Fenella J. Miller (5 page)

       ‘Sarah, you’ve been such a good girl, but it is well past your bedtime. Do you know it’s almost 8 o’clock; if you’re to have time to play before you retire, you had best go up with Jane right away.’

       ‘It was a lovely meal, Mama. I hope there is some of that raspberry cake left for me tomorrow.’

       Mrs Fox smiled bent and kissed her daughter fondly on the cheek. ‘I believe you and Grandmother were the only two who ate any. I’m sure there will be plenty left for you to have at luncheon.’

There was a tap on the door and Jane appeared. ‘There you are, darling. Jane is here to take you up. Say your good nights like a good girl and run along.’

       Eliza hugged her sister and then Sarah ran across the room, dropping to her knee to kiss her grandmother’s leathery cheek before scrambling up and skipping happily down the long room to take the hand of her maid.

‘Can I come down and see the foal tomorrow morning, Liza?’

       ‘You can, I shall wait for you in the breakfast parlour. Goodnight, darling.’

The door had hardly closed behind them, when she heard chairs being pushed back and movement in the dining-room. Good heavens! They could hardly have had time to drink even one glass of port. Had something happened to upset them? Eliza moved away to stand in the shadows of the bay window, leaving her mother and grandmother to greet the guests.

       The double doors were pushed open and Lord Wydale entered first, his eyes flashing around the room. She saw the disappointment written on his face when he discovered Sarah was no longer there. Her mother saw it also.

       ‘My lord, I must apologize, but my younger daughter, Sarah, suffers from headaches and has retired.’

       From her hiding place Eliza watched the dark haired, handsome man pin a false smile to his face. ‘I am desolated to hear that, madam, perhaps I may be permitted to call tomorrow to enquire how she does?’

The words hung in the air unanswered for an uncomfortable moment. Edmund appeared behind Lord Wydale. ‘Remember I am to take you across to Wivenhoe Park, my lord, tomorrow morning. And once my sister has a megrim we often don’t see her for several days. Perhaps you could call back another time, when she’s well?’

       Eliza relaxed, for all his youth her brother appeared to have acquired the necessary aplomb to handle difficult situations. If only he had had the sense stay out of gambling hells, then none of this would be necessary.

       Lord Wydale flicked a glance in her direction and found her wanting. As his quarry had flown, he made it clear from his look of boredom that he was ready to take his leave as soon as it was polite to do so.

       She watched in horror as his companion smiled warmly at her mother and grandmother and then headed purposefully in her direction. She backed away, hoping he would get the message and rejoin join his friend, but he didn’t.

       ‘Miss Fox, we have not been formally introduced, allow me to present myself, I am Fletcher Reed, at your service.’

        Eliza dipped in a brief curtsy keeping her head lowered, unwilling to make eye contact. Although this man did not have the good looks of his companion, there was something about him that she found unnerving. Perhaps it was his height, there were not many men she was obliged to look up to.

       Reluctantly she straightened, slowly raising her head, knowing she could not keep her eyes fixed to the floor indefinitely. She found herself caught by his smoky blue-grey gaze and found it difficult to make the required response.

‘I am delighted to make your acquaintance, sir. It was not ill manners on my brother’s part that prevented us from being introduced. My sister, Sarah, is not as other young women; she is blessed with beauty but God did not see fit to give her the intelligence to match.’

       As she spoke she watched a look of disbelief and then total stupefaction cross his face. Surely the information that her that her sister was a simpleton had not caused this?

       ‘I knew it. I believe, Miss Fox, that you owe me an apology.’

‘Surely you don’t wish me to apologize for Sarah’s disability?’ Her voice dripped ice.

       ‘Of course not. I am speaking of something else entirely. Miss Fox, I knew when I first saw you this evening that you were familiar to me and I couldn’t quite place where we had met. I thought it must be in Town, when you had your season a few years ago. However, as soon as you raised your head and looked at me I recognized you as the gentleman on the chestnut gelding who covered us in mud.’

       Eliza took an incautious step backward, forgetting she was not dressed in britches, but in an evening dress and the heel her slipper snagged in the hem of her gown and she felt herself falling backwards.

