Isobel had never been so relieved to see anyone. Richard appeared at the end of the hall, his expression a careful mask of welcome that did not quite reach his eyes. His gaze fixed on where the man – Adrian, still held Isobel's hand, and there was something dark and dangerous in them that made Isobel's pulse quicken for entirely different reasons.
“Ah, Richard,” Adrian said, his expression still bearing the strain of confusion. “I think –”
Richard moved with surprising speed, reaching out to pull Adrian's hands away from Isobel with perhaps more force than was necessary. “Adrian, my friend. Welcome. I trust your journey was pleasant?”
Adrian looked as though he had more pressing matters to discuss than his journey, and Richard seemingly knew as much, because in the next moment, he had grabbed Adrian and was leading him elsewhere.
Isobel watched them go, also confused but thankful that Richard had come in time to save her. With a glance around to ensure that no one had witnessed the interaction – or seen her leaving her aunt’s room – she continued to make her escape.
Only to stop five steps later as the realization of who that man was hit her.
Adrian Holbrook. Valerie’s betrothed.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Richard barely managed to restrain himself from slamming the door to the empty study once he and Adrian were inside. His friend looked quite confused and alarmed, but Richard could not bring himself to care about Adrian's comfort at the moment.
All he could think about was the way Adrian had been holding Isobel's hand. The way he had looked at her with such joy and affection, believing her to be Valerie.
There was no reason for that brief moment to bother him so much. Adrian was betrothed to Valerie – of course, he would be happy to see her. Except that he had not met Valerie, but her twin, Isobel.
It had taken every ounce of self-control within Richard not to succumb to the surge of jealousy and physically remove his friend from Isobel's presence.
“Richard,” Adrian Holbrook, duke of Norwich, said carefully, “What in God's name is going on? Who was that woman?”
Richard forced himself to take a breath, trying to compose himself into a calmer state of being. “How was your journey? Uneventful, I trust?”
“My journey has passed and therefore is irrelevant. What matters is the present and presently, I am very shocked to have faced a woman who looks exactly like my wife to be, but apparently is not,” Adrian warned, his own patience clearly wearing thin. “I would appreciate it greatly if you did not attempt to deflect with pleasantries. I could tell immediately – the way she looked at me, as though she had never seen me before in her life. Who is she, and where is my betrothed?”
“Valerie is fine,” Richard said quickly, and he also felt calmer when he noticed some tension leave Adrian's shoulders. “She is upstairs in the attic, recovering. But she has been... unwell.”
“Unwell?” Adrian's expression darkened with concern. “What has been recovering from? What happened? Is she –”
“She was poisoned.”
The words hung heavily in the air, and Adrian went very still, his face paling rapidly.
“Poisoned,” he repeated, his voice dangerously quiet. “Someone poisoned Valerie?”
“A little over a week ago,” Richard confirmed with a nod. “She collapsed the first night of the betrothal party, and she has been unconscious ever since – until last night, actually. She woke last night, and she appears to be recovering well.”
“Who?” Adrian demanded, his eyes alight with dangerous rage. “Who would dare –”
“We do not know yet,” Richard interrupted calmly. “That is what we have been trying to discover. The woman you met – her name is Isobel. She is Valerie's twin sister.”
“Twin sister?” Adrian looked stunned. “Valerie has a twin? She never mentioned –”
“She did not know. Or rather, she knew she had a sister somewhere, but they were separated as infants. Lord Gramfield gave Isobel up for adoption in Scotland.” Richard's voice took on a bitter edge. “When Valerie was poisoned, Gramfield panicked. He was afraid that if the wedding were canceled, it would cause a poor situation. So he sent for Isobel and convinced her to pretend to be Valerie while we investigated who was responsible.”
Adrian took in this information gradually, his expression cycling through shock, anger, and eventually something that looked like admiration settled upon his face. “She agreed to put herself in danger for a sister she barely knows?”
“She did.”
“That is...” Adrian shook his head. “That is incredibly brave. And incredibly foolish. Whoever poisoned Valerie could easily target Isobel as well.”
“I am aware,” Richard said, unable to keep the stiff edge out of his voice. “Which is why I have been doing everything in my power to keep her safe.”
Something in his tone must have given him away, because Adrian's eyes sharpened with sudden interest. “Keep her safe. How... concerned are you about this woman, Richard?”
