“So, you never mentioned what the party is for.”
He froze. “Oh, well, you know, the duke is just happy.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “You’re lying,” I said.
“I’m not. He truly is happy.”
“Perhaps, but he’s not throwing the party out of happiness.”
He pinched his lips together. “I can’t tell you.”
“What do you mean you can’t tell me?”
“The duke will tell everyone once we get there.”
“You really won’t tell me?”
He sighed. “I can’t, I’m sorry.”
“All right,” I sighed.
We rode in quiet for a little bit. “Have you seen the wolf again?” he asked.
“I haven’t,” I told him. “I’ve been on the lookout, but it doesn’t seem to have reappeared.”
“I’ve asked around but no one seems to know anything about a wolf that looks the way you described.”
“Perhaps it’s gone away,” I said. “We can only hope, right?”
“Perhaps,” he agreed. “But if you see it again, I want you to let me know immediately, all right?”
“Of course.”
He took my hands in his. “Promise me, Hazel. I don’t know what that wolf is, or why it might be after you, or if it is after you at all. Either way, I don’t want anything to happen to you. I couldn’t handle it if anything happened to you.”
“I promise.”
He reached up and tucked a loose hair behind my ear. “You’re everything to me, Hazel.”
I looked up into his emerald eyes. With his hand still on my face, he pulled me close. Our lips met, and I reached my arms up to wrap around his neck, our bodies pressing against each other. Adam’s hand rested on my lower back, his arm hooking around me. He leaned back against the corner, guiding me down on top of him.
My legs spread apart as I straddled him on the back seat of the carriage. One of his hands was still on my back, the other on the back of my neck. Even through the fabric of my gown, I could feel his hardness pressing against me, and there was wetness growing between my legs. As his lips danced over mine, I let out a soft moan. It was unintentional, but only seemed to encourage him as he pulled me tighter, closer, his hands roaming over my body.
All too soon, the carriage came to a halt. We had arrived at Wolf’s Peak, and there was no way we’d be able to carry on now. Adam sat up, and I pulled myself off of him, adjusting my gown where the skirt had been hiked up and the bodice had been tugged down. I cleared my throat as Adam climbed out of the carriage. He held out his arm as I stepped down out of the carriage.
Other carriages had pulled up as well, and the butler came out to greet us.
“Come through with me,” he said, motioning toward the front door.
As we entered the house, Annabelle came down the stairs, Daniel in her arms.
“Hazel, Adam, so good to see you,” she said, coming to give us both hugs. She stepped back for a moment and looked at me. “Hazel, could I steal you for a moment? I need some help with Daniel.”
“Oh, of course,” I said, glancing at Adam. “I’ll be right out.”
“All right, see you soon,” he said, as Annabelle took my hand and led me up the stairs into Christine’s room.
She set Daniel down and turned me toward her as she stifled a laugh. “Oh, my dear, what have you been up to?” she asked.
“What do you mean?”
She guided me toward the mirror. My hair was a frizzy mess, and my lip color was smeared on one side.
“Oh God,” I murmured. “How many people saw me?”
“Not many,” she assured me as she pulled the pins out of my hair and smoothed my strands. She worked quickly, re–twisting and pinning my hair and wiping off my errant lipstick.
“All right, I’ve got to go track down Christine. Let’s head outside.”
We left out the back door. I found Adam, and he smiled as I joined alongside him. Not long after, I caught sight of Christine, and went to greet her.
“Another lovely party, my lady,” I said, wrapping her in a hug. She looked beautiful, her yellow dress causing her skin to positively glow.
“Oh, I had nothing to do with it. This is all Annabelle,” she laughed.
Annabelle shrugged. “I’ll take the compliment. It is a lovely party.”
“Would you like something to eat?” Annabelle asked, offering me a choice from her plate. I chose a blue petit four and had to gasp.
“These are amazing.”
“I got them from the bakery in town,” Annabelle said.
“I’m going to need to try some,” Christine said. She fetched a plate, and returned with it piled high with the treats. My eyes widened.
“Oh my,” I said unintentionally. I couldn’t imagine such a tiny person as Christine fitting all of those in her stomach.
Christine laughed. “I was planning on sharing! They may be fantastic, but I’m not going to eat a dozen by myself.”
“No one would blame you if you did,” Annabelle said. “You are eating for two.”
I gasped. “What?”
Christine sighed. “Annabelle, it was supposed to be a surprise!”
“Is that what this party is for? Adam and I were speculating. Although he was acting quite strange in the carriage. I think he already knows,” I said, remembering his countenance.
“Is there anyone here who doesn’t know now?” Christine asked.
Annabelle gave her a hug. “I’m sorry, Christine, I didn’t mean to let it slip.”
“I can’t wait until I’m a mum,” I sighed.
“Savor your independence,” Annabelle told me.
“How are things with Adam?” Christine asked.
I could hardly contain my smile, and lowered my voice. “Wonderful. He kissed me today!”
Annabelle laughed, though she was already aware of what we had been up to. “Hazel, you little minx.”
“It was completely unexpected, but it was lovely,” I sighed.
