Chapter 26
Chapter Twenty-Six
“Ugh,” Daniel groaned. “The sun seems to be out to murder my eyes today.”
It might be the first time he thought the sunlight streaming into Stonewynn House was intrusive. It used to fill him with energy.
That was not all, though. The world seemed not only brighter but also too loud. Even the scent of jasmine and damp earth that he used to love seemed to suffocate him.
He spent the morning putting together documents and information that Silas and his men had retrieved for him through their interrogations. The ink on each page seemed to swirl before him to form a certain lady’s silhouette.
Whenever he closed his eyes, he could see Lucy’s smile when she said that she understood why he had to go. That understanding—it killed him.
He felt like a man possessed. Sleep evaded him at night, so in the afternoons, he tried to nap. When he did get some sleep, his dreams were haunted by her.
It didn’t make sense to stay in Stonewynn anymore. He needed the company of someone else. Someone who could provide him with a distraction.
Theo.
It didn’t take him long to arrive at his friend’s townhouse. He came unannounced, but the butler readily admitted him.
He was surprised to find Theo flipping through the pages of his journal. It would have been more believable if his friend were in bed with a woman about to be sent to the back exit of the house.
“Let’s play a game of chess, Theo,” he demanded without preamble. “Now.”
Instead of being offended, Theo looked up at him and smirked. He did not ask why Daniel needed a game so badly. He didn’t ask why the Duke of Stonewynn looked like he had not slept or bathed in a while.
Daniel had bathed, of course. His hair only looked unruly because his fingers had raked through the strands several times as thoughts of Lucy became unbearable.
“Stonewynn! I thought you’d never have the time for a game of leisure with me. All you do is pore over your ledgers or launch investigations. I’m glad you came to lose,” Theo teased.
The two soon retreated to Theo’s library, where the chessboard was laid out and the pieces on the ready. The room smelled familiar, old manuscripts and faint tobacco. Yet he felt safer there somehow, with Theo nearby. He needed to exorcise some ghosts—the ghosts of his feelings.
Soon, they were moving the pieces without saying much of a word.
Daniel chose black over white, which suited his mood: brooding and defensive.
The game began as always, with standard openings and familiar moves.
They knew each other so well that their fingers flew over the board while they conversed.
“Ah, now you are making bold moves for someone who seemingly has barely slept in days,” Theo observed as he slid his knight across the board. “But tell me, are you trying to break the fastest record for losing your queen? Is winning becoming too boring?”
“No, I’m just focused,” Daniel lied, knowing full well he was the opposite of focused.
The game started out well enough, but soon his mind drifted back to Lucy. Her hair had glinted under the lantern light, and her eyes had closed while her lips parted as his finger slid in and out of her.
“Ah, naturally,” Theo remarked, raising an eyebrow. “By the way, I didn’t get to ask you about what happened after you escorted Lady Cecily to view the cursed artifact.”
“It was fine. Lady Cecily was in no way interested in the artifact. She was only interested in the cursed aspect of it, and almost fell asleep when I gave her dates and names.” Daniel chuckled at the memory.
The woman was cruel and vapid, and thought herself a beauty.
It was a dangerous combination. “I didn’t get to thank you for distracting the other women. ”
“You are welcome, of course,” Theo replied dryly as his hand moved over the chessboard.
“Lady Lucy is a rare find, mind you. She does not parrot other people’s ideas.
She is intelligent and quiet. Of course, she was a vision in that midnight blue dress.
Who would have thought she would be the most beautiful unmarried woman there? ”
“Theo?”
“Yes, you silly, sleepy head. I am right here. Don’t forget that. Anyway, I like seeing you talking to her. Thinking about her. You seem happy, not just hellbent on revenge, which you have been over the past few years. You deserve a happy, safe life.”
“I. Am. Happy.”
Theo sighed and shook his head in disbelief. He chanced a glance at Daniel and gave him a pitying look that was more difficult to swallow than his usual teasing and insults.
“Don’t lie to me, Daniel. We’ve been friends for years. You are clearly miserable. And you’re here, sitting in my library, losing a game of chess you used to win easily and should have won several moves ago. Admit it. Your mind is on a certain lady who lives in Marsleigh House.”
Daniel swallowed hard, realizing how tight his throat was. He could not even drink another glass of brandy. He was afraid it would completely shatter his mind.
But yes, the drink, the lack of sleep, and the lack of food had stirred a chaotic riot of images in his mind. It was not just images either. He could feel and smell her. How was it so clear? As if she were right there.
He wanted to tell his friend everything, but was afraid that by doing so, he would make it even more real.
Just as his thoughts were starting to clear, he realized that his king had been cornered.
“Checkmate,” Theo declared softly, his eyes full of worry.
Daniel looked at the pieces, realizing that he had been distracted. Still was. His brain was a muddle of images, sounds, and sensations—all of her.
“Another game?” Theo suggested.
“I must go.”
Across town, Lucy was also talking to a friend, Victoria. The Duchess was vibrating with pent-up energy and wanted someone to listen to her. She was chattering about the latest rumors inspired by the Havisham antique exhibition.
“We should go to Hyde Park, Lucy! Wear another beautiful dress just like the one from the exhibition!” she urged excitedly.
The two ladies were seated in the drawing room of Marsleigh House. Lucy did not feel like leaving, but Victoria was trying her utmost to persuade her.
“I—I don’t know about that, Vicky,” she hedged. “I also don’t have other dresses like that in my wardrobe. I may purchase another for the next ball, but not for a walk in the Park.”
“Mmm. I certainly hope you’d find another stunning dress. People were talking about you!” Victoria gushed. “In a good way, of course. Everyone was wondering what inspired you to wear something so fashionable. Even Marianne thought you looked so different. Again, she thought it was a good thing.”
Lucy forced a smile. Her fingers curled around the reticule in her hand. Daniel’s note, albeit crushed, remained in it. It reminded her of their tryst at the greenhouse. The whole thing was still stuck in her mind, pulsing like a heartbeat.
A part of her was so tempted to tell Victoria about it.
But what would she say?
That Daniel had kissed her like he was starving? That
his finger had known exactly where to touch her? That
he had made her moan several times to the point that he had to cover her mouth?
No.
There was no way Lucy could tell her friend about that. And knowing Victoria, she would storm into Daniel’s house and demand that he marry her.
No.
Lucy had accepted his rejection. It hurt, yes, but it would be a betrayal to tell Victoria what had happened. She might not fully understand it, but she could not complicate his quest for justice.
“It was just a dress and nothing more,” she murmured, the lie tasting bitter on her tongue.
Her mouth said something, but her mind was back in the middle of the greenhouse, smelling jasmine and crushed herbs. “It was borrowed courage.”
What had happened in the greenhouse would remain their secret. One day, if she did get married, even her husband would not find out about it.