Page 79 of The Wedding Challenge

She smiled faintly. “I did not approve of your attacking Lord Bromwell, no, but I am glad that you care enough to come racing to protect me. There is no brother as good as you, I am convinced.”

He smiled. “I shall hold on to those words and remind you of them next time you are vexed with me.”

Rochford turned to Francesca. “Lady Haughston.”

“Rochford.” She held out her hand. “I trust that next time we meet, it will be under less…strenuous circumstances.”

“Whenever and wherever that is,” he said, his mouth quirking up at the corner, “I am certain that it will not be dull.”

He took her hand and bowed over it. Somewhat to her surprise, he held her hand a fraction longer than was customary. Her eyes flew up to meet his, and she found him looking intently into her face. He squeezed her hand for an instant, and said simply, “Thank you.”

She gave him the slightest nod, acknowledging his words, with all the unspoken undercurrent attached to them. He strode away, and the two women turned to the task of getting Callie’s things ready for her departure.

Fortunately Callie’s maid had already packed a trunk of her clothes, awaiting instructions to bring them to Blackfriars Cope, so there was not as much to do as Callie had feared. It did not take them long to get it all done, as Callie was more interested in speed than in neatness. Normally she would have repaired torn ruffles and such, or made sure that all the clothes she packed were clean and ironed, but there would be plenty of time for cleaning and repairs when she was back home. Right now she wanted only to get away.

They did not need to stay up late to finish, but Callie was unable to get much sleep anyway. She tossed and turned and woke from restless, confusing dreams. She felt odd and out-of-place, as if she did not belong here in this room that had been a cozy home for her for close to two months. Once she got up out of bed and went to stand at the window, pushing aside the heavy draperies to look out.

There was little to see, only the dark street below, but after a moment she realized that the restlessness that plagued her came from a vague, deep-buried hope that Bromwell would come riding through the night to be with her. She rested her forehead against the cool glass pane, telling herself not to be foolish. He would not come.

Finally, she pulled herself away from the window and went back to bed.

THE DUCAL CARRIAGE ARRIVED early the next morning, shortly after Francesca and Callie finished breakfast. It was their town carriage, not the one they usually used for traveling, as it was smaller and more dashing, a brougham rather than the heavy coach and four that was now sitting at Marcastle. The coachman explained, with a slightly aggrieved air, that the master had hired a post chaise to take them from Lilles House to their estate, not warranting the town carriage large enough for all their luggage. Indeed, it was a snug fit loading Callie’s baggage onto the brougham, and two smaller bags had to go inside with her.

Francesca walked Callie out to the carriage, where Callie turned and gave her friend a hug.

“Here,” Callie said, taking Francesca’s hand and pressing a small object into it. “I so enjoyed being here with you,” she said, tears clogging her throat. “I want to give you something.”

Francesca looked down at her palm, where a delicate ivory-and-jet cameo necklace lay on a golden chain. “Why, Callie, this is beautiful. But—”

“No, please. It was my mother’s.”

Francesca’s eyes widened. “No, Callie, think! You cannot want to give this away. I cannot take it. Really.” She tried to hand the necklace back to Callie.

Callie shook her head. “No, I want you to have it. It is not the only thing I have of my mother’s. And I would like to think that we are linked—almost like sisters. Please?”

Francesca looked troubled. “Are you certain?”

“Yes. Absolutely. It is important to me.”

“All right. If that is what you want.” Francesca’s palm closed over the cameo. Then, impulsively, she stepped forward to hug Callie again. “Please, do not immure yourself up there in Norfolk. Promise me that you will come back—for the Little Season, perhaps?”

“Perhaps. And you will come to Redfields, won’t you? I intend to persuade Rochford to spend a good long while at Dancy Park.”

“Yes. Of course I will visit there.”

Francesca felt unaccustomed tears rise in her throat as Callie gave her a last smile and climbed up into the smart black carriage. Then it rolled off down the street, with Callie leaning out to wave another goodbye.

Francesca waved back, watching until the carriage turned the corner. She turned, then walked back into the house and up the stairs to her bedroom. Her maid Maisie was there, seated on a stool by the fireplace, sewing a ruffle onto the bottom of one of Francesca’s skirts.

“Well, Lady Calandra is gone, Maisie,” Francesca told her, then sighed and sat down at the vanity table. “I shall miss her, won’t you?”

“Yes, my lady. She’s a winning one, she is.”

As much as Maisie liked the Lady Calandra, she would have to admit that what she would miss most of all was the hearty meals that the duke’s generous allowance to their household had meant. Lady Francesca would have objected, of course, if she had known just how much money had flowed in from the duke’s agent the last two months to pay for Lady Calandra’s upkeep. Indeed, she would probably have sent it back to His Grace in a temper. But, fortunately, Fenton was too canny for that; the duke’s man of business had dealt straight with Fenton, who would have been sure not to reveal the details of the arrangement with Lady Francesca.

Maisie smiled a little to herself as she considered the fact that Fenton was also canny enough to have set a good bit of that money aside for future use, so perhaps the larder would not prove to be too lean, at least for another month or two.

Francesca opened up the jewelry box that sat atop her vanity and pulled out a drawer, manipulating a catch so that a hidden drawer slid out of the false bottom. Carefully she laid the cameo down beside a glittering sapphire bracelet and a set of sapphire earrings.