Instead of the shock Alyssa might have been expecting, Triana laughed and said, “I know you do! You always have. But then, he’s been like a brother to you all these years, hasn’t he?”
Alyssa sighed and shook her head. “Of course he has, but that isn’t what I mean.” She took a deep breath and looked intently at Triana, hoping to get her to understand. “I love him. Quite ardently.”
The duchess was silent for a moment, and then her mouth fell open. “Truly?”
Alyssa nodded her head. “Yes.”
Triana shrieked and hugged her once more. “Oh, you can’t know how happy that makes me!” She pulled back with a sigh, her blue eyes full of excitement. “So when can I expect to help plan the wedding?”
At the mention of this, Alyssa hesitated. “I’m not sure.”
“What do you mean?” Triana frowned. “Has he not proposed? Or told you he loves you?”
“Not… exactly.” An image of them in a torrid embrace flashed through her mind, and she was quite sure she reddened slightly. But even she knew making love and being in love wasn’t the same thing.
“I always knew my brother was headstrong, but I didn’t know he was such an idiot as to not declare himself,” Triana huffed, as she crossed her arms. “The way I see it, there’s only one thing that can be done.”
Alyssa wasn’t sure she liked the sound of that.
Triana’s eyes became determined as she looked at her. “You helped me to find out what my brother was hiding by suggesting I pick the lock to his study and search his things. While I did uncover his secrets, it wasn’t quite the way I imagined. What we will do is slowly wear him down until he has no choice but to love you.”
“I’m not… sure that’s the best way to go about earning his affection…” Alyssa murmured.
“Of course it is!” Triana said exuberantly. “I should think I know my own brother. Trust me, the only way to convince him to do anything is to give him no other choice. It’s how I found out about—”
She broke off and Alyssa eyed her curiously. “About what?”
This time, it appeared Triana who the one who was reluctant to reveal her innermost thoughts. However, she relented with a heavy sigh. “I didn’t intend to tell you this, but to let Travell do it in his own time, but…” She paused and said firmly, “You must swear that you won’t allow this information to leave this room.”
Alyssa was starting to get nervous now. “Of course. Just tell me what’s wrong.” She swallowed. “Is he involved in something illegal?”
“On the contrary,” Triana returned, a bit of pride invading her voice. “He’s an agent for the Home Office.”
Alyssa instantly relaxed. “Oh.”
“Oh?” Triana was taken aback. “You already knew?”
She shrugged. “I figured it out some time ago.”
“I see.” Triana sighed and regarded Alyssa rather grimly. “In that case, I suppose you know how dedicated he is to Whitehall. He’s been in service since before I made my debut. I’m not sure he could ever give it up the way Gabriel, Mr. Claymoore, and Ro’s husband have.”
Alyssa digested this. “I can’t say I fault Travell for that. I feel the same way about my roses. They’ve meant so much to me for so long, I’m not sure what I would do without them. I certainly wouldn’t make Travell choose between me and what he loves.”
“But if he loves you, surely he wouldn’t want to continue doing something that would put himself in danger so frequently. Maybe you’re the answer he’s been looking for all this time, the roots he needs to settle down and start a family.”
She shook her head. “I believe that Travell cares for me, but…” She paused.
“What?” Triana prodded.
She could feel her cheeks heat rather traitorously, when she admitted, “Although he has asked me to marry him…”
Triana’s mouth fell open. “And you’re just now telling me this? My goodness, Aly, surely you can see this proves his devotion!”
“But,” Alyssa added. “I’m not sure he’s asked me for the same reasons I want him to.” She had thought the way he caressed her so tenderly just a few hours ago might have proved that he loved her. But then, perhaps it was only pent up desire and frustration that had caused him to come to her bed.
Unfortunately, she couldn’t confide such intimacies in Triana, for she would surely confront her brother, and she certainly didn’t want Travell to wed her out of some sense of “duty.”
However, since she felt she needed to add something else, she said, “He wanted to protect me from my cousin and Caroline. That’s all.”
