Page 56 of Her Seven Nights with the Duke

“Have you heard anything I said, Samuel?” his mother asked, pulling him out of his thoughts. He looked down at her, his brow furrowing.

In truth, he hadn’t been paying attention to anything she said. He doubted he had paid much attention to anything that had gone on around him during this time. He had avoided Benedict, knowing his friend would pick up on any change in his demeanor.

Unfortunately, at the moment, that meant all of him. Nora had succeeded in taking over every aspect of his life even in her absence. It was a thought that left a sour taste in his mouth.

“Samuel?” his mother called once again.

Samuel looked up just as he was about to answer her and saw Selina and Thalia, Nora’s friends. He offered his mother an apologetic look.

“I’m sorry, Mother, but there is something I must do. Perhaps we can continue this walk some other time?” he asked, although he did not give her time to respond before he slowly led her in the direction of their carriage.

He kept an eye on the ladies in the hope that they would not disappear before he had a chance to ask them about Nora’s welfare.

Samuel hurried across the park, not stopping for a conversation with any of the people who tried to speak with him or greet him.

“Lady Thalia, Lady Selina, how wonderful to see you both here,” he said, wearing the mask he reserved for almost everyone. Nora was the only one who had seen parts of him without it.

“Your Grace.” Selina’s eyes widened as she looked between her sister and the older woman with them. “This is my mother, Lady Flemington.”Fletcher.”

Samuel nodded, bowing slightly. “Lady Flemington, good evening.”

“Good evening, Your Grace,” Lady Flemington replied warmly, staring up at him with unbridled curiosity.

“I do hope I can borrow your daughters for a mere moment, My Lady. There is something rather important I wish to discuss with them,” he said, looking between the girls and their mother.

“Oh, certainly, Your Grace. I do hope there is no problem,” she said, staring at her daughters, who shook their heads.

“Not at all, My Lady. I merely wish to ask a question,” he said honestly, tapping impatiently on the side of his trousers with his glove.

Lady Flemington walked away, standing underneath the shade of a tree as she offered them the privacy that they required.

“Your Grace, how can we be of assistance to you?” Thalia asked, her eyes boring into his.

Samuel suppressed the smile that tugged at the corner of his lips. She was strong of mind and seemed like the type who was not easily intimidated.

“Your friend, Lady Nora. How is she?” he asked, keeping the desperate curiosity from his voice.

“We cannot say for sure, Your Grace. It’s been a few days since we saw her,” Selina added, her face mirroring the worry Samuel felt in his heart.

He swallowed. It was one thing for him to not have seen Nora, especially with how cold he had been towards her the last time. However, the girls always seemed to be inseparable, always together whenever they were at balls. Nora also happened to talk about them a lot, which made things even more shocking.

“Has something happened?” he asked.

Thalia looked uncomfortable. “I’m not certain how much Nora has told you, and I simply cannot betray her confidence in such a manner.”

Selina rolled her eyes at her just as Samuel spoke. “I assure you, Lady Thalia, whatever is said here will only remain between us. I merely wish to know how she is, since I have neither seen nor heard from her in some days.”

Thalia glared at Selina, who jabbed her lightly in the ribs. “Of course, Your Grace.”

Selina rushed to continue now that Thalia appeared to be on board with the idea.

With every second they spent deliberating on how much they wished to tell him, Samuel’s mind wandered as he thought about all that could have happened to Nora at her stepfather’s hand.

“We truly haven’t seen Nora for some days. However, she was able to write to us a week ago, informing us that Lord Worlington has kept her locked up and forbidden her from leaving the house,” Thalia said.

“He found out that she was responsible for ruining her reputation, and now that he knows the truth, he wishes to marry her off. She has been forbidden from leaving the house, and we are not allowed to visit her.”

“It’s been a week since we received the letter from her saying she cannot see us, and so far, we haven’t received any other letter from her. Our letter to her went answered, so we are left to imagine that the Viscount has the letter, and it never got to her,” Selina added.

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