Chapter 28

CHAPTER 28

O ctavia was picking at the eggs on her plate when her godmother came barreling into the little parlor that had been used by her uncle’s late wife.

“Are you hurt? What in heaven’s name has happened?” Matilda fell to her knees beside Octavia and proceeded to examine her from head to toe before taking her face in her hands.

“Nothing has happened; why are you so panicked?” Octavia felt her pulse racing at the wild look of panic in her godmother’s eyes.

Coming to her feet and gasping for breath, Matilda proceeded to brandish a note in the air before placing her hand on her abdomen and heaving.

“Your uncle…he sent a note…said come at once, something is wrong.” Her cheeks were flushed and red from running and her hair had mostly come loose from the bun at the back of her head.

Realizing what had happened, Octavia stood and took the note from her godmother, helping her into the chair opposite her own.

“I am sorry that you have gotten such a fright, but I am not ill, nor am I hurt.” She made Matilda take a deep breath before ringing for an extra cup.

It took Matilda a moment to regain her composure. “Why the devil did your uncle send me such a note then? I practically fainted when I read it. I thought you had gotten hurt or worse.” She seemed almost furious as she shook her head.

A part of Octavia was glad that her uncle hadn’t elaborated more on the matter. It saved her yet another awkward conversation having to explain matters between her and Simon.

“We had a bit of a falling out over Isolde. I’m afraid that both of us ended up saying things that we shouldn’t have.”

A maid entered the room and left again when Octavia gestured for a second cup.

Shaking her head out of frustration, Matilda failed to hide the look of relief on her face.

“That man will be the death of me, carrying on as if someone had died when it was nothing more than a spat.” Her face softened a little as she looked at Octavia. “I know your uncle may come across as a very harsh man at times, but he ultimately means well.”

The look in her godmother’s eyes made her heart ache as Octavia realized again how much they cared for one another. Her godmother seemed to understand her uncle in ways that nobody else could.

The maid hurried in with a clean cup and saucer, placing it in front of Matilda with a polite curtsy before leaving again.

“Well, now that all of that has been settled, tell me, is the Duke here as well?” Matilda poured herself a cup of tea and proceeded to sip it slowly.

“No, there are important matters that needed his attention. It would seem that there is every possibility of finding his brother sooner rather than later. He knew that I missed spending time with my family and granted me a little respite,” Octavia answered quickly, hoping that her godmother would buy her story and not ask any further questions.

Matilda seemed satisfied with her answer and nodded. “That is good news. I hope they will be able to find Isolde as well; your uncle does worry ever so much about her. Even I have attempted to track her down, but the girl seems to have vanished without a trace.”

Octavia felt a pang of guilt at having accused her uncle of chasing her cousin away. Even if he had been pressuring her, it didn’t excuse the fact that Isolde had disappeared without a trace.

“It weighs heavily on me as well; I wish she would have left some kind of clue to her whereabouts.” Octavia shook her head.

“Are you certain that Isolde didn’t say anything to you? I wouldn’t be angry with you if you were keeping her secret. The two of you were more like sisters than cousins.” Matilda placed her cup back on the table and smiled reassuringly at Octavia.

“If I had known, I would have gone and dragged her back by now. Her presence would have saved us all a lot of worry and heartache.”

Simon drifted back into her mind as she chewed the inside of her cheek. Their argument the previous day had left tossing and turning during the night. A lack of sleep wasn’t helping her mood either as she’d endeavored to avoid her uncle as much as possible.

“I know that things can’t be easy on you either; her absence must seem like a betrayal to you. Nevertheless, I hope that the poor dear is safe, wherever she may be.” Matilda looked up when Uncle Jack entered the room and cleared his throat.

Feeling a shift in the atmosphere once again, Octavia quickly devised a plan to excuse herself.

“If you would excuse me, there is something in the library that I needed. Perhaps you and Uncle Jack can catch up while I have a moment to myself.” She stood and smiled courteously at her uncle before Matilda could protest.