Triana gave a huff. “I think you’re wrong, but we’ll just find out when Travell returns and ask him exactly what his intentions are—”
She immediately reached out and grasped her friend’s hand. “Oh, please, Tri. Don’t do that. I should die from sheer mortification should he even hesitate. You know as well as I do that it’s difficult for him to express any sort of raw emotion. Just… let him come to me on his own.”
The duchess regarded her for a moment, and then nodded. “Very well. I truly don’t mean to interfere, but I just know the two of you would make a wonderful match and I should be rather upset if Travell ruins both of your chances at happiness.”
“I’m grateful to have such a good friend in you, Tri,” Alyssa said in all sincerity. “You have always been the sister I never had.”
Her blue eyes filled with moisture. “Stop that this instant. I don’t need to turn into a watering pot.” But the smile that followed belied any chiding she might have otherwise expressed.
As the duke walked into the room, his unique silver eyes assessed the situation. He stopped and lifted a dark brow. “Am I interrupting something?”
His wife shook her head and then winked at Alyssa. “No. Just idle feminine chit chat.”
“Heaven forbid,” he murmured, but there was a ghost of a smile about his mouth. “I was sent downstairs with a message from Dr. Perimore. It seems he might have encountered a breakthrough regarding your father’s memory.”
Triana put a hand to her chest with a gasp. “Truly?”
“Indeed. And Lord Trenton even appears to be lucid at the moment. At least, he was when I left. The codger even beat me at a round of chess this morning,” he grumbled.
The duchess smiled fondly, and Alyssa could tell that the duke’s attentiveness in visiting with the earl and assisting Dr. Perimore meant a lot to Triana. She rose from her seat. “In that case, I should enjoy that very much.” She turned to Alyssa. “Would you like to join me?”
Alyssa shook her head. “This should be a private visit,” she returned. “Besides, I had my dance with the earl last evening.”
Triana’s blue eyes sparkled. “I heard about that. I appreciate that you’ve been so kind to my father. I know it’s been rather trying for you and Travell until now.” With that, she left the room with Gabriel as her escort.
Left on her own, Alyssa headed back to the conservatory, where she could be surrounded by the comfort of the one thing that had ever been constant in her life.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Sophie’s eyes widened in abject fear as Travell advanced. He was so focused on that damning reaction that he didn’t notice it when her elder companion interceded, stopping his movements with a sharp demand. “What is the meaning of this, sir? Accosting two females in such a crass manner?”
It didn’t take long for him to pin her with a glare. “This woman has answers regarding my father’s disappearance and perhaps, his subsequent return. I won’t be going anywhere until she tells me what I want to know.”
Instead of being shocked, the lady scoffed. “That’s impossible. She’s been in my employ for the past five years as a companion. I trust her implicitly!”
He leaned forward. “Then apparently, you haven’t been made aware of her less than savory past, for I assure you, she was a scullery maid for the Earl of Trenton seven years ago.”
Travell saw a
flicker of doubt in her gaze in light of this new information. She turned to Sophie. “Is this true?”
If it were possible, Sophie’s face became even more ashen. “Lady Harvey, I—” As her gaze darted back and forth between her employer and Travell, she must have had an idea of how this was going to go for her, for she darted past them and sprinted for the exit.
Travell didn’t even offer pursuit, for she wasn’t getting far.
Logan reached out an arm and captured the fleeing woman about the waist, lifting her off her feet as she came to an abrupt halt. Travell walked forward to hear his fellow agent say, “Now where might you be rushing off to in such a hurry?”
She must have realized her chance of escape were slim, for her chin trembled and she began to plead. “Please, I… have a good life now. I don’t want any trouble. I just… want to live a peaceful existence.”
“And perhaps you shall,” Travell said. “Once you tell me why my father believes that you poisoned him.”
