
Annie was waiting up for her. The maid had been sitting in the desk chair by the lamp doing some handwork. At the sight of Willa, Annie set her work aside and jumped to her feet. “How was your evening, Your Grace?” she asked hopefully.
“Trying.”
“Is His Grace with you?”
“He’ll be along shortly.” Willa looked to the bed. It looked empty without him, as would her life.
She felt her throat start to close and the burn of tears. She blinked them back. It was never good to cry in front of Annie. She always wished to right every wrong, and this was between Willa and Matt.
Nor was Willa ready for a confrontation with him. It might be best to wait for the morning. As Annie pulled the pins from her hair, Willa decided she would prefer being in bed and pretending sleep. Let Matt make the first move. After all, she was the wronged party.
Consequently, Willa had little patience with the rituals of brushing out her hair and braiding it. He could arrive home at any moment.
She knew Annie’s mind buzzed with questions. Thankfully, the maid knew enough not to ask.
This night, Willa chose her heaviest nightdress to wear—another sign to Matt that, although she’d decided to return to their home, she was not pleased. “Thank you, Annie. You have been most helpful.”
“I try to do my best, Miss Willa. Do you wish to keep the light burning for His Grace?”
“No.” Darkness was good.
“Yes, Your Grace. Have sweet dreams.”
Yes, Willa would dream about a man who loved her and her alone.
The sourness of her thoughts disturbed her... because, she realized, she did love Matt, and him alone. No matter what happened.
That was her last thought before surprising herself by falling asleep, but not for long.
One moment she’d laid her head upon the pillow; in the next, someone stuffed a ball of material in her mouth and tied a scarf around her head to prevent her from crying out. Confused, her eyes opened in surprise to realize the room was still dark. That was her last thought before a pillowcase was tossed over her head.
Rough hands grabbed her by the arms, pulled her from the bed, and bound her with ropes.
Willa found herself hoisted up on a man’s shoulder and being carried from her room.
Chapter 12
Watching the Reverly coach pulling away, Matt felt as if he was in a madman’s play.
In less than an hour, his life had been upended. Willa’s accusations stung... because there had been an element of truth to them.
And he believed he was on the verge of losing someone who could be very special to him.
Letty had appealed to the part of him that wanted to be heroic. He’d pictured himself as saving her from a horrid marriage.
Instead, watching his wife being driven away, he now pictured himself as an adulterer. An ugly word. Certainly not a heroic one.
