She folded the paper in half and walked over to tuck it beneath the pages of the treatise book, just as the door opened and Daisy rushed inside.
“You wouldn’t believe who was here today!” she said almost breathlessly.
Alyssa clasped her hands before her and said dryly, “Apparently, it was Caroline’s mother.”
“Oh.” Daisy appeared so crestfallen that Alyssa would have laughed, if she hadn’t felt so guilty for taking the wind out of her sails.
She moved to the younger girl’s side and clasped her hands in hers and squeezed gently. “I didn’t mean to spoil the surprise, but I asked one of the footmen and he told me.”
Daisy sighed. “I was rather hoping to see your face when he revealed her name.”
Alyssa frowned, pulling back slightly. “He actually failed to mention that part.”
“Oh?” The light was back in Daisy’s eyes. “In that case, you should know it was Lady Fremont!”
Alyssa blinked, her mouth instantly falling open. “Are you quite sure? Was her husband with her as well?” Naturally, with no other woman to talk to, she’d confided everything that was transpiring at Rosewood to her maid, but she knew the girl was faithful to a fault and wouldn’t betray a confidence.
“Indeed, my lady.” She nodded excitedly. “But I believe she came alone. Do you think it means something?”
She tapped a finger to her lips. “I’m not sure, but I definitely think Travell needs to be told. It seems to be a rather strange coincidence that Lady Fremont shows up just days after Travell calls on her husband.” Her eyes widened and she glanced at Daisy. “Perhaps she headed to Rosewood next.”
Daisy gasped, completely drawn into the possibility.
Instead of indulging the same fantastical ideas that were swimming about her mind, Alyssa said, “I’m sure it’s nothing out of the ordinary. Either way, we will find out tomorrow. I might even mention it to Caroline at breakfast to gauge her reaction. But for now, I’d like to prepare for bed.”
“Yes, my lady.” Daisy sounded rather disappointed as Alyssa gave the maid her back, where she began working on the rows of buttons.
But while Alyssa attempted to appear calm and poised, her heart was still racing with the news of Lady Fremont’s visit, because something told her it wasn’t just by chance.
***
The next morning, Alyssa went downstairs, prepared for battle. She’d lain awake half the night going over her strategy, for the more she considered Lady Fremont’s arrival, she decided it wasn’t just coincidence. While she didn’t want to imagine that there was some sort of conspiracy at hand, neither could she discount the fact that if Caroline’s mother was anything like her daughter, Travell could have a real problem on his hands.
However, the moment she entered the dining room, she didn’t have the chance to approach Caroline, for she lifted her head and offered Alyssa a brilliant smile. “Ah, there you are, Little Mouse.” God, how she detested that nickname. “I thought I might go with you to call upon Lord Curdiff this morning and see how his father is faring.”
She daintily wiped her mouth with her napkin, but her innocent demeanor didn’t fool Alyssa. Now, more than ever she was convinced there was something else going on here. But since she couldn’t very well tell her that she couldn’t go, she forced a smile and said, “I’m sure he would appreciate that.”
“I rather hoped to gain an audience with that mesmerist as well,” Caroline noted.
That, at least, Alyssa could prevent. “I fear he was heading back to London this morning.”
“Oh.” She appeared truly disappointed. Alyssa could only imagine why. “That’s a shame.”
Caroline stood to her feet as gracefully as a queen. “I’ll call for the carriage and have it brought ’round. Join me in the foyer when you’re ready.” She smiled rather pointedly. “You shouldn’t wish to skip breakfast. It’s the most important meal of the day.”
As she walked away, Alyssa had to grit her teeth. It was going to be a long day stuck in that woman’s company. Unfortunately, she knew that it was Travell who would have to suffer.
She ate her eggs and kippers as quickly as she could manage and gathered her redingote and bonnet from the footman. Daisy was nowhere to be found.
