‘I’m sure it must be.’ She applied her herbs with a firm touch, causing him to suck in a sharp breath. They stung like the devil. ‘Where do you find such ingredients in these woods? I don’t think they’re native to these parts.’
‘I travel with certain potted herbs wherever I go.’
But not with adequate clothing, he thought.
‘I almost always need to use them.’
‘And you know what you’re doing, presumably?’
She appeared amused rather than offended by the question. ‘You’re not the first person to doubt my abilities, but you’re still alive, aren’t you?’
‘Thanks to you.’
‘All plants produce chemical compounds that are beneficial to us humans, provided one gets the mix right, of course.’
He sent her a wicked smile that caused her to blush. ‘I’m sure you know how to agitate the mix.’ She was doing a damned fine job of agitating his blood.
She looked as though she wanted to take him to task, but wisely refrained from doing so. If she tried to bandy words with him, she would definitely come out on the losing side.
‘There, that’s all done.’ She fashioned a gauze bandage around his head, pulling it tight enough to make him wince. He wondered where it had come from, since he didn’t think it had formed part of her petticoat. Presumably, she travelled with such supplies, along with her herbs. If she took such a keen interest in medicine then that was the most likely explanation. ‘You’ll feel tired again now, I expect. Sleep some more. I have to go into the village, but when I return I’ll see how things are progressing.’
‘Where’s Mr Defoe?’ he asked abruptly.
She dealt him a sharp look. ‘Not here.’
‘What are your sisters doing?’
‘Why do you ask so many questions?’
‘I already told you. I have an enquiring mind.’
‘My sisters are in the other room, making lace.’
‘Lace. Is that what takes you into the village?’
‘Yes. I hope to sell it to the haberdashers. There is a wealthy duke who lives near here. Do you know of him?’
‘I’ve not had the pleasure.’
‘No, I don’t suppose you have.’
‘Did it not occur to you I might be delivering the stallion I was riding to him in my capacity as a horse dealer?’
‘I…just a minute.’ She scowled at him, her flawless complexion stained with a touch of colour. She had such beautiful, soft skin. Eli yearned to reach out and run his fingers down her cheek, but resisted only because he thought the gesture would be unwelcome, to say nothing of inappropriate. ‘I didn’t say I thought you were a horse dealer.’
Perdition, so she hadn’t. Eli was so keen to keep her talking he had become incautious. ‘I must have heard you speculating with Millie while I was sleeping just now.’
‘I didn’t say anything to Millie about your occupation.’ She stood up and glowered at him. ‘Were you awake all the time in the woods?’
‘No, on my life, I do assure you I was not.’ Eli crossed his fingers beneath the thin cover. ‘If you said something along those lines, perhaps my mind absorbed it in my unconscious state without my being aware of it. They do say, you know, that hearing is the last sense to desert one in such circumstances.’
She flexed a brow. ‘Another snippet of useless information retained by your enquiring mind, no doubt.’
‘Quite so.’ He sent her his most charming smile. She absorbed it without appearing the least disturbed by it. ‘Tell me more about the local duke.’
‘Apparently, he’s having a house party in a few days’ time, and it occurred to me our products might appeal to some of his guests.’ She briefly closed her eyes, as though willing that to be the case. ‘A lot of grand ladies have taken against machine-produced lace. We, on the other hand, retain all the old skills and never produce two articles that are the same.’
‘What do you make?’
‘Why would you care?’
Their gazes duelled. Her eyes widened and were shot through with the most fascinating shards of silver, intoxicating Eli with their scorching lustre. He fell captive to her breath-taking beauty and touching vulnerability, unable to remember when a woman from any walk of life had last intrigued him more.
‘You fail to make allowance for my enquiring mind,’ he said softly.
‘We make fans, shawls, fischus, doilies, purses…all manner of things.’ She stood up abruptly. ‘And now I must leave you. Try to sleep.’
Eli reached out and caught her hand. Taken unawares, she gasped and sent him a look of curiosity rather than outrage.
