Page 85 of The Duke and Lady Scandal
He’d looked like a desperate man, and she’d wanted nothing more than to soothe him. And yet she’d known it wasn’t what he wanted. He wanted that wild, desperate drive to fill him up so that he could catch the man who’d robbed her shop and attempted to steal the Crown Jewels.
She also understood that he thought he could keep her safe if he stayed away, and if she stayed locked inside her house. Yet it was only the first day of her forced isolation, and she was finding it impossible to settle.
During the week, she was at Princes. That’s how it had been for years. That was a part of her life that gave her satisfaction and a sense of purpose. And though she’d sent a note to Mr. Gibson, letting him know that she’d decided to close the shop for the rest of the week, she knew him too well to believe he’d stay away.
Though they couldn’t open the shop without an undamaged and trustworthy safe to store valuables in, he was forever working on half a dozen repair or restoration projects, and she knew he’d find plenty to do without the interruption of customers.
She wanted to be there too.
Though, if she kept to her calendar, she wouldn’t be there this afternoon anyway. She’d planned to take the afternoon off to spend a few hours with Jo, who had an idea for a holiday charity event that would combine their book club and bicycle members and any guests they wished to invite.
Jo insisted she’d need Allie’s organizational skills to pull it off.
Allie had Lottie take a message to the Wellingdon household first thing to let Jo know she was to remain at home, but she’d yet to receive a reply.
Allie found Lottie standing in the foyer, staring out the long rectangular window glass near the front door. She turned when she heard Allie’s approach and smiled.
“Any word from Lady Josephine?”
“Afraid not, miss. Just collected the post if you wish to see that.” Lottie picked up a small pile from the hall table and handed it to Allie.
“I’m meant to be at Jo’s in three quarters of an hour.” Allie tapped her fingers against the little pile of letters. “Is the constable out there?”
“There’s two of them. One’s in the square across the way. The other walks by now and then. Perhaps he’s watching the back of the house.”
This was nonsense. Ben was worried for her safety. She understood that, but being confined to her house when she had a business to see to? It was maddening.
Allie strode to the front door, squinting at the greenery in the square across the way. “He’s the one on the bench?”
“Sometimes he sits on the bench. Sometimes he strolls around the square.” Lottie lingered behind her. “Will you be going to Lady Josephine’s, miss?”
“What if she’s on her way here?”
“Wouldn’t she have let you know?”
Ben would be furious if she disregarded what he’d asked of her when it hadn’t even been a single full day of confinement yet.
Confinement. Memories rushed in. Being confined to bed because her fever was high, and she was too exhausted to be anywhere else. Confined to her room so that she didn’t get Eve or Dom sick. And staying behind while they all went off on grand adventures—that felt like a kind of confinement too.
So it was no wonder this single day of staying at home when she wished to be elsewhere, doing things, being useful, was such an enormous struggle.
But there was a man watching out front and one monitoring the back garden. Unless she wanted to abscond like a criminal breaking out of prison, she’d have to be candid about her plans.
“Why couldn’t he come with me to Jo’s?” Allie shot a look over her shoulder at Lottie.
Lottie shrugged. “Can’t imagine why he couldn’t. We could have the carriage brought around.” The Prince family carriage was rarely put to use. It was old and too ostentatious, but it was roomy and the perfect vehicle to carry Allie and one of her watchful constables to Jo’s.
“I’ll go up and change.” Allie felt lighter the moment she’d decided, at least as long as she could keep herself from considering Ben’s reaction if he got word of her escape.
“Would you speak to the constable, Lottie?”
“Of course, miss.” Her eyes brightened. She was always pleased to be part of one of Allie’s impulsive ventures.
Allie rushed upstairs to dress before she could talk herself out of her plan.
Fifteen minutes later, she’d changed into a gown fit for visiting Lord Wellingdon’s household and decided not to fuss with her hair. As far as she knew, this luncheon was only to include the two of them and a good deal of dreaming of plans.
She slipped on her gloves as she descended the stairs and smiled when she saw Lottie waiting eagerly at the bottom.
