“Have you ever been there?”

“To see the nurse?” Bile rose to his throat as he thought of it. “To see the wretched cottage where she spent her final days? No, I have not been there.”

“Perhaps you should go. Let me deal with Lady Emily while you go talk to your wife’s nurse.”

“She lives in Alfriston.”

“Alfriston? Isn’t that near Brighton? You could take the train. If you catch it this evening, you could even be back tomorrow. Perhaps by then I will have more news for you about Lady Emily.”

Visit Rachel’s nurse? He closed his eyes. Mrs. Nora Henderson. Each letter of her signed name came back to him as if he had received the letter yesterday. He had thought about going to Alfriston many times, but what would he find there? More than anything, it seemed like an invasion of Rachel’s private realm.

“I don’t want to disturb her.”

Mrs. Cuthbert furrowed her brow. “The nurse?”

“Rachel.”

“Rachel is dead. You are still here. I’ve loved helping you create scandals. Society is ridiculous, and I have loved the games we have played. Together, we have made fools of so many. But more importantly, we have helped some young couples escape the burden Society has placed on them. I want you to let go of your burden as well, Lord Bryant. It is time to help yourself heal.”

There was truth in what Mrs. Cuthbert said. He couldn’t keep going as he was. His visit to the Duchess of Harrington hadn’t helped, most likely because he hadn’t listened to her advice. Perhaps he should listen to Mrs. Cuthbert. Maybe seeing where Rachel had spent her final days would be the key to finally letting them both rest.

Chapter 21

Diana paced back and forth in her office. She hadn’t seen Lord Bryant for two days. With the way he had stormed away, she wasn’t certain he would ever come again. The parliamentary vote was the next day, and once it was over, they would no longer have an agreement. Two months, that was as long as he had ever promised, and that time was speedily coming to an end.

She had managed to discover the names of several of the women he had scandalized. Charlotte had only known one of the women personally and not very well. But Charlotte described her as very happily married, even though her husband was a merchant who came from a station well below hers.

Of the other women Charlotte mentioned—and there were many—one had married a man whose name she recognized—Lord Yolten. Lord Yolten was one of her investors. She had sent a message via Mrs. Oliver stating that she would like to meet with him. Luckily, the last two days had been uneventful enough that Nate had trusted her to Mrs. Oliver’s care for a few hours while he ran errands. Any minute now, she would hear the door chime, and Lord Yolten would walk in.

She dredged up, from memory, what she knew about his marriage: his wife, Lady Yolten, came from money but didn’t have the advantage of a good birth. That was it. That was all she knew.