Ellie Pride (17 page)

There was a small silence before her uncle said, ‘But of course she may come. Indeed, I do not know why I did not think of inviting her myself. Now I shall have the pleasure of enjoying the company of two beautiful nieces.’

In the kitchen Lizzie waited anxiously for Ellie to ring for her.

‘What’s up with you?’ Mrs Foster, the cook, asked her irritably. ‘You’ve done nowt but pace this room for the last half an hour.’

‘It’s Miss Ellie,’ Lizzie answered her, without taking her eyes off the row of bells on the far wall, even though she knew perfectly well she could hear each individual ring from yards away. ‘
He
wanted to see her “the moment she returns”.’ She mimicked her employer’s sharp voice. Lizzie’s mouth compressed. ‘I’m worried about her. After all, it’s no secret how he treats the mistress, even if Wrotham thinks that none of us knows.’

‘That’s enough of that,’ Mrs Foster reproved her. ‘Talking about your betters like that is going to head you into trouble one day, my girl.’

Lizzie gave an impatient snort. ‘It’s not as though we don’t all know what he’s like,’ she protested. ‘I thank the Lord He made me plain every time I look at him, I swear it! And just as soon as I can afford it I’m leaving here. There’s many a time I’ve wanted to warn Miss Ellie to watch out for him.’

‘Don’t you be doing any such thing,’ the cook retorted. ‘Like as not she’d never believe you, and if she went telling him what you’d been saying…’

But Lizzie wasn’t listening. Ellie should have rung for her ages ago. It was almost time for the dinner bell.

‘I blame the mistress,’ she announced fiercely. ‘She should never have left Miss Ellie on her own with the master.’

Mrs Foster gave a small tut of disapproval. ‘The
mistress is afeared of him herself! And sickly too. Always ailing…!’

‘Aye, well, I suppose it’s one way to keep him out of her bed,’ Lizzie replied bluntly, exhaling in relief as Ellie’s bell suddenly started to ring.

‘Oh, Ellie, I do hope that everything goes well tonight. Your uncle will be so angry if it doesn’t. He’s invited everyone of consequence on the Wirral to this ball, and has clients coming from all over the area. If anything should go wrong…’

‘Nothing will go wrong,’ Ellie assured her aunt. ‘Aunt, are you all right?’ she asked in some concern as her aunt suddenly swayed slightly towards her. Ellie reached out gently to steady her. Aunt Lavinia looked pale and not a little unwell, her face slightly puffy, and Ellie stiffened as the cuff of her aunt’s sleeve fell back, revealing a livid bruise.

A feeling like icy water dripping down her spine froze Ellie’s body. Immediately in her mind’s eye she had an image of her uncle, his face puce with anger, his arm raised. A savage shudder brought her out of her trance as she fought against a knowledge she didn’t want to have.

Her aunt’s nervousness, the headaches that kept
her to her room with Wrotham beside her, the falls that left her bruised – were they because Mr Parkes…Panicking, Ellie thrust her thoughts away from her.

Apart from that one incident, her uncle had shown her nothing but kindness and generosity, Ellie reminded herself. And he had gone to a great deal of trouble on her behalf to make sure that Connie could attend the party. She was surely being over-imaginative, letting her fears take control of her.

‘I have had some of my tonic,’ her aunt was informing her, ‘and I should be feeling much better directly.’

Pulling herself together, Ellie asked, ‘Would you like to inspect everything, Aunt, just in case I have overlooked something?’ She gently took hold of Lavinia’s arm to steady her discreetly.

‘No, my dear, I have every faith in you, but I wish my sister Amelia would arrive. Mr Parkes will be so cross if they are late.’

Ellie’s heart jerked against her ribs. She looked away, not wanting to see what she feared would be in her aunt’s eyes. Besides, she was every bit as eager for her Aunt and Uncle Gibson to arrive as her aunt was, but for a very different reason. They were bringing Connie with them!

Ellie couldn’t wait to see her sister. There had initially been some doubt as to whether Connie would be permitted to attend the ball, as a punishment for some bad behaviour, but Mr Parkes had prevailed
on Uncle Simpkins, who had eventually given his permission.

A pretty evening dress had been ordered for Connie from their Aunt Lavinia’s own dressmaker, and Ellie had chosen the fabric and trimmings herself. She couldn’t wait to see her sister’s face when she saw it.

Aunt and Uncle Gibson had been invited to stay overnight and to attend the lavish dinner party that was to be held for the more favoured guests before the ball.

‘At least you will have the opportunity to meet some suitable young men this evening, Ellie,’ her aunt was saying. ‘We don’t want you to end up like that poor sister of Paul’s – almost thirty and still unmarried.’

‘I do not believe that Iris wants to find a husband,’ Ellie informed her.

‘Not want to be married? That’s impossible!’ Aunt Lavinia declared. ‘Every woman wants to be married! After all, what else is there for her to do? I feel sorry for her poor mother! How can she face her friends when her daughter cannot find a husband? And as for her not wanting to marry – a very odd creature she must be indeed if that were to be true!’

