Page 81 of His Unforgettable Bride
“Faith must miss Sutton dreadfully.”
“Indeed, and I assume she is unwilling to wed so soon after his death. Perhaps I shall remain single forever.” The idea held a measure of merit should Juliet ultimately refuse him, and she certainly could.
A royal life was not for everyone.
Dobbin’s brow arched. “What about an heir?”
Henry groaned and slumped as silence built around them, sleet lashing the windowpane. “How long until we can sail home?”
“A few of your men continue to search for you and have ventured into the wilderness. We’ll need to round them up. Since your disappearance, we’ve explored the area between here and Seattle and recently ventured to the mainland.”
“Including Everly?”
“I am unsure exactly where on the mainland, but we continue adding additional places up and down the coastline daily. Someone reported seeing you near Port Alberni, north of here, but obviously, it was a false finding.”
Everyone serving the crown swore oaths, agreeing to sacrifice their lives for the royal family. Their devotion humbled Henry. Now that he thought about it, Juliet had acted similarly, offering to step aside as he chose a better bride. Except none existed, and he refused to give her up without mounting his best arguments.
“I also sent a letter to the palace explaining the situation, which was excruciating,” Dobbin said.
Henry winced. As soon as possible, he must return home. “I shall write Mother yet today.”
A sharp knock sounded on the door, and Dobbin moved to answer the beckoning as Henry stood. “Who is there?” Dobbin called.
“The chief constable. I understand Henry Graighton is inside this room, and I must speak with him immediately.”
Dobbin’s blue eyes swam with deep concern as they met Henry’s. “One moment, sir.”
Ruby had traveled on the same steamer to Victoria, though she had the good sense to refrain from speaking to him. Had she run straight to the constable, dragged him to the hotel, and now expected a reward? Juliet had explained that the poor woman had a child on the way, so why not give her the money to help her provide for the baby?
“Bid him inside. He has saved me a trip. After he leaves, we shall go to the harbor, address our men, and instruct someone to find those who search for me. And you shall accompany me to Everly to meet Juliet in the coming days.”
Chuckling, Dobbin reached for the latch. “By Jove, you sound like a proper king, full of instructions and plans for the future.”
Henry grinned before growing serious again. He was ready for justice to reign, even in a frontier town perhaps newer than his borrowed coat hanging in the wardrobe. It was time to reveal the truth to the constable—Ruby had stolen her prior employer’s jewels and now blackmailed Juliet.
With Ruby no longer a threat, Juliet could move on with her life. But on what path? With him or without?
Twenty-Six
Real politeness is the outward expression
of the most generous impulses of the heart.
Juliet had put off the conversation regarding her past long enough. If Henry hadn’t left, he’d buck her up for the upcoming heart-to-heart, then sit beside her as a pillar of support. But he couldn’t help her now. He’d been gone for three days.
Juliet’s stomach lurched as she poked her head into the drawing room. Musical notes floated in the air. Positioned on the piano stool, Tabitha’s fingers roved across the silky keyboard. Livy knitted in a spindle-backed rocker, half of a rose-colored blanket draped over her lap.
Couldn’t she postpone the chat until Tabitha finished playing the piano? Even better, why not tell the sisters about her wayward pickpocketing days tomorrow over breakfast?
But then Livy raised her hand before Juliet ducked out of the doorway. “Please join us, dearie.”
Tabitha stopped playing, turned toward Juliet, and softly smiled. She didn’t waste her grins. Offering one now was almost like an embrace between friends. “Would you like a warm cup of tea on this snowy night? It’s jasmine, and you’ll find all you need on the cart.”
“Yes, ma’am, and thank you.”
Well, this was it. There would be no more stalling with the dreaded conversation. Juliet moved toward the double-tiered wooden cart with two large, spoked wheels in the back and two little ones in the front. Tonight, it was positioned in the corner near Peaches’s cage.
After reaching the cart, she picked up a teacup and slowly poured her tea, in no hurry to rush about. Then she returned the pot to the cart.