Weaving her way to the library, Octavia quickly shut the door behind her back and sighed in relief. Her uncle would undoubtedly tell her godmother the truth about her visit, and Matilda in return would press her for more. She felt as if she needed more time to process her situation before anyone else intervened.

Pushing herself off of the door, she walked to the row of shelves on the opposite wall and ran her finger over the spines.

“Where are you?” she whispered to the room in general, recalling all of the times that she and Isolde had spent swapping books and dreaming of bigger things in life.

They had discussed traveling the world together and even opening a shop that sold hats and books. The spines only served to grieve her even further as she recalled the good times in her life before everything had gone south.

Stopping on a book that she and Isolde had both loved, Octavia withdrew the novel from the shelf and proceeded to open the cover. Something felt off to her as a frown creased her brow. The pages seemed bulkier as if something had been wedged in between.

Jumping back from fright, she raised her hand to her throat and gasped. Something long and silver had fallen from the pages.

Bending down with a frown, she ran her fingers over the silver chain before noting the shining pendant at the end.

“Oh, my word, I think I know where you are.”

She jumped to her feet and ran to the door, yanking it open before racing back down the hall.

Matilda and Jack both jumped apart, their faces flushed as if they’d been whispering.

“Heavens, dearest, you practically gave me a heart attack. What has happened?” She placed her hand over her chest before glancing at Jack.

“Nothing, I merely wanted to come and say that I will be returning to Sunderley at once, this afternoon in fact.” She smiled at her uncle as he frowned at her.

“Has something happened with the Duke?” Uncle Jack frowned and searched her face as if he were reading a newspaper.

Octavia shook her head. “Nothing at all; I simply saw the error of my ways and wish to rectify the situation as soon as possible.”

She held the necklace behind her back, closing the chain in her fist.

Matilda looked at her with a frown but smiled, nonetheless. “I’m glad to hear it, dearest. Your uncle and I shall instruct the housekeeper at once.”

She lifted the hem of her dress and readied herself to leave when Octavia suddenly stepped in front of her.

“Please stay for just a moment; I would like a word in private.” She quickly looked at her uncle with an apologetic smile. “I need some advice on… womanly problems.”

Uncle Jack’s lips formed a perfect ‘O’ before he cleared his throat.

“Very well then, I shall leave the two of you alone for a moment.” He fidgeted with his mustache before exiting the room as quickly as possible.

Shaking her head with a smile, Octavia rolled her eyes. If there was anything that would ensure the absence of a man, it was the mention of womanly problems.

“What is the matter, dearest? You can’t think yourself pregnant already. I don’t think it has been long enough.” Matilda seemed thoughtful as she chewed the inside of her cheek.

Waving the idea away with her hand, Octavia hurriedly shook her head. “Not at all, I merely wanted a word alone. I have no intentions of heading back to Sunderley; I just didn’t want to give Uncle Jack false hope.”

She reached for her godmother’s hand and pulled her across the room before settling on a settee in front of the window.

“But your uncle told me of the problems between you and the Duke; what do you mean you will not be returning to Sunderley?” Her godmother seemed even more concerned as she examined Octavia.

“I will not be returning to Sunderley because I will be going somewhere else. Do you recognize this?” She held the necklace out to Matilda and placed it on her lap.

Picking up the piece of jewelry, Matilda examined it with a great deal of concentration.

“It does look familiar, but I don’t recall?” She looked up with a frown.

“It belonged to Isolde. She never left a note, but she did leave me this,” she stated triumphantly.

Matilda lifted her hand to her forehead and frowned. “Octavia, you aren’t making any sense. You will have to explain.”

Retrieving the item of jewelry from her godmother’s knee, Octavia clasped it in her fist.