‘Thank you, Mrs Defoe,’ he said with great formality. ‘You saved my life, and I shall now be eternally in your debt.’
Before she could respond, he raised her hand to his lips and placed a firm kiss in the centre of her palm.
Chapter Four
Eli waited patiently until he heard Athena depart before leaving his damnably uncomfortable cot. There was a tiny window above his head that looked out over the paddock. He knelt up to watch his goddess as she caught the pony that had so captivated Byron, and swiftly harnessed it to an ancient cart.
‘Surely, she’s not going to drive that rattletrap into the village,’ he muttered, frowning at the prospect. ‘It will never make it.’
Byron was still taking an active interest in the pony. He leaned over the railings, whinnying pathetically, and then trotted up and down, tail raised, showing off. The pony ignored him, causing Eli to smile. It looked as if they had both fallen victim to the charms of the females resident at this tumbledown cottage, with equally discouraging results.
Athena had changed into a dark blue gown that did look slightly more presentable than her previous garment. Well, almost anything would have. She had, to his disappointment, pulled her hair up and placed a straw bonnet on top of the resulting style. She looked tidy and respectable. She looked adorable, and the desire to replace her ancient clothing with silks and satins grew ever more desperate.
The twins came tumbling out to join their sister and passed parcels to Athena—lace presumably—which she laid carefully in the bed of the cart. One of them handed her a delicate shawl in blues and silvers, which she draped across her shoulders. Even Eli, who knew little about such matters, could see it was exquisite. It transformed her entire appearance and would, he suspected, make any lady who saw it anxious to own one similar. Very clever!
The sisters exchanged a few words, but Eli couldn’t hear what was said. Athena then climbed up onto the box seat and encouraged the pony forward with a slap of the reins against its rump. Byron protested loudly, looking as if he was contemplating jumping the fence in order to join his lady love. Eli empathised. The girls waved Athena off and returned inside, heads together, chatting and laughing.
Eli ventured out into the kitchen. It was still full of the enticing aroma of vegetable broth, but even that delectable smell failed to mute the even stronger tang of mould. At his leisure to examine the cottage, Eli was frankly appalled. It seemed the entire upper floor was unusable since the staircase had rotted clean through. He could see daylight through parts of the upper floor where receptacles had been placed, presumably because the roof leaked.
Where the devil did Athena and the girls sleep if they couldn’t go upstairs? There was only one other room downstairs, which was presumably where the twins were now. Not ready to face them yet, Eli wandered outside, careful to keep clear of the garden where Millie was hard at work. If she saw he was up and about, he wouldn’t put it past her to send him packing. Eli’s lips twitched. A duke being evicted from his own derelict cottage by a maidservant would make an amusing change from the sycophantic behaviour he was normally obliged to endure.
Eli glanced up at the outside of the building and could see why there were so many pots on the upper floor. There were numerous holes in the thatch and, where it was still intact, the straw was rapidly rotting away. He tutted as he made his way to the dow
nstairs room window. He wanted to see what the twins were up to without their being aware of it.
Peering cautiously over the rotted sill, he found them seated together in front of a dwindling fire, industriously making lace, chatting incessantly to one another, laughing frequently. Golden thread spooled from bobbins as their industrious fingers moved with swift efficiently back and forth. They didn’t even appear to look at what they were doing. It was quite astonishing, and Eli remained where he was for several minutes, admiring their skill and discipline. Left to their own devices at such an age, Eli’s sisters most definitely wouldn’t have applied themselves to their work, but then they had never had to earn their own living or worry about where the money for their next meal would come from.
Aware Millie might discover him missing at any moment, Eli couldn’t afford to be caught spying on the twins. But still he took a moment to peer around the room, curious to know where the three sisters slept. Craning his neck, he caught sight of a large cot, pushed into one corner of the room, out of the way of the lace industry. Presumably, it was pulled in front of the fire when they were ready to retire. Eli took comfort from the fact at least they would be warm. Unless it rained, of course. They would never be able to prevent rain and damp penetrating the thatch if there was a heavy downpour.
