The drudgery of the task before him was not lost on Richard as it had now begun to rain and he was soaked through. He would be forced once again to make another stop before reaching Bath. He half wondered if his stepmother was worth all this trouble and found the answer springing to his mind without hesitation.

"No, she is not," Richard grumbled to no one as he was alone in his room. He took out the lock of Juliana's hair he always carried in the inside breast pocket of his waist coast. He really believed life to be unfair to keep them apart and wondered what she may be doing at this very moment.

He has made arrangements for the various gifts he had purchased to be delivered to her, one every day, so she would not miss him too badly. Impossible really, if she cares for him half of what he cares for her she was suffering still. He pulled out his quill and began another letter.

To the Love of my Life,

I can not begin to convey the depth of my despair at having to be away from you. The blasted weather has even decided to conspire against us. Oh, Juliana how I wish I could hold you in my arm at this moment. Every moment spent away from you is torture. I can not wait to find that miserable wretch I call Mother so I may put an end to my torment.

Richard rubbed his palm over his face he was so tired. The last week has brought such an emotional upheaval he did not know how to begin to process all that has taken place. He shook it off as he made Juliana a promise he would write her and although he had already written today he did not know when the opportunity would present itself again. So, preferred to be ahead of the game.

He picked up his quill again when he heard a noise just outside his door. His hand stilled. He could not shake the feeling he was being followed all day and if he were God help that poor soul. Richard slowly rose and crept to his door. He pulled the gun from his saddlebag that lay by the door, removing the safety and cocking it.

There it was again the same said noise, just outside his door. Richard grasped the handle and pulled the door open wide only to have a figure fall forward into his room face down.

"Give me one good reason why you are snooping outside my door before I kill you?" Richard said his mood foul.

The figure rolled over, hands held up in surrender. "If you shoot me, your sister will be very put out."

"Cyril! What in tarnation are you doing here!" Richard said, putting his gun away and offering his brother-in-law a hand up off the floor.

"Your lady love has decided to follow you. I was making sure she stayed out of trouble until she reached you. She is currently asleep in the room across the hall and I figured this may be my last chance to talk to you before she realizes I am gone."

"Juliana is here? Now?" Richard said hardly daring to believe it and mad as hell at the idea of it.

"Have you no control over the women in your household, Cyril?" Richard admonished.

"None what-so-ever," Cyril said grimacing while rubbing his elbow that was still radiating pain through his arm from his fall into the room.

"She left without consent or permission as I knew she would. Honestly, Richard, you should have known better. That woman cannot be contained. She has lost too much and I have no doubt she would wrestle Hades for your very soul if it came down to it. That is why I snuck out of the room to talk to you. She needs to be with you Richard and I need to be with my family."

Richard knew he was right but at the same time, he so wished to keep her from harm's way. Perhaps he should forget all this nonsense and return home. Surely he could hire someone to scout the area for his stepmother. He should not have to do everything himself, risking his life was bad enough but to put Juliana in danger also was the breaking point. At the same time, he was so close to getting answers.

"I wanted her safe," Richard said impotently.

"I know," Cyril said but added, "Richard, if I take her home with me there is no guarantee I will not wake to find her gone in the morning."

Richard groaned in frustration. "I know I have no right to ask this of you, Cyril. You have done more than enough already, but can you hold out one more day?"

"What did you have in mind?" Cyril asked.

"Just keep following me as you intended. I will get to Bath and I will find out if my mother is at the Pump Room or at the last address she had given Dooley in case funds needed to be sent. If she is not there I will leave it to the authorities to handle her missing person and return home with you both. If my Stepmother is there then, under threat of bodily harm we will all be returning home together. I would just like to keep Juliana safe from whatever the result might be."

"I can do that," Cyril agreed.

"Are you certain? As I truly hate to be of a further imposition to you, Cyril."

"One more day, and we will stay close but not so close as to put her in harm's way. I can certainly handle that," Cyril said happily thinking of returning home to his Annabelle. He did not like being away from her and the boys. Alex did seem more reserved and he just wanted to be surrounded by his family.

"Thank you, brother," Richard said.

"Good night, Richard. See you in the morning."

Richard closed the door behind him. He seriously did not know what was worse. Missing Juliana so much that his body literally ached with the need to hold her or knowing she was lying in the room right across the hall and he could not reveal himself to her. He knew it would be a very restless night's sleep.

