The Duke's Wife {Wallflower #1}

Chapter 29 (Pic of Leia's Blade)

Chapter 29

"Where you used to be, there is a hole in the world, which I find myself constantly walking around in the daytime, and falling in at night. I miss you like hell."
―Edna St. Vincent Millay

*Rhea*

"'Tis quite the morning, isn't it?" Rhea asked, gazing out of the window in her adjoining room to the master. She didn't usually frequent this room, but most of her things had been placed here, so she was forced to visit a time or two. Now, seeing that Hadrian had been gone for so long, Rhea was feeling desolate and melancholy. It seemed strange that Hadrian wouldn't send word of his well-being.

"Yes, mum. Very beautiful; ne'er seen nothing like it," Lilly agreed, brushing out her mistress lovely blonde hair.

"Yes," Rhea said absently. She had woken up this morning, eager to hear of any forthcoming news, but alas, nothing had been delivered. Rhea felt herself giving up hope. Perhaps Hadrian did not care for her anymore? The thought left Rhea sick to her stomach.

She mentally shook her head. Hadrian did not seem to be a man to avoid issues. It must be something grave to keep him away from his estates so long. Rhea had been toying with the idea for a while, dreading the question and pushing it away whenever it seemed to come up: was Hadrian in trouble?

Rhea put a hand to her chest, trying to settle her thundering heart. She couldn't bear the thought of Hadrian in harm's way. But, perhaps, this was what all the secrecy was about. Mayhap he didn't want to distress her so. Though, couldn't he see that not confiding in her was worse?

Her mind kept tumbling forth new possibilities until she couldn't rightly take it anymore; surely she would go mad conjuring thoughts of Hadrian lying in pain somewhere. "I must leave this dreaded place," she whispered.

"What was that, mum?" Lilly inquired.

"Lilly, please, arrange my hair for an outing. I believe I need to call on some friends. Prepare some parchment for me in Hadrian's study. I think some time spent in town shall help."

"Are you sure 'bout that, m'lady? I don't think the duke would care for you to go out in your condition, mind me saying so meself," Lilly worried her bottom lip, afraid she'd said too much.

Rhea sighed, "As much as I know the duke means well, he is not here to see to me himself. Indeed, I believe an afternoon out should help my condition wonderfully. Oh, Lilly, don't be so concerned, I shall only be out for but a few hours or so, nothing to worry yourself over," Rhea observed that Lilly was still undecided on the matter and smiled reassuringly, "I shall take one of the footmen with me!"

Though the danger was still somewhat present from Lilly's point of view, she conceded to her mistress wishes; seeing that objecting would be a form of insult to her superior. Lilly nodded and continued with her task.

*Hadrian*

Hadrian tirelessly slaved at the desk in front of him, piecing through old documents, determined to find some small mention of the man he was relentlessly pursuing - Beckham. It could not be mere misfortune that erased his history from London's records.

"Damned place," Hadrian muttered. Truly, this office was damned, for there seemed to be nothing atall on the name or person by Beckham or Utteridge. "How a man can erase his existence continues to elude me."

"Indeed," Dalton murmured. He himself was paging through another system of documents for the same purpose.

After failing to find or retrieve Beckham from the warehouse, Hadrian retired to the Bowstreet Runners' office in Windsor and stayed there for two more nights when they heard not a peep from the offending party.