“Thank you.”
He grabbed my hands again. “I’m not trying to dismiss your fear,” he promised. “But I would hate to accuse Seth, think you’re in the clear, and then find that we were wrong. I’ll have another talk with Harry, too, to be sure he’s vigilant.”
“I appreciate it,” I told him.
“I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m going to find out. I’m going to keep you safe.”
“You’re sweet.”
He glanced at his watch. “I should get back home soon,” he said. “I need to talk to Harry before I leave.”
“I should be getting inside too,” I said, glancing at the sun setting over the trees.
We both stood, Adam taking my arm to help me to my feet. His hands were warm on my arm.
“Shall I walk you inside?”
“I would love that,” I said. He threaded his arm through mine and we walked together through the French doors. Standing just inside the doorway, Adam leaned down and planted a soft kiss on my lips.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said.
“I can’t wait.”
Adam went to find Harry, while I went upstairs to begin getting ready for bed. I stripped off my gown, hanging it back up. I wrapped myself in my dressing gown and went down to the bathroom that Harry and I shared. Clara had filled the bath for me, and I shrugged my dressing gown off, hanging it on the hook on the back of the door. I poured a little bit of oil into the bath. We were going to be at the racetrack tomorrow, which could smell and be dirty. I wanted to be clean and smell sweet for Adam.
As the oil dissolved, I undid the pins in my hair and let the honey–brown locks fall around my shoulders. I glanced in the mirror, the hair covering my breasts, stopping just above the softness of my stomach. The idea of Adam being downstairs, while I was upstairs, completely naked, gave me a small thrill as I slipped into the warm bath water.
I relaxed in the bath, my hair spread around me and my eyes closed. My hands ran over my skin, massaging in the soap. I breathed in the steam, letting myself relax.
I was out of the bath, rubbing the oil into my skin when I heard the thunk of a window closing. I frowned. It was strange to hear a window closing on this level; the servants usually went around and closed them before the sun set. It had sounded like it was coming from my room, and I was sure the windows in there had been shut.
I wrapped myself back in my dressing gown and pulled my hair over my shoulder. Tentatively, I walked down the hallway. My hand hesitated on the door handle before I turned it, pushing the door open.
Part of me had expected for the room to now be a disaster, as it had been before, but everything was in its place. The bed was still made, the jewelry box was still intact, and the windows were shut. I frowned as I stepped inside, looking around. I didn’t see anything out of the ordinary until I had changed into my nightgown and stepped over to the bed.
Resting on my pillow, obscured from the angle I had come in at, was a small ivory envelope. I picked it up, turning it over in my hand. This wasn’t mine; I had no idea where it had come from. I flipped open the envelope. It hadn’t been sealed.
There was no letter or note inside. Instead, I held it upside down over my hand as little pieces of paper floated out. From my seat on the bed, I began to place the tattered edges together.
It quickly became obvious what the papers had used to be. As I placed them together, a picture began to form, the photograph of Adam and I before the wedding. I frowned as I put the last pieces in place.
In front of my face was a thick black X.
Twenty–One
Because all of us were going to the races, for once we were able to eat breakfast together. We sat at the table in the dining room, high plates of eggs and bacon and biscuits passed between us. My father had been away on business, so it was nice to see his face again, as grumpy as he could be in the mornings.
“I’ve got money on Cinderblock. He’d better win,” my father grumbled.
I shrugged. I knew nothing about horses or racing, but that didn’t make the races any less fun. As a child I’d always cheered for whomever my father was rooting for. Now I’d most likely be cheering for whomever Adam had his money on. If I were lucky, they’d be the same horse.
After breakfast my mother and I disappeared upstairs to get ready. As promised, I put on the pink dress with the layered skirt. Just like the blue dress, it had a thick sash around the waist that gave me an exaggerated hourglass figure.