When Alyssa inquired after her maid, Caroline offered another sunny smile. “I told her that I would be chaperoning you today, so she could remain behind.”
Alyssa had to fight to hold her tongue. “But what if you should wish to return earlier?” If only I could be so lucky…
“I shall be quite content to wait for you. I daresay I’m rather curious as to how you could spend so much time at Rosewood. Surely your flowers don’t require that much care.” She leaned forward almost conspiratorially, as if imparting a secret that Alyssa was already in on. “I’m starting to think your interest lies more in the viscount.”
“I’ve told you several times that Travell and I are friends and nothing more.” A few passionate kisses notwithstanding. Although, she didn’t offer that particular bit of information as it was none of Caroline’s business.
Caroline didn’t reply, but the smirk that touched her lips was enough of a confirmation that she didn’t believe a word Alyssa said.
But then, it wasn’t really the truth, was it?
Alyssa clenched her fists in her lap as they rode the short distance to Rosewood. When they stopped near the front door, Ives opened the door to greet her, as had become his habit, but she could tell his eyes shuttered slightly when he saw that instead of her ladies’ maid, Lady Lockley had joined her.
Without even giving the servant a flicker of a glance, she handed her outerwear over to him and instructed, “Please inform your master that Lady Lockley has called.”
As he passed her things to a waiting footman, he inclined his head. “Of course, my lady. But first, shall I show you into the parlor?”
As she joined Ives, he glanced back at Alyssa who pointed toward the direction of Travell’s study. He nodded slightly and she quickly scurried in that direction before Caroline could recall her to her side.
Breathless, Alyssa knocked lightly on the closed wood. When she heard the gruff command to enter from inside, she opened the door and shut it behind her quickly. She leaned against the hard oak and released a deep breath, which caused Travell to stand up from behind his desk with a look of deep concern on his face.
“What’s wrong?”
She glanced at him in empathy. “Caroline insisted on joining me this morning.” She closed her eyes temporarily. “She’s in the parlor waiting for Ives to come collect you.”
He released a heavy sigh of his own. “I rather hoped I would be through with the lady after her last visit, but apparently not.” He grimaced. “I can only imagine what she wants with me now.”
“I think I can answer that.” Alyssa pushed away from the door and stood on the other side of his desk. She laid her hands on the top and leaned forward slightly. “Her mother’s carriage was leaving Breyton Hall when I returned home last night. I can’t say how long she was there, or what her purpose was, but this morning, Caroline was rather eager to see you again.”
Travell instantly muttered a curse and shoved a hand through his thick hair. “I hope word about my father’s condition isn’t already spreading in London. That’s the last thing I need to contend with right now.”
“You don’t understand.” Alyssa shook her head. “Caroline’s mother is Lady Fremont. She didn’t come here last night, did she?”
***
Travell froze. “What? No. I don’t…”
He stopped talking. No doubt Alyssa would start to believe that he was suddenly dimwitted, but he couldn’t believe his luck, or rather, the lack thereof. This was so much worse than the gossips of London recanting torrid tales of his father’s madness and wondering if he was conflicted with the same malady. The fact that he’d attempted to speak with Lord Fremont, only to have his wife travel all the way from London didn’t set well.
>
“I can’t imagine it’s a coincidence.”
He nodded, for Alyssa had voiced the very same concerns rushing through his mind. He held up a hand. “Let’s not panic.” He considered what to do, and then felt almost sick for even considering it. “I’ll speak with Lady Lockley,” he began slowly. “But I think I should do it alone.”
Alyssa immediately set her hands on her hips. “I thought we were a team. You might need someone to help distract her attention from the earl.”
Travell felt the bile try to rise up his throat, but he tamped it back down. “I don’t think I’ll have any trouble with that,” he muttered. “The baroness has already shown her interest in me rather boldly. I’m sure I can direct her focus somewhere other than my father, if she’s only here for the purpose to pass on incriminating information to her mother.”
