The Purloined Papers

by Allison Lane

“For pity’s sake, Miss Seabrook. Quit blaming your face for your problems. Everyone’s surface changes with time and misfortune, but few people care. It is what’s inside that matters. Kevin knew that, which is why he turned you down.”

  “Don’t remind me of that fool.” Laura’s face turned purple. “He was the most dishonorable wretch to walk the earth – declaring his undying love, then laughing in my face when I believed him. The blackguard should have been hanged.”

  “I no longer care about your lies.”

  “He’s the liar! He asked me to wed him, yet when I accepted, he ripped my clothes off and assaulted me. Then he had the audacity to jilt me. Father would have called him out if he’d had the chance.”

  Hearing Kevin maligned snapped Chloe’s temper. “Only because your father was too stupid to see what a vicious witch you are. You will burn in the hottest corner of hell for what you did to Kevin. At least people recognize the truth about you by now, so his reputation is safe. But I can’t work for his murderess another minute. I’m leaving.” She headed for the door.

  “Your contract doesn’t expire until Michaelmas.”

  “My contract ends when I can no longer tolerate your abuse,” Chloe snapped. “And that moment is now. Find yourself a new companion – if you can.” She slammed the door behind her.

  Tears threatened as she stumbled toward her room. This was not the way to sever her ties to Laura, but it was too late to go back.

  You should have waited, her conscience whispered. Until you find a cottage, you can’t afford to quit. After that scene, you can hardly stay here.

  It was true. Nor could she return to Fields House. Peter would find a way to confiscate her savings.

  Yet she couldn’t seek shelter elsewhere, either. Andrew was right. Staying at an inn without a companion or maid would mark her as wanton. Fleeing with Sally would deplete her meager funds very quickly. But William would be so furious over this day’s work that he would never let her stay.

  Perhaps she could return to Moorside to help Mrs. Monroe set the place to rights. That would give her time to arrange for a cottage. She would make sure she was gone before Laura returned.

  Pulling her trunk from the wardrobe, she quickly packed, but no matter how she arranged her possessions, the jewelry casket didn’t fit. She was debating whether to leave it at Seabrook until she found a home, when Laura slammed the door into the wall.

  She had dressed herself in a morning gown of pale yellow, but her lack of expertise showed. Fastening the ties askew made the bodice pinch on one side and gape on the other.

  “Nobody walks out on me,” Laura snarled, blue eyes drilling holes into Chloe’s face. “Never insult your betters again, girl. You will not leave without my permission.”

  Chloe straitened, letting her eyes move disdainfully over Laura’s gown. “I am not a slave, and you are not a monarch, so stop pretending you run the world.” She glared. “Nothing will induce me to continue in your employ. I was planning to leave next week anyway. Your tantrum merely moved up my departure.”

  “Impossible. No one else will hire you.”

  “Where I go is my business. Our ties are severed, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

  Shock speared through Laura’s eyes. “No!” Her arm swept across the dressing table, knocking everything to the floor. The jewelry casket shattered into pieces. “I’ll see you flogged for such insolence.”

  “Return to your room,” suggested Chloe, determined to hold her temper in check. “You’ve made a big enough spectacle of yourself this morning. William will lock you in an asylum if you aren’t careful.”

  “I will be sure to suggest it to him,” said Andrew from the doorway. Laura’s shouts had awakened him. By the time he’d dressed, she was dashing upstairs. Now his eyes took in her furious face, the shattered jewelry casket, and Chloe’s white cheeks. “You’ve gone too far this time, Laura.”

  “It is you who goes too far. What are you doing here, anyway? Looking for your mistress? You have no legitimate business on this floor. I will tell Fitch to throw you out of Seabrook if you don’t leave.”

  He sighed. “Grow up, Laura. This isn’t your house, and you don’t make the rules. Nor can you force your quarrels on others. So go back to your room. If you have any sense at all, you will remain on your best behavior for a few days. William will be furious enough when he hears about this. Have you lost all reason?”

  “Of course not,” snapped Laura. “I am chastising my companion for dereliction of duty and aspirations above her station.”

  “Not your companion,” said Chloe firmly. “I quit.”

