Page 64 of The Dreaming Beauty
“I was called away that night to visit the dower house. In all these years, I have never set foot in that house or spoken to the dowager duchess. I went because I have tried hard to befriend her and wanted to be of service to the woman if I could. She asked me for this favor, and I said I would deliver her message and no more. You have to believe me.”
Tansy’s expression turned contrite. “I’m sorry.” Her hand went to her face, and she sighed. “I drew such a ridiculous conclusion. After Simon came this morning and everything that I have learned about my mother, I haven’t been myself.”
It was Simon to her now, was it? Marcus’s jaw flinched as he ground his teeth together. “My brother paid a call on you?” He knew the answer, but he wanted to know more.
She looked him directly in the eye and bobbed her head. When she added nothing to her answer, he felt like he had been gut-punched. She might not have confirmed or denied it, but what she didn’t say let him fill in the gap. Besides, his brother would confirm his suspicions soon enough.
She would be a duchess. Who could refuse such an offer?
Adjusting the brim of his hat, he took a step backward toward his horse. “I should be on my way.”
“Wait. We do not have a plan.” She stepped closer when he wanted nothing more than to keep space between them. Her voice dropped. “Why do you think Richard is not my father?”
Did they have to talk about this now, when all he could think about was that she might be in love with his brother? He dug the toe of his boot into the grass. The faster he explained, the faster he could leave. “Your birthday—”
“Is in two weeks. I will be twenty.”
She was a year older than he had guessed, but with some easy math, it made sense that Richard could be her father. However, it did not guarantee it. “Would your aunts have fabricated the date?”
“My aunts? They had no need to. Remember, my mother was alive.”
He shrugged. “But that cannot be possible. There are two bodies with matching death dates buried behind the church.”
“I do not have to see the graves to know that neither one holds my mother’s body.”
“How can you know so readily?”
“People say they saw a lady ghost here, and I know they meant my mother. What if they did not see her ghost but her in the flesh and blood?”
Marcus folded his arms. He had heard of some coups from his efforts with Cadogen to end the war, but were this true, it would be a clever artifice indeed. And what would the motive have been? Why would a duchess hide that she was alive? It made no sense. “I’ll see if I can find out who buried them and if any more information can be found. In the meantime, there is one direct source we can try first.”
“What is that?”
“Your aunts.”
She looked away. “I’ve been thinking about that. I do have enough proof to confront them again.”
“Let me be there with you.” He didn’t know why he offered. He should be letting Simon be there for her, not him.
Her gaze returned to his, her blue eyes reflecting the sun, turning them into sunflowers. “I... I don’t know.”
“We will present a united front. They will be less likely to refuse your questions if I am there.”
She nodded. “It would be nice to have your support. When?”
“The day after tomorrow. I will ride into town in the morning and ask a few questions. Besides, your aunts have enough on their minds right now, and they will be in a better state for such a discussion by then.”
“The day after tomorrow will have to be soon enough. We have been invited to a lawn party at the Bellvues’ tomorrow anyway. It was likely only extended because of our connection to you, but Aster has accepted for us already.”
“I had forgotten about the party. Mother accepted their invitation too.” He dropped his arms and sighed, not eager for any sort of socializing. “I will ride to town early, then, and if we get a chance, I will tell you of my findings at the party. We can talk with your aunts the following day, if you can wait.”
“Thank you, Marcus. I’m sorry about my accusations earlier. I’ve never met anyone as good as you. I should have known you were simply passing on the message.”
But the compliment meant nothing to him if she did not love him. In fact, it only served to cut him lower, knowing that she saw him as good but not good enough to win her. He tipped his hat and backed away. His steps dragged as he turned and walked toward the gate. The greater the distance between him and Tansy, the more final their situation became. His chest ached as if someone had cut him open, piercing his heart and severing all his capacity for joy.
She was someone else’s now. And though she stood just behind him, he ached to be the one by her side. Suddenly, nothing else mattered to him. Not his research. Not his life at Ashbury Court. Not his future plans. When had Tansy become his everything? His hand reached for the gate, his grip tight. He already knew the answer. She had been for some time, with each day burrowing deeper and deeper into his heart. He’d rather be living one of his nightmares than accepting the hard reality of a life without her.
Chapter 28