       Two long arms shot out and grasping her by the elbows lifted from her feet as if she weighed no more than a bag of apples. She was replaced with a decided thud. Flustered by the intimate contact she stammered her thanks.

       ‘Thank you, sir, without your intervention I should have suffered a nasty fall.’

       ‘I was tempted to allow you to do so, it is no more than you deserve after your cavalier behaviour this morning.’

       Eliza busied herself shaking out her gown whilst trying to think of something inoffensive to say. ‘If you’d not been skulking about in places that do not concern you I should not have covered you both with mud.’ She gulped nervously, that was not what she had intended at all.

       His shout of laughter startled her and the rest of the drawing-room. She was painfully aware that they were the centre of attention.

       ‘I must apologize for causing you to be discommoded. But you can imagine how I viewed the meeting, coming so soon after being told by my brother that he had lost Grove House in a game of chance to Lord Wydale.’

       ‘Indeed I do, my dear Miss Fox, and covering us with dirt was exactly the right thing to do to smooth the situation over, don’t you think?’

She clapped her hands over her mouth, trying to stifle a gurgle of mirth. She glanced up through her lashes and wished she hadn’t. He was funning her - he was finding the whole situation as amusing as she was.

       Hastily turning her back on the interested spectators watching from the far end of the room, she pretended to gaze out across the invisible park. ‘It is no laughing matter, sir, in three months’ time we shall all be destitute.’ She was aware that he came to stand beside her; she could feel the warmth from his shoulder as it rested against her arm.

‘Listen to me, Miss Fox, I give you my word as a gentleman that you and your family shall not lose your home.’

‘Thank you, sir, but I cannot accept your charity. If there is to be a way out of this, it has to come from within the family.’

       ‘You have some funds elsewhere? Money that your brother cannot touch?’

       Surprised at his acuteness she risked a glance sideways. ‘Yes, sir, that’s correct. I have no idea how much, but am hoping it will be enough to at least buy back the small estate my father intended us to retire to when Edmund came into his majority.’

       ‘And if it isn’t enough, what then?

‘Then I shall ask you to shoot Wydale through the heart and remove the obstacle for me.’ She smiled, unaware how this simple gesture transformed her face from ordinary to breathtaking.

       His throat convulsed and she felt the tension in his body. What had she said to discompose him? The moment was broken by a call from across the room.

‘Eliza, my dear, come and play for us. I have just been telling dear Lord Wydale how proficient you are on the pianoforte and he is eager to hear you play.’

Eliza spun, sending swirl of gold and yellow around her ankles. She saw the hateful man, lounging in an armchair, yawn widely and close his eyes. Incensed by his rudeness she was tempted to try and play as Sarah did, hitting the wrong notes as frequently as the right.

However, as always, when her fingers rested on the keys a kind of peace came over her and she lost herself in the music. She played a sonata from beginning to end. She had difficulty hiding her astonishment when both Wydale and Mr Reed began to applaud and congratulate her with every evidence of sincerity. She smiled and bowed her head to acknowledge the praise.

       ‘That’s a favourite piece of mine, I am so glad you both enjoyed it.’

 Lord Wydale was on his feet, no sign of the indolent and disdainful aristocrat in his dark eyes. ‘Bravo, I have never heard anyone play that better. In fact, I can safely say, your talent is exceptional.’ Eliza saw a gleam in his eyes as he continued smoothly. ‘In fact, if ever the need arose, I believe you could make a living playing in a concert hall.’

 Eliza felt as if a bowl of icy water had been tipped over her head; her joy in the moment evaporated. He could not have made his meaning clearer. Under his show of politeness and charm this man was ruthless and intended to take Grove House from them.

Before she could respond intemperately Mr Reed stepped up to her and took her hand, raising it to his mouth in a gesture of such sweetness she forgot her anger.

       ‘You are exceptional in every way, Miss Fox. I shall be several days away, but may I have your permission to call on you tomorrow before we leave for Wivenhoe Park?

       For some reason she found no words to answer him, just nodded shyly, but knew that eyes told him all he needed to know. He released her and turned briskly to face his hostess.

