Divine (38 page)

Arthur’s study

Haldon Manor

October 6, 1813

Only 2 days until birthday

S
ebastian was gone.

Georgiana had arrived at Haldon Manor in the rain, dripping wet, wearing the same muslin dress and blue spencer she had on when she left. Aching for Sebastian’s embrace, straining for that first glimpse of him. For that moment when their eyes would meet, and he would know she had chosen him.

Over everyone and everything else.

But she arrived home to find Sebastian had just left.

Furthermore, final preparations were underway for a ball to be held that evening, thrusting the entire house into chaos. The great hall had been transformed into a ballroom with greenery and flowers festooning the walls.

Marianne squealed in delight over her return but had immediately been drawn back to directing footmen moving furniture around in the drawing room. Arthur emerged from (hiding in) his study, giving her an affectionate embrace and kiss upon the cheek, cheerfully welcoming her home. Despite everything, she did love her stodgy brother too.

She should have been desolate. She had rushed to Haldon Manor, expecting to find Sebastian here, waiting for her. To not find him was unsettling.

But being back home felt peaceful, calm. Right. Even with Sebastian’s departure.

After greeting everyone, Georgiana had stolen to her room for a warm bath and even warmer set of clothes.

Her leave-taking from James and Emme had been heartbreaking. The goodbyes had gone on for hours, days really. It had taken her a week to reach the emotional point where she could go through with it, to pack all the last vestiges of twenty-first century life and say adieu. Marc had finished up filming and even arrived in time to watch one last Broncos game with her. They were all headed off to the United States next. First to visit Emme and Marc’s mother in Denver and then on to Utah for some red rockin’, as Marc called it. Whatever that meant.

James was still decidedly worried about the whole Lord Zeus intrigue and wanted to give Sebastian a little time to investigate. He had made Georgiana promise to keep a stun gun and mace on her person at all times.

But in the end, coming back had felt unbearably right. Without Sebastian, life in 2013 stretched before her with numbing sameness.

True, she didn’t know what life in 1813 held for her, but she felt alive with hope. Hope that with Sebastian, her life would be full of purpose and belonging.

Now if she could only
find
him. Sebastian had left just hours before her arrival.

“. . . and I am not entirely sure where,” Arthur said. “I was out hunting early this morning—anything to escape the chaos of ball preparations—and returned to find that Stratton had received a letter and been called away.”

They sat in his study, the bustle of servants, running to and fro, a thrum of noise in the background. The steady rain had eased, and now sun peeked through the racing clouds. The light in the room swiveled between gloomy dimness and sunny cheer.

“Thank you for concealing our absence, by the way. The trip through the portal was most unexpected.”

Arthur waived his hand. “Well, I could not allow the entire affair to reflect poorly on your reputations. I put it about that you rushed off to Aunt Maud in Shropshire, helping her recover from the putrid sore throat. While I believe Stratton left to attend to business in London. Of course, when Lady Ambrosia and Lady Michael pressed me for the particulars, I did not have any. I am hardly in Stratton’s confidence, am I?” He winked good-naturedly.

“Ah. Are the ladies still in the neighborhood?”

He shrugged. “Lady Michael and her daughters left not long after Stratton. Lady Ambrosia has remained, though I believe she has taken to plaguing Linwood and Blackwell at Kinningsley. You should see them all tonight at the ball.”

Georgiana smiled. “The ball looks to be lovely. I am sure Sebastian will be sad to miss it.”

“Yes, Marianne is quite put out over it actually. She had planned the ball for tonight, as it is the full moon. A festive evening to honor Stratton’s continuing presence in the neighborhood. He was to have been the guest of honor. Though you will be true guest of honor, now that you are here to stay.”

“Thank you, brother. It is wonderful to be home.”

They sat in companionable silence for a moment.

“Stratton waited for you, you know. He has been here for the last two weeks, constantly sending out letters and closeting himself with Sir Henry or Lord Blackwell. Or both. Though I am not privy as to why. He confided in them but not me. Most likely, they have been sorting out this mess with the late earl’s will.”

She nodded. That was probably
not
what Sebastian discussed with Sir Henry and Blackwell. Undoubtedly, he was working to uncover Lord Zeus.

Knowing that Zeus was blackmailing Lord Blackwell, Sebastian most likely confronted him, letting Blackwell know they were aware of his problems. She would have loved to see Blackwell’s reaction when faced with his involvement with Lord Zeus. Bringing in Sir Henry was probably a good idea, as they knew Zeus had some ties to Tangert. Both men knew the former Lord Tangert and his gooseberry society. Pity no one knew what Lord Zeus looked like.

But she was comforted to know Blackwell and Sir Henry would be around to help. Now that she had a hope-filled future to look forward to, she preferred to get her thrills through books, not real-life cloak-and-dagger.

“Stratton most certainly didn’t seem too concerned about his birthday, which is now only two days hence.” Arthur shook his head. “Anyway, a letter arrived via courier at first light this morning, and Stratton headed off post-haste to parts unknown.”

The sun burst through the clouds, flooding the room in brilliant light for a moment or two. Then retreated again.

“Did he leave a message for me?” she had to ask.

Arthur pondered her for a minute and then shook his head.

“No, not with me. But there is a chance Captain Phillips knows something.”

“Captain Phillips is here?”

“He hasn’t been seen these past few weeks, but he arrived this morning right after Stratton departed, frustrated to have just missed him. Though I am not sure where he has got to now.”

Georgiana nodded. She would have to corner Phillips when he returned. She was desperate for any news.

