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"Oh, umm … I am unsure," she responded with a gentle shrug of her shoulders, though she certainly looked quite guilty.Am I imagining things?Anthony asked himself, struggling not to just burst out the question and ask her outright whether she had any idea what Lady Marchand had been talking about.
If he did that now, he might as well have just done it the night before and been done with it. No, for now, he had to wait and see whether she might slip up and give him all the information he needed.
"Let me walk you back to the house," he suggested, though he was extremely careful not to get too close or risk touching her. Until he was certain of what was going on, he needed to keep his head on straight, and he was certain that he wouldn't be able to do that if he allowed his desire for the beautiful woman to get in the way.
Keeping her at a distance, they began to walk back towards the manor house in silence until Lady Rose asked, "Do you intend to visit the tenants today? I was rather hoping I might join you."
He could feel her watching him and sensed that she would try to touch him. Quickly, he forced his hands into his jacket pockets, offering a shiver as if the morning's chill had got to him.
"No, though I shall be headed into town on business," he responded quickly. After all Lady Marchand had said, he needed some time to clear his own head and a ride into town alone might be just what he needed.
He felt the disappointment coming off her in waves, and a part of him even felt a little guilty. Even if she wasn't who she claimed to be, she had helped him immensely when it came to the matters of his tenants and the small, more intricate parts of his business.
She had been enchanting and helpful in the few social events they had attended together and had even helped to ensure that his sisters were well cared for.
Can this woman possibly be lying to me?he asked himself as he escorted her back to the house. "Promise me you won't go out alone again?" he said, watching her out of the corner of his eye for her reaction. "And if you must, then at least take Holden with you."
He noticed that as he spoke, her entire body tensed, and it was clear she didn't like what he had said. But when she responded, she did so with a smile. "I shall do my best not to do anything to disappoint you, husband."
Though she smiled at him and reached out to place a hand on his forearm as if to comfort or reassure him, he couldn't help noticing there was something dark behind her eyes, something he couldn't quite put his finger on. A part of him wanted desperately to confront her, but the larger part of him wasn't sure he wanted to know.
Just a few days ago, she had been his wife, perhaps even the love of his life, and yet now, all he felt was uncertainty and the fear that everything he had built might suddenly begin to crumble all around him.Why are you playing games with me, My Lady?
It wasn't until the next morning that Anthony realised the depths of his wife's betrayal. Having asked her only the morning before not to walk out alone, Anthony watched her from his bedroom window once more. Having avoided her for most of the time he had been back home, Anthony felt he was partly to blame for her desire to walk out alone.
Perhaps it was his lack of attention that had left her unable to sleep.
Or at least, that was what he might have believed if he had not seen the large fabric bag that he saw her throw over her shoulder, manoeuvring her cloak awkwardly as she attempted to glance over her shoulder to be sure she wasn't being followed.
Yesterday he had decided not to, but today he deemed that she would not be lucky for a second time. Though she had not expressly promised that she would do as he asked, he would have thought she might have listened to him, even only for one day.
Maybe had she not been carrying a bag, he might have given her the benefit of the doubt, and yet as he hurried down the stairs to follow her, he couldn’t help thinking,what do you have in there and where are you taking it?
Guilt washed over him. Perhaps if he had shared his wife's bed the night before, she might not have felt the need to sneak out. Perhaps she might have even shared her troubles with him, but he had not given her the chance, and now he was determined to get to the bottom of things.
By the end of the day, I shall know exactly what Lady Marchand was talking about!he vowed to himself.
Having struggled to sleep himself, he was already dressed and ready for anything, and it took him only a few minutes to make it down from his bedroom and out the front door. With his army training and the earliness of the morning, it did not take him long to pick up on Lady Rose's footprints, following them down the lane and directly to town with a lantern to see by.
He kept a careful distance when he became certain he could hear hurried footsteps up ahead and even hid his lantern when he thought there was any chance it might be spotted.
When he reached the village outskirts and found that the street lanterns had already been lit or rather might well have still been lit from the previous night, he blew his own out and stashed it in a nearby hedgerow to return to on his way home.
Then, peeking around the nearest building, he found he was just in time to witness Lady Rose disappearing into the nearby churchyard.
Guilt hit him for a moment. Perhaps Lady Rose was far more religious than he had anticipated. He quickly realised that the subject had never really come up between them. Maybe she was merely going to church to have her prayers before the morning mass began, hoping to share words with her lord alone.
Yet Anthony knew he had to be sure, and so he crept after her, hurrying across the cobblestone street, relieved that he had received plenty of experience regarding stealth during his time both in the army and since then in his espionage work. The last thing he wanted was to make Lady Rose feel uncomfortable if she were indeed only going to pray.
Yet almost immediately upon stepping over a crumbled part of the churchyard wall so as not to rattle the squeaky gate, Anthony realised that his wife was no longer alone. Relieved he had chosen dark and plain clothing for the day, he slipped silently behind a large headstone.
In the early morning, the headstones were wreathed in mist, and the silence echoed, but Anthony could not mistake what he saw.
"Avez-vous ce que j'ai demandé?"The words spoken in a thick French accent caused Anthony's heart to stop. Having learned many languages, French chief among them save for his birth tongue, he knew immediately what the cloaked gentleman had said.Do you have what I asked for?He repeated the words silently to himself, wondering what Lady Rose could possibly have brought to him.
"I have," she responded with a nod, and Anthony watched as she opened up the large bag she had been carrying and pulled out something that looked all too familiar. His heart stopped the moment he recognised the package he had brought back with him from London.
This cannot be!When his heartbeat returned, it beat so fast and loud that he was sure they would be able to hear it.
