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In some way or other, she would not get away with her actions. He’d make sure of it.
“Pardon me, Your Grace.”
William looked up from the ledgers he had been pouring over for nearly the entire day and rubbed his eyes. “Come,” he called, his voice a bit gravelly.
Harold slid into the room and closed it behind him. He kept his eyes on William as he skirted around the furniture in his path and came to a stop in front of his desk, a coat strung over one arm and his hand tucked behind his back. William clasped his own hands behind his head, looking at his butler in expectation.
“Your carriage is ready, Your Grace,” Harold said. “Are you certain you will forgo dinner tonight?”
“I will not end the night without eating, Harold,” William told him, taking a deep breath. He took another, trying to shed the weight of his stress that had settled on his shoulders while he worked. “You do not need to worry.”
“And what of Lady Elizabeth?” Harold asked.
William raised a brow at the man. “I did not know you would be so concerned about Lady Elizabeth’s welfare, Harold.”
The slightly teasing words bounced off Harold’s impenetrable skin. “It is only because Lady Elizabeth expects to dine with you tonight, as she has nearly every night since she’s been here. I do not think she is aware of your plans.”’
“And there is no need to make her any wiser. She need not know where I am going tonight, so you only need to tell her that she will have to dine alone.”
“Very well, Your Grace. I shall inform her of that immediately following your departure.”
Good. I would rather not have to risk her coming to find me once she hears that I plan on leaving tonight. She will not allow me to go until I reveal my destination.
William stood, rounding the desk. As soon as he did, Harold held his hand out. A small pistol lay in the center of his palm.
William allowed his butler to help him into the coat before accepting the pistol. Considering where he was going, William didn’t make it much of a habit of leaving it behind, but tonight, the weight of the weapon made him uncomfortable. He stared at it in his hand for a few seconds before he shook his head and handed it back to Harold. “I won’t have any reason to have this tonight.”
“Are you certain?” Harold asked.
“I shall be fine.” Even though he was going to be with Nelson and there was never any telling what might happen when in his company. Elizabeth wouldn’t like it, though.
Even though it should have annoyed him, the thought warmed him instead. As he made his way to the foyer, he decided it wouldn’t really be so bad arriving to find Elizabeth already standing there, demanding to know where he was headed. It felt…almost nice to know that someone cared to be informed about his whereabouts. He hadn’t had that in a while, not since his stepmother passed away.
And when his real mother died, he’d long since lost hope that he would feel that kind of warmth again.
William felt a stab of disappointment when he reached the foyer and saw that it was empty. He tried to tamper the feeling as best as he could. It would not do anyone any good if Elizabeth learned where he was going, though he didn’t think she’d be very surprised. After all, a shady area like that was where they’d first met again.
Wesley was already waiting to head out and needed no instructions from William as to where they should go. The moment he was settled into the carriage, it took off.
Earlier that morning, during Nelson’s brief visit, Nelson had invited him out to their usual tavern, the one they would often go to during the early days of their friendship. As it were, it happened to be the very same tavern William had gone to the night he’d paid off Carolina in return for her silence, the same night he’d followed a foolish girl, sensing that she’d just walked into trouble. The night he’d met Elizabeth again.
At first, he hadn’t been planning on accepting the invitation. He was a Duke now, which meant he could no longer lead the quiet and unassuming life he’d once did. If the wrong eyes caught sight of him at the right time, he just might end up adopting a terrible reputation much like his father. Ever since William had accepted his inheritance, he’d put aside that wanton lifestyle, deciding to dedicate himself to restoring the Dukedom. Had it not been for the fact that Nelson had basically begged him, cajoling him by saying that there was much they needed to talk about, William would have continued to say no.
One night will not hurt. Once this night is over, I shall limit contact with Nelson and focus on my responsibilities.
