His Lady Peregrine (7 page)

Mary entered and handed
her a note. Georgiana’s heart sped up. Was it from
Percy?

Barely waiting for her
maid to curtsey and leave the room, Georgiana quickly opened the
paper.

My dear Lady Peregrine,

Please try to forgive the
unforgiveable. I’ve been detained at my home since early today and
just now have had the opportunity to send you correspondence.
There’s been an accident.

Georgiana
gasped

Please remain calm. I am fine as are the
members of my household.

She smiled. How had he
known she would react right at that moment? Relief shot through her
to know that Percy was unharmed.

Extended family, the
Loftons, whom you met, paid an unexpected call. With them, was Lord
Lofton’s mother.

Her? At Percy’s home again?

Somehow, I’m still not
sure how it all happened, the dowager stumbled and struck her head.
The physician has confined her to stay here for an undetermined
amount of time until she’s well enough to travel.

There are other
extenuating circumstances that I don’t feel at liberty to go into
in a note. I shall be pleased to explain to you when I see you
next.

Yours most affectionately,

Percy.

Georgiana bit her lower
lip. While the note gave explanation as to why Percy hadn’t come
for a visit today, he did not say when they would meet again. She
read the note a second time to make sure she hadn’t missed
something. No. There was no mention of a day or time when he would
return to her.

And what circumstances had
he alluded to? It all sounded very secretive and mysterious. What
in the world was going on over there, and why couldn’t Percy tell
her when he could see her again?

When Georgiana met the
Loftons, Percy hadn’t acted as if he was all that well acquainted
with the dowager. What could possibly be the reason for him to have
to remain at the house simply because that woman had been injured?
Why couldn’t his nephew and niece stay with the woman?

Something wasn’t right.
She could feel it in her stomach just as surely as a willow warbler
knew when she was with egg. But what could Georgiana do about
it?

Georgiana, you’re not
getting any younger.

She had finally after all
these years of loneliness found a man who not only excited her but
warmed her heart. She’d not be so quick to let him go. Grabbing her
hat, pelisse, and reticule, she went out to hire a hackney coach to
take her to the Radcliff estate.

Yes, it mortified her to
show up at his abode in a rented carriage, but at this point, if
she wanted to see him, she had no choice. And she did want to see
him. Very badly.

As she sat in the
carriage, alone, she fiddled with her clothing, trying to get it
just right. Hat tilted slightly to the left. Skirt smoothed over
her legs. Pelisse laying straight and unwrinkled over her
dress.

Why was she so nervous? Percy’s note hadn’t
said anything untoward. Nothing that should have put her off.
Yet…

The thought of
that woman,
the dowager,
being in the same place where Percy resided had Georgiana’s insides
in an uproar. The dowager had been positively beastly to her at the
Radcliff’s picnic. And for what? Why would she be so outright rude
to someone she’d never even met?

Had the dowager a tendre
for Percy?

Squeezing her hands into
fists, she tried to ward off the thought. Her boots tapped against
the carriage floor, impatient for the horses to get her to her
destination before it was too late.

Too late for
what?

She knew not. But there
was something.
Definitely
something.

As soon as the hackney
delivered her to the Radcliff’s residence, the jarvey asked if
she’d like him to wait. Her first impulse was to tell him no. But
what if something more was going on? Could it be that once she
found out, she wouldn’t want to stay?

She’d surely know soon
enough whether or not she would need to leave or stay. “Wait
please. I’ll be out in a few minutes to let you know either
way.”

“
Very good, my
lady.”

Georgiana held her head
high and marched up to the front door. A footman allowed her
entrance. The first thing she noticed was a kind of keening wail
coming from somewhere to her left.

Whatever could be making
that noise? Had a cow wandered into the house and was having her
calf? Georgiana listened closer. No, that chilling screech was made
by a human. A shiver ran up her back.
I
have got to stop reading those horror books at bedtime!

The footman who had opened
the door for her pivoted and raced down the hall. What odd
behavior. Was he headed to the origin of the outburst?

Several voices were raised. It was coming
from the room the footman had just entered. Curiosity grabbed a
hold and practically dragged her toward the sound. Far be it from
her to let an interesting event pass by without her seeing it for
herself.

She’d never been accused
of being a slave to formality anyway. With determined steps, she
followed the path the footman had taken. Male voices reached her.
Was one of them—

“
Georgiana?” Percy rushed
out of the room, nearly knocking her to the floor. He grasped her
by her upper arms to help steady her. “What are you doing here?” He
glanced over his shoulder into the room and back.

“
What am
I…”
That wasn’t a very nice
greeting.

He grabbed her shoulders,
trying to angle her back around. “You shouldn’t be
here.”

“
Whyever
not? When I was here just a couple of days ago, your nephew and
niece told me I was welcome anytime. Since when does anytime not
mean
any time
?”

He wiped perspiration from
his forehead. Why was he sweating? It wasn’t hot in the house. “Did
you not receive my note?”

“
The one that left me
wondering more than I had before I read it? Yes. You made this
whatever it is that’s going on sound quite mysterious.”

He laughed, but she could
tell it wasn’t genuine. Was it more nervous? “Oh, no… you’re just
being… silly.”

“
Pardon?”

Footsteps shuffled behind
Percy and Lord Lofton appeared. His eyes widened when he saw
Georgiana, but he recovered quickly and inclined his head. “Good
day to you, Lady Ollerton.”

“
And to you, my
lord.”

