Lord Armitage stood behind her.
As he passed, he murmured in her ear, ‘Keep your door unlocked tonight. I have matters to discuss.’
Then, just as swiftly, he walked away, seamlessly rejoining his siblings in lively conversation.
Grace remained rooted to the spot, utterly bewildered.
Chapter 19
It was past midnight.
Grace had no choice but to remove her gown and don her nightdress; otherwise, Betty would have suspected something. Still, she had wrapped herself in a couple of shawls for warmth. She had also been forced to remove the pins Betty had jabbed into her hair, letting it tumble loosely down her back. As she paced the room anxiously, she felt vulnerable. He had said he would come. But why? Why did he need to meet her in her bedroom again? The thought made her deeply uncomfortable, knowing he was an engaged man. With every passing moment, her annoyance grew.
A light knock on the door announced him.
He entered swiftly, only to be met with her scowl.
‘Is this any way to greet a friend?’ he exclaimed, feigning dismay.
‘I wish to know the meaning of this clandestine meeting, Your Grace,’ she said irritably.
‘Don’t "Your Grace" me. I am Gabriel to you.’ Now it was his turn to sound annoyed. He approached her, hands folded behind his back, leaning in slightly. ‘Or, at the very least, call me Mr Stone. I quite liked it when you addressed me that way.’
‘I cannot,’ she gasped. ‘It would be scandalous to address you so in front of others.’
‘Very well. In public, you may address me formally. But in private, it is another matter entirely—I insist.’ His eyes twinkled mischievously.
Not wishing to prolong the argument, Grace relented. ‘Fine. Mr Stone it is.’ The words felt strange on her tongue. She quickly walked into the sitting area, eager to change the subject. ‘Now, what could be so important that you have risked coming here in the middle of the night? If someone finds you here, I will be ruined—and so will my sister!’
Realising at last the reason for her distress, he was quick to reassure her. ‘Do not fret, Grace. I am staying in the room opposite yours. No one saw me.’
‘What do you mean? Why are you staying in the guest wing?’
‘I needed to be able to speak to you in private, so I arranged some refurbishments in the ducal chambers. It will not be unusual for me to stay in the guest wing until the work is completed.’
Suspicion flared in her. ‘You put a great deal of thought into arranging this. Why is it so important for you to speak to me privately in this manner? What if your fiancé found out.’
He looked taken aback. ‘Do you not want to know how the investigation is progressing? I am surprised that you have not asked—not even in the letter I received from you.’
Grace was indeed curious. ‘I did not know if your letters were still being intercepted.’
He studied her intently, his usual manner of staring deep into her eyes as though reading her very soul.
Grace wondered if he could see the hurt within them.
His voice softened. ‘You may be right. That was very prudent of you.’
Was he speaking of the investigation? Or did he mean something else? She could not tell.
A knock on the door startled them both.
‘Gracy, it is me. Open the door—I cannot sleep,’ Heather called from the other side.
Panic seized Grace. She glanced around for a place to hide the Duke. He, much to her annoyance, looked completely unbothered. She shoved and pushed and pulled, but he was too large to fit anywhere. In desperation, she rammed him behind the thick, floor-length velvet curtains covering the Juliet balcony.
Breathless, she opened the door.
Heather stood there clutching her pillow, looking miserable.
