Chapter Seventeen

L ennox paused outside the door to Flora’s bedchamber. She had enclosed herself in the room since her brothers’ arrival. He wanted to offer her the space she needed, yet he wanted to defend his actions. He had hoped she would demand answers. Instead, her silence spoke volumes. He would rather she raged at him in a snit. At least when she unleashed her fury, she didn’t hold on to her feelings for them to turn into resentment. He at least had a fighting chance if she ranted at him.

He trudged downstairs to eat luncheon. Much to his relief, only his sister sat at the table when he walked into the dining area. At least her husband and his brothers had the sense to make themselves scarce. He only tolerated their presence for Flora’s sake. Otherwise, he would show them the door and forbid them from visiting again. Because of their arrival, his wife refused to see him.

“Good afternoon, dear brother,” Ailsa greeted him.

“Humph.” Lennox grunted. He found nothing wonderful about the day.

“I see your disposition has not improved since your rest.”

Lennox prepared a plate from the buffet and sat down. He ate a few bites, hoping it would improve his mood. The evening before, he had indulged in a bottle of whiskey to drink his sorrows away before settling outside Flora’s bedchamber to keep watch over her. His sister had tried to persuade him to allow one of Flora’s brothers to stand guard, but he had argued it was his duty to protect his wife. What he hadn’t shared was that he hoped Flora would find him after everyone retired for the evening, but his pitiful wish went unanswered.

Lennox waved his fork in the air. “Where is your beast of a husband and his brothers?”

Ailsa smiled at her brother’s brusqueness. “They are exploring Edinburgh, probably by the way of the taverns.”

Lennox grunted again. “Figures.”

Ailsa patted the napkin against her lips. “I sent them exploring for you. Where is your gratitude?”

“If you can convince them to return home, I will show my gratitude in bounds.”

“They will not return without Flora,” Ailsa warned.

“Over my dead body,” Lennox growled, pounding his fist on the table.

Ailsa reached out to soothe Lennox’s temperament. “My husband and his brothers would have no trouble with that, but I believe their sister would.”

“Doubtful,” Lennox mumbled.

Ailsa changed the subject. “Did you discover anything on your mission early this morning?”

Lennox shook his head. Just one dead end after another. All his leads had become exhausted after investigating them. The culprit was as elusive as ever, especially with his silence over the past few days. Lennox was on edge, waiting for him to strike, but received only silence.

Ailsa rose and brushed a kiss across Lennox’s cheek. She would leave her brother to his surliness. He made it more than obvious that he preferred his own misery to her company. She would let him sulk for now. However, before the evening ended, she would convince him and Flora to discuss their troubles. She couldn’t keep her husband and his brothers occupied for much longer. They were not gentlemen who appreciated the entertainments in the city. They much preferred the wildness of the Highlands. If they stayed much longer, one of them would find trouble.

Ailsa reached into the pocket of her dress as she walked by. “I almost forgot. You received a missive this morning.”

His sister laid the letter next to his plate before leaving. He had been a boar to her and owed her an apology for his rude hospitality. His troubles weren’t her fault. She tried to play the peacemaker, and he made it difficult for her to do so.

He leaned back in his chair and swiped at his face. His resentment toward Ailsa’s husband, about how their parents had forced her to marry him, still lingered. What he neglected to acknowledge was how happy his sister was with the bloke. If his sister could forgive Hugh, then he should too. If he tried, maybe he could find an ally in helping him reunite with his wife.

Lennox grabbed at the letter and tore it open without noting the scrawl of the penmanship across the parchment. He sat up straight as he read through the threatening letter. The culprit had struck again. Only that time, it wasn’t with his usual one-line taunts. No. He filled the letter with slanderous words to strike Lennox’s anger.

Ah, Lord Hepburn, you made quite a splash on your return to society along with your long-forgotten, misplaced bride. But I hear ‘tis not as pleasant as you two presented at the theatre. From what I learned, she has closed you out of her bedchamber because of your betrayal.

Just when you thought you made progress, her family arrives to rip all your hard work asunder, leaving the missus in distress. Are you left wondering if she will leave you again? I would not doubt that is her very intention. Probably the very reason she is meeting with her friends at the park. Do you suppose the lovely Lady Courtland will offer Flora her home? Or will it be the delectable Lady Lockhart Flora runs to?

