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“How can I help her?” Graham asked.
“Tomorrow morning, you and I will pay Lord Ravencroft a visit and make him understand his obligation to our sister. I will not allow him to leave Noel at the altar. Since he started this game, we will make sure he finishes it,” Reese threatened.
“Is that fair to Noel?”
“Sometimes life is not about fairness. It is about fulfilling a promise made. He made a promise to marry Noel and spent the season portraying a doting fiancé. Also, he tricked Noel into believing he loved her. Therefore, he will spend a lifetime proving the truth of his declarations,” Reese explained.
Graham shook his head. “I thought after the length of your marriage to Evelyn, you would’ve gained a better perspective on emotions. But you remain as clueless as ever. You cannot force matters as sensitive as this. You must coerce them with a gentleness they are unaware of being subjected to.”
Reese scoffed. “As always, you talk nonsense.”
Graham laughed. “Once again, I must prove you wrong.”
Her brothers moved away, preventing Noel from hearing the rest of their conversation. However, she had heard enough. While she loved her brothers dearly, she didn’t want their interference. If Reese went to Ravencroft and issued his demands, it would only send Ravencroft fleeing. While her fiancé kept her in the dark about his true character, she understood how much he valued his pride. He wouldn’t allow another gentleman to threaten him. Nor did Noel want Ravencroft to return on those terms. If he didn’t return on his own accord, then she had no use for him. No matter how much her heart cried otherwise.
Noel was more determined than ever to confront Ravencroft before her brothers did. Her gaze swept the ballroom for anyone to help her sneak away to Ravencroft’s home. But she couldn’t trust anyone not to inform Reese of her plans. He had stated how unsafe it was for them outside their home and only to leave under the protection of the guards assigned to them. Noel racked her mind for ways to leave undetected. When her gaze landed on Maggie, the perfect solution sprang her into action.
She inched out of the drawing room, glancing over her shoulder to see if anyone noticed her escape. The guests mingled with each other, while the servants bustled around, carrying trays of champagne and hors d’oeuvres. Noel hurried up the stairs and snuck into Maggie’s bedchamber. She opened the sewing chest and dug to the bottom of her sister’s hiding spot. When her fingers brushed across the fabric, she gave a yank. A pair of trousers and an old shirt of Graham’s appeared. Noel’s face lit up at how easily her plan fell into place.
She gathered the clothing and stepped across the hall into her bedchamber. After locking the door behind her, she tossed the clothes onto the bed. Noel’s heartbeat quickened when someone knocked on the door. She hurried to the bed and slid the clothes under the pillow. She couldn’t afford to get caught so early with her plan.
“Yes,” she called out.
“It’s Mama, dear.”
Noel took a deep breath to calm her nerves. She opened the door, pasting on her last smile for the evening. “I am sorry for leaving so early.”
Her mother drew her into a hug, and Noel wanted to cling to her and cry out her injustice. However, she wanted Mama to enjoy Maggie’s special day. She must hurry if she wanted to escape before the celebration ended.
“It is understandable, my dear. I only wanted to check on you. If you like, I can sit with you for a spell.”
“I have not slept well lately and wish to retire for the evening. You must return and enjoy the celebration,” Noel fibbed.
“I can stay until you fall asleep,” Mama offered.
Noel’s gaze drifted toward the bed. “No. I wish to be alone with my thoughts.”
Mama looked disappointed, and Noel feared she might overrule her wishes and stay. Her family thought she needed to be coddled during this time. She grew weary of pretending her problems would resolve themselves when she really wanted to scream from the rafters. But it wasn’t her mother’s fault and she wouldn’t take out her frustration on her.
“But you can help me get ready for bed.”
Mama smiled. Her mother only wanted to feel needed, and Noel needed her mother’s comfort now more than ever. Mama turned her around and unbuttoned her gown, helping her into a nightdress. Noel picked out the simplest one to pull off when her mother left. Mama settled them on the divan and brushed out Noel’s hair. With each stroke of the brush, Noel fought with her guilty conscience for what she planned to do.
“Sometimes love must undergo a traumatic event to test the strength of its bond,” Mama murmured.
“What if it breaks the bond?” Noel whispered.
Mama laid the hairbrush to the side and pulled Noel back into her embrace. “Then one of two things will happen.”
“And those are?”
“Either you will realize it was never love to begin with or you will fight to repair the tear in that bond.” Mama placed a kiss on Noel’s head before rising. She set the brush on the vanity, picked up Noel’s clothes, and placed them on a chair for the maid to clear in the morning. “Good night, my dear.”
“Night, Mama.”
Her mother paused at the door and focused her gaze on the pillows. She stared at them before smiling wistfully at Noel. Then she left, making no comment on what she had observed. Noel glanced at the bed in panic. Had her mother seen the garments? However, nothing looked out of place. An eerie sense settled over Noel that her mother had figured out her plans. Noel shook her head. Her only explanation was that her guilt had led her to imagine it.
What other explanation could there be?
