would have never relinquished the ring. It bonded them together. All those nights he clung to her love. Lived for the moment he would return. He read and reread her letters even after they stopped. Now he understood the reason.
“It has been two months since your ship docked.” Carlisle stated the fact, reinforcing his conjecture that it was time to move forward. He walked forward and began picking up strewn clothes cluttered over the room. “Where is your man?”
“I believe I locked him out .” Arthur rubbed the side of his pounding head. “He refused to bring another decanter of brandy. If I’m not mistaken, Grandfather instructed the staff not to supply me anymore, either. ”
“Then you have no other option than to return to the real world, my friend. First, though, you will need a bath. I will call for your man…”
“I may be hung-over, Carlisle,” Arthur growled. “But I can take care of myself.”
“I do not question your ability,” Carlisle said. He threw the clothes he held over a chair. “You seemed to have no desire to do so. If you did, your grandfather would not have asked me to visit.”
Arthur wheeled around and faced his friend. “Ah, yes. I’ve heard how close you have become with my grandfather. If my memory serves me, I did not ask you to watch over my grandfather. I asked you to watch over Harriet!”
Without warning, he gripped Carlisle up by his shirt. “Harriet! It was Harriet! Why? Why did you leave her alone? You gave me your word!”
Carlisle grasped hold of Arthur’s arms and pushed Arthur off him. “I tried. Arthur, I did. I did not know her as you did… but I did what you asked of me. I saw to her welfare, but the woman I knew was different than the woman you described. Beautiful… I well understood your attraction… but Arthur… she was strange.”
A snort escaped Arthur. “Strange! How dare you imply…!”
“Surely, Arthur, you must have noticed!” Carlisle shook his head sadly. “The dazed looks she would give. Suddenly becoming quiet mid-sentence. Then, the last day I saw her—she had what one could only call an episode.”
“You make no sense.”
“One moment she was sitting, holding a conversation with me. The next, she lay on the floor, calling for her mother.” Carlisle stepped back. The intensity of the moment eased. “How else could you explain her actions? Why all the staff whispers about her? They say she has visions of sorts. They all believe she is possessed in some manner. Says that’s how she trapped you.”
“Damn nonsense!”
“Perhaps. Or do you want me to say that she was a gold-digger out for your title? When she thought it was gone, she accepted the next best thing. From the word we received, it was a wealthy landowner from America—Charleston, if I’m not mistaken.”
“Don’t,” Arthur demanded. “Don’t. There has to be an explanation. Harriet wouldn’t have left me! I know her better than I know myself. I need to find her.”
Carlisle reached over and grasped Arthur’s arm. “It hurts, but you have to compose yourself. Your grandfather didn’t want you to know. He’s sick. Arthur, he’s dying.”
* * * *
Arthur poured himself a glass of brandy. He had just finished his morning ride in Rotten Row. It was the only pleasure he had taken while in London and it was only with the greatest reluctance he had returned to his townhouse on Grosvenor Square.
He wanted nothing more than to be left alone. It wouldn’t happen. The whole of the last few months seemed a blur. The death of his grandfather last summer had placed the responsibility of his family squarely on his shoulders.
With his glass in hand, he walked over to the window. The whole of the garden was in bloom, but he saw nothing of its beauty. He was lost in his thoughts.
“My lord.”
Glancing over his shoulder, Arthur frowned at the sight of his butler. “Jenkins, I thought I made it clear I didn’t want to be disturbed.”
“I apologize,
“It has been two months since your ship docked.” Carlisle stated the fact, reinforcing his conjecture that it was time to move forward. He walked forward and began picking up strewn clothes cluttered over the room. “Where is your man?”
“I believe I locked him out .” Arthur rubbed the side of his pounding head. “He refused to bring another decanter of brandy. If I’m not mistaken, Grandfather instructed the staff not to supply me anymore, either. ”
“Then you have no other option than to return to the real world, my friend. First, though, you will need a bath. I will call for your man…”
“I may be hung-over, Carlisle,” Arthur growled. “But I can take care of myself.”
“I do not question your ability,” Carlisle said. He threw the clothes he held over a chair. “You seemed to have no desire to do so. If you did, your grandfather would not have asked me to visit.”
Arthur wheeled around and faced his friend. “Ah, yes. I’ve heard how close you have become with my grandfather. If my memory serves me, I did not ask you to watch over my grandfather. I asked you to watch over Harriet!”
Without warning, he gripped Carlisle up by his shirt. “Harriet! It was Harriet! Why? Why did you leave her alone? You gave me your word!”
Carlisle grasped hold of Arthur’s arms and pushed Arthur off him. “I tried. Arthur, I did. I did not know her as you did… but I did what you asked of me. I saw to her welfare, but the woman I knew was different than the woman you described. Beautiful… I well understood your attraction… but Arthur… she was strange.”
A snort escaped Arthur. “Strange! How dare you imply…!”
“Surely, Arthur, you must have noticed!” Carlisle shook his head sadly. “The dazed looks she would give. Suddenly becoming quiet mid-sentence. Then, the last day I saw her—she had what one could only call an episode.”
“You make no sense.”
“One moment she was sitting, holding a conversation with me. The next, she lay on the floor, calling for her mother.” Carlisle stepped back. The intensity of the moment eased. “How else could you explain her actions? Why all the staff whispers about her? They say she has visions of sorts. They all believe she is possessed in some manner. Says that’s how she trapped you.”
“Damn nonsense!”
“Perhaps. Or do you want me to say that she was a gold-digger out for your title? When she thought it was gone, she accepted the next best thing. From the word we received, it was a wealthy landowner from America—Charleston, if I’m not mistaken.”
“Don’t,” Arthur demanded. “Don’t. There has to be an explanation. Harriet wouldn’t have left me! I know her better than I know myself. I need to find her.”
Carlisle reached over and grasped Arthur’s arm. “It hurts, but you have to compose yourself. Your grandfather didn’t want you to know. He’s sick. Arthur, he’s dying.”
* * * *
Arthur poured himself a glass of brandy. He had just finished his morning ride in Rotten Row. It was the only pleasure he had taken while in London and it was only with the greatest reluctance he had returned to his townhouse on Grosvenor Square.
He wanted nothing more than to be left alone. It wouldn’t happen. The whole of the last few months seemed a blur. The death of his grandfather last summer had placed the responsibility of his family squarely on his shoulders.
With his glass in hand, he walked over to the window. The whole of the garden was in bloom, but he saw nothing of its beauty. He was lost in his thoughts.
“My lord.”
Glancing over his shoulder, Arthur frowned at the sight of his butler. “Jenkins, I thought I made it clear I didn’t want to be disturbed.”
“I apologize,
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