Realm 05 - A Touch of Mercy by Regina Jeffers

Author:Regina Jeffers [Jeffers, Regina]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: White Soup Press
Published: 2013-05-10T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

“You wished to speak to me?” Mr. Hill asked. He had arrived within moments of Mercy’s sending for him. She suspected he had anticipated her message. After Lord Lexford’s departure, Mercy had taken her tea in her sitting room before sending for the viscount’s man.

“Please come in, Mr. Hill. I have something of import of which I require your discretion.”

A raised eyebrow and a twitch of his lips said she had piqued his interest. “Should I close the door?” He tilted his head to one side, studying her.

“By all means.” It was her turn to study him. Mercy gestured to a nearby chair. When he had settled, she took a deep steadying breath before beginning. In the hours following her reading of the diary, Mercy had decided to seek Mr. Hill’s advice on how best to be rid of the former viscountess’s words. “In our renovations of the Lady Cassandra’s suite, I have stumbled upon the viscountess’s personal diary.”

Hill sat forward. He eyed her squarely. “I assume you did not share Lady Cassandra’s writings with Lord Lexford?”

A completely outlandish flush of color rested upon Mercy’s cheeks. “I made the decision to read the viscountess’s diary before I turned it over to His Lordship. Viscount Lexford has suffered from his memory loss, and I feared something within might affect Lord Lexford’s recovery.”

Hill rested his forearms on his thighs. “And why would you think anything within his mother’s diary would damage Lord Lexford’s state of mind?”

Wondering how much to disclose, Mercy bit her bottom lip in hesitation. “His Lordship has shared several idyllic scenes from his childhood. Lord Lexford’s memories are so fragile I feared exposing the viscount to shadows from his past. No marriage is perfect, and I was certain after perusing a few of the passages that some of the information within could cloud the viscount’s understanding of what happened behind closed doors.”

“Has Lord Lexford said anything to lead you to believe things were not what he purports them to be?” Hill asked in concern.

Mercy shook her head in the negative. She wondered why she had ever agreed to betray such a handsomely disturbing gentleman. Lord Lexford had placed her already chaotic world in more turmoil; yet, Mercy would never regret her time with the man. “Call it female intuition. The current Lord Lexford does not hide his emotions well. If His Lordship was aware of what I have discovered, the news would torment him.”

Mr. Hill kept his expression purposely bland. “For a man trained in complicated charades by the best in the British government, when it comes to his own affairs, Lord Lexford wears his thoughts upon his sleeve.”

Mercy wondered if Mr. Hill could see what was happening between her and the viscount, or rather what she hoped deep in her heart was happening. “I meant only to read a few of the entries–to determine whether to share the book with His Lordship,” she explained.

Mr. Hill stated the obvious, “But you read more than a few.”

Mercy closed her eyes and heaved a heavy sigh.

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