The Reclusive Earl

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  It might require them to spend the rest of their lives in the country, which was something he had assured her he would do if that was what she wanted. First, though, he wanted their trip to the country to be a short reprieve, adding that he was reluctant to part her from her family and Ava since they were important to her. So they had agreed that in a few days, they would spend a month in the country to see if the situation would improve.

  He had more optimism than she did in that regard. She couldn’t see how things would ever get better, but he seemed to think there was a good chance of it. She didn’t have the heart to warn him that he shouldn’t get his hopes up.

  The next morning, Landon stayed nearby again while Miss Kesner helped her get ready for the day. If Miss Kesner thought it was odd, she didn’t say anything. She was as polite as usual and had paid Opal the same compliments she often did.

  After she left, Landon went over to Opal while she was still sitting at the vanity. “Did you hear any knocking on my door, or did it open?” he asked.

  “No.”

  “Hmm…”

  “Hmm…what?”

  “Nothing happened again. Nothing happened yethterday or today the entire time I wath with you.”

  “Maybe it’s because I feel safe when you’re around.”

  “No. I don’t agree. After everything you told me, you thould have imagined thomething. It happened a lot before, didn’t it?”

  As much as she’d like to believe she was getting better, she couldn’t. She didn’t dare. Doing so would only get her hopes up, and she didn’t want to be disappointed. “It’s because you’re here,” she told him. “Everything is better for me when you’re nearby.”

  “Did you imagine anything when you were with your family or with Ava?” he asked.

  She thought over his question. “No. Everything has happened in this townhouse, but that doesn’t mean anything. I could be distracted when I’m with other people.”

  “Then why did it happen when you were with the maid and Mith Kethner?”

  She frowned and studied him. “You don’t think my lady’s maid and the house maid have something to do this with this, do you?”

  “I do.”

  “I don’t know, Landon. That’s horrible to think.”

  “Horrible but likely.”

  Her stomach tensed. “I hate thinking something like that about anyone, especially people who are under our own roof.”

  “I don’t like it, either, but we have to conthider it.”

  Maybe. As much as she hated to consider it, it would mean she wasn’t really losing her mind. And that would be a good thing. A very good thing. But…but… “Why would they do that?” she asked. “And how does that explain the gentleman who came into this room? Neither the maid nor Miss Kesner could disguise themselves well enough to look like Byron.”

  “I don’t know. But I know we can explain it once we catch them.”

  Catch them? She rose to her feet as he went to his bedchamber. Following him, she watched him as he searched through the entire bedchamber. “What are you doing?”

  “I’m making thure no one ith hiding before I leave.”

  “Leave? Where are you going?”

  He checked under the bed and then went to the small room. “I’m going to watch them.”

  She didn’t like the sound of this. “Where will I be while you’re doing that?”

  He locked the door of his bedchamber that led to the hallway and then returned to her. “You’ll be in your bedchamber.”

  She swallowed. “Alone?”

  “Hopefully.”

  He hurried into her bedchamber, and she followed him. “But I don’t want to be alone.”

  “You’re better off alone than with thomeone here playing a trick on you.” He stopped searching her bedchamber and glanced her way. “Unleth you want to go out for a while.”

  She debated the option. She could go visit someone, but she didn’t know if she could act like everything was fine when it wasn’t. Iris and Ava were especially good at knowing when something was bothering her. They would ask her what was wrong, and though she’d tell them she was fine, they would see right through her lie and demand she tell them.

  She wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly feeling isolated from the rest of the world. She’d grown up feeling this way, and it was something she hoped she’d never experience again.

  “Do you want to vithit your family or Ava?” Landon asked.

  “No,” she finally replied. “I’d rather stay here.”

  With a nod, he resumed his search through her bedchamber. She went to her vanity and sat in front of it. Why couldn’t she have a normal life? All she’d wanted when she went to London was to be like every other lady. They never imagined things that weren’t there. Nor did they have a husband who suspected some of the staff would try to make them think they were.

