“Go and see who it is, Henry. I will be alright.” Simeon eyed his breeches with renewed determination, but the thought of having to put them on, along with his shirt and boots, and then walk all the way downstairs was, he knew, beyond him.
When Henry reappeared minutes later, he looked a little worried.
“What is it?” Simeon sighed as he slumped back against his pillows with a sigh.
“It’s Lord Aldwich, sir. He requests a meeting with you. I have told him you are not receiving visitors, but he was most insistent.”
“Senior or junior?” Simeon grunted, mentally crossing his fingers that it was Rafael.
“Junior, sir.”
Simeon scowled. “Good. Send him up, Henry,” he grunted.
If he was not able to get out of bed, Rafael Aldwich could be his eyes and ears in Hollywell. Right now, he needed as much help as he could get. The butler was at the door by the time Simeon’s eyes opened again.
“When you come back up, bring me some parchment and my quill, Henry. I have a letter to write. Oh, and bring my correspondence as well.”
“Correspondence, sir? But, you are not well.”
“I need to write some letters,” Simeon explained.
“What do you mean, Lord Aldwich called by? What did he want?” Eloisa’s voice was loud in the small kitchen, but Eloisa didn’t care. She pinned her sister with such a look of horror that Cissy looked hesitant to mention it further.
“He wanted to speak to you,” Cissy replied somewhat evasively. “He seemed most reluctant to speak to me. He said that he will be back at about eleven o’clock tomorrow, and requested you be here to speak with him.”
“He sounds like a pompous nincompoop,” Eloisa replied with an affronted sniff.
“He wasn’t,” Cissy declared quietly. “He is quite an amiable man, really. I like him.”
“What was he like?” Eloisa asked, suddenly full of curiosity. She took a seat at the table and poked absently at some pastry while Cissy continued to make the pie for their dinner.
“Well, he was smaller than your Simeon.”
“He is not my Simeon,” Eloisa snapped defensively. She muttered an apology when Cissy stopped kneading and looked at her knowingly. “Well, he isn’t.”
“I am afraid that as far as you are concerned, he is very much your Simeon,” Cissy declared darkly. She carefully plucked pastry off her fingers and took a seat at the table. “Look, I don’t know what went on between the two of you while you were stuck together. That is between you and him. I doubt that he will be spreading whatever happened about town. However, he has gone back to his world and, well, there is no reason why you shouldn’t go about your life. He has undoubtedly gone back to London now anyway, so you can go to Lord Aldwich’s ball and not worry about crossing Simeon’s path again.”
Her voice was conciliatory, but there was a ring of steel in it that warned Eloisa that she wouldn’t give in until she got what she wanted, and that was Eloisa’s attendance at Lord Aldwich’s next ball.
“Why are you so persistent that I go? Just a few days in Simeon’s world has left me struggling to fit back in to my normal life. Being in it, even temporarily, has already opened up a world of hurt. I should have thought you would want me to keep my feet on the ground. Instead, you want me to go and socialise with his set. Is it in the hopes that I understand just how out of my depth I am?” Eloisa knew she was being unreasonable, but couldn’t stop.
She had spent the past week trying to convince her sister that she wasn’t ever going to get stars in her eyes again, but Cissy just wasn’t listening.
“I am not saying that at all, Eloisa. I don’t want to set you up for a fall. You were just so excited to go to the ball the other week that it seems a shame for you to abandon your dreams. You have worked and worked at those dances for weeks.” Cissy frowned and stared at the table top. Now that she came to think about it, Eloisa didn’t dance any more. It was an indication of just how deeply she was upset she was.
“You love him, don’t you?” Cissy asked in a voice that was as unassuming and nondescript as she could make it.
“I don’t know,” Eloisa sighed tearfully. “I just don’t know. I hardly know the man. He comes from a different world to me. We are complete opposites in that regard. While we spent a lot of time together, we were being chased by Renwick. How could I love him?”
“Your morose behaviour since you came back through that door, Eloisa,” Cissy declared firmly. “That’s what tells me that you have fallen for the man. Now, are you going to be ball or not?”
“Not,” Eloisa declared firmly. “And I should thank you not to mention it again.”
“Fine,” Cissy snapped.
“Fine,” Eloisa declared flatly, and stomped out of the room before the argument could get any worse.
A week later, Simeon was starting to feel a little more malleable as he let himself into his town house in Mayfair. He slammed the door closed behind him and stalked into his study without slowing his stride. Once he had poured himself a large brandy, he took a seat behind the desk and rifled through his post. His heart leapt at the familiar crest on one of the envelopes and he quickly tore it open and read the contents.
“It’s your invitation to Lord Aldwich’s ball like you requested, sir,” Henry declared triumphantly from the doorway.
Simeon grinned at him. For the first time in the past fortnight, he finally felt as though matters were going his way. It was a circumstance he wanted to continue for as long as possible.
“Two weeks hence,” he murmured with an air of satisfaction.
“Mr Rafael delivered it himself, sir. He said to tell you that the one to Misses Delaney has been delivered this morning too. He also said to tell you that the carriage will arrive as planned, but there is a little objection.”