‘We have had a delightful evening and thank you for your generous hospitality, madam.’ He turned to address Mrs Dean, but she had fallen asleep in her chair. ‘Miss Fox has given me permission to call tomorrow. I doubt if I’ll receive a reply from the general before noon. Thank you again. Good night.’

Eliza watched him outstare his friend and saw Wydale capitulate.       ‘Your servant, madam, Miss Fox. I shall long remember this evening; your graciousness has been so welcoming, that I almost feel as if I’m in my own home.’ He deliberately glanced up at her as he spoke. She felt her courage wither. Whatever his friend had said, Lord Wydale would not be deflected form his purpose..

She watched him stroll out followed by his much more agreeable friend. Eliza wondered at this connection to the loathsome lord. Mr Reed was obviously a man of substance. If he intended to contact Constable and commission several landscapes he had more money than they would ever have.

       She had met several such gentleman during her one painful season and knew they were always seeking ways to alleviate the boredom of their lives. They had nothing to do with their time but gamble and drink whilst in town and hunt and shoot when in the country.

        Her face set in determination. She would find a way through this, she didn’t mind what it took. Jane was waiting for her in her bed-chamber.

‘Jane, there was no need for you to wait up for me. You know that I’m quite capable of removing my own garments, even one as elaborate as this.’

The young woman didn’t smile. ‘I had to speak to you, miss, I’m that worried I couldn’t sleep until I told you.’      

‘What is it? Is Sarah unwell?’

‘No, it’s worse than that. For all she’s a child in her head, she has feelings like a woman grown. Miss Sarah has done nothing but talk about ‘Lord Wydale this and Lord Wydale that’, over and over. She says as she’s going to marry him and be his princess.’

       ‘We knew this must come sometime, Jane. Dr Smith told us that Sarah would have such feelings. It’s up to us to keep her safe from that man. He will soon be gone and she will soon forget she ever met him.’

Eliza hid her disquiet until she was alone. First Edmund had gambled away their home and now a dissolute aristocrat was taking an unhealthy interest in her sister just at the time Sarah was feeling unsettled by her physical maturity.

She rarely allowed herself the luxury of tears; someone had to keep their emotions under control, and that someone was always her. Tonight, for some reason, she felt more vulnerable. Why had her defenses begun to crumble when she needed them most?

Chapter Six

‘Liza, when will it stop raining? When can I go out and see Polly? Why doesn’t that nice man come and talk to me?’

       ‘We shall go out and see the foal as soon as it stops raining, Sarah. And why should any body wish to visit us when the weather is so inclement?’       Eliza hoped she was correct in this assumption, the last thing she wanted was for Lord Wydale to strike up a friendship with her sister. She had discussed the matter with her mother over breakfast and they had both agreed to do their best to keep Sarah away if he came to call.

       Eliza knew this passion for Wydale would fade as quickly as any other and Sarah would move on to something else, but she was concerned that circumstances might make it almost impossible to keep the two apart.

Edmund joined them in the cosy parlour they used during the day. ‘As I was dressing I saw a closed carriage approaching. It’s not our visitors from last night, they had a much smarter vehicle, so it must be the lawyer.’

Eliza sprang to her feet, smiling at her sister’s eager expression. ‘Sorry, sweetheart, it’s not that nice man coming to see you. It’s a very boring old man coming to talk to Edmund and I about business matters. Why don’t you go upstairs to the nursery and play with your dolls. I promise I shall join you as soon as I’ve finished down here.’

Sarah frowned, the promise not enough to placate her desire to play princes and princesses with the gentleman who smiled at her several times during dinner last night.

       Edmund recognized the danger signals. ‘What about if I come up as well? We could play a game of hide and go seek in the attics.’

       Sarah clapped her hands. There was nothing she liked better than playing with her older brother and sister and especially in the attics. ‘Thank you, Edmund, I shall go upstairs and tell Jane to show me some really good hiding places.’

       The girl-woman, her hair once more tumbling down her back, pushed back her chair and ran out of the room ahead of them to find her beloved companion.