Page 81 of Her Lion of a Duke
It was not like her to hide things from him, and he did not like it. Mrs. Herrington had been like a second mother to him, and he thought that she respected him more than to lie to him.
“I can see it on your face. Where is she?”
“That is exactly it, Your Grace. I do not know where she is. She has been missing since yesterday morning. We tried to tell you, but you were also absent.”
His head spun. Cecilia had been missing since their argument, and nobody knew where she had gone.
“I do not understand. How has nobody seen her?”
“We were not expecting her to leave. I thought she was in her bedchambers, but then morning dawned and she did not come down for breakfast. By the time a maid found her room empty, we assumed that she had gone out without telling us, like you had. Then, she did not return last night, nor this morning.”
Leonard was furious that nobody had noticed, but then he had to redirect that anger at himself.Hehad disappeared for a whole day, when he could have searched for her and learned of her absence sooner. Now, his wife was missing, and he only had himself to blame.
“We have to find her,” he said firmly. “I must know where she is.”
“Are you certain that is a good idea?” Mrs. Herrington asked, and he raised an eyebrow at her. “Of course, we should know where she went, but she may not want to speak right now. She isno doubt embarrassed by what happened. If I know her well, she will not take kindly to being chased down.”
Leonard did not want to admit it, but his housekeeper was right. Cecilia was not a child; she was a very capable lady. If she had left without a trace, it was because she did not want to be found.
It killed him, but he had to respect her decision.
He would give her time and hope that she would return. It was all he could do.
CHAPTER 28
Cecilia did not want to leave, but she saw no other way forward.
She packed some clothes immediately after their argument and then waited for the sky to darken until she was certain that she would not be seen.
She did not want to cause any more trouble that night, though she was also aware that she was not in her right mind. All she could think of was leaving, and the easiest way to do that was to wait for night to fall.
“It’s awfully late, Your Grace,” the footman said, looking at her uncertainly. “Are you quite certain that you wish to leave?”
“Indeed. I must visit my cousin, and it is of the utmost importance that I arrive sooner rather than later.”
“But the Duke?—”
“The Duke is my husband. Should he take issue with us leaving now, I will make sure that no trouble comes your way.”
The footman studied her for a moment, and she hoped that she had been convincing enough. For all he knew, Clara was in need of assistance, and that had to be enough.
The footman sighed in defeat, looking from her to the carriage and then back to her. “Come on, then,” he relented. “But we will not be away long, will we?”
“Of course not,” she lied, climbing into the carriage.
She did not know how long she would be staying with her aunt, but she knew that she would not be returning to Pridefield Manor. She could not do it, not if it was going to make her miserable. She would be under her husband’s watch constantly, and he would always assume that she was going to hurt him again. She could not do that to herself.
They arrived as the sun rose in the sky.
Suddenly, Cecilia did not know how to speak to her family. She could not reveal too much, as she had to keep her work secret, but she had to give them a reason. As far as they knew, her marriage was a happy one, and she was pleased with her life.
That had, after all, been the case until the night before.
Clara could hardly believe her eyes when she saw her in the drawing room, sitting on the settee.
“Cecilia!” she exclaimed. “What are you—why are you?—”
“I did not know where else to go,” Cecilia sighed. “Is Aunt Margaret awake?”
