Eloisa's Adventure

by King, Rebecca

  “If it was in something he ate, then it could have been murder,” she declared.

  He could see the questions brewing in her eyes and shook his head in disbelief. He had just told her that she was going to a house where a man had possibly been murdered. She wasn’t worried for her safety, or his credibility, even though he was a total stranger. She was thinking logically about how his uncle had been killed, and trying to come up with a plausible explanation.

  “It is something that is still being investigated,” Simeon sighed. “Meantime, I want you to be very careful about where you go, and what you do. Please don’t explore the house by yourself. It is old, and has many hidden corridors, although I have yet to find out how to get into them.”

  “It was your uncle’s house?”

  Simeon nodded.

  “Did you not get the opportunity to explore it as a child?”

  “Not really. We didn’t come to visit often. My uncle and my father didn’t get along very well, and hardly ever spoke. I can remember coming here as a child, but didn’t like the place so never really wanted to come back. I don’t really know the place.”

  “Did your uncle never marry?”

  Simeon nodded. “George had a son, but he was killed in the war. As the sole surviving male in the family, I inherited the castle and its lands from my uncle a few weeks ago.”

  “Good Lord,” she whispered.

  “Promise me that you will be careful about where you go and what you do. I am sure that this storm will blow over soon. Given the lateness of the hour already, even if the storm ends now, it is going to be too dark to take you into town safely. We will have to stay here overnight. First thing in the morning, I will take you home.” He looked down at her dress. “I think it is safe to say that you shall not be going out tonight.”

  Eloisa sighed and was disappointed that she had been denied the opportunity to dance.

  “That was a deep sigh,” he murmured when he read the disappointment she couldn’t hide.

  “I was so looking forward to going to that ball as well,” she murmured.

  “Ball?” His eyes flickered to her ring finger. His sigh of relief when he saw the finger was bare was so instinctive that he was a little unnerved by it.

  “I was supposed to go to a ball tonight,” she explained.

  Simeon studied her dress. Although pretty, it was far from being the height of fashion. It looked like it had been made for someone about ten years ago. He wondered if it had been made for her mother or something, and she had borrowed it for a masque. That thought was enough to give him a moment’s pause. He stared down at her in growing horror and felt the shackles start to clank somewhere off in the distance.

  “Were you going to a masque?”

  “Pardon?”

  “Were you going to someone’s masquerade ball?”

  Eloisa shook her head. She debated upon the wisdom of telling him. It really was none of his business but, given that he had helped her out, it felt a little churlish not to tell him. She sighed again – deeply.

  “My father passed away several months ago.”

  “I am sorry,” Simeon murmured quietly.

  She peered up at him and wished she could see his face. However, not being able to see any defining features made her feel a little more comfortable in confiding in him. At the moment he was just a hat with a chin, and not really a person.

  “There was a stipulation in his will that required my sister and I to learn a specific skill over a period of two months. It could be anything we wanted as long as we learnt a new skill we could take into the future.”

  “Go on,” he urged when she lapsed into thoughtful silence.

  “My sister, Cissy, adores sewing. She took some lessons in needlework from a Frenchwoman in town.” Eloisa pointed to the fine stitching on her now soiled gloves. “Cissy did these.”

  Simeon nodded. He couldn’t really see the detail in the gloom, but knew from the how small the decoration was that it must have taken considerable time and effort.

  “What did you choose?” He prompted when she lapsed into silence and stared blankly into the distance.

  “Dancing lessons,” Eloisa said ruefully. “I have always loved to dance. It has been my biggest wish to be able to go to a ball. You know, the kind that Lords and Ladies to go. So I took some lessons from Mr de Lisle. He arranged for me to go to a ball tonight.”

  “Mr de Lisle?” Simeon stared at Eloisa in disbelief. He knew the small, dapper little man, and had seen him on many occasions at numerous social functions in and around London. He turned his thoughts to the ball that Eloisa should have gone to. “This ball of yours; it wouldn’t happen to be at Lord Aldwich’s house, would it?”

  Eloisa looked at him in surprise. “You know of it? Were you supposed to go?”

  “I had hoped to yes, but I cannot remember ever seeing you at any of Lord Aldwich’s balls before.” He would most definitely have remembered.

  Eloisa looked a little uncomfortable. “Oh, well, I wasn’t on the guest list,” she admitted.

  “You aren’t on the guest list?” Simeon’s brows lifted as he studied her. “How did you expect to be at the ball then?”

  “Mr de Lisle arranged with Lord Aldwich for me to dance outside. Because I had been learning, Mr de Lisle said that I could dance on the terrace and not embarrass myself.”

  Simeon’s temper started to rise. The way she spoke about the awful arrangements was so matter-of-fact, so awestruck, that it irked him. Nobody should have to steal into a ball through the back door just to be able to dance; especially someone as beautiful as Eloisa. Although her dress was not in the height of fashion, she wouldn’t pose any threat to the debutants who were there to hunt for a husband.

  Why in the hell had Arthur Winterton, Lord Aldwich, agreed to such a ridiculous scheme? He knew Arthur and his son, Rafael, well, and wondered what was going on. Simeon looked down at her and wondered how much she was not telling him.

