Page 55 of The Undesirable Duke
She made her way to her bedchamber, quietly closed the door behind her, then turned to the window, her heart aching. The glimmer of hope that had grown inside her was now extinguished, and she was certain that it would never rekindle again. Marching to the window, she angrily closed the curtains, not wishing to see the outside world, and threw herself onto her bed.
Chapter Seventeen
Asense of relief washed over Samuel as Lord Timothy approached him, his face filled with concern.
“Yarmouth, you are as pale as the sheets on my bed,” Lord Timothy said.
“You did not need to come, Colborne. I was merely informing you of what had occurred,” Samuel commented gratefully.
Despite feeling as though he was making a nuisance of himself with his friend, he was relieved that Lord Timothy had come. He had felt unsettled since he arrived home, and having his friend’s presence was comforting.
“Please, I would not have it any other way. You are my friend, and I wished to see if you are well,” Lord Timothy said as the two men shook hands.
Samuel winced at the injury to his hand from the broken vase and turned away abruptly.
Lord Timothy’s eyes filled with concern.
“You are hurt.”
“It is merely a cut from a broken vase.”
“Perhaps you could use a drink,” Lord Timothy offered as they stepped into the parlor.
The drawing room and Samuel’s study were still being tended to after the ransacking. The two men settled into the available chairs, and Samuel felt Lord Timothy’s eyes on him.
“You appear tense, Colborne.”
“I am concerned about you, Yarmouth. Your visit to London has not been anything that you thought it would be.”
“I must admit, it is much more eventful than I had imagined, indeed, but I am determined to find out who this man is.”
“With all due respect, Yarmouth, how are you to do that? Nothing that has been tried so far has yielded any results.”.
“While the man was in my home, two of my maids encountered him. They gave me a description of him, and now I have a better idea of who the man is.”
Lord Timothy’s eyes widened, and he appeared impressed with the progress that Samuel had made despite the circumstances.
“What did the maids have to say?”
“The man was nearly as tall as I am, with brown hair combed to the side and dark eyes. He had a short and neatly trimmed beard. He wore dark breeches and a dark coat, and he smelled of leather.”
“Leather?”
“Perhaps it was his boots. I am not certain what to make of that description.”
“Although it is a detailed description, it does not narrow it down much.”
“It is something to work with. The maids also told me that the man had a crooked eyebrow.”
“And do we know anyone with a crooked brow?” Lord Timothy muttered.
Samuel shrugged his shoulders and sighed.
“I have not the faintest idea.”
Samuel ran his fingers through his hair and sighed wearily. He had not slept for the entire night, as he was assisting Mrs. Hall and the maids with tidying his study. He was rather particular about where each thing in his study was placed and had wanted to make sure of everything. The person who had overturned his study had done a thorough job of creating havoc, and Samuel felt as though his entire life had been strewn about.
“You are exhausted. Perhaps I should leave you to rest.”