“This necklace was placed in one of the novels that Isolde and I used to love as young debutants. The only reason that she would have left this behind was to give me a clue as to where she would have gone. There is only one person that I can think of who would take Isolde in without saying a word and notifying Uncle Jack. I’m not sure why I didn’t think of her before now, but I am more than certain that Isolde has gone to her Jessamine in the country.”

Matilda’s brows knit together in a deep frown.

“How on earth could you have deduced all of this from a necklace? Honestly, Octavia, you aren’t making any sense, and I am beginning to grow concerned. Your uncle was concerned that you may not be thinking straight right now, and I am afraid that he may be right.”

Shifting closer to her godmother, Octavia took the older woman’s hands in her own.

“This necklace belonged to Isolde’s mother; it meant more to her than any other possession in the world. You need to trust me on this. Isolde would never have left this behind unless she had done it with an intention. The only person that Isolde would trust with her secret, if not me, is her mother’s oldest friend, Jessamine.”

“Who is Jessamine?” Matilda continued to search Octavia’s face, seeming as if she wanted to ring for help.

“Jessamine was her mother’s oldest friend. Much like the bond that you and I share, she is the closest thing that Isolde had to a mother.” She gave Matilda’s fingers a gentle squeeze.

“Oh.” Matilda let out a shaky breath as if she were taking everything in.

“I hope you understand now why I feel the need to go after her. Someone has to make sure that she isn’t in need of help.” Octavia let go of her godmother’s hand and fastened the clasp of the necklace behind her neck.

“I know that I may very well regret this in the very near future, but I agree that you should go. If you feel very strongly that is where your cousin is, then I will not stand in your way.” Matilda let out yet another sigh and smiled.

Throwing her arms around her godmother’s neck, Octavia drew her into a warm embrace.

Her godmother responded in kind and hugged her back. “Please do not make me regret my decision; if your plan is to run away, your uncle would never forgive me. Despite the words that the two of you may have exchanged, your uncle does care for you very deeply.” Matilda drew back and cupped Octavia’s cheek in the palm of her hand.

“I know,” Octavia said with a smile, feeling more alive than she had in a long time.

The prospect of an adventure and finding her cousin had pushed the problems with the Duke to the back of her mind for a little while at least. She was about to stand and leave when Matilda reached for her hand and drew her back down.

“One last thing, your uncle did apprise me in full of the conversation that inspired his note. I do not proclaim to know what happened between you and the Duke, but I do not think that the two of you were perpetuating a ruse. It may have started that way, but not all of it was a lie. I am certain of that.”

Feeling the pit of her stomach knot with anxiety, Octavia let out a shaky breath.

“I do not wish to speak beyond the bounds of my marital life but suffice it to say that you were sorely mistaken by the Duke’s actions and behavior. He was not taken with me at the ball, nor was he smitten. Our marriage has never been anything more than an inconvenience to him.”

“I do not think that is true, Octavia; the way the Duke looked at you was far beyond the lust-filled looks of lesser men. I am certain that the man is in love with you, and deep down, I know that you feel the same way about him.” Matilda let go of her hand and sat back, giving Octavia a moment to mull over her words.

Time seemed to stand still as Octavia stopped breathing for a moment.

Do I love him?

All of the confused feelings she’d experienced over the past few days came flooding back to her as she considered her godmother’s words.

None of that matters now.

She took a deep breath and swallowed hard as she stood.

“None of that matters now. I have to find Isolde and ensure that she is safe. If my hunch is correct, I will send word. The matter of my marriage has been settled; perhaps Isolde can do better with hers.” The breath in her lungs felt shaky as her legs began to tremble.

If she had been in love with the Duke, how long had she been lying to herself? Had she fallen in love with him at the pool, the first time they had made love, or was it that day in the tree when he’d come to her rescue?

Matilda merely pursed her lips and nodded as Octavia turned to leave with the necklace securely fastened around her neck.

For some inexplicable reason, Octavia felt as if all would be well if she returned the necklace to Isolde.

Perhaps everything would work out for the best, even if she did indeed love a husband who refused to love her back.