Chapter Eight

F lora paced back and forth in her bedchamber the following afternoon. She had slept in fits of restlessness throughout the night. Lennox’s taunting reply was on constant repeat.

Lady Hepburn.

Lady Hepburn.

Lady Hepburn.

The title he threw at her was a reminder that she was his wife and his property. Why else would he have referred to her in that term, if not to state his control? His actions were a contradiction, leaving her confused about which action to take with him. Should she make her demands for their marriage known? A future spent in name only. Or should she demand her freedom? A life spent without him.

She brushed her fingers across her lips. Could she spend a lifetime without his attention? Without the brush of his lips across hers? Without his touch branding her as his? Without her heart beating against his? A wave of disappointment washed over Flora at her weakness toward Lennox Fraser.

Lord Hepburn.

With a huff, she grabbed her bonnet and a coat. The air had taken on a chill over the past month. Perhaps a walk would help sort out her troubles and prompt her to form a plan of action. Anything to get her away from temptation. She had avoided Lennox at breakfast and hoped luck would remain with her for the rest of the day.

She had escaped to her bedchamber to avoid the servants. Flora still cringed at how they had addressed her as Lady Hepburn throughout the meal. When she inquired about Lennox’s whereabouts, they had avoided her questions. It would appear their loyalty lay with Lennox. The camaraderie they shared had only been a false act to appease her until Lennox arrived.

Flora stopped in front of the mirror in the foyer to draw on her coat and tie her bonnet. She tucked the few stray curls under the fabric and turned to leave, only to face Lennox, who stood behind her wearing a smirk. The very man she wished to avoid blocked her from her spell of freedom.

“Going somewhere, my lady?”

Flora ran her fingers along the buttons on her coat. “If you must know, I wish to take in some fresh air.”

Lennox glanced toward the door, then back at Flora. “Perhaps a stroll in the garden would benefit you more.”

Flora shook her head. “I would prefer a walk to the park.”

“Alone?” Lennox questioned.

“’Tis my intent.”

“Murray,” Lennox bellowed.

Murray stepped from the shadows. “Yes, my lord?”

“I shall need my coat and hat. Lady Hepburn and I are to take a stroll.”

“Please cease addressing me as such,” Flora hissed after Murray strode away to do Lennox’s bidding.

Lennox arched his eyebrow. “It is your name and the proper way to address you to the servants.”

Flora’s hand fluttered in the air. “My name is Flora, and I never expected this. Nor do I wish for it.”

Lennox frowned. “Nonetheless, ‘tis the circumstances of your life and one you must accustom yourself to.”

Flora pinched her lips to keep from voicing her opinion and informing Lennox exactly what he could do with his newfound title. To avoid any unpleasantries, she opted to stay silent instead of ranting her frustrations at him, which was wise on her part. Anytime she voiced her irritation, she ended up in his arms and sharing a passionate kiss.

She didn’t wait for Murray to return with Lennox’s coat before opening the door and walking down the steps. Even with Lennox’s growl behind her demanding she wait for him, Flora kept on walking along the pathway toward the park. She had wanted to take a walk alone to clear her thoughts, not be saddled with an annoying husband whose only amusement was to agitate her beyond reason.

However, Lennox soon caught up to walk alongside her. She refused to exchange pleasantries with him, even though her conscience prompted her to. His silence unnerved her even more than his arrogant chatter. When they entered the park, Flora peeked a glance at him to see him strolling beside her with his hands behind his back and his focus directed forward in concentration.

Flora sighed as she berated herself for her antagonism toward Lennox. He only wished to play the gentleman and escort her on a walk. She was his wife, and he wanted to protect her. It would be a lie to say she held no fear of the villain who threatened Flora and her friends. The threat had kept her awake most nights in distress because she had no one to keep her safe. Two of her friends had married, and Sara had the duke’s protection. When she returned to a home with no lord, Flora had worried that she would become the next victim.

Now Lennox offered to expose the culprit and keep her safe. And how did she show her gratitude? She disagreed with him at every opportunity and allowed her past grievances to cloud his attempts at being her hero. At one time, she would’ve welcomed him as her protector. However, she no longer trusted him. She saw his attempt as a ploy to persuade her to return home, a place she wished to avoid for the foreseeable future.

Lennox stopped Flora near a bench with a hand on her arm. With a nod, Flora agreed to sit. Lennox sat down next to her at a respectable distance but close enough to protect her if needed. He must attempt to mend the air between them before her defiance led her into trouble he wouldn’t be able to save her from. Her every attempt to defy him left him troubled by how to seek redemption.

“Are you enjoying Edinburgh?” Lennox inquired.

“It has been lovely. Except for the boredom of not having charges to care for.”

Lennox winced. “A necessity.”

“Mmm,” Flora murmured.

