Page 52 of Truly, Madly, Daring

“I’ve missed you, Aggie,” he said softly.

To his astonishment, colour rose in her cheeks.

“Are you blushing?” he demanded, entranced and delighted by this new turn of events.

“No!” she retorted, glaring at him and folding her arms. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

Fred smothered a grin and decided it was safer not to tease her over it.

“And stop looking so smug,” she said crossly.

“Yes, Aggie,” he said, almost choking himself as he struggled not to laugh.

She huffed and rolled her eyes and then her lips quirked. “I suppose I missed you too,” she muttered.

Fred put a hand to his heart. “Oh, Aggie, you overwhelm me with your romantic words. I may swoon.”

“Idiot.”

“Your idiot,” he said, grinning at her and bumping her with his shoulder.

Aggie bumped him back, glancing at him from under her lashes. From any other woman, it might have seemed a flirtatious glance, but Aggie didn’t have the least clue how to flirt.

“Really?”

“Really,” he agreed, reaching for her hand. He laced their fingers together and she let out a shaky breath. Fred knew how she felt. If her heart was anything like his, it was dancing a jig behind her ribs. “I’d suggest we go for a walk, but it’s pouring with rain.”

She gave a little snort, which delighted him, and shot him an amused glance. “Beverwyck is about ten miles wide and five miles deep. We can still go for a walk. Indoors.”

“As the lady wishes, then,” Fred replied, realising at once his ladylove was a genius. “How about a picnic?”

She darted him a glance, surprise and pleasure shining in the blue of her eyes. “Yes, please, Fred.”

“Come along then, sweetheart,” he said, bursting with happiness. “Let’s see what Cook can make for us.”

Chapter 14

Dearest Delia,

Please forgive me for not having written sooner. I know how worried you must have all been, but I hope you know me well enough to realise I am perfectly well and managing nicely.

If you want the truth, I am happy. No one here knows who I am, and for the first time in my life, I am grateful for how isolated my life has been. Please do not worry about my financial situation either. I took my jewellery with me and have sold a few pieces already which have set me up very nicely, but I have more hidden safely away should I require it. Even if I were not so content, I would still prefer it to marrying that disgusting old man.

After everything the duke has done, after all the petty cruelties, I still find it hard to believe that he planned such a fate for me. I know, as everyone knows, the Earl of Wendover beat his first wife so badly and so often, she killed herself to escape him, and he ruined his second wife in that awful crimcon. Now I know why, so he was free to marry me. My stomach roils at the villainy he is capable of. Yet my own grandfather would sell me to such a man. Well, I thwarted his plans. I shall let no man have dominion over me ever again, for they are all vile and untrustworthy, well except Wrexham, of course. But I shall live quietly and anonymously until the duke is cold in his grave.

Please send Aunt Lucy my love and embrace dear Rex for me. I worry for him more than anyone and wish I were there. I hope he can forgive me for deserting him, and understand why I did it. I truly felt it was life or death, or I would never have left you all with so much to deal with.

Be brave like those wicked pirates you so admire, Delia. I miss you all and love you so much.

Your own, Genevieve x

―Excerpt of a letter from The Lady Genevieve Hamilton to The Lady Cordelia Steyning.

18th of February 1845, Cawston Hall, Cawston, Norfolk.

Rex sat at his desk, waiting for Emmeline to return with her maid. Not being a complete halfwit, he knew his wife was in the right. He had behaved badly this morning. Worse, he had behaved like the duke, shouting the odds and riding roughshod over anyone who didn’t get out of his way quick enough. Emmeline had been right to take him to task, brave too, for Delia would not have dared and even Aunt Lucy steered clear when he lost his temper so utterly. He sighed and put his head in his hands, tugging at his hair, which would upset Lennox. He’d done enough of that this morning.

How he could have doubted Lennox even for a moment, when the man had been with him for so many years, he could not fathom. Lennox had run the bath while they were choosing Rex’s outfit for the day. He’d gone back to turn off the water, but after that there had been plenty of time whilst they were in his dressing room, bickering over what waistcoat he ought to wear, for someone else to enter and execute their vile plan. Well, Rex would just have to apologise and hope Lennox didn’t take his revenge by scalping him or dressing him in puce and orange. He shuddered at the idea.