  She just couldn’t believe anyone could do such a thing. Miss Kesner and the maid had nothing to gain from it, beyond amusement, and she knew Miss Kesner wasn’t the type who had a sense of humor about anything. The lady was as reserved and bland as she’d been the day Opal had met her.

  “I can relieve Miss Kesner of employment here,” Opal told Landon while he searched her wardrobe. “I don’t care much for her anyway.”

  He closed her wardrobe and turned to her. “That won’t take care of the maid or the gentleman who appeared to you ath your dead brother.”

  Well, that was true. It would only take care of a part of the problem. With a heavy sigh, she faced the mirror above her vanity. She didn’t look quite so tired today, but she could tell the strain of the situation was taking its toll on her. She still had circles under her eyes, and her face seemed a little more pale than usual.

  Just a short time ago, she was basking in the thrill of new love. Her cheeks had been rosy. Her eyes had sparkled. She had trouble sitting still in her excitement. And now she seemed just as dull as Miss Kesner. No. She shouldn’t think of Miss Kesner like that. It was rude.

  Her gaze went to the book still resting on her vanity. In all the turmoil of the day before, she hadn’t bothered putting it somewhere else. She picked it up and opened it. At the time she selected it, she’d been looking forward to reading it. She didn’t know if she could enjoy this now. With everything weighing on her mind, it was hard to escape into a book.

  She turned a few pages and a piece of parchment fell out of it. Frowning, she picked it up from the floor and opened it. The familiar scrawl of Byron’s handwriting stared back at her. It was the exact same missive she’d imagined yesterday.

  The words hadn’t changed at all. Why did you leave me behind at the estate? I’m lonely without you. She took a deep breath, doing everything possible to hold back her tears. Landon was in the room with her. No one else was. So she was going to imagine things when he was around.

  “What are you reading?” Landon asked, coming over to her.

  She looked up at him. “You mean the book?”

  “No. The parchment.”

  Not sure that she understood him, she set the book back on the vanity and held up the missive. “This parchment?”

  He nodded and took it from her.

  “You can see that?” she asked, bewildered.

  “I can. I can touch it, too.” His eyebrows furrowed. “‘Why did you leave me behind at the ethtate?’” Landon read from it. “‘I’m lonely without you.’”

  She stood up so she could read it again. Yes, those were still the words. They hadn’t changed. Not even when he’d read them. “I thought I imagined this missive.”

  “I don’t think you’re imagining anything,” he replied. “Not the inkwell and bookth moving around. Not the knocking at the door or the fact that it opened. Not the paintingth. Not the gentleman who came in here yethterday. There really are people who want you to think you’re imagining all of it.”

  “You mean the maid and Miss Kesner?”

  He nodded again. “And more. We need to find out
who ith involved and why.”

  She barely had time to register the implications of all he was saying. She really wasn’t losing her mind? She had really seen and heard everything? Miss Kesner and the maid really were part of a conspiracy to make her think she was losing her mind? What had she ever done to either one of them to make them hate her so much that they would do such a thing?

  “I think the paintingth of the graveyard and ghotht might be in the attic,” Landon said, bringing her attention back to him. “Do you want to go with me to find out?”

  “Yes.” If they were there, she definitely wanted to see them, especially if he saw them, too.

  He folded the parchment and slipped it into his pocket. Then he reached for her hand and squeezed it. “We’ll find out the truth.”

  She couldn’t help but be surprised by his confidence. When she’d met him, he’d been so timid. She’d even had to look for him when he hid right after the wedding and again on their wedding night. But now, he was showing her a side to him she hadn’t known existed. This time, she was the one who felt afraid, and he was the one offering her comfort and support.

  It was such a contrast to the way she was used to things being between them, and it was one she liked. It was nice to know that when it really mattered, he was willing and able to take the lead and do what was necessary to help her.

