“How frightful.” Bella shook her head, looking down as Patricia set a bowl of soup in front of her. “Thank you, Patricia.” She was glad it was not Elena serving their food. She didn’t want to see that woman.
“You’re welcome, Miss.” Patricia’s tone of voice was odd, making Bella look up at her. The maid was not looking at her. She watched as Patricia set a bowl down in front of Cameron and then retreat from the room without another word.
“How odd.” She said. “Do you think Patricia is acting odd?” She leaned over, jostling Cameron’s elbow with her own. He had already started spooning soup into his mouth. He looked at her, glanced at the closed kitchen door and then back to Bella. He shook his head, swallowing.
“I didn’t notice, Bella, But don’t put too much stock in the servants. They have their own things to worry about, their own lives. You have something you need to be concentrating on, don’t you? Don’t worry about them.”
Bella was a little surprised by the good advice from her younger brother. She nodded and set her mind to do just what he said. Their lives were their own and there was only one person she needed to be concerned about other than herself.
Joshua.
She moved her eyes to look through the window, gazing at him as he moved through the garden. Cameron followed her eyes.
“Bella, you should not be concerning yourself with him right now either,” he dropped his voice so that his words would not be overheard by his parents, who were once again talking to Tyler.
“How can I not be concerned about him? I have much to think about.”
“I know how you are feeling but you must consider the consequences of your actions. If you think first before you act, your actions will be more valuable.”
“You are becoming a wise young old man, my brother,” Bella said. “Thank you for your advice. But there is much more going on in my mind that is unknown to you.”
He shook his head. “No, I doubt that. You are an open book to me, sister. I don’t mind it. However, I can see what is going on with you clear as day. I wonder, what will be in your letter to Jonathan? Will you reveal your true heart to him? Or will you wait to see him again before you present this information to him?”
“I do not want to write a letter about this. I want to speak with him directly.”
“He will be back soon, I hope?” Cameron continued devouring his soup as though it was the best meal he had ever eaten.
“I do not know. That is one question I will pose to him in my letter. I do hope he is safe. I did not know the circumstances behind the kidnapping of Lord Duffy. Do you think he is safe?”
Cameron’s eyes opened wide and he stared at Bella. “There is no way I would know. I am not familiar with foreign affairs or the ministry that deals with it. I was unaware that Lord Duffy was even on the board of council.”
“Will you be inviting Joshua to the dance tonight?”
“I doubt he will come.”
Cameron shrugged. “He has always come to the others. I see no reason why he wouldn’t tonight. Be careful, sister. If you dance with him, there will be talk. And not just among the servants.”
“What makes you say that?”
“The way you feel about him is obvious to anyone who knows you.”
Bella moved her eyes to her parents quickly, feeling a pang of nervous anxiety.
“Oh, they don’t know yet.” Cameron said. “You have hidden it well. It is somewhat surprising that so much can go on and Mama and Papa are unaware of it all.”
Bella was glad that Tyler and Steven were distracting her parents with a deep conversation about the investigative procedures the brothers and James Ellingham had employed to get to the bottom of the vandalism going on in Bainbridge. Cameron was right. They were easily fooled. It made Bella feel guilty.
“I want to tell them.”
Cameron shook his head. “I would not suggest that. Not yet. They will come to find out in due time. For now, do not say anything. It would not be productive for you or for Joshua.”
“I fear they will dismiss him.”
“I do not think they will.”
“Jonathan would provide many business opportunities and quite a few connections that Papa can use to further his own business. He may be angry to lose those.”
“No. He will not be angry. He only wants you to be happy. But until Jonathan returns, it is best to keep this whole thing quiet.”
“You think that is wise?”
“I do.”
Bella pressed her lips together, realizing her soup had gotten cold while she was talking. Cameron’s was gone. He grinned at her, noticing that her bowl was still nearly full. “Cold soup is better than no soup.” He said.
She stuck her tongue out at him.
“Bella!” She turned to see her mother’s wide pretty smile. “You are a young lady. You should not behave like a small child.”
“I may be a young lady on the outside,” Bella said. “But in here…” she tapped her temple. “I’m still just a little girl.”
“Only when it comes to dealing with your brothers, I hope.” Her mother replied, the smile never leaving her face.
“Of course. She will always be our baby sister. Even Cameron’s, though he is younger than she!” Tyler’s remarks sparked another round of chuckles at the table.
Bella pulled in a deep breath and ate a few spoonfuls of the cold soup. She decided she didn’t want it and pushed the bowl away from her. Patricia would come back and pick it up when she brought the next course for their meal.
Movement outside drew her attention. She narrowed her eyes, watching Elena walking past the row of bushes and going through the small gate into the garden. Bella couldn’t hear what she was saying but it appeared Elena called to Joshua. Joshua turned to look at her and Bella was taken aback by the look on his face. She remembered the stolen kiss and the look on his face verified that it was unwanted. He looked like he wanted to do harm to Elena, his scowl was so intense.
