Red Roses Mean Love

because the Stephen she'd fallen in love with didn't really exist. Jeremy was real. And he cared for her. He wanted to marry her. To take care of her.

What on earth am I going to do?

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Chapter 29

'What the hell was so bloody important that you dragged me over here?' Stephen demanded as he strode into Justin's private study.

'How nice to see you up and about,' Justin remarked.

'You didn't leave me much choice.' Stephen poured himself a generous brandy then stood facing Justin. 'I'll ask again. What the hell do you want?'

Justin shook his head. 'My, my. Don't we have a temper today.'

'We do not have a temper. We have a monstrous headache, a mountain of correspondence to see to, and no time to waste socializing.'

'Pity,' Justin said, without a trace of sympathy. 'And here I thought you'd be delighted to get out of the house. You've been cooped up in your town house for a week now. According to my staff, you've been out of bed for several days.'

'How does your staff know what goes on in my home?'

'One of your kitchen workers is a cousin to Victoria's abigail.'

Stephen tossed back half his drink. 'How bloody delightful.'

'Someone has to keep us informed,' Justin said mildly. 'It's not as if you're very cooperative these days.'

'There's nothing to tell. I've been working. For the three days before that I was resting in bed. As you may recall, I was shot. Now, are you going to tell me why you insisted I come here?'

'I didn't insist-'

'You insisted,' Stephen stressed with a glare, 'stating that you had something of great importance to tell me.'

'Sit down, Stephen.'

'I don't bloody well want to sit down,' Stephen shouted.

'Just tell me what the hell you need to say and let me leave.'

'Very well. It's about Hayley.'

Stephen froze, his brandy snifter arrested halfway to his lips. Forcing a calm he was far from feeling, he said, 'Indeed?'

Justin held out an envelope. 'This was delivered here this morning. It's addressed to you in care of me. The messenger said it was given to him by a Miss Albright of Halstead.'

Stephen set down his drink and took the envelope, his insides tight with tension. Half of him desperately wanted to see what Hayley had written, but the other half dreaded her words, which were no doubt filled with scorn. And rightfully so.

Justin walked to the door. 'I'll have you know that only a lifetime of being a gentleman prevented me from opening it and reading it myself. I'll give you some privacy, but I shall return shortly. Do not even think of leaving until I do.' With that, he left the room.

Stephen stared at the envelope, his heart pounding with anticipation and fear. He lowered himself into a wing chair and slipped an unsteady finger under the folded edge of the envelope, breaking the wax seal. Reaching in, he withdrew a single sheet of paper. He looked up at the ceiling, took a deep breath, and then lowered his eyes to the page before him.

Dear Lord Glenfield.

I hope you are feeling better. When Hayley told us you hurt your head, I felt very sad. She said you would be better soon. I hope so. We are all fine. Aunt Olivia helped me make a new dress for Miss Josephine and she looks beautiful now. My birthday is on Friday, the 20th, and we are planning a party. Guess what kind? A tea party! We will have cookies and cake, and we'reeven giving Winky, Pinky, and Stinky a bath so they can come too. I wish you could come. Then it would be my best birthday ever. Hayley says you're an important nobleman and you don't have time for birthday parties, but I told her you love tea parties. And if you come, maybe Hayley won't look so sad. She was crying the other day, but when I asked her what was wrong, she said she had something in her eye. Maybe Mr. Popplemore said something to make her feel bad. He visits almost every day. Dr. Wentbridge comes every day, but not because we're sick. It's because he's going to marry Pamela. Winston finished fixing the chicken coop and is now repairing the stable roof. Grimsley lost his spectacles again, and Pierre found them in the stew. Pierre said a lot of words I didn't understand and Grimsley is trying to keep his glasses on his nose. Andrew and Nathan say they hope you are well and they miss you. Aunt Olivia, too. She helped me write this letter-a little bit. Miss Josephine and I miss you very much and we love you too.

Very sincerely,

Callie Eugenia Albright

By the time Stephen reached the end of the letter, his throat was all but closed from the lump stuck in it, and his eyes were suspiciously moist. Damn dust in this room. Didn't Justin ever have the bloody place properly cleaned? He shook his head and quickly swiped at his eyes with the back of his hand. He must have lost an abundance of blood during his scuffle with Melissa. How else could he explain being so undone by the child's letter?

'What did Hayley write?' Justin's voice interrupted his thoughts.

'Nothing.'

'If you don't wish to tell me-'

'No, it is not that. I mean that literally. The letter wasn't from Hayley.'

'Then who was it from?' Justin asked. 'The messenger said it was sent from Miss Albright.'

'And it was. Miss Callie Albright.'

Justin raised his brows. 'Callie? The little girl? The one with the fiendish, stick-to-your-ass torture chairs and the penchant for tea parties?'

'The very same.'

Justin appeared at a loss for words. 'I thought for sure-'

'You thought wrong,' Stephen said in a tight voice. 'I told you when we spoke earlier in the week there was no hope for anything between Hayley and myself. She loathes me. She must, after the way I left Halstead and the things I said to her in the garden.'

'Has it occurred to you to apologize to her?'

'There's no point. She said she never wanted to lay eyes on me again.'

Justin leveled a penetrating glare at him. 'Good God, Stephen, she saved your life. Even after you said those things.'

'She'd have done the same thing for anyone,' Stephen insisted stubbornly. 'That's just the sort of person she is. Caring and totally unselfish.'

'Yes. And I'm certain she is also understanding and forgiving.'

'The things I said to her… believe me, they were unforgivable. You didn't see the look on her face, Justin. She looked at me like I was something found floating belly-up in the Thames, and it was no less than I deserved.'

'Youdidn't see her face when we didn't know if you would live or die.'

Stephen raked his hands through his hair, wincing when he brushed his wound. He'd been over this a thousand times in his mind. It was all he thought about. Because of his own stupidity, Hayley was lost to him.

Rising, he poured himself another brandy and looked out the window. The sun was shining brightly, bathing London's finest in a golden glow as they strolled into Hyde Park, but Stephen saw none of it.

'She didn't stay with me, Justin. Both you and Victoria asked her to, but she left.'

'Not until she knew you would recover. And she has an entire household to look after. She had to go.'

'She wanted to go. To get away from me.'