Chapter 27
The house was too quiet. Evelyn continued to pace to the window, waiting for Asher and his horse to return up the drive, but there was nothing to be seen except a wide, empty road.
She had spent far too much time stewing over what she and Asher had said to one another before he left, what he was planning for Lord Norwood, and what she would do once he returned.
Even the dowager duchess and Thalia weren’t home yet.
After taking tea and trying to concentrate on puzzles but having no attention to do so, Evelyn finally took herself out to the back garden, needing a distraction from all that was in her head.
The fresh air was soothing, and she focused on the well-kept garden, trailing her fingers through the greenery, trying to soak up some of its serenity.
All would be well, she told herself, again and again, wondering if she repeated it enough, it would come true.
Rustling came from her left, and she turned, her heart rate increasing as she hoped it was Asher returned to tell her that all was well, that this was over — but he didn’t appear.
Just as she turned back, convincing herself that it had just been the breeze, she heard her name — but it wasn’t from Asher. No, she recognized that voice, even though she wished it wasn’t the case.
Lord Norwood stepped forward from the shadows.
“Your grace,” he said, though his tone was mocking. Evelyn held her chin high, hoping that she could hide the fear that was causing her heart to race.
“Lord Norwood. Did the butler let you in?”
“No, I took it upon myself to seek you out,” he said smoothly. “How fortunate for me that you made it so easy.”
Evelyn had been a fool. She had never suspected that Lord Norwood might come here, not when Asher had gone to find him.
“What can I do for you, Lord Norwood?” she asked as calmly as she could. “If you are looking for my husband, I can ask him to come outside to meet you, or we can go find him.”
She hoped her lie that Asher was home would scare him off.
She was to be disappointed.
“Would that be before or after he returns from my home, where I fear he just might be delayed as he waits for me to join him?” Lord Norwood said with a smirk.
“Actually, I asked my wife to entertain him for a time, so we both know that it will be a while until he is released from her barbed tongue.”
Evelyn cringed, knowing the truth of his words all too well.
“Which leaves just you and me,” he said, that smile on his face spreading. “I’m going to need you to come with me, your grace.”
“Why would I do that?” she asked, arching an eyebrow.
“I need something from your husband. Provided he cooperates, I will release you.”
“Will you? Truly?” she demanded, placing a hand on her head as she began to feel slightly woozy. That wasn’t like her – she wasn’t one to be sent into fainting spells, even with something so unnerving as a potential murderer in front of her. “I have a hard time believing it.”
“Believe what you want,” he said with an indifferent shrug. “You will not be hurt — provided your husband cooperates.”
Evelyn took a step backward. Then another, each one becoming shakier. Lord Norwood just stood there, a knowing smile on his face, which she tried not to let unnerve her.
“Did you enjoy your tea this morning? The new maid in the house charged a great deal for her services, but now I believe it was worth everything I spent,” he informed her with a smirk, and her heart seemed to skip a beat.
When she turned on her heel and tried to run, it was only to meet with a hard, unrelenting chest, one that she had lost all strength to escape.
When she looked up into the face of a man she assumed worked for Norwood, she realized her attempt had been futile.
As her vision began to fade, all hope fled.
Then everything went black.
“Evelyn! Evelyn?”
Asher rushed into the house, desperate to find his wife.
He hadn’t been proud of how he had left things, taking out his anger on her.
She hadn’t responded in anger, maintaining that same calm that she always did, but his words had been on his mind the entire time he had ridden to Lord Norwood’s, then waited interminably long to see him.
First, his butler had said Lord Norwood would meet Asher in the drawing room, and then he was more than chagrined when it had been Lady Norwood who had discovered him instead.
She had chattered away for more than an hour until he finally realized that Lord Norwood wasn’t coming.
Which made Asher wonder just where, exactly, Lord Norwood was, and why he had wanted Asher to be trapped in his home for so long.
The moment the suspicion had entered his mind, he had jumped to his feet, uncaring that he was completely interrupting Lady Norwood, and raced out the door, not even bothering to wait for the groom to bring his horse, but charging into the stable himself.
By the time he had made it home, he had told himself a thousand stories of where Evelyn could be, and none of them were good, ranging from her deciding to leave because of how he had treated her to Norwood taking out vengeance upon her.
He heard footsteps down the hall and a trickle of relief entered as he waited for Evelyn to round the corner, but his hope faded when he saw his sister.
“Asher? What’s wrong?” she asked, rushing up to him as he must have been wearing his concern on his face.
“Have you seen Evelyn?” he asked hurriedly.
“No,” she said with a frown. “She was gone when Mother and I returned home. I assumed she was with you. Speaking of… Mother seems to think that Evelyn is choosing to live in the country — without you. I’ve seen the two of you together, and it makes no sense to me.
Why would she leave? Did you do something? ”
Asher’s spine stiffened. “Why would you think that I did anything?”
