“Yes, your grace. I will. Thank you for bestowing this honor on me. I am grateful.”
The Duke nodded, moving his eyes back to the still figure on the bed. The two men stood there until Constance and the Duchess stood up, leaving the bed and approaching them together.
“Good afternoon, Joshua,” the Duchess kept her voice low, as her husband had done.
“Good afternoon, your grace.”
“I am glad you have come. Constance was pleased that Bella is comfortable with you. She says you know enough about plants to recognize any reactions one might have to one that is not helping.”
Realization dawned on Joshua. It wasn’t that Bella had specifically asked for him but that she had agreed and probably supplied his name when Constance mentioned any side effects her herbal remedies might have.
“Yes, my lady. I do know what bad reactions look like.”
“And you also know how to apply the salve and to keep it from reacting further?” Constance, the herbal doctor, asked. Her voice was high and nasally but she tried her best to keep it down.
“I do. Is Miss Bella sleeping?”
“She is. However, when she awakens, she will want to see a friendly face. That will be you for the time being,” the Duchess replied, nodding. “Thank you for coming up and spending your time with our daughter. She needs a friend right now.”
The two women turned to glance back over their shoulders at the sleeping girl. For the first time since he had come in, Joshua could see her face. It was barely lit by the lantern on the table next to her. He had never seen such a beautiful sleeping woman in his life.
“It is truly my pleasure, my lady. I hate to see Miss Bella in such a state. She is a sweet girl.”
The Duchess nodded. “She certainly is. We love her very much.”
Joshua almost said, “I do, as well”, but stopped himself just in time.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
JOSHUA LEARNS THE TRUTH
JOSHUA LEARNS THE TRUTH
The days passed slowly for Bella and Joshua. He stayed with her as often as he could, but they were both aware that her brothers were watching closely and the other servants were beginning to take notice. The maids were giving him peculiar looks and he’d seen them whispering behind their hands a few times.
A full week after she had first taken ill, Bella was still in the bed, her fever reoccurring several times and her pain increasing. She complained of a stomachache at one moment, then a headache the next. Her eyes would go out of focus and she would linger in between consciousness and unconsciousness.
It was concerning to all who cared for her.
Called from his duties in the garden, Joshua met Andrew at the front door and was handed a small folded letter with the Seal of Humbridge stamped on the outside.
“Take this up to Miss Bella, Joshua,” Andrew said.
“You wish for me to take it up there?” Joshua asked in surprise.
“His grace asked for you specifically.”
Joshua blinked rapidly, taking the letter from the old butler’s hand. “All right.”
He crossed the foyer to the curved staircase on quiet feet, stopping at the bottom when he heard whispered voices coming from one of the far rooms. His instincts told him something was not right. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure Andrew had left the foyer. Then he stepped around the curved staircase and moved silently to stand outside the cracked door to the study belonging to the Duke.
“I am telling you there is something off,” he heard Patricia’s voice.
“I think she is just trying to help me with my duties.” It was Bess in the room with Patricia.
“But every time I go in there with her, Miss Bella’s reaction is sour. She does not want to see Elena.”
“I had not noticed that.”
“Well, I certainly have. Why are we now moved from the kitchen to housekeeping? Why are you not in full charge of Miss Bella? It should be you in there with her, not Joshua. Why would a gardener be caring for the young mistress of the house? Something is wrong. I can feel it in my bones.”
“Joshua didn’t ask for those duties,” Bess responded. Her defense brought a smile to Joshua’s face. “And I don’t think Elena means any harm.”
“Next time, you go in there with Elena, you should watch Miss Bella’s face. She does not like Elena.”
“I usually don’t go in there with Elena. She always takes up the trays for me.”
Joshua frowned. Why would Elena be taking the food trays up to Bella? It was not her job. It was Bess’s job, as Bella’s personal maid.
“What I don’t understand,” Bess continued. “Is why Miss Bella keeps feeling better and then getting worse. She is feeling fine one day and the next, she can barely sit up. It hurts me to see her that way. She such a sweet thing. I have always enjoyed being her personal servant. It gives me pleasure to see her laughing and smiling.”
“Yes, she is a fine girl and will be an even finer lady. She will make a fantastic baroness.”
Joshua moved away from the door and went back to go up the stairs. He kept his head down, thinking about what he had heard. Why would Elena be volunteering to take Bella her food? He knew for a fact the maid did not care for Bella. Also, if Bella’s reaction to Elena in her room was anything like Patricia had said, Elena was not wanted in there.
He would have to put an end to this, now that he knew what was going on. It seemed Elena was only trying to bother Bella and he wasn’t going to have that. He would speak to one of the brothers and explain that Elena was not wanted in Bella’s room. That would settle things. He was certain the brothers would listen to him and take action.
He reached the top of the stairs and saw Elena standing with her back to him. In front of her, a waist high table held a vase with flowers from his garden and a silver tray holding a bowl of soup and a cup of tea. He stood in silence, watching her. She pulled a small vial from her pocket, pulled out the tiny stopper, and dropped some of the powder it held into the soup. She stirred the soup with the spoon after pushing the stopper back into the small vial.