After nearly two weeks, she ached for Sebastian. It was a visceral, gut-wrenching sort of need.

“I will be honest, Georgiana. Stratton did seem of the opinion that you and he had finally come to an understanding. Am I wrong to assume your presence here implies as much? In fact, I had faintly hoped the ball tonight would be a betrothal celebration, as well.”

She smiled—a dizzy, happy smile.

The smile that said one’s heart was no longer one’s own.

Looking at her face, Arthur chuckled.

“Well, well . . . my sister . . . Lady Stratton . . .”

Georgiana laughed. She couldn’t help it.

After chatting with her brother, Georgiana slipped out of Arthur’s study and climbed the stairs to her room.

“Pardon, miss.” Fanny’s voice called behind her. Turning, Georgiana gave her maid a questioning look. “I’m dreadful sorry to bother you, but I thought you might want to see this.”

She handed Georgiana a folded letter.

“‘Tis Lord Stratton’s. I were watchin’ his lordship give his valet instructions as he left the great hall this mornin’ and this letter slipped from his coat pocket. I snatched it up and tried to reach his lordship, but he was in a terrible hurry. I didn’t want Mr. Knight to think I had taken the letter on purpose-like. But
you
know I would never do such a thing.” Fanny stood twisting her apron nervously.

Georgiana glanced at the address:

Lord Stratton

Haldon Manor

Herefordshire

“Indeed, it is Lord Stratton’s. Thank you, Fanny. You did the right thing. I will ensure this is returned to him. Please come to me in an hour to dress my hair for the ball.” Georgiana smiled and then continued on to her room.

Standing inside the door, she contemplated the letter.

She knew reading another’s personal correspondence was
not
proper. Even the letters of one’s (almost) betrothed.

But . . .

Perhaps this was the letter which had sent Sebastian away on business. Maybe something had been discovered about Lord Zeus. Such information could be useful. And were Sebastian here, he would surely share its contents with her.

Besides, the handwriting seemed vaguely familiar now that she studied it some more. She ran her fingers over the address again. And then frowned.

Wait! No!

No, no, no!

It couldn’t be!

She turned the letter over and with shaking hands, opened it. Covered her mouth with her palm.

Impossible!

And yet . . .

The parchment quivered as she read:

Lyndenbrooke

October 3, 1813

Beloved keeper of my soul,

Oh, my darling love! I have been so blind, so unseeing of my own affections. You and only you rule my heart. Can you forgive me? As I sit writing this, there is a hole in my heart the shape and size of you. Your beating heart might as well be my own.

I came to Lyndenbrooke, hoping to call on you at Stratton Hall, only to find you departed. Wretched, wretched fool that I am, longing for your love. Please come to me, comfort me with the warmth of your embrace. Whisper those words of adoration I so long to hear from your lips. If you will have it, I offer you the profound love that comes from deep within a woman’s soul. Darling, suffer me no more to pine for you. Come to me. Wrap me in the light of your love.

With a heart ever your own,

  Georgiana Knight

Gasping, she sank to sit on the edge of her bed.

How—?!

The shock hit, making her breathing tight.

It was her handwriting. Or, at least, a fair approximation of it. Rushed, hurried.

But as she studied it more closely, she noticed some of the letters weren’t exactly right. She didn’t swoop her ‘L’s like that or close her ‘P’s so tightly.

It was her handwriting but not quite. Close enough that with the distance of two hundred years, she had never doubted its authenticity.

It had to be a forgery.

She sat motionless, too stunned to process more than the air moving in and out of her lungs.

What an unexpected twist
.

She scrutinized the letter again.

Gah!
She was
such
a dimwit!

It was so obvious now. Despite all of her lists and theorizing and studying, she had missed the most glaring clue of all.

The letter was signed with her first
and
last name. Who would ever sign a deeply personal confession of love so formally?
Idiot!
It was a dead giveaway.

And now that she really considered it, the letter was far too impersonal. Not a single reference to mysteries or toes or melting in the entire thing. Hardly the love letter she would write to Sebastian.

But who
had
sent it?

The answer seemed more evident with each breath.

It could only be Lord Zeus.

Turning the letter over, she examined the address on the front again. The Zeus symbol was nowhere to be found on the paper.

Surely this was the letter Sebastian had received that morning, the one which had sent him hurrying off. Upon receiving the letter, his thought process would have been as follows: Georgiana had come through the portal and, instead of looking for him at Haldon Manor, had immediately returned to Lyndenbrooke and Stratton Hall. And so he hurried after, eager to see her.

It seemed somewhat silly that he would believe she had straightaway left Duir Cottage for Stratton Hall. But, when faced with the letter that he had seen with his own eyes in 2013, why would he doubt? No, he would have thought it came from her, that it was a grand gesture of her love for him.

Which she
would
absolutely do, by the way.

But why would Zeus write such a letter in the first place?

The answer was immediately obvious. To lure Sebastian away from Haldon Manor before she actually
did
arrive home.

Which begged the next question. What did this mean for her, now that she
was
home?

The great hall

Haldon Manor

Evening on October 6, 1813

Only 2 days until birthday

The clouds continued to clear, and, as the first carriages pulled up the gravel drive, the night sky was bright with light from the full moon.

Being a daughter of the house, Georgiana stood in the receiving line with Arthur and Marianne greeting their guests. She curtsied and smiled to an endless stream of people.

As relatives, Lord Linwood and Lord Blackwell arrived first, Blackwell ostentatious in a deep red satin coat peppered with embroidered flowers. Linwood dutifully kissed his sister and stoically followed Blackwell, who minced his way into the great hall.