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“You have to tell Lord Caldwell, my dear,” Mrs. Clarke said kindly, rising to take Honoria’s cold hands in her warm ones. “He will know what to do.”

Honoria nodded. Mrs. Clarke was right.

She did have to tell him the truth. But she didn’t know how. Especially after everything they had shared. How could she tell him she’d been lying about who she was since the moment they met?

Mrs. Clarke patted her hand once more before leaving her to rest. Honoria sank back onto the bed, exhaustion taking over her.

After a few minutes of rest and after she made sure that Bradshaw had left the premises, she finally emerged from her room. As she walked down the corridor, she spotted Elise carrying bundles of silk and hatboxes.

Honoria paused in her tracks. “Is that a new delivery from Madame Deville?”

She didn’t expect Elise to answer or even acknowledge her, really—she had been avoiding Honoria for almost two weeks. But Elise paused her step, shifting the packages in her arms.

“Yes,” she replied, her voice carefully neutral. Then, with what seemed like effort, she added, “Would you like to see?”

Honoria raised her brows in surprise, a smile curling her lips. “Of course.”

It didn’t sound like forgiveness. But maybe it was an olive branch.

She followed Elise down the corridor and into her room, watching as she carefully laid out the packages on her bed.

“These are beautiful,” Honoria commented as Elise unfolded a cream silk gown with lace trim on the bodice and skirt edge.

Elise ran her fingers over the fabric. “I’ll ring for Trish to help me dress.”

“Or…” Honoria stepped forward. “I can help you.”

A moment passed between them, Elise’s eyes searching Honoria’s face. Then she nodded.

Unable to conceal her smile, Honoria hurried to help Elise into her new gown. She moved behind her to fasten the millions of buttons at her back, her breath worrying the wisps of hair at the girl’s nape.

As she worked, memories flooded back—of teaching Elise how to braid and pin her hair when she was younger, when Honoria had just come into this house, when things were simpler.

“I am sorry,” she said quietly, her fingers pausing on the buttons.

Elise turned her head slightly, to glance at her over her shoulder. “For what?”

“For hurting you,” Honoria replied, resuming her work. “That was the last thing I ever wanted to do.”

Elise swallowed, the sound audible in the quiet room. “I know.”

“I never wanted to leave, I hope that you know that.”

“Then why did you attempt to?” Elise stepped away from Honoria’s ministrations and turned toward her, clutching the bodice of the half-buttoned gown to her chest.

Honoria sighed. “Because I thought that I had to. A part of me still thinks I do.” She paused, gathering her thoughts, then sat on the edge of the bed and invited Elise to sit beside her. The mattress dipped as the girl complied. “There is a reason I came to work for your uncle, Elise. I picked his household because he spent most of his days hidden away in the country. I never wanted to return to London…”

“Why not?”

Honoria shifted in her seat, choosing her words carefully, unsure how much to divulge to an impressionable young girl. “There is a man… Someone who hurt me in the past. Very badly. He is an active member of the ton. And I don’t want to come across him.”

Elise’s eyes widened. “Hurt you how?”

“Badly.” Honoria shifted in her seat, memories threatening to erupt. She pushed them back. “I will tell you the full truth someday, but I don’t want you to carry the burden of my past. All you need to know is that I am afraid of him still. And I don’t ever want to see him.”

Elise’s face darkened with confusion. “You were hiding from this man in Caldwell Manor, but when we rejoined the ton, you decided you needed to go into hiding again?”

Honoria nodded. “Yes.”