“Come sit with me while the footmen ready your bath.” Harry took a seat by the window and waited for her.
He must be here to give her the scolding she’d anticipated from her sister. She hadn’t thought Harry would be the one to deliver it. She eased herself down into the floral chair across from him.
“Emma, I was hoping you might do me a favor.”
“Of course, Harry, whatever you need.”
Harry looked down at his hands. “Louisa and I are going to Worth Hall for a fortnight because I prefer to be alone at this time of the year.”
Emma nodded, remembering that his father had committed suicide in late April. “I understand.”
“I was hoping you might join us there and keep your sister company. I know it would mean not attending any balls for two weeks but—"
“I’ll come to Worth with you both,” she interrupted him. Emma reached over and clasped his hands. “You and Louisa are my favorite people. If my being there with Louisa will help you, then I will spend a fortnight in Worth.”
“Thank you, Emma.” He squeezed her hands and then released them. “It looks like your bath is ready. I will leave you in peace. We will leave on Friday.”
“Oh,” Emma said with a hint of disappointment. “I promised Susan I would attend the Comstocks’ ball on Friday.”
He smiled over at her. “That will work perfectly. Louisa insists that George must travel with us and not his nurse, which, with all his things, leaves little room for another passenger. I shall have another carriage sent to your mother’s home to pick you up Saturday at noon, so you might still attend Lady Comstock’s ball.”
“Thank you, Harry.” A fortnight with no poor suitors trying to impress her with their skills at courtship and no mother trying to marry her off. It was no hardship indeed to go to Worth.
SIMON ARRIVED AT THE ducal estate on horseback Saturday morning. Monday was the third anniversary of his natural father’s suicide. Simon still wondered what drove the man to such an extreme. The duke could have married anyone he wanted, even the poor daughter of a banker from Cornwall, as his son did. Most people believed madness was the root of the issue.
Only one time did Simon’s natural father deigned to enter Hell. After a glance about the room, the duke had left without a word to Simon, or even a wager on a game.
While Simon had known duke was his natural father at the time, the man had never admitted his paternity. When he passed, Simon grieved for the father he’d never known. He mourned for the father he should have had if his mother hadn’t decided Albert Kingsley would save her from disgrace. Not that an opera singer should need to worry about what people thought of her. If she had told the duke about the baby sooner, he would have protected her with a home and money.
There would have been no beatings for such small infractions as forgetting to bring home a jug of ale. To some, it might seem odd that he could easily forgive the duke for not being there, but not Albert Kingsley for taking a strap or worse to him.
Pushing the painful memories away, he focused on the drive toward Worth Hall. The large red brick home stood proud with a multitude of chimneys. Large mullioned windows gleamed in the late morning sun. The impressive building always took his breath away.
After reining in, he looked back as a coach rumbled down the drive with the ducal emblem on the door. He’d expected Harry and Louisa to already be at home since his brother had told him they were leaving on Friday morning. Simon jumped off Lucifer and handed the reins to a stableboy.
Glancing at the front door, he wondered why the staff wasn’t lining up to greet their master. Highly unusual. He stood waiting for the coach to stop, and once it did, he waved off the outrider and opened the door.
“Well, it is about time you arr....” Big blue eyes greeted him, but they didn’t belong to Louisa.
Emma Drake’s mouth gaped as she stared at him. “Wh—What are you doing here?”
“I was about to ask you the same thing.”
“Your brother invited me,” she said, clasping his hand as she climbed out of the coach.
“Your sister invited me,” he retorted.
“Oh dear,” she said with a sigh. “I had no idea you’d be in attendance.”
Anger wove its way through his veins. He’d thought a few days away from her might do him good. Instead, they would be in closer quarters for as long as either of them could manage. God only knew what kind of trouble she might manage to get herself into out here.
“Emma? What are you doing here?”
They both turned at the sound of Louisa’s surprised voice.
Simon shook his head. “Don’t tell me that my brother didn’t inform you of her pending arrival.”
“I wanted it to be a surprise,” Harry’s voice sounded from the doorway. “What the devil are you doing here, Simon?”