At any other time, Clarissa would have blushed. But despair and frustration leached through her like a poisoning mist, smothering the fragile peace she had achieved in these last few months.
“I couldn’t possibly leave Colonel Middleton,” she said. “Especially not now.”
Christian turned to look at her. Clarissa didn’t know what he saw in her face, but it brought him back to her side.
“You needn’t worry about that, Ladybird,” he said. “My mother sent a message to Colonel Middleton’s sister in Russell Square. Mrs. Parker agreed to stay with him until your return to London.”
He curled his hand around her cold fingers. She gazed helplessly into his eyes, which had grown dark with the shadows of her own reflected pain.
“It seems you’ve thought of everything,” she said in a wretched voice.
Lillian gave her an encouraging smile. “Don’t worry, Clarissa. Everything will turn out right in the end. I just know it will.”
Clarissa nodded, even though her friend’s reassurance was nonsense. Nothing would ever be right again.
Not unless she took matters into her own hands.
