Eloisa's Adventure

by King, Rebecca

  “Did anyone else inherit anything from George?”

  In spite of the wind and the rain that lashed them, neither of them made any attempt to get inside. Eloisa tried her best to hide her sniffs, but she couldn’t prevent the shivers that wracked her. She went willingly when Simeon drew her back into his arms.

  “There were a couple of people who expected something in uncle’s will and were a bit put out that they didn’t get anything, but they are elderly. They are hardly able bodied enough to move around this house freely enough to be able to use the passageways and run up and down the stairs as nimbly as me.”

  “Do they have any children who might be aggrieved on their behalf?” Eloisa asked hopefully. She sighed deeply when Simeon shook his head.

  “Not as far as I am aware, no.”

  “It must be an old member of staff then. They could have discovered the passageways while they were working here, and decided to come back once they knew your uncle had passed away,” Eloisa said thoughtfully.

  Simeon nodded, but looked thoughtful.

  “How well did you know your uncle’s staff?”

  He shook his head. “It’s been years since I have been here. I didn’t really know any of them.”

  Eloisa sighed. “So we have no idea who this unnamed intruder might be, and have no idea how dangerous he is.”

  “He tried to kill us, Eloisa,” Simeon challenged in a voice that was cold and hard. “The bastard is going to pay.”

  “We need to get the magistrate,” she replied and threw him a cautionary look.

  “I know. Come on, let’s get back inside. I am soaked and I don’t know about you but I need something to eat. Let’s go and make use of those baskets.” Although his voice was gentle, there was a glint of ruthlessness in her eyes that kept her quiet as she followed him.

  Their steps were hurried as they made their way inside. Eloisa couldn’t resist a wary glance up at the roof as she stepped through the door and shivered with relief when she was able to close the door on the sight of the debris.

  “There are plenty of logs in the study. Let’s go and get the fire lit, then I will go and fetch those baskets of food.”

  “I can light the fire,” Eloisa offered as she hurried toward the hearth.

  “We are staying together now, Eloisa,” Simeon declared quietly. “From now on, the only time we are going to be apart is when we use the retiring screens.”

  Eloisa froze.

  “What?” he asked when he saw the stunned disbelief on her face. “Eloisa? What is it?”

  Eloisa’s stomach dropped to her toes. She wasn’t aware of the spill dropping out of her limp hold. Her attention was firmly focused on the huge portrait sitting high on the wall directly above the mantle.

  “Eloisa? What is it?” He followed her gaze to see what she was looking at. “Is it the portrait of my uncle? What about it?”

  She jerked suddenly and looked at him with slightly dazed eyes. “The man was your uncle,” she whispered.

  Simeon looked at her then turned to look at the portrait of his deceased relative. “It can’t be. I was at his funeral. He was buried weeks ago. His coffin was placed in the family crypt last month.”

  Eloisa studied the bushy beard that was so hauntingly similar to the man’s last night. “The man last night had a beard, but it was a darker grey; not white like that one. He had a hat on, but those eyes,” she whispered. “I will never forget those eyes. They were wide, but then narrowed until they were just like his.”

  “Sweetheart, Uncle George is dead. I promise you that he is,” Simeon sighed.

  “It’s him, I tell you,” she declared firmly. “That man is haunting this house.”

  Simeon turned to look at the portrait, but didn’t say anything. He didn’t believe in ghosts, never had, and never would.

  Eloisa wasn’t about to be contradicted though. She knew what she had seen and was adamant that the man who had been standing over her bed last night had been George Calversham.

  “If it isn’t him, then it is someone who looks like him,” she mused thoughtfully.

  Simeon turned to look at her with a frown before he studied the portrait once more.

  “Just come with me a moment,” he murmured quietly. When she didn’t immediately move to follow him, he took hold of her hand in his and tugged her toward the door.

  She followed him reluctantly into the room directly opposite. When they entered it, Simeon’s curse was bitter.

  “What is it?”

  He studied the space on the wall where Renwick’s portrait had once stood. “Some of the portraits are missing.”

  “What was there?” She studied the room. At first glance it appeared to be untouched. It was only when she studied the top of the cabinet against the wall that she noticed the displaced dust. Someone had recently removed a vase or ornament of some kind.

  “A family portrait of George’s son, Renwick, used to sit in that spot.” He pointed to a dark patch on the far wall.

  “Your cousin.”

  He knew what she was thinking and shook his head. “The British Army don’t make mistakes like that. Renwick was killed in battle a few years ago.”

  She wanted to clutch at her hair with frustration. Unless they could actually catch the thief, they had no way of knowing who he was, and why he was here. She remained quiet and watched Simeon pace around the room studying the floor and walls.

  “What are you thinking?” she asked softly as she caught up with him.

  “That I am hungry and need something to eat,” he replied with a soft smile. It was ridiculous to think that either Renwick or George were still alive, but couldn’t ignore the similarities she had just mentioned.

  Eloisa nodded and followed toward the hallway. As she closed the door behind her, she couldn’t resist one last glance back into the room. On the surface, everything appeared to be fine.

