by Anne Herries
Lady Sarah was talking to a gentleman Eliza had never met before. She felt Lord Seaton’s fingers tighten on her arm and sensed tension in him. Glancing at his face, she noticed the pulse flicking at his temple.
‘Ah, there you are, my dearest,’ Lady Sarah said. ‘I should like to introduce you to the Marquis of Cheadle, Eliza. As I am sure you recall, it was he who sent his carriage to Norwich to collect you.’
‘Yes, of course, and I am extremely grateful, sir,’ Eliza said, her keen gaze taking in a man in his late thirties or early forties perhaps, attractive, elegantly dressed with eyes of a greenish-brown that some called hazel. ‘It was a most comfortable journey due to your generosity.’
‘I am glad to hear it, Miss Bancroft, though my coachman tells me you had an unpleasant incident on the last stage of the journey?’
‘Oh…’ Eliza resisted the temptation to look at Lord Seaton. ‘It was really nothing very much, my lord.’
‘Nothing, you say?’ The marquis’s eyes narrowed. ‘Not quite what I expected to hear, Miss Bancroft. But perhaps we should discuss this at another time? If I may call in the morning, I should like to hear your side of the affair.’ He inclined his head and then looked at her companion. ‘Seaton, good evening.’
‘Cheadle. Where are you staying? I must call on you soon.’
‘Yes, I have a debt to settle. At your convenience, Seaton. We have a house in Queen’s Square.’
‘Perhaps the day after tomorrow?’
‘If you wish.’
‘Eliza, I am ready to leave,’ Lady Sarah said. ‘Lady Julia will see you home if you wish to stay later?’
‘No, thank you, ma’am. I am perfectly ready to leave.’
‘Very well. We shall say goodnight to our friends.’
‘Allow me to summon your carriage, ma’am,’ Lord Seaton said and went off to arrange it.
Lady Sarah smiled as she took her leave of friends, but leaned on Eliza’s arm, and she guessed that her employer was feeling tired.
Lord Seaton was there to see them into the carriage. Eliza sensed that he, too, had realised Lady Sarah was a little done up and his care for her employer pleased her.
‘Good evening, ladies,’ he said and smiled as he stood back to allow the groom to close the door. ‘I shall call very soon.’
‘We shall always be pleased to see you, sir,’ Lady Sarah assured him.
Eliza thanked him but said no more.
When they were settled in the carriage and on their way, she enquired if her employer was unwell.
‘Oh, no, my dear. Just a little tired.’ Lady Sarah gave her a searching look. ‘You did not tell me that you were held up by a wicked highwayman, Eliza?’
‘It really was nothing, ma’am. I did not wish to distress you when there was no need.’
‘But Cheadle’s coachman was concerned for a while that the rogue meant to kidnap you?’
‘No…he merely wished to…apologise.’ Eliza blushed in the darkness of the carriage. She did not wish to lie to her generous employer, but how could she explain without giving Lord Seaton’s secret away? ‘I believe he imagined someone else was in the carriage. It was a mere prank, ma’am—a bet, I believe, between friends.’
‘How very odd.’ Lady Sarah’s expression was troubled. ‘There is some mystery here. The marquis may have an enemy. I believe he is sometimes suspected of being a ruthless gambler and worse.’
‘You say suspected? You do not think it?’
‘I think he may not be as black as he is painted. When he was younger…’ Lady Sarah sighed. ‘That is the past and I must keep an open mind.’
Eliza sensed that her employer could say more, but she made no attempt to press her. Lady Sarah was silent for most of the remainder of their ride home. Eliza had her own thoughts to keep her mind occupied and her employer was entitled to her secrets.
She saw Lady Sarah safely upstairs, made sure she was being looked after by her maid and then went to bed herself. It had been such a strange evening, filled with sharp memories that Eliza knew would tease her for a long time to come.
She had hung her wonderful dress where she could see it, thinking that it must have been the dress that had brought her so many partners at the ball.
It had been exciting for a girl used to the quiet country life, especially her waltz with Daniel Seaton.
