When Alyssa went to bed that night, it was with a smile on her face. Nothing Travell could have done would have made her as happy as being reunited with her Blue Ladies. They had been her passion for the past three years, carefully cross-pollinating them until she’d perfected them exactly how she wanted.
When he’d driven her back to Breyton Hall, he’d promised her the use of his carriage to travel to London to retrieve them the next morning. To return the favor, she intended on dropping by Dr. Frederickson’s office for a personal consultation. The relief she saw on Travell’s face had been apparent. It likely mirrored her own, for clearing out the conservatory and transplanting her roses would give her something to occupy her time, rather than grieving over her recent loss.
But, of course, before she experienced freedom, she had to endure the barrage of questions that were hurled at her that evening at dinner when she told her cousin and Caroline of her plans.
“I don’t think it’s appropriate for you to continue visiting the viscount without a proper chaperone,” James had said rather curtly. “You might be well acquainted, but he is still a bachelor and you are unmarried.”
Alyssa had gritted her teeth. “This isn’t London where one’s reputation is in danger of being compromised at a ball or soiree.”
He glanced at his wife, who was staying conspicuously silent. “I’m afraid that’s not good enough when it comes to safeguarding your reputation and the Breyton name. Caroline has graciously offered to act as your companion for the duration of your visits to Rosewood.”
“That’s not necessary,” Alyssa had returned firmly, knowing that the only reason was so the lady could flirt shamelessly with Travell. “I will take my ladies’ maid with me, which should be sufficient to squelch any rumors that might arise.” At that point, she’d arose. “If you will excuse me?”
She caught Caroline’s furious glance as she took her leave, but she turned her back on the woman, regardless if she had sparked her ire or not. Alyssa had remained in this prison for long enough. It was time for her to reclaim her independence.
Thus, when Travell’s driver rolled up in front of Breyton House the next morning in the Curdiff coach, she was dressed and ready to depart with her maid, Daisy. A footman jumped down from the back of the vehicle and opened the door for her as the two women climbed inside.
As they started to ride away, Alyssa couldn’t help but glance back at the manor, only to see Caroline’s narrowed gaze on her as she departed. She clenched her hands in her lap, knowing that the woman wasn’t going to take defeat lightly. She was vain and high tempered and used to getting her way. She likely wouldn’t be denied Travell’s company for long.
But since Alyssa refused to dwell on Lady Lockley any longer, she lifted her face to the sun that was finally breaking through the heavy clouds. She was glad to get a break from the rain that had covered the land for the past two days, knowing that it would make travel a bit quicker. Even so, Alyssa doubted they would make it back to the estate by dark, and that’s if they were lucky.
She opened the book she’d brought with her and began to read.
She’d made it halfway through the novel before the city started to surround them. The familiar sights and sounds of London easing the heaviness in her chest, while the closer the driver drew to the heart of Mayfair brought all her despondency crashing back down.
Tears filled her eyes as they stopped in front of that familiar whitewashed brick townhouse. And when she climbed down from the coach and walked up the steps to the front door, her vision blurred even more. How many times had she done this without ever thinking that her circumstances might never change, that she would always be with Aunt Pearl?
She swallowed past the lump forming in her throat and took a deep breath as she knocked on the door that would have formally been opened for her by her aunt’s butler. He would have greeted her formally in his starched attire and taken her outerwear with no change in his stoic expression.
She missed those days as their former housekeeper, Mrs. Darley, opened the door. The older woman looked as she’d remembered, her graying hair pulled back into a severe bun, attired in the same, gray wool dress free of any adornments. But although the woman looked stern, her smile had always been genuine, if not a bit reserved because of her position.
“My lady.” Mrs. Darley curtsied slightly as Alyssa and her maid walked inside. While Daisy would have normally been expected to use the servant’s quarters, there was no point in standing on ceremony since they were only gathering the roses and heading back to the country. “It’s good to see you again. I daresay I was glad to receive your letter. My duties at the Bremerton household have kept me rather busy. I fear I have only been able to check on your Blue Ladies on my afternoons off. I was only able to get away today if I switched days to accommodate my absence.”
Alyssa smiled at her gratefully. “I hope I didn’t cause you too much trouble. I appreciate you amending your schedule so that I can gather my roses.”
“It’s no problem at all,” the older woman replied. She paused, and Alyssa’s unease grew. “I was actually getting ready to write to you.” Her gaze turned sympathetic. “I received word that the house has sold. I was instructed to turn in my keys at the end of the week so that the new owners will have them.”
