Opal released her breath and brought herself back to the present. It was good Danielle, Stuart, and her own child would never know her mother. The lady had a way of destroying everything around her. Had her mother been different, who knew how Byron would have ended up? Had it not been for Warren, Opal didn’t know how she might have fared in the midst of everything. There were some days she thought she might really lose her mind, instead of just pretending she had.
“Of course, that doesn’t mean I don’t love your brother,” Iris said. “I do. I love him more today than the moment I met him. I know he didn’t love me right away, but I fell in love with him as soon as I saw him.” She chuckled. “Some people say it’s foolish to think you can love someone the day you meet them. I’m so logical in other areas that I would be inclined to agree with them had I not fallen in love with Warren when I did.”
Forcing her thoughts off of Byron and her mother, Opal drew her attention to what Iris was saying. She smiled. “I don’t think it’s foolish,” she said. “I think it’s romantic. It’s nice to be able to meet someone and know they are the right one for you.”
“It is. The only problem comes when the other person doesn’t realize it as soon as you do. I think you and Landon fell in love right away.”
Opal’s face warmed in pleasure. “I’m inclined to agree, though I don’t think either one of us realized it at the time.”
“It’s easier to see things more clearly when you think back on it. At the time you’re involved in something, doubts and fears can make it hard to see what’s really going on.”
“You really think so?”
Iris nodded. “I think we intuitively know when something is right or wrong, but we often rationalize against our instincts. The problem is, we do this without even realizing we’re doing it.”
Curious that Iris would make such a statement, Opal asked, “Why would we do that?”
“Because it’s easy to doubt our instincts, especially when there’s nothing to prove we’re right.”
Warren came into the drawing room and smiled. “I thought I heard someone talking in here.” He went over to Iris and kissed her before he pulled up a chair so he could sit beside her. “We haven’t seen you much since you got married,” he told Opal.
“Landon and I have been busy making the townhouse feel like our home,” Opal replied. “Besides, you saw us at the dinner party.”
“I know, but it’s not the same as it was when you lived here,” he said. “I got used to having you around all the time.”
Opal couldn’t help but smile at his words. After a lifetime of not feeling like she was wanted, it was nice to know Warren missed her.
“I miss having you around, too,” Iris added, “but it’s good knowing you’re with Landon. He’s very sweet.” She glanced at Warren. “Don’t you think so?”
“I try not to think of gentlemen in terms of whether or not they’re sweet,” Warren replied. “As long as he treats Opal well, I’m satisfied with him.”
Iris rolled her eyes in good humor then told Opal, “Landon is very sweet.”
“He is sweet,” Opal agreed. “And yes, he treats me very well, Warren.”
“I hope he wasn’t afraid to come over because of the way Warren accused him of getting you with child before you married,” Iris said.
Warren sighed. “I did not. I was just surprised she’s expecting a child as soon as she is, that’s all.”
Iris giggled. “Poor Landon. He looked like he was ready to run out of here.”
“I apologized to him,” Warren said. “He seemed to be all right for the rest of the evening.”
“Landon is fine,” Opal hurried to assure him. “He’s at the park going horseback riding with his brother. I finished reading a book, so I decided to come by for a visit.” With a glance at Danielle who was smiling at her, she added, “And I’m glad I did.”
Coming here made her feel a lot more at ease with everything strange that had happened over the past couple of days.
“You’re always welcome here,” Iris told her.
“I don’t think I’ll ever get over worrying about you,” Warren said, “but I’m glad Landon is good to you.”
Iris chuckled. “Opal, I warned you he wasn’t ready for you to marry.”
“It still doesn’t seem possible she’s old enough to have a husband,” Warren said.
“Well, she is, and she’s also old enough to have her own children,” Iris replied, giving him a sympathetic smile. “I think it’s wonderful that you worry so much for her.”
“I do appreciate everything you do for me, Warren,” Opal said. “It’s nice to know you care about me.”
“I just wish I brought you to London sooner,” Warren told Opal. “If I’d had any idea your mother had been treating you the way she was—”
“It’s not your fault, Warren,” Opal interrupted. “You didn’t know what was going on.”
“Yes, but if I had gone to the country to see how you were doing, then things wouldn’t have gone on for as long as they did,” Warren said.
“There’s nothing you can do about it,” Iris told him. “At least she’s here with us now, and she has people around her who love her. That’s what matters.”
“It is,” Opal replied.
And there was no doubt she was surrounded by people who only wanted the best for her. She was very blessed. Glancing back down at her niece, she smiled. She had a brother and sister-in-law who cared about her, an adorable niece and nephew, a love match with Landon, and a baby on the way. Everything she had ever wanted was coming to pass. Yes, she had a lot to be thankful for. A lot, indeed.
***
Two hours later, Opal passed through the entryway of her townhouse. It had been nice to visit her brother and Iris, and her mood had improved significantly. But as soon as she returned home, the nagging sense that something was wrong made her gut tighten in dread.
