Page 36 of Lady of Charade
David welcomed the warm sun upon his face, the fresh air of the countryside filling and renewing him. Some time out of the city — that was what he needed. Perhaps Sarah’s words were having an effect on him.
He hadn’t spent much time in the past few years at any of his parents’ estates. Of course, he would attend the odd weekend party or visit them for a short while each summer, but he always felt rather… alone when he was there, despite what family may have accompanied him.
He glanced over at the carriage trundling along beside them, which held the women. He smiled at the thought of the four women and the four men who were traveling together — three couples married, leaving him and Sarah.
His smile fell somewhat, however, when he thought of the strain that had formed within their relationship over the past week. Not so much a strain, perhaps, but… distance that he would have thought had been bridged since their night together.
Clarence glanced over at him, perceptive to David’s countenance, which was currently aimed toward the said carriage.
“Does something — or someone — have you down, friend?” he asked drolly, with a smile that only turned up one side of his lips, and David straightened.
“Not entirely,” he answered, not wanting to lie but also not exactly keen on sharing his state of emotions with his friend.
“She must be different, this one,” Berkley chimed in, “For I have never known a woman to affect you before, Redmond.”
“I am not affected,” he defended himself, and Berkley chuckled.
“’Tis nothing to be ashamed of,” the blond man said, shaking his head. “We’ve all been there before. Miss Jones is a lovely one.”
“I do hope,” Clarence said, his expression now serious as he glanced over at David, “That you have done nothing to compromise one of the closest friends of my wife.”
David shifted uncomfortably in his saddle, as he was unable to meet the Duke’s eye. He wasn’t sure Clarence would accept the explanation that they had each been willing partners, that Sarah had asked it of him, and that it had been about more than just the coming together of their bodies.
He opened his mouth to refute their words and defend himself, but as he did so he realized that he was, in fact, lost, having no idea what direction to now take when it came to his relationship with Sarah Jones. These three men had found happiness — perhaps they could help guide him.
“I was under the impression that perhaps she and I were entering into an… understanding with one another,” he said, not missing Clarence’s perceptive glance. “However, it appears I must have been mistaken as she has been rather cold for the past week or so.”
“She’s distancing herself from you,” Eddie said, and David started for a moment, nearly forgetting the man who had been riding along silently beside them, listening to their conversation. “No insult meant, Redmond, but…”
He trailed off as though unsure of whether or not it was his place to say anything, but Clarence took pity on him, obviously much more at ease in saying exactly what he thought to David.
“Why would shenotbe worried about what it could mean to become close to you, what with the company you keep?”
“I have not kept such company lately,” David muttered, and Clarence chuckled.
“Even so,” he acknowledged. “Just what do you think my wife is telling her about you within that carriage right now?”
David rubbed at his temple. He had never thought he would have any reason to regret the life of pleasure he had been living, but apparently, he was very, very wrong.
“Whatever she feels, I did promise to help her,” he said, needing to speak of something else.
“With finding her father,” Clarence confirmed, and David nodded. At the knowing gazes of the other men, David knew that they were all aware of the situation. “I have been doing my best to determine his identity for some time now, but with the lack of information…” Clarence continued, clearly unsure of himself now as well.
David nodded. He knew that Clarence was the best help Sarah could find. The man seemed to know everything about everyone. And yet the thought of the Duke being the one to aid her in her quest caused a fit of odd jealousy to begin to flare within him — despite the fact that the man was happily married to one of Sarah’s closest friends.
He pushed aside the irrational emotion to address the issue at hand.
“I have something now — something that might help,” David said, shifting the reins into one hand as he reached into his inside jacket pocket and pulled out the ring. He passed it over to Clarence, taking care not to drop it between them.
“It’s a family crest,” Clarence said, raising his eyebrows, somewhat incredulous. “Where did you find this?”
David’s cheeks warmed for a moment as he realized he could not entirely tell the truth — that he had found it near the washbasin in Sarah’s rooms when he was dressing one morning.
“Miss Jones had it on her person,” he finally managed. “I saw it upon her finger — her thumb I suppose — and asked her where she had gotten such a thing. She told me her mother had given it to her, that it had been her father’s previously.”
“Why did she not think to give this to me earlier?”
“She thought it was nothing but an insignificant trinket,” David said, repeating her words. “Do you recognize it?”
