Fentiman looked down and simply nodded.
He did not know how he would tell the Earl about the announcement they had all seen in the paper just before Christmas.
As they waited the Earl fidgeted nervously.
“Has Miss Parker been in contact with you?
“No, my Lord. We have not seen her for a while. I believe pressing family matters have been occupying her.”
“No matter – she will be waiting at home for me, I expect. Perhaps she is ill.”
Fentiman could not meet his eyes.
The Earl felt the cold grip of fear around his heart. He tried to push to the back of his mind that her last letter had been in November and there had been nothing since.
“Come, my Lord. Please climb into the carriage. Your luggage is approaching.”
Once the luggage was loaded, Fentiman went to get up on the box next to the coachman.
“No, Fentiman, you will travel inside with me. It looks as if it might rain.”
“Very good, my Lord,” he muttered reluctantly.
The carriage started off and silence weighed heavy between the two men.
“Have I missed anything while I was away?”
“We had to dismiss one of the housemaids and your mother has had to engage a new lady’s maid, my Lord. A new foal has been born to one of the mares – and the Vicar fell asleep during afternoon tea with your mother.”
The Earl laughed.
“Then not much has changed! But tell me, is there no other news?”
“No, my Lord. Village gossip and tittle-tattle, but nothing to trouble yourself with.”
“And Miss Parker, you have seen her?”
“No, my Lord.”
“She has not visited my Mama?”
“No, my Lord.”
“That is most peculiar. What ails her?”
“I could not say, my Lord.”
Fentiman’s look was grave and unsettled.
The Earl felt his throat tightening. Try as he might, he could not quell the fear rising in his heart.
He became impatient for the carriage to arrive back at the castle and fell into silence.
As soon as they drew to a halt by the front entrance, the door burst open and out came Grimm, his butler, and, it seemed, most of the castle servants.
They all cheered as a footman opened the carriage door and there, in the middle of them, was his mother.
“Robert, darling!” she cried and rushed to him.
She embraced him warmly and kissed his cheeks.
“You look so handsome!” she said, taking his face between her hands, “and much more distinguished! I want to hear everything about India – the people, the sights you saw – everything!”
“All in good time, Mother. What has happened to Lilliana, she was not at the quayside to meet me.”
His mother’s face wore a pained expression. She took his hand and urged him quietly,
“Darling, come inside. I have some brandy in my sitting room.”
The Earl swallowed hard – he knew at once then that things were not right.
Closing the door behind them his mother poured out two small glasses of brandy and handed him one.
“Darling,” she began, “you have been away a long time – nearly a year. And it is a long time for a beautiful young girl like Lilliana to be on her own.”
“But Mother, we promised each other – ”
“Robert, there is no easy way to tell you this, so I will be blunt. Lilliana is engaged to Lord Farringdon. It was announced just before Christmas and the wedding is set for three weeks time. There was an announcement in The Times if you would care to see it.”
She picked up the newspaper and handed it to him.
The words swam before his eyes.
“No! It cannot be!” he bawled. “We were secretly engaged before I left. I had asked her to be my wife!”
Shaking he picked up a small figurine and threw it into the fire. It smashed with a resounding bang.
“Darling, why ever did you not announce it? You didn’t even tell me!”
“I didn’t for fear my Commanding Officer would force me to relinquish my Commission.”
“Did you give her a ring? Did you speak with her father?”
“No,” he replied quietly, shaking his head. “I did not. We agreed that it would be a secret just between us.”
“Then the betrothal is not binding. She is young – surely you could not expect her to wait for you when she did not even have a ring as a token of your promise?”
“But, Mother, she said that she loved me! And her letters were full of love! I understand now why I did not receive anything from her since November. Oh, Mother, what am I going to do?”
He fell to his knees and began to shake with sobs.
“I have lost her! I have lost her! Without her, I am nothing!”
The Countess tried her best to comfort him, but he tore himself away from her embrace.
Without another word, he rushed out of the sitting room.
The next thing the Countess heard was the sound of the lock of his bedroom door turning and next a dreadful wailing echoed throughout the house.
The Earl refused to come out of his room for days on end. Trays of food were left outside and remained there untouched.
The Countess summoned the doctor, who attempted to talk to him through the locked door, but to no avail.
“He has a broken heart,” she confided, “but he will recover.”
*
Meanwhile Lilliana spent long hours gazing out of the window in London, wondering if the Earl had heard the news. She had written to her mother to see if he had called and was somewhat distressed to find that he had not.
Then one day she could bear it no longer.
She waited until Mrs. Lock had gone out and Lord Farringdon was at a meeting in Bond Street, and then she took up some sheets of paper and wrote to the Earl.
She poured out her heart – telling him everything. From her first meeting with Lord Farringdon to her father’s arrest and his subsequent release on condition she agreed to marry Lord Farringdon.
“My darling,” she finished, “I ask you to come and rescue me from a fate worse than death. I am currently in London at his house in Park Street. If you can find a way for us to be together, then I will do anything. Do not doubt for an instant that I love you as much as I did that day in the garden. My heart is yours and yours alone.”