  He led her into the hall and up the stairs that would take them to the attic. Their footsteps were quiet along the floorboards as they climbed the stairs. She glanced behind her, just to make sure no one saw them. No one did.

  Once they reached the attic, he whispered, “I think we’re alone.”

  If that was the case, why was he whispering?

  It was on the tip of her tongue to ask, but then he started searching through the mass of objects in the attic. She followed him. She could venture off and help him with his search, but she was afraid if she left his side she’d find out that she really had been imagining all those things after all. But he had seen the missive. Not only had he seen it, but he’d read it word for word, just as she saw it.

  She tried not to get her hopes up that he would find the paintings, too, though by the way her hand squeezed around his, she knew all of her hopes hinged on it. If she wasn’t losing her mind, if this really all had been some elaborate scheme to make her think she was, then it would be a relief, even if it still hurt to think some of the staff would do something so awful to her.

  He let go of her hand when they came to a large item the size of a painting that was covered with a sheet. Under the sheet was a chair. He set the sheet back down and walked past a taller item. She didn’t think the object was short enough to be the two paintings, but she had to make sure. Curious, she lifted the sheet and saw they were the crates of books he had the butler bring up here from the den.

  When she noticed Landon had moved to another section of the attic, she hurried to join him. Even if it was daytime and he was in the same room with her, she still experienced a slight shiver at having to be up in this room. No one lived here. It contained old objects Lady Chadwick didn’t want to crowd up the townhouse with. Most had belonged to Lord Chadwick. The wardrobe and several trunks contained his clothes.

  They had searched through half of the small space when Landon noticed something wedged between one of the trunks and a wall. He moved the trunk as far out as the bassinet next to it would allow and pulled out two paintings.

  Opal gasped when she saw the familiar graveyard and the ghost. “Those are the ones I saw in the den!”

  “I thought you weren’t imagining them.” His gaze met hers, and he smiled. “Do you feel better now that you know they’re real?”

  “I do,” she admitted, “but it’s a shame that Miss Kesner and the maid are trying to make me think I’m losing my mind.”

  His smile faltered. “I know. We’ll deal with them for it. I don’t know how I’ll find out why they’re doing it, but I will.”

  “Landon?” she asked as he pushed the trunk back against the wall.

  Tucking the paintings under his arm, he looked at her. “What?”

  “Thank you for believing in me when I didn’t believe in myself.”

  He drew her to his side with his free arm and kissed her. “You believed in me, too. I doubt any other lady would want to be with me.”

  “I know it’s selfish on my part, but I’m glad they don’t. I don’t need the competition.”

  His smile returned, and he kissed her again, this one longer than the one before. “I’d much rather be with you.” He caressed her cheek. “You are far lovelier than any other lady in London.”

  She returned his smile, and after a moment, he took her hand and led her out of the attic.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Landon and Opal put the paintings in the wardrobe in his bedchamber so neither Miss Kesner nor the maid would be able to use them again. He was about to ask Opal if she felt safe enough to stay in her bedchamber while he searched for the two ladies when a knock came from the door that led to the hallway.

  “Wait here,” he told Opal.

  Once he opened the door, the butler said, “There is a lady who wishes to speak with either you or your wife about something she thinks is important. Her name is Miss Tumilson.”

  “We’ll be there in a moment,” Landon replied.

  After the butler headed down the hallway, Landon shut the door and returned to Opal. “Did you hear that?”

  She nodded. “I met Miss Tumilson, but it was only one time. Miss Kesner used to be her mother’s lady’s maid.”

  Really? Then this could give them some light on the situation they were dealing with. “Do you want to go down there with me?”

  “Yes. I’d like to know what she has to say.”

  He placed his hand on the small of her back and led her out of the room and down the stairs. They reached the drawing room just as the butler was placing tea on the table in front of Miss Tumilson.

  Landon waited until the butler shut the doors of the drawing room before he brought Opal over to the settee.

