9. Chapter 7
Caroline sat facing the window in her sitting room.
Typically, she sat with her back to the window because the view was the same copse of trees she had looked at all her life.
Today, she wanted to watch as darkness fell.
It felt as if it had been days since Dr. Murnau left, but it had only been a few hours.
In those hours, she had never worked so hard in her life.
Convincing her parents to leave without her was difficult.
Mrs. Thomas helped them pack quickly, but her mother tried to get Caroline to join them the entire time.
She refused even though the offer was tempting.
To protect the rest of the household and to help Dr. Murnau fight whatever illness he feared.
It would have been so easy for her to get into the carriage with her parents, but someone needed to stay behind with Valeria.
Besides, most of the affected were men, so she felt relatively safe.
“But Caroline,” her mother said as she locked one of the trunks, “We can’t leave you here alone. What if something happens?”
“A dozen people work here; I’m never really alone.” Valeria would also be there, but she didn’t bother mentioning her. “Besides, someone should stay behind to look over the house.”
“Are you sure you’re staying behind for the house?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.
Caroline stiffened. “There’s a new leak in the roof and who knows when another one will appear. I need to peel back the wallpaper and the carpet to see if rot has set into the wood.”
She prayed they wouldn’t have to replace any of the walls or flooring. The cost to replace the roof was already too much. Even if her dowry hadn’t been drained, it still would have been too much for them to cover.
“You worry too much.”
Caroline slammed the lid of the final trunk, ignoring her mother’s words.
There was no use fighting when she would be gone in a quarter of an hour.
No matter how badly she wanted to scream or kick over one of the trunks.
She had to be the one to worry because her parents sure as hell wouldn’t.
Nothing worried them. Not the roof, rot, diminishing crops, dwindling funds, or even her father’s illness.
They blamed everything from a bad piece of meat to insomnia. They even shut her down when she suggested his illness could have come from their house falling apart around them, but they both ignored her. Though not even she was brave enough to give voice to her real theory.
Somehow, Valeria had something to do with this illness.
She wasn’t stupid. The illness didn’t start until Valeria entered their home.
Nelly was the first to fall ill after being assigned to Valeria’s service.
However, that didn’t explain her father.
Or anyone else’s in the village. Dr. Murnau hadn’t said much, but surely he thought the sickness in her home was related to the one in the village. That’s why he wanted her help.
What she didn’t understand was why no one else in the house had fallen ill.
While her eyes stayed on the window, she worked on her embroidery sampler, periodically looking down to make sure her stitches were straight as she completed the border.
Earlier, she attempted to work on her veil, but after the third time she undid a section because it was twisted, she decided to switch to an activity where it mattered less if she made a minor mistake.
Twilight had descended upon the cerulean sky.
The sun was beneath the horizon, but she wasn’t sure if that meant Valeria was awake.
If the sun only needed to be down or if no light needed to be in the sky for her to awaken.
Her sleep schedule was…peculiar. She had never seen anyone so sensitive to light before.
Since her bedroom windows faced east, she frequently used the light of day as an alarm, but it wasn’t as if she awoke at the very first light of dawn.
She thought about posting outside of the guest room door to see when she woke up, but that felt too intimate. Too suspicious, especially since she had no idea what her house guest could even be guilty of.
“When were you going to tell me we are the only ones left in the house?”
Caroline turned to see Valeria standing in the doorway. Tonight, she had forgone the dressing gown entirely and was glad only in her wispy shift. Her breasts were fully visible, as was the shadow of the dark curls between her thighs. She was careful to keep her gaze glued to her face.
“I wasn’t aware that I had to report the household’s movements to you.” Caroline frowned. “Would you like me to get you a dressing gown?”
“No, I think the breeze is healthy for me,” Valeria said with an infuriating smirk. “I wanted to thank your parents for their hospitality in my greatest time of need, but when I asked Miss Lucy when would be a good time to visit, she said they had left.”
“I’m not sure how long they’ll be gone, but I’ll be sure to let them know of your gratitude when I write them.”
“Where did they go?”
