FromNowOn Read Free Page B

and
closed her eyes.
    Sebastian. Sebastian.
    Why had he come?
    Why had he torn open old wounds?
    During a lull in the storm, she heard the sound of the
carriage and John Coachman shouting out to his team.
    She let loose a torrent of tears before exhaustion overtook
her and night descended.
    * * * * *
    “What do you mean, she isn’t at home?” Sebastian asked Mr.
Felix. He had never seen a more secretive group of servants in all his life. He
had even dropped gold coins into several palms and received only the vaguest of
information. Insomnia had caused him to sleep late—well, later than he had
intended—and she had somehow disappeared while he slept.
    He had politely waited to hear news of the duchess’s
intentions. It was as if she was not even in residence.
    “May I see the note?”
    “Of course, my lord.”
    Sebastian grabbed it and read the two terse and
uninformative lines. She expected him to leave, did she?
    “And you did not speak to her?”
    “This morning, no.”
    “Where would she go?”
    “The estate is large, Lord Ridgley, and she owns it. I
cannot tell you what I do not know.”
    “It’s raining.”
    “So it is, sir.”
    “The cook said she took a basket of food. Was she visiting
someone?”
    “Again, I do not know.”
    “Is there anything you do know?”
    “Yes. I can have the stable hands prepare your carriage.”
    “She would like that, wouldn’t she?” His words had more bite
than he intended. He had thought he had been prepared for her not wanting to
see him, he just hadn’t planned on complete avoidance.
    Mr. Felix stood with his hands behind his back, giving away
nothing nor offering a clue to his mistress’s intentions.
    With each impediment, Sebastian grew more determined.
Nothing could be so bad that a friend, a dear friend as she had once called
him, could not be privy to her hurts. For all she knew, he was here only to
socialize. Again he chided himself for his weakness. Would he slink away once
he saw her?
    Where the hell was she?
    The mansion was large, the estate was monstrous,
encompassing numerous smaller villages. She could be anywhere.
    What would bring her out of hiding?
    Oh yes, he knew. His departure.
    Damn her pride.
    “Mr. Felix, have my carriage readied by four.”
    Sebastian detected a small lift of the servant’s lips as he
responded with a polite, “Yes, Lord Ridgley.”
    He took the steps two at a time, stopping at the head of the
stairs to glance down the opposite hallway.
    Since he had time, he quietly made his way down to the ducal
rooms. He wasn’t so shy that he wouldn’t walk into a room with an unlocked
door. Grace’s room was empty.
    Next to the far wall, opposite her room, a set of servants’
stairs led downward to the main floor.
    He had little choice.
    Back in his room, Tibbets was ironing cravats. Sebastian
flung himself into a comfortable chair, explained the plan to his valet and
waited for the clock to tick away. She didn’t know he was determined now that
he had stopped dithering.
    At four, Tibbets plucked up the empty valise, and Sebastian
snatched his greatcoat from the armoire and flung it over his arm. The carriage
was waiting. Mr. Felix stood at the head of the stairs, offering to carry
Sebastian’s bag, which Tibbets politely declined.
    “Mr. Felix, please inform Her Grace I will be back shortly
and I will expect to see her.”
    “I will relay your message, my lord.”
    Sebastian hadn’t intended to be duplicitous but if that was
what it took to see her, so be it. Once she knew he was gone she would come out
of hiding. Tibbets threw the empty valise into the carriage and Sebastian
tossed his coat on the seat opposite before he and Tibbets climbed in.
    The carriage jerked into motion.
    About a mile down the road, he rapped on the ceiling and the
carriage slowed. The rain had started again, a slow, miserable drizzle that
would no doubt soak him to the bone before he got back to the manse. He had
instructed the coachman to travel