My mother powdered my nose, muttering something about getting me my own compact. While she finished getting ready I twisted my hair down low, off to the side, before securing my hat and pulling on a pair of gloves. With my boots on, I met the rest of my family in the entry.
The racetrack was on the opposite end of town from where we lived. It was small, since Weylyn was small, and the horses weren’t very good, but in a village such as Weylyn you take whatever chances you can find for entertainment. Festivals, balls, and the races were all attended by most of the town, from the wealthy to those in poverty. The duke had stayed away since the passing of Cecilia, and had he not been out of town, I wondered if he’d be likely to show up with Christine on his arm. The townspeople so rarely saw her; she was quite the enigma to them.
Since the few activities held in Weylyn often drew a crowd, it was no surprise to see a grand amount of spectators in attendance. Vendors crowded around the track trying to sell banners in honor of certain horses, and even more were set up for food and drink since the food inside the track was priced to be overly expensive. Walking through the crowd I lost track of how many people I knew.
Since Weylyn was a small town, we knew nearly everyone. My father had to pull my mother away from her friends and church ladies, shuffling her past the crowds so we could get to our seats before the event started. She was easily distracted; he was not.
As he always did, my father had purchased the most expensive seats for the race, putting us with the other wealthy patrons and members of aristocracy. I caught sight of Lillian and Hattie’s families as I sat down, but tried to ignore it as I sat beside my brother. He wouldn’t let anything happen to me.
Neither would Adam, but I hadn’t seen Adam since we’d arrived.
“Adam said he’d be here,” I told Harry.
Harry shrugged. “Probably just running late,” he said.
“I hope he gets here soon. The race is about to start.”
“I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Harry assured me, and of course he’d be right. Adam was an adult who could care for himself and manage his own time.
Still, that didn’t stop me from scanning the crowd. It was entirely possible he’d arrived here before us and was already seated when we’d come in; in that case, it made sense that I hadn’t seen him. I tried to focus on the crowd, make out the faces from across the track, but I caught no sight of him.
I held my hands in my lap to keep myself from fidgeting too much, but I had to admit that I was anxious. Not only was I concerned that Adam would miss the race, but I was concerned that he wouldn’t find us and I wouldn’t get to see him today after all. I had so been looking forward to spending time with him. It was all I could think about.
Most of the crowd was in their seats now, the line of attendees climbing the stairs beginning to dwindle. Everyone knew the race would be starting soon; presumably they’d made an announcement outside the track. I continued to search the crowd for Adam.
My entire body relaxed as I caught sight of him down below. Like I had been, he was looking out over the crowd. I held my hand up, hoping to catch his attention without drawing the attention of others.
“He’s down there, but I don’t think he sees us,” I told Harry.
Harry stood up, waving both hands above his head. “Adam, up here!”
I rolled my eyes, hoping the flush on my cheeks wasn’t too evident. Everyone was looking now, including Lillian, who took her seat just one row over by her parents. She narrowed her eyes at me befor
e turning to look at the track.
Adam grinned up at us, waving back before starting up the stairs. “Sorry I’m late,” he said. “Had some things to attend to.”
“You haven’t missed anything,” I assured him as he sat down between Harry and me.
“Good. I’m excited to see Sugarbolt win.”
My father scoffed. “I’m excited to see her be beaten by Cinderblock.”
They passed some good–natured ribbing between each other until it was time for the race to start. As the horses launched out of their gates, Adam reached over. His fingers slid under my palm, linking themselves between my fingers. My heart raced faster than the horses as I felt the warmth of his rough hands through my gloves.
The crowd cheered as the horses ran, the noise almost deafening. The races were one of the only times I saw Englishmen lose their heads about something so simple, and it was amusing to watch the red faces and hear the screaming voices of the men in the stands. Even Harry was getting invested in the race.
I, on the other hand, was beginning to get bored. The horses were fun to watch, but they weren’t really doing much besides going around and around the track. Sitting out in the summer sun, I was starting to feel parched. I leaned over to Adam.
