Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

ALEXANDER

I snapped my financial ledger closed with a sigh, taking two handfuls of my hair.

I rested my elbows on the writing desk in my bedchamber and closed my eyes. I felt the absence of the two hundred pounds Miles owed me more keenly than ever. If I wanted to travel back to York and build my client relationships there, I would need more money to secure a place to live.

I had only learned that Miles was on his way back to England by speaking with my eldest brother. Miles hadn’t answered any of my letters, which didn’t surprise me in the slightest. I hated to hope that Miles had become rich in India, but if he had spent the money he stole from me and made no profit with which to repay it, I would be in dire straits. And so would he. Surely Anne wouldn’t want to court him if I made his teeth resemble Lord Kirkham’s.

I let out a frustrated sigh. My expectations associated with being a barrister had never been foolish. All I wanted was to build a list of clients who could trust me, gain a reputation I could be proud of, and earn enough money to make a comfortable and modest living. I dreamed of purchasing my own small house, my own horses, and providing a home for a wife and children. My aspirations weren’t driven by greed. My heart whispered what it wanted, and I listened. Those humble requests weren’t out of reach if I could make my way back to York with the two hundred pounds Miles had stolen. At the moment, I hadn’t a sixpence to scratch with.

I stood and stretched my back. It was too early for breakfast. My stomach rumbled. Lady Tottenham’s party was already training my body to expect more food. I had been accustomed to living off much smaller portions, so I would enjoy it while I could.

Exploring the house in the early morning seemed like a better way to pass the time than agonizing over my finances. I adjusted my cravat in the mirror before stepping out into the corridor. The staircase was just outside the door to my room, the polished wood of the bannister gleaming in the morning light. A maid stood at the base of the staircase, dusting every inch of it.

I made my way to the ground floor, passing by the dreaded parlor. Memories from the night before flashed through my mind.

I had been officially invited to the second midnight parlor game. Those in attendance had consisted of myself, Mr. Hatcher, Mr. Lymington, and the twin Colborne sisters, Octavia and Victoria. We had played Lady Tottenham’s version of the game “rhymes with rose.” Each of us had been required to write a flattering poem for our partner using only words that rhymed with rose. It hadn’t come as a surprise that Miss Octavia had been assigned to be my partner.

Since the game of buffy gruffy the day before, she hadn’t left my side. During nine pins, during dinner, and then during the midnight game. I needed to convey the message that I was not at the party to find a match, but that was difficult when Lady Tottenham was observing my every move. Her words about sending people home if they broke the rules of the game had been troubling. I had to stay, but I couldn’t entertain a budding attachment with Miss Octavia. It was a delicate situation. Kissing her on the cheek had been an obligation, but she had somehow taken it as a token of affection. Lady Tottenham seemed to have chosen Miss Octavia for me, and she would continue pushing us together at every opportunity.

From the corner of my eye, I caught a flash of white fabric. The nearby drawing room door creaked closed. I pivoted in that direction. What the devil was that?

I glanced down the corridor before walking slowly toward the door. I turned the knob, but was met by resistance from someone inside. I turned the knob harder. “Is someone there?”

I glanced down the corridor. Heavy footfalls came from the parlor, but the corridor was still empty.

Someone was behind the drawing room door. My curiosity overthrew my manners. I rattled the doorknob.

The footfalls down the corridor grew louder. Who else was awake? I watched for the person to come into view, but then the drawing room door swung open toward me.

Anne’s eyes, wild with panic, met mine. She waved me forward before tugging the door closed behind me. I blinked against the sudden darkness. We were not in the drawing room. We were in the small space between the outside door and the inside door. With such thick walls, a space was afforded for servants to wait, unseen, before entering a room to wait upon the family. The space between the inside door and outside door was only the width of the doorway itself, with a maximum depth of three feet. A small amount of light filtered under the door from inside the drawing room, but the outside door led to the dim corridor.

I laughed in surprise, but Anne shushed me.

I wouldn’t complain about being trapped with her in what was essentially a closet. I was simply surprised she wanted me there. My eyes adjusted to the dimness.

“I’m sorry!” she whispered. “I-I didn’t want him to hear you.”

Her features slowly came into view. Dark brows, panicked eyes, white gown. She looked terrified. My stomach clenched against another bout of laughter. “May I venture a guess who you’re hiding from?”

Her brow contracted into a scowl. “This is not a laughing matter,” she hissed.

“Would you rather I be serious?” I erased the smile from my face, drawing an inch or two closer. I studied each of her features in turn, ending with her lips. I had no choice but to flirt with her after she had tugged me into a dark closet.

She stepped back, coming in contact with the wall. “Stop!” she said in a harsh whisper. “We must be quiet. Lord Kirkham is in the corridor.” She caught her breath. “He has been following me.”