Elena stopped a few feet away from him. She moved her arms as she spoke, flipping her hands around. Joshua sneered and turned his back to her. Elena took a few steps closer and slapped Joshua flat on his back. Joshua spun around and moved close enough to Elena to kiss her but that was not his intention.
Bella stood up, watching the scene playing out before her. The motion made the rest of the family turn to look through the window.
“Lover’s quarrel?” The Duchess asked innocently. “Don’t stare, children. It’s rude.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
JOSHUA AND ELENA HAVE AN ARGUMENT
JOSHUA AND ELENA HAVE AN ARGUMENT
Joshua was angry as he sifted through the remnants of flower stems and petals. He and Cameron had done a fairly good job cleaning up but the dirt was so disturbed, it was soft and loose. He wanted to rebuild it the same way it had been, spelling out Bella’s name, but was worried that Elena would destroy it again or wreak her havoc among the villagers like she threatened to do.
When she came up behind him and called his name, he cringed. He stood up and turned to look at her. “What do you want from me, Elena?”
“I want your attention. I don’t know why you fail to remember that.”
“You destroyed this flower creation, didn’t you?”
“I tire of seeing her name everywhere, hearing her name spoken on the lips of everyone in such an admiring way. It is difficult enough to work for the girl and see her every day.”
“I wish you would find another place of employment,” Joshua grumbled and turned his back to her. Her slap on his back stung his skin and he winced. He spun around and moved into her space. She looked frightened, staring up at him. He lowered his head and growled at her, “If you ever touch me like that again, you will find out what a man does to a cruel shrew. I will not tolerate it.”
“I… I am sorry, Joshua. I… just want your atten…”
“So I have heard.” He didn’t step back until he was sure she was scared enough not to
slap him again. “I am not your whipping boy. I am not your lover. I will never love you.”
“I deserve love and attention,” Elena pouted, crossing her arms over her chest and lowering her head.
“We all deserve it. But we don’t get to force it on someone who is unwilling to return it. What a miserable life you must lead, Elena. You have no compassion for anyone, not even yourself. You wish to strap yourself to a man who does not love you.”
“You were giving me attention before Bella was betrothed. I want it again.”
“I did not realize it was going to lead to such disaster,” Joshua replied, turning back to tend to his plants. “I was confused. I am sorry if you feel I played with your emotions. It was not my intention.”
“It is a cruel thing to make someone fall in love with you when you do not intend to return it.”
“I am not responsible for how you feel. If you fell in love with me, it is of your own doing. I had nothing to do with it.”
“You were always so nice to me. Until…” Elena didn’t bother to repeat herself. “I just want it to be how it was before.”
Joshua’s scowl made him look much older than he was. He didn’t want to look at her so he continued talking without doing so. “You are a vicious animal, Elena. You tried to kill Bella, you destroyed this beautiful garden out of spite, you are cruel and vindictive and I want nothing to do with you now. It would be my pleasure if you were to drop off the edge of the earth.”
“That is a very hurtful thing to say,” Elena continued pouting but Joshua wanted nothing to do with it. He shook his head.
“I have only spoken the truth.”
“If you truly feel that way, I can always proceed with my plan to…”
Before she could finish, Joshua turned, grabbed her by the arm and pulled her close to him, once again bringing their faces close together. He could smell onions and garlic on her breath. He recoiled in disgust. “You are a horrible woman, Elena. I will not tolerate this. If you try to harm Bella in any way, you will be the one who will pay the price. I will make sure everyone knows exactly what you are doing. Shall we make a wager on who will be believed?”
“You have nothing you can say about me.”
“I am not the only one who sees what you are doing, Elena. Do you think every other servant is blind? Do you think they are your friends? You stay in a room with the other two kitchen maids. Do you think they do not observe you? You think we are all ignorant and stupid. But we aren’t.”
“I…”
“There is nothing you can say. I am warning you now, Elena. If you try to harm Bella, you will be the one to pay the price.”
“She is going to marry Lord Humbridge and leave you behind. You will be alone and lonely and sad. You will need someone to comfort you.”
“That someone will not be you.”
“It surely won’t be anyone else. No one else at this estate will have you. Not after they know of your bad behavior.”
“Again with threats. You must learn your place, Elena.”
Since the pouting had not worked, Elena turned to sneering. “Surely you jest. I am in my place. It is you who has strayed, putting on airs, thinking you are better than the rest of us. In time you will see it is not me who has placed you in this position, but Bella. She is the one to blame for all of this. She agrees to marry a lord so that she can further her family’s wealth and then decides she wants to lie down in a bed of deceit with her gardener. She is the one who is behaving badly. Not me.”
Joshua looked stunned. He took a step back, staring at her as if she had turned a different color. “Are you hysterical? Have you no idea what you have done? You caused physical harm to that girl and she has done nothing to you. She has been good to you, her family has been good to you, and no one has made you suffer. You nearly killed her because of your jealousy. She deserves none of this!”
“She does not deserve what she has.”
“You don’t deserve to be living in this house. You should leave. You should seek employment elsewhere.”
