Page 65 of Love Abandoned

“Page three, halfway down,” Sophia said, passing the paper to Elizabeth.

Elizabeth’s hands trembled slightly as she flipped the sheets.

A picnic in winter. What could be more delightful? Dare I say, many things. The company could have been much improved upon. A distinguished duke was noticeably absent by the side of a certain lady, who nevertheless found many a gentleman upon whom to bestow her attentions.

“That is not true,” Elizabeth said. “You spent little time with the men. You were with Catherine and me much of the picnic.” As for poor company, she cared not what anyone thought of her friends or her other guests. It was a petty statement, and she’d never had any patience for such nonsense.

Sophia flapped her hand at Elizabeth’s concern. “It does not concern me. Read.”

Gentlemen more interested in children’s games than our fresh crop of debutantes, Lord B attentive to a girl not yet out of the schoolroom, and food as gray and bland as the day were not the lowest points of the event. No, the depths of bad manners were plumbed by the blatant affection displayed by married couples, the worst offenders the host and hostess themselves! Were they trying to lay to rest rumors that Lord T is plowing more fertile fields?

Elizabeth read the last line over and over until the words blurred as her eyes brimmed with tears. Catherine pressed a glass into her hand and quietly told her to drink. Which she did and choked, then began to cry. As Catherine rubbed her back, Elizabeth’s mind was a maelstrom, searching for the truth in the accusation, wanting not to find it. When her tears subsided, she was no further ahead in her thoughts, but her stomach churned with dread. Had this been the cause of his distance? She had never doubted his faithfulness. Until now.

She took a slower sip of the cognac, letting it warm her from within. She inhaled slowly and blew out a long breath, calming her racing mind. She should not question it now. Not based on gossip from someone who must be bitter about something. Elizabeth raised her eyes and met Sophia’s sympathetic stare.

“You don’t believe…this?” She grasped the paper and shook it at Sophia. “This rag? Do you?”

Catherine’s hand stilled, and she sat back on the sofa, her hand rubbing her stomach. Elizabeth did not miss the look she exchanged with Sophia. She looked from one to the other. “You do believe it!” Elizabeth stood, fury overwhelming her good manners. “How could you?” She turned to Catherine. “Richard was there for you when you needed him.” She swung on Sophia. “And you have known him for years. Years! You should know better.”

Sophia held up her hands. “Your anger is misplaced,bella,” she said calmly. “You slay the messenger.”

All the wind went out of her anger, and she deflated instantly, sitting back on the sofa and putting her head in her hands, shaking it back and forth, trying to dislodge the traitorous imaginings that were tumbling around.

“For what it is worth,” Catherine said, “I find the reference concerning, but I don’t believe it. And Nicholas called it a pile of rubbish when I showed it to him this morning. I should think he would know.”

“And you?” Elizabeth asked, her heart sinking, for she saw the truth in Sophia’s dark gaze. “You do.” She sucked in her bottom lip, trying to stop a fresh bout of tears.

Sophia leaned forward and touched her knee. “I do not know. Where there isfumo, sometimes there is also fire.” She lifted her shoulders, and dropped them with a heavy sigh. “You must ask the man who knows the truth. It is the only way.”

“I agree,” Catherine said. “Avoiding an issue solves nothing. Nicholas and I are living proof of that. It was only when we talked honestly with each other that we were able to move forward.”

“And look how that turned out,mia amica.” Sophia patted Elizabeth’s knee and sat back. “This may be a good thing. You will talk. You will make amends with each other. And you will have your happy ending too.”

Elizabeth had no spirit left to pursue her seductive nightgown and apologized profusely to Madame Moreau before getting into Sophia’s coach. When they pulled in front of the town house, she took a deep breath as though it could brace her for the confrontation she knew was coming. She still could not believe Richard would be unfaithful, but one thing she knew for certain: he would not like that she questioned the fact. Which she must do, if only so they could put their heads together and decide how best to counter the vile rumors that were sure to come from that nasty bit of gossip.

“Grande coraggio,” Sophia said, squeezing Elizabeth’s hand before her man closed the door. Catherine waved sadly through the window. Elizabeth watched the coach pull away, hoping she could find the great courage Sophia had wished for her.

Clarkson let her in as Hastings came rushing down the hall. Richard’s study door was closed, which meant he was in. Good. She wanted no time to second-guess whether to confront him.

“Lord Thornwood is in his study, I presume?” Elizabeth asked as Clarkson took her cloak.

“He is, my lady, but has asked not to be disturbed.” Hastings’s eyes shifted to the study door, then back to her.

A subtle move, but those warning bells sounded again, ringing through Elizabeth’s body. She pulled at the ribbon under her chin and yanked her bonnet off, shoving it into Hastings’s hands. “Indeed? Well, I shan’t be more than a moment.” She strode quickly to the door and opened it without knocking, and the air left her lungs.

Richard was leaning intimately toward a shapely redhead, the woman’s hand placed familiarly on his cheek. The safe behind him was open, the moneys collected from the picnic strewn about inside.Patricia.He’d said her Christian name. She saw all this at once but could make no sense of any of it.

“Richard?”

They turned toward her, and his face betrayed his guilt. She had seen enough. She turned and flew up the stairs. Too angry to cry, too hurt to even feel, she dismissed Lucy and lay fully clothed on the bed, staring at the ceiling. She was finished. The battles were behind them. The war was over. And she had lost.

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