  “You can’t.”

  “I can and I did. Shall I summon a footman to remove you from my room?” She moved to the bell.

  “That won’t be necessary,” said Andrew, taking Laura’s arm. “She is leaving.”

  Laura screamed.

  He slapped her cheek. “Silence! I will not tolerate hysterics.”

  His tone closed her mouth. Shock flared behind her eyes.

  “Your manners are appalling,” he continued. “You have been without supervision far too long. One would think you a fishwife – or an infant, though most children show more restraint. I am appalled that one of your breeding could forget herself so badly. Even the lowest servant knows better.”

  “Who cares?”

  “Beware of arrogance, Laura. Your breeding does not give you the right to be cruel. Either behave like a lady, or William will, indeed, lock you away. Now go. You will stay in your room until you can control yourself. Since I know that will take time, if I hear one more word from you today, I will personally escort you to St. Joseph’s insane asylum in Exeter. I hear they use restraints on anyone who misbehaves.” He made his voice as hard as possible, adding the look that never failed to intimidate green soldiers.

  It worked. She nodded, then fled silently for the stairs.

  Chloe turned away to pick up the scattered contents of the jewelry casket, but Andrew spotted the sheen in her eyes. She was fighting tears.

  He sighed. He needed particulars of this crisis if he was to discuss it with William, but Chloe was in no shape for questions. Forcing her to talk would break the rigid control she was exerting over herself. She wouldn’t forgive him.

  Yet his hand touched her shoulder before he could stop it. “It’s all right now, Chloe. She won’t hurt you again.”

  “I can’t— She broke—”

  He jerked his hand away, cursing himself. “Laura can be hateful without the least effort.”

  “Don’t you think I know that?” She whirled to face him, clutching the contents of her jewelry case. “I’ve lived with her for two years. Nothing she does can surprise me.”

  “Relax, Chloe.” He gently relieved her of her treasures – three brooches, a bead necklace, a rock, and a bundle of Kevin’s letters tied in a faded red ribbon. He piled them on the dressing table, smoothing the crumpled corners as he sought the words that might help.

  “I could strangle her for this.” Her voice cracked.

  Andrew pulled her close, despite knowing he shouldn’t. But he’d lost control of his arms. His hands roamed her back, soothing and stroking. She fit against him perfectly, her warmth inciting thoughts he had no business entertaining.

  Even worse, her arms curled around his waist, stroking his back in return. He raised her head for a kiss before recalling all the reasons he could not.

  Curses screamed through his skull as he backed away. “I take it Laura objects to your leaving.”

  She also backed a pace, shaking her head as if trying to steady her thoughts. “Objects is a rather insipid description. She cannot accept that anyone might reject her.”

  “What changed your mind about staying?”

  “Someone ransacked Moorside last night.” She repeated the tale. “It has to be connected to the trouble at Fields House, though why anyone would think I had the prize, I cannot understand.”

  “Obviously he is desperate. It
must be more important than I thought.” Which was a troubling idea. He turned the facts over in his mind, but they made no better sense the second time. “So Laura’s tirade started because her things were disturbed?”

  “In part. She blames me for the break-in. If I hadn’t insisted she accept this invitation, we would have been home to deter the intruder.”

  He swore. “Has she no sense? If you’d been there, you might have been burned in your bed like Peter.”

  “I know. But I didn’t tell her about Fields House, so she doesn’t understand the danger. Her reaction was unreasonable enough that I resigned. This was the result.” She stooped to retrieve the pieces of the jewelry casket.

  Andrew cursed himself for letting her return to Moorside after Sir Nigel’s funeral. From the moment he’d first seen Laura, his instincts had told him that she was dangerously unstable, but he hadn’t wanted to believe it.

  He’d been wrong. Something wasn’t right in Laura’s head, something that went beyond selfishness and self-pity, beyond a yen for adventure and a need for admiration. To put it bluntly, she was mad and might pose a danger to herself and to others.

  To distract his mind, he accepted the shards of the casket. It hadn’t actually broken. Age had loosened the pegs joining the corners, which had separated when the box hit the floor. So it could be reassembled.

