Robert smiled at me, the expression softening his face immeasurably. He motioned to the chair across from him. “Please, sit down, Lenora. I shall explain.” He collapsed in a heap into the chair behind him, still clutching his cane. I crossed to the open chair, perching on it as I set my gaze on him.
Mr. Langford poured himself a brandy from the bar, bringing a glass to Robert. He offered me a brandy, though I refused. After a sip of the amber liquid, Robert began his explanation. “Allow me to apologize first for the lack of detail provided to you. I instructed Mr. Langford to leave the details to me. It is, after all, my request. I should have preferred to retrieve you myself from the orphanage, however,” he disclosed, waving his cane in the air, “I am still recovering from a recent spill while riding my horse. Rather careless of me. Though I should be up and about soon.
“As Mr. Langford may have alluded to, you are not here to take up a position on the staff, you are here to become mistress of this house.” He said the words so matter-of-factly, I wondered if he may be mad, suffering from some head injury after falling from his steed.
“Sir, forgive me, but are you quite certain you understand what you are saying?”
My query elicited a hearty laugh from the man. I glanced to Mr. Langford, who also enjoyed a chuckle over my question. “I assure you, Lenora, Duke Blackmoore is quite sane.”
“Yes, yes, my dear,” Robert assured me. “I am in full command of all my faculties. Are you quite sure YOU understand what you are saying?” he posed.
“Sir?” I asked, not understanding the question.
“I’m not certain I have come across a girl less eager to become a duchess, Lenora.”
“May I speak in earnest?” I inquired.
“By all means,” Robert granted.
“It has little to do with assuming the position you offer and more to do with a lack of understanding as to why the offer is being made. What is expected of me? Why have you sought me out? Surely there are many women who long for such a position, who may be better suited for the position, having been bred for it. Yet you seem to have sought me, an orphan, out very specifically.”
He offered a sly half-grin. “And you are not one of these women? A woman who longs for a position?”
“I have come to expect nothing in particular from life, sir. And you have not answered my questions.”
“You are quick-witted, Lenora. A trait I admire. Yet you, also, avoid my question. Have you some aversion to assuming such a social position?”
I considered the question a moment, then responded, “No. I have no aversion, yet, I still fail to understand why I have been sought for it. It is an odd turn of events for an orphan. What is it you expect me to provide in return?”
Robert smiled at me again, leaning forward in his chair, steadying himself on the cane. “Again, I admire your tenacity. You wish to learn the terms. I shall lay them out for you. This shall be a marriage of convenience. I shall provide you with a prestigious position, a lavish home, any goods your heart may desire, a comfortable life from here forward. You shall provide me with something very special in return. You are correct, I have sought you out for a specific reason. You have a unique ability, do you not, Lenora?”
I swallowed hard as I contemplated my response. Without doubt, he referred to my consciousness of the dead that walked among us. But how much did he know of my situation, I wondered? And how had he learned it? “I suffer from a peculiar view of the world,” I hedged.
“By this you mean you can see those who have died. As plainly as you can see me in front of you?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
Robert shared a glance with Henry before continuing. “This is why I sought you out.”
“You wish to use my ability for yourself?” I questioned.
He nodded. “Yes. You see.” He paused, his face darkening. “My first wife passed away three years ago. Took her own life. I haven’t a clue as to why and I must learn the reason.”
“She left no missive? No explanation?”
He shook his head, remaining silent for a breath. “I have no other options. Lenora, you are my only hope to determine why my beloved Annie chose such a tragic end.”
My brow furrowed as I considered the exchange. “What if you are displeased with the answers I find?”
He shook his head. “I must learn the truth, no matter what it is. There is no expectation on your behalf to provide me with an answer I approve of.”
“The offer seems to favor me,” I noted aloud as I grappled with the revelation.
“Then you agree?” Robert pressed, leaning further forward, his eagerness obvious. I glanced at him as I weighed the options. “Please, Lenora, you are my only hope.”
“I do not suppose I have much choice to refuse. It appears the decision has been made.”
“You have every right to refuse,” Robert informed me. “And I shall return you to your life, posthaste. You have no obligation. You are not a prisoner. Though I pray you choose to stay.”
I studied the man’s face. The firelight cast shadows across it, though the darker shadows were not caused by the fire’s light, but rather by the sorrow he experienced. It was etched in every line of his face, in the way he clutched at the cane, in his posture, hidden behind his stormy gray eyes. The man has experienced true grief and had not yet recovered. My heart experienced a great deal of pity for him. In his desperation, he offered anything he could to win me to his cause.
Despite