As Valeria’s dark eyes bored into her, it was on the tip of her tongue to tell her they were on their way to Brighton. She wasn’t sure how far they got, but they were likely at an inn for the night. Her only hope was they had made it far enough.
Caroline shrugged. “Sometimes they go away. I don’t keep track of their comings and goings.” It shocked her how easily the lie came to her, but it felt better than telling the truth.
Valeria’s eyes flashed and her jaw set in a hard line. Caroline had expected a variety of reactions from Valeria at this news, but anger hadn’t been one of them.
“I suppose I’m only surprised they left without even mentioning a pending trip. It doesn’t seem like the type of thing one would forget.”
Caroline’s heart stuttered. “I wasn’t aware you spoke with them that much.”
“Not often,” Valeria said as she stalked into the room. Caroline felt pinned by her gaze. “Though your mother was kind enough to sit with me a few times. She enjoyed hearing my stories about my time with The Count.”
“She never mentioned it.” Though it wasn’t terribly surprising because it sounded like something she would do and neglect to tell Caroline. “I didn’t realize you were so close.”
“Jealous, cara?” She asked with a wicked smile as she lowered herself onto the couch beside her, so close her breasts nearly brushed her arm.
Her mouth was dry and her cheeks burned as her eyes snapped back up to the safety of Valeria’s smirking face. “No, I’m only surprised because you haven’t spoken of The Count to me at all.”
The other woman placed her arm against the back of the couch, her hand propping up her head.
A waterfall of dark brown waves cascaded over her other shoulder.
Caroline longed to run her hands through the silky-looking strands to see if her hair was as soft as it looked, but she gripped her needle tighter.
“You only need to ask, and I’ll tell you whatever you wish to know.”
She had a million questions for her, but they all seemed to escape her at the moment.
Valeria had always been beautiful, but over their separation she had truly grown into her beauty.
It was part of blossoming into adulthood, but it also seemed like something more.
Though she didn’t know how to quantify it without sounding covetous.
Of either her beauty or the woman herself, she wasn’t sure.
“How did you come to be with The Count?” Even his title tasted sour on her tongue.
Valeria’s eyes flicked down as a small smile bloomed on her face.
“After my parents passed, I spent a lot of time at parties, operas, anywhere that was loud with plenty of drinks. I first saw The Count at a gala following the first opera of the season. He looked so dashing in his black tuxedo. I had never seen anyone like him before.”
Caroline frowned, remembering what Edgar told her at their engagement party. “I thought he was a distant relative and you became his ward after your parents passed?”
“Ah.” Valeria looked sheepish as her eyes flicked away once again. Caroline swore she looked as if she was blushing even though her face never changed color. “That is the story we’ve told people, but it isn’t quite the truth. Didn’t you think I’m a little old to be someone’s ward?”
“Why is that the story you’ve gone with?”
Her mouth curled in a slow smile. “People can be rather old-fashioned once they learn the truth.”
Caroline felt an ugly twist of emotion stab at her heart. Valeria’s relationship shouldn’t matter to her, not when she was going to marry Edgar. Even if it hadn’t been many years since they had seen one another, it wouldn’t have been of any use to wait for one another.
“But he’s married; how can you be with him?” She wasn’t naive enough to think men didn’t take mistresses, but she didn’t like the idea of Valeria being one to a powerful man. She deserved more than that.
Her wicked smile widened. “Who says his wife isn’t also involved?”
Oh. Oh.
Heat flooded Caroline’s face as she thought through what Valeria said. She certainly understood why they had a cover story. Even in her small village she had heard the whispers of same-sex liaisons, but she had never heard of a relationship pairing like that.
“Have I shocked you?” Valeria continued with a raised brow.
“No,” she said, probably too quickly, “I only wasn’t aware such relationships existed.”
“Really?” Valeria tilted her head. “I find it hard to believe you’ve never thought women could love one another.”
Caroline made an undignified sound as her face burned with embarrassment. “I meant more the three of you.”
“There’s a whole wide world out there if you’re only curious enough to look.”
Caroline snorted. “I’m not sure if any of the places I frequent would have relationships like that.”
“How do you feel knowing I’m involved with such things?”