I paused. But how could such a thing have occurred?
I scowled at the floor. Had I imagined it? Had it only been a spot of paint after all? I envisioned the moment I had rubbed the paint speckles from his face. That perfectly round freckle hadn’t been invented by my imagination. I knew it.
Then where on earth had it gone?
As far as I knew, freckles did not simply fade in a matter of days. I searched my brain, but I couldn’t think of any explanation for the drastic changes in Mr. Campbell. I took a deep breath in an attempt to compose my emotions, but the turmoil refused to settle.
I felt a light touch on the back of my arm, and then Kate was standing beside me. Her concerned expression undid the ties that held my emotions together. A tear escaped my eye. I wiped it away quickly, ducking away from the other guests’ view as Kate led me to the nearest wall. “What on earth happened?” she whispered.
I turned toward the wall as I composed my expression, the shadows of the candlelight helping to hide my sudden tears. “Hepretended not to remember.” My voice sounded distant to my own ears.
“And he left?” Kate’s jaw lowered.
I nodded.
Her eyes sparked dangerously. “I will destroy him. His reputation will suffer for this, not yours.”
I was grateful for her desire to defend me, but I couldn’t entertain ideas of revenge at the moment. One strange thought refused to leave my mind.
“I don’t think that man was Mr. Campbell.”
Kate scowled. “What?”
I closed my eyes, shaking my head in an effort to clear it. “He looked different. He sounded different. He…” I didn’t want to mention the freckle, but the image refused to leave my mind. My voice trailed off. I was losing my mind now. Who else could it have been but Mr. Campbell? It was useless to search for excuses for his behavior.
“Perhaps you should sit down.” Kate looked even more worried than before. “That was certainly Mr. Campbell. Who else could it have been?” She gestured at the green velvet chairs against the wall. I stared blankly at the dancers ahead as I sat down, the loud music drowning out the last of my rational thoughts.
Across the ballroom, I spotted a familiar face. Mrs. Aldworth sat up straight, her fox-like features gleaming with pride. I hadn’t particularly enjoyed the woman’s company at the Beresford’s dinner party, but she seemed nearly as well-connected to gossip as Mrs. Wickerton. I had seen the two of them conversing in the drawing room.
I followed her gaze to her two daughters and their dance partners. The girls were both dressed in pink, though one wore a lighter shade than the other. Their hair was exactly the same shade of auburn, arranged differently, but their faces wereidentical. When they smiled, it was even more impossible to tell them apart.
I stood abruptly and followed the perimeter of the room toward Mrs. Aldworth. Kate would most likely not wish to be my friend anymore, given how erratic my behavior had been that evening, but I couldn’t stop my legs as they carried me to Mrs. Aldworth’s side. I heard my pulse in my ears, my breath short as I curtsied in front of her.
She looked surprised to see me, but returned the greeting. “Miss Sharp, why are you not dancing?”
The answer to that seemed obvious. “I was not asked.” I gave a soft smile, though it required all of my energy. I needed to ask her about Mr. Campbell, but I didn’t know how to start the conversation without sounding too eager.
“Oh?” Mrs. Aldworth raised her eyebrows. “I thought I saw you conversing with Mr. Campbell a moment ago. I would have expected him to ask you to dance.”
Well, then. That was not as difficult as I had thought. I lowered myself tentatively into the chair beside her. “I don’t believe he is fond of dancing.” I swallowed hard. I didn’t want to think about that man right now, but an idea had struck my mind while looking at Mrs. Aldworth’s daughters, and it refused to leave me alone.
“Well, that is a shame.” Mrs. Aldworth looked out at the crowd with a grimace. “There are far too many ladies sitting this dance out. I would venture to call him impertinent for not asking one of us.”
Before I could stop myself, I nodded my agreement. The Mr. Campbell I had first met had been just that:impertinentin every sense of the word. He had been the same way tonight.
I drummed my fingers on my knee, taking a deep breath. “May I ask what you know of Mr. Campbell’s brother? Do they…resemble one another?”
As expected, Mrs. Aldworth looked stunned at the sudden inquiry. But then her lips turned upward in a secretive smile, and she leaned closer. “You must be referring to his twin. He doesn’t like to speak of him. In fact, he keeps him a secret from most of his acquaintances because of a scandal that once occurred in Derbyshire.”
Twin.
The idea had crossed my mind a few moments before, but to have my suspicions confirmed set my heart pounding faster. “Do you mean to say that Mr. Campbell has an identical twin brother?”
“I have not seen his brother with my own eyes, but Mrs. Wickerton claims that they are every bit as similar in appearance as my daughters.”
Realization poured over my skin, sending a cold chill down my back. “What is the name of his brother?”
“Clark Campbell.” Mrs. Aldworth seemed proud of all the gossip she had accumulated.
