Page 29 of Code Name Duchess
“I have not. There hasn’t been time.”
He nodded and rushed across the room to ring the bell, summoning a servant.
“That is why you are unwell. You must eat, Winnifred. I will have the cook bring a meal for you, or eat downstairs in the dining room. Yes, you ought to eat downstairs and enjoy a little peace, away from all of this. I shall continue to read through these letters and sort them while you take a meal.”
His tone was such that she didn’t dare protest. Besides, he was correct. She needed to eat, lest she lose all of her strength. And today, Winnie suspected, would be a very long day indeed.
She blinked at him. The concern, the care, and the way she’d found him looking at her whenever he thought she didn’t see awoke in her a suspicion of a different kind.
In light of everything she’d learned about him, and considering their closeness, could it be... Was there a possibility that he, too, felt the fire between them?
Could it be that under the cool exterior, there was a heart that yearned for her as much as hers did for him?
Chapter 14
Seth organized the letters by date. Just as Winnie had said, all of Leo’s letters were dated, making his task at least somewhat easier. However, reading the truth about his good friend and his sister’s developing romance through this specter of time caused him some discomfort. Not just because the intimacy of Leo’s words was highly uncomfortable to read, but also because he was devastated that his sister kept her happiness from him—and endangered herself in the process.
Could I have prevented this? If I had not been so closed off, perhaps Rose would’ve felt more comfortable trusting me, and she wouldn’t have needed to hide. A gang would’ve had no reason to blackmail her. Alas, I know it does no good for me to have such thoughts. What’s done is done. All I can do now is find her.
He looked up when the floorboards creaked in the hall and saw Winnifred standing in the doorway.
She looked rested and beautiful, which cheered his heart. If it weren’t for her presence, her guidance, and determination, he didn’t know where they would stand now. His lips turned up into a slight smile which she returned with an even brighter one.
“You look much better.”
“I feel much better. I must say your cook makes the most delicious plum cake. And the pineapple was divine. But what about you? What have you found out?”
He waved his hand over the array of letters.
“I have read every one of these. And I have concluded that our siblings started a relationship with one another at least six months ago. Leo’s first letter speaks of a conversation they had at the theater. It seems they made a habit of meeting at the Royal Menagerie or the park. Mrs. McKee always accompanied Rose. They were careful and arranged the meetings so they were always quite by chance, not by design.”
“They certainly made an excellent effort of it, as I suspected nothing. Nothing at all. I can’t understand why Leo did not take me into his confidence. I was always fond of Lady Rose, and my brother knows that.”
Seth, who had been squatting on the floor, stood up, and his knees gave a loud creaking sound. He stretched his legs and rolled his shoulders to relieve some of the tension.
“It seems that Leo was in a difficult position. He describes it as being at point non plus in several letters. Stating that he did not know what to do and what the future would bring. He did not wish to speak to me regarding the matter, but he also did not wish to end the connection.”
Winnifred paced the length of the room and came to a stop near his desk. She drummed the fingers of her right hand on his oak desk and chewed her bottom lip before spinning around.
“I wonder if Rose spoke to anybody about this. All we have are my brother’s words. As eloquent as I am sure they are, they give us only half of the story. We must find out what her feelings were. And from her hand or mouth, not by way of my brother. For he always had a way of interpreting things his own way.”
Seth rubbed his chin. A fine layer of stubble appeared on his face as he hadn’t had a chance to let his valet shave him for several days. He was not in the habit of allowing himself to grow a beard or look disheveled. He was too aware of his station in life. Alas, these last few days had simply gotten away from him.
“It seems my sister was determined to make the union official, and if not for fear of my reaction, already would have.”
Winnifred blinked at him. “Do you suppose perhaps they might have run away together?”
Seth shrugged. “It occurred to me. It certainly had. But there is no indication in the letters that this was their intention. Plus, there is also the letter demanding money. And the blackmail notice. That alone negates any possibility of them running away together.”
Winnifred’s legs set into motion again, and she made another circle around the study. Seth couldn’t help but smile; he had already picked up on some of her more unusual mannerisms. And it seemed that walking greatly aided her ability to form complex thoughts.
And without fail, almost with an instant, she snapped her fingers. “I wonder if they had a secret plan to run away together and the blackmailers found out while gathering information about Leo? And further, I wonder if anyone else did know about it? Mrs. McKee did. Is there nobody else your sister would have confided in? A friend? Or a family member?”
At the words, family member, Seth could not help but jerk back. And not because of David. He blinked and looked across the room to Winnifred, whose mouth dropped open.
“There is somebody, isn’t there? I can see it in the way that your lips are twitching.”
I am not accustomed to anybody reading me like an open book the way she does. It is vexing, and at the same time, oddly pleasant. I often feel as though I am trapped within myself, without anybody who can understand me. Perhaps if the situation were not as grave as it is, I would find her ability to suss me out so readily quite charming.
