Unmasking Lady Caroline by Mindy Butbidge Strunk

Author:Mindy Butbidge Strunk [Strunk, Mindy Burbidge]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: FiveJoys Press

11

Peter moved down the corridor. He had slept very ill and his mind was still in turmoil. If Montjoy was to be believed, Caroline was in love with him.

He had spent most of the night thinking on all of their past conversations, trying to judge the truthfulness of the assertion. Peter could not see it.

In all their interactions, he had thought her friendly—the kind of friendliness naturally born of knowing someone the whole of their lives. Was he missing something? In other encounters he had known when a lady was interested. He shrugged. But Caroline was not like other ladies.

Her feelings were not the only questions swirling around in his mind. She had been in London before coming to Warwickshire. And what of this ball she had attended on the eve of her departure from London. Was it Lord Trenton’s ball or another? Peter had been invited to no less than four other balls occurring on that very night. It was possible she had attended one of those.

But had not Miss Tree left him on the dance floor in order to save her cousin from making a mistake? Was it the kind of mistake which would cause her ruin or something else? If Caroline were Miss Tree, why not simply come out with it and tell him? Why keep it a secret, especially now that they were together so frequently? He shook his head. Caroline could not possibly be Miss Tree. It made no sense.

He pushed into his study. The tenant’s baskets sat stacked against the wall. He sat down in the chair behind his desk, staring at the baskets. Perhaps if he stared long enough, they would deliver themselves.

He had chosen to stay at Wirksworth yesterday after Montjoy left. After the fiasco under the kissing ball, Peter was not sure if Caroline was speaking to him let alone desirous to see him. And when he thought of the assertions Montjoy had made about her, Peter was not certain of his own feelings anymore. It left him feeling confused and quite frankly, muddled.

But had she not promised to deliver the baskets with him and help prepare for the servants’ ball? She had made that promise before things had become awkward and uncomfortable between them.

Peter ran his hand through his hair. When had he become such a coward? The awkwardness would not just disappear. He needed to move past it. What better way to do that than to fetch Caroline and have her fulfill her promise? Perhaps then everything would return to normal.

He found Porter inspecting the footmen and their livery. “Porter, please have the sled ready as soon as possible.” The fresh snow on the ground made the carriage an impractical choice.

“Walter, please fetch the baskets from my study and get them ready for delivery.”

Walter bowed. “Yes, my lord.” He headed off to recruit other servants to help with the task.

An hour later, Peter was at the reins, guiding the horses toward Whitley Wood. As he rounded the bend of

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