Page 47 of A Duke to Restore her Memory
Her eyes filled with helpless tears. Hastily, she turned away so the housekeeper couldn’t see them shimmering in her eyes. She felt shaken to the core as if an earthquake had just shimmied throughout her entire body.
I truly care for the duke. It isn’t just a physical attraction and a strong connection. I think I might actually love him.
Stunned, she tried to catch her breath as the enormity of the revelation swept over her. Quickly, she walked to the window. Her mind was spinning violently and her heart felt so full it was as if it might burst.
She loved him. There was no other reason she was suffering like this, agonizing that he might be hurt, waiting for him to return home safely.
It was as if the knowledge had been hovering at the back of her mind, and now it had rushed to the forefront, overwhelming her completely.
She gazed out the window. At that moment, she saw him riding into the estate. Her heart almost fell to the ground, shattering into a million pieces. Quickly, her eyes raked over him, taking him in.
He was safe. He was well. He wasn’t visibly hurt.
At that moment, he raised his eyes to the window. Their gazes connected. Christina felt a jolt all the way down her spine to the soles of her feet. It was as if a bolt of lightning had just zigzagged through the window, hitting her in the chest.
His last words to her before he had left to confront Hester fell into her mind.
I promise I will return to you … wait for me.
She loved him. So much. But she was destined never to have him, even if he had asked her to wait for him. For how could a woman with no past or position ever hope to win the heart of a duke? Especially when the entire world believed that she was a fraud.
Hastily, she turned away, her heart tightening. She gazed at Mrs Sollock.
“I do not know,” she said slowly, feeling as if every word was being pulled from her throat. “I do not know if I will stay at Newquay Hall or whether I must leave.”
Chapter 24
That evening, Christina stayed in her room, still on tenterhooks, waiting to see if the duke would send for her to tell her about what had happened with Hester. She sat in the window alcove, agonizing about approaching him instead, when there was a sharp rap on the door.
She stood up, her heart pounding hard, smoothing out the creases in her gown. Was it him?
“Come in,” she called in a tremulous voice.
The door opened. Christina’s jaw dropped, and she felt herself turn pale. For it wasn’t the duke standing in the doorway – it was his sister Lydia.
The lady was dressed in a rose silk dinner gown with delicate lace on the bodice and sleeves, her dark hair swept up into an elegant chignon. Understated diamonds twinkled in her earlobes and around her neck. Clearly, Lydia had been out for the evening at a dinner party or some other event.
The lady took a step into the room, gazing around slowly, in an almost curious way, as if she had never seen the inside of this room before. But then again, perhaps she hadn’t seen it in a very long time – Newquay Hall was very large, after all.
“I am glad to see that you are well looked after,” said the lady with a decisive nod. “This is one of the best guest rooms in the manor.”
Christina’s eyes widened. She tried to keep her expression neutral, to mask her shock. It was an odd thing for Lydia to say, given how hostile she was to her most of the time and the fact that she wasn’t reticent about the fact she wanted her gone.
Christina cleared her throat. “Why are you are here, My Lady?”
Lydia turned to her. There was an awkward silence for a moment. Christina shifted on her feet, staring at the lady, waiting for her to reveal herself. Lydia had never condescended to visit her in her chambers before. What was going on?
“I have news for you,” stated the lady abruptly. She paused, taking a step closer, a slight frown creasing her brow. “I have discovered who you are, Georgina.”
Christina gasped loudly. One hand flew to her throat. She staggered slightly. Her mind was spinning violently. Desperately, she tried to gather her wits, taking a long, ragged breath.
A feeling of elation was starting to flutter to life in her belly. She was thrilled, feeling as if she were teetering on the edge of a cliff, about to fall or fly.
She knows who I am. She knows who I am!
“Who?” she cried. “Please, tell me now. Who am I? How did you discover my identity?”
“I have just returned from a dinner party,” said the lady with a slight smile. “I was sitting next to a gentleman who is a major investor in the family mine business – his name is Lord Powell, the Earl of Cheltenham.” She cleared her throat, staring at Christina. “I heard him mention to the person seated next to him that he has been searching for a lady. He has been searching high and low for her … and will never give up the search.”
