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“I must say that your opinion of my person causes me no concern, madam.” He imprinted this with icicles and motioned her for the door.
He would have to keep certain rooms locked during her… visit.
* * *
Annabel paced her chamber, hands twisting one another. That had been a horrible mistake. How did she let herself be caught in such a clumsy way? She never did this since she entered service. She had work to do in London. The blasted man did not have the right to force her to be here.
She would have to use Peter, her footman, to deliver messages for her and she got no idea if he would be subtle enough. First, she needed to alert her contact in the inn of the situation.
Thinking of it, though… Her forefinger met her chin, pensive. She could use this opportunity to make a thorough search in the castle, only now, she would have to be doubly careful. The man acted in a sly fashion and he proved to be unpredictable. Who could have guessed he would go for a ride and be back in a question of minutes?
She sat by her escritoire, ink and paper in hand. If the Duke suspected her of some scheme, delivering and receiving messages would become a tricky process. Peter helped her in previous occasions, but now he needed all his wits about him. She got down to writing her message.
She summoned her footman and instructed him to deliver the message to the contact in the inn and wait for an answer.
* * *
In the great hall, Romulus looked through the window, his blood still heated in his veins. Almost faltering a moment there in his chambers, he had been this close of ceding to a weakness he did not know was there. He rubbed the nape of his neck, exhaling forceful air. Years of distance between them and now this.
During the war, as soon as he could, he took a leave to come home and marry her. The battlefield had been hectic and leave became a reality only after two years. Also, his superiors kept him busy with assignments, not to mention the one he put on himself to accomplish. He travelled home almost running all the way to her. He answered as many of her letters as possible but not so many as he liked.
To discover her married… And to a fop at that! He distilled bile from the second her friend made that laughable introduction. Upon seeing her, his sole thought was to fold her in his arms, take her to the nearest church and then to the nearest bedchamber. Everything he planned, everything he thought of her crumbled to ashes.
After that, little mattered. The social nonsense of London churned his stomach. He did not set foot to a single one ever since.
At that moment, well, it was as if eight years just did not exist. The sight of her accorded a complete and different meaning to time. One in which he did not recognise himself. There were too many things going on here. He needed to focus. He needed to keep a cool head.
He needed a new mistress.
Someone cleared his throat behind him. He turned to see Miller. “Your Grace.” The minion bowed.
Servants walked around busing themselves with breakfast, the castle on full morning routine.
“I called you here because we will have to make changes on our current plans.” He motioned to a more private corner. “We cannot hold our meetings here anymore.”
“I see, Your Grace.”
“Talk to Burns, our oldest tenant, and see if we can do it in his house.” This new development revealed to be most disagreeable, in his opinion.
“Is there anything else, Your Grace?”
“No, Miller. Thank you.” His man of affairs bowed and left.
When Romulus turned his head, Annabel stood in the middle of the great hall, with a plate to start breakfast, her back to him. He hoped she overheard nothing.
She turned to him dressed in a sea-green day dress. She curtsied as if they did not… meet at dawn. “Your Grace.” The movement made the fabric stretch over her round bosom, which did not help his mood in the least. “Your housekeeper told me I could find breakfast here.” Her lips smiled, but her liquid eyes fulminated him. “I expect not to be intruding.”
He did want to know what he was thinking when he had this brilliant idea to keep her here. Because it was not a whole twenty-four hours yet, and it proved to be difficult enough.
“Absolutely, Your Ladyship.” He turned to her. “I fear I cannot accompany you, for I have estate matters to attend to today.” He bowed and left before she induced him to forget which matters and why.
CHAPTER FOUR
She did overhear him in the great hall, Annabel remembered with a smug smile on her face as she returned to her chambers. Now, she would have to find out when, so she could try to sneak there and eavesdrop what they said. Who might have thought that fate would smile at her mission after a bad start?
Ready in a walking dress, she shod her boots. Maybe, she would explore the grounds to get familiar with them. The great hall was abuzz with activity as she reached for the large front door. This April weather presented its brisk temperature and a watery sun, ideal for walking. A hectic inner bailey proved to be as crowded as the great hall, with workers, carts, ploughing horses and varied farming equipment. She saw that the outside areas had been preserved as much as the original construction. And she found it fascinating to be able to explore these medieval witnesses from so long ago.
