Sea of Secrets: A Novel of Victorian Romantic Suspense Read Online Free PDF Page B

to you—as well as a figure of some notoriety.” Light but implacable fingers tipped my chin up so that I was forced to meet her eyes. “I suspect you have told me something less than the truth,” she said gently. “While loyalty is a commendable quality, if you ever wish to tell me the full story, you will not find me unsympathetic.”
    “Yes, ma’am,” I whispered, guilt and hope mingling in me. Releasing my chin, she rose with something of her former energy and swept over to a tiny desk.
    “Well, there is only one thing to be done. At the end of the week when we return to Ellsmere, you will accompany us.” She wrote a few lines on one of her calling cards and held it out to me. Uncomprehending, I took it. “Show this at the railway station and one of the attendants will take you to my car. Our train leaves on Friday at eleven. I trust you can be ready to depart by then?”
    Stunned as much by this unexpected efficiency as by its import, I stammered, “Yes, of course. But—excuse me, ma’am—have you thought of a position for me? Do you wish for me to tutor His Grace?”
    She flung back her head and gave a peal of laughter. “Oh, gracious, my dear, I hardly think so. His Grace the duke is full twenty years old.”
    “I beg your pardon.” I could feel myself blushing, and the duchess, immediately repentant, came gliding back to the sofa to catch my hands.
    “My dear, I did not mean to laugh at you. But I cannot bear to think of you fretting about a position. You’ll come to Ellsmere with us, and leave your future to me. I assure you, you shall not be forced to eke out an existence by drilling geography and history into a litter of spoiled children. We can do better for you than that!” Laughing, she drew me to my feet, and I found myself smiling. “There, that is better,” she said approvingly. “Put yourself in my hands, and have no fear for the future.”
    “Thank you, ma’am.” It was foolishly inadequate, but she did not seem to mind.
    “Until Friday, then. Shall I send a carriage to your house?”
    I stopped short. “Oh, please no—I’d much rather my father didn’t know where I’ll be.” He probably had little interest in my whereabouts, in any case, but I felt obscurely safer knowing that I would be out of his reach. “In fact, ma’am, if you don’t mind, I would be glad if we could keep what I’ve said between us.”
    To my astonishment, she put her arms around me and embraced me before I realized what she was about. Her eyes were very solemn when she drew back to look at me. “You poor child, of course,” she exclaimed. “I shall tell Claude and the boys merely that I was lucky enough to encounter you in town and invited you to stay with us. That is all they need know.”
    Awkwardly, I attempted once more to express my gratitude, but before I had gotten half a dozen words out, Eliza the maid appeared with my wrap. I had not even noticed when the duchess had rung for her.
    “Goodbye, my dear,” she said. “Or, rather, farewell, as we shall meet soon again!”
    In moments I was running through the drizzle to the hansom Eliza had called for me. Settling into the unaccustomed luxury of the cushions, I gazed out the window at the receding view of the duchess’s house, with all the ride home in which to go over in my mind the events of that unusual morning.
    * * *
    As I had expected, Father showed no curiosity about my plans. He had formally ended our relationship; thus, whatever I did with myself would be of no interest to him, since it could not possibly affect him. I was glad of his lack of interest. It convinced me, if I had needed convincing, that we would both be happier freed of our obligations to each other, and it allowed me to pack and prepare for my journey unencumbered by the necessity of inventing a story for his benefit.
    “I have observed that you are already making preparations to leave,” he commented one evening at supper. “I trust you will recall that the