A sharp gasp came from behind him as Lady Harvey drew forward. Her face was positively aghast. “And to think I trusted someone like you! I shall have your things packed up immediately. Your bags will be waiting for you in the foyer.” She turned to Travell. “Shall I fetch the authorities to deal with this miscreant?”
He regarded Sophie carefully. “I don’t think that will be necessary. Something tells me the lady will come along without any trouble.”
She hung her dark head, which was enough acquiescence for him.
As Lady Harvey flounced out of the display room, where more people were starting to draw inside, glancing at the scene before them with more than a touch of curiosity, Travell grasped Sophie’s arm. “Let’s take this somewhere a bit more private.”
Together, with Logan, they headed for Abernathy House. As they pulled up in front of the stately townhouse, the butler opened the front door. He didn’t even bat an eye as the viscount walked up the steps with his two companions. “My lord,” he bowed. “It’s good to see you again.”
“Thank you, Holmes,” Travell returned. “I shall be in my study. See that we’re not disturbed.”
“Of course.” Since this was a request Travell had made several times over during his years as an agent, there was no doubt that the butler would do as requested. And he was loyal to a fault.
He paused to turn back and face the servant. “I don’t suppose you’ve heard from Lady Trenton yet?”
“I’m afraid not.”
“Indeed.” Travell was growing impatient with his mother’s continued absence. At any other time the woman wouldn’t be gone so long. But now that Triana was married, she didn’t have to worry about being a constant chaperone any longer.
The trio continued on to Travell’s study where he shut the door behind them. Logan remained by the exit while he instructed Sophie to sit. She reluctantly did so, as Travell took a seat behind his desk.
He laid a hand flat on top and closed his eyes briefly. This piece of wood had been his only companion for so long. It was what he was comfortable with. He opened his eyes and glanced at the smooth surface. He imagined he would have missed being here, but when he compared a cold chunk of furniture with the warm, soft delights of a woman — one in particular — he realized that this empty life no longer meant as much as it once had.
But then, he was thirty years old, and it was time he thought of something more than himself. He truly wanted to have a future with Alyssa, and he realized that she was the one person who could have ever been capable of opening his eyes to what he was missing. While his father’s madness was still hanging over his head like a dark cloud, he was starting to understand that it wasn’t an imbalance in the brain that could be passed down the generations, but rather a malady he’d personally suffered. His continued ramblings about being poisoned were a direct clue.
He threaded his hands together and narrowed his gaze on the woman seated across from him. “Now, Sophie. If you please, let’s start from the beginning.”
***
The afternoon was waning, and Travell hadn’t yet returned to Rosewood. Alyssa didn’t want to think something tragic might have befallen him, but concern was etched there in the back of her mind. It would be rather ironic that she’d finally gotten what she’d always wanted, had found the courage to grasp it with both hands, only for it to be ripped away from her.
She sat in the parlor across from Triana and tried to read while the duchess continued her needlepoint while the duke had gone out riding, but try as she might, Alyssa couldn’t focus on the story. She wasn’t even sure she’d turned a single page in the last fifteen minutes. In the end, she set it aside with a sigh.
Echoing the sentiment, Triana stuck her needle in the fabric and did the same. “That was your ninth sigh in the last half hour. And yes, I was keeping track.”
Alyssa winced. “I’m sorry. I’m just… worried that something happened to Travell in London.”
“Travell is more than capable of handling any issue that might arise, whatever it may be,” the duchess returned. “Surely you know him well enough to believe that.”
“Of course I do, but—” She paused and frowned, for it sounded as if a carriage was coming down the drive. Her spirits sank as she stood. If Caroline had decided to pay another visit, it would be more than she could bear. But when she glanced out the window, it was an unmarked carriage that paused before the front doors.
“Who is it?” Triana asked.
“I’m not sure,” Alyssa murmured, but when a woman alighted with a determined set of her shoulders, followed by a man who looked none too reputable, as well as James and Caroline, her heart began to pound.
The duchess joined her and frowned. “This doesn’t bode well.” She reached out and gripped Alyssa’s arm. “Do you think they’re here for Father?”