  “It’s nice to see you again, Miss Tumilson,” Opal said as she poured tea into the cups. “How have you been doing?”

  “I’m a little lonely since my mother passed away, but I’m all right.” Miss Tumilson accepted the cup Opal handed her. “I came here because I found something yesterday while I was going through Mother’s belongings. I think it might be something you need to read.” She showed Opal a neatly folded missive, which Landon just now realized she’d been clasping in her hand.

  Opal accepted it and opened it.

  “I don’t know if it is important or not,” Miss Tumilson added. “I might be making a bigger deal of it than it really is. I have a tendency to do that from time to time. I’ll read something, and I think it’s something serious. But later I find out it wasn’t as important as I thought it was.”

  Unable to hide his curiosity any longer, Landon peered over Opal’s shoulder and read the missive. It was written to Miss Kesner, and it said she might find it profitable if she were to come under the employment of Lord Farewell or his new wife. The gentleman then told Miss Kesner where she could talk with him for more details if she wanted. Down at the bottom, it was signed by Mr. Hamilton.

  “I don’t know anyone by the name of Mr. Hamilton,” Opal said. “Why would he tell Miss Kesner to come here for employment?”

  Miss Tumilson shrugged. “I don’t know. I haven’t heard of him, either.”

  Landon’s gaze went to the date on the missive. “He wrote it right after we married,” he told Opal. When both ladies looked in his direction, he cleared his throat. “I met Mr. Hamilton, but I only talked to him one time. He approached me right before we married. He wanted me to let him rent thith townhouth. I told him no. He didn’t like my reply, but he never approached me again.”

  Opal’s eyebrows furrowed. “Did he say why he wanted to rent this townhouse?”

  “He claimed he wanted to be near family,” he re
plied. “I didn’t believe him.”

  “You think he was lying?”

  He nodded.

  “But why would he do that?” Opal asked.

  “I have a better quethtion. Why would he write that?” He gestured to the missive in her hand. “I think if we know that, then we’ll know everything elth.”

  Her eyes lit up with understanding. “I think you’re right.” She turned her attention back to Miss Tumilson. “This missive is important. Thank you for bringing it to our intention.”

  “Will everything be all right?” Miss Tumilson asked, her brow wrinkled in concern.

  “Yes, it will be,” Opal assured her. “Thanks to you.”

  “I want to talk to your brother about it,” Landon told her. “Would you like to remain here?”

  Opal glanced at Miss Tumilson and nodded. “I would. Miss Tumilson has been gracious to me in the past, and she’s showing us a kindness now by giving us this missive. I’d like to sit and visit with her for a while.”

  “Do you mind if I go to your brother now?”

  “No. I feel comfortable with everything.”

  Glad she was assured of her sanity, he gave the small of her back a pat, thanked Miss Tumilson, and took the missive. On his way out, he shut the drawing room doors and left the townhouse.

  Guy didn’t know Mr. Hamilton, but Warren might. Or, at the very least, Warren might know who Mr. Hamilton was. He probably should have asked Warren about the gentleman that night he went to Warren’s dinner party right before the wedding. But his nerves had gotten in the way, and he’d forgotten all about him.

  How was he to know Mr. Hamilton would work with Miss Kesner to try to make Opal think she was losing her mind? And why would he do such a thing? Because he wanted Opal to go to the country to visit her brother’s grave? Landon couldn’t think of a single reason why paintings of a ghost and a graveyard would be in the den otherwise. Nor could he find another reason to explain the missive from her dead brother or the fact that his ‘ghost’ appeared in her bedchamber.

  Now the lad lying to him about Thalia made sense. The maid and Miss Kesner needed him out of the way so they could set up the paintings, the missive, and the ghostly visitor. If they were going to get to Opal, they needed him to be out of the townhouse. Otherwise, he might see something, and that would ruin their plans. The fact that they had restricted their activities to the bedchambers and the den told him not all of the staff were in on the scheme.