“I’m going to go get something to drink, would you like anything?”
“I’m fine,” he answered, his eyes never leaving the track. I had to laugh at his concentration as I stood up and scooched past the others in our row. Once I reached the steps I was free of the crowd, and bounded down the stairs.
While I was up, I might as well use the restroom, I figured. The restrooms in the stadium were new. Our town was perhaps behind the times, but I was thankful they had put them in at all. I peeled off my gloves, stuffing them in my handbag, and when I was finished went to rinse off my hands before putting them back on again.
I looked up into the mirror and my heart nearly stopped. Going into a toilet stall behind me was the familiar face of Lillian. I was nearly certain she hadn’t noticed me, and I rushed out of the restroom.
I paused. I had planned on getting something to drink, perhaps a lemonade, but that would have to wait until later. I didn’t feel safe with Lillian and Hattie wandering around. I’d only feel safe in my seat, sitting next to Adam and Harry. I needed to hurry back.
I was about to go back through the doorway near our seats, but Lillian was already out of the restroom, heading in that direction. I’d have to go the other way, take the longer route to our seats. Fine. If I had to walk a little extra, squeeze past a few more members of the crowd, then so be it. I wasn’t about to let myself get attacked again without any line of defense.
As I walked the other way, I saw Hattie out of the corner of my eye. Damn, that wasn’t going to work. I’d have to continue the way I had come from, staying just far enough behind Lillian that she wouldn’t see me. I could do that. That was easy enough.
I turned on my heel, picking up the pace just enough to blend into the crowd in front of Hattie, but not enough to catch up to Lillian. My heart pounded, panic flooding my veins as I tried to breathe steady and keep my head down. I was in a new dress, a new hat. Perhaps if they didn’t see my face, they wouldn’t recognize me, and I would be able to get safely back to my seat and to the protection of Adam and Harry with Lillian and Hattie none the wiser.
I turned through the doorway near our seats and nearly ran smack into Lillian. That’s what I got for keeping my head down, I supposed.
“Sorry,” I muttered, trying to push past her, hoping she wouldn’t notice, but instead she grasped my arm in her iron grip once again.
“I’ve been waiting for you,” she said.
“Oh good, you found her.”
I turned to see Hattie coming up behind me, a smirk resting on her lips.
“She disappeared into the crowd,” Hattie said. “I thought I’d lost her.”
Lillian shook her head. “She’s right here,” she said.
“To be honest, I’m surprised you’d be willing to show your face,” Hattie said.
I narrowed my eyes at her. “Why’s that?”
“Well, you tell me,” Lillian said. “Are you and Adam still courting?”
I looked her straight in the eye, trying in vain to wrench my arm away. “We are.”
“And what did we tell you would happen if you continued to see Adam?”
“I don’t know. You were very vague. I think there were some threats in there, though.”
Lillian tightened her grip. “We told you we would be very unhappy.”
“Your unhappiness is not my problem,” I told her.
“I don’t think you understand,” Lillian said.
“I do understand. You’re jealous. That’s not my problem.”
Lillian’s face turned red. Without warning, she grasped my other arm, shoving me hard against the wall. “You listen to me,” she hissed, her face only inches from mine. “You are going to stop seeing Adam.”
“Or what?” I asked her.
She tightened her grip, pressing me back against the wall even harder. “Let me put it this way. You’re standing in my way of Adam. I don’t like it when things are in my way. When things are in my way, I get rid of them. Therefore, if you don’t get out of my way, I’ll get rid of you.”
“Lillian—” Hattie said, her eyes darting around nervously. Lillian never looked away from my face, forcing me to stare into her crazed dark–blue eyes.
Hattie continued to glance around at the other wandering patrons, who were all staring wide–eyed at the scene before them. She reached over, touching Lillian’s shoulder to get her attention.
“Lillian—”
Lillian reached over, batting her hand away. “Stop it, Hattie.”
