AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter Eighteen
“Mr. Tumilson wants to talk to you, my lady,” the maid said from the closed door of Eleanor’s bedchamber. “He says it’s important.”
Eleanor picked up the towel and patted the water from her face. She examined her reflection in the mirror. Washing her face had helped to remove some of the evidence that she’d been crying, but it didn’t do a perfect job of it. She didn’t feel up to talking to him right now. She didn’t feel up to talking toanyoneright now. She may not want to talk to anyone ever again. At least at the theatre, people had been concerned about her. Tonight, they had been laughing because she was too clumsy to sit in a chair correctly. Only she would break a chair by sitting in it.
There was a knock at her door. “I have to talk to you,” came Byron’s voice.
Eleanor jumped. Why was he right outside her bedchamber door?
“Eleanor?” he asked.
She released her breath then went to the door and opened it.
His expression softened. “I didn’t mean to startle you. I would have waited until tomorrow to speak with you and your father, but I’m afraid this can’t wait.”
Noting that the maid was close by, she refrained from asking if he had come to announce that he had solved the case. She stepped into the hall and shut the door behind her. She wiped the last of her tears away and went to the drawing room with him.
He gestured to the settee. “Have a seat. Do you want some sherry to calm your nerves?”
She shook her head but sat down. “Do you know who’s been after me?”
“I want your father to be here when I discuss that.” He strode to the doorway and peered down the hall. “Where is the Duke of Dormondton?” he asked the butler who was just outside the room.
“He’s on his way,” the butler replied. “Should I bring something to drink or eat?”
Byron shook his head. “No. Just tell His Grace that this is important.”
The butler nodded and headed down the hall.
Byron approached her then sat next to her. “What happened this evening?”
Her face warmed. “Didn’t you see it?”
“No, unfortunately, I wasn’t in the ballroom when the incident with the chair occurred. I only heard about it after I saw you and your father run out of the townhouse.”
“What were you doing when you should have been in the ballroom?”
“Investigating. I didn’t come up with anything useful.” He paused. “So, what happened in the ballroom?”
“My father told me that Lady Cadwalader wished to make my acquaintance, so we went to a quiet area to sit.”
“Was Lady Cadwalader there?”
“No, but we figured that she would be coming soon, so we were going to wait for her. Anyway, I sat in a chair, and it broke.” She forced aside the sting of humiliation then forced out, “I landed on the floor in front of everyone. They all laughed. My father escorted me out of there, and we came home.”
He put his hand on her elbow. “Not everyone was laughing. It probably only seemed that way because of what happened to you. From what I could tell, most people were sympathetic toward you. You don’t have to worry about your reputation in London. It’s still intact.”
“I don’t know. The whole thing was awful.” She swallowed the lump in her throat. “It was worse than that time in the theatre. My gown went up to my knees. Everyone could see a lot of me.” She lowered her voice. “I might as well have been naked.”
“No, it wasn’t as bad as you being naked, but I can see why you’re embarrassed. Everyone else understands that, too. It would be one thing if you did something on purpose, but you didn’t intend for this to happen.”
“I’m unlucky. Misfortune seems to follow me wherever I go.”
“That’s what we’re supposed to believe, but it’s not true.”
Could that be true? Her eyes met his, and she noticed something in his expression she hadn’t detected before. She didn’t know what it meant, but it made her heart give an unexpected flutter.
His gaze lingered on hers for a long moment. She sensed he wanted to do something. There was a split second where she thought he was going to kiss her. But he cleared his throat and released her elbow. Then he turned his attention to the doorway.
