Five days had passed since Alyssa had left Travell in the gardens of Rosewood. Five days of staring longingly out of her bedroom window and wishing that she was back there, but knowing it wasn’t prudent to continue subjecting herself to those wicked kisses that were stolen around every corner.
Curled up on the window seat in her nightdress, she leaned her head against the cool glass and sighed. A new day was dawning, but since it had rained for the past five days and the clouds looked thick with moisture, she knew any hope of sunshine would be for naught yet again. At least she could take comfort in the fact that each day when Daisy returned from tending to her Blue Ladies, she reported that they were continuing to thrive. Not only that, but the new mesmerist had arrived, and she believed that the earl was making continual progress.
However, when the subject of Travell would arise, the maid would merely shrug and give a similar answer each time. “He stays in his study. I hardly even see him.”
Alyssa closed her eyes. She prayed that he hadn’t turned to drink. That day she’d arrived to find him soused on brandy still tormented her. But she reminded herself that it wasn’t her fault if he chose to act in such a brooding manner. He had so much to be thankful for, if he would only open his eyes. And yet, for years she’d wished for him to see her as more than his sister’s friend, but he still closed himself off from any sort of human connection. After five days, one would think that he might have sent a message to her, at the very least, but there had been nothing but silence.
At least James had fully recovered from his injuries. Other than a bump on the head, the local physician hadn’t been concerned from his unfortunate spill down the stairs. Caroline, of course, had acted as the perfect, doting wife upon their return, cooing over the baron as if he was a child in need of constant care.
Alyssa was just grateful that, other than a polite greeting upon her arrival at dinner each evening, James made sure the meal remained a stilted affair. When Caroline attempted to make conversation, he would murmur some noncommittal reply, and then retire to his study once it was over, to drink or reflect on his poor life choices, Alyssa couldn’t say, but neither did she care. After two unwanted advances, she was through feeling sorry for him and his unfaithful wife.
The very next day after James’ injury, Caroline had returned to Rosewood, presumably to give the viscount an update on the baron when she could have just as easily sent word by messenger. But she returned a short time later after being denied an audience with Travell. Alyssa could tell that she wasn’t pleased at being dismissed, but again, she didn’t really care.
Alyssa found that she was content to stay in her room or, if the same four walls became too much to bear, she would venture down to the library for a change of scene. She found her escape in the leather tomes, their musty scent a source of comfort when she could easily allow her own despondency to envelop her, especially as her twenty-fifth birthday approached. While it meant that her trust would finally be available to her, she was hesitant to start making preparations to travel to America. She told herself it was merely because she had plenty of time, but that was a lie. She was torn about leaving Travell.
She opened her eyes and stood up, moving away from the window. That was enough time spent on melancholy. It was time to begin the day, however morose the weather might be.
She rang for Daisy and sat down at her dressing table as she waited patiently for her maid to attend her. The younger girl arrived moments later with a slight curtsy. “Good morning, my lady. Would you like your breakfast tray now?”
Other than making her daily appearance at dinner, Alyssa generally chose to take her breakfast and lunch in her room and afternoon tea in the library. “I find that my appetite has deserted me this morning, Daisy. If you could just bring me a cup of tea, that would be wonderful.”
“Yes, my lady.”
The maid returned a short time later with a silver tray. After Alyssa held a cup of the steaming liquid, she could tell that her spirits were already starting to improve. She had just taken a sip when there was a brisk knock at her bedchamber door. She frowned as Daisy went to open it. The butler stood on the other side. “Pardon the intrusion, my lady, but there is a gentleman here who is most insistent to see you.”
Alyssa’s heart lodged in her throat as she imagined Travell waiting downstairs. After swallowing down her anticipation, she managed to ask, “Who is it?”
“Dr. Jacob Perimore.”
She shook her head, more disappointed than she wanted to admit. “I don’t know anyone by that name. Kindly send him on his way.”
“Wait.” Daisy’s entreaty caught her attention. “That’s the name of the new mesmerist at Rosewood.”