Alyssa knew this had been a real possibility, for after her aunt’s death, with no one to inherit the property since it had been passed down through Lady Alwan’s mother and not entailed through her husband, Alyssa knew she wouldn’t be able to pay for the upkeep of such an expense, even with the generous inheritance that her aunt had given her in her will.
However, Alyssa hadn’t expected to lose everything quite so soon. As she glanced about the empty rooms she had to hold back a wave of melancholy. The spaces that had once been filled with love and laughter were now hollow and cavernous. The furnishings that still remained that Alyssa hadn’t able to take to Breyton Hall had been covered with white linen to keep the dust away, but it wouldn’t be long before they were removed and the house would be filled with life once again.
The only comfort Alyssa found in that, was that children might run up and down these stairs, supplying the one thing her aunt had never been able to have of her own during her brief marriage that had left her a widow for many years. Without needing to remarry, Aunt Pearl had chosen to live alone until the day Alyssa had become her ward.
Alyssa sighed. She could stand here all day and recall all the happy times she had shared here, but since there was no point in eschewing what was already gone, she forced herself to move forward to the conservatory.
Most of the flowers that she’d tended so carefully through the years were still thriving, if not a bit forlorn in appearance, some leaves turning brown at the edges. But it was her Blue Ladies standing proud and tall with their impressive, sapphire blooms that she wandered toward. She bent her head to sniff their lovely fragrance and it was like coming home. If there was one scent that she could associate with her time with Aunt Pearl, it was this.
She carefully covered the flowers with a plain brown jute sack and tied a string of twine around the bottom to keep the cool autumn air from damaging them too much as they were transported back to Rosewood. Alyssa, along with her maid and Mrs. Darley, quickly tied as many of the other plants together and loaded them into the coach.
By the time the vehicle was laden down with flowers, the precious Blue Ladies placed inside where they would ride back with Alyssa’s careful consideration, it was already mid-afternoon and she still had to pay a call on Dr. Frederickson.
She tied her bonnet back in place and then reached into her reticule to hand the housekeeper a guinea. “Thank you for everything, Mrs. Darley.”
The woman hesitated at the sum, but she placed the coin into the pocket of her skirts. “It was a true pleasure working for you and Lady Alwan.” With nothing more to say, she turned and headed back down the sidewalk.
Alyssa did the same.
***
Her next stop brought her to Dr. Frederickson’s office. She stepped down from the coach while her maid remained inside. “I shouldn’t be long.”
As Alyssa walked inside, the physician’s secretary removed his glasses with a smile, greeting her from behind his desk. “Lady Alyssa. This is a surprise.” Instantly, his brows drew together in concern. “I hope there isn’t cause for concern on your behalf.”
“Not at all,” she returned. “I was merely hoping to have a word with the doctor. Is he in?”
“He is. I’ll let him know that you’re here.”
“Thank you.”
She waited as he moved to the back of the office where Dr. Frederickson kept a modest clinic. After a few moments the secretary reappeared. “This way please, Lady Alyssa.”
Alyssa followed him to the clinic doors where he held them open for her. She passed him with a thankful smile and saw the physician bent over some sort of scientific device on one side of the room, while a handful of beds and various medical equipment were on the other. Hearing her approach, the dark-haired, bearded man of middle age glanced up. “Lady Alyssa. I was just doing a bit of research on my Galileo microscope. I daresay we will change the world someday, merely with the age of gadgets.” He grinned as he walked over to her. She saw empathy in his kind eyes as he bowed lightly. “I didn’t expect to see you again so soon. I trust you are well?”
“Very,” she returned politely. “While it’s been… difficult after Lady Alwan’s passing, that’s not why I’m here. I’ve actually come to call on the behalf of a friend, Viscount Curdiff.”
“Ah, yes.” His brows drew together. “He wrote to me about a rather difficult case. His father, I believe.” He shook his head. “While studies of the brain can be traced back centuries on any number of papyrus scrolled documents, I fear psychological ailments aren’t within my realm of expertise.”
Alyssa’s heart sank. “But surely there is something you can tell us that might help ease Lord Trenton’s distress?”