We spent the party celebrating Christine and Jasper’s impending child, the guests going up in cheers as Jasper made the official announcement. I was still chatting with Christine when I caught sight of something standing on the periphery of the courtyard. My blood ran cold.
Trying to remain calm, I crossed the party to find Adam. “The wolf is here,” I told him, my voice quiet.
He immediately was on alert. “Where?”
“On the other side of the croquet court, sitting in the trees.”
He took my hand and led me across the courtyard, but when we looked out, the wolf was gone.
“I know I saw it,” I insisted.
It had been sitting, obscured by trees, its cold eyes staring at me.
“I believe you,” he said, but his voice was full of doubt.
I was on edge the rest of the party, unable to enjoy myself. I felt safe here, in the presence of dozens of other wolves, and was even more restless when it was time for us to go home.
It had been hours since we had seen the wolf, and I was just beginning to relax when I caught sight of something silver below the carriage window.
“Adam,” I hit his arm, probably harder than I meant to, but he was instantly on alert. He leaned over my shoulder.
“I see it,” he said, “but I don’t recognize it.”
The wolf, running alongside the carriage, looked up at us. The moment it saw us, it bolted into the woods. Adam and I exchanged a nervous look.
The wolf was back outside my window that night.
Chapter Twenty
I stared at the wolf for a long time, and the wolf stared back at me. Its black eyes seemed to bore into my soul even through the darkness. My heart thundered in my chest, adrenaline pulsing through my veins, and I wondered if the wolf could hear it from its position on the edge of our lawn.
I stumbled backward, my hand clinging to the footboard of my bed as I tried to get my bearings. Harry, where was Harry? I had to find
Harry.
I looked back up and the wolf was gone.
I rushed through the house and found Harry in his bedroom, reading a book. He saw the alarm painted clearly on my face, and his brow furrowed in concern.
“The wolf, it was outside,” I said breathlessly. “It’s gone now, but it was there, and it was watching us at the party, too.”
He set his book down and sat up. “I’ll go take a look,” he promised me. “You go to bed.”
I did as he asked, but the anxiety still ran through my body. I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling until Harry poked his head in and told me there was no sign of the wolf.
I passed the days nervously, but the wolf seemed to have disappeared after its brief reappearance. And as the days wore on, I had to wonder if Adam had disappeared as well. It had been almost a week since I had seen him the night of the party, and I had gotten no word from him, either. For all his talk of missing me, it was beginning to feel as if I had been forgotten.
I broached the topic with Harry one evening after dinner. “Have you seen Adam lately? I expected him to visit this week, but he hasn’t.”
Harry shook his head. “I know he’s been busy at Wolf’s Peak, that’s all. I haven’t seen him either.”
I think my mother could tell I was in a rut after not seeing Adam for so long, and the next morning she came to me while I was in the living room working on a sampler.
“I’m going into town today, would you like to come with?”
I looked up at her. “For what?”
“Well, for a bit of fun.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Is that all?”
“I wanted to look at hats. There’s a race next week and I need a new hat.”
I hesitated. The last few times I had gone into town had been a disaster, but perhaps if I stayed close to my mother and didn’t let myself be vulnerable, I would be safe. Besides, it would be nice to get out of the house.
“Sounds fun,” I told her.
We went to lunch and followed it up with a trip to my mother’s favorite hat shop. It was a bit of a nice distraction, and she even picked one for me to wear, as long as I wore my new pink ruffled dress to the race. I hadn’t had any investment in which dress I wore, so I agreed.
We were leaving the shop when I froze. From down the street, I could see Hattie leaving a jewelry store. Our eyes locked for a moment, then, surprisingly, she looked away and hurried into her carriage.
Relieved at the lack of a confrontation, my mother and I returned home, and I could breathe a little easier.
A few more days passed without any sighting of Adam. My mother did her best to make me feel better, and even Harry tried to keep me entertained. But I missed Adam, and my family couldn’t make up for that.
I had considered trying to visit him, but if Harry was right and Adam was busy, I didn’t want to bother him. Instead I waited, trying not to feel stupid for waiting. Was I just a stupid girl?
I was sitting on the back porch and sketching with charcoal when I caught a movement in the trees. I was immediately on alert; that had been a default since the wolf had stalked me the day of the party. Instead, I caught sight of Adam, and my face broke into a smile.
“Hazel,” he said as he came toward me.
“Hello.”
“May I sit?”
I set down my charcoals. “Of course,” I said.
He took a seat across from me. “How have you been?” he asked.
“I’ve been well.” It wasn’t quite the truth, but how silly would I look if I admitted how much I had missed him?
“I missed you,” he said, reaching over and grabbing my hand. Perhaps I wouldn’t have looked so silly after all.
“I missed you too.”
“I apologize for my absence.”
“It’s all right.”
He shook his head. “It’s not. I’ve missed you terribly, but I’ve been so busy. I want to make it up to you. Would you like to do something some time?”
I smiled at him. “I’m afraid you’re going to have to be more specific.”
“What if I took you out to dinner?”
“That sounds lovely,” I said.
“What day works for you? What would be best?”