“Is the drawing room occupied? Please don’t misunderstand, I would love to stay between the doors with you, but?—”

“I don’t know,” she interrupted before I could finish. “The inside door is locked.”

“So there is no escape until Lord Kirkham is gone.” I smiled down at her, and she seemed unsure of where to look.

Her gaze settled on my cravat. “Unfortunately, yes.”

“Unfortunately? You’re the one who abducted me.”

She scoffed. “I did not abduct you. You were about to reveal my hiding place.”

“It’s a bit obvious.”

“Obvious?” She gave me a steely glance. “Just like how you cheated in the game yesterday.”

A slow smile crept over my mouth. Buffy Gruffy. “You cannot blame me. I’m not the one who chose a transparent blindfold.”

“But you chose me.” She narrowed her eyes. “And then you asked such…specific questions about my time in London, knowing full well why I’m here.”

“I know why you’re here, but I don’t understand it.” My jaw tightened. “You are wasting your time.”

Her eyes flashed with anger, and she opened her mouth to speak again. Before she could, we both froze. The footfalls in the corridor echoed closer. We stood perfectly still for several seconds. Thankfully, they passed, fading in the direction of the staircase.

Anne released an audible breath. “He must have assumed I went back to my room. Do you think he went upstairs?”

“It does sound that way.”

Her shoulders relaxed, the panic fading from her expression.

“You do realize you owe me a favor,” I said.

“For what?”

“Helping you hide.”

She shook her head. “You didn’t help me at all.”

“That doesn’t matter. We’re hiding partners now. If the time comes that I need to hide from Octavia, you must be on my side.”

Her brows shot upward. “You wish to hide from Octavia? You seem to enjoy her attention.”

I cast her a skeptical look. “What could have given you that impression?”

She shrugged. “You remained by her side the entire day.”

“ She remained by my side. That doesn’t mean I wanted her there.”

Anne crossed her arms, raising her chin to meet my gaze. “Well, you didn’t discourage her flirting.”

“But I didn’t flirt back.” I leaned closer. “I would prefer to save such endeavors for you. You seem to enjoy my attention.”

A laugh of disbelief burst out of her. “What could have given you that impression?”

“Lord Kirkham is long gone,” I said in a quiet voice, “yet you have made no move to leave our hiding place.”

I was momentarily distracted by her scent—flowers—and something sweet like molasses sugar. Her eyes were layered and deep as they searched mine. I drew a step closer to her, but she was already up against the wall.

Her dark lashes fluttered downward, hiding her eyes from view. She was silent for a heartbeat, but then she pushed against my chest with two fists. “Only because you’re in my way.” She slid past me and grabbed the doorknob of the outside door.

A flood of light came into the space between the doors, but not from the direction I expected.

Anne and I whirled around at the same moment. The inside door to the drawing room was wide open, and Lady Tottenham stood just beyond it. The blue ruffles of her dress climbed up her neck, devouring her chin in fabric. She blinked in surprise. Her serious expression shifted to a grin saturated with intrigue. “My, oh, my.” She clucked her tongue. “What have I stumbled upon?”

I searched my mind for any excuse, but Anne stepped forward before I could speak.

“I was hiding,” she said in a quick voice. “Mr. Holland—er—well, he found me.”

Lady Tottenham stared blankly in her direction. “I was having a private meeting in the drawing room. Were you spying on me?”

I glanced beyond her shoulder where a gentleman with gray hair stood, spectacles on his nose. He wasn’t one of the other guests—I had never seen him before.

“No, no, of course not,” Anne said with an innocent smile. “I—I…” her voice trailed off. The flush on her cheeks was condemning her.

“We weren’t aware that it was you in the drawing room, my lady,” I said. “We didn’t mean to interrupt your meeting.”

Lady Tottenham’s lips pursed into a circle. “It would seem I was the one who so rudely interrupted your meeting.” Her eyes darted between us. The awe and excitement on her face was unsettling.

“No—” Anne and I said simultaneously.

We exchanged a glance. She cleared her throat. “It was an accident that we both…” she gestured at me, her words evading her.

“I found her when she didn’t wish to be found.” I pressed my lips together.

“Yes.” She nodded.

Lady Tottenham didn’t blink as she surveyed both our faces. “There is no need to explain yourselves to me.” Her mischievous grin persisted. “You have surprised me, that is all. I do enjoy being surprised.”

I could practically see the protest rising up under Anne’s skin. She looked near to bursting as she opened the outside door and walked into the corridor. Lady Tottenham and the gentleman with the spectacles walked past, but not before she threw a knowing glance in my direction.

I stood with my arms crossed, staring at the floor as Lady Tottenham led her guest around the corner toward the vestibule. As soon as she was out of sight, Anne pivoted toward me. In the light, she looked angelic. Her dark features contrasted with her white gown, and the additional blush on her cheeks was endearing. I hadn’t known she could blush like that. She would likely scold me for smiling, but I couldn’t help it.