No, she must think of him as Lord Seaton! To allow more intimate thoughts of him would be too dangerous. Daniel Seaton had caused her to fall into a bramble bush and then helped her recover. He had held up her coach, ridden off with her and then kissed her. She might have let herself dream of Daniel, but Lord Seaton must marry a rich wife for the sake of his estate.
As such she could never hope to marry a man like Lord Seaton and so must forget the way her heart jolted when he touched her.
Taking her ring from her dressing case, Eliza slipped it on the middle finger of her right hand. As yet she had not worn it—perhaps she was afraid of what she might discover? Supposing she were to find her mother and then learn that she was not wanted—that the lady resented being found? Her life was happy now. It might be better to leave things as they were. Had her mother cared, she would surely not have given her away. Putting the ring away, she turned her mind to other things.
She must be careful when the marquis questioned her the next morning. Lady Sarah had accepted her explanation, but would the marquis press for more details?
Daniel left the assembly after his dance with Miss Henderson. He had attended for the sole purpose of partnering Miss Eliza Bancroft and the sight of her in that white gown had taken his breath away. She looked like one of the Season’s top débutantes and already the tongues had started wagging.
‘Who do you suppose she is?’ one young buck had asked after he returned from escorting Lady Sarah to her carriage. ‘Do you suppose she is an heiress?’
A devil must have been sitting on his shoulder at that moment for Daniel smiled enigmatically and said, ‘Oh, I doubt there is enough for you, Carstairs. You would run through ten thousand in a year and ruin both her and yourself.’
‘Want her for yourself, do you?’ Carstairs looked at him suspiciously. ‘So she is a secret heiress and you’re in the know.’
‘Did I say that?’ Daniel suddenly felt uneasy as he saw the gleam in the other man’s eyes. He realised the young fool was convinced Eliza was an heiress, but shrugged it off. No doubt someone would tell him the truth before long.
As he walked home, Daniel’s thoughts were divided between the way Eliza had felt in his arms, her smile and the scent of her—and what he ought to say to the marquis when they met. Cheadle was unlikely to confess if he had conspired in the despicable trade of stealing and selling young women.
He still hadn’t spoken to Lord Roberts and was feeling less and less inclined towards a convenient marriage. It would be ridiculous to toss away his one chance of saving his estate because of a young woman’s smile. Eliza might have set his body aflame with a need so strong that it had taken all his willpower to stop himself sweeping her up in his arms and running off with her to a spot where he could make love to her.
He frowned, cursing himself for a fool. Love was surely no more than a fleeting thing. The wise course would be to seek Lord Roberts out first thing in the morning, and yet Daniel knew that he would wait. He had won a thousand guineas at play that evening. Perhaps the bank would accept it as a down payment on his most pressing debts.
Chapter Five
Eliza woke with a sigh on her lips. Her dream had been so enjoyable. She had been living at a pleasant house in the country. In the garden children were playing and she had been aware of a feeling of deep content.
The feeling faded as she recalled that the Marquis of Cheadle was calling that morning. He would want to know every detail of what had happened when a masked highwayman held his carriage at pistol point, and there was so much she could never tell him.
Had she been able to avoid what must obviously be an awkward int
erview, she would have done so. However, she suspected that the marquis did not give up easily. He was determined to have the truth and she must try to oblige him, without giving Daniel’s secret away.
Oh dear, she was beginning to think of Lord Seaton as Daniel. She suspected that he had been at the centre of her happy dream the previous night and knew she was being very silly. Kate had told her that he was a consummate flirt, though not precisely a rake. He had a mistress and might consider she was fair game, for a companion was not off bounds as a girl like Kate Henderson would be.
A part of her felt that she had known him for years. She both liked and trusted him despite his brief adventure as a highwayman, yet she must not like him too much.
Dressing in a simple grey gown that was far more suitable for her situation than the gown she had worn the previous evening, she went along the hall to see if her employer needed anything. It would be best for all concerned if she put Lord Seaton out of her mind.
Both Eliza and Lady Sarah were in the parlour when the marquis was announced at a quarter to noon. Eliza felt a sinking sensation in her stomach as he was shown into the elegant room.