“I need some guidance to negotiate my way through society. I would appreciate your help if you would tutor me.”

Flora didn’t respond to his offer. Lennox couldn’t fool her into believing he was an inept barbarian from the Highlands who was clueless on which proper manners to display. She had married him and seen firsthand the wealth of his family. He would need to change tactics.

Lennox shifted on the bench to face Flora. “Did you enjoy your stay in England?”

“It was pleasant enough.”

“Enough?” Lennox questioned.

Flora crinkled her nose. “They are a prickly bunch, are they not?”

Lennox released a boisterous laugh. “They are at that.”

Flora joined his laughter. “Even the servants were so prim and proper.”

Lennox tugged at a curl that came loose from her bonnet. “Did you have trouble containing yourself?”

Flora leaned back from his touch. “No. I wished to change my identity and the true nature of who I used to be. I learned to adapt myself to their customs.”

Lennox dropped his hand in rejection. Her answer silenced his curious inquiry about her life after she had left him. If he hoped she would open herself to an honest conversation, he found himself mistaken. She would remain defiant to keep him at arm’s length—if not further.

Lennox attempted again to draw Flora out. “Can you enlighten me on the trouble you found yourself in?”

“Is there any need to? I am quite sure the gentlemen filled you in already.”

“They did.”

“Then why?”

Lennox turned sideways on the bench. “Because I hope once I hear your version of events, you could provide clues they could not. Sometimes hearing a different version can shed fresh light on a dilemma.”

Flora pondered Lennox’s explanation for learning more about the event that had led to her return to Scotland. He made a fine point about hearing it from a different perspective. Had her friends missed a clue by not discussing the fiasco with one another? They had assumed they shared the same version of their ruination.

“Do you think it will matter?”

“I do,” Lennox confirmed.

Flora folded her hands in her lap. “Very well.”

She grew quiet as she gathered her thoughts. While the drama that had unfolded in London didn’t directly involve her, her involvement had laid the groundwork for the trouble they found themselves in. The small part she had played still affected her circumstances and those of her friends. She never regretted their actions, only the fallout from them. She would repeat her actions in a heartbeat to seek justice for Sara and any other girl placed in those circumstances.

Flora had never endured such mistreatment from an employer. However, it was a risk she took when entering a home to seek employment, a fate every girl faced for a chance to earn an honest coin to support herself or her family.

“Sara arrived at the park withdrawn from her usual cheerfulness. She placated us with excuses, and we didn’t question her further. However, we should have known better. This continued for a week with us oblivious because we neglected the signs of her distress.”

Lennox placed his palm over her folded hands. “You were not to blame.”

“But we were,” Flora disagreed. “If we paid attention to her suffering, we might have avoided the predicament we found ourselves in.”

Lennox squeezed her hand in encouragement to continue her story. Flora would continue to berate herself, no matter how he consoled her differently. Guilt was an unpleasant reminder of one’s own misgivings. Until Flora freed herself from it, she could never move on.

“When she arrived at the park in tears and without her charges, we realized something was amiss. In her distress, we coaxed her to discuss the dire circumstances she suffered. Vivian raged at the indecency of Lord Baldridge and swore her revenge against the earl. Sara pleaded with Vivian to refrain from acting on her threats. Vivian relented long enough for Sara to return to her employer. We made Sara promise to flee if her circumstances became more dire and to search out Vivian for protection.”

Flora paused, drawing in a deep breath before continuing. “However, Vivian held firsthand knowledge about the depravities of the ton and how they treated the people below them in station. She swore she would defend Sara from Lord Baldridge’s advances and inform his wife of her husband’s philandering attempts at seduction with the servants. Vivian promised she would disgrace him with a scandal to defend Sara’s honor. It was a misguided attempt in her efforts because it was also an opportunity to avenge her own honor from the disgrace Vivian had faced from the ton.”

“Did you attempt to dissuade Lady Courtland from her actions?” Lennox asked.

Flora scoffed. “Nobody can dissuade Vivian from her agenda once she has solidified a plan. To be honest, we were all enraged by the audacity of Lord Baldridge’s behavior. Probably because, in our own naivety, none of us had ever encountered obscene behavior like Sara had suffered under Lord Baldridge’s treatment. Grace and I voiced no objections to Vivian’s plan because we wanted to protect Sara and defend her honor just as greatly. You must understand, we bonded with Sara like she was our younger sister who we love dearly.”

Lennox cleared his throat. “Do you speak the truth about never suffering such treatment at the hand of an employer?”

Flora raised her gaze to see the anguish in Lennox’s eyes, at how his actions could’ve placed her in a predicament beyond her control. “I speak the truth.”

Lennox gulped in relief. “I apologize for the interruption. Please continue.”

