Page 59 of Tutoring a Lady into Sin
What have I done to offend him so? He cannot be truly disappointed that I sought an audience with Percival this morning. He must have known that I would not just sit and wait for him to act.
But it seemed Phineas had thought precisely that. For the entire way up to the manor house, he resolutely averted his gaze so that she could not catch a look from him, no matter which way she dodged or dipped. She gave up on the endeavour once they entered the back door and walked quickly down the hall, heading toward the staircase.
As Christianna mounted the stairs, following just behind Phineas and his mother, she wondered what she was missing and hoped that once this situation was solved with Percival, she and Phineas might take a moment to clear the air between them.
When they arrived at the duke’s bedchambers, Phineas stepped forward and knocked loudly on the door. When there was no response, the dowager called, “Dearest? Are you within?”
Only silence greeted them, so Phineas tried, “Percy. We only wish to know that you are well. If you are fine but are merely seeking a few moments of solitude, just tap on the other side of the door, so we know you mean for us to leave you alone.”
They all held their breath, waiting for the duke to make some kind of noise on the other side of the door, but nothing could be heard. “Enough,” Phineas ground out, then he turned the doorknob and simply opened the door.
“Percival!” the dowager duchess called as she nudged Phineas out of the way so she could cut a clear path into the room. Christianna edged forward a bit more cautiously than the others because she was not sure if she should enter the duke’s chambers.
“Where is he?” his mother cried as she marched forward and ran a hand over the smooth bed sheet. Christianna could see her do as much, and she surmised the dowager was thinking exactly as she was.
He either did not sleep here last night, or he has been out of bed so long one of the maids already had the chance to make the bed and tidy the room.
For not a single other thing could Christianna spy was out of place. She placed one foot in the doorway, then another, and a second later, she was standing in the Duke of Bixby’s bedchambers. Just like the rest of the house, this room was decorated in the family’s colours of royal blue and gold. From the immaculately done-up sheets to the armchair, which was pulled in front of a hearth, all the furnishings were in impeccable condition, free of clutter.
It looks as though no one lives here at all.
Christianna glanced from one side of the room to the other, and that was when she saw Phineas pick up a piece of parchment that was situated in the middle of a small writing desk.
“What is this?” he whispered as he brought the paper closer to his face.
Christianna stepped nearer to him, but as she moved, so did the dowager. Her Grace crossed the room in four quick steps and stood just before Phineas, staring at the paper in his hands. “Is it written in Percival’s hand?”
“Yes,” Phineas replied as his eyebrows furrowed.
“Then read it, my boy. Read it aloud,” the dowager demanded.
Phineas cleared his throat and read, “To my dearest mama and brother, Phineas, I imagine it will come as no surprise to either of you that I have fled Bixby Hall.” The dowager gasped, indicating she was indeed astonished by such behaviour. “Should I proceed?” Phineas asked his mother.
“Yes,” she said as one of her hands floated so that it covered her heart. “I need to know where he went.”
Phineas’ eyes darted across the page, then he continued reading. “I have endeavoured these last few weeks to do as was requested of me. I understand that it is time to settle down and marry a lovely young woman. I thought I might be able to do as much with Lady Christianna, but….”
He paused and finally made eye contact with her. His eyes were full of some emotion, but Christianna could not place it. She had looked into Phineas’ eyes deeply many times over the last few weeks, but she had never seen anything quite like this before.
“What does he write?” the dowager insisted. “What about Lady Christianna?”
“He does not love her,” Phineas paraphrased.
“Is that what the letter says?” his mother prompted. Phineas nodded as the dowager lifted her free hand and used it to fan her face. “Well, read it, my boy. Read us exactly what it says.”
Phineas hesitated for another moment, and something occurred to Christianna then.
Percy has written something that is uncharitable. Phineas is stalling because he is trying to spare my feelings.
She smiled at him and gave him an encouraging nod. “Go on, Doctor Radcliff. Please finish the letter.”
Phineas obeyed. “I thought I might be able to do as much with Lady Christianna, but she was not the woman I wished her to be. She and I are much too different. I have this peculiar feeling that were I to tie myself to her, I would spend the rest of my days closeted in a library, perusing a shelf full of books, and trying in vain to please her by being someone I am not.”
Phineas paused and smiled at her, and then, he reverted to reading the letter. “I do not begrudge Lady Christianna her hobbies, though, for I think I might be doing her an injustice in writing as much. It occurs to me, even as I put down these grievances, that I have not been fair to her.
While I was hoping to open my heart to her, I came to realise that it was an impossible feat—not because she was lacking in charm or grace, but because I had already given my heart to another.” Phineas clamped his mouth shut and pursed his lips as yet another gasp of astonishment burst from his mother.
“What does he mean by this?” she prompted.