  “What did your father do for a living?”

  Eloisa frowned. “Oh, this and that,” she replied vaguely. If she was honest, she really had no idea what her father had done with his time. He had spent many hours in his study, and had invested his wealth wisely, but had that taken all day every day? She didn’t know, and would never get the opportunity to find out now.

  “What was his first name?”

  “James,” she whispered.

  “I am sorry; I didn’t mean to upset you,” he replied when her chin quivered.

  She gave him a somewhat wan smile. “You haven’t. I was just looking forward to tonight.”

  “What happened? I mean, how did you get from Hollywell to the middle of my fields?”

  Eloisa explained about the carriage ride and her catastrophe out on the road.

  “Were you hurt?” He looked down at her soiled and tangled dress, and couldn’t honestly say he would be all that sorry to see the back of it.

  “I ache, that’s about all. There are a few bumps, bruises and scratches but nothing was broken thankfully.”

  “The damned idiot could have killed you.”

  Eloisa merely nodded, but there was no anger in her eyes. Now that she thought about the ball a little more, she wished that she hadn’t mentioned it.

  “Maybe the next time Lord Aldwich has a ball, you can go to that one,” he suggested darkly. He made a mental note to have a word with the Arthur about the competency of his employees the next time he saw him.

  Eloisa smiled but doubted she would get another opportunity like the one she had lost tonight.

  Simeon studied the shadows in her eyes. “You don’t think you will be invited again?”

  “I see no reason to continue with the dancing lessons now,” she sighed. “There doesn’t seem much point now.”

  There wasn’t much Simeon could say to that. He could have a word with Lord Aldwich and suggest that the next time he has a ball he should invite Eloisa; as a kind of apology for his coachman nearly killing her. Un
fortunately, because she was not supposed to be at the ball, Lord Aldwich may not even know that his carriage was being used for her. He might cause her more strife by interfering.

  For now, he decided it was best to keep his mouth closed and focus his attention on his own problems instead. He studied the back of the property when they arrived at the stables at the rear of the castle. It disturbed him to realise he had been so focused on the woman in his arms that he hadn’t noticed they had arrived.

  He swung his leg over the horse and jumped down. Unsurprisingly, before he could help Eloisa down, her silk skirts aided her slide off the horse.

  Her gasp locked in her throat as she slid to the ground in a horrifying rush. To her surprise, she was hauled against his chest before her feet touched the earth.

  “That dress is downright dangerous,” he growled as he lifted her into his arms and carried her toward the house.

  “It is my ball gown,” she whispered as she studied his chiselled jaw and the sharp blade of his lips.

  Simeon’s brows lifted. He wanted to suggest that she should check the latest fashion the next time she made a purchase, but he wisely kept his opinions to himself. He wondered whether her financial situation allowed her to purchase the very best in haut couture. Somehow, he doubted it. It wasn’t that she was crass, or ill-bred in any way. It was just that there was an innocence about her that would not last a second in the cynical ballrooms of the ton. With her wisdom and logic she was, by far, the most intriguing person he had met in a very long time, and that appealed to him.

  Eloisa tried not to stare at him but every fibre of her being was focused on the man who carried her. This was the first time she had seen him standing up, and he was considerably taller than she had realised. He was so tall in fact that the top of her head barely touched his shoulder, but she didn’t feel threatened by his towering presence – even though he was broad and powerful. Held securely in his arms, she felt rather protected; cosseted almost, and infinitely more feminine than she had ever felt in her entire life.

  “Eloisa,” he murmured softly as he studied the gentle curve of her moistened lips. He watched a rivulet of rainwater meander down one wind-flushed cheek and itched to be able to trace it with his finger. He suspected, even without touching her, that she was as soft as she looked, but he wanted to touch her anyway – just to make sure.

  The limpid gaze she turned on him brought about an awareness that made his body hard, his control weaken, and his desire for her impossible to ignore. As quickly as the lightening flashed across the sky, he knew that he wanted this woman in his arms.

  “Let’s go inside before we get struck by lightning,” he murmured gently.

  It was a physical wrench to release her when he stepped away from her and forced his feet to move toward the barn. “I need to get the horse into the stable. Go and stand in the doorway while I see to him. Then we can get out of this rain.”

  Eloisa nodded and did as he suggested. A strangely intimate atmosphere had settled over them and left her a little bemused and, if she was honest, she wanted a few moments to herself. She had never felt this connection; this invisible link to anyone before. It was a little shocking, especially because she had yet to see all of his face.

  In an attempt to get her mind off him, she turned her attention to the huge castle in front of her. Up close, the house appeared every inch as macabre and sinister as she had first thought. Two enormous turrets sat on either side of the property which was adorned with horrible gargoyles located half-way up each facade. The weather vanes on the top of each tower stung wildly in the wind and made a screeching noise that was carried hauntingly on the winds.

  The building itself was made of stone so dark that it looked like slate. It was broken only by narrow slits of windows, and cloister doors at the front and back of the property. The tangled and overgrown garden had clearly not been tended to for some considerable time and looked as cruel and inhospitable as the building that sat within it. Overall, it all seemed rather decrepit and unkempt place she wished she had been able to avoid.

