Page 57 of Her Devil of a Duke
“That is the issue, it does not concern me, Your Grace. It concerns Miss Evelyn Voss.”
“What about her?” Rafe’s stomach clenched at the words.
“It’s about when she left.” Words escaped Petra in a rush. “A gentleman arrived as she was leaving. He was furious, and lost his temper with her, dragging her into the carriage.”
Rafe gripped his coffee cup tighter, in danger of breaking it.
“Who was this man?”
“Mr. Windham. It didn’t look right, Your Grace. Not right at all, but when I asked if I should tell you, Miss Evelyn said I should not.”
“Ah, I see.” Rafe sat back once more, feeling as if he had been kicked in the gut by the words. Evelyn had not wanted him to know Mr. Windham had come for her. It was awful, to think of that man being here in this house, dragging her away.
At least she has what she has always wanted now. She has the man she wished to seduce all this time.
He thought of that scrap of paper she must have written Mr. Windham’s name on. He’d tossed it somewhere in the house, he remembered that, but he couldn’t recall for the life of him where it was now. He had intended to fulfill the promise of seeking Laurence Windham out for her as a sort of apology, but now, it seemed there was no need after all.
“Thank you for letting me know,” Rafe found his voice and forced a smile for Petra’s benefit. “Do not concern yourself, Petra. Evelyn is where she wishes to be if she is with him.”
“Oh. Very well.” Petra curtsied. “Is there anything else you need, Your Grace?”
“No. Thank you.” Rafe waited until she left the room before he let his smile fall. He felt weak, ill at ease, and the food before him, as delicious as it smelled, couldn’t tempt his appetite. He settled himself with his coffee, lost in his thoughts of Evelyn, when there was a distant knock against an outer door of the castle.
His mind filled with an imagining that it was Evelyn coming back to him. They could go to bed with one another again, sleep peacefully side by side, him without any nightmares, and she in the knowledge that she was not alone in that darkness. He imagined her coming through the door now and that he would run to her, embrace her tightly and kiss her, tell her between those kisses how much he cared for her, and that she never was just another woman to him. She was the one woman he cared so much about.
“You seem lost in thought.” The sudden words broke the perfect picture in his mind.
Rafe looked around to see in the doorway stood Simon.
“Simon? What on earth are you doing here?”
Simon smiled and walked in, offering his hand to Rafe.
“I’ve been on quite the journey to get here in this weather, and this is how I’m received?” he tutted and laughed.
“Then come, sit. Eat, no point in allowing this fine breakfast to go to waste. I’ll pour you a coffee too.” Rafe reached for a second cup and topped it up for his friend. “No, truly, it is good to see you.”
“Good to see you too, though if you don’t mind me saying, you don’t seem like your usual self.” Simon sat down at the table beside Rafe.
“Oh…”
“Let me guess, it’s being here again, isn’t it?” Simon whispered. “Ah, I know how much you hate it here. I’m sorry you have had to be here for so long, trapped in by your worst enemy too, the snow. Alas, your savior has arrived.” His friendly smile comforted Rafe and told him what a good friend he had in Simon.
“Strangely, I’m well enough,” Rafe nodded. He couldn’t tell Simon the truth, that he had actually enjoyed living here for a time, and it was all because of one woman – one woman whose name he wouldn’t be allowed to repeat to anyone, for he would most certainly risk her reputation. “I’ll be glad to get back to London though.”
“Good, because I have news on that front. I have found you the perfect place to stay. Somewhere a little finer than your last apartments.” Simon reached into the pocket of his tailcoat and pulled out some papers that he proffered to Rafe.
Stretching them out on the table, Rafe looked down at the plans for a fine house near Covent Garden, just distant enough that it still had a small estate and gardens attached. They were respectable grounds, and the details suggested a fine place indeed. Rafe wondered if Evie would approve of them and if she would care to visit the place with him.
What is happening to me? I cannot ask her such a thing!
Rafe sipped from his coffee and looked at his friend, thanking him for his hard work.
“Still, I cannot believe that you have come all this way just to check on me and give me these.” He motioned at the papers. “Spit it out Linfield, what is the true reason for your visit?”
Simon held his hands up exaggeratedly in surrender. “Fine. You caught me, old boy. Mr. and Mrs. Gulliver are holding a ball at their country estate tomorrow night. It’s not far from here at all. Just a town over. Did you not know of it?”
“I do not imagine they would invite me to such a ball. I hardly boast the best of reputations to be invited by that fop Gulliver.” Rafe realized another impediment to such an invitation. If Mr. Windham had found Evelyn here, then no doubt her aunt and uncle would learn of where she had been too. They would not want him anywhere near her. “You can rest here though before you attend it tomorrow night.”