“Objection?” Simeon lifted his brows at stared at his butler, who sidled toward the door as though he was about to impart news that he knew the master of the house wasn’t going to like.
“He said that Miss Eloisa was adamantly refusing to go. He has spoken to her sister, sir, and she said that Miss Eloisa has stated quite firmly that she will never attempt to go to a ball again.” Curiosity laced Henry’s voice but he was far too well trained to ask. “He said to inform you that he has set his father onto it.”
Simeon took pity on him. “Well, I think I had better come up with some plan to persuade her to go then, hadn’t I?”
“A plan, sir?”
“Yes, Henry. A plan,” he flicked open the broadsheet and read the headlines before he turned his attention back to his butler, who was still waiting at the door. “Send word to Pendlebury House that I shall be taking up residence after Lord Aldwich’s ball, Henry. While you are at it, close this house, would you? I shall be leaving next week, and won’t be back for a while. Tell them at Pendlebury that I shall arrive three weeks hence and will have a new resident with me.”
Henry paused in the doorway, his eyes alight with curiosity. “A new resident, sir?”
Simeon grinned at him. “Yes, Henry. A resident of the more permanent variety.”
“Yes, sir. As you like sir,” Henry replied and quietly let himself out.
He sensed that Henry was curious but turned his attention to reading the rest of the broadsheet rather than explain further. Over the past week, news of Renwick’s sordid desertion from the army had been broadcast, and it had taken the whole of the front sheet for several days. Now that Renwick had been formally court-marshalled, and Martin Huffleton’s family informed of the deception, the news had moved on to other matters.
So far, people had remained, for the most part, exactly the same toward Simeon. It had helped that the broadsheets had confirmed that Simeon had been the one to notify the authorities of Renwick’s crimes, and that Simeon had been shot by his cousin, who had now been charged with attempted murder as well. Although there were some snide whispers that Simeon must have known because he was related to the man, there was no publi
c vilification of the Calversham family. Indeed, several notable families within the Ton had made their support of Simeon well know. Lord Aldwich had pointedly assured everyone only at a ball last week that Simeon was most welcome at his home anytime he wanted to visit.
Finally, having reassurance that the Calversham name was still intact and, with a shoulder that was now well on its way toward healing being fully healed, Simeon was able to turn his attention to the most important problem in his life.
Eloisa.
He knew he had a lot of bridges to build with her, but could relax a little, confident in the knowledge that they had the rest of their lives to resolve their problems. He was painfully aware that he was solely responsible for the way they had parted, and it was down to him to put matters right. He could think of no finer way of doing that than getting Eloisa to Lord Aldwich’s ball so they could talk.
The only slight shadow that hovered over his plans was Lord Aldwich senior’s obvious determination to get not only Eloisa, but Cissy also, to the ball. Although Simeon was grateful for Arthur and Rafael’s help, he had to wonder why they were so determined to get two unconnected young ladies to their ball.
Eloisa’s curtsy was as low as she could make it. She rose gracefully and smiled rather insipidly at their guest as he walked toward her, bowed and then moved to stand before the mantle. He propped one elbow on the wooden edge almost proprietorially and turned to study her.
Pinned beneath that curious stare, Eloisa struggled to keep her face polite and impassive while Cissy served tea and cake. Thankfully, to consume both Lord Aldwich had to take a seat, but he still continued to stare at Eloisa a little too intently.
“Are you well, my lord?” Eloisa asked politely for want of anything else to say.
“Yes, quite, my dear. Thank you for asking,” Lord Aldwich replied with a nod. “I am a little perturbed to hear that you have declined to accept my invitation to my ball two days’ hence. Should I take it that I have offended you?”
Eloisa stared at Lord Aldwich in dismay. “Oh, no sir, please don’t think that. It is just that, well, after my last carriage ride, I am a little nervous about going again.”
Lord Aldwich coughed and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Well. Quiet. Yes, well, one can understand your reluctance. However, I have it on good authority that the weather will be better this time around, and I really do want you to attend as a proper guest this time.”
“But you don’t know me, sir. I mean, if it wasn’t for Mr de Lisle, you would never have heard of me at all. Please don’t feel responsible for what happened to me. It was all down to a terrible set of circumstances that were beyond everybody’s control.”
She sighed and studied her hands in her lap when sudden flashes of memory of her night with Simeon came to the forefront of her mind. Colour flooded her cheeks but she rather suspected that Lord Aldwich put it down to her agitation rather than anything to do with the one man she was trying desperately to forget.
It was on the tip of her tongue to ask him if he had heard from Simeon, but she knew it would be terribly impolite of her to do so. It would raise so many questions that she didn’t want to even venture a vague enquiry in that direction and so wisely kept quiet.
“I can assure you, my dear that I shall send my very best coachman for you, and my most reliable footmen. They will get you to the ball on time and in one piece,” Lord Aldwich promised.
Eloisa looked askance at Cissy, but knew from the carefully blank look on her face that she would get no help from that quarter. Several minutes ticked by while they consumed tea and cake, and engaged in small talk about the local area, and the village fayre that was due to take place next week. Eventually, once the conversation had started to lapse, Lord Aldwich prepared to take his leave.
