Page 34 of Conveniently Trapped with the Marquess
Somehow, she managed it. She was able to fall into a dreamless sleep but when Alice woke the next day, she remembered all that had transpired. And her remorse and regret set in once more.
As Nancy was doing her hair, there was a knock on her door. Emma entered when Alice responded, smiling kindly at Nancy before she turned her attention to Alice.
“You’re awake rather early,” Alice pointed out. Emma had quite the bad habit of sleeping in later than she should, which the Duke was now tired of trying to correct.
“Lord Christopher and I went for an early morning stroll through the gardens,” Emma told her, sitting on the bed as she did.
Alice whipped her head around to face her, moving so quickly that she frightened Nancy. The lady’s maid stepped back in alarm and Alice quickly remembered that what she was about to say was something Nancy could not hear.
“Could you give us a moment?” she asked the maid.
“Yes, My Lady,” Nancy nodded, bowing her head as she hurried out of the room.
Once she was gone, Alice twisted her entire body around to face Emma. “Are you out of your mind, Emma? After what happened in the gardens that night, you should not be going anywhere near it.”
“The gardens are my favorite place to be, Alice,” Emma said. She looked as lovely as ever this morning, with most of her black hair tucked under a lace cap. “You cannot truly expect me to stay away from it, can you? And, whoever was daring enough to shoot at you would not be so daft so as to do so in broad daylight, even if they mistake me for you again.”
“It is still far too risky,” Alice said with a shake of her head. “Until we know exactly what is happening, I don’t want you to risk that again.”
Emma sighed, her eyes growing tender. “Very well. I understand your worry. I’d hate to hear that you were risking the same thing.”
“Yes, but unlike you, I am not lured to the flowers in our gardens.”
Emma sighed again, wistful. Alice managed a smile. “To think that this person has frightened us enough to make it so that we are afraid of wandering around our own Manor grounds.”
“I am annoyed as you are,” Alice told her. “But for now, we have to be cautious.”
“I understand, I understand. That is not why I came to see you, though.”
“Did you come so that we may talk about useless things?” Alice asked, cocking her head to the side. “Or are you simply curious about the tension between Lord Erlington and I?”
“The latter,” Emma said with a curious look. “You two could not have made it more obvious that something had happened. Lord Christopher and I were talking about it this morning as well, but he says his brother has not divulged any of the details. He only asked Lord Christopher to go hunting with him after breakfast.”
Alice didn’t know what to make of that. Her chest tightened at the fact that William was still quite upset with her. Who would have known such a jovial man could hold a grudge?
“It is nothing serious,” Alice tried to explain, hoping she sounded more confident about that than she felt. “He was being a little intrusive and so I simply let him know that no information about me is any of his business. I do not think he took kindly to it.”
Emma’s eyes widened in surprise. “Surely, you didn’t say it like that?”
“Not in those exact words, but I was rather firm about it, yes.” Alice took in the disbelief in her sister’s eyes and felt even worse about the situation. “Before you say it, yes. I know that I could have been a little kinder. I believe that is why Lord Erlington is so upset.”
“I doubt it,” Emma responded with a shake of her head. “Lord Erlington doesn’t strike me as the type to get angry over such simple things. I think it has more to do with the fact that he told you about his sordid and depressing past and you could not do the same.”
“He should not expect me to!” Alice gasped.
“Of course not,” Emma agreed. “But I’m sure he also did not expect you to be so…firm, as you put it. Can’t you imagine being in his position? If I were to bare my deepest secret to someone, only for them to turn their nose up at me when I try to learn a little about them myself, I would be quite upset.”
When she put it like that, Alice only felt worse. She hadn’t considered that to be the reason William was angry. She only thought she’d been a little too harsh in the way she was speaking. If that were the case then, she had even more to apologize for.
Feeling weary all of a sudden, Alice put her hand to her temples with a sigh. She wasn’t used to being on the receiving end of berating after doing something wrong. “I’m sure Lord Erlington would be overjoyed to know that he has so many people on his side.”
“Don’t worry,” Emma said with an easygoing smile. “Lord Christopher can be quite the worrywart when it comes to his older brother. I believe he is constantly in Lord Erlington’s ear telling him what he should and should not do.”
“And I have a feeling Lord Erlington is having quite a grand time ignoring his brother and doing whatever he wishes.”
Emma laughed at that. Alice joined in as well for a moment, but it died when she thought of what Emma had said earlier about William wanting to go riding. At least she would see him at breakfast. Perhaps she could make her apology then, before he went off on his own.
Turning back to face the mirror, Alice called Nancy back into the room. It didn’t take her long to finish getting ready and Emma remained with her, their conversation drifting to other topics. Soon, it was time for them to head to the dining hall for breakfast. As they grew nearer and nearer, as the time to see William again grew closer, Alice felt her insides twist with nervousness.