Yet again, Alyssa’s attention rose, but for a different reason altogether. “Indeed.” She stood and grabbed her dressing robe, tying it around her waist. “In that case, I’ll see him.”
The butler stood aside as she rushed downstairs. She found a man in the foyer holding a crumpled hat in his hands. He looked to be in his mid-to-late forties with fading dark hair and silver at his temples. When he glanced up and saw her, his face relaxed slightly, but his dark eyes were intent. “Lady Alyssa?”
“Yes. How can I help you, Dr. Perimore?”
He nodded. “I’m the new mesmerist at Rosewood. Mr. Lyridon sent for me to assist Lord Trenton, but I fear I need your help. I fear the earl has had a relapse and the viscount said you might be able to assist in calming him.”
“Of course. Just let me get changed.”
As Alyssa turned and headed back to her room, she could only imagine what she would find when she arrived, but she wouldn’t let Travell down again.
***
Travell was pacing the front hall when Alyssa arrived with Daisy. At first glance, he found it difficult to look at her; she was such a sight for sore eyes. He thought he had memorized everything about her, but when she removed her redingote to reveal a lavender gown, his attention was drawn to her rather curvaceous figure. He blinked, recalling that lovely form was even more tempting than before, but then it had been days since he’d laid eyes on her.
Today, even though his father’s deteriorating condition worried him, she was impossible to ignore.
“It’s good to see you again, Lady Alyssa.” Ives bowed respectfully. “We’ve missed you.”
She smiled at the butler and Travell had to remember how to breathe. “Thank you.”
When she turned her gaze on him, he stepped forward almost hesitantly. “I’m glad you were willing to come.”
“Of course.” She nodded, but before she could say anything else, a gruff shout came from upstairs. Her green eyes filled with compassion. “I’m sorry the earl has suffered a relapse, but Mr. Lyridon said it could happen.”
“Indeed.” Travell sighed heavily. “I just imagined it wouldn’t be so soon.” He swallowed heavily. “I thought I would have… more time.”
She walked over and touched his arm. “He will return. I know it.” With that, she started for the stairs, while Travell and Dr. Perimore followed.
There was no one standing guard outside Lord Trenton’s chamber today. There was no need, for the earl was restrained to his bed once more, his sudden violent outburst causing one of the footmen to sport a rather nasty bruise.
Alyssa opened the door and stepped inside. Travell watched his father thrash about on the bed and he had to glance away. It was difficult to see someone you loved tied down like a rabid animal, but he’d been left with no other choice but to bring the bonds back. It was either that, or send him away, and he wasn’t prepared to do that. Not yet. He kept telling himself that there was hope.
“Lord Trenton, can you hear me?”
Travell turned back to Alyssa who had taken a seat on the edge of the bed.
The earl turned his wild eyes to her and spat, “What is the meaning of this, Sophie?”
The hairs on the back of Travell’s neck stood on end. It was the first time his father had spoken the servant’s name since the day he’d claimed she was a spy. While Travell had reached out to his fellow agent, Logan Montgomery, to look deeper into the matter of the errant maid who had seduced the earl away from his family, other than a short acquiescence, as yet, nothing further had been forthcoming. But just like his father’s eventual recovery, he had faith that Logan would come through for him.
“Where are you and Sophie now, Lord Trenton?”
Dr. Perimore’s soothing voice dragged Travel back to the present. He watched carefully as the mesmerist entered the conversation. It hadn’t taken long for Travell to realize that the man was just as adept at his craft as Mr. Lyridon had been, even if his father had suffered a temporary setback. Even then, it was obvious that each session improved his father’s reality. This minor defeat was only because they were delving further into his psyche, where the mystery of the past seven years could finally be resolved.
“You know damned well where I am!” Lord Trenton roared, struggling against his bonds once more. “Release me this instant!”
Alyssa reached out and laid a gentle hand on his chest. “My lord, you must calm yourself.”