Ellie wanted to defend Iris but before she could say anything more, an excited bustle of noise informed them that the Gibsons had arrived.

‘And you have this room all to yourself?’ Connie demanded enviously when she had finished exploring Ellie’s bedroom and bathroom.

At Lizzie’s suggestion, the two sisters were to share Ellie’s room for the brief duration of Connie’s visit. ‘It will be company for you, miss, and a good chance to catch up with your sister’s news.’

Aunt and Uncle Gibson had not brought Cecily’s younger sister, Kitty, with them as she was deemed too young for such a formal affair, but Cecily and Paul were to attend the ball, and Ellie was looking forward to having her cousin’s support and company.

For all her excitement, there was a cagey, wary look in Connie’s eyes, and she had deliberately stepped back earlier when Ellie had rushed to hug her in greeting. It was plain to Ellie that Connie had still not forgiven her and, in an attempt to win her round, she cajoled, ‘Connie, come and look at the gown our aunt has got for you. I chose the colour myself, and the trimmings.’

The eager excitement on Connie’s face banished her earlier look as she rushed to the dressing room where Lizzie had already laid out their gowns.

As unmarried young women it was expected that they would wear white gowns, but Ellie had cleverly chosen the softest of topaz-gold underslips for Connie, knowing that the colour would accentuate her sister’s warm colouring and golden eyes. The gown was embellished with topaz-gold ribbons. Pretty velvet slippers had been dyed exactly the
same colour and Ellie had patiently embroidered a small velvet evening bag in the same fabric. For Connie’s blonde hair she had ordered creamy flowers with gold stamens. Indeed, Ellie had spent far more time planning her sister’s outfit than she had her own.

Her own dress was underlined with a soft, warm blue to echo the colour of her eyes, but she had had less ornamentation added to it, preferring a plainer look.

‘This is my dress?’ Eyes shining, Connie whirled round to look at Ellie. ‘It is much, much prettier than yours,’ Connie crowed unabashed, as she studied her sister’s gown. ‘I shall outshine you tonight, and our Uncle Parkes will wish that I was the one he had asked to come and live here. I shall have every dance on my card filled,’ Connie exulted, twirling round the room as though in the arms of a young man. ‘Yes, I shall definitely cast you completely into the shade, Ellie,’ she boasted.

Ellie told herself that Connie was not deliberately trying to be hurtful, and tried to smother the sharp stab of unease Connie’s high spirits were causing her.

‘I must go down and check that everything is in order,’ she told Connie. ‘The band should have arrived, and –’

‘Oh, Ellie, let me come with you,’ Connie begged.

A little reluctantly, Ellie agreed.

‘Oh, Ellie, you are so lucky to live here,’ Connie pouted enviously as she followed Ellie through the drawing room, its carpets removed for dancing and
the double doors opened between it and the smaller sitting room.

The air in the large double room was heavy with the scent of the flowers Ellie had chosen. Bearing in mind her mentor’s advice, she had opted for simple but opulent arrangements of white and green, and the effect was breathtaking. In the conservatory perfumed candles echoed the scent of the flowers, and beyond the conservatory, further illuminations winked enticingly in the garden.

To Ellie’s relief the whole week had been dry and warm, so that those who wished to take a stroll in the garden would be able to do so.

The butler was showing the band to their places, and Ellie hurried over to remind him to make sure refreshments were provided for them.

The band leader, an extremely handsome young man, smiled warmly at Ellie, but before she could say anything Connie had pushed past her and was demanding to know if the band would play her favourite tunes.

‘Connie!’ Ellie rebuked her sternly. She knew that her sister meant no harm, but she was a young woman now, and must learn to behave accordingly.

Connie tossed her head and threw Ellie a challenging look.

‘Ah, Ellie! There you are!’

Ellie tensed as she heard her uncle’s voice.

‘Oh, Uncle Parkes, I am so grateful to you.’ Rushing past Ellie, Connie ran to their uncle and almost threw herself into his arms.

‘My, my, that is indeed a warm welcome,’ Josiah Parkes smiled, and, as he looked down into Connie’s excited face, Ellie felt as though someone had dropped a stone deep down inside her, a cold, icy, hard stone that was sending out painfully sharp ripples of warning.

There was something in the way their Uncle Parkes was looking at Connie that made Ellie want to rush over and wrest her sister from him.

She could hear the panic in her own voice as she demanded, ‘Connie, we must go upstairs and get ready.’

Ellie suspected that it was only the thought of being able to parade herself in her finery that made Connie obey her.