Anne covered her face with both hands. “What might she be thinking? The…the assumptions she must be making….” She shook her head, uncovering her eyes. “She is going to send me home.”

I stepped forward, keeping my voice quiet. “No, she isn’t. Did you see how happy she was to find us there? This is what she wants from her house party. Nothing brings her greater joy that discovering romantic encounters happening in hidden alcoves.”

“It was not a romantic encounter,” she snapped, the red on her cheeks climbing higher.

I shrugged, tossing her a smile. “If you say so.”

She cast her gaze heavenward, releasing an exasperated sigh. “I suppose you’re right.”

“That it was romantic?”

“ No .” She shot me a glare. “Lady Tottenham is nothing but pleased with what she saw. She has no reason to send either of us away prematurely.”

I tipped my head to one side, studying the desperation in her features. She disguised it well, but she seemed just as eager to complete the twenty days at Birch House as I was. “If you were sent away for any reason…where would you go?”

She tugged at a loose thread on the ribbon of her gown. “I don’t know. I would like to stay in London until Miles returns, but I cannot afford a lease at the moment.” She lifted her chin and met my gaze. “So I must remain in Lady Tottenham’s favor and stay here.” She paused. “Where would you go?”

“My situation is similar to yours. Unfortunately I can’t afford to leave either. I too am eagerly awaiting Miles’s return, but not for the same reasons you are.”

She frowned. “What are your reasons?”

I bit the inside of my cheek, shaking my head. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“I might.”

“I already know of your inclination to trust him over me. I would rather not waste my breath.”

She groaned, drawing a step closer. “Alexander!”

The sound of my name on her voice sent a wave of warmth through me. I stared at the gold streaks in her hazel eyes, the dark lashes surrounding them. She looked so sincere; I almost explained everything to her. But this was a woman who claimed to be in love with Miles. She was his ally, and therefore my enemy. I desperately needed to remember that, or I was in grave danger. If I wasn’t careful, she would give me something to lose—and losing to Miles wasn’t something I ever wanted to do again.

I looked down at the floor. “How you regard him is not my business. I won’t say anything to poison your opinion of him.”

“My opinion isn’t as malleable as that.” She laughed under her breath. “My opinion isn’t formed by gossip or words alone. I formed an opinion of him through our interactions. It won’t be swayed by what you say, though I am still curious.”

I gave her a skeptical look. “You had an opinion of me before you even knew me.”

“Yes, but—” her tone was defensive.

“Your entire opinion was formed off the opinion of someone else,” I continued, walking close enough to see the light freckles on her cheekbones.

She held her ground, scowling up at me. “The facts were quite condemning.”

“Facts.” I gave a slow nod, anger welling up inside me. “I invite you to make your own investigation of my character.”

She was silent for a long moment. She drew a deep breath, her brows pinching together. “Moving forward, I will disregard the things he has said about you.” She looked down. “Likewise, I will disregard the things you say about him. During this house party, I shall remain…neutral. I hope the two of you will find a way to heal your animosity someday.” She finally met my gaze again. A hint of doubt crossed her features, but then it was gone.

My frustration still lingered, but I nodded. Her loyalty to him would drive me mad. He had spun her into his web, and she was helpless to escape. She had just revealed the state of her finances to me. If she didn’t have money, Miles would never pursue her. It would break her heart if I told her that, but eventually her heart would be broken either way.

“Let us make it a rule not to speak of Miles ever again.” I extended my hand to her.

She eyed my hand with misgiving. “Why do I suspect that you have a habit of breaking rules?”

“Only if I disagree with them.” I grinned. “But this rule is important to our friendship.”

“Friendship?” Her brows shot up.

“We both need a friend in this household if we are to survive.”

She hesitated to take my hand. “I have friends here.”

“I saw the way Mrs. Fitzgibbon and her two cousins snubbed you. Mrs. Pike and the Colborne sisters don’t seem to be your first choice. Unless you would rather call Lord Kirkham your friend.”

She sighed, her lips fighting against a smile.

“Don’t forget, we are hiding partners,” I added. “Shake my hand, and we shall agree not to speak of Miles. You can make your decision later about the matter of our friendship.”

A genuine smile lit up her face, and she gave a quiet laugh. “Very well.” She took my outstretched hand.

I shook it, squeezing her fingers softly. Her eyes met mine, and she pulled her hand away fast, tucking it in a fold on the side of her skirts. “I ought to take my leave before Lady Tottenham finds us again. Let us hope she forgets what she saw.”

“Our romantic meeting?”

Anne gave an exasperated sigh, pivoting away from me in one swift motion. “Good day, Alexander.”

I didn’t look away until she was around the corner.