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She walked out to the carriage just as Ellie and Lucy arrived home.
“Elizabeth, where are you going at this time of day?” Ellie asked. “It will be dinner soon.”
She couldn’t tell them. They would never understand. “I am dining with my friend Sophie tonight.”
She barely got the words out of her mouth before her eyes filled with tears again.
“What is wrong?” Lucy demanded. She always reminded Elizabeth so much of Will.
“I’m sorry. I must go.” Elizabeth climbed into the carriage and then glanced back at the young women. Both looked shocked by her abrupt departure. As the carriage rolled away, Elizabeth stared back through watery eyes at the house that had been her home forever.
“What have you done to her?” Ellie demanded as soon as Will entered the salon.
After spending the rest of the afternoon in his room, his anger had only grown. “I did nothing to her.”
“She left here in tears. Susan told me Elizabeth took a valise and that she wanted the rest of her things packed and sent to Miss Reynard’s home.” Ellie crossed her arms over her chest. “That does not sound like nothing.”
“Elizabeth is gone?” squeaked Sarah. “Where did she go? When is she coming back? She promised to read me a story tonight.”
Seeing Sarah’s face crumble, he said, “I’m sorry, Sarah. I am certain Ellie will read to you tonight.”
Sarah ran from the room in tears.
Will glanced around the room to see everyone looking expectantly at him. “She decided to leave. It has nothing to do with any of you.”
“But it does have something to do with you,” Ellie said.
His sister’s unusual anger only spurred his own. “Maybe it does. Maybe I discovered that Elizabeth is not the person I thought she was.”
“This was her home,” Lucy said, entering the debate. “How could you force her to leave? That is cruel.”
“And she loved you,” Ellie added.
Will turned on his sister. “No, she did not. All she did was use me to get what she wanted.”
“That does not sound like the Elizabeth I know,” Lucy said quietly.
“Because she lied to us all,” Will said.
Ellie glared at him. “I highly doubt that. You did something to hurt her. You are the reason she left us all.”
Will clenched his fists into tight balls. “I did nothing. But since none of you want to believe me, I shall get my supper elsewhere.”
“Will,” Ellie yelled as he reached the hall. “This is not over. You will apologize for what you did.”
“I did nothing, Ellie. Absolutely nothing.” He hurled the front door open and slammed it behind him.
He did nothing, except fall in love with the wrong woman. Which he realized was the same thing he had done with Abigail. So why didn’t he feel this much anger at Abigail? She had used him for years.
Because he did not love Abigail.
He had to know if Elizabeth told him the truth about Abigail. Not that he wanted to return to her. But because he needed to know the extent of Elizabeth’s deceptions. He turned back to the house and ordered the coach.
After a short drive, he arrived at the inn where Abigail had told him she was staying.
“I’m here to see Miss Mason,” he said to the innkeeper.
The innkeeper eyed him from head to toe. “Do they expect you?”
