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Julius smiled grimly. “I can promise you that no one saw or heard me enter. But you, Withy—you’re bloody lucky! What in heaven’s name possessed you, man? She would have been ruined if you’d been caught by anyone else!”
“I needed to speak with her in privacy, and Amelia hasn’t left us alone for even an instant. I’m telling you, I’m surprised I’ve been able to take a piss without the woman popping up behind me!”
“Why didn’t you come and find me, then?”
“I tried, but you weren’t there! I had no idea where you went or how long you’d be gone. As it is, I roamed the halls searching for you for nearly an hour.”
“I was out walking the grounds, which is how I came to see you climbing through the window. You could have waited for me to return.”
“I’ve known you to spend entire nights out ‘thinking.’ In any case, you can’t help me. Amelia is as closed with you as she is with everyone else. I had to speak to Victoria. She’s the only one who knows her well enough to help me.”
“It doesn’t matter, now!” Victoria hissed at them, eyeing the door nervously. “All that matters is that if she catches you here, either of you, but especially you, Julius, the game is up!”
“At this point, I don’t really give a damn,” he growled. “I only know that I never want to catch another man climbing through your window again. We end this farce tomorrow.”
“It’s too soon, it’ll never work. We have to stick to the plan and—”
“No! No more of this insanity. It’s getting too dangerous,” Julius rasped, stabbing a finger at Withington. “If he’d been caught in here, the scandal would have forced a marriage between you. This ends tomorrow.”
“How?”
“You and I shall disappear together during the hunt, as planned. I know the idea was to start raising questions, but we must now hasten that process. Instead of being gone only an hour, we shall stay in hiding until nearer to sundown. Such a prolonged absence without a proper chaperone should take care of the matter.”
“And what of Amelia?” demanded Victoria. “She’ll be utterly humiliated when you throw her over for me!”
“I’m sorry, Victoria, but we have no other choice. This cannot continue.”
“I’ll occupy her,” offered Withington. “I’ll feign an injury. While I’m recuperating, I’ll let her think she’s succeeding in distracting me from pursuing you. Once I’m certain—that is, after you’ve been away for a suitable amount of time—I’ll tell her the truth, try to explain myself, and hope for the best.”
Going to him, Victoria stood on tiptoe and placed a kiss on his glowing cheek. “You’re a good man, Withy. I shall never forget what you’ve done. You ought to be sainted, truly. I’m so sorry you’ve been treated so shabbily, and I hope she sees the truth of it and realizes her mistake.”
Grinning awkwardly, Withy went to the window. “I’ll leave the same way I came in, just to be safe. Care to accompany me?” he asked, pushing aside the curtains and opening the latch.
“I shall take the more dignified exit,” Julius said with a soft chuckle. “After all, if I’m caught here, it can only work to my advantage.”
Giving them a dashing salute, Withy stepped off the sill and into the darkness. The rustling of leaves, snapping of twigs, and a few muttered curses reached them as he struggled to find the elusive handholds in the dark.
Victoria giggled softly as she heard a thump, followed by a renewed flurry of curses from below.
Julius moved in behind her and ran a hand along the curve of her neck.
She shivered. “You’d better leave,” she said thickly. “Amelia might decide to pop in for a surprise inspection at any moment.”
“I was as silent as death coming in here. Relax.” His hands moved over her shoulders, his lips caressing the tip of her ear. “Is there a place where we can hide in safety for a few hours tomorrow?”
“We can double back and hide in the village.”
“You are too well known there. Someone would surely recognize you and run back here with the tale.”
“Well…” she hesitated. “There is one place. There is an abandoned cottage in a sheltered valley on the downs a few miles from where you found me the last time. It’s no more than a bare shelter from the elements, but I’ve stored some blankets and dry firewood there, just in case anything ever happened while I was out riding.”
“How far is it, exactly?”
“Eight miles or so from here.”
“Eight miles? You ride that far alone?” he asked, incredulous. “Your father is insane to allow such a thing!” Seeing her wry expression, he realized she hadn’t actually sought permission. “Does anyone else know of its existence?”
She shook her head. “If they did, they’ve long forgotten it, and I’ve seen no reason to remind them.”