Alyssa wondered the same thing, but she wasn’t so certain that was the victim they were after. As the foursome walked up the front steps and disappeared from sight, she turned to Triana. “I think we’re about to find out.”
“Sir! Madam! You must be announced!” The sound of Ives’ harried voice carried to the parlor, where Alyssa and Triana exchanged a look of concern.
An older woman was the first to bustle into the room. She was rather buxom with graying, blond hair pulled back into a severe bun. Her face showed only a few wrinkles, but was set with high determination as she glared at Alyssa. “That’s her!” She lifted an arm and pointed at her as if she was guilty of some sort of crime.
As James and Caroline came into view, the latter wearing a rather smug expression, it was the strange man who advanced in her direction that truly struck fear into Alyssa’s heart.
“Lady Alyssa Breyton?” His voice was monotone, without even a hint of kindness.
Alyssa swallowed, but since there was no use denying it, she said, “Yes.”
He brought forth a pair of iron manacles and proceeded to clap one of her wrists. However, Triana stepped between them and said firmly, “I’m the Duchess of Chiltern and I demand to know what’s going on! This lady is a guest here.”
“This lady—” The elder lady moved forward. “—is a threat to my daughter and her household. Not only did this woman try to murder her own cousin by pushing him down the stairs and making it appear an accident, but Lady Lockley has also given a full account of Lady Alyssa’s recent erratic behavior, including the attempt to harm herself. She saw the bruises on the gel’s neck! In light of this evidence James has had no choice but to agree to commit her to Ticehurst House for her own protection. Mr. Graves is with the hospital and has graciously agreed to escort her there.”
Alyssa wavered on her feet and had to clutch the back of a chair for support. She had known Caroline was nasty, but she never imagined she might commit her to a mental institution. But where she was too shocked to speak, Triana had no such compunctions.
The duchess addressed the man before her. “These are preposterous allegations with no truth to any of them! The fact is
that Lord Lockley was too deep in his cups to walk and he fell down the stairs, and I assure you that any other accusations that Lady Lockley might have given on behalf of Lady Alyssa are just as false.” Triana stared at Caroline. “The baroness is lashing out because she’s jealous. My brother has refused her advances, so now she intends to take out her anger on Lady Alyssa.”
Caroline put a hand to her chest as if she was horrified at the mere thought. She laid her head on James’ shoulder, where he put his arm around her for a show of comfort. Alyssa almost applauded their performance.
The woman who could only be Lady Fremont waved her hand in their direction. “Do you not see how upsetting the gel is to a respectable couple who have done nothing but treat her with kindness? Even in spite of her recent behavior, they have graciously chosen to send her to a comfortable establishment, rather than subject her to the horrors of Bedlam. And how does she repay them?” She shook her head. “I believe you have it wrong, Your Grace. Lady Alyssa has long been a frequent guest at Rosewood without a proper chaperone. I imagine if we summoned a physician to prove her innocence, she would not be without blemish! She will drag the Breyton name through the mud and any respectability will be lost.”
Triana gasped in outrage, but at that moment, the Duke of Chiltern appeared. His hair was still windblown from his afternoon ride, but his face was dark and rather thunderous. The moment he spied James and Caroline, they shifted away from him.
Lady Fremont did not.
“What’s going on in here?” he demanded. “I could hear shouting all the way to the foyer!”
“Perhaps you will listen to reason where your wife has not, Your Grace,” Lady Fremont intoned. “My daughter has informed me of this threat in her house, and I have come to remove it. Lady Alyssa is to be removed to Ticehurst this afternoon where she can receive the help she requires in one so despondent and beyond the loving help of her family.”
The duke looked at her for a moment, as if he couldn’t quite believe what she was saying. Finally he took a step forward. “The lady isn’t going anywhere. She is not a concern for Lord and Lady Lockley any longer. She is now the guest of Lord Curdiff. As his brother-in-law, I speak on his behalf in his absence.”
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