country.”
Rebecca blushed instantly at his remark about Rupert, but she tried to cover it up by asking, “A short trip?”
“It’s often impossible to know how long I’ll be away from the palace.”
Preparing to leave, he glanced around the tree first. “They’re gone,” he said with a sigh. “I was hoping to catch Rupert alone here, and I really don’t have time left to search him out.” He pulled an envelope from his pocket. “I wanted to give this to our mutual friend. Perhaps you can deliver it for me, since you are likely to see Rupert socially before I will.”
Rebecca chuckled as Nigel walked away. Did he really think she didn’t realize that this was a test and he would no doubt ask Rupert if the seal had been broken prior to delivery? As if she cared what was in the missive. But Sarah would probably like to see it. That was the test. But then Mr. Nigel Jennings was a spy, she was sure of it, so, of course, he wouldn’t trust everything she’d told him. He no doubt wanted proof of her honesty just as she wanted proof of his.
And then it struck her and she smiled. Nigel hadn’t just handed her a test but also a reason to seek Rupert out.
Chapter Fifteen
R EBECCA LEFT THE DUCHESS’S chambers early to prepare for the formal dinner that night. She didn’t notice Rupert leaning against the wall in the hallway outside the chambers since she set off at a brisk pace in the opposite direction. Her mood had soured. She told herself that she was returning to her room early so Flora wouldn’t feel rushed in getting both her and her roommate ready for tonight, but in fact she just wanted to know if her roommate had made an appearance there.
When Elizabeth hadn’t returned to the duchess’s chambers, Rebecca guessed that she and Rupert had gone off someplace where they could really be alone—to make love. The thought had put her in a bad mood for the rest of the afternoon, and she really wanted to be proven wrong, to find that Elizabeth had spent time alone in their room instead.
“You’re a hard lady to find.”
She nearly tripped on her skirt when she heard Rupert’s voice and she turned to see him walking alongside her. She really had to stop having this immediate bedazzled response tohim. It wasn’t quite so bad or so long now, but still, she’d seen and spoken to him enough now that it shouldn’t be happening at all to her anymore.
As for his sudden appearance, she wondered if he had been waiting outside the duchess’s chambers for Elizabeth to come out. Perhaps he hadn’t spent the entire afternoon with her after all. Rebecca’s mood brightened a little with that thought.
But she didn’t believe for a minute that he’d been looking for her. “Nonsense,” she said as she continued down the hall. “If you wanted to speak to me, you could have knocked on the door.”
“No, that wasn’t an option.”
“Why not?”
“For the same reason we couldn’t have had more’n one dance last night. Tongues will wag.”
She doubted that was his reason. When he spread his charm around so much, who could keep track? It was more likely that he just didn’t want Elizabeth to know about it. That might even have been why the girl had appeared upset with him earlier. She might have been upbraiding him for dancing with Rebecca last night.
She rounded the corner at the end of the hall. He hadn’t gone away, was still keeping pace with her. She was starting to feel a little too thrilled by the encounter.
To temper her excitement, she said, “Is this to be another interrogation, then? Or those dire warnings you mentioned?”
Instead of answering, Rupert abruptly stepped in front of her. She wasn’t quick enough to stop in time and slammed into him, which he must have known would happen. Surprised, she nonetheless pushed away from him. He didn’t try to stop her, he just extended an arm to make sure she moved to the side ofthe hall, with her back against the wall. He put his hand against
Rebecca blushed instantly at his remark about Rupert, but she tried to cover it up by asking, “A short trip?”
“It’s often impossible to know how long I’ll be away from the palace.”
Preparing to leave, he glanced around the tree first. “They’re gone,” he said with a sigh. “I was hoping to catch Rupert alone here, and I really don’t have time left to search him out.” He pulled an envelope from his pocket. “I wanted to give this to our mutual friend. Perhaps you can deliver it for me, since you are likely to see Rupert socially before I will.”
Rebecca chuckled as Nigel walked away. Did he really think she didn’t realize that this was a test and he would no doubt ask Rupert if the seal had been broken prior to delivery? As if she cared what was in the missive. But Sarah would probably like to see it. That was the test. But then Mr. Nigel Jennings was a spy, she was sure of it, so, of course, he wouldn’t trust everything she’d told him. He no doubt wanted proof of her honesty just as she wanted proof of his.
And then it struck her and she smiled. Nigel hadn’t just handed her a test but also a reason to seek Rupert out.
Chapter Fifteen
R EBECCA LEFT THE DUCHESS’S chambers early to prepare for the formal dinner that night. She didn’t notice Rupert leaning against the wall in the hallway outside the chambers since she set off at a brisk pace in the opposite direction. Her mood had soured. She told herself that she was returning to her room early so Flora wouldn’t feel rushed in getting both her and her roommate ready for tonight, but in fact she just wanted to know if her roommate had made an appearance there.
When Elizabeth hadn’t returned to the duchess’s chambers, Rebecca guessed that she and Rupert had gone off someplace where they could really be alone—to make love. The thought had put her in a bad mood for the rest of the afternoon, and she really wanted to be proven wrong, to find that Elizabeth had spent time alone in their room instead.
“You’re a hard lady to find.”
She nearly tripped on her skirt when she heard Rupert’s voice and she turned to see him walking alongside her. She really had to stop having this immediate bedazzled response tohim. It wasn’t quite so bad or so long now, but still, she’d seen and spoken to him enough now that it shouldn’t be happening at all to her anymore.
As for his sudden appearance, she wondered if he had been waiting outside the duchess’s chambers for Elizabeth to come out. Perhaps he hadn’t spent the entire afternoon with her after all. Rebecca’s mood brightened a little with that thought.
But she didn’t believe for a minute that he’d been looking for her. “Nonsense,” she said as she continued down the hall. “If you wanted to speak to me, you could have knocked on the door.”
“No, that wasn’t an option.”
“Why not?”
“For the same reason we couldn’t have had more’n one dance last night. Tongues will wag.”
She doubted that was his reason. When he spread his charm around so much, who could keep track? It was more likely that he just didn’t want Elizabeth to know about it. That might even have been why the girl had appeared upset with him earlier. She might have been upbraiding him for dancing with Rebecca last night.
She rounded the corner at the end of the hall. He hadn’t gone away, was still keeping pace with her. She was starting to feel a little too thrilled by the encounter.
To temper her excitement, she said, “Is this to be another interrogation, then? Or those dire warnings you mentioned?”
Instead of answering, Rupert abruptly stepped in front of her. She wasn’t quick enough to stop in time and slammed into him, which he must have known would happen. Surprised, she nonetheless pushed away from him. He didn’t try to stop her, he just extended an arm to make sure she moved to the side ofthe hall, with her back against the wall. He put his hand against
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