A Royal Secret

CHAPTER TWELVE

TWO WEEKS AND THREE DAYS.

That was how long Jeffery had been away from Rose. Still, she followed him wherever he went haunting his mind with images of their evening together. The smell of lavender remained in his memory.

He missed her, and it was for this reason he had stayed longer than he had expected in his house in the country. At first, he had gone there to conclude some business over the purchase of an adjoining land—business his solicitor could have handled single-handed—but he had remained there because at the time, he thought distance would help kill his desires for Rose Cartridge. He was wrong. Not only did distance fail to kill his desires for her, distance seemed to be the fuel that worsened the fires of his desires until it threatened to burn him down and drive him mad.

Jeffery woke up that morning, unable to stay away any longer.

Pushing the curtains of the carriage aside as it slowed down, he glanced out just in time to see the white building come into view. His eyes darted up to the window of Rose's room, almost expecting to glimpse her. It was only the start of the evening and he didn't think she would have retired to bed just yet, but he also knew she liked to stay up in her bedchamber. Perhaps if he looked more closely, he might catch a glimpse of her.

Shaking his head, he leaned back against his seat; it was dumb to try to see her through her bedroom window when, in only a matter of minutes, she would appear at the door to receive him.

And the thought of seeing her...

After all those days away from her, it was a thrilling thought. It was a thought that left him eager to do so much more than just see her. He wanted to hold her, to kiss her...

The carriage stopped. He waited until the footman opened the door before climbing down. The servants appeared on the porch to welcome him. Disappointed Rose wasn't in their midst, he made his way into the building.

"Where is my wife?" he asked, taking his coat off and handing it to his valet.

"She is attending Lord James' ball with my lord Kensington," Roland, the butler, said.

The thought of Rose out with his father left a vile taste in Jeffery's mouth. A frown immediately settled on his face. "Since when?!"

"I beg your pardon, sir?"

Jeffery knew he was yelling, but for the life of him, he couldn't get himself to stop. Heaven only knew what evil scheme his father had up his sleeves by slithering his way into his home and taking his wife out on a ball in his absence.

"For how long have they been gone?!"

"It's been about an hour long. Lord Kensington rarely keeps Mrs Hendrix out for very long and ensures she's home in due time."

"Rarely?!" Jeffery tasted bile.

"Why, ye—es, Mr. Hendrix." Fear flashed in the butler's eyes as he nodded hurriedly.

"What do you mean, 'usually'?! Surely this has not been a common occurrence in my absence?!"

The butler blinked.

Jeffery cursed, turning from the butler sharply, for he feared the thought of taking his frustration out on him. He hurried out of the house, and upon finding a servant, ordered that a horse be prepared to take him to Lord James' home.

~*~

Chara kept a smile plastered to her face as she followed Lord Kensington around Lord James' drawing room that evening.

Lord Williamson's ball was the first of the many balls that Chara had escorted the older gentleman to. She would usually stick to his side the entire evening and get introduced to some of the people of the ton. Not that she enjoyed these gatherings—most times, she felt like an unwelcome guest—but it almost seemed impossible to turn Lord Kensington down, especially because he was kind to her and genuinely cared for her in his son's absence.