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Chapter Fourteen
Selina returned to her rooms, walking as quickly as she dared. The house was full of servants, as usual. She walked with confidence, not making eye contact with any of them. She hoped that her face didn’t show any of the guilt that she felt. Once inside her room, she closed the door softly behind her.
Faith stood up. She’d been waiting, sitting on the chair beside the vanity. She clutched at her book, a look of combined worry and relief on her face.
“My Lady! I’ve been looking all over for you,” Faith said. “I was about to alert the others.”
“Oh, I was just in the stables, checking on Violet’s foal,” Selina replied.
Faith squinted at her, tilting her head to the side. “My Lady?” Naturally, Faith had checked there for her. She couldn’t lie—not to her faithful companion.
“Very well, Faith,” she said, raising her chin. “I went to meet the Duke.”
“My Lady!” Faith gasped.
How the same phrase, uttered in two different inflections could mean something else entirely was mildly amusing. Faith looked scandalized. “You shouldn’t be out alone! Not when a lady has been murdered!” Faith remonstrated. She reminded Selina of a mother hen.
“You’re right, Faith. It was reckless of me. But I was just headed to the World Tree. And the Duke was there,” she said soberly. All the excitement had faded, and Selina felt exhausted.
“My Lady,” Faith said, frowning. She seemed to think better of what she was about to say. “We should get you cleaned up before someone comes back and we have to explain anything to them.”
Selina walked over to the washstand, where she poured some fresh water into the porcelain basin, using the matching ewer. She splashed the cold water on her face and her neck.
When she was done, Faith stood beside her, handing her a fresh towel to wipe her face dry. It smelled of rose water.
“Thank you, Faith,” she said, blotting her face and neck dry.
“My Lady, your dress is covered in grass stains,” she said in dismay.
“I’ll need a fresh one—grab the blue muslin, please.” She placed her hands on her waist, taking deep, steadying breaths. Her thoughts were a frenzy, and her hands still shook a little.
She couldn’t believe what had happened over the past hour. So much had happened, and yet—nothing at all. The state of things was still what it had been before.
Faith returned within moments to help her take off the white muslin that she’d worn during her mad dash through the pastures. The hemline was covered in about an inch of mud—and there were, in fact, grass stains on the skirt.
“I hope I haven’t ruined it,” Selina mused.All in pursuit of the Duke.
“Not at all, My Lady,” Faith assured her. “I’ll have it right as rain in no time.”
“I don’t know what I’d do without you, Faith.” She honestly didn’t.
“You’d have a lot of explaining to do, My Lady.” Faith shook her head.
Selina laughed, covering her face with her hands. “I feel like I’ve lost my mind, Faith.”
Faith beamed at her. “They say that love does that, My Lady. You should hear all of the things that Mr. Shakespeare had to say about it.”
“I feel so silly, Faith,” she said.
“Are you happy?”
“Not yet. But I think, soon, I might be.”
Faith smiled. “I’m glad for you, My Lady. Now, let’s get you out of this dress. I’ve got my work cut out for me.”
Selina turned her back to Faith, to help her undo the row of buttons at her back.
* * *