“Is there something you need, my lady?” the footman asked her.
Not realizing she had paused in the middle of the entryway, she forced aside the unpleasant feeling and turned to him. “Is Lord Farewell here?”
“Yes. He returned about fifteen minutes ago. He’s in the den,” the footman replied.
Thanking him, she headed down the hallway, her gaze going along the shadows along the floorboards, wondering if something like a rat might scurry by. But nothing happened.
When she reached the door of the den, she saw it was partly open so she peeked into the room. Landon had a book open on his desk, and though he should have been reading it, he was looking out the window. She knocked on the door so she wouldn’t startle him before she stepped into the room.
He got up from the chair and hurried over to her. “I mithed you.” He gave her a kiss.
“I missed you, too,” she said. “I went to visit Iris and Warren. Their children were awake, so I got to hold my niece for a while. How did things go with your brother?”
“Good. We had a lot to talk about after your brother explained how he maketh money. Guy would like to learn how to do that.”
“Both Warren and Iris love to invest money for a handsome profit. I’m sure if you follow either one’s advice, you will manage very well.”
“Probably.” He glanced over at the book on the desk. “Guy gave me that to read, but I’m bored already and I’m only on page ten.” He turned his gaze back to her. “I don’t know if I can make it to page 415 in a week.”
“Guy asked you to read the whole thing in one week?”
“I can read a lot in a week if I don’t get bored with the book. Warren had recommended it during the dinner party, and Guy bought two to read. That one ith my copy.”
With a sympathetic smile, she caressed his cheek. “I’m sorry, Landon, but I have no more interest in that kind of reading than you do. As much as I adore Warren and Iris, my mind wanders when the conversation turns to investing.”
Chuckling, he took her hand and kissed it. “I don’t care much for t
he topic.”
“I don’t think the subject is for everyone. Maybe you can have Warren invest the money for you and give him a percentage of the profit for his trouble.”
“Will he be unhappy with me if I do that?”
“I think he would rather you didn’t pretend you were interested in something you weren’t than to act like you enjoyed it. Warren likes it when people are honest with him.”
“All right. I’ll tell him next time I see him.”
He went back to the desk and shut the book, and she couldn’t help but smile. It was nice that he cared so much for her that he’d been trying to please her brother. “Warren will be fine. He has Iris, his father-in-law, and friends to discuss investments with as much as he wants.”
“I hope that will be enough.”
She walked over to the desk. “It will. Warren’s only concern is that you’re good to me.”
Her gaze went to the shelves lined with books, and right away, she could tell something was wrong. She could have sworn the books had been arranged according to the author’s last name before she left the townhouse.
“What?” Landon glanced at the shelves.
“Did you sort the books by author earlier today and then switch them back according to title when you returned home?” she asked, hoping—praying—he’d say yes.
But, unfortunately, he shook his head. “No. I haven’t changed anything after you helped me in here.” He studied her. “Do you feel all right?”
I didn’t imagine it. I didn’t imagine it.
“Opal, you look pale,” he said as he hurried over to her. “Do you need to lie down?”
It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him the books had had a different arrangement earlier that day, but then would she sound like she was losing her mind? As she studied the books, she realized the only one out of place had been the one she’d put in there. Everything else was just as it belonged.
She rubbed her eyes. Was she tired, or was there more to what was going on? She used to pretend she saw things that weren’t really there in order to avoid her mother’s wrath. But she never once, in all the time she’d put on the pretense, ever really saw things out of place. She hadn’t ever imagined she’d heard or seen something that wasn’t really there. So why now? Why after all this time was this starting to happen to her?
“Why don’t we go to bed?” Landon suggested. “You can take a nap.” He put his arm around her shoulders. “I’ll be with you.”
After a moment, she nodded. “All right.”
Maybe she needed to rest. Maybe she would feel better when she woke up. She doubted it, but at least Landon would be with her. Releasing an unsteady breath, she let Landon take her upstairs.
Chapter Seventeen
Though Opal knew she was dreaming, she couldn’t wake herself up from sleep. In her dream, she was running through a maze of hallways, searching for the baby that was crying. Instinctively, she knew the baby was hers and that if she didn’t get to him in time, her mother would get to him first.
Each time she came to a room, it would turn up empty, so she had to go back down the hall and look for another room. And each time she got close to the sound of the baby’s cries, those cries would switch to another direction, making it more difficult to weave her way through the maze of twists and turns.
The shadows along the dim walls seemed to reach out in an attempt to grab her. Every time, she managed to dodge them, but this delayed her progress.
When she finally found a room with a crib, she raced over to it and pulled back the blanket covering the crying child. But instead of a baby, she saw a giant rat. She screamed and backed away from it.
From behind her, her mother laughed.
Gasping, she spun around.