Folding the paper over and sealing it, Lilliana held the letter aloft and kissed it. Without further ado she rang for Antoinette.
Her heart was beating wildly as she waited for the girl to appear in the drawing room.
At last she entered and bobbed a curtsy.
“Yes, Miss Lilliana?”
“Antoinette, will you take this letter and post it for me immediately? Please be discreet – I don’t wish Lord Farringdon to know what you are doing.”
“Bien sur,” she said compliantly. “I will go now.”
She understood immediately what her Mistress was asking her to do and why.
She left and Lilliana heard the front door close.
‘Thank goodness!’ she now sighed. ‘When Robert receives the letter, I know he will spring into action. If there is anyone who can help me, it is he!’
But she was not to know that fate was not smiling upon her that particular day.
No sooner had Antoinette left the house, than she walked straight into Mrs. Lock.
“Antoinette,” she called, eyeing her suspiciously, “what are you doing out of the house?”
“I am going for a walk.”
“To my knowledge, it is not your afternoon off, so I will ask you again. What are you doing out on the street?”
“Running an errand for my Mistress. She fears she has a cold coming and I am going out for some Beecham’s Powders.”
Mrs. Lock gave her hard stare.
“There are two packets of Beecham’s Powders in the cupboard. There is no need to go a
nd buy more.”
Fine beads of sweat broke out on Antoinette’s face.
She was terrified of this awful woman, who had, out of her Mistress’s earshot, threatened to beat her.
“You are lying,” snarled Mrs. Lock. “I can see it in your face. What is it that you conceal in your bag?”
If Antoinette could have made the letter disappear, then she would, but Mrs. Lock was too quick for her.
She snatched the thin cotton bag from her hand and pulled open the strings.
“Just as I thought,” she said with a look of triumph. “A letter from your Mistress to a gentleman! The Earl of Sherborne, eh? His Lordship will be wanting to see this.”
She took the girl’s arm and pinched it so hard that Antoinette cried out in pain.
“You sly little minx! You don’t fool me! I have seen through your crafty ways. All you Frenchies are the same!”
Mrs. Lock marched her back towards the house.
Antoinette was weeping as she dragged her into the drawing room and they awaited Lord Farringdon’s return.
An hour later Mrs. Lock hauled her up in front of him and told him what she had found. His face went white and then red with rage as he read the contents of the letter.
His breathing came in shallow noisy bursts and his eyes bulged as he crumpled the letter in his hand.
Taking up his walking stick, he raised it high above his head and brought it down on the back of the sobbing Antoinette.
“Make a fool of me, will you? Disobey my strict instructions not to leave the house or run errands for your Mistress, will you? I will teach you!”
She fell to the floor as the cane struck once more.
“Mrs. Lock, throw this untrustworthy wretch out on to the street – I don’t want to see her ever again!”
Mrs. Lock grabbed the crying girl and dragged her out of the room.
‘I will not allow anyone to disobey me!’ he fumed, pacing up and down. ‘I must ensure that Lilliana does not see a soul in future. If necessary I shall confine her to the house. How dare she make a mockery of me!’
His eyes glittered cold as he re-read the letter.
“She will never leave me – never!” he cried, curling his fist into a ball and clenching his teeth. “She is mine!”
*
Lilliana was in her room when Antoinette burst in, tears pouring down her face.
The blood drained from Lilliana’s face.
“Oh, miss!” howled a sobbing Antoinette. “I have been dismissed! It is his Lordship – he has the letter!”
“How did this happen?” asked Lilliana quietly.
“Mrs. Lock caught me in the street and oh, how she hurt me! She took the letter to him and he beat me with his stick! I am so sorry, please don’t be angry with me!”
A cold shiver ran down Lilliana’s spine. So, Lord Farringdon had read her letter and struck her maid.
“Antoinette, here is some money. Go at once now to Downleigh to Mama and tell her what has happened.”
“You are not cross with me?”
“No, Antoinette, I am only sorry for putting you to so much trouble. Don’t worry, Mama will take care of you. Now go!”
She slipped out and ran downstairs.
Lilliana suddenly felt very alone – Antoinette had provided company and had made her feel more secure, but now with her gone what would happen to her?
She heard voices downstairs and then the front door slammed shut. Lilliana walked to the window and saw the lonely figure of Antoinette walking down the road.
‘If Lord Farringdon can stoop to beating my servant, then what will he do to me? He has such an awful temper! How will I explain to Robert that I have been blackmailed into marriage now? Antoinette was my only hope.’
Then she heard Lord Farrington’s heavy footfall on the stairs.
Holding her breath tightly, she shook with fear as the handle of her bedroom door turned –
CHAPTER SEVEN
Lord Farringdon stood in the open doorway with an expression of utter fury on his face.
In his hand he held the crumpled letter.
“How dare you!” he raged. “You were engaged to another! Well, you will never see him or any of your other friends ever again!”