“I don’t exactly have an overflowing schedule,” I reminded him. “However, tomorrow our family is going to the races.”
“The races! I’d nearly forgotten. I have money on a horse,” he mused. “But you’ll be there?”
“I bought a special hat for it.”
He laughed. “Then you can’t possibly miss it.”
“I suppose not.”
“Do you think it would be all right if I found you there?”
“I’d be disappointed if you didn’t,” I said, surprised by my own candor.
“I’d have been disappointed if you’d said no,” he replied, and I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. “So I’ll see you tomorrow at the races, but I’d still like to take you out, just us.”
“I would like that.”
“Tomorrow is out, of course, but what about the rest of the week? Do you have any other plans?”
“I’m free,” I told him, “but what about you? You’re the busy one.”
He grinned. “The duke is out of town, so I’m free as well.”
“Imagine that,” I teased.
He rubbed his thumb against the back of my hand. “Truly, these last weeks have been torture. Every time I think I might be able to get away, be able to take some time to see you, something else has come up. I sincerely apologize.”
“As I said, it’s all right.”
“It doesn’t feel all right,” he told me. “We’re courting and I’ve scarcely seen you.”
“You’ve been busy.” I didn’t want him to feel bad.
He leaned back in his seat, releasing my hand and rubbing his temple. “Oh, you’ve no idea.”
“I never thought of the duke as someone who was particularly demanding.”
“He’s not, usually.”
“Has something happened?”
He hesitated. “I’m not sure if I should say.”
My eyes widened. “Is Christine all right? Please, tell me she’s all right.”
“She’s been ill,” he acknowledged.
My hand flew to my mouth. “Oh, no.”
“She seems to be getting healthier, but understandably, the duke has been stressed.”
“Understandably.”
“He’s been a wreck,” Adam said with a short laugh.
“I can only imagine. Is the baby all right?”
“It seems so,” Adam says. “Had Christine been sick for much longer, the baby may not have been.”
“I’m glad she’s doing better. The duke must be relieved.”
Adam hesitated again. “I think he would have been, had his brother not been in town.”
“His brother?” I paused. “You know, I had completely forgotten that the duke had a brother. He wasn’t at the wedding, was he?”
“He wasn’t,” Adam said. “And he showed up, completely out of the blue. Jasper was shocked, of course. He hasn’t seen his brother in years.”
“Why’s that? I remember there was some sort of scandal, but I admit I don’t remember the details.”
“Seth has always wanted Jasper’s position and title, even when they were children. He’s been horrid to Jasper, petulant and demanding. Jasper tried to put up with him for the sake of family, but after Cecilia died, Jasper couldn’t handle it anymore.”
“It must have been a hard time for him,” I said. I remembered hearing the news that the duke’s first wife had died, as had the child she was carrying, about five years ago.
“Seth only made things worse. He acted nearly thrilled that Cecilia had died. He was a terror to the duke while Jasper was mourning. Jasper finally had enough of it, and tossed him out of the house.”
“I can’t imagine what that would be like. I could never disavow Harry.”
“Harry isn’t nearly
as horrid as Seth,” Adam reminded me.
“You’ve never had to live with him.”
He gave me a small smile. “It’s no comparison. Jasper is suspicious that Seth is responsible for not only Cecilia’s deaths, but also the deaths of his parents. He’s also begun to suspect that Seth may be the reason for Christine’s illness. He doesn’t trust him at all. He wants to, I think. Seth is family, after all. But truly, I think once Jasper returns from his trip, Seth is leaving.”
“How long has he been here?”
“A few weeks.”
I paused. Seth, the malevolent brother, had been in town for a few weeks, but had been gone as of late. Could he be the wolf that was stalking me? Perhaps he came into town early, before visiting the duke, and had been skulking around during that time. Why he’d want to come after me, I didn’t know, but it sounded like Seth was willing to harm anyone.
“Do you think that he could be behind the things that have happened?”
“Seth?”
“Yes. Do you think that he’s the wolf that’s been stalking me?”
He paused. “I suppose it’s possible.”
“It sounds like the sort of thing he’d do, from your description.” If Seth was willing to go after everyone his brother loved, who was to say that he wouldn’t go after innocent women of the town as well? If it was Seth who was after me, and Jasper was set to send him away soon, that meant that my peace could be only days away.
“I wouldn’t put it past him,” Adam acknowledged. “However, I can’t see what he’d get out of it. Seth is mad and violent, but he doesn’t risk himself if he doesn’t need to. You’re lovely, Hazel, but I don’t think Seth would be willing to go after someone random that he doesn’t know.”
“Of course.”
“Additionally, you said the wolf was silver and gray, right?”
“Yes.”
“I’ve never seen Seth as a wolf, but I believe that that he’s all black, not gray and silver.”
“I see.”
He paused. “I know you want this wolf out of your life, and I know you’re desperate for a resolution.”
“That’s an understatement,” I sighed.
“I’ll pass your concerns on to the duke when he returns,” Adam promised. “You never know.”
The Wolf's Choice (The Wolf's Peak Saga Book 4) Page 16