‘That, at least, is something I can rectify,’ he muttered to himself, moving away from the window.
As he did so, he noticed the most incredible arrangement, as out of place perched on the window ledge in this ruined cottage as the beautiful lace the girls were producing was. Eli squinted, trying to figure out what it was. It appeared to be a wild artichoke decorated with dried corn, fir cones and forest fruits. It was stunning in its simplicity, a testament to the creativity of its designer, and her determination to turn this hovel into a home with deft touches.
Eli had no doubt it was Athena’s work.
Such talent, he thought, walking away, wishing his mother could have seen it. She would have been enchanted.
Eli was about to continue with his exploring when he heard hooves on the nearby track. Presumably, it was a search party on the lookout for a missing duke. Not wanting Millie to intercept the rider, Eli stepped onto the track in a place where he wouldn’t be seen from the cottage and waved the rider down. It was Salter, his valet.
‘God in heaven, what happened to you, your grace?’ Salter dismounted, looking suitably concerned, presumably because of the bandage circling Eli’s head, and the scrapes to his cheek not covered by it. ‘We were that worried when you didn’t return home.’
‘Nothing of consequence. It’s just a scratch.’
‘Where’s Byron? We need to get your grace back to Winsdale Park. Her grace will wish to call a physician.’
‘No, Salter, no physician. But I’m glad you’re here. Make yourself useful, and ride into the village as fast as you can. Call at Miss Dawson’s haberdashery—’
‘Haberdashery, your grace?’ Salter blinked, presumably thinking the bash to his head had robbed Eli of his senses. ‘Are you quite sure?’
‘Never more so.’ Miss Dawson’s was the superior establishment, guaranteed to attract a better class of trade. ‘Tell Miss Dawson that a lady by the name of Mrs Defoe is on her way to offer them handmade lace for sale. Make it clear it would please me if she accepted her merchandise. But she must not, on any account, allow the lady to know I’ve interfered.’
‘Yes, your grace, but—’
‘Miss Dawson is to offer her a generous price. Are we clear?’
‘Begging your pardon, but perhaps it would better serve if I escorted your grace back to Winsdale Park first.’
‘Just go! Cut through the woods, and you will arrive before the lady. Then return to Winsdale Park. Tell them I’ve been delayed, and will be back by nightfall. Say nothing about this,’ he added, pointing to his head.
Salter pursed his lips. ‘As your grace wishes.’
‘I do wish.’
Salter remounted with apparent reluctance, turned his horse and cantered away.
Eli watched until Salter disappeared from view then continued exploring the outside of the cottage. He could see Millie, bent over in the vegetable garden, pulling what looked to be potatoes and placing them in a basket. He didn’t think Athena’s family had been here for long, so how had they managed to grow such an impressive array of vegetables so quickly? Presumably, the woodsman’s garden had been left to go wild when Eli had moved him to another location on the estate and decided to abandon this one indefinitely. Millie must have reclaimed it. Eli admired her ingenuity.
Around the next side of the cottage, Eli found himself confronted with an array of potted herbs, their pungent fragrance intoxicating. He recognised one or two. Most, he did not. This was clearly Athena’s collection, so precious she would rather have them with her rather than additional gowns. Several scrawny chickens clucked to themselves as they pecked away at the ground in a wire run nearby.
Athena’s dog appeared out of nowhere, sat down, and observed him impassively, head cocked to one side. Why hadn’t Athena taken him with her? The answer was as obvious as it was infuriating. She would prefer for the creature to protect her family rather than herself. Damnation, Athena wouldn’t be safe alone. Her looks, if nothing else, would ensure she received all sorts of unwelcome attentions. Eli was sorely tempted to ride after her, and protect her himself.
He knew he couldn’t do that because it would create more difficulties for her than it would solve. He sighed, never having resented his elevated rank more.
‘Come along then, Boris,’ he said, holding out his hand. ‘I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced.’