They were halfway up the stairs when Connie tossed her head again and announced, ‘It isn’t fair that you should be able to live here, Ellie, and I should have to live with our horrid and mean Aunt and Uncle Simpkins. I don’t see why I shouldn’t live here as well. In fact –’

‘Connie, if we don’t hurry we shall be late,’ Ellie warned her. Her heart was thudding painfully. It wasn’t just herself she felt afraid for now, she recognised, but her sister as well. Connie was not like her! She had no sense of self-preservation! She was too young to be aware, as Ellie was, of the meaning of that lustful look their uncle had given her.

‘So, Jarvis, have you given further thought to the, er, business opportunity I mentioned to you?’ Affably, Josiah Parkes offered his companion a cigar from the box on his desk.

‘Well, it certainly sounds tempting,’ Jarvis Charnock acknowledged, ‘especially if its success can be guaranteed.’

There was a greedy, eager note of oily anticipation in the man’s voice that told Josiah Parkes all he needed to know. His fish had taken the bait, now he just had to reel him in and secure his catch!

‘My dear sir, there can be no doubt!’ Josiah’s expression was an artful mixture of gravity, confidence and sincerity. ‘I have previously been involved with a consortium of other gentlemen in this kind of business enterprise to our great mutual financial advantage.’

‘And there is no question of the insurers not…?’

His catch was growing fearful, wary of the bait and yet still eager to snatch at it!

‘The risk is placed only with the most reputable of insurance companies,’ Josiah reassured him. ‘That, after all, is an essential part of the arrangement. There is no way, my dear sir, that I would recommend that you risk your vessels with an inferior insurer – no way at all. After all, if the unthinkable were to happen and you were to lose one, then naturally you would want to be able to recover the cost of your loss! Not, of course, that that is likely to happen. Not with vessels of the seaworthiness and quality of yours, my dear Charnock!’

He could see the dull, unflattering purple-red surge of colour mottling the other man’s face as his gaze slid evasively from his own.

‘These insurers are going to require certification regarding my ships.’

‘A mere formality, I can assure you, and one which I will be delighted to put in hand on your behalf.’

‘Scuttling ships – it’s a very risky business, Parkes.’

His tongue wetted his thin lips, and Josiah Parkes could see beads of sweat shining on his forehead. Josiah gave the other man a reassuring smile and raised his eyebrows.

‘Risky? Not at all, I do assure you!’ Still smiling, he changed the subject.

‘I understand that you are currently looking for a suitable wife for your son. My wife’s niece is staying with us at present, Charnock,’ he commented with apparent casualness. ‘My wife and I have a fondness for her, and I should be prepared to settle a handsome dowry on her to see her married to the right young man.’

‘Are you suggesting that my son should marry your niece?’

‘What could be a happier outcome to our business relationship, my dear Charnock, than to see our young people united in marriage? And as I have already said, I am prepared to settle a handsome sum on the girl.’

It was a business arrangement that he had only just thought of, but which would suit him very
well. He congratulated himself on his astuteness. Charnock wouldn’t dare renege on their deal once his son was married to Ellie.

‘Aye, well, as to that…’ Jarvis Charnock frowned. It was true that he did want to see Henry married. He had already received a very negative response from the families of the three girls he had decided would make suitable brides for his son.

Anxiously, he returned to their earlier discussion. ‘You’re sure there won’t be any risk of anything going wrong – the insurance company refusing to pay out…enquiries being made…?’

Smiling, Josiah lifted his eyebrows in silent confidence, causing Jarvis Charnock’s voice to trail away in a fading splutter of anxiety.

‘Why should they not pay out? A vessel is attacked by pirates in the South China Sea, an area notorious for such attacks. Your brave captain, whose palm has already been well greased to play his part, testifies to that attack – there can be no question of them not paying out.’

‘But as to the matter of changing the bills of loading for the ships, so that –’

‘You are worrying unnecessarily, Charnock, I assure you. If I were to whisper in your ear the names of those who have already benefited from such ploys, you would be astonished. Now, as a first step in our shared venture, I would suggest that you extend the company’s Board of Directors –’

‘To include yourself, I take it?’ Jarvis Charnock interrupted him sourly.

‘To include myself, yes,’ Josiah agreed urbanely.

‘It seems you’ve thought of everything,’ Jarvis told him, even more sourly. ‘You had best draw up the necessary papers.’

‘Excellent. Let us rejoin the others, so that I can introduce my niece to you. I am already looking forward to the felicity of our two families being united. My niece is a comely girl with a sensible head on her shoulders.’

‘Comely? Aye, she might be that, but will she be a good breeder?’ Jarvis demanded coarsely. ‘Grandsons – that’s what I want. Grandsons who’ll have a deal more of my blood in them than the wheymilk my son inherited from his wretched mother!’

‘Ellie, my dear.’

Ellie tried not to flinch as Mr Parkes placed a proprietorial arm around her waist, holding her just a little bit too tight. She could smell the cigar he had been smoking, and the rich aroma of brandy on his breath.

‘Come and let me introduce you to Mr Charnock here. He is a client and a business colleague of mine. Charnock, did I not tell you that she was a comely piece?’