“I thought the very same thing, Miss Winfield. I delivered their tea and, when I left the study and closed the door, I remembered that the last time Mr Mercer was here, you told me that next time you would make me listen at the door.”
“Oh, my dear girl, I was only in jest,” Ella said and felt suddenly very guilty.
“I know you were, Miss Winfield. I did not mean to suggest that I felt pressured. But I did it,” she said and fixed Ella with such an honest look. “I listened at the door, and I really have heard the most worrying things.”
“You must tell me everything.”
“At first, I almost scurried away. There was some mumbling that I could not make out, and then His Lordship was suddenly shouting, and he sounded so furious that I just wanted to run away. I was sure that he would eject Mr Mercer from the room at any minute and discover me there with my ear pressed against the oak.”
“But you stayed? You did not run?” Ella said and felt a wave of apprehension.
“I did stay, but my heart was beating like a drum.” Violet subconsciously held a hand to her chest. “And His Lordship seemed to calm down a little, and I was able to hear better.” Violet paused and took a deep breath before continuing, “Anyway, His Lordship said tell me again about this warning message that the Duke received. Tell me everything, miss nothing out. Miss Winfield, my heart sank into my boots when I heard that.”
“As my heart has just done,” Ella said, and her mouth went dry.
Surely the Duke had not admitted to his attorney that he had received a letter of warning. But then why would he not? After all, Ella had never suggested in her anonymous care of him that he should be aware of his own attorney, a man he likely thought of as a friend.
But why had she not thought of it? She should have realized at the time that there was a significant chance that he would confide in Mr Mercer. Ella realized what a grave mistake she had made and the devastating consequences her oversight might have.
“And how did Mr Mercer respond, Violet?” Ella said, wanting to hear the rest and yet not wanting to at the same time.
“He did say that he had not seen the message, and there was no mention of the little mask that I had drawn on it for you. Mr Mercer told His Lordship the Duke had discarded the message and even that he had come to think of it as a hoax of some kind.”
“Then perhaps all is not lost,” Ella said hopefully.
“But Mr Mercer went on to say that the Duke had noted the advice that he ought to have a care in his journey to the Earl of Mortcombe’s home and that he ought to take a different route. And, Miss Winfield, somebody did lay in wait for him, they did plan to do something to the Duke.”
“So, they went ahead with the staged robbery.”
“But not entirely. Mr Mercer told his Lordship that the Duke had seen a light in the woodlands on the way to Lord Mortcombe’s home and that he had instructed his driver to turn around and take another route.”
“That is the only bit of good news it seems.”
“Not quite. The Earl went on to say something like I should have got Proctor to do the job instead of Snaresbrook. Snaresbrook is a fool. He drinks too much, and he cannot adapt to changing circumstances. No, Proctor should have been my man. He would have chased that carriage down and done whatever was necessary. Proctor would stick at nothing. Miss Winfield, it made my skin creep. He sounded so evil.” Violet shuddered. “And all because he cannot bear the competition. For it is clear that His Lordship sees Lady Caroline as the greater competition for the Duke’s interest. But to go to such lengths.”
“It is clear, Violet, and it is a dreadful way to go about things. How awfully underhand and uncaring. What a man he is. And I wonder what this Proctor might have done to the Duke instead.”
“Miss Winfield, I truly believe that His Lordship is a dangerous man, and that is what frightens me.” Violet’s little eyes were wide and round.
“Did they say anything else on the matter?”
“Not really. Mr Mercer was keen to assure His Lordship that the Duke really does think the whole thing to be a hoax, regardless of the light that he saw in the woodland.”
“But do you really think that the Duke could seriously think it a hoax?”
“If he turned his carriage around on that night, he must have had some feeling that something bad was about to happen. But I cannot fathom why he would finally tell Henry Mercer that the whole thing was probably a silly joke. It does not make sense.”
“Unless he is beginning to suspect something of Henry Mercer,” Ella mused. “Maybe that is it.”
“Perhaps he just does not want to worry Mr Mercer, given that the man is getting along in years.”
“Violet, I really do not know what to do next. I wonder if I should be honest with the Duke and finally tell him everything?”
“I have thought it all along, Miss Winfield. I am sure that the Duke will understand your need for secrecy, and he seems such a good man that I cannot think that he would be angry with you.”
“I am still very unsure about it all, I must admit.”
“But I do not think there is time to waste, Miss Winfield. I think your stepfather will soon realize your part in things; he might even know it now.”
“But how could he?” Ella said, and any last vestige of self-assurance evaporated.
“Because as I continued to listen, I heard your name mentioned,” Violet began slowly as if to lessen the effect of her words.
“My name was spoken? But what did they say? What did you hear?” Ella felt a pricking on the back of her neck, and she knew it was fear.
