Haunted Hearts

22

Elphi crossed her arms over her chest and drummed the fingers of her right hand against her left upper arm as she paced the length of their bedroom and waited for Rufus to return home.

He was supposed to be back an hour and a half ago. And with every passing minute that he remained absent, Elphi's unease grew, her stomach revolted, and for the second time in the past three agonizing hours that she'd been home without him, she ran to the water closet and vomited.

After swishing a mouthful of cool water around and spitting it out in the sink, she wiped her mouth with a hand towel and returned to pacing her bedroom.

She had tried to distract herself at first by reading.

A failed venture.

She'd then walked out into the small garden, hoping the fresh air would help clear her mind. But three minutes later, the heavens opened in a torrential downpour and sent her scurrying inside.

So she roamed the halls and wandered from room to room, and when the clock struck the hour of five, Elphi realized in some surprise that she'd been pacing their bedroom for the better part of two and a half hours.

She turned and walked toward their bed, her ears straining for any sound through the open window of an approaching carriage. If Rufus wasn't home in thirty minutes, she'd send a note to Harwood Hall or take it there herself and insist Roderick go searching for him.

And if Roderick wouldn't go—

Elphi froze mid-stride and held her breath, blood rushing in her ears as a carriage pulled to a stop outside. She dashed to the windows and bit back a cry of relief when Rufus stepped from the carriage and spoke to Harrison for a moment before walking toward the front door.

Spinning on her heel, she ran to the stairs, which she then took at a cautious pace after hearing Fitz whisper, "Slow down."

However, the instant her feet landed safely at the bottom of the stairs, she skip-trotted to Rufus's study. He stood at his desk, his back toward her and head bent, focused on whatever he held in his hands.

A wave of relief crashed through her at seeing him unharmed and made her limbs tremble, her heart hammer against her ribs, and it took all of her self-control not to give in to the urge to burst into the room and kiss him senseless.

"You're home later than I thought you'd be. Did you have trouble along the way?" She breathlessly said, twisting her hands at her middle as she glided into the room like the dignified lady her parents had raised her to be.

Rufus stiffened at the sound of her voice but remained with his back toward her and said, "No. I dropped one of my case files off to an old colleague at the Yard. How was your visit to Madame Morrissey's?"

"Rosalind was a great help today. I think you'll be pleased with my new evening gown when it's finished."

"Will it be the green silk you mentioned?" He asked, his voice sounding strained.

"As promised," she said. She studied Rufus maintaining his position in front of his desk, and her brow puckered with a frown. "I apologize... am I intruding?"

"Of course not."

She arched a brow, biting her tongue. Rufus's tone had said yes while his words said no. "You seem engrossed. What are you reading?"

He slowly turned to face her, holding in his right hand two half-sheets of paper, the bottom page stained by an inkblot in the bottom left corner.

Elphi's gaze honed in on that telling mark, her heart slamming against her ribs with a dull, heavy thump. The anxiety that had been her constant companion for most of the day now threatened to consume her.