  “The estate carpenter can repair this quite easily,” he said, fitting the pieces together, then restoring the contents.

  “Don’t bother. I must leave today.”

  “Why?” He moved to the fireplace so he was out of reach. His fingers were itching to remove her gown so he could explore every inch of her body.

  “Now that I’ve resigned, I’ve no reason to stay.”

  “Certainly you do. You are a neighbor and a longtime family friend. William will be unhappy if you miss his betrothal ball. And I will be devastated. I’d hoped we could share a waltz.”

  Where had those words come from? He hadn’t intended any such thing, for it would play havoc with his libido. But she could not leave yet. She had nowhere to go.

  “It would be scandalous if I danced so soon after Father’s death,” she reminded him.

  Disappointment swept over him, so profound that he nearly staggered. “I’ll have my sets anyway. How about the fourth and the sixth? I’ve already promised the third to Sarah.”

  She smiled. “You will have too many other obligations.”

  “Never. And don’t tell me I must dance every set,” he added, forestalling further protest. “My leg is too weak. We will talk.”

  “Very well. If you are sure William won’t object…”

  “He won’t. Henshaw can repair your jewelry box so it doesn’t come apart again.”

  “Thank you.”

  “You are welcome.” He paused. “Did Sally know anything helpful?”

  “Not much.” The change of subject seemed to settle her. “Last month Father paid the arrears in staff salaries and brought local merchant accounts up-to-date. Gramling was relieved, for the chandler had threatened to cut Fields House off. Sally has no idea where the money came from. She saw Father’s journal in the library on Saturday afternoon. Either he hid it, or someone took it afterward.”

  Peter or the intruder, he decided.

  “After Father’s funeral I collected a folio of animal prints Kevin had bequeathed me,” she continued. “I can’t imagine what anyone would want with them, but we’d better check. Attacking Moorside may have been an effort to retrieve something taken from Fields House.” She rummaged in her trunk until she found the folio.

  Andrew took half the prints to the window. Chloe worked at the dressing table. It took them half an hour to examine every page. The prints were beautifully tinted. But the folio contained nothing else, not even a margin note.

  “Take care of these,” he ordered when they finished. “This is a fine set and probably printed in limited quantity, making it valuable. I’m sure Kevin mentioned it once. Grayson could tell you about it. He collects such things. Some of his are quite valuable.”

  Ignoring her shock, he picked up the box and excused himself. He could not risk being caught in her bedchamber. The servants would be cleaning this floor soon.

  * * *

  Chapter 12

  Saturday

  Chloe folded her hands and pasted an attentive expression on her face – false, of course. She had little interest in Exeter gossip or the latest London scandals. Nor did she wish to draw attention to herself by participating in the discussion. Now that she was a guest rather than a companion, she felt even more out of place. Her one black gown was frayed and several years out of date. She could not wear her pearls during deep mourning. Lacking jewelry that was more suitable, she remained unadorned. Her hair was scraped back in her usual knot, unlike the curls and waves of the other ladies. Yet she could hardly command Sally’s services during the day. Sally worked for Seabrook Manor at the moment.

  The drawing room was full this afternoon with the addition of two dozen neighbors. Many more would attend tonight’s ball. The crowd made her uncomfortable, for it had been years since she’d shared space with so many people.

  Miss Truitt laughed at something Miss Sullivan said, drawing a wide grin from her father. He clearly doted on the girl. Chloe suffered a spurt of envy, for she had never found that sort of closeness with her own father.

  She already regretted yesterday’s decision to stay at Seabrook. She’d been uncomfortable ever since. Adequate breeding couldn’t overcome two years in service. Never mind that companions usually joined their employers in drawing rooms. Once they quit their post, that last remnant of consequence disappeared. She would never again be a carefree baronet’s daughter.

  Carefree?

  She nearly snorted. Carefree did not describe Sir Nigel’s unwanted daughter. The only carefree hours of her life had been those spent adventuring with Andrew, William, and Kevin. At home she had failed to meet even the minimal expectation of attaching a husband. Then she’d abandoned her class for life as a companion. In the eyes of the world, Chloe Fields was a disgrace.

  Lady Rockhurst laughed, pulling Chloe’s attention back to the drawing room.

