Lillian's Deceit

25. Melodrama.

chapter 25.

Lillian knocked on the connecting door to Evan's bedchamber. When she heard no reply, she turned the knob and went inside. The room stood empty, bathed in a mellow wash of firelight. A small branch of candles set on a side table earlier in the evening had long since sputtered out.

She added another log to the fire, watched the flames give a greedy, orange- red lick before she took a seat in a nearby armchair. On her knees she balanced the black velvet jeweler's box she'd been stunned to discover on her dressing table. Her breath had literally left her lungs the instant she'd glimpsed the extravagant necklace.

Opening the lid, she traced reverent fingertips over the pretty stones that sparkled even in the low light. No one had ever given her such an exquisite present. And for no particular reason either. It wasn't her birthday and christmas was still more than a full month way.

She desperately wanted to thank him. She'd never seen something so extraordinarily beautiful in her life.

She got told Evan was back in town, in addition to the jewelry, one of the footman had confirmed his arrival when she returned home tonight. She couldn't contain her joy when she heard that, ever since he was gone she had been dying with worry, he had left with haste.

While he was gone she had John to accompany her and while John was very good at drawing her mind away sometimes.

She couldn't help but miss Evan.

And now her worry only increased seeing him not here. She told herself, Perhaps he had an urgent meeting at town since it was odd that he would return from London only to immediately absent himself again.

The mantel clock chimed half- past three in the morning. Where could he be?. She hoped nothing terrible had occured, convincing herself that Evan would come any moment her eye lids felt heavy and sleep welcomed her.

**

She startled awake, a soft gray predawn light scratching at the windows, the hushed murmuring of housemaids as they passed in the hallway to begin their day's work. She sat up, stretched, stiff from having fallen asleep in the chair.

Nearly seven o'clock. Her eyes flew to the bed, its coverlet undisturbed, as precisely made as it had been for all the days he'd been gone.

Evan hadn't come home last night.

Alarmed, she hurried out into the hallway without considering her attire--- robe and slippers, her long, sleep-mussed hair streaming down her back.

He should be home by now, she fretted. Something terrible must have happened. An accident, an illness. Even now, he might be lying in pain or worse.

She raced along the corridor. Cynthia was the first servant she found, the girl down on her hands and knees scrubbing the floor.

The maid looked up, clearly startled. "My lady, whatever's amiss?"

"Cynthia, thank heavens. Have you seen the earl this morning?"

"No, ma'm, I haven't but---"

She didn't listen any further, just hurried on.

She dashed down the main staircase, obvious to the stares of the servants she passed. Entering the main hall, she rushed toward Bertram the butler who accompinied her today.

The Butler, turned, his grey eyes widening, "Your grace, are you all right?"

"Yes, yes, I'm fine" she panted, pausing a moment to catch her breath. "The earl. He didn't come home last night and I'm dreadfully worried that something might have happened to him. Have you heard from him? Perhaps we should contact authorities, his friends, anyone who might have seen him last"