Her mother cradled Opal’s baby in her arms. “You’re losing your mind. You thought you were only pretending to be insane, but all along it was true. And now everyone you love is going to find out the truth.”
Opal made an attempt to reach for her baby, but her mother disappeared. Laughter came from behind her, and spinning around, she saw her mother standing in front of her, still holding her baby.
“Poor Opal,” her mother taunted. “You don’t know what’s real and what’s not.”
She disappeared again and reappeared in the hallway right outside the door.
“Am I really here?” her mother asked then disappeared. Upon reappearing by the crib, she added, “Or am I here?”
Then she disappeared, and this time Opal didn’t see her at all.
“Or is it possible that I don’t exist at all?” came her mother’s voice.
As her mother’s laughter got louder, Opal put her hands over her ears and screamed.
“Opal, Opal.” Someone shook her. “Wake up.”
Opal’s eyes flew open, but it took her a moment before she could make out Landon’s silhouette in the dark room.
“You had a nightmare,” Landon said, his voice soft and comforting. “You’re all right now. You’re awake.” He brushed back a few strands of hair from her face.
Despite his assurance, tears filled her eyes. She choked on a sob, and he hurried to bring her into his arms.
“Don’t think about the nightmare,” he whispered, stroking her hair and her back. “Try to put it from your mind.”
If only the nightmare was the most of her worries. She wished it could be so simple. The nightmare wasn’t real. She could easily separate it from the reality around her. But she was beginning to see things that weren’t there. She was beginning to hear things that weren’t there. She couldn’t trust her own eyes and ears to tell her what was real.
And she didn’t dare tell anyone. Not Landon. Not Warren. Not Iris. Not Ava. If she said it aloud, what would they do to her? Would they restrict her to the country? Would they have someone watch over her all the time for her own safety? Would they forbid her to take care of her baby?
Worse than that, would things get worse? Would she begin to imagine things more and more? Was it just a matter of time before her situation got so bad that she could no longer hide it?
“Do you want to tell me about your nightmare?” Landon asked.
She shook her head. She didn’t trust herself to say anything right now. Everything going on around her was too scary.
“All right,” he replied.
He tightened his hold on her and continued holding her while she kept crying.
***
Opal sat in front of the vanity the next morning, looking as exhausted as she felt. The circles under her eyes gave witness to the fact that she’d had a restless night’s sleep after she woke up from her nightmare.
Upon her request, Landon had stayed with her until Miss Kesner arrived to help her get ready for the day. Now, as Miss Kesner ran the brush through her hair in a soothing motion, Opal realized that she was so tired that she just might fall asleep.
Then she heard a knock come from the door connecting her bedchamber with Landon’s. She stiffened. The knock came again. She glanced in the mirror so she could see Miss Kesner’s reflection.
Miss Kesner continued brushing her hair. Her posture gave Opal no indication that she’d heard the knock. She hadn’t even paused while running the brush over her tresses.
Opal looked at the door again. Did she imagine it? Were the things she used to pretend to imagine coming back to haunt her?
Another knock came at the door. This time it was louder. Last time, answering the door hadn’t done Opal any good. Whoever had been on the other side hadn’t answered, and by the time she went to answer it, the person was gone…if the person had even been there at all.
She shivered.
“Are you all right, my lady?” Miss Kesner asked as she set the brush on the vanity.
“Yes, I’m fine,” Opal lied. “Will you see who is at the door?”
“Which door, my lady?”
Opal gestured to Landon’s bedchamber door just as another knock came from it. “Don’t you hear it? Someone’s
there.”
Miss Kesner frowned. “I don’t hear anything, but I’ll open it since you asked me to.”
Opal frowned. Miss Kesner hadn’t heard the knocking. At all?
Another knock came from the door.
“You don’t hear that?” Opal asked.
“I’m sorry, my lady, but I don’t hear anything.” Then, as if to reassure her that no one was knocking, Miss Kesner went to it and opened it.
“I don’t see anyone, my lady,” Miss Kesner said, peering in the room.
After a moment, Opal got up and went over to Miss Kesner. Like the other day, no one was there.
“Maybe you heard something else,” Miss Kesner said. “Perhaps someone was walking in the hall or there was a noise from the streets that made you think someone was knocking on this door.”
No. That wasn’t possible. Opal knew what she’d heard. But how could she prove it? Even she could see that no one was in Landon’s bedchamber. But Miss Kesner would probably not believe her.
“Maybe,” Opal finally said then returned to the vanity and settled back into the chair.
Miss Kesner closed the door and went over to her. “How would you like me to style your hair?”
There was another knock at the door.
Opal swallowed the lump in her throat. “Um…pin it back like you did yesterday.”
Miss Kesner nodded and picked up some pins from the small container by the mirror.
The door opened a crack.
Opal turned her head toward the door. That hadn’t happened before. She tried to make out who was on the other side of the door, but from where she was sitting, she couldn’t see anyone.
The Reclusive Earl Page 14