  “It might seem funny now,” admitted Lady Grayson. “But I was not amused to find a snake in the wardrobe, however harmless.”

  “You’ll grow used to it,” said Lady Rockhurst. “Nicholas is bound to gift you with all sorts of creatures as he grows older. And once he discovers your love of animals…”

  “What was his nurse about to let him scare you so?” demanded Mrs. Truitt.

  “Nurse?” Lady Grayson seemed puzzled. Then she laughed. “Oh, dear. Nicholas wasn’t responsible this time. He’s barely eighteen months old. The snake was a gift from my husband.”

  “Gift!” Martha Truitt gasped.

  “Well, gift might be too generous. Grayson found it in the conservatory this morning. He put it in a sack, intending to release it in the woods so it wouldn’t return to the house. But when he set the sack down to change his clothes, it escaped. I found it in the wardrobe while changing for tea.”

  Chloe smiled. Lord Grayson shared his wife’s interest in natural history, so perhaps the snake incident wasn’t surprising. “At least he didn’t put it there on purpose, as Andrew used to do,” she said, joining the conversation. “Didn’t one of his pranks involve toads and a biscuit tin?”

  “Heavens! I’d forgotten that,” exclaimed Lady Rockhurst.

  “What?” demanded Lady Grayson. “No one ever mentioned toads.”

  “Not surprising. You were an infant at the time,” said Lady Rockhurst. “Andrew would have been about seven. We had a very strict nurse in those days, who laid down rigid rules. Anyone who broke one was denied biscuits with their afternoon chocolate.”

  “Did losing his treat make him angry?” asked Sarah.

  “Not exactly. He rarely earned biscuits and claimed not to care. But when Nurse opened the tin one day, two huge toads leaped out
, scaring her half to death.”

  “She deserved it,” drawled Andrew. “She only found fault with me so she could eat my share.”

  His sisters laughed.

  Chloe shook her head. “Don’t pretend you were perfect. I know better. Who was it who poured fish heads on Mr. Floyd’s doorstep so he tripped over a flock of gulls when he left for the market?”

  “Really?” Lady Grayson’s eyes widened. “I hadn’t heard that tale, either. It is obvious that I led a very sheltered childhood.”

  “At least I didn’t slip tonic into Mrs. Jessup’s tea,” said Andrew smugly. “She suffered dysentery for three days.”

  Chloe blushed. “That was not well done, I admit. But she was so very stuffy.”

  “Agreed.” Lady Grayson turned to Andrew. “Thomas must have inherited your love of mischief. The day after you left for the army, Laura’s ribbons turned up in the stable, fluttering from old Willow’s tail.”

  “I remember Father telling me about it,” said Lady Rockhurst, who had married Sarah’s father the year before Andrew bought colors. “Thomas thought that pony was the most beautiful creature on earth, so he primped its hair just as Laura primped hers. Father laughed himself blind, though he had to punish Thomas for taking the ribbons without permission.”

  Chloe gasped when she spotted Laura in the doorway. The fury blazing behind those blue eyes sent cold shivers down her back. The reminder of that ancient insult had pushed her over a precipice. And there was nothing Chloe could do about it.

  Laura cut Chloe dead, then began talking quite loudly to Miss Sullivan. “It’s disgraceful when servants intrude into polite society – especially those who have been turned off without a reference.”

  Chloe caught Andrew’s eye, silently pleading with him to do something.

  Miss Sullivan tried to escape, but Laura held her in place.

  “For heaven’s sake, Laura,” snapped Lady Grayson. “What idiot notion have you spawned now? Miss Fields has been a family friend for more than twenty years. Her breeding is every bit as good as yours.”

  Laura cut her sister as well. “Ignore her,” she commanded Miss Sullivan, pulling her into the center of the room. “Lady Grayson dares put on airs only in the country. London society banished her two years ago for the underhanded way she seduced Grayson away from his fiancée. Protecting a trollop will ruin her completely. Yes, a trollop,” she repeated loudly when Chloe choked. “After finding her lover’s letters, I had to turn her off. Liaisons cannot be tolerated. And to think that I welcomed her into my home!”