“Lillian, I really think—”
A man came over, a man I vaguely recognized as one of our old schoolteachers. “Everything all right here, ladies?”
Lillian looked at me for a long moment before releasing my arms. Her grip had been so strong, I could still feel where she had clutched me. I’d probably bruise.
Lillian turned to the man, Mr. Carter. “Everything is fine, Mr. Carter.”
“Are you sure, Lillian?” he asked, his eyes flicking to me.
“We were just playing a game!” she said with a laugh.
“Is that true?”
Lillian turned to look at me, her eyes narrowed, trying to tell me I should agree with her. I just stared.
Hattie took Lillian’s arm. “Why don’t we go back to our seats now, Lillian? The game is over.”
Lillian stared at me. “No, I don’t think it is.”
I stayed pressed up against the wall as I watched them go back to their seats. Once they were out of my field of view and my heart rate and breathing had returned to normal, I stepped away from the wall, dusted the dirt off my hands, and took a deep breath.
“Are you all right, Hazel?” Mr. Carter asked me.
I nodded, but my entire body was shaking. “I’m fine.”
“Go back to your family. I suspect they’ll leave you alone if you’re with them.”
I swallowed. “I plan on it.”
I turned around and started back to the stands. I kept my head down as I reached the stairs, not wanting to accidentally make eye contact with Hattie or Lillian. I was doing my best to keep my composure, and I was worried if I caught their eye I would completely unravel. I clutched at my skirts as I climbed the steps, grasping at them to help me hold my sanity.
I knew most eyes were on the race, but I could feel the eyes of Lillian and Hattie boring into me like bullets.
I turned in our row, scooting past the observers and sitting down between Adam and my mother. Finally safe with my family, I was able to breathe a little easier. My hands smoothed out my skirts, flattening the wrinkles that had formed while I clutched at the fabric.
“Where’s your drink?” Adam asked me.
“What?” I asked.
“Your drink. Didn’t you get up to
get something to drink?
“Oh. Um, the lines were quite long so I decided against it.”
“You were gone a long time.”
I cleared my throat. “Ran into some friends from school.”
“That’s nice,” he said, taking my hand once again. Then he frowned, cocking his head at me. “Are you all right?”
I swallowed. “Of course. Why do you ask?”
“You’re shaking.”
“I’m not.”
“Hazel, you are,” he said. “You’re shaking like a scared puppy.”
“I nearly tripped on the stairs,” I lied. “Must have startled me.”
He wrinkled his forehead. “If you’re sure.”
“It’s nothing,” I promised. “I’m just happy to be here.”
He squeezed my hand, and tentatively I rested my head on his shoulder. He leaned over, his lips just brushing my forehead as the warm sun basked down on us. For the rest of our time at the races, I tried to forget about Lillian and Hattie and their hatred of me, and instead I tried to lose myself cheering for the horses, whose names I could not remember, and cozied up to the man who had stolen my heart. Perhaps everything wasn’t quite all right, but for now, I was going to pretend. Telling him now would only ruin our good time, and all I wanted, desperately wanted, was to just have fun with the man I was courting and my family.
I could deal with Hattie and Lillian and the wolf later.
Chapter Twenty–Two
The weather the day of the race had been beautiful, but the following day was not. A storm had rolled in overnight, and while the rain had subsided, the mist had lingered. Truthfully, it was lovely, and made everything cozy inside. I sat in the sunroom, a room with wide and tall windows, and sipped at my tea while curled up in a wicker chair, covered with a blanket with a book in my hand.
After the day I’d had yesterday, a day of rest and relaxation was exactly what I’d needed. I turned the pages of my book, the noise echoing through the quiet house. I had no idea where my parents or Harry were, but I savored my peace.
From the back of the house, I heard a door open. I thought nothing of it until I heard Adam’s voice.
The Wolf's Choice (The Wolf's Peak Saga Book 4) Page 17