Page 54 of His Duchess' Mischief

It was best that they existed side by side, but rarely met as man and wife. That was how many marriages worked, and more often than not, they flourished.

Any connection would be fleeting. They always were.

He opened the door to the parlor and walked quickly into the room. It was covered with dust sheets, but it was the chest in the corner he was interested in.

He knelt beside it, pulling off the covers and opening it with a loud creak. His mind raced with images of his past.

He had always found it strange that Gordon had agreed to meet the woman on the school grounds. It was a risk, and although their group approved of those to a point, Gordon had been more cautious than the rest of them.

What did he see in her that was different?

Rummaging through the papers, he scared off a few spiders that fanned outward from the bottom, but there were no letters here either.

Slamming his palm against the side, he swore, standing up and pushing the lid shut with a loud bang.

Where are they?

The sound bounced off the walls and made the chandelier overhead tinkle forlornly.

At the melancholy sound, Seth’s eyes flicked up to the ceiling, and something occurred to him.

There is one place I have not looked, but I have not been up there in a long time.

CHAPTER 17

Why did I not do this in the daytime?

Seth cursed for the third time as he ascended through the murky darkness.

It should have been familiar. He and his friends had ventured up here several times in his youth, Gordon always hanging back in fear of the spirits lurking in the darkness.

Seth had never shared his fear, enjoying the adventure.

But he was no longer a young boy, wide-eyed and excited about the possibility of ghosts and ghouls. Now, he knew there were things up there that could frighten him far more than any specter.

What if I am right, and one of my friends hurt Gordon?

The idea was alien, repugnant, and made his whole body shudder with a new type of horror.

Throughout the long trial, the accusations, the provost’s fury, the disappointment and derision of his family and relations, the one thing that had always held strong was their friendship.

Yes, Seth had let things slide recently, but their group had stuck together through it all. They had supported each other through thick and thin, and that would always be true.

He was determined to pull his head out of the shadows and finally discover what had happened. He hoped all his worries would be unfounded.

I am sure I am overthinking this. Gordon was likely deep in his cups and slipped and fell, just as they said.

His candle flickered, but he refused to believe it was his hand that was shaking.

The long staircase up to the attic was rarely used, and as he glanced behind him, he saw his footprints in the dust.

Tugging sharply at his waistcoat, he turned back, placing a hand on the aged door and pushing it open, letting it swing back.

“Release whatever ghosts you hold,” he whispered into the night, staring into the impossible blackness beyond and wishing he could be in his bed.

He could have waited and come up here tomorrow, but he had been unable to sleep.

Since Alicia’s arrival, it was as if every emotion had surged within him. Pandora’s box was open, and there was no way of shutting it now.

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