He waited for Alyssa to catch his meaning, and when she did, she pushed away from the desk with a horrified expression. “You mean to… seduce her?” She shook her head adamantly and began to pace in front of his desk. “That’s low, Travell. Even for you.”
“Consider it charming her, then,” he returned impatiently. “I can’t allow her to spread malicious rumors about, for not only would that injure my father, but it could very well harm your reputation.”
She stopped to look at him with a shocked gasp. “I have been properly chaperoned, as you well know! Daisy has been with me every time.”
He snorted at that. “I wouldn’t call your maid attending to you when you arrive and when you depart as ‘properly chaperoned.’ You and I both know that if we wanted something untoward to happen between us, it wouldn’t be difficult to manage to find time alone.”
Her cheeks turned bright pink, and he knew she was thinking about the steamy kisses they’d shared. As his trousers began to get a bit more snug, he realized his thoughts were traveling down the same dark, dangerous path. For days he’d been fighting his attraction to her, but with Mr. Lyridon’s continual presence, his desire had been easier to maintain, but now that they would be alone again in such a spacious manor with several places to sneak off for a rendezvous…
And… .now he was at half-mast.
Blast. He had to curb these licentious thoughts.
“That isn’t the point!” Alyssa returned evenly, as she crossed her arms. “And it’s not very gentlemanly of you to bring up such things.”
He moved around the edge of his desk. “I never claimed to be a gentlemen when it comes to you.”
She watched him warily, like a rabbit when confronted with a conniving fox, the comparison making him smile rather wickedly. But then she drew herself up. “We don’t have time for nonsense. Caroline—”
“She’ll wait.”
Travell swept her into his arms and brought his mouth down on hers in one smooth motion, effectively silencing her oncoming tirade. She resisted only a moment, and then she went lax in his embrace, her arms sliding up his chest to rest on his shoulders. He groaned and deepened the kiss. No other woman had ever fired his blood like Alyssa. Even when they were children, she’d always managed to find a way to get under his skin. What was it that made her different?
In truth, he was afraid to answer that question. For years, he’d fought his attraction to her, tamping it down to the one woman who was off limits. She was the unattainable prize, because he refused to dally with ‘little Alyssa Breyton’ even though she had turned into a beautiful woman over the years.
But in the past week alone, that allure had steadily been fanned into something deeper… more meaningful.
And that terrified the hell out of him, because while he might want Alyssa with every fiber of his being, and claimed that she should marry him, the truth was, if she ever called his bluff and actually said yes, he wasn’t sure how he might react. While he didn’t know how long his father’s condition would last, he’d already checked into the York Retreat, an asylum that offered a more humane treatment for the mentally ill. It would be a last resort, but reality reminded Travell that he couldn’t stay at Rosewood forever. He still had responsibilities to the Crown as an agent, and that took precedence over all else — even his own desires.
He abruptly broke off and stepped back. “Let’s go see what Lady Lockley has to say, shall we?”
With that, he walked out the door.
Chapter Sixteen
Travell’s sudden departure left Alyssa’s head spinning. How dare he kiss her like that and just — leave? She shook her head, completely flummoxed, but just as equally determined to act as unaffected as he had.
Lifting her chin, she headed for the parlor.
When she arrived, she found that Travell was bowing over Caroline’s hand rather gallantly. The sight made her want to snort, but then the lady turned her head and spied Alyssa on the threshold.
“I thought you might have rushed off to tend to your flowers.” She fluttered her lashes at Travell. “I have no need of a chaperone as a married woman. Feel free to run along.”
She waved her fingers at Alyssa, as if she was dismissing an errant child. This could not be borne. “Oh, I think they can survive a few more minutes without me.” She sailed into the room with a smirk and plucked a scone from the center of the tiered plates. She bit into it daintily and groaned in delight. “This is simply divine! Cook has outdone herself yet again.” She handed a plate to the baroness as if she was the hostess here. “You simply must try one.”