“Why?” he snapped. “So you can poison me again? Keep me trapped in this… place until it suits your whim to let me go?”
Travell glanced away. Each time his father demanded freedom was another knife shoved into his chest. The feeling of betrayal pulsed through his veins with every beat of his heart.
“Why is it so important for you to leave Rosewood?” Dr. Perimore asked.
“Leave Rosewood?” The earl blinked rapidly. “You damned fool! You know I’m doing my best to get back there!”
***
Alyssa looked over at Travell who had frozen in place. She turned to Dr. Perimore and murmured, “As much as I hate to say it, I think a bit of laudanum may be in order to keep him settled so that he can rest.”
The mesmerist’s expression turned grim. “I think you may be right, my lady.”
She stood up as he reluctantly reached for the brown bottle on the side table. As he tended to the earl, Alyssa took Travell’s arm and gently led him out into the hallway. She quietly shut the door behind her and then looked at him in concern. His lack of color worried her, but after a moment, he didn’t appear quite so white.
However, when he spoke, his voice was strained. “All this time I imagined that he left us. It never occurred to me to think he was… taken against his will.” He turned away and gripped the newel post of the staircase.
It wasn’t until he bowed his head, as if the weight of the world rested solely on his shoulders, that Alyssa went to him. It pained her to see him so tormented. She rested her head against his arm and whispered, “Is there anything I can do?”
“You’re already doing it by being here.” He turned to face her, wrapping her within the circle of his arms. He rested his chin on her head with a heavy sigh, his breath stirring her hair. “Promise me that you won’t stay away so long again.”
Her heart wrenched in her chest. “I promise.”
“Then that’s all I need.”
Alyssa didn’t want to imagine that she was finally getting through to him, that she was able to find a way past the walls he didn’t even realize he’d built around himself. But his words gave her cause to hope.
As the door opened and Dr. Perimore joined them, Travell slowly released her. “The earl is sleeping now.”
Travell nodded. “It’s for the best. Thank you.”
The older man nodded as he headed downstairs. Once he was gone, Travell turned to her. He lifted his hand and brushed his fingers lightly down the side of her cheek. Alyssa’s breath halted, for this touch wasn’t one of lust, but caring, and that meant more to her than anything else.
As he let his arm drop back to his side, he said, “I imagine you’d like to tend to your roses now.”
He appeared so morose that she shook her head. “Actually, I thought we might take a walk. Perhaps return to the ruins?”
That made him smile. “Feeling adventurous today?”
She shrugged. “Not really. Just… content. With you,” she dared to add.
He offered her his arm. “In that case, I wouldn’t dream of disappointing such a gracious lady as yourself.”
“You’re too kind, Lord Curdiff. Or should I say Sir Dashing?” she teased.
She couldn’t tear her gaze away from him as he laughed, the sound so rich and deep it vibrated all the way to her toes.
In spite of all the recent upset — her aunt’s sudden death and Lord Trenton’s shocking resurgence — Alyssa found that she had never been happier than in that moment.
***
After five days of continual rain, as Travell stepped outside with Alyssa at his side, the sun began to shine. It was like a positive omen that good things were on the horizon. Good God, I really am starting to sound like a poet. He winced inwardly at the thought, but at the same time, if spouting sonnets would keep Alyssa from staying away so long again, he might not be above quoting Byron.
Damn, but he’d missed her. It was strange that he could go weeks without setting eyes on her in London, but he always knew that she was there and that gave him some semblance of peace. While he should feel the same relief that she was at a neighboring estate, he also knew the sort of people that she was surrounding herself with and that didn’t set well with him. He didn’t care for the way Caroline treated her. That nonsense about ‘Little Mouse’ still made him itch to call out the baron for allowing such crass behavior to continue in his household. He still might, just for the simple fact he kept making unwanted advances at Alyssa.