“Can I take it we shall be graced with your presence, my dear?” he asked. There was something in his eyes that warned her that he would be most displeased if she refused him. Rather than wait for her to answer, he looked at Cissy. “Of course, you must come too, my dear.”
Cissy beamed. “I should be delighted do, my lord. Thank you for your kindness.”
“Nonsense. It is my pleasure to have two such delightful ladies in attendance. Miss Eloisa?”
“I should be delighted to, yes,” she murmured quietly when she couldn’t find a way to say ‘not in this lifetime’. She rather suspected that there was something he wanted to say, and something going on that she didn’t know about but couldn’t quite place what it was. Was she seeing shadows where there were none?
“I should like to reimburse you for the damage caused to your dress by your accident. I understand that it was beyond redemption. It was a splendid creation as well, by all accounts,” Lord Aldwich declared as he handed her a small white card. “Although I cannot hope to replace your previous ball gown, Madame Pomterrey will endeavour to find you something to replace it. Please accept Madame Pomterrey’s assistance with my sincere apologies for the problems you encountered. She will be waiting for you tomorrow at twelve.”
Eloisa opened her mouth to reply but Lord Aldwich abruptly turned his back and stalked toward his carriage without giving her the chance to object. They both followed him outside and watched in amazement as he climbed aboard and the door was slammed closed.
“Next week then,” Lord Aldwich called out of the window. Anything else he was about to say was abruptly cut off when the carriage suddenly lurched into motion.
Both Eloisa and Cissy watched in horror as the footman struggled to climb aboard the now fast-moving carriage as it careered down the road and disappeared from sight.
“You want me to take a second journey with them?” she murmured as she watched the footman clamber awkwardly into his seat, only to nearly be tossed off the opposite side of the carriage when it took the corner at the end of the road too quickly. The last view they had of the unfortunate footman was of him clinging on for dear life, with his legs akimbo while trying to keep his hat on.
“We will take some food with us this time,” Cissy suggested wisely. “It could be a long walk home.”
“I shall make my will before I go and leave everything to you,” Eloisa mumbled darkly.
In spite of her fears, her lips twitched as she followed Cissy back into the house. She threw one last slightly bemused look at the end of the now empty road, and shook her head in dismay. She wasn’t certain that she was prepared for another adventure of a lifetime; especially since she had lost a very large part of herself during the last one, but it was too late now. To Lord Aldwich’s next ball she would go.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Eloisa stepped out of the front door and eyed the waiting carriage like it was a beast about to strike her. Although the footman stood tall and resplendent beside the door ready to assist her, Eloisa wasn’t about to be fooled. She threw a dark look at the waiting coachman. It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him to drive carefully this time, but her attention was diverted by Cissy, who stepped out of the house and came to stand beside her.
“You look beautiful, Cissy,” she murmured softly to her sister for about the tenth time within the last hour.
It was all she could think to say because, over the course of the afternoon, nerves had turned her mind to mush. She wanted to turn around, hurry back inside and stay there, but she knew she couldn’t. Cissy had talked of nothing else but going to Lord Aldwich’s ball since he had paid them a visit and insisted upon their attendance. It would be rude and churlish of her to come up with some excuse not to go; especially now that Cissy was so looking forward to it.
She eyed her sister suspiciously, and wondered if she had an ulterior motive for going. Given her previous objection to balls and social engagements, it was slightly odd that Cissy had suddenly done an about turn and now had a complete change of attitude. What was she up to?
“I never realised that you were so enthralled by dancing, Cissy,” Eloisa murmured obliquely as she followed Cissy toward the carriage.
Cis
sy was spared having to reply though because they were handed into the carriage by the footman.
Eloisa accepted the hand the footman held out to her but wasted no time sitting down. She had already witnessed, and experienced, just how fast the coachman liked to drive and had no intention of ending up an undignified heap on the floor again. Sure enough, the footman had barely slammed the door closed before the carriage lurched into motion.
Eloisa braced herself but, strangely, this time the carriage began to glide slowly down the road.
“Oh, this is lovely, Eloisa,” Cissy gasped, and slid over to sit beside the window so she could peer outside. She called to the people she knew and waved to a few others out of the window, and was so delighted by the experience that Eloisa ruthlessly pushed her worries aside and forced herself to relax.
“It is a bit different to last time, I have to admit,” Eloisa replied as they left the village behind.
Cissy looked around at the plush confines of their transport in awe.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Eloisa murmured as she watched her.
When Cissy began to point out the refined details of the inner workings of the carriage, she turned her attention to staring out of the window. She felt an entirely different person to the excited young woman who had taken this journey a month ago. Although the scenery was still the same, she now knew that the rest of her life never would be. She had no idea how long she sat lost in her musings, but it was the sound of her name being called that drew her attention back to Cissy.
“Pardon?”
“I said that you don’t seem to be enjoying the journey much. Does it bring back bad memories for you?”
Eloisa looked at her wryly. “I was thrown from the carriage at speed. Well, I slid actually and was thrown into a hedge.” She threw Cissy a dark look. “It is hardly something to be joyous about.”
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