Tempted by a Scoundrel

Chapter 14

"Padma, pack our bags. We're leaving," Julia muttered, storming into her bedchamber, a crumpled piece of paper clutched in her fist.

"Julia didi! What's wrong?" Padma asked, obviously confused by her mistress's sudden demand.

"We are going home. To Bombay," Julia repeated, sitting on the foot of her bed, her face strained.

"So has the Earl—"

"No, he doesn't know. We need to leave before my grandfather finds out," Julia stared at her maid, silently pleading for her to understand.

"What is in that paper?" Padma whispered, eyeing the paper in Julia's hands.

"They lit our house on fire," Julia said, trying very hard to suppress the rising tide of emotion.

"Are—"

"They are all alive and unharmed, thank god," Julia assured Padma just as she'd assured herself. "But I need to go there. I need to be there for them—"

"I understand, you don't have to explain anything to me," Padma smiled tenderly, placing her hands upon Julia's. "Who wrote to you about this?"

"Nobody. I saw Fred pacing his study last night. He'd been rereading this very letter. When I'd asked him if something was amiss, he'd made up some nonsense about one of his tenants. But I wasn't convinced. After he left to the Duke's place for this morning's entertainment, I snuck inside his study and found this. Mother wrote it to him. And she'd specifically told him that I wasn't to hear a word about this. And that I couldn't go to India right now. But I have to go—" Julia broke off on a sob. Padma rubbed her back soothingly. Her eyes were too understanding and mature for a girl of seventeen.

"I will do whatever you want of me Julia didi. But how are we to leave?"

"We must get to London first. And then we'll buy a passage for whichever ship is heading to India," Julia said, knowing how idiotic her plan was. But she didn't want to think. She just wanted to be with her family. See them for herself and make sure that they were well.

"We will need somebody's help," Padma said, her horrified expression almost comical as she thought about Julia's plan.

"I'm not telling Poppy," Julia shook her head.

"But why not? She is your best friend."

"Which is exactly why I can't tell her. She would be more concerned about my well being and tell the Duke, thinking he would help me," Julia grumbled.

"Wouldn't he?"

"Not the way I want him to. The first person he'd go to would be my grandfather."

Padma bit her lip.

"We are on our own," Julia shrugged regretfully.

And then Padma's eyes lit up. "Lord Langdon," she squealed.

Julia began to shake her head but then stopped. Lord Langdon was the perfect solution. He had no scruples and she trusted him.

"Oh Padma, I could just kiss you right now," Julia hollered, already running out of her chambers. She asked a footman to ready a carriage and left for the Adlington estate immediately.

The first person she ran into was Lord Adlington himself.

"Good afternoon, your grace," she curtseyed before him, her cheeks warming under the force of his regard.

"Good afternoon. Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

"I need to find Poppy," she lied.

"Is everything alright?" he murmured, his handsome face sharp with worry.