Loving the Enemy

Chapter 14

Adelaide paced outside his door, wringing her hands. She was going to let loose her inner bloodthirsty nature and kill Strafford and Lady Norbury for inventing such a foul game.

Oh, why didn't she snatch away the second glass from the table?

What was happening inside the room?

Was Wyndham going to die?

The door opened and she would have barrelled into the room had her brother not blocked it. "Is Wyndham all right?"

He shut the door behind him and led her away. "Yes, he is fine. Nothing lots of hot tea and a good sleep won't cure."

"But...in the gardens..."

He patted her head. "That is what helped him be better. His body needed to evict all the alcohol he drank. Though what a waste of fine whiskey. Ow!" He rubbed the part of his arm where she'd struck him.

"How can you say that!"

"Only in jest, dear sister. Could you not tell?" His eyes narrowed slightly. "You are awfully angry on his behalf. Why?"

"No." She looked away. "I'm...only suitably annoyed. Well, if he is fine, then I shall be for my bed then. Good night." And marched away before her brother asked her more questions she couldn't answer.

In the safety of her room, she sank on the chair in front of her vanity table while Betsey bustled in to help her undress. "Oh, Miss Kendall! Are what the maids said true? Did Mr Wyndham really drink the entire decanter of whiskey in one go?"

"No. He only drank two almost full glasses." She looked at her maid's reflection in the mirror. "What else did the maids say?"

"That Lord Dover got into fisticuffs with Lord Strafford and he near beat the man to death! Did you see?"

She shook her head, but she wasn't all that surprised to hear it had happened. His lordship had been irate and he'd looked ready to kill someone. "What else?"

The coy expression on the other girl's face was slightly disconcerting. "They said that Mr Wyndham might as well have declared his love for you because he drank the whiskey on your behalf."

Her hands that had been unfastening her earbobs stilled. She shot her lady's maid a stern glare and Betsey was all contrition. "Sorry, Miss Kendall. But I'm only repeating what I heard. But do you not think the same?"

Adelaide stood so that Betsey could unlace her. "Mr Wyndham only did the gentlemanly thing, for it is unbecoming of a lady to imbibe whiskey and so much at that." As she put on her nightgown, she continued, "He is no more in love with me than I am with him." She made for her bed. "Good night, Betsey."

"Good night, Miss Kendall." The girl retreated from her room to deal with the clothes, leaving Adelaide alone in the room. And with her thoughts.

Betsey's words repeated themselves and she pressed her lips together. No, it couldn't be. The maids had it wrong. And if they'd merely repeated what the guests were saying, then they were wrong too.

Wyndham only did what was necessary out of propriety and not of affection. And certainly not because of love. They didn't know he was incapable of that emotion, otherwise they wouldn't spin such a tale.

But she was aware, so she couldn't allow herself to believe what others had said out of ignorance.

Even if a tiny part of her wanted to believe their words, she couldn't.

She would be the greatest fool that ever lived if she did.

*˜*˜*˜

Garrett looked up at the night sky, admiring it while the distant rumble of a carriage cut through the silence of the countryside night.