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Alfred Sinnerton’s avid staring at Ursula had been so blatant, almost to the point of rudeness, that everyone had been uncomfortable and wary throughout the meal.
It had been something of a relief to be able to leave the table and go home at the end of the evening.
That had certainly been the case for Ursula, who had scurried into the carriage with Adelaide without a backward look.
If the mystery of the Sinnertons wasn’t enough to contend with, there were now rumours going about that Trenton was to marry Ursula. He didn’t mind that at all, except for the fact that he had yet to further his relationship with Ursula enough to even get her to speak with him, let alone consider marriage. To add to that mire, he also had the added issue of Brampton and Barbarella’s apparent scheming to deal with. As far as everyone was concerned, those two had taken to spending far too much time with their heads together for anyone’s comfort. Additionally, Barbarella’s clear dislike of Ursula rang alarm bells. He had to wonder whether that hatred was being stirred by Brampton. That being the case; why? Brampton wasn’t short of lovers; why would someone like him bother with Ursula, especially with Barbarella available?
Trouble was brewing; he just knew it. If Trenton could only find out if that trouble came from Alfred Sinnerton, Brampton, or Barbarella, he would be some way closer to discovering the identity of Ursula’s attacker, he was sure of it.
Having barely escaped recently from Barbarella’s schemes with his bachelorhood intact, he was under no illusions of just how manipulative the cunning blonde could be. To be aided and abetted by a nefarious rogue who was clearly put out at Trenton’s involvement with Ursula, didn’t bode well. It would be better for everyone if Trenton could further is acquaintance with Ursula as quickly as possible and make an announcement about their engagement quickly. They could then ensure that everyone knew that Ursula was no longer on the marriage market. Brampton and Sinnerton would both then be forced to focus their rather dubious attentions elsewhere, and Jeremiah could stop fretting about his eldest daughter.
Unfortunately, getting Ursula to stand still long enough for him to have a decent conversation with her was damned near impossible. On several occasions since the Beldrum’s dinner last week, he had made a point of approaching her for a chat only for her to make her excuses and leave after only a few minutes of polite conversation.
Was she avoiding him because he had hinted at the dinner that she was to be married? Was she that averse to the prospect that the man he and Adelaide had hinted she would marry was him? He frowned at that. It just didn’t seem possible that she objected to being connected to him, not after the way she had eagerly returned his kisses. If only he could spend some time alone with her then he could get to the bottom of what was wrong. As it was, unless he was going to start following her around and gazing at her adoringly like Alfred Sinnerton did, he was going to have to resort to drastic measures.
Decision made, he rang for his butler.
Thankfully, his endeavours were aided by a dramatic turn of events that changed everything later that morning. When he arrived at Adelaide’s house, he was met in the morning room by Ursula, who was clearly distressed.
“What is it, darling? What’s happened?” he demanded as he stalked across the room toward her.
To his surprise Ursula promptly burst into tears. He gently eased her into his arms and murmured soothingly to her for several moments while he waited patiently for her to vent the worst of her emotion. When she eventually began to calm down, he leaned back and looked down at her. “What’s happened?”
“It’s Adelaide,” she whispered. “She fell down the stairs last night. We were supposed to go out to the theatre to see that play she was talking about. She was at the top of the stairs and lost her balance somehow. She tumbled all the way down the whole flight of stairs.”
“How is she?” he asked.
He suspected that the news wasn’t good if Ursula was so upset. Adelaide was a lively lady who enjoyed the heady whirl of social engagements and actively threw herself into regular morning walks around Hyde Park. However, she was in her eighties, and in spite of her rather robust ways, was rather frail.
“The doctor has seen her. She has several bumps and bruises and is a little disorientated and confused. She has been confined to her bed for the next few days. The doctor said she should be alright in time, but is not well. She needs to go to the country to rest and recuperate.” Ursula hiccupped. “She fell down the stairs, Trenton. She went such a clatter that the whole house ran to see what happened. She could have died.”
“Adelaide is very agile and in good health. I am sure if the doctor says she is going to be alright then she will be alright. Is she lucid?”
“I have been sitting with her but she is asleep. She looks so pale.” Her voice trailed off to a whisper.
Trenton nodded, understanding her upset. He had felt exactly the same way when Ursula had been injured.
“It is horrid when someone you care about so deeply is hurt, Ursula,” he murmured gently. “Your aunt is elderly but I am sure that with some rest she will make a full recovery. However, you know Adelaide. If she remains in London, she will undoubtedly join the social whirl far sooner than she ought. I think it would be wiser if she was to go to Yorkshire to recuperate as soon as she is strong enough to travel.”
Ursula nodded. “I need to write to Papa. I think she would be better off going too but she got upset when I suggested it. I like it here, but it is a constant whirl of social engagements that she just isn’t well enough to cope with. Not now.”
“I don’t think she should go just yet. Not if the doctor has ordered her to remain in bed,” Trenton argued. “For now, she may not be well enough to endure such a journey. The journey to Yorkshire takes several days in a carriage, being shaken about. She will fare much better staying where she is for now. Once she is up and about, I suggest we approach her again about going to visit Jeremiah until she is better. Nobody here needs to know what has happened if she doesn’t wish to tell her friends. She can just tell everyone she is going to spend Christmas in the country with family.”
“Thank you,” she whispered. She leaned back to look up at him. “For everything. You have been such a tremendous help to me. How can I ever repay you?”
Trenton smiled at her. “Make sure you don’t fall down the stairs,” he declared wryly.
When she smiled, he felt some of his earlier frustrations start to wane. That is, until he spotted a new arrangement of posies on the table next to the fireplace that looked startlingly familiar to the ones he thought he had stopped.
“Please tell me that isn’t another one,” he murmured darkly with a nod toward the offending flowers.
She nodded. “The footman accepted it when Aunt Adelaide and I were out taking our morning walk the other day. Nothing else has arrived since though. The card is different too, look,” she murmured and handed him the card that had arrived with it.
Your beloved is waiting. Soon, darling.
Trenton stared at it for several long moments and went cold inside.
“What do you think it means?”
