Page 95 of Courting Claudia

Claudia sat back against the seat cushion and watched Poppy through the tiny window. They’d never before fought, and she wanted to be angry about Poppy’s harsh treatment, but found she couldn’t. The truth was, she was only hurt. Hurt by her father’s betrayal. Hurt by Poppy’s anger. And hurt by her husband’s flagrant lack of trust in her, when he demanded time and again that she trust him.

There were things to be said. She needed to hear some things herself. She gave the driver the address. But first it was time for her father to be honest with her.

Chapter 22

“Do I have any messages?” Derrick asked Mason as he stepped into his office.

Mason looked blithely up from his paperwork and shook his head. “No. Everything seems to be running smoothly today.”

Derrick nodded, then entered his office. His meeting had lasted longer than he’d anticipated, and he was ready for the day to end. Ready to go home. To Claudia.

He sat at his desk to make a few notes for the following day, and that’s when he saw it. Her illustration, an illustration of them from their wedding ball. He picked it up and admired her skill, and then his heart nearly stopped beating. Claudia had been in his office. He rummaged through the papers littering his desktop. Where was the article? He knew he’d left it right here on his desk; he’d planned to take it to Kennington tomorrow as a final threat. Derrick picked up her illustration and walked into the hall.

“How did this get here?” He held the illustration up for Mason.

Mason looked at him blankly. “I’m not certain.”

“Did you see my wife?”

“No, but I was gone for a while.”

“Bloody hell.” She’d been here, and she had taken the article. He tossed the illustration on Mason’s desk and tore down the stairs. He had to find her, needed to explain before she came to the wrong conclusion, which inevitably she would.

He ran into their house yelling her name, checked the parlor and the library with no luck. He was headed up the stairs when the housekeeper came in view, but she assured him that she hadn’t seen Claudia all afternoon. That Claudia had left earlier to go see her friend.

It didn’t take him long to get to Poppy’s house, and he knocked none too gently on her front door. He was shown in and sent the servant to find her.

Poppy rounded the corner and spotted him. “She’s not here, if you’re looking for her.”

“Have you seen her?”

“Yes, I was with her earlier. At your office.”

“She has the article then?”

“Yes.”

“Damnation.” He rolled his neck in a vain attempt to relieve the stress.

“Exactly. I tried to make her see reason, but she wasn’t interested in listening. Don’t lose her, Derrick, she loves you.”

He didn’t respond, merely nodded and turned on his heel and left. There was only one other place she could have gone.

Kennington.

Derrick’s blood ran cold. The bastard would likely kill her, if she accused him of such crimes. Derrick’s heart slammed back and forth in his chest. He had to get to her. Now.

He had been drinking again. He stood at the window, and she could see it in his agitated manner and smell it in the room. His hands shook at his sides.

“Father, I’ve come to discuss something with you.”

He turned as if she’d startled him. Red lines, like cobwebs, clouded the whites of his eyes. “We have nothing to discuss. Unless you’ve left that worthless husband of yours.” He raised his eyebrows in question.

“I need to know what happened to Richard.”

He shrugged and gave a little laugh. “How the hell should I know?”

“Well, if you won’t tell me about him, then tell me about Chester Edwards.”