“Well, I am fairly certain that Mother told Evelyn you said it would be for the best.”
“She did what?” Asher practically roared, all of his anger toward Norwood and his fears for Evelyn coming to the surface. Here, he had been afraid that something had happened to her, and now his own mother was the one sabotaging his happiness. Unbelievable. “Mother!”
“Asher—” Thalia hurriedly rushed after him, but he was having none of her attempts to calm him down.
He knew he was running off in anger, as he had with Norwood, but he didn’t care any longer.
He was done with being the man who waited patiently for it all to come into place, who tried to create change slowly with little action.
He needed this done, and he needed it now.
He needed his wife back beside him, not out who knew where because of miscommunication caused by his mother, who was jealous of his wife’s new position in the household.
“Were you seeking to speak with me?” his mother said, appearing on the landing at the top of the stairs.
“Yes,” he said, practically growling.
She must have realized the intensity of his emotion, for she descended the stairs much more hurriedly than her usual graceful glide.
“Is something amiss?”
“Yes. Very amiss,” he bit out. “Why are you telling my wife that I want her to live in the country?”
“I thought that was what both of you wanted,” she said, blinking at the intensity of his tone. Asher almost always spoke to his mother with the respect she commanded.
“No,” he said swiftly. “She is my wife. She will remain with me, whether that means I am in London or the country or anywhere else I choose to go.”
“Asher,” his mother said, calling him by his first name in a rare moment. The last time she had done so was at his brother’s funeral. “That is not the nature of your relationship.”
“You know nothing of the nature of my relationship,” he bit out.
“I know you wanted me to marry another, but I did not follow your carefully selected plan for me. I didn’t expect this either, but here we are.
And, astonishingly, I am happy. I enjoy being with Evelyn.
I do not want to hear anything to the contrary, and from now on, I would like her to feel nothing but welcomed in this house that is now hers as much as it is any of ours. Is that understood?”
“I did give her free rein of the house as she is now the duchess,” his mother said stiffly.
“Yes, but you made her feel unwanted. She knew you didn’t want to give up that power,” he said. “It’s not just what you’ve done, it’s how you’ve made her feel in the process.”
His mother actually had the decency to look chagrined.
“I understand,” she said. “My apologies, Asher.”
“I am not the one requiring an apology,” he said. “Now, on that note, does anyone know where Evelyn is?”
A brisk knock on the door interrupted their conversation.
“Pardon me, your grace, but perhaps this might help,” the butler said, passing him a note from his crisp white gloves.
Asher took it, growling at the piece of paper as though this was all its fault.
“When did this arrive, Lloyd?” he asked.
“Just now, from a hired messenger. I brought it to you immediately.”
Asher ripped open the note, his heart sinking when he read what was upon it.
“Your wife is alive. If you would like to keep it that way, meet me in two hours. Come alone. Bring the Paragon Diamond. If you involve anyone else, she will suffer.”
Immediately, cold fury crawled up within him. Norwood had known exactly where to strike.
The worst of it was, though, Asher had no idea where the diamond was. He had no information, nor any inkling of how to find it.
“What is it?” his sister asked, but he shook his head. He couldn’t involve her — nor anyone. It would only be putting more people he loved in danger.
“I have something to deal with,” he said, striding out of the room toward his office, where he shut the door and began pacing in the near-dark.
He could not go to the authorities. That would take far too long, and there was a chance that Norwood would harm Evelyn if he realized what he had done. He also couldn’t comply, for he didn’t actually have the diamond or any idea where it was. Asher considered his options with ruthless clarity.
All he could do was to go anyway. Lie that he had it or lead Norwood to the jewel. And outthink him.
Which he didn’t have to do alone. He would have Evelyn, the most brilliant person he had ever met.
Together, they would find their way out of this.
He didn’t have another choice.
What he did realize, as he strode with purpose out of the study and up the stairs to his bedroom, was that this was no longer about scandal or politics.
For if he lost her now, there would be nothing left worth preserving.
Despair and determination were fighting a desperate battle in his chest as the realization hit him as though he had jumped into a pool of icy water.
He loved her.
He loved this woman, who had committed to not let her find a way into his heart.
But she had anyway, with her intellect, her spirit, her fierce intention to solve every puzzle that came her way — including him and their marriage.
She had been trying, had been there for him, had learned about his family, had made peace with his mother, had tried to solve his problems to make his life easier, had shown him in every way she could that she cared, that she wanted this marriage to be real in every way.
Meanwhile, he had done everything possible to push her away.
And now it might be too late.
He picked up a book off his side table and hurled it across the room until it hit the wall with a loud bang that satisfied him deep in his soul, even if it fixed nothing.
He pocketed the pen blade his father had left him, knowing he wasn’t likely well enough armed, but he had a few things Norwood didn’t possess – timing. Cunning. And resolve.
He would get his wife back — by any means necessary.