  Why then, did she feel as though they had just been watched?

  They ate in companionable silence in his bedroom. She popped the last of her bread into her mouth and sat back to savour the fire while Simeon finished his meal.

  “You need to get out of that dress,” Simeon growled as he studied the rainwater that dripped steadily off the sodden material. He was starting to hate the ridiculously wide skirts and tiny buttons everywhere. Although the colour matched Eloisa’s beautiful eyes to perfection, the blue-tinged lips, and her relentless shivers warned him that she was going to be ill if she remained in it much longer.

  He stood, yanked a blanket off the bed and handed it to her as he nodded toward the retiring screen. “Wrap yourself in this. We can hang your dress up. It shouldn’t take too long to dry.”

  Eloisa studied the blanket. It felt odd to consider undressing with Simeon nearby, but he had already seen her soaking wet. What would it matter if she was wrapped in a blanket?

  She took it off him and quickly removed her dress. She didn’t realise how cold it was making her until the cold material slithered off her skin and she was wrapped in the thick, woollen material. It felt luxurious to be able to get warm again. She snuggled down into its voluminous folds with a sight of delight.

  “Give me your dress,” Simeon called from the other side of the screen.

  She eyed the dress balefully and tentatively picked its sodden weight off the floor. She doubted it would be possible to get it dry at all but tossed it over as instructed anyway. Once she had taken a few moments to preserve her dignity, she emerged from behind the screen.

  “I’ll put it over here, like this,” he said as he dragged a spindle-backed chair toward the fire and draped the dress over the back of it. “If we keep the fire going, it should dry out - eventually.”

  He eyed the blanket as it trailed on the floor behind her and shook his head. She was not going to be able to move anywhere around the house dressed like that, but there really was nothing else they could do.

  “Would your uncle have possibly kept some of your aunt’s old clothing?” sh
e asked hopefully.

  At home, there were boxes and boxes of her and Cissy’s old clothing stashed in the attics. Would George have done the same with his wife’s considerably more expensive clothing?

  “Probably,” Simeon replied with a grin. “But her old dresses have more material on them than that blanket. She was a rather generously curved woman,” he assured her politely.

  Eloisa’s lips twitched and she nodded in silent understanding.

  “What do you want to do now?” she asked as she took a seat by the fire and watched one of the tiny rosebuds that had adorned her hair tumble across the floor.

  It was a good thing there wasn’t a mirror in the room. She was certain that she must look a fright. The ringlets Cissy had so carefully ironed in had long since turned into a wild tangle that would take forever to brush out. Now, being dressed from head to foot in a shroud of her blanket had stolen what was left of her dignity, but it didn’t seem to matter to Simeon, who appeared completely oblivious to her semi-clad state.

  Simeon tried to keep his attention off how delectable she looked bathed in firelight. He ached to be able to touch her, especially after what they had shared outside. The sensual tension from their kisses was still shimmering between them, just waiting to be unleashed. He coughed and shifted uncomfortably when his body began to respond. Carefully keeping his eyes averted from the generous expanse of flesh the blanket revealed, he forced himself to turn his attention to the problem of finding the intruder.

  “I need to see if I can get that secret door open in your old bedroom,” Simeon replied carefully.

  “What then?” She challenged. “What if you manage to find a way in?” Strangely, she knew what he was going to say before he said it. The grin that stole over his face confirmed as such.

  “I am going to find out where those passageways lead me.” All trace of enthusiasm vanished from his eyes when she rolled her eyes. “Eloisa, I need to know which rooms are safe for us to stay in and which aren’t. I think he is using the passageways to watch us and listen to our conversations.”

  “What if you find him?” Eloisa whispered, aware that anybody could be listening to them now. She leaned forward in her seat when Simeon braced his forearms on his knees and lowered his voice conspiratorially.

  The gentleman in him demanded that he keep his gaze firmly away from the hollow between her luscious breasts, but his gaze lingered hungrily there anyway. Temptation was going to drive him insane if they had to remain in the house for much longer. In this bedroom, she was more at risk from him than she was the intruder.

  “I will know who I am dealing with then, won’t I?”

  “What do you intend to do when you discover who he is?” She hated to think of a confrontation, but it seemed inevitable given the things the man had done to make his unseen presence felt.

  “I am going to make sure he is arrested for breaking and entering, and theft,” Simeon growled. “There are several very expensive items missing from the house. A number of portraits, items of silverware, and numerous expensive items that have been in the family for a very long time, have been removed from several of the rooms.” Simeon wondered if he would ever know the true extent of the thefts given that he had no idea what had been in the house when his uncle had been alive. Unless the entire horde was hidden in a secret room he didn’t know about he had to declare them as lost forever.

  “Come on,” Simeon said after several moments of silence. He walked toward the door, leaving Eloisa to follow in her own time.

  “Where are we going?”

  “To check the passageway.”

  Eloisa stopped in the doorway watched him stalk across the hallway to her old room. When he vanished into the room, she realised that she was alone, and hurried after him.

  CHAPTER TEN

  He tapped the wall and found one hollow spot, but couldn’t find the door to gain access. It was the most annoying thing he had encountered in a long time.