Caroline’s blue eyes narrowed slightly, her mouth tightening with the annoyance she couldn’t express if she wanted to continue taking on the appearance of a refined lady. “No, thank you.” She slid a hand down her cornflower blue dress. “One mustn’t indulge too many sweets and keep her figure.”
Alyssa shrugged and added another scone to her plate, letting the barb slide harmlessly over her. She poured tea for herself and then sat down on the settee. When Caroline effortlessly coaxed Travell to sit next to her, Alyssa was determined not to care.
It was only after she began to munch happily on her second scone did she finally lock eyes with Travell to see that he wore a rather smug expression of his own. But he turned his head and offered Caroline his undivided attention.
“In answer to your earlier query, I’m pleased to report that my father is improving. It will undoubtedly be a slow process, but I am confident that he will recover most of his facilities.”
Caroline tossed her blond head like a practiced courtesan, exposing her slender neck to the best advantage. Alyssa resisted the urge to roll her eyes just as dramatically. “That’s very good news,” she murmured in a seductive purr. “I daresay I’ve been so concerned for his welfare, and Alyssa hasn’t been very good at keeping me updated, so I decided to pay my respects in person.”
Travell smiled and Alyssa’s heart dropped to her feet. Those rare grins were few and far between and she was angry that he dared to waste one on such a pretender as Lady Lockley. “That’s very kind of you, my lady, but there is no cause to worry yourself. The earl is in capable hands. Not only did I have a highly skilled mesmerist attend to him to unlock part of his mind, but Lady Alyssa has been a great comfort to him.”
Instantly, Alyssa’s spirits lifted and she wanted to preen like a peacock in front of Caroline, especially when she shot her a glare. “Indeed.” She clasped her hands in front of her. “Tell me more about this mesmerist. Were his methods quite… unorthodox?”
“On the contrary, Mr. Lyridon was quite knowledgeable and professional,” Travell offered. “He’s a barrister, newly graduated, but he has a particular fascination with the human psyche as well.”
“How intriguing.”
Alyssa was quite sure Caroline couldn’t have cared less, but the question was, why was she putting on such a grand show? Was it merely for Travell’s benefit, or some other nefarious purpose? Whatever it was, she intended to find out. She just had to find time to access Caroline’s chamber and look for clues while the lady was occupied.
And since there was no time like
the present…
“I have a lovely idea!” Caroline and Travell both looked at her, but while the lady appeared further annoyed at the interruption, Travell looked particularly wary. “How about I give you both some time alone with the earl? I daresay it would be good for Lord Trenton to see a new face. And I imagine Lord Curdiff could use a break from me being constantly underfoot.”
Alyssa could tell that Travell wasn’t pleased with this sudden turn of events, but she ignored him as she watched Caroline’s reaction. As suspected, the lady was more than happy to be alone with the viscount. The challenge to sink her claws into a higher ranking, handsome gentleman was likely too much of an opportunity to pass up.
When Alyssa stood, Travell followed suit. “At least allow me to walk you out.”
“Thank you, Lord Curdiff.”
The moment they were out in the hallway, out of earshot of the parlor, Travell grasped her arm and turned her to face him. His expression was thunderous, but he was careful to keep his voice low. “What the hell are you playing at, leaving me alone with that viper?”
She patted his chest. “Oh, come now, Travell. Surely you can handle one helpless female on your own for a few hours. Besides, didn’t you tell me that you intended to use your charm on her? Now is your opportunity.”
She started walking again, but he kept pace with her. “Is this because you’re mad at me about that kiss?”
Alyssa snorted. “Don’t flatter yourself. I’m only using this as a chance to find out what dear old Caroline is up to.” She stopped so suddenly he nearly ran into her. “She’s always home, and I’m always here, so how else might I be able to search her room without risking the chance of getting caught?”
He lifted a brow. “What about Lord Lockley? Doesn’t he still pose a threat to this grand scheme of yours?”
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