  The thought of arriving here all alone made her look upon her rescuer with rather more appreciation. She was very glad that he had happened along when he had. She realised then that he hadn’t even told her his name. She turned toward the stables behind her, but it was impossible to see him in the darkness. Thumps and bumps of buckets and horse hooves accompanied by the jangle of reins and the snapping of leather, and made it clear he was busy.

  When she looked at the castle, her attention was immediately captured by movement in one of the upper windows. She froze and stared at the blackened rectangle of the window. Unless her eyes were deceiving her, someone had been standing in the window. There was no visible outline of anyone there now, but she was positive that shutter had been open a moment ago. She continued to stare at the window for several minutes. Her patience was rewarded when, just a short time later, the shutter within the room began to close.

  “I -” she gasped as she backed away from the barn’s entrance.

  Once protected by the shadows within the barn she stopped and stared at the window some more. She had no idea what she was expecting to happen now. The shutter was closed. Had she just imagined it? Was her mind playing tricks on her? If she hadn’t been watching the shutter at the time, she wouldn’t have paid it any attention.

  She turned to the stables behind her once more and heaved a sigh of relief when she saw her rescuer step out of one of the stalls.

  “Is there anyone else in the house?” She wondered if there was a wife at home waiting for him. To her consternation, his answer mattered to her more than she cared to admit. Although she wasn’t entirely sure if it had anything to do with what she had just witnessed.

  “No, why do you ask?” Simeon answered as he walked toward her.

  Eloisa turned to face the house and nodded to the window on the first floor. To her horror, the shutter now stood open. She ran her gaze over the entire façade of the building. Every window was un-shuttered now.

  The finger she pointed to the house shook uncontrollably and, for a moment, she couldn’t speak past the fear that almost swamped her. She had watched the shutter close. She had seen its slow and steady glide across the window with her own eyes. Hadn’t she?

  “I just wondered,” she whispered.

  Simeon studied her and knew she wasn’t being honest. He frowned at her and waited for her to expand but, when she didn’t, he turned to look at the house.

  “It is just you and me, I think. However, there have been odd things happening,” he replied quietly. He knew he had just hit the nail on the head when she suddenly jerked and looked at him with wide eyes. “You saw something, didn’t you?”

  Eloisa nodded hesitantly. “Above the doorway.”

  “To the kitchens, yes,” he encouraged when she didn’t seem inclined to speak.

  “Two windows across on the first floor,” she murmured.

  “What did you see?” Simeon kept his gaze locked on her rather than taking a look at the window she mentioned.

  “Someone slid the shutter closed. I turned around to look at you but when I turned back, it was open again. I didn’t imagine it,” she whispered. “I swear that I didn’t imagine it. I watched it move.”

  Simeon bit back a curse and briefly contemplated whether to saddle the horse back up and take her into town. However, the storm was still raging overhead. They would be taking a stupid risk with their lives to venture anywhere else on a night like this. Taking refuge in the house was by far the lesser of two evils.

  “I am sorry,” she whispered. “I don’t think I imagined it.”

  “It’s not your fault,” Simeon sighed. It galled him to think that he owned the damned property yet didn’t want to spend the night there either. This was his house. He had the right to stay there if he wanted to.

  “I definitely saw that shutter move,” she repeated.

  “I can take you to town if it would make you happier. Howeve
r, I would ask you to consider that it is dark now and dangerous to be out on the roads on a night like this,” Simeon said softly. He turned to look at the house. “There are odd things going on as I have said. I do suspect that someone else is there, but I just don’t know where. It is a large house for one person to search thoroughly single-handed.”

  He smiled at her audible gasp. “I don’t expect you to help me,” he countered ruefully and watched her heave a sigh of relief. “The house was built during a time when secret passageways were being put into almost every nobleman’s house. I am sure there are some in that house too. Unfortunately, I cannot find them.”

  Eloisa felt as though she had just jumped from the cook pot into the fire.

  “I don’t want you to take any chances, Eloisa. I am going to put you in a room that links directly to mine. If we stick together then nobody can creep up on us. We will be as safe as we can be. At some point, I am going to have to get a veritable army of people into this house and sweep through it from attics to cellars. However, I need to try to find the passageways to make sure that no stone is left unturned. Until I do, please don’t lean on the walls or anything. If you fall into one of the hidden passages, I don’t know how to get you out.”

  “Good heavens above. How on earth do you live here?” she burst out, shocked that anyone wouldn’t just put the horrible place up for sale as soon as it was acquired.

  “I don’t,” he replied ruefully. “I have inherited it, remember? I came here, just for a brief visit, not long after I learned I had inherited it from my uncle. It was important that I take a look at what I owned, but I didn’t want to stay a moment longer than I absolutely had to.”

  The memory of his first night in the property suddenly loomed before him. He read the fear in her eyes. After a moment’s consideration, he decided that he had warned her about the dangers within enough for one night. He didn’t see any point in telling her about someone trying to smother him in his sleep with his own pillow.

  “You saw someone then,” she finished for him when he lapsed into thoughtful silence.