Perhaps I should present myself as an interested party and woo her away from you. Since she is not a single miss, it would not be uncommon for me to cross paths with her and strike up a conversation, drawing her attention away from you. A sympathetic suitor who is sensitive to her distress and would be more than willing to offer her the support she so desperately needs.

Then I could tempt her to my bed. Yes. I believe that would be the most fitting punishment for your deceit, my lord. At first, I thought Flora was a social climber, like her friends, but from what I have learned, she is but a victim of her brother’s mishap, your parents' revenge, and her own parents' incapability of protecting their daughter’s innocence. However, everyone’s involvement pales in comparison to your role in robbing Flora of a chance with someone worthwhile who would appreciate all she has to offer.

Beware, Lord Hepburn. Soon I will lure Lady Hepburn from your clutches and straight into mine. When you least expect it, I will make my move. And not you or her protectors will prevent our meeting.

By the way, have you seen your lovely wife today?

Lennox leapt to his feet, crumpling the letter in his fist. “Ailsa,” he roared.

He didn’t wait for Ailsa’s response but ran upstairs to Flora’s bedchamber. Without knocking, he flung the door open to see nothing but emptiness. His wife hadn’t sequestered herself away. She had left. But to where?

“Flora!” Lennox yelled her name repeatedly as he stormed along the hallway and throughout the house, searching for any sign of her. His panic grew with every room he searched and couldn’t find her. Every servant he questioned was uncertain of his wife’s location. Nobody had seen her that morning.

“What is the matter?” Ailsa questioned when she caught up with him.

He waved the letter clutched in his hand. “Flora. She has disappeared.”

Ailsa frowned. “No, she has not.”

“She is nowhere to be found,” Lennox growled.

She pulled the letter from Lennox’s grasp. “Because she has walked to the park to visit with her friends.”

“You allowed her to leave?”

Ailsa gave Lennox an exasperated look. “She is not a prisoner, nor am I her guard. Flora needed a break to gather her thoughts without you or her brothers disturbing her.”

His sister walked away from him as if it were perfectly acceptable for Flora to leave without the necessary precautions in place. Without him protecting her, it left Flora vulnerable as prey to an unknown madman. The letter stated the villain’s intentions.

“Murray,” Lennox growled, following his sister into the library.

The butler appeared out of the shadows as if he was waiting for Lennox to summon him. “Yes, my lord?”

“Collect my coat and hat,” Lennox ordered.

Murray strode away to do Lennox’s bidding without a response. The butler was well aware of the urgency in Lennox’s tone to accommodate his needs accordingly. If only Murray had been more observant that morning when Flora snuck away. Then perhaps Lennox wouldn’t feel so defenseless in protecting Flora.

“Do not take out your frustrations on dear Murray. ‘Tis not his fault for not waking you when Flora left,” Ailsa called out.

Lennox moved to stand in the library doorway. “His position requires him to be diligent about Flora’s activity, as well as my own.”

“Do not be so obstinate. It is below you. Especially when I am the one who aided Flora this morning.”

Lennox snarled. “You defied her protection after I warned you of the danger she was in. Why?”

Ailsa ignored him while she read the letter Lennox had received. Once she finished, she glanced at him with disgust. “What a degenerate soul.”

Lennox crossed his arms across his chest. “Aye. Now, do you see my cause for concern?”

“Yes. But you also need to hold faith in my ability to protect Flora when you cannot. I sent Donald to follow and protect her.”

Lennox thumped his fist against his chest. “It should be me.”

Ailsa offered Lennox a sympathetic smile before handing him back the letter. “’Tis time for you to share your secrets with Flora. If you wish for a future with her, you must be honest with one another, starting with showing her the letter and the others you have kept hidden from her. If you do not, then I fear you will spend a lonely life separated from your one true love. I do not wish that for you, dear brother.”

Lennox drew his sister into a hug. Ailsa’s every act since she had arrived spoke of betrayal. Her loyalty now lay with Hugh and his family. But he had been mistaken. She had offered him advice he should’ve heeded because she held his best interest at heart. However, he had been too blind from his frustrations to understand she had never abandoned her loyalty to him. She only wanted his happiness.

It was time he took his sister’s advice and confessed his secrets, betrayals, and love to his wife. They couldn’t move forward without sharing the mistakes of their past. No matter how upsetting they may be. Perhaps then he would learn of Flora’s hopes, wishes, and dreams.

He only hoped they included him.