“Then I shall go with you, just me,” Fredrick remarked.
Miss Delacourt studied him, her eyes searching for something he couldn’t quite discern. The seconds stretched before she finally conceded. “Fair enough,” she said, her voice amixture of resignation and determination. “Kendrick wants us to work together, so I suppose I should make an effort to do so.”
Fredrick didn’t know why, but he felt elated that he had secured that small victory.
“I shall meet you outside Lord Drycott’s townhouse tomorrow at midnight. Do not be late,” Miss Delacourt warned, making her way towards the window.
Roswell stepped forward. “You may leave by way of the main door if that is preferable.”
“The fewer people that know I was here, the better,” Miss Delacourt responded before she gracefully climbed out the window, disappearing into the darkness of the night.
Fredrick crossed his arms over his chest. “What do you make of Miss Delacourt?”
“I find her to be trustworthy, don’t you?” Roswell asked.
“I do,” Fredrick admitted. “But we are taking a huge risk by searching Lord Drycott’s study. I hope it will yield some useful information.”
Roswell walked over to the door. “If you will excuse me, I am going to join my wife in bed. It is late, and I am tired.”
“Good night,” Fredrick said.
After his brother departed from the study, Fredrick walked over to the settee and dropped down onto it. He should retire to bed, but he wasn’t quite ready to do so. Instead, he found himself lost in thoughts of the waltz he had shared with Emilia. It was only then that he realized he was smiling.
Chapter Sixteen
Emilia sat at the dining table, her loneliness a familiar companion. She had initially decided to take her meals in her bedchamber, but for some reason, she kept finding herself drawn to the dining room. Perhaps a part of her hoped today would be different, that someone would join her.
How she hated to be alone. The loneliness weighed on her, a constant reminder of what she didn’t have in her life. She should focus on the blessings that she had- wealth, security, and a bright future. Yet, her heart ached for the one thing she truly longed for: family.
How she missed her mother. Not a day passed without Emilia wishing for her mother’s comforting embrace. Her father, too, was gone. The only two people she could still count as family were Clarissa and Calvin. And Fredrick had warned her to be leery of them.
Emilia wanted to believe that Clarissa and Calvin had genuine intentions, that they, too, yearned for a familial connection with her.
With a glance at the footmen, she let out a sigh. She had tried to talk to them before and it did not end well.
Dalby stepped into the room and announced, “Lord Chatsworth has arrived. Would you care for me to show him to the drawing room?”
Emilia had a thought. “Might you ask him to join me for breakfast?”
The butler tipped his head. “Yes, Miss.”
Moments later, Fredrick stepped into the room, sharply dressed in a deep blue jacket, buff trousers and Hessian boots. He was undeniably handsome, but she saw him as so much more than that. He was a man of great kindness, consideration, and he had a smile that caused her to lose rational thought.
Emilia gestured towards one of the chairs. “Please, have a seat.”
She was pleased when Fredrick pulled out a chair next to her and sat down. “How do you fare this morning?” he asked.
She decided to be honest with Fredrick, feeling that he deserved the truth. “I am lonely,” she admitted.
Fredrick nodded in understanding. “I am well acquainted with that feeling.”
“Do you not have a house full of family?”
“Just because you have those things doesn’t mean you can’t feel alone at times,” Fredrick replied. “Sometimes, I feel the loneliest when I am surrounded by people.”
Emilia glanced down at her nearly full plate. “I do miss Lily. She has been spending more time at the boarding school, and I do not fault her for that. She doesn’t seem well-equipped for a life as a lady’s maid.”
“I do not know what to say to that,” Fredrick said.