Page 83 of His Duchess' Mischief

“It was a dark time. I do not want…”

I cannot bear the thought of her suspicion.

Seth grimaced. “It is not her concern.”

George’s eyes were sharp as he met his gaze. “She is your wife, Radcliffe. I am afraid whatever past you have, you share together.”

Seth looked down at the letter, a new fear rising with him at the idea of telling Alicia the truth.

Why does it matter what she thinks? It should not matter.

But it did, more than he had ever thought possible.

CHAPTER 26

The following morning, Seth woke up with a restless energy beneath his skin and a desperate need to see Alicia.

After his valet dressed him, he made his way along the corridor between their rooms and stood outside her door.

Closing his eyes, he placed a hand against the wood, imagining her still abed, her beautiful face relaxed in sleep.

He was wrenched out of his fantasy, however, when the door jerked open and he was forced to leap backward as Alicia appeared, tears on her cheeks, staring wildly ahead of her.

“Dove is missing!” she cried, marching past him into the corridor and looking around frantically.

“What? I thought you kept her in your room?”

“I do, but the door must have opened in the night, and I believe she has escaped! I thought she might have come to you again, but clearly she didn’t! How will we ever find her?”

Alicia was in such a state that she rushed down the stairs before Seth could gather himself. After a helpless glance at the maid, he hurried after her.

“Alicia!” he called as he ran down the staircase.

“I cannot think where she could have gone,” she said, her hair coming loose as she ran a hand through it. “Perhaps she is in the kitchens? She sometimes likes to go there.”

Her breathing was shallow, and it was making Seth’s chest hurt. As she turned to run toward the kitchen, he wrapped his hand loosely around her wrist to stop her.

She whipped around, wiping her eyes.

“Alicia, it is all right, we will find her. She has a habit of putting herself upside down in places she should not be. I am certain she has simply wandered into a room and gotten lost again.”

Her fingers tightened on his hand. “Well, come with me! We must look for her.”

Seth could not help but smile as she pulled him behind her.

The dress she wore was simple today—a white muslin gown with puffed sleeves. But she had added multicolored ribbons to the waist. They fluttered behind her like a disordered rainbow as the two of them hurried down the hallway to the rear of the house.

The kitchen was enormous. Seth’s father had loved his food and spared no expense on the fixtures. Still, it was not common for Seth to walk into it before breakfast had even been served.

Miss Baines, the cook, looked up in alarm. Wiping her hands on her apron, she approached him, curtsying as the maids and other workers scattered to the corners of the room.

“Your Graces,” she greeted. “Is all well?”

“Has Dove come here?” Alicia asked.

Seth expected the cook not to know what his wife was speaking of. But, to his surprise, she shook her head.

“No, Your Grace, I have not seen her today. We found her upside down in the flour on Monday, and we had to throw the whole bag away.”

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