Phoebe stared at her sister’s retreating back. For a moment she was sorely tempted to chase after Alex and tell her everything, but then she turned down the hall and vanished from sight.
Once Phoebe was outside on the pavement, she let out a breath.That had been much too close. And while it was one thing for Alex to suspect something, Phoebe would be hard-pressed to explain the situation with Will to her mother. Or, dear God, herfather. They would need to be much more careful.
Not that it will happen again.
But Phoebe wasn’t as quick to dismiss the thought as usual. Last night had been different. It wasn’t simply curiosity getting the best of her in a heated moment. No, this was planned. And she had gone to Will with clear intentions that could not be explained away so easily.
My ruthless darling.
She rubbed her chest, though the ache his words caused was not physical, and let out a silent curse at the fates that had conspired to make him aduke, of all things. For a girl like her, he may as well be a fairy king. He belonged to another realm. One that she could only visit. Phoebe then headed toward the main road to find a hackney that would take her away from this enchanted land of lords and ladies and greenhouse trysts.
Though her life may not always be easy, it was hers. The misplaced pity and doubtful remarks she had endured from friends and family had only fueled her determination to succeed, and never had she wavered. Had never even felttemptedto stray from the odd little path she had chosen for herself. Until now. Until Will. But belonging to someone would mean giving up her hard-won independence—especially to a man like him, to say nothing of the social obligations that came with being a duchess. Goodness, she would have to go tocourt. The very thought of spending the rest of her life traipsing from one ball to the next while enduring the ton’s endless disapproval was enough to make her skin crawl.
No. This was what shewanted. What she hadfoughtfor.
So then why did she feel so bloody confused?
Once she was home Phoebe took a much-needed nap in her own bed. She fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. When she finally awoke with bleary eyes and dry lips, it was afternoon. Marion had gone out to do some shopping, leaving Phoebe alone in the flat, so she took her time making a cup of tea to clear the cobwebs from her mind. She had just taken the first restorative sip when someone rang the bell. Phoebe glanced out the window and a messenger boy waved from the street below.
Phoebe grumbled all the way down the stairs and then all the way back up after she paid the boy. She finally sat back down to her tea and absently glancing over the note. But she paused mid-sip as her woolly brain surged to life. She read the note again more carefully and the contents revived her far more than her tea. She gulped the rest down, dribbling some on her chin in the process, then gathered her hat and coat. There wasn’t time to fix her hair. Even if she hurried, she would only just make it.
Nineteen
The music hall was mostly deserted at this hour, but in another it would start to fill with patrons. The barman was polishing tables and gave Phoebe a nod. Then he jerked his chin toward the stage, where Maude was chatting with the piano player but her sharp eyes immediately noticed Phoebe.
“Been following me again, have you?” she called out.
“No, I paid the barman to tell me the next time you were here,” Phoebe explained as she approached.
Maude looked reluctantly impressed. “Spending your pennies on me? I’m flattered,” she mocked before addressing the barman. “But I’ll have words withyoulater.”
“Don’t be too harsh with him. I was very persistent. Alice is important to me. And I think she is to you as well,” Phoebe added softly.
Maude’s lips pursed as she cast a look around the music hall. “Not here.” She then signaled for Phoebe to follow her and they slipped out a back entrance into an alleyway. Maude began to pace while Phoebe waited patiently.
Then she stopped short and shot her a glare. “You won’t give up, will you?”
Phoebe gave her an apologetic smile. “I can be quite tenacious. I assume she is a relation of yours. Perhaps… a sister?”
She had been mulling over the possibilities since Fleur, but it was her brief exchange with Alex that morning that had been the most illuminating. There weren’t many people who would go to the kind of lengths Maude obviously had for Alice, but a sister would.
She heaved a sigh and leaned back against the brick wall. “What gave me away?”
“It was more of a suspicion,” Phoebe said with a shrug. “The way you talked about her, I could tell it was personal for you. I’ve two sisters of my own and we’d do anything for each other—when we aren’t at the other’s throats, that is.”
Maude hummed in agreement. “Sounds about right.”
“Are you protecting her from Fairbanks?” Phoebe then raised her hands in supplication as Maude gave her a hard look. “I won’t say anything. I promise you. He is certainly no friend of mine.”
Maude crossed her arms as she considered this. “I told him she ran off without telling me and I didn’t know where,” she began. “He still suspects something, though. He’s a sneaky bastard, but he won’t find her.”
Phoebe recalled the dark look in the earl’s eyes the other night:Only because I can’t prove it.
They had been speaking of Alice’s disappearance, and his anger was palpable. But the surety in Maude’s voice was a comfort. “How did you meet him?”
The woman huffed and stared past her. “A girl like you wouldn’t understand.” Then she glared at Phoebe. “Not that I’m looking for anyone’s pity.”
“No, of course not,” Phoebe replied. “I’m only trying to understandthe situation. Perhaps then I can be more helpful to any students who find themselves in similar positions.”