  “Maybe there is a more obvious entrance point is in the study somewhere,” she suggested with a frown. “I mean, it seems likely that the master of the house would be the one who might need to use the passageways more than anyone else.”

  Simeon considered that carefully and conceded that she might be right.

  “Let’s take a look.” At the door, he stood back to let her precede him only for her to head toward the bedroom opposite. “Where are you going?”

  “To put my dress back on,” she replied quietly. Thankfully, because the material was thin it was already dry. Once she had it back on, she realised just how ridiculous it was to have to wear something so flouncy for any occasion, even a ball. She felt weighed down by the voluminous folds of silk and lace that immediately clung to her ankles. She heaved a sigh and glared at it in disgust.

  “Take it off again,” Simeon ordered when he saw her face.

  “I need to wear something a bit more practical than a blanket,” Eloisa argued.

  “That is hardly practical, my dear. You can’t wear it for your next ball now. It is ruined. Let me take out some of the underskirts. It will at least be a little easier to walk around then.” He didn’t say as much but he would be glad when the bloody thing was confined to the fire and he didn’t have to look at it again.

  Eloisa thought about that for a few seconds, then disappeared back beyond the retiring screen.

  “Throw it over the top,” he called when she didn’t reappear.

  Eloisa gasped and stared blankly at the screen as she tossed her dress over the top. She felt a little scandalous wearing nothing but her undergarments with Simeon so close. The sound of tearing fabric made her wince, but she knew he was right to suggest what he had.

  Cold eventually began to make her shiver, to the point that she was physically shaking by the time he tossed the dress back toward her. When she put it back on, she stared down at herself again and heaved a sigh of relief. Although the dress had far more folds in it than necessary, it felt wonderful to be back to her normal size. Thankfully, Simeon had taken some material off the bottom of her outer skirts too, so she was able to walk around without falling over yards of silk. For the first time since she had left home she was starting to feel somewhat normal again.

  “Thank you,” she said quietly as she walked toward him.

  Simeon sucked in a breath and stared at the change in her. She looked so damned luscious that he was momentarily lost for words. Now that the awful skirts were gone, she seemed infinitely more fragile and downright sensual.

  “Let’s go, shall we?” she prompted when he continued to stare at her without moving. She knew she must look a fright but, really, what on earth was he staring at?

  The next hour was taken up searching the study for any hidden doorways. The wooden panelling to one side of the hearth was the only part of the room that sounded suspicious. The hollow sound warned them both that they were onto something – if only they could find a way to get behind the panelling to get in.

  “Found it,” Eloisa declared triumphantly after several moments of searching. She tipped the clock on the mantle toward her to demonstrate what she had found. A resultant click released the catch on the hidden door located beside the fireplace. They both turned to watch it swing silently open.

  Eloisa shivered when the temperature within the room dropped by several degrees and stared awkwardly at the black void that opened up to them.

  “Good Lord,” Simeon whispered. His voice was laden with approval and he gave her a delighted smile that made her stomach flip. “You have found it.”

  “Here,” Eloisa said, and handed him a large candelabra.

  “I need the candles lit first,” Simeon said as he eyed the heavy object she handed him.

  “I was thinking more along the lines of it being something you could hit him with if he challenges you,” she suggested pertly.

  His eyes grew wide, and he grinned at her as he tested its weight.

  “I still need a light though.” He stared at her when she
lifted a smaller candlestick, complete with candle.

  “We can light these and then go and see –”

  “Wait! What do you mean we can see,” Simeon challenged. “You are not going in there.”

  “Yes, I am,” Eloisa said firmly. “I am not going to sit here and wait for you. Heaven only knows what might happen to me. You need someone to help you if you get challenged by him. After all, there are two of us and only one of him.”

  To make herself feel better, she lifted a poker out of the pot beside the fire and tested its weight.

  “What are you going to do with that?” Simeon demanded as he studied the brass stick in horror.

  “Use it if he comes at me.”

  His stared at her nonplussed for a moment, then heaved a sigh and quickly lit the candles. They could argue about her taking it but he rather suspected that he would be the one to lose. If holding the poker made her feel braver, then that was fine by him so long as she didn’t use it on him. If he was honest, her having something to hand she could use to defend herself made him feel a little easier too.

  Once they were ready, they put a piece of parchment over the lock and disappeared into the first of the hidden corridors.

  It wasn’t as dark as she had thought it would be inside the narrow space. Unfortunately, it was liberally covered with cobwebs, which had been there for centuries if the thick layer of dust that covered them was any indication. She shuddered and turned her thoughts away from what little creepy crawlies might be lurking within them. She kept her gaze locked on Simeon’s broad back instead. To her horror, he was already several feet ahead of her, and she quickened her pace before he was swallowed up by the darkness.

  After several moments of tense silence, she peered over his shoulder, and gulped at what she saw. She was amazed that anyone could find their way around because one corridor looked very much like the other. It was incredible that Simeon was managing to retain any sense of direction whatsoever.

  “Where are we?” She whispered when Simeon stopped and peered into one of the rooms.