He expelled a heavy breath, releasing the tension in his chest. Again, he reminded himself that it wasn’t his place to interfere. He might chafe at the fact Alyssa continually allowed herself to be subjected to her cousin’s conduct rather than wed him, but that was her choice. She’d declined his offer more than once and he wouldn’t do her the dishonor of pressuring her to accept his hand. If going to America would make her happy, then he would do everything in his power to ensure that was what happened. He wouldn’t be selfish in his desire to keep her in England, just to bear witness to her marrying another man in due course. He’d rather that she was far away, where he didn’t have to watch her become a mother and raise a family that he would always imagine could have been his.
“That’s a rather dark frown you’re wearing, Lord Curdiff. Is there something else troubling you?”
Yes. “No.” He shook his head and patted Alyssa’s hand like the friend she had decided that was all he’d ever be. And since he felt the need to give some sort of explanation for his temporary upset, he said, “I wanted to tell you that I enlisted the help of an acquaintance in London to help me find Sophie.”
Her eyes widened slightly. “Has he found anything?”
“Not yet, but I have every confidence that he will come through. He has certain… abilities in finding people who don’t want to be found.”
He had to be careful when it came to speaking about anything regarding his work for the Home Office, for when it came to delicate matters that involved the safety of the country everything was at risk, especially a fellow agent. While he had every confidence that he could trust Alyssa with his secrets, he didn’t want to put her in a position to worry about him even more, or put herself in danger where her knowledge could be used against him.
“I am certain you chose the best,” she noted.
He didn’t reply as they crested the top of the hill and the Roman Ruins were on bold display before them. “What shall we imagine today, my lady?”
She smiled. “You know, I didn’t always act out my Medieval fantasies when I came here.” She disengaged herself from him and sat down on one of the boulders. “I used to just sit by myself and think.” She glanced out across the expanse beyond the estate grounds. “It was always so quiet and serene. It helped to clear my head.”
“Ah.” He sat down next to her. “So that’s why you brought me here, to ease my turbulent thoughts?”
“No,” she said, surprising him. She turned to him then, her green eyes shining, reflected like emeralds in the sunlight. “I wanted to bring you to where I was the happiest.”
He watched her closely. “Then surely we should be in the conservatory?”
“No.” She glanced down and rubbed her hand along the stone beneath her. “These ruins were my sanctuary in times of trial.” A crease appeared between her brows, a few delicate wisps of dark hair escaping her bonnet to caress the area near the tempting mouth that had haunted him for countless days and endless nights. “Do you know that after my father died, the first place I came to for comfort was right here?”
“You are welcome here anytime,” he murmured.
“It’s strange, but when I returned to Breyton Hall after Aunt Pearl’s death, I had nearly forgotten about this place.” She returned her gaze to him. “But after that day you brought me here, it was as if… all those years of feeling alone were suddenly gone.”
It was his turn to frown. “You’ve never been alone, Alyssa.”
“Haven’t I?” She smiled with a tinge of sadness. “I’m an orphan who just lost the last member of my family that was special to me. And while Triana and I are great friends, she is a married duchess now.” She sighed heavily. “I feel as though I’m the last woman standing.”
Travell studied her closely and then reached out and held her chin in place with his finger. “You have never been anything less than perfect in my eyes.” He rubbed the tip of his thumb across her lower lip. “And you know all you have to do is say the word and I’ll procure a special license this very afternoon.”
A sparkle of moisture glinted in her gaze. “You would save me from the barren life of spinsterhood?”
He swallowed heavily. “You know I will. Haven’t I said as much so many times?”
She smiled, and then said, “Kiss me, Travell.”
She didn’t have to ask him twice. He’d been dreaming of the moment when she asked for his touch.
He slowly lowered his head to hers, his eyes drifting shut…
The sound of a man clearing his throat made Alyssa turn her head to the side. Travell cursed under his breath as he faced the speaker, which was one of his footmen. “What is it?”
The servant bowed lightly. “Pardon the intrusion, my lord, but Ives asked me to fetch you. The Duke and Duchess of Chiltern have just arrived.”