She dropped the vial back into her pocket and bent slightly to pick up the tray. When she turned, she looked directly into his eyes and stopped short.
“J… Joshua… I… I didn’t see you there.”
Joshua’s jaw was clenched tight. He stepped up onto the second-floor landing and walked to her with firm steps. He could feel the rage flowing through him, making him feel hot. Elena was staring at him with open, innocent eyes. He stopped when he was close enough to kiss her. He bent over and put his hand into the pocket of her apron, pulling out the vial.
Without looking at it, he held it up in front of her face.
“What is this, Elena?” he hissed.
“It… it’s just… medicine… that… I was told to give her.” Elena said in a shaking voice. He narrowed his eyes and tried to relieve himself of the urge to punch her in her face.
“You are a liar.” He was so angry, he was shaking. “You have been putting something in Miss Bella’s food, haven’t you, Elena? Do not lie to me. Do not lie.”
“I… I…” Elena tried to stammer something out. He could see her mind was working quickly as she tried to come up with an excuse for what she had been doing. After a few minutes, he saw her relax and a small grin came to her pale, thin lips. “I will not lie to you. It is my own special concoction. I use it to get rid of rodents. The kitchen is filled with them. The house is filled with them.”
Joshua understood her meaning. She was insulting Bella with broad strokes.
“I am simply trying to rid the house of the pests.”
He wanted to strangle her. He pictured Bella in her bed, writhing in pain, unable to eat or drink, complaining of the stomachache, the headache. He had held her while she vomited. She was losing weight rapidly and becoming paler by the day.
Joshua bent over even further, so that his face was directly in front of her. “I will kill you.”
Elena�
�s eyes opened wide and she took a step back, bumping into the small table behind her.
“No you will not, Joshua Foster. You will go to prison or be executed and then you will never see your precious Bella again.”
“I will tell the Duke and Duchess what you have done. You will be the one who is executed.”
Elena narrowed her eyes and gave him a haughty look. “You won’t do that. Because if you do, I will tell them what you have been doing to their daughter every night while she’s been sleeping. I will tell them how you have taken advantage of her in her state. You will be executed or banished. You will never see her again. She will hate you and she will be an embarrassment to her family, her reputation ruined.”
Joshua’s anger made his face turn beet red. He clenched his fists, trying desperately to keep from pounding the woman in front of him down to the ground and throwing her down the stairs. He pictured it and it gave him some satisfaction. However, there would be no satisfaction like actually doing it.
“How could you do such an evil thing to a sweet girl like Bella?” He asked, trying to stall for time while he thought of something to do, some way to get out of this mess.
“You are in love with her. She is in love with you. But you are mine and I won’t let her have you.” Elena said it as though it were a fact. “You will love me, eventually. I will see to it that you do.”
“You… I… you cannot make someone love you just because you want them to.”
“I will have you, Joshua.”
“You will not poison Miss Bella anymore,” Joshua held his fists at his sides. “You will not hurt her anymore.”
“How will you stop me?”
“I will find a way.”
“You can only do that if you are either with her every moment or with me every moment. Which one will you choose? You cannot be with her every moment because she is betrothed to another. If she makes it that long.”
Rage ran through him. He was never so close to throwing a woman to the ground as he was at that moment. His jaw clenched and he struggled to gain control of his temper. He felt completely helpless. Even if he told the Duke and Duchess what he’d seen, what were the chances they would believe him? What if they believed Elena’s lies about his behavior when left alone with Bella?
“I have done nothing to Miss Bella. Nothing. I would never lay a finger on her to ruin her reputation or her virtue.”
“I can still say it, can’t I? I can tell everyone. Everyone in Bainbridge. Even if some do not believe me, others will. Her reputation will be tarnished forever. And so will yours.”
Elena knew she had him. His breathing was harsh and ragged. “What must I do to stop you from doing this?” He asked in as level a tone as he could manage.
She grinned, a look that made him want to smack her.
“You will give me the attention you give her. You will give me the love that you give her.”
“I cannot make myself love you,” he hissed. “It is not possible.”
“You will have to try. I do not care if you are pretending. I want you and I want your love. I will have it, one way or another. If you want to save her reputation and that of this family, you will do what I say.”
It was the last thing he wanted to do. He began to shake. He ran his hands through his blond hair and closed his eyes, taking a step away from her.
“It is the only thing you can do, Joshua.”
“I cannot stay away from her as long as the Duke and Duchess want me to be with her. I make her happy.” He added the last sentence to irritate Elena. It had the desired effect but it was a small satisfaction when he knew he had no other choice but to give Elena what she wanted. He would sacrifice himself so that Bella would be saved.
“You cannot poison Bella any longer. You will stay away from her. You will let Bess take her food and drink. You will not go in her room any longer.”
“I will stop.” Elena said. “You have my word.”
Your word means nothing to me, Joshua thought. He nodded in agreement without speaking.
