it’s astounding. I can’t wait for you to meet him.”
“Nor can I.” Courtney sighed in exasperation. “I feel so miserably helpless—for many reasons. I need to be up and about.”
“And you will be. By week’s end, you’ll be strolling with me to the lighthouse, you’ll see.” Aurora glanced up, the sound of clinking china announcing Matilda’s imminent arrival with Courtney’s breakfast. “What if I asked Matilda to serve my breakfast up here as well? That way we’d be able to continue our chat. Or did you wish to be alone?”
“That’s the last thing I wish. But what about your excursion?”
“It can wait until later. The only reason I was hurrying off so early is that I hoped to leave Pembourne before…” Her voice drifted off.
“Before your brother spied you,” Courtney finished for her. “Well, fear not. Slayde left Pembourne a few minutes ago. He’ll be gone all day—maybe longer.”
“Where did he go?”
Courtney chewed her lip, wondering how much Aurora knew, then deciding that dishonesty was no way to begin a friendship. “To Morland.”
“Morland?” Aurora nearly toppled off her chair. “The Huntleys haven’t been welcome there for six decades.”
“Nor are they now. But Slayde intends to meet with Lawrence Bencroft.”
Aurora frowned. “He thinks the duke is involved with my feigned kidnapping.”
“Yes, he does.”
“Do you?”
“Aurora, I’ve never even met Lawrence Bencroft. I’m certainly not qualified to judge his guilt or his innocence. But I do trust Slayde’s opinion, which is obviously based on years of firsthand experience. So given what he’s told me, yes, I believe it’s possible that the duke is involved.” Courtney drew a slow, inward breath. “To be frank, I’m clinging to the hope that he is—for Slayde’s sake and for mine. I intend to unearth the filthy pirate who captured the Isobel. And if Lawrence Bencroft isn’t the man to lead me to him, I’ll find the one who is.”
The bedchamber door opened, admitting Matilda and an aromatic tray of food. “Lady Aurora—I didn’t know you were here.” A twinkle. “Although I should have guessed.”
“You know me well.” Aurora smiled. “Matilda, would it be too much trouble for you if I breakfasted here with Courtney?”
An approving glint lit Matilda’s eye. “Not at all. I’ll just have a quick look at those bandages. Then I’ll leave this tray and arrange for another to be brought up.” She bent over Courtney, lips pursed as she scrutinized the young woman’s forehead. “How are you feeling this morning, Miss Courtney?”
“Much better” was the grateful reply. “Thanks to your ministrations, the pain is nearly gone. Now, if only I could overcome this weakness.”
Matilda straightened. “Eat every morsel on this plate and you will.” With that sage advice, she hurried off to order Aurora’s breakfast.
“Well?” Aurora teased. “What are you waiting for? You’d best have eaten at least half your food by the time Matilda returns, else you’ll get quite a scolding.” Sobering, she glanced at the timepiece still clutched in Courtney’s hand. “That’s lovely. Would you like me to hold it so you can eat?”
Courtney blinked, having momentarily forgotten her beloved treasure. “ ’Twas Papa’s,” she murmured, turning the watch over in her palm. “My mother gifted him with it on their wedding day. He gave it to me—rather like a legacy—right before he…” She swallowed. “It hasn’t moved since then. But I’m sure you’d enjoy looking at it. There’s an image of a lighthouse that probably resembles your Windmouth Lighthouse.” She snapped it open. “You’re welcome to—” Abruptly, she sat up, staring at the watch’s face.
“Courtney? What is it?”
“The timepiece. It jumped ahead.”
“I thought you said it had stopped.”
“It had. At half after six, the precise time Papa went overboard. But just now, as I was looking at it, the
“Nor can I.” Courtney sighed in exasperation. “I feel so miserably helpless—for many reasons. I need to be up and about.”
“And you will be. By week’s end, you’ll be strolling with me to the lighthouse, you’ll see.” Aurora glanced up, the sound of clinking china announcing Matilda’s imminent arrival with Courtney’s breakfast. “What if I asked Matilda to serve my breakfast up here as well? That way we’d be able to continue our chat. Or did you wish to be alone?”
“That’s the last thing I wish. But what about your excursion?”
“It can wait until later. The only reason I was hurrying off so early is that I hoped to leave Pembourne before…” Her voice drifted off.
“Before your brother spied you,” Courtney finished for her. “Well, fear not. Slayde left Pembourne a few minutes ago. He’ll be gone all day—maybe longer.”
“Where did he go?”
Courtney chewed her lip, wondering how much Aurora knew, then deciding that dishonesty was no way to begin a friendship. “To Morland.”
“Morland?” Aurora nearly toppled off her chair. “The Huntleys haven’t been welcome there for six decades.”
“Nor are they now. But Slayde intends to meet with Lawrence Bencroft.”
Aurora frowned. “He thinks the duke is involved with my feigned kidnapping.”
“Yes, he does.”
“Do you?”
“Aurora, I’ve never even met Lawrence Bencroft. I’m certainly not qualified to judge his guilt or his innocence. But I do trust Slayde’s opinion, which is obviously based on years of firsthand experience. So given what he’s told me, yes, I believe it’s possible that the duke is involved.” Courtney drew a slow, inward breath. “To be frank, I’m clinging to the hope that he is—for Slayde’s sake and for mine. I intend to unearth the filthy pirate who captured the Isobel. And if Lawrence Bencroft isn’t the man to lead me to him, I’ll find the one who is.”
The bedchamber door opened, admitting Matilda and an aromatic tray of food. “Lady Aurora—I didn’t know you were here.” A twinkle. “Although I should have guessed.”
“You know me well.” Aurora smiled. “Matilda, would it be too much trouble for you if I breakfasted here with Courtney?”
An approving glint lit Matilda’s eye. “Not at all. I’ll just have a quick look at those bandages. Then I’ll leave this tray and arrange for another to be brought up.” She bent over Courtney, lips pursed as she scrutinized the young woman’s forehead. “How are you feeling this morning, Miss Courtney?”
“Much better” was the grateful reply. “Thanks to your ministrations, the pain is nearly gone. Now, if only I could overcome this weakness.”
Matilda straightened. “Eat every morsel on this plate and you will.” With that sage advice, she hurried off to order Aurora’s breakfast.
“Well?” Aurora teased. “What are you waiting for? You’d best have eaten at least half your food by the time Matilda returns, else you’ll get quite a scolding.” Sobering, she glanced at the timepiece still clutched in Courtney’s hand. “That’s lovely. Would you like me to hold it so you can eat?”
Courtney blinked, having momentarily forgotten her beloved treasure. “ ’Twas Papa’s,” she murmured, turning the watch over in her palm. “My mother gifted him with it on their wedding day. He gave it to me—rather like a legacy—right before he…” She swallowed. “It hasn’t moved since then. But I’m sure you’d enjoy looking at it. There’s an image of a lighthouse that probably resembles your Windmouth Lighthouse.” She snapped it open. “You’re welcome to—” Abruptly, she sat up, staring at the watch’s face.
“Courtney? What is it?”
“The timepiece. It jumped ahead.”
“I thought you said it had stopped.”
“It had. At half after six, the precise time Papa went overboard. But just now, as I was looking at it, the
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