“I will do no such thing. This is my home. I will not leave.”
“This is not your home. It is her home.”
“And you seek to make it yours in the same manner. You would not be interested in her if not for her wealth. You seek only the power and money.”
Joshua put both hands up to his head. He could not fathom the woman’s stupidity and arrogance. She did not see what she had done was wrong. He didn’t understand how anyone could attempt to murder a young woman and still think what they were doing was right.
“I cannot talk to you anymore. I cannot believe your stupidity and arrogance.” He began walking toward the small gate to leave the garden, passing her by without touching her. She reached out to him and he pulled away. “Do not touch me, wench. I want nothing to do with you.”
“If you do not show me more kindness, I will go to the Duke and Duchess tonight and tell them how you violated their daughter.”
Joshua stopped, keeping his back to her. He balled up his hands into fists and held them at his side. For the first time that afternoon, he looked up through the window into the dining room and saw Bella standing there. She was at the window, in fact, having left the table behind. She had both hands pressed up against the glass and the most beautiful expression of concern was plastered on her face. His heart melted. His anger dissolved. He would do anything for her. Anything.
He turned back around and gave Elena a stern look. “I will not let you harm Bella. By words or action. You must leave her alone.”
“I will only leave her alone if you give me what I desire. Kiss me, Joshua. I want you to kiss me. Right now, in front of her.”
Joshua stared at Elena. He remembered the look on Bella’s face when she had found them in the stables. He never intended to kiss the woman. Bella was the only one he wanted to kiss. The memory of the one and only time they had shared such intimacy, just before she was poisoned, was burned into his mind and heart. He had never felt such overwhelming love for a woman in his life.
“I will not kiss you in front of her. I told you, I will not harm her and will not let you harm her. That would cause emotional damage to her.”
“You truly think she loves you?” Elena sneered.
“I know that she does.”
“How do you know? Has she told you?”
“Yes, she has.”
“And I suppose you told her you love her, as well?”
“Of course I did. It was something she needed to know. She needed to know my intentions are not to harm her.”
“Do you plan to attend the dance tonight?”
“I had not decided.”
“She will be dancing with the men from town. How will that make you feel?”
“She will not be dancing with anyone.”
“Surely she will.”
“She is not well enough to dance. She was poisoned. By you. Do you fail to remember that? She is still weak. I do not know if she will even be attending.”
“You and I will be there. You will dance with me.”
“You have not learned that your demands do not sit well with me. I will do what I want to do. I am not a toy or a child to direct. You have no control over me.”
“As long as I am here, I have enough control.”
Joshua shook his head. “I am done with this conversation. Do not follow me. I need time to myself. I need time to think.”
“Don’t you have work to do?”
Joshua turned around and stomped away from her, wanting to look up at Bella but avoiding it. Her brothers had surrounded her and even the Duchess was standing at the window. Everyone had seen the argument between himself and Elena. He was ashamed. His cheeks burned and his head was beginning to hurt. He would have given anything for a strong drink.
He made up his mind that a drink was just what he needed. He was ready to feel the high that came from consuming alcohol. It was a temporary way to put a damper on the emotions surging through h
im.
He went toward the stables. The Groom, Barnaby, always kept a bottle of whiskey in his small room. Joshua knew he would share it with him. He thought about telling Barnaby all that was going on and getting his advice. Surely he knew what Elena was like, too, though he kept mostly to himself.
“I will see you tonight, Joshua!” Elena called out behind him. He pictured himself slapping her face and smiled.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
THE DANCE
THE DANCE
Bella sat in a chair near her parents, watching their guests dance around the room. Joshua had been correct that she would do no dancing. Not only was she not feeling well enough to do so, she was betrothed to Lord Humbridge and no one wanted to upset him. She was not even approached. She watched the townspeople spin around the room, admiring the beautiful dress Lady Wiltshire was wearing. She observed the visitor staring over the shoulder of the man she was currently dancing with, her eyes directed towards Bella’s brothers and James Ellingham, who were standing off to the side, deep in conversation. When James glanced over and caught the woman’s eye, the look on his face changed to a look that Bella recognized.
It was the same way Joshua looked at her.
“Well, isn’t that interesting,” she murmured.
“What is, my dear?” Her mother was suddenly by her side. She pulled a nearby chair closer to her daughter and sat down.
“Have you met Lady Wiltshire?”
“Yes, I have. I had a nice conversation with her when she first arrived. She is an intelligent woman. I think she may be interested in one of the boys. Nick is closest to her in age. But Tyler would be good for her, too.”
“I don’t think it’s the boys she is interested in. Not one of my brothers anyway.”
“Oh? Why do you say that?”
“She is looking at James Ellingham like she wants to run to him and throw her arms around him. Perhaps give him a very long kiss.” The memory of her kiss with Joshua flashed through her mind, making her feel very warm inside. She grinned, enjoying the pleasurable feeling.
The Lady’s Dangerous Love_The BainBridge_Love & Challenges_The Regency Romance Story Page 16