Elena picked up the tray as if she was about to take it into Bella’s room. Joshua reacted quickly, knocking the tray out of her hands, causing the soup and tea to spill out onto the ground. Elena made a small squeaking sound, her eyes widening. She looked up at him.
“You will not take that soup into her room. I will get a new tray and bring it up to her. I want to speak to her before you put this plan into motion.”
Elena looked surprised but nodded. “All right, Joshua. First you must promise me that you will not say anything about what I’ve been doing. It will not end well for you, if you do. I will tell everyone…”
“I said I will do as you ask. As long as you leave her alone and stay away from her.”
“You have my word.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
JONATHAN’S LETTER AND THE HYDRANGEAS
JONATHAN’S LETTER AND THE HYDRANGEAS
Joshua felt sick to his stomach. He entered the room after retrieving a second bowl of soup and cup of tea from the kitchen. He told Cook the tray had spilled and he was to fetch a new one. Bett thought nothing of it, quickly making a new tray for Bella.
He went up the stairs and passed by Patricia and Elena, who were cleaning the mess from the spilled food and drink, without saying a word. The women looked up at him as he went. Patricia’s face was pleasant but Elena gave him a warning look. He struggled to keep a sneer from showing, as Patricia was also looking up at him.
His heart beat faster as he approached the bed. Bella was sleeping and he didn’t want to wake her. The light from the lantern on the table flickered off her beautiful face and he gazed at her for a moment. He would have given anything to kiss her soft lips and hold her in his arms.
He set the tray down, moving the small bottles of liquid to make room for it. Then he sat on the edge of the bed. He remembered that he had been given a message from Lord Humbridge and pulled it from his pocket. He stared down at it.
Life had taken a turn down a broken path. Lord Humbridge would return. He would marry the precious Bella when she recovered… if she recovered. He would be stuck with the evil Elena and would be miserable for the rest of his life.
His eyes moved up to scan her sleeping profile. He would sit by her side until she woke. He didn’t care how long it took.
Bella stirred twenty minutes later, rolling over on her side and opening her eyes. When she saw Joshua was sitting there, looking forlorn, she sucked in a gasp and blinked to wake herself up.
“Joshua,” her voice was warm. The sound of his name coming from her lips almost made tears come to Joshua’s eyes. He held back the sting of emotion and leaned forward a little.
“How are you faring, my dear?”
“I feel better now that you are here,” she responded, though she still looked like she was in pain.
“I’m glad I can bring you comfort, Bella. I have a letter here from Lord Humbridge. Would you like for me to read it to you?” He didn’t really want to read what the man had to say to his fiancé. Nevertheless, he had to offer.
“Please do.” Bella’s voice was soft.
Joshua broke the seal and unfolded the paper to see a slightly slanted but very neat handwriting scrawled across the page from top to bottom.
“I must turn up the lantern so that I can see it. Watch your eyes.”
Bella lifted one hand and placed it in front of her eyes, shading them from the lantern. Joshua reached out and turned it up slightly so he could read the words written on the paper.
“My dear Bella,” he began, keeping his voice light and soft. He leaned forward so that she could hear him. “I arrived in London and have joined the search for my cousin, Sean. When you receive this letter, I will be scouring the streets of London and the outskirts of the city. We have several clues left behind by the perpetrators of this crime. It does appear that he has been taken against his will and did not leave on his own accord. I miss you very much and cannot wait to see your sweet face a
gain. I long to hold you in my arms and hear your lovely voice. I hope you are doing well and have recovered from your fainting spell. I know that you are busy planning the wedding. I look forward to seeing what you have done. Please write back to me as soon as you are able. I will return to Bainbridge as soon as I am able. Take care, my sweet Annabella, you are the light of my life, the stars in my night sky, and the sun on a bright, clear day. What would I do without you, my dear? I will be as safe as possible in my search. I love you, dear one, I adore you. Truly yours, Jonathan.”
Joshua concluded the letter, proud that he had been able to keep his voice from shaking as he read it. He wanted to cry, if only because the words could easily have been his. He wanted to confide in Bella, tell her what had happened with Elena, and how he was now being forced to sacrifice his love for her in order to save her from the vicious gossip and rumors that would circulate if Elena spread her evil lies about the two of them. However, he could not. In her condition, he was sure Bella would not be able to handle it. She was going to need some time for the poison to leave her system.
His thoughts brought to mind an idea. He would have to talk to Constance, the herbal doctor. He would take her into his confidence and ask her what type of medicines could be used to rid sweet Bella of the toxins that had permeated her body. He did not have to be completely forthcoming. He could say it was for someone else exhibiting similar symptoms. Even if Constance thought Bella had been poisoned, it would not be him that was blamed.
Joshua also considered the fact that he could possibly do something to rid himself and Bella of the troubling Elena. He did not want to take the woman’s life. He was not a murderer. He determined to think of a plan, to take his time, and come up with some way to expose Elena without giving her the chance to spread her lies and gossip.
“He is a lovely man,” Bella said, breathlessly.
“You must rest, Bella.”
The Lady’s Dangerous Love_The BainBridge_Love & Challenges_The Regency Romance Story Page 11