The dog deigned to get up and thoroughly inspected Eli’s hand. Appearing to find nothing to object to, he wagged his tail against Eli’s boots and then found a patch of sun in which to curl up, still watching Eli intently. Eli laughed and leaned down to ruffle his scruffy ears, wishing his own life could be as uncomplicated.
Next to them was a pile of wood. Eli noticed a block with an axe leaning against it. Logs waiting to be cut for their fire, he supposed. Eli blanched at the thought of Athena taking on such a task, but it must be one that fell to her. Millie was too old, the twins too young, to manage it.
A smile flirted with Eli’s lips as he picked up a thick log and placed it on the block. He swung the axe over his shoulder a couple of times to get the feel for it, then brought it down again with considerable force and spliced the log cleanly it two. Eli had never chopped logs before, and he was pleased to discover he actually knew how. The exertion made his head pound, but it was also very satisfying, if warm work. He pulled his shirt over his head and, naked to the waist, put his back into the task, smiling with satisfaction at the thought of being useful to his goddess.
His Grace, the Duke of Winsdale, was enjoying himself.
Athena dismissed the distraction of Mr Franklin from her thoughts as Meg plodded along at her usual frustratingly slow pace. She knew better than to try and hurry the pony. If she did, the wretchedly stubborn creature would simply stop moving all together. With nothing better to do than to give Meg the occasional direction with a twitch of the reins, Athena focused her mind on her purpose for this excursion, brought about by her perilous situation, both pecuniary and personal.
She had been into Winsdale village just twice since moving to the locality. Athena was cautious of showing herself unless it was absolutely necessary. Those seeking her whereabouts appeared to have eyes and ears everywhere, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to outwit them. During those two visits, she had checked out the haberdashers’ stores, pleased with what she saw in them. They were modern and elegant, but also a trifle intimidating.
The duke’s establishment, and all the other grand houses in the district, were what had attracted Athena to the area, convinced their presence would secure her a market for her goods. The ladies frequenting those houses would surely appreciate their quality and individuality. However, the haber
dashers’ stores proved to be very well stocked indeed—far better than Athena had anticipated. There were only so many shawls, and purses, and the like that a lady could possibly require. Only so many fripperies the shops could afford to stock.
But she and the twins were here, living on the outskirts of Winsdale with neither the means nor the will to move on yet again.
Athena would just have to be at her most convincing.
‘Oh, botheration!’ Athena threw back her head and sighed, aware that their meagre amount of cash was almost exhausted. ‘What if they say no? What shall we do then?’
A rider came hurtling down the track in the opposite direction, spooking Meg, unsettling Athena. This track only led to the cottage, and they weren’t expecting visitors. Athena’s scalp prickled. The twins! She didn’t recognise the man riding the horse, but even so…He slowed when he saw Athena, took a close look at her, doffed his cap, then resumed his canter without saying a word. She expelled a relieved breath. It was her whom the pursuers most particularly wanted to find. It was her description that would have been widely circulated. Had the man been set to look for her, he would have stopped her then and there. Besides, Boris wouldn’t let anyone get close to her sisters.
The twins were safe, at least for now.
Athena straightened her bonnet and encouraged Meg forward again, still wondering what the man had been doing on the track. She dismissed his purpose from her mind when she saw chimney smoke in the distance, and the first of the village cottages came into view. There was more traffic now, and she was obliged to concentrate on keeping Meg on the track. She halted the cart outside the first of the haberdasher’s establishment, the one with a well-maintained façade and enticing window display, and tied off the reins. She noticed one or two curious glances being sent in her direction and tried not to panic. Two men stopped dead in their tracks on the opposite side of the road and watched her with unbridled curiosity. Athena ignored them. Men tended to gawp at her, for reasons she’d never properly understood. That’s all this was. No one knew she was here, she reminded herself for the thousandth time. If she scampered off like a frightened rabbit every time someone looked at her, she would achieve nothing.
To Defy a Duke: Dangerous Dukes Vol 1 Page 4