“Through her family’s connections with the ton, Vivian learned of the ball Lord and Lady Baldridge would attend. She had removed herself from society and sought employment to support her family, but Vivian’s family remained oblivious to the scandal of their downfall. Vivian loaned us gowns to sneak into the ball where we confronted Lord Baldridge about his scandalous attempts to steal his governess’s innocence with his lewd behavior. The ordeal ended with Vivian snatching off Lord Baldridge’s hairpiece before footmen escorted us off the premises.”

Lennox laughed. “I would have enjoyed witnessing that sight.”

Flora giggled. “It was silly, except for the severity of the situation.”

“Did the fallout happen after you sought justice for your friend?”

“Yes. We were dismissed from our positions with undue haste. However, not before the ladies of the house praised our bravery. But they could not keep us employed. They had to make an example of us to show the ton their loyalty. We never considered the consequences of our actions. After the scandal, no family would employ us, not even as a chambermaid. When we sought employment in the shops, the shopkeepers slammed the door in our faces. Everyone shunned our attempts to earn a coin. Well, except for the obvious course of action available.”

Lennox growled. “Like hell.”

Flora took pity on her husband. “A choice we refused to entertain.”

Lennox grunted in response.

Flora’s lips lifted into the tiniest of smiles. “After weeks of rejections, Vivian met us at the park with packets of letters for each of us, offering us positions at households in Edinburgh. I fought against accepting the offer, but I had no other choice if I wished to survive with my dignity intact.”

“After the incident with Lord Baldridge, did you notice anything amiss in London while you searched for employment?”

“No.”

“Courtland mentioned you only received one threatening letter around the same time Lady Courtland received her first letter. Have there been any since then?”

“No. Only the one,” Flora verified.

“May I see it when we return to the townhome?”

Flora nodded.

“Thank you for explaining. If you remember anything pertinent, do not hesitate to bring it to my attention. No minor the detail, it could be relevant in exposing the villain.”

“I promise.”

Flora would promise anything if it ended the nightmare of terror she had lived through the past few months. Also, she wanted to help bring the culprit to justice so her friends could live their lives in peace. They were unclear who terrorized them with their cruelty, but Flora held faith the person would meet their demise. They assumed their vengeance was a basis for their own insecurities and to protect themself from society learning about their secrets.

Lennox rubbed his palms together. “I have one more request to ask of you. I hope you will accept.”

Flora faced forward again, not wanting to make eye contact if she objected to his request. “And that is?”

“Can we call a truce between us during this time of turmoil?”

What Lennox asked of Flora would require her to put aside her bitterness and work alongside him until they discovered the culprit behind the threats. Her frustration with his past grievances would need to be forgiven. To make their living arrangement amicable, she would need to agree to the truce. If not, they would remain in a constant state of bickering, and they couldn’t help each other solve the mystery they faced. During that time, she could use the truce to her advantage and decide what she wanted for her future.

Flora turned back toward Lennox and held out her hand. “I can agree to a truce.”

Lennox enfolded her hand in his and squeezed lightly. He held on, not relinquishing his chance at touching her. He never expected her to agree to his offer of a truce, but he would receive her acceptance with hope. Her hand softened against his, and without realizing his actions, he rubbed his thumb across the beating pulse at her wrist. Her breathless gasp gave away how his gentle touch affected her.

He wished for more than a truce. But with his patient and persistent suit, he would convince Flora of a happily ever after before their time ended. He would show Flora how they were soulmates destined to spend an eternity with one another. However, for now, he would offer her friendship with hints of seduction to secure her love once again.

Flora tucked her hands into her coat. She tried to contain her shiver, but the wind breezing through the park settled into her bones. Their conversation had consumed them to where they hadn’t seen the clouds closing in with signs of a storm. Though the cold wasn’t the reason her body shivered. That alone was from how Lennox held her hand and gently caressed her wrist.

It reminded her of a time when she had succumbed to his courtship and given him her heart. However, she was no longer a sweet lass filled with innocence who believed a strapping Scotsman found interest in her. No. Now she was a jaded wife who saw through her desirable husband’s deceiving nature.

“Why did you not wear your gloves?”

Flora harrumphed. “I am not a dainty lady who whimpers at a bit of coldness.”

“Yet you are shivering from the cold.”

“Only because we have spent the afternoon weathering its harsh conditions outdoors,” Flora argued.

Lennox stood and offered his arm. “Then perhaps I should escort my lady home for a cup of hot chocolate.”

Flora rose and set her hand in the crook of Lennox’s arm. She didn’t remark on his comment because it held a tenderness that melted away at her resistance. Their conversation helped ease the tension between them and gave her hope that they could agreeably decide the fate of their marriage. While they didn’t discuss the topic, Lennox showed her she could reason with him by how he applied logical thinking to the dilemma before them. When the threat was behind them, she would approach Lennox with her request for their marriage.

What that pertained to was still in question.