However, the marquis seemed a perfectly polite gentleman, enquiring after the ladies’ health before sitting down and turning his attention to Eliza.
‘Well, Miss Bancroft, perhaps you could explain to me what happened that day? My coachman says that the rogue rode off with you. He was fearful for your safety, but you returned a short while later seeming none the worse for your ordeal.’ His gaze narrowed intently. ‘Could you explain that little mystery, please?’
Eliza glanced at Lady Sarah and then took a deep breath. ‘I am not perfectly certain what was intended, sir. The…gentleman seemed interested in discovering what I was doing in your carriage, sir.’ Her cheeks felt hot as she avoided his eyes. ‘I hardly like to say what was implied…’
‘Indeed?’ The marquis was silent for a moment, then, ‘May I hazard a guess that the rogue imagined you my mistress?’
‘I think something of the kind was in his mind. When I denied it I was allowed to return to the carriage.’
‘I see.’ The marquis stood up and took a little turn about the parlour before coming back to her. ‘It would seem the rogue claims to have knowledge of me. I must have made an enemy. Were you robbed, Miss Bancroft? I shall repay whatever was stolen, for it was clearly I or someone close to me he meant to rob.’
‘No. My purse was returned to me and a ring that is precious to me. It is all I have of my mother, you see.’
‘And he did not harm or insult you in any way?’
‘Not at all, sir.’ Eliza faltered. ‘I thought it a foolish prank—perhaps for a wager?’
‘A prank you think? Had my men used their weapons, he or they might have died or been badly injured. I do not call that a mere prank, Miss Bancroft.’ She looked at him. His gaze was so severe that she dropped her head. ‘Was there anything you noticed in particular about the rogue? His voice, manner—the colour of his eyes?’
‘Oh…’ She hesitated, then, ‘His voice was rough, but may have been disguised. His eyes may have been grey…or perhaps blue. I could not be certain, sir. I was a little nervous. I am sorry I cannot tell you more.’
‘You have told me more than you imagine,’ he replied with a nod of satisfaction. ‘Plainly, the man is no common thief, but someone with a grudge against me personally.’
‘Who do you think it could be?’ Lady Sarah asked as Eliza remained silent.
‘Someone who knows me well enough to need to disguise himself, though not as well as he imagines. I do not trap decent young ladies into becoming my mistress, though I shall not deny certain accommodations in the past with married ladies who understood the rules.’ His expression relaxed a little. ‘Please forgive me, Miss Bancroft. I am sorry you were used so ill when under my protection. The rogue will be brought to justice, I assure you. If he is a gentleman, he will meet me for this and think himself fortunate to escape the noose.’
‘I am sorry you feel this a personal slight. I am certain it was a harmless prank.’
‘I am surprised that you should take this so calmly, Miss Bancroft. Very surprised.’
He looked at Eliza hard and she blushed. What must he be thinking? Perhaps that she was involved with a man of ill repute—and therefore not the proper person to be companion to Lady Sarah?’
She noticed that he rubbed at the little finger of his left hand, as if he were seeking for something he had lost. Lady Sarah noticed it too.
‘You do not wear your ring,’ Lady Sarah murmured. ‘Is it lost?’
‘Temporarily. I hope to have it restored soon.’
‘Mine was lost years ago, but a ring is just a ring. Memories never leave one.’
During the silence that followed her words, Eliza sensed an undercurrent of feeling—of sharing. It was so intense that she wished she might leave them together without appearing to suggest she understood. In her mind there was no doubt that there had been something special between the marquis and her employer. She could feel the sadness and saw echoes of a lost love in Lady Sarah’s eyes. Her senses told her that there was an old mystery here, but in seconds the barriers were in place again. A casual politeness was resumed and the marquis turned to Eliza, his eyes narrowed and thoughtful.
‘My wife and daughter are in Bath. They did not attend the assembly last evening for they wished to recover from the journey. I think my daughter must be two years or so younger than you, Miss Bancroft. I shall make certain that both you and Lady Sarah are invited to our ball.’