“At first, his Lordship began to question Mr Mercer about Lady Caroline and if the Duke had said anything of his dinner at Mortcombe. He was keen to discover if the Duke had been at all impressed with Lady Caroline, that much was clear.”
“And was he?” Ella said and felt a dull feeling in her stomach.
She knew that it was not entirely connected with her fear of discovery and her stepfather’s wrath. Her feelings for the Duke of Hillington had grown day by day, had been building from the moment she had met him at the masquerade ball, and she was fast reaching the point where she could deny it to herself no longer.
Even the idea that he would marry Lady Caroline was upsetting to her, even though it would mean that he was safe from either Patience or Georgiana.
Ella knew that she did not want him to marry anybody, even though she felt certain that it was impossible for him to marry her. For one thing, she had not a penny to her name and, for another, she knew that her stepfather would never allow it. And, for all their ease and good company of late, she knew that she could not assume that the Duke of Hillington was falling in love with her, even though Ella knew she was beginning to fall in love with him. That was one presumption too far, and she knew it.
“It seems that he did not say one way or the other, Miss Winfield. Apparently, he spoke only of the journey there to his attorney and nothing more.”
“I see,” Ella said, mildly relieved that she had not had to hear it said that the Duke had fallen head over heels in love with the beautiful Lady Caroline. “But what did they say next?”
“Mr Mercer then said that the Duke did not talk much of Lady Caroline, but he spoke greatly of you.”
“The Duke spoke of me to his attorney?” Ella felt curious indeed.
She was suddenly excited to hear what the Duke had said about her, almost girlishly so, and then she remembered that whatever came of it, her stepfather would be furious.
“Apparently, he told Mr Mercer how concerned he is about the way you are treated here at Dandridge Hall.”
“Good heavens, I can only hope that he cited nothing more than he has seen.”
“I am afraid not, Miss Winfield, and it is that which has made me run here and burst in on you like this,” Violet said, and her face began to pale again. “Apparently, the Duke told Mr Mercer that you are no longer permitted to take meals with the rest of the family.”
> “Oh goodness me,” Ella said, and she knew that the game was up, well and truly. “The Earl is no fool, and he will instantly know that the Duke can only have received such information from my own lips. He will know that I have spoken separately to the Duke and will even suspect me of having sought him out for that very purpose.”
“I realized that immediately,” Violet said in a voice that was now dry and hoarse. “And at that moment, I ran from them and came straight here.”
“What on earth is going to happen to me now?” Ella said and had the curious sensation that she was shaking on the inside. “He is bound never to let me out in the afternoon again for certain. He must think that I have gone against his instructions and tried to secure the Duke for myself. And even if he does not, he will know that I have sought to warn the Duke against his evil plan. The Earl will put it together in no time, and he will easily see that it was I who sent the warning message. He will know that I have listened at the door, for how else could I have known to warn the Duke to take another route?”
“Miss Winfield, I am so afraid for you. Now that we know what lengths His Lordship would have gone to stop the Duke from getting to Mortcombe Hall, the mention of this dreadful Proctor, we know what kind of man he is. We know that he would stick at nothing, and I am afraid that you are in danger, Miss. I think you must run now; you must get out of this place.” Violet was growing agitated and rose to her feet, holding fast to her mistress’ hand and trying to draw her to her feet also. “You must go.”
“But I have nowhere to go, Violet. I have no other family; no one who will take me in.”
“Then you must go to the Duke, Miss Winfield. Or you must go to Lady Brightwell; she is your friend and a sensible woman. She will know what to do.”
“Perhaps you are right; perhaps I can go to Lady Brightwell,” Ella said with a tiny flicker of hope in her chest.
“But you must go now, Miss. You must just take your cloak and bonnet and leave immediately. I think you must be gone before the Earl and Mr Mercer finish their meeting. Good Lord, they might even have finished it already.”
“Then you must not be found here, Violet. You must not be found here with me in all this state because my stepfather is not only a suspicious man, he is a very clever one also.”
“But you will leave, Miss? You will go immediately?” Violet said as tears rolled down her cheeks.
“I will, and I will get word to you as soon as I am able. You must not worry anymore, but you must get back to the housekeeper before anyone in this household suspects you of helping me.”
Without another word, Violet reached up and threw her arms around her mistress’ neck, hugging her tightly as her tears flowed.
Ella knew that she must move quickly and, despite her own emotions, she hurriedly kissed Violet’s cheek and shooed her from the room.
The moment she was alone, Ella realized that her hands were shaking violently. She must pull herself together long enough to escape. And she knew that she must escape now, for if she did not, she never would.
Ella took a few deep breaths and determined that she would run to the boot room and take whatever cloak hung there and then hurry to the stable and have her horse quickly saddled so that she could ride away from Dandridge Hall for good.