His expression was grim. “I’m afraid not, my lady. While I have studied the works of William Battie at some length, his book A Treatise on Madness, claims that mental disorders come from the dysfunction of the material brain rather than the internal workings of the psyche, which doesn’t make sense to any man of science. He also didn’t approve of the conditions at the Bethlem Hospital, saying that fresh air and cleanliness was important in treating patients, although many doctors agree such things will not assist with clearing the mind, but rather restraints and harsh treatments have been the most effective. I have already explained all this to the viscount in detail, but I fear our missives must have crossed.” He laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. “I appreciate that you spoke so highly of my talents, my lady, and I regret that I couldn’t be of more assistance. Now, or when it came to Lady Alwan.”
“I know you did everything you could for my aunt,” Alyssa returned in all sincerity. “It was nice to see you again, Dr. Frederickson.”
Alyssa left the clinic feeling rather disheartened. It certainly wasn’t the news she’d been hoping to hear, and seeking out more advice wasn’t going to get her anywhere. Dr. Frederickson was an open-minded man, preferring newer methods of science rather than the archaic methods of bloodletting, so she knew there was nowhere else to turn. There was nothing left to do other than send Lord Trenton to an asylum, which would crush Travell.
Of course, there was always another option.
She just had to find it.
Alyssa thought for a moment, and then tapped the roof of the coach just as they were starting to set out. As the coachman brought the team to a halt, she stuck her head out the window. “Change of plans. Hatchard’s bookshop, if you please.”
***
Travell was pacing the parlor, looking out the window every few minutes, hoping to catch sight of Alyssa, but as yet, his coach had not yet returned. He glanced at the dial on the mantel and noticed that it was nearly eleven o’clock. He trusted his coachman implicitly, but he was starting to fear that something had gone awry.
He began to imagine all sorts of unsavory scenarios, none of which posed a positive outcome.
If something had happened to her…
He honestly didn’t want to finish that thought.
But just when he was starting to believe that all hope was lost, he heard the unmistakable sound of horses coming up the drive. He had sent the servants to bed long ago, but even then he would have gone to the front door himself.
He ran outside, just as the coach came to a halt. “Where the devil have you been?” he demanded crossly. “I expected you back hours ago.”
Alyssa looked at him tolerantly, if not a bit guiltily as well. “I do apologize, but I fear there was no help for it. It took longer than I imagined to obtain this book.” She held up the item in question.
Travell was sure his eye was about to twitch. “You kept me waiting all this time, just so you could obtain a novel?”
“It’s not a novel.” She slammed the book against his chest. “Take a look while I get my Blue Ladies settled. No doubt they are rather overset by such a long journey.”
Travell shook his head as Alyssa marched inside as if she was already mistress of his house, even though she’d quite adamantly turned down his proposal. If this is what life with the lady would be like, he wasn’t sure he would honor his initial offer of marriage even if she did decide to accept him.
But then he glanced down at the book in his hand and read the title.
Damn. After reading the letter from Dr. Frederickson today, he’d imagined that all hope was lost, that he would be forced to send his father into that nightmare of a hospital that many referred to as Bedlam, rather than Bethlem. But it appeared Alyssa had plans of her own.
She intended to cure Lord Trenton of his ills.
In that moment, Travell realized he would be a fool not to marry her the moment he convinced her to say yes.
And he would do whatever it took to make that day happen.
He walked inside and headed for the conservatory where Alyssa was fussing with her roses. If he didn’t appreciate her dedication to helping his father, he might have shook his head at the way she touched their delicate blooms and cooed to them as if they were small children in need of coddling.
Instead, he asked, “I assume there are more flowers that need to be brought in?”
The smile she shot him significantly brightened the dimly lit room with all the brilliance of the sun. “Of course.”
“Indeed.” Travell left before he did something stupid, like take her into his arms and kiss her senseless. In the end, between him, the coachman, and Alyssa’s maid, they managed to bring in all the plants and place them about the conservatory where she directed. He had no idea why it mattered if one specific flower was placed next to another, but since it did to her, he would have rearranged the entire manor to suit her preference.
When they were through, she set her hands on her hips and gave a satisfied nod. “That should do it for tonight. I’ll return in the morning and do some more cleaning up.”
Travell had already ordered the windows washed and the debris swept away in preparation for her arrival, but if Alyssa needed to come by every day just so he could see her, then that was fine with him.
“Goodnight, Lord Curdiff.” She finally turned to him and since he couldn’t resist touching her, he reached out and grasped her hand, bringing her bare hand to his lips where he bestowed a light kiss on her bent knuckles.
“Goodnight, Lady Alyssa.”
Long after he’d released her, the gentle feel of her smooth skin in his haunted his dreams until the early morning hours.