The house was silent when she walked in, and the dark shadows and quiet made her feel like a stranger in her own home. She still trembled, and she wished she'd brought some sort of cloak with her. She climbed the stairs to the second level, then walked silently down the dark hallway. Once in her bedchamber, she undressed, then climbed beneath her covers. She pulled the covers over her head, creating a cocoon of dark warmth in which she could relive the stolen moments of heat with Victor.
Her mind replayed the scene in the gazebo again and again until exhaustion finally took over, and she fell asleep.
When a brisk knock sounded on her door in the morning, Juliet could barely collect her thoughts to call out a coherent, "I am awake."
She peered at the windows. It was nearly midday, which meant she'd slept through the morning meal. Their guests would think she was the worst hostess. She climbed out of bed and groaned at the pounding in her head. Moving to the door of her room, she took a deep breath before opening it.
Eliza, one of the maids, stood there. "Are you ill, my lady?"
"I have a bit of a headache," Juliet said. "But I will dress anyway."
"Very well." Eliza stepped into the room, then paused. "Oh, Lord Locken asked that I deliver this to you as soon as you awoke." She held out a sealed letter.
Juliet stared at it for a moment. A letter from Victor? He'd taken a great risk in writing to her and leaving a letter with a maid. Anyone could have intercepted it. She took the letter, then walked to the window. With her back turned to Eliza and her preparations, Juliet broke the seal.
Just as his first letter, this one was short.
Dear Juliet,
Do not accept any offers. I'm going home to speak with my father. Or, more likely, beg. I hope lady fortune will smile upon us. If my father remains opposed, we will not be bereft, but we will manage our own happiness away from Locken.
Always yours,
-Victor
Juliet reread the letter a second time, then a third. Could this be true? Was Victor really going to throw away a dukedom for her? She pressed the letter against her heart. Her emotions battled against each other-no matter what she felt about him and how much she would love to be his wife, she couldn't allow him to give up so much.
"Eliza," Juliet said, turning to the maid. "Make all haste. I've delayed long enough."
"Yes, my lady."
Less than half an hour later, Juliet was primed and primped-on a smaller scale than she was used to over the past week, but time was of the essence. She had to find Lord Locken and talk him out of his insane notion.
She found the guests on the terrace, visiting with one another as they waited for luncheon to be brought. Before she spoke to anyone, she scanned the group for Lord Locken's dark hair but didn't see him. Next, she looked for her brother. He was absent as well. She hoped that didn't mean the two men were locked in the library in another fierce debate. She finally crossed to Mr. Talbot's side.
"You are feeling better?" he asked immediately.
"I am." She smiled as best as she could manage. "Thank you for asking." She didn't know what rumors had gone around about her health, but she didn't have time to inquire. "Have you seen Lord Locken? My brother was looking for him." It wasn't exactly the truth, but it sounded plausible.
"Locken left early this morning," Mr. Talbot said. "Had an urgent family matter is what we were told. I suspect it's his father's health. I hope he makes it home in time to pay his respects."
Juliet couldn't breathe. Victor had already left? "Thank you," she managed to say. "I've got to see to something in the kitchen." Without letting Mr. Talbot question her further, she hurried back inside the house.
Blinking back hot tears, she veered out a side door and headed for the stables. She arrived, out of breath, and found that indeed both of Victor's bays were gone.
The groomsman approached. "Are you going riding again today, my lady?"
"No." She wrapped her arms about her waist, if only to give herself more stability. "When did Lord Locken leave?"
The groomsman scratched at his stubbly chin. "It were still dark out," he said in a thoughtful tone. "Maybe an hour before dawn?"
Victor hadn't slept, then. He'd made the decision after the gazebo . . . How could he leave without speaking to her first? She thought they'd agreed to go their separate ways. He was going to marry Diana and keep his dukedom. She would marry Lord Stratford and save Southill Estate.
Now . . . Victor would be disinherited. It would be a public humiliation to say the least, and then what? Would she and Victor live at Southill Estate with John, all three of them destitute? Would the two men ever get along? As the years passed, would Victor resent the massive changes and turn to drink like his father had?
"Lady Juliet?" the groomsman said, and Juliet realized she was standing in the middle of the stables, tears dripping down her cheeks.
"I apologize," she whispered, wiping at her tears. Then she hurried out of the stable. She felt heartsick thinking about Victor facing his father with such a request when she knew what a vile man the duke was. She'd do anything to prevent such a scene. But Victor had been gone for hours and had likely reached his family estate by now. She gazed up at the sky, wondering if he was now, at this very moment, speaking with his father.
A rider on horseback caught her attention. The man rode with all haste up the road toward the manor. Juliet raised a hand to her eyes to shield her gaze from the sun's rays to get a better look. It wasn't Victor. This man was thin and smaller in stature, but he rode his horse as if the devil himself were chasing him.
Juliet picked up her skirts and hurried to the driveway, where her brother John had come out of the house. So, John had seen the rider approach as well. Just as she reached the driveway, the rider reined his horse to a stop and dismounted.
The man had a messenger bag slung over his shoulder, and Juliet realized he was a post deliverer.
"Good day, sir," the messenger said, greeting John. "I've an urgent message for Lord Locken."
John held out his hand. "I will make sure he receives it."
But the man stepped back. "I was told to deliver it in person. No offense, sir."
"Lord Locken is occupied with another matter," John ground out. "I am the master here, and if I say I will deliver it, it shall be done."
The messenger hesitated, his gaze cutting to Juliet. Then, apparently, deciding to be done with his errand, he handed the letter to John, and John gave the messenger a couple of coins.
The moment the messenger had turned his horse and headed down the lane, John broke the seal.
Juliet was about to protest, telling John that the letter was Victor's personal property, but before she could, John had already scanned the words.
He looked up, meeting her gaze. "Roland's father's dead. He probably passed the messenger on his way home." John crumpled the letter in his hand and strode back into the house, the paper still clutched in his hand.
Juliet stared after her brother. Had he just said . . . No. This news was even worse than she could have imagined. It meant that Victor's father had passed away before Victor had reached home, or else there would have been no need for a messenger to deliver the news. It also meant that it was too late to change the Duke of Wycliff's will.
Juliet knew as well as Victor did that the contents of the will stated that his father's decision still held after his death. Victor would have to marry Lady Diana by the end of the year in order to take over the dukedom.
"Oh, there you are!" a female voice rang out.
Juliet wiped at her tears and turned to face Lady Diana and Lady Penelope, who'd just come around the house, walking arm in arm.
"Whatever is wrong?" Diana asked.
Juliet had been too slow to hide her distress. She might as well confess, because the news would reach the guests soon enough. "We've just received word," she said in a trembling voice, "Lord Locken's father has passed away."
"Oh." Diana covered her mouth, and Penelope did the same. "Poor man. He must be devastated." She looked at Penelope. "We must prepare to go to Locken. Even if it's not proper for us to attend the funeral, Lord Locken will need the comfort of friends around him."
Juliet stared at the two women. Just like that, they would change their plans. Travel to Locken where they would see Victor, and Victor would certainly know what he must do. There was no other option.
Juliet blinked a few times, determined to keep any new tears at bay. "You are very kind."
Penelope spoke up. "They are nearly betrothed. Of course he would want Diana by his side at a time like this."
"Of course," Juliet said, although her voice sounded faint to her ears. "How may I help you prepare?"