“I suppose so. Now that the wedding is over I don’t expect they’ll want us to stay on indefinitely at the apartment in Kensington Palace, and Binky did say I was welcome to stay with them, whatever dear Fig thinks.”

He took my hands in his, looking at me with concern and longing in his eyes. “Drive carefully.”

“Of course I will.” I gave him a smile, hoping to look more confident than I felt.

“And take care of yourself.”

“You too.”

We stood there looking at each other, with so many things hanging unsaid.

Then he managed a smile. “I love you, Mrs. Chomondley-Fanshaw, spelled Featherstonehaugh.”

“I love you too.”

He gave me a chaste little kiss, then he turned and walked away, swallowed up into the noise and bustle of York Station.

Chapter 4

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30

Driving back to London alone. My poor Darcy on his way to Ireland. I just pray things turn out all right for all our sakes!

My drive south went quite smoothly. The snow had vanished by the time I drove out of Yorkshire and a wintery sun shone, drying up wet roadway. The motorcar handled easily enough, but I found myself gripping the steering wheel tightly, all the tension in my body transferring itself into my fingers. There had been a horrible mistake, I told myself. Darcy would find out the truth quickly and his father would be released and thank Darcy for coming to his aid and all would be well. I said this out loud to myself over and over as if speaking the words would make them come true. I did not allow my thoughts to move into the realm of what if?

Twilight was settling over the city by the time I drove into London. I don’t think I had ever had to drive through city traffic before. Maybe once into a town near Castle Rannoch but not even into Edinburgh, which was a good deal more staid than London. Lights flashed in my face, horns honked, double-decker buses pulled out in front of me. And I had little knowledge of the roads in this northern part of the city. So I followed the main stream of traffic and prayed. More by luck than anything else I found myself at Baker Street Station. This was now more familiar territory. It was quite dark by the time I reached Oxford Street, then down Park Lane to Knightsbridge. I finally turned into Kensington Gardens with the solid brick shape of the palace ahead of me.