Juliana slept soundly, perhaps the first time in a long time as she has been sick with worry since the days that Richard left to go to Bentley Manor. Although it was so tempting to reveal herself to him just knowing he was in the room across the hall gave her a peace she had not felt in a long time.

The next morning she rose early not wanting to accidentally miss Richard. Cyril was still sleeping. She left the room to see if he had left. When she got to the dining area she found him sitting at a table, he looked horrible, as if he had not slept a wink. She so wished she could go to him, comfort him in some way, but stayed the course and took a seat on the other side of the room.

Richard had seen her enter. At first, he was shocked as she was dressed as a man, and then he had realized he had seen her before. Walked right past her twice at the other inn. Some detective you make Richard? Here you are trying to find your stepmother that has mysteriously disappeared and you do not even recognize your own betrothed standing within an arms reach of you.

He did not know whether or not to feel proud or exasperated by her actions. One thing for certain she truly loved him to go through so much trouble. He took out his letter. He had completed it last night but wanted her to see him keeping his promise. He took it up to the innkeeper to post it and went back to his breakfast.

Today would be the last day he would be without her. Knowing she would be so close breathed life into his tired form. God, please let this be over today.

He had watched and as soon as Cyril had joined her he stood to retrieve his horse. They were all soon on the road again. Now on to Bath. Richard had walked into the Pump Room. It really was a beautiful building, reminding him of a Greek Temple with its iconic colonnades.

A meeting house for the upper class, Richard fit right in. He scanned the room for a familiar face but saw none or at least not the one he had hoped to have seen. So many stood around enjoying the opulence of the interior and general splendor to be had. All of this lost on Richard as with a quick walk through the premises it was obvious his stepmother was not among the occupants.

One last stop. Lady Catherine had rented a small flat nearby and Richard was now standing on the doorstep. He knocked and a servant, a mousy looking girl answered the door. "I am here to see Lady Bentley," Richard announced. The servant looked nervous, her head swiveled and her eyes darted behind her. "I uh...."

"Confounded, girl. Is she in or not?"

"She is indisposed at the moment, sir. May I ask who is calling and then perhaps you can stop by tomorrow..."

Richard decided then and there to take matters into his own hands. His temper roiling to a boil. "Enough!" he barked, and he picked up the small woman and physically set her aside to enter the doorway.

"Sir, you can not just barge in, like this, who are you?" the servant asked clearly shaken.

"Lord Richard Bentley," Richard said whipping off his cape and handing it to her.

This stopped the woman in her tracks. "Lord Bentley," she curtsied deeply in front of him.

Richard shook his head. "Where is she?"

Again the woman seemed, nervous about giving away Lady Catherine's whereabouts.

"Out with it, girl!"

"She is not well, my Lord. She is in her bedroom and has asked not to be disturbed."

Richard nodded and head up the stairs. The servant girl close on his heel.

"My Lord, please," she said scampering close behind him.

"Which room?" Richard asked as he reached the top of the stairs.

"My Lord you do not understand," she pleaded.

"Which ROOM?!" he growled.

The servant girl pointed to the room on the left.

Richard swung the door open with such force it was lucky to still be on its hinges. The site he had seen stopped his rage in its tracks. Lady Catherine sat in the corner of the room, dressed only in a chemise, her hair left long and disheveled rocking back and forth mumbling to herself.

"Mother?" Richard asked slowly approaching her. She did not respond to his presence.

"Mother?" Richard repeated more softly and now knelt before her. She looked at him, but it was as if she was looking right through him.

When he touched her arm she flinched and pulled away. "Catherine?"

Tear filled eyes met his. "Charles? I am so sorry, Charles...you must be so disappointed in me?"

Richard was taken back by the use of his father's name. "Why, Catherine?"

Lady Catherine began rocking back and forth again. "I did not know. I swear I did not."

"Please stop," Richard said and she responded, looking at him again.

"I never deserved you. I know that. I have always known that but you loved me despite all my faults. I did not mean to hurt him, Charles. I would never hurt Richard intentionally. I was scared is all, scared of what was to become of me should he marry, scared of what would happen if he did not marry. I thought perhaps knowing Cecelia's secret she would be indebted to me, and I would still have a home. Oh, Charles what have I done?"

Richard's blood ran cold, hearing these words seeing how broken she had become due to her actions. "What have you done, Catherine?"

"She is dead, dead because of me? Her and her child. If I had only known what I know now..." and she began to cry.

Richard gathered her in his arms and let her weep.

"I am so sorry, Charles, but at least now I get to be with you," and with those words she was gone.