With her plan made, Ella began to feel calmer, even though she was still troubled and fearful. But she had gathered herself enough to be able to put one foot in front of the other and make good her escape.
She took a deep breath again and strode purposefully for the door, knowing that she did not have a second to waste. With any luck, her stepfather would still be in conference with Henry Mercer, and that would, at least, give her a few minutes if nothing else in which to escape. At least if she could get to the stables, her stepfather might be engrossed in searching the hall for her before he thought to look there. Anything that would give her the tiniest advantage, just a spare minute, and she would be grateful.
She reached for the door handle, pulled the door open, and gasped with shock. For there, standing outside the door as if ready to make their way in were none other than the Earl of Dandridge and her own mother. The look in his eyes was enough to tell Ella that the game really was up. And, as she shifted her gaze to her mother’s face, Ella knew in an instant that she could expect no assistance whatsoever from her.
Chapter 25
Without a word, the Earl walked into the room, roughly pushing Eleanor aside. Ariadne followed behind him and closed the door after her.
Ella had the awful feeling that she was about to be struck without warning, and so she backed fearfully away from the Earl, moving blindly backward until she collided with the couch and almost fell.
The Earl reached out and grabbed her arm, and she was grateful for a moment that he cared enough to stop her from falling. However, he did not release her arm but gripped her tightly, painfully, and pulled her towards him so quickly that the two of them were almost nose-to-nose before she realized what was happening.
“How dare you?” he said in a low and dangerous voice, his breath hot and rancid on her face.
“You are hurting me, Lord Dandridge; I beg you would release my arm,” Ella said and winced in pain.
“I will not release you, you deceitful, dreadful girl. And if it pains you, then know that it is no more than you deserve. I know what you have done. I know all of it.”
Ella could say nothing in response. She was so afraid and could only stare helplessly back into his eyes, fearful of what the next moment would bring. But could he really know all of it? Surely he did not.
And then she realized that the only thing that her stepfather would not know was that she had attended the masquerade ball in secret and had spoken to the Duke. But that was the least of it, and it would not save her now. His knowledge of everything else was complete, and she knew with certainty that he could easily fill whatever gaps there were in Mr Mercer’s telling of events.
“You have been sneaking out of this house to tell tales to the Duke.” The Earl did not raise his voice at all, yet Ella thought his tone more frightening than anything she had ever heard. “Tell me, where did you see him? And do not tell me that you did not, for I know that you did.”
“I have not seen him, not outside of Dandridge.” Ella hoped a small lie might save her. “But on the day when I was banished from tea by my own mother, the Duke found me out on the grounds humiliated and upset. He spoke to me for a few minutes; he was just trying to be kind, and I was so upset that I cannot remember at all what he said.”
“And what did you say, Ella?” The Earl did not release his grip, and his heavy fingers digging so deeply into the flesh of her arm were enough to render concentration almost impossible.
Ella wanted to think fast, to say something clever that would save her, but the pain was too great and the fear overwhelming.
“I cannot remember what I said,” she lied.
“You bemoaned your lot, you pathetic creature. You told him that you were not even allowed to take meals with your family. What were you trying to achieve with so undignified a complaint? I know, Ella. I know.” He squeezed her arm harder still. “You were trying to gain his sympathy so that you might worm your way into his heart and unseat my beautiful daughters.”
“They do not need to be unseated, Sir, for I cannot imagine that such creatures would ever truly find a place in any man’s heart!” Ella spat angrily, and the Duke instantly released her arm.
But the moment that she began to rub the already bruising skin, he slapped her hard across the cheek, and she fell backward onto the floor, crying out in pain.
“You will never again speak of my daughters in such a way. They are the most beautiful and accomplished young ladies, and you, Ella Winfield, are nothing. You are the daughter of nobody, an old Baron with a small and crumbling estate, and yet you give yourself such airs. You walk through the fine halls of Dandridge as if you are better and cleverer than anyone else inside it, and you will rue the day that you c
hose to take on that attitude in my home.”
Ella knew that she must stay quiet; whatever ridiculous claims the Earl made now, she was powerless to refute them. He had spared her none of his strength when he struck her, and she could feel already that her cheek was swollen and continued to swell beneath her hand as she held it.
“I could see immediately the Duke came here how you tried to win him over with your pretense at gentility and quiet manners. But you are brazen, for all your pretty little ways, Ella Winfield. You are brazen in your intentions, and I see into your ugly little heart.”
Ella wanted to protest; she wanted to scream at him that he had the blackest, ugliest heart in all of England, but she knew she must not provoke him. Instead, she turned her eyes to her mother in the hopes of seeing at least some horror there, even if Ariadne could help her in no other way, surely that would be enough.
Dukes to Fall in Love With: A Historical Regency Romance Collection Page 46