Alexandra had been wondering how it was that six letters had arrived the same day. Grinning, she read on.
I suppose you've heard that Juliana and Corinna were DISinvited to Lady Cunnington's garden party. I vow and swear, that made me so livid I wrote to Lady C posthaste with my regrets—and a piece of my mind. Worry not, dear cousin, your sisters have much support. Rachael and Claire have said they will not attend, either.
The letter fluttered from her fingers to the grass. Dear God in heaven, it was happening already. And not only affecting her sisters, but her cousins, too.
Her throat tightened like it did when she ate strawberries. She couldn't seem to breathe.
A high-pitched voice snapped her to attention. "Lady Hawkridge?"
She quickly gathered the letters. "Here, Peggy! In the gazebo!"
Peggy hurried into the little garden, tray in hand. "Your luncheon, my lady." She squeezed into the tiny structure and set the tray on the bench, then pulled a folded paper out of her bodice. "And the list you asked for, completed."
"Oh!" Alexandra started breathing again as she took it. Once she cleared Tris's name, her sisters would be just fine. But she was disappointed to see only four entries. "Is this all?"
"Not many people leave Hawkridge, my lady. Kinder employers are difficult to find."
"I know." And she knew she should be happy about that. She was happy. Just seeing the list was a huge relief. "Thank you. And for writing down everyone's direction as well. They all live close by."
Peggy shrugged. "Not many travel too far from the place of their birth."
People, common people especially, usually seemed more comfortable with the familiar. Which was a lucky thing, Alexandra thought, because she should be able to pay calls on these four in short order. Her spirits rose as she realized that, very soon, she might have the information she needed.
She'd lost her appetite, but since Peggy had gone to the trouble to fetch luncheon, she thought she'd better eat something. "Let me just have a few bites, and then we'll be off. I want to ride today. It will be much faster than taking a carriage. Would you ask a groom to saddle three horses? And see if Ernest is free to accompany us again, if you will. Oh, and ask Mrs. Pawley to put some of my sugar cakes in a basket. Then meet me upstairs—I'll need to change into a riding habit, and so will you."
Peggy shuffled her feet. "I cannot ride, my lady."
"Pardon? If you don't have a habit, I'll be pleased to give you one. I have several, including one or two I'd like to retire. I plan to order some that aren't blue," she added with a soft laugh at herself.
But Peggy showed no signs of humor. "I cannot ride. I don't know how. As a housemaid I never had reason to learn, and the last Lady Hawkridge never rode anywhere. She was very proper and always took a carriage."
"Is that so?" Perhaps riding to pay calls wasn't quite so ladylike—A Lady of Distinction might not approve—but Alexandra didn't want to waste time. "Make it two horses, then. Ernest and I shall do fine on our own."
"Are you certain, my lady?" Peggy didn't look at all happy. "I believe his lordship would prefer you to take a carriage."
"Nonsense—he said that only because he was afraid breathing the gas had weakened me. I'm perfectly healthy today." And the sooner she finished this investigation, the happier Tris would be—no matter what the outcome.
"I'd prefer to go with you," her maid said quite peevishly.
Alexandra couldn't figure why the woman would be so testy, but she decided to ignore it. "That's very thoughtful, Peggy, but there's no need. Two horses, please. I'll meet you upstairs in ten minutes."
FORTY-TWO
DELICATE NOTES from the harpsichord greeted Tristan when he arrived home that evening. Carrying the large, plain box he'd brought from Windsor, he made his way upstairs and paused in the north drawing room's doorway.
Alexandra sat with her back to him, focused on some sheet music, her graceful fingers moving over the antique instrument's keys. Watching her, he clutched the box tighter. He hoped she would like what was in it. He wanted to give her a nice night. Just one nice night. And, all right, it wouldn't be so bad if the niceness extended into tomorrow and the next day, too.
Their first night had been so wonderful, but since then, everything between them seemed to be going so very wrong.
As he watched, she raised a hand from the lower keyboard to the upper and hit a sour note. "Drat," she said softly and resumed. More notes tinkled through the air, sounding lovely for a few bars until she switched keyboards again and made another mistake. "Drat!"
"Good evening, sweetheart."
She startled and snatched her fingers from the keys, turning on the stool to face him. "You're home," she said, sounding surprised.
"I said I would be."
Her cheeks turned a delicate pink. "I hope you didn't hear too much of that. I'm sure I'll get better with practice."
"There's no need to practice," he said cryptically, knowing she'd understand tomorrow. Already dressed for dinner, she looked beautiful in a pale green frock with a scooped neckline and his cameo on a matching green ribbon. She glanced curiously at the box in his hands, making him smile to himself. "Give me ten minutes to allow Vincent to fuss over me before dinner. Will you meet me in the dining room?"
"All right," she said, her gaze lingering on the box before she turned back to attack the keyboard with renewed vigor.
A quarter of an hour later, having instructed Vincent as to the box, he strolled into the dining room and bent to give Alexandra a long,
