Chapter 11 #2
She glared at him, which only made him smile more. Alexander turned her in coordination with the dancers around them and winced. He had completely forgotten about his injury and the pain from his ribs shot through his entire body.
Theodora’s expression shifted instantly. “Are you in pain?”
“It is nothing,” he said too quickly.
“It is not nothing,” she said firmly. “Tomorrow, I will visit to check on you. And, if you agree, to speak with your sister.”
He hesitated as he thought about her meeting Rosalind again.
What if it does not go well?
Theodora looked up at him expectantly.
Then again, what if it does go well?
Alexander nodded. “You may see her again.”
Theodora exhaled and looked relieved.
He felt a strange sense of warmth at her eagerness to help Rosalind; he just prayed that this time she would not treat his sister like a guinea pig. Alexander pulled her closer and ignored the fiery sensation he felt at their sudden closeness.
“And to return the favor, I will offer some advice for you to flirt with men,” he whispered.
“Do tell?” A new sense of eagerness lit up her eyes.
Alexander shook his head and smiled. “It is so simple, Theodora. All you have to do is try to get them to talk about themselves and, at the very least, you must act interested.”
“That is impossible,” she said dryly and he laughed at her look of disgust.
“You would have to do the impossible for your experiment.” He inclined his head towards her ear and spoke in a deep voice. “I believe that there are only so many stages left before you need to do more than simply chat with men.”
Alexander pulled back and watched as her lips parted. A deep blush crept up from her bosoms to her neck. But before she could respond, a sharp voice cut through the music.
“Theodora!”
The Duchess of Wutherton appeared beside them with Spencer in tow. Anna seized Theodora’s hand with a look of fierce protectiveness.
“Come,” she said briskly. “We must speak with Maria.”
Theodora looked at her confused. “But—”
Anna shot her and Alexander a look of pure distaste.
“Alexander,” she greeted him stiffly.
“Anna.” He bowed but she had already whipped around and walked away, dragging Theodora along with her.
Alexander looked at his friend quizzically, but Spencer just gave him an apologetic shrug while Theodora’s pale blue gown disappeared amongst the dancers.
* * *
Theodora’s knees felt weak, not because of the dancing but because of Alexander’s presence and words.
This is absurd.
A simple dance and conversation should not leave her legs unsteady, her breath uneven, nor her thoughts scattered like loose pages in a storm. And yet, as the carriage rolled to a stop in front of the Dowell house, she had to grip the doorframe to steady herself before stepping down.
“Darling, are you quite well?” Her mother’s brow creased with concern as they entered the foyer.
“Yes, Mother,” Theodora said too quickly as she offered her a faint reassuring smile. “I am perfectly well.”
Lady Dowell gave her a calculating look that suggested she believed in none of it and Theodora wondered if her mother sensed that she was keeping deeper, darker secrets from her.
They removed their gloves and cloaks and handed them to the waiting maid. Theodora’s heart was still beating too fast. She still felt the warmth of Alexander’s hand at her waist, the brush of his breath near her ear, and the way he had looked down at her as she spoke.
I am being entirely ridiculous.
“I am truly concerned for you, Theo.” Her mother’s voice reeled her back in.
Theodora swallowed. Her throat was suddenly dry and her heart beat considerably faster.
“You have no need to be concerned, Mother, I promise.” She lied.
Lady Dowell simply nodded and motioned for her to follow. Theo and her mother walked into the drawing room, where the fire had been kept burning in anticipation of their return. Her father was away on a business trip, or so he said, and Theodora was tempted to tell her mother everything.
Lady Dowell sat gracefully on the sofa, smoothing her skirts.
Theodora remained standing, unsure whether her lips would obey her and remain shut.
Her mother watched her for a long moment.
It was then that Theodora noticed how her eyes were sunken and she looked older than her age.
Theodora felt the guilt eat away at her.
I surely cannot tell her my secrets while she is in this state.
“Mother, are you all right?” Theo asked her gently.
Lady Dowell smiled weakly before she spoke. “Yes, dear. I just—do you think your father is acting… funny?”
Theodora’s pulse quickened. “Funny?”
“Yes,” her mother said, frowning slightly. “He has been distracted. And forgetful. He left the house this morning without his ledgers. And he never forgets such important documents.”
Theodora opened her mouth; the confession was on the tip of her tongue.
Yes, something is wrong. He is hiding something from you. Or rather...someone.
“I think something is wrong. Father has been—”
But the truth remained stuck in her throat and her mind went blank as a familiar numbness crept inside of her chest.
Her mother’s expression softened. “Theo?”
Theodora avoided looking into her mother’s kind, green eyes that were so similar to hers.
Lady Dowell rose and crossed the room, taking her daughter’s hands gently. “My darling, what is wrong?”
She shook her head.
I should be comforting her.
“It was wrong of me to ask you such things. I should know my own husband by now.” Her mother squeezed her hands. “I am worried about you.”
“I told you I am fine, Mother. I am not a little girl anymore, so you do not have to worry about me.” She squeezed her hands back.
“I know but I am your mother and I notice everything about you and Eva. And lately…I have seen you drifting.” Lady Dowell spoke softly. “You usually always have something smart to say but you have been quiet at the dinner table, especially when your father is around...”
Theodora’s eyes burned with unshed tears. She looked away but her mother cupped her cheek.
“What are you hiding from me, my dear child?”
“May I speak about it when I am ready?” she said slowly.
Her mother hesitated, then asked in a whisper, “Is it that man you were dancing with tonight?”
Theodora’s heart lurched.
Alexander.
“I would rather burn my books than care for any man… especially that man.”
Lady Dowell let out a startling laugh. The sound filled the room and eased the growing tension in Theo. She smiled as she watched her mother light up unexpectedly.
“Now, that is the Theo I know.” She placed a kiss on Theo’s forehead and stepped away, still holding her hands tightly. “But if someone is interested in courting you, you will let me know?”
Theodora shook her head. “Of course I will.”
Lady Dowell pulled her into an embrace, stroking her hair. “My darling girl… please remember that you do not have to carry everything alone.”
Theodora closed her eyes as she breathed in her mother’s familiar scent, but she still could not speak the truth.
Not a word. She could not say anything about her father’s transgressions against the one woman who had loved him all her life.
A single tear escaped Theo’s eye, and she quickly wiped it away before it fell upon her mother’s shoulder.