‘How kind of you, sir,’ Eliza said.
‘We shall be delighted to attend.’ Lady Sarah smiled a little wistfully. ‘How is Marianne? And your wife?’
‘Both are well. In confidence, I must tell you that we are expecting an offer for Marianne quite soon.’
‘I am sure she will marry well. She is, I know, a delightful girl.’
The marquis nodded, glanced at his watch, asked to be forgiven and took his leave.
Lady Sarah was silent for a few minutes after he had gone, staring into space as if her mind were elsewhere. Eliza noticed that her hand trembled as she reached for a glass of restorative wine. She gave a little cry as it tipped and spilled a few drops.
‘How clumsy of me…’
‘So easily done,’ Eliza said and swiftly wiped the spill with a napkin the maid had brought earlier with their refreshments. ‘There, it was only a little and no harm done…’ She turned and saw that Lady Sarah’s cheeks were wet with tears. ‘Ma’am, are you ill?’
‘No, just upset.’ Lady Sarah dabbed at her cheeks with a lace kerchief. ‘Sit beside me, Eliza. I am going to tell you a secret, because I think you may have guessed at least a part of my story.’
‘You need tell me nothing, ma’am.’
‘I wish you to know.’ Lady Sarah reached for her hand. ‘You will speak of this to no one else. I know I may trust you, my dear. I was once very much in love with the gentleman who has just left us. He was handsome and charming, but at the time not rich. I was married to Lord Manners. He was not kind or loving and spent all his time with his mistresses in town. Because I was lonely, I was drawn into a love affair with a younger man. Henry was charming and he adored me. My husband discovered the affair, but would not release me. When my lover’s child was born, he took it away from me and forced me to give up my lover. I was devastated, but my husband was a cold cruel man and Cheadle would have been ruined had I defied him. He was younger than I and I felt it would be unfair to burden him with a woman who could not appear in society and a child—and so I chose seclusion in the country, where I stayed seeing only a few friends until my husband died.’
‘Oh, ma’am, how dreadful for you,’ Eliza exclaimed in sympathy. ‘I am so very sorry. I think you loved the marquis very much?’
‘He begged me to go away with him. My husband warned me that he would follow and kill us both. Even had my lover killed him in a duel, which he wanted
to do, he would have lost everything. He could not have been an officer in the army with such a scandal hanging over him, and his uncle might easily have disowned him. I could not ruin his life so I agreed to my husband’s terms, though it broke my heart. Do you think me weak and foolish?’
‘Certainly not. You were trapped. There was nothing else you could do.’
‘I felt trapped until my husband died. He never forgave me and took every chance to punish me.’
‘I think you must have suffered a great deal.’
‘Yes, that is true. I have been lonely despite my friends and my son, who is very like his father. I hope one day to find my lost child, but my husband did not make it easy for me. Should I find her and acknowledge her, I should lose the right to live at the Dower House and the portion of his estate he left me. That would not leave me penniless, for I have money of my own, which was denied me while my husband lived—but I should be loathe to lose my home. However, I am determined to find my daughter if I can.’ Her hand tightened on Eliza’s. ‘At least I have you to keep me company. You have brought me a great deal of pleasure, Eliza. Indeed, it is almost like having my daughter with me.’
‘I am happy to be of some comfort to you, ma’am.’
For a moment Eliza was tempted to tell her her own story, but she decided that it would sound too particular, as if she were claiming some kind of kinship with Lady Sarah. That would be too much of a coincidence and was a foolish notion, which she instantly dismissed—though the stories were undoubtedly similar.
‘You are far more than that. Having you here has given me a reason to live, Eliza. I was quite low before you came.’
Eliza smiled and held her hand until she recovered her spirits. She was surprised and honoured to have been given her employer’s confidence. It showed trust and liking on Lady Sarah’s part and gave Eliza a warm glow inside. Not since Mama’s death had she felt needed or loved in quite this way. Of course no one would ever replace the woman who had given her so much love in her heart, but there was room for a good friend and she had found that friend in Lady Sarah.