Page 14 of Her Heart's Rightful Earl
“I have only ever heard her speak so gently … she must have been awfully upset!”
“To Arabella, one must suppose, I appeared as a ghost, revived.”
Thomas took a sharp inhale of breath as he realized how frightening the situation might have been for Arabella.
“And what did she say?”
“She was raw, impassioned, hurting … lots of accusations—about how she felt guilty for marrying Edmund—asking me why I did not include her in my plan of evasion … she is correct, of course. I should have involved her. It all just happened at such speed.”
Thomas looked down at his soft leather slippers that adorned his bare feet and took a moment to consider his role in the façade.
“We did what we could. At the time. We did what was best, don’t you agree?”
Alexander thought on this and sighed wearily.
“I had always thought so, until tonight. At the very least, I believed we had made the best of an impossible situation. And it was important to me not to disrupt Arabella’s life.”
Thomas nodded sombrely.
“Now, however, it has become apparent that Arabella would have preferred Ihaddisrupted her life. It seems she has not had the life she wished for and now resents me for it …” Tears pinched the corners of Alexander’s eyes, and he sniffed them back.
“One cannot regret anything if one did what they thought was bestat the time,” Thomas asserted, but it seemed to Alexander that he was also trying to convince himself of this.
“I have betrayed her on a base level that she may be unable to forgive. And worse, I have dragged you and my brother Marcus down with me. I would not be astonished should she be unable to ever condone our deception.”
Thomas straightened himself and seemed momentarily distracted.
“Whilst Arabella is a very valid concern, Alexander, it would be remiss of me to neglect the principal concern I now have, which is whether your reappearance is to be exposed to the authorities.”
Alexander looked up at Thomas with naïve eyes, suggesting his entanglement with Arabella had prevented him from considering this very dangerous potential.
“You do not believe Arabella would report me …?” Alexander’s eyes widened.
“Not necessarily Arabella. Did any others see you? I do not understand how it came to be that you engaged in conversation with her … pray, tell me you did not simply enter the main entrance of the house?”
“Of course not! You recall the old servants’ passageway that runs underneath the house?”
“We played there as boys, do I remember correctly?”
“The very same one. It is completely disused now, judging by the cobwebs. I gained entrance using this tunnel and headed directly to Mother’s sitting room. The corridors were dark and quiet. Mother was fortunately alone, and at that point, I felt it was anentirely successful mission. All I had to navigate was exiting as swiftly as I had entered.”
‘Then what happened?”
“Arabella was merely fetching tea … If Mother had not been so shocked to see me, I feel certain she would have warned me of Arabella’s imminent return …”
‘So she walked in and saw you?’
Alexander nodded. ‘Teacups shattered. Servants ran to see what the commotion was …’
“Servantssaw you?” Thomas’s hand raised to his mouth in horror.
“No! Mother encouraged them away. Nobody saw me but Arabella.”
Thomas took a deep breath and released it thoughtfully. “Arabella is close to her sister, Charlotte. If she tells anybody, it is likely Charlotte she would confide in.”
“Do you believe Charlotte would report me?”
“I can speak with her and try to ascertain whether or not she is privy to the revelation.”