“My Lord – ” Lilliana began.
“I don’t wish to hear any of your lies or excuses,” he continued in a threatening voice, “you have unwittingly told me everything in this letter. Although I am not usually well disposed towards inheriting another man’s leavings, I am prepared to overlook that small fact.
“From this moment on I will ensure that you will cut all ties with your previous life. You will write to your parents and tell them that you will remain in London until the wedding – I cannot have you running into the Earl of Sherborne and so you will stay here under my protection.”
“But, my Lord, not to see Mama and Papa – ”
“You must consider it punishment for your actions, madam, they can come to see you if they wish. Now, I will dictate what you will write to them.”
“They will be so upset – ”
He held up his hand as a dark look crossed his face.
“Do not question my authority further, madam,” he snarled. “Have you forgotten that if I should so wish, I could have your father imprisoned just like that?”
He snapped his fingers to emphasise his power.
“You will have to obey me in all things once we are married, Lilliana, and I believe that for your own good, you might as well begin at once. Now, come, pick up your pen and write to your mother and father.”
He stood over her whilst he dictated the letter and her hand shook as she wrote and the tears silently coursed down her cheeks.
She hated every last word he forced her to write.
‘It will break my Mama’s heart,’ she sighed as she signed her name at the bottom of the hateful document.
“Excellent,” he crowed triumphantly. “I will call Mrs. Lock to dispatch this at once. I will also ask her to go to the Agency and engage another lady’s maid for you – someone more suited to the task.
“For now, you will not leave this house unless you are accompanied by Mrs. Lock or any other chaperone of my choosing.”
Lilliana bowed her head so that he could not see her crying.
“Now, if you would excuse me, my dear, I will go at once to Mrs. Lock and inform her of my wishes.”
She was distraught – not to go home to Abbotsbury Hall. That was the worst punishment of all!
‘Mama will surely realise it was not my decision,’ she said to herself, ‘and when Antoinette arrives back she will inform her of what has happened. Yes – ’
After a while she became more composed, so she washed her face and tidied her hair and went downstairs to the library.
Andrew was there reading a book on antiques.
As she entered the room, he looked up and smiled. Lilliana felt quite comfortable in his presence and was glad that Lord Farringdon had not taken steps to banish his own brother from the house as well.
“Lilliana,” he smiled, “you are looking most lovely today. Although I must add, your expression is a bit sad.”
“I am afraid your brother has seen fit to curtail my liberty,” Lilliana told him quietly.
“How so?”
“He has confined me to the house and dismissed my maid.”
“I am sorry to hear this. My brother does not brook any interference in the way he sees fit to live. He is a very jealous man – but then, I cannot really blame him as he has a most attractive fiancée.”
Lilliana blushed.
“Mrs. Lock has gone out to engage a maid for me.”
Andrew laughed.
“Then she will be an ancient crone with beady eyes who will cling to you like mud!”
Lilliana gave him a watery smile, but she knew his words were true. Lord Farringdon only sought to surround himself with dour servants who took great delight in spying for their Master.
“I will
miss Antoinette,” she confessed, “she was so bright and gay.”
“Perhaps she is the fortunate one,” he commented, with a meaningful look, “she has been sent from this house of shadows.”
Realising that he had spoken too frankly, Andrew coughed and excused himself. She watched him leave and again wondered at how two brothers could be so unalike.
‘He is right,’ she told herself in the stillness of the library, ‘at least dear Antoinette is now free of this hateful place.’
With a huge sigh Lilliana sat and contemplated her fate until the gong rang for dinner.
*
Sir William was shocked to see Antoinette standing in the hall so late at night.
“Is Miss Lilliana with you as well? Has something happened?” he asked briskly, as he ushered her into the study.
“I must – see the Mistress at once,” she stammered, trying not to cry. “It is most – urgent.”
“Holmes, will you fetch Lady Parker, please?” said Sir William, running his hands through his hair in alarm.
He was a decent man at heart and his wife had given him many a lecture about his daughter’s sacrifice in marrying a man whom she believed she could not love.
But no matter how much he cared for the happiness of his wife and daughter, and he did care, he was stubborn and would always put his personal interests first.
Despite this the sight of a bedraggled and clearly distressed Antoinette played upon his conscience.
“Is Lilliana well?” he asked hesitantly.
“She is well, sir, but she is not ’appy.”
The servant paused and bit her lip.
“Antoinette!”
Lady Parker came hurrying into the room.
“What brings you here? Where is Lilliana?”
“She is still in London, madame. Lord Farringdon, he has dismissed me!”
“For what reason?”
“Oh, madame! Miss Lilliana – she is so un’appy! She wrote a letter to the Earl begging him to help her and gave it to me to post. But Mrs. Lock, that’s his housekeeper, caught me and dragged me back to the ’ouse and then, Lord Farringdon dismiss me.”
Lady Parker sighed and rolled her eyes.
“I knew this would happen,” she hissed, directing her next comment towards her husband. “No good will come of this union, I am warning you!”
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