It was a thought he could not banish from his mind. It tormented him, and he found himself rising to his feet again and again, pacing the length of the room, his thoughts helplessly entangled.
And then the door burst open, and despite his disbelief, it was Leonora who suddenly stood there.
Only now, naked fear stood in her eyes in a way Drake had never seen it. She was all but panting for breath, and although her cheeks were flushed, her skin seemed pale.
Shooting to his feet, Drake rounded his desk and in a few large strides, he was by her side. Forgotten was every thought of not frightening her by a sudden approach. “Are you all right? What happened?” he demanded, his hands reaching for hers, finding her skin ice-cold and her fingers trembling even wrapped within his own.
Her chest continued to rise and fall with each rapid breath as she stared up at him. It seemed all thoughts had fled her mind, and for a moment, Drake worried that she had gone into shock. What could have happened to her between the time she had left his house and now? She had gone home after all, had she not?
“Leo!” Drake called, his hands gripping her shoulders and giving her a slight shake.
Although her gaze cleared, tears came to her eyes, and she suddenly looked utterly vulnerable.
Breakable.
And then she closed her eyes and sank into his arms, sobbing helplessly. Her knees buckled, and Drake barely managed to catch her before she could slump to the floor.
Gently, he picked her up, looking around, his eyes sweeping over the study. He wished he had a settee here and briefly considered taking her into the drawing room. Still, she had never been anywhere else in his house. This was their room, and for a reason he could not name, Drake did not dare force her out of this familiarity.
Ultimately, he had no choice and decided to set her down in one of the armchairs. Yet, when he tried, her arms around his shoulders tightened and she clung to him like a magnet, unwilling to let go. And so, Drake took the seat himself, holding her on his lap as she continued to cry.
Overwhelmed, he held her close, not knowing what else to do. His heart broke at the sight of her misery, and he felt a familiar outrage slowly building in his chest. His muscles tensed, demanding a release, something to do. Yet, all he could do was hold her. His hands brushed over her arms and shoulders. He gently touched her face and tugged a curl behind her ear. He touched her in a way he had never dared before and was genuinely surprised to feel her snuggling closer.
Long moments passed before her sobs finally began to calm. Her breathing slowly evened, and he could feel in the way her body grew rigid that she was slowly becoming aware of how she lay nestled in his arms. “Do you want me to release you?” he whispered in her ear, her head still resting upon his shoulder.
At first, Drake thought she might not have heard because she remained quiet. Then, however, her fingers curled more tightly into his jacket. “No,” Leonora finally replied, her voice still weak, but slowly gathering strength. “If you don’t mind.”
Drake almost chuckled. Of course, he did not mind. In fact, if it were not for her tears, he could not imagine a more perfect moment. “Will you tell me what happened?”
Leonora remained quiet for a few more breaths, and he could sense reluctance in her. “I will,” she said then, “but only under one condition.”
Drake frowned. “What condition?”
Inhaling a deep breath, Leonora lifted her head off his shoulder. Her hands released her tight grip upon him, and she pushed herself up until she sat upright. Then she slipped from his lap, her hands working to smooth the wrinkles in her gown. She walked a few paces away, then turned and looked at him, a contemplative gaze in her eyes. “You need to promise me that you will not do anything foolish, that you will not act without my permission.”
Rising, Drake stepped toward her. “Without your permission?” he echoed, wondering what she meant. Despite his expectations, she did not look frightened. And only moments ago, she had been in his arms. “What do you mean?”
Slowly, Leonora shook her head from side to side. “You need to promise first.”
Drake felt his teeth grind together. He knew that whatever she had to say, it had deeply unsettled her, frightened her. He did not like the thought of agreeing to something he knew nothing about. Only he could not leave her alone in this misery. “Very well. I give you my word.”
For a brief moment, Leonora closed her eyes as a deep breath rushed from her lungs. Her hands clasped together, and she wrung them as she sometimes had in the beginning of their acquaintance. Indeed, acquaintance was a word that fell far short of the meaning she held for him.
“I received a package today,” she began, a tremor in her voice that made his jaw tense even more. “It was a notebook.” She licked her lips, her gaze drifting about the room as she searched for the words she needed. “I don’t know if I told you this before, but I used to carry a notebook with me wherever I went. I liked recording impressions of people, the way they spoke, the way they looked at one another.” She blinked, and a tear spilled over and slowly snaked its way down her right cheek. “I had it with me…that night.” Her eyes held his, and Drake cringed at the pain he saw there. “I lost it. I suppose I dropped it when…”
Drake could barely suppress the groan that rose in his throat as his mind connected the pieces of information she had just provided him. “It was sent to you today?” he growled, once again feeling an almost desperate need to put a fist through the wall.
With her hands still clenched about one another, Leonora nodded. “There was no name. No card. Nothing. It was dropped off by a young boy.” She shrugged, then lifted her hands and wrapped her arms about herself against the shiver that took her. “We don’t know who sent it.”
Drake paused. “We?” Had she confided in her grandmother?
“After the day Lord Sedgwick called on me, I told Christina what happened. I told her everything.” She swallowed hard. “She brought me the package and told me that it had been delivered while I had been—” Her voice broke off. Yet, her gaze remained upon his.
Drake inhaled a shuddering breath. While she had been here with him, he finished her sentence.
“She believes he sent it to me,” Leonora explained before a somewhat hysterical chuckle escaped her lips. “Of course, she’s right. It makes sense, doesn’t it?” Her hands gripped her arms tighter. “But why would he? Christina believes it to be a message of some kind. What message? What is he trying to…?” Again, she broke off. Drake doubted that it was because she did not know or could not imagine an answer, but rather because it frightened her.
Trying to swallow the lump in his throat, Drake slowly approached her. When she did not retreat or shrink back, he lifted his hands and placed them upon hers, still locked around her arms. Her skin was cold to the touch, and she drew in a shaky breath at the feel of him. “He knows who you are,” Drake said softly, wishing he did not have to, “and he wants you to know that he knows.” He gritted his teeth, but then forced himself to continue on. “He wants you to know that he’s watching you, that he’s close by.”
Leonora began to tremble, and Drake tightened his hold on her, hoping she would find it reassuring. “Christina asked if something had changed,” she told him, her wide blue eyes looking up into his. “She asked me if I knew who it could be.” She shook her head, a helpless look coming to her face. “But I don’t know. Believe me, I’ve tried to remember, to somehow…” Her voice broke.