Page 66 of Dangerous Games of a Broken Lady
As they rode, his mind turned towards thoughts of Adelaide. The unexpected discussion he had endured with Ephraim had made him wonder. He had admired Adelaide his entire life, and it was quite true that he had never found another young lady with whom he could share his innermost secrets. Nobody made him laugh the way she did, nobody made him feel as at-ease as she did, and nobody could chide him the way she could.
Can Ephraim be right? Has my perfect lady been standing in front of me this whole time? Is Adelaide everything I have been looking for, only I have been too foolish and afraid to see it?Part of him wondered if he ought to ask her about her feelings—if she had ever thought of him in a romantic way, throughout the course of their friendship?If she had thought of me that way, would it change anything?He wasn’t sure.
Half an hour later, they rode up to the familiar square that they called home. It was eerily silent in the gloom of evening, with not a soul lingering in the darkness. A fog rolled across the park in the center, whilst owls hooted their dusk chorus.
And yet, as Jasper dismounted and had the household ostler return the horse to the stables on the edge of Belgravia, he had the unsettling feeling that they were being watched. He could only hope that it was Lord Rowntree, ensuring that they had not gone ahead with the task. However, he could not shake the feeling that there was something altogether more evil at work out there in the fog.
Chapter 26
Lady Adelaide walked through the alleyway between the square where she lived and the road beyond it. She had just parted ways with Lady Francesca, and insisted on being permitted to walk the short distance back to her house by herself. It was a moment of independence that she reveled in, with no chaperone to accompany her every move—no constantly watchful eye upon her. Her mother would have chided her if she had ever discovered this little rebellion she liked to indulge in, but Adelaide did not plan on her ever finding out.
She had gone into Belgravia with Lady Francesca in the hopes of distracting her mind away from thoughts of Jasper. It had worked for a short time, but it seemed she could not shake him from her mind. Ever since starting the letters, where her newfound emotions had poured out onto the page, he was always there. In her dreams and in her waking contemplation, she could not rid herself of these new feelings. Now, they were starting to make her wonder if she had made a grave mistake all these years in not seeking a courtship with him.
Might we have been happy? Might he have made me happier than any other man could? I adore him, I can share my secrets with him, I can jest with him like no other, and nobody has ever made me laugh with such vigor. I care for him, from the bottom of my soul. Is that enough?she pondered.Only, there is more to it than simple caring. I…I believe that I may love him, and that is more than enough. The trouble is, I fear I am too late. His heart belongs to Miss Green, not to me. I had my chance and I did not take it. I did not see it, and now I must accept what I have and be grateful. The Duke of Bradford shall have to be my consolation. Lord have mercy on my soul, for I fear he may take me to places I have no desire to go.
Halfway down the alleyway, she paused abruptly. With her mind racing, she had not been watching where she was going. Now, she began to question her judgment in walking alone. The sun had yet to set, but it would soon fall below the horizon. In its last dying rays, dark shadows were cast across the alley. Although, they were not nearly dark enough to hide the figure who stood in the entrance.
Panic bristled through her veins as she continued on her course. Surely, no man would dare to accost her, not in an area such as this? The gentleman had his back turned to her, but he seemed to be waiting for something. With his collar turned high to the cold, she could not make out his face. And yet, there was something familiar about him.
Steeling herself, she made to move past him. Her skirt rustled, alerting the man to her presence. As he turned, she pressed back against the alley wall, holding her breath as she looked upon the face of Lord Rowntree.
“Lady Adelaide,” he said softly. “I hope I have not startled you?”
“No… well, perhaps a little.”
He dipped his head in a bow. “Might I ask about the whereabouts of your chaperone? A young lady such as yourself should not be walking alone at such an hour, especially not in the shadows of an alley such as this.”
“I left my acquaintance and her chaperone at the top of this path,” she replied sheepishly. “I did not think company would be necessary on such a short journey. I live but a few houses along the street from here.”
He nodded. “I am aware, Lady Adelaide. Indeed, I was awaiting your return.”
She frowned in surprise. “Myreturn, Lord Rowntree?”
“Yes, I noticed your departure earlier. I had hoped to speak with you sooner, but I did not wish to interrupt your excursion. And so, I decided that I would wait until the carriage brought you back, so that I might steal a word with you.”
“I do not understand, Lord Rowntree—why should you wish to speak with me?” she asked nervously. She knew the gentleman had sought advice from her father, regarding certain speculations in the spice trade, but she did not know that he was acquainted with the family and their home. Indeed, all she knew about him was what her father had told her, that night at the Assembly Rooms.
He sighed. “You are in grave danger, Lady Adelaide.”
She gulped. “From you? Do you wish to cause me harm?”
“No, not in the slightest,” he replied, with a note of sadness. “I believe you to be the sweetest, most remarkable young lady I have ever seen in my life. I should never wish harm upon you. That is why I have come here with a warning.”
“I do not even know you, Lord Rowntree. Do you think it appropriate to speak with me in the shadows like this, if you think so highly of me?” Fear made her speak more boldly. She knew of Lord Rowntree’s sinister reputation and she did not like the way his bulky figure seemed to corner her.
He shook his head. “I do not. I would have preferred to speak with you in the comfort of your home, where you might have felt more secure. However, this appears to be the situation we have found ourselves in, and I must take this opportunity whilst I have it. You see, I believe that…someone may be watching your home. In this instance, this unorthodox privacy is perhaps preferable.”
“I do not understand.”
“You have no need to fear me, Lady Adelaide. I shall never see harm come to you, if I can help it,” he insisted. “That is why I have come. I have heard of your engagement to the Duke of Bradford, and I must urge you to reconsider. I would offer myself as a suitable replacement, though I see now that such an idea would seem abhorrent to you. Still, I cannot deny that I find you utterly enchanting.”
“You say that I should not fear you, My Lord, yet you are scaring me.” Her heart hammered in her chest.
“I am sorry for that. I ought to get to the matter at hand,” he said, his voice tinged with regret. “You must think of me as a friend, not a foe. You see, there are secrets being kept, and they concern you. I am closer to your family than you may think, and I have, indeed, endeavored to assist as much as possible.”
“You are close to my family?”
He nodded. “As I say, there are secrets being kept from you. I do not know how much you understand about these particular secrets, though it seems you are extremely intuitive. Your marriage to the Duke of Bradford is to be a fortuitous one, is it not? You hope to secure your future, and that of your family, in case anything should happen? I am correct in assuming that, yes?”