He leaned over to Percy
and whispered something in his ear. Georgiana tried very hard to
hear but it was spoken too low.
Blast.

“
Darling?
Where are you?” A woman’s
voice. Was that… the dowager?

Percy’s face paled. “I’m
afraid, Georgiana… I must go.”

“
Go where?”

He swallowed. It was then
she noticed he wore no cravat. How odd. “I… I’m expected. In there.
Right now.”

“
Expected by
whom?”

“
Darling?”
The dowager’s voice
had developed a whine. “Please. I’m lonely.”

“
I really must go,” said
Percy. “Please excuse—”

Georgiana grabbed his arm
as realization dawned. “Is she referring to…
you
?”

“
I’ll explain everything
later. I promise.”

She blinked. Now that the
men had gone back into the room, she could see it was indeed the
dowager who reclined on the settee. In her tightly clutched hand
was a man’s cravat.

And right before
Georgiana’s eyes, though she had to tell herself what she witnessed
was real, Percy knelt down next to the settee and took the woman’s
hand in his. But even that couldn’t compare to what he
said.

“
Of course I still love
you, my darling Miriam.”

Georgiana turned and fled
from the house.

Percy bit back
a curse. Now what was he going to do? How would
he convince Georgiana that what she saw and heard in the parlor was
only a farce? Everything in him wanted to follow her. Actually, he
did try, though guilt chased him out the door for leaving
his
wife
in such
a sorry state. But when Percy had finally disentangled his hand
from the dowager’s and run outside, Georgiana’s carriage was
halfway down the street.

When he returned to the
parlor, the whiny woman heaped more guilt on him until he truly
felt as if he’d done something terribly wrong.

At the moment, he was
hiding like a guilt-ridden boy in the kitchen, hoping to remain
undiscovered at least for a time. How had his carefree life and
having just met a wonderful woman at the Sanctuary detoured so
quickly to where he was now? It was a nightmare.

Yet he knew it to be real.
He might have blamed it on hallucinations brought on by too much
drink, but with all the time spent with that woman in the parlor,
he’d not even had the chance to imbibe. Not even a tiny glass of
port.

Berating himself, Percy
couldn’t believe what an idiot he’d been not to have told Georgiana
in the note more details of what had transpired. Perhaps if he had,
she might not have been so shocked when she saw and heard that
atrocious witch pawing at him and insisting he tell her he loved
her.

What a mess this all had
become. Since in good conscience for the time being he could not
leave the house, Percy was determined to send another note, this
one telling her everything so she’d understand what was going on.
She had to! While it was true he’d only just met her, something in
his heart told him she was different. Special. The one woman for
him who could make all his dreams of true love come
true.

Hurrying, and hoping to be
able to write his letter before being found out and screeched at by
the dowager for leaving her presence, Percy made his way along a
back hall to his room to retrieve some more foolscap. He would have
gone there sooner but knew the footman could have easily found him.
He did pity the footman somewhat. The dowager had made him her
personal servant.

Still, it had to be better
than having the wretched woman call him
darling.
He shuddered, nearly unable
to hold the quill to compose his letter. He’d do whatever it took
to convince Georgiana of the truth. Guilt scratched at him,
reminded him of the physician’s warning about saying anything to
anyone about the situation for fear word of it might get back to
Miriam and upset her. He must do it, though. There was no other
way.

Would it really be so bad
if Percy just slipped out of the house? Went to see Georgiana and
left the dowager to the care of her family and the
physician?

Dr. Hervey had piled on
the guilt. Made it quite clear that if Percy did anything to upset
the dowager, her condition might worsen. Percy clenched his jaws
together.

Leave it to me to develop a conscience now
of all times!

He closed his door, hoping
for a few uninterrupted moments, and tried to summon the right
words for the note. Now that he was there with quill and paper, the
words he needed to write seemed like a farce. Would he be able to
make Georgiana believe that the strange happenings were
true?

He must try.

My dear Lady Peregrine,

Let me start by saying how sorry I am that
you witnessed what you did in our parlor. Not because I’m ashamed
of being caught at something. No. Because what you saw was a
lie.

In my previous note, I
told you of the dowager’s accident here in the house. What I
neglected to say was what took place after her injury. For some odd
reason of which I cannot fathom, the strange woman has the notion
that I am someone I’m not.

Believe me when I tell you
that I was shocked and appalled. But to make matters much worse,
the physician has cautioned me that were I to do anything to upset
the dowager at this point, he couldn’t say how it would affect her
recovery. In his estimation, it would not be positive in the
least.

So, while everything in me
longs to come and see you, I can’t. Guilt has taken a hold of me.
Every time I’m ready to sneak away and see you, I have a sudden
remorseful premonition that the woman might get worse or even die.
I can’t have that on my conscience.

I am much aggrieved that
this has happened, especially since I have developed such an
incredible fondness for you, my dear. Examine your heart, remember
my softly spoken words and our embraces. Then you will know the
truth.

Yours most affectionately,

Percy

He read over what he’d
written again. Would Georgiana believe his words? What else could
he do, aside from actually leaving the house and dying of guilt? At
first, he’d hoped that when Barrington and Cecilia returned home he
might gain a respite. Alas, it wasn’t to be. Even with them and the
Loftons present, the blasted woman only wanted Percy. Why was this
happening? He barely knew her. She wasn’t in her right mind because
of the injury, of course, but to mistake him for her long lost
husband?