Helen gave her a startled glance.
‘Don’t look at me like that, Helen. I am not including myself as one of those foolish females.’ She folded her arms with a stubborn air. As far as she was concerned, the man was the devil incarnate. ‘He is a rogue, and I wish he had never entered my life.’ A tear trickled down Beth’s cheek. She brushed it away with an exclamation of impatience. What was the matter with her? She had never indulged in self-pity. It was a useless emotion, but, to be truthful, she was becoming more confused each day – and not a little frightened.
Helen’s hand settled over her tightly clenched one. ‘Do not be overset. I know things seem bad at the moment, but the situation will right itself, you’ll see, and I don’t believe he is a bad man. He showed great kindness today, and Mr Edgemont appears to be a strong and trustworthy man. From what I have seen of the two of them together, he could be a restraining influence on Lord Sharland.’
Beth gave a wry smile. ‘I wish I had a little of your tolerance and trust in providence, but I do admit to being worried. If he dispatches me to London, then I shall not be able to check that he does no harm to the estate or the people who depend upon it for their living.’
‘But you have faithful staff who will keep you informed wherever you may be residing. And London is not far away.’
‘Of course. I am being exceedingly foolish today – and in need of your sound reasoning.’
Raising her head, Helen showed a hint of pride and a determined set to her mouth. ‘However, although I do believe he has a gentle side to him, I will not be bullied into joining you for a London season. I shall tell him so the moment I can have a private word with him.’
‘Oh, but, Helen, I do so want you with me. How can I face that without you there?’
Helen was shaking her head. ‘I cannot. It wouldn’t be right, and I could not endure the gossip and pitying looks. The shame would be too great.’
‘But the shame is not yours! You are being given the chance to take your rightful place in society, and that is very proper.’
‘No, Beth, I will not agree to it!’
As she gazed at her lifelong friend, the tears began to flow freely. Grasping Helen’s clenched hands, she smiled through the tears. ‘Oh, Helen, will you please now drop this pretence of being my companion?’
‘I’m sorry, but I can’t do that while I am still taking money from you.’
Beth sat back, sadness showing in her eyes. ‘Then joining in the London social scene might be a good thing. We must find you a wealthy husband.’
‘And that is just what society will be expecting of me. I will not sink so low, Beth. There is little hope of me finding a good husband now, and I would never marry for material gain, even if I have to be a servant for the rest of my life.’
Beth dried her eyes and smiled sadly. ‘I wish I had your courage, Helen.’
‘That is something you have never lacked. Do not start to doubt yourself when things are rough. You will win through.’
‘Yes,’ she nodded, taking a deep breath. ‘I have to.’
Ten
Sleep had been impossible for Helen. As much as she wanted to support Beth through this difficult time, the thought of appearing in society again filled her with dread. She had been close to collapse after dealing with her father’s debts, and if it hadn’t been for Beth and her godfather, she didn’t know what would have happened to her. She owed her friend so much ... but she would not endure this.
Drawing all of her courage around her, Helen made her way downstairs. Beth was busy arranging meals with Cook, and the gentlemen were in the library. If she put on her act of timid companion, then she might be able to convince his lordship that it wouldn’t be right for a servant to accompany Elizabeth. She tapped on the door and waited.
‘Come.’
She opened the door slowly and walked in, eyes down. ‘I beg your pardon, your lordship, but may I have a word with you?’
‘What is it, Helen?’ he asked, studying her with a frown on his face.
She raised her eyes to meet his and clasped her hands tightly together in front of her, then looked down again. ‘It would not be proper for me to accompany Miss Elizabeth to social events in London. She should have an older, experienced female with her.’
‘I have already arranged that, and you will join Elizabeth as an equal.’
She gave him a startled look, certainly not expecting that! ‘Impossible!’
A slight smile touched his lips at her sudden change of attitude. ‘And why is that, Lady Helen?’
The use of her title was such a shock that it almost knocked her off her feet. She caught hold of the back of a chair to steady herself. After only a moment she had regained her composure and lifted her head to glare at the two men in the room. Her green eyes were as cold as a frosty dawn.
Daniel Edgemont was the first to speak, his voice gentle. ‘Would you like a drink? Brandy, perhaps?’
‘No, I would not!’
‘Then sit down, please.’
‘I prefer to stand, Mr Edgemont.’ Helen turned her attention back to Lord Sharland. ‘The fact that you know who I am will not make me change my mind. I have withdrawn from society and will not endure the gossip my return would most certainly cause. I presume you know what happened to my family?’
The men merely nodded.
‘Yes, of course you do!’ Helen glanced from one man to the other, angry to discover that they had delved into her past. ‘Well, I am certain you are not what you appear to be, either. Just who are you? And what are you doing here?’
‘I am James Sharland, an archaeologist and professor of history, and my friend is Daniel Edgemont ...’ James looked at Daniel, eyebrows raised. ‘Tell Lady Helen what you do, Dan.’
He scratched his head, looking puzzled, and then shrugged. ‘Anything I’m asked to do. As long as it’s within the law, of course.’
The anger drained away from Helen as she studied their expressions of innocence. She smothered a laugh. ‘I hardly think trying to burgle Sir Peter Gresham’s home is within the law.’
‘That wasn’t me.’
‘No, I don’t believe it was, Mr Edgemont.’ Helen turned her full attention back to his lordship. She was beginning to enjoy herself now. ‘Did you find Mr Langton’s pistol easy to handle?’
‘Adequate,’ James replied, without as much as a blink of his eyes. ‘Are you in the habit of creeping around the house in the dead of night?’
‘Only when we have guests who appear to be up to no good, your lordship,’ Helen said sweetly as she sat down in a chair, indicating that she hadn’t finished with them yet. She felt a profound sense of relief to be shedding her timid companion’s act. It had taken a while to recover from the humiliation of paying off her father’s debts, but that was all behind her now, and she would use her title again and lift her head proudly. She had nothing to be ashamed of. How good it felt to realize that at last. ‘I believe it is time you told Elizabeth what you are both doing here, don’t you?’
James and Daniel sat down as well, and James leant forward. ‘I am Elizabeth’s legal guardian for the moment, and that is all I can say. I’m going to ask you to trust us. I need Elizabeth to go to London, and for you to accompany her.’
‘Elizabeth is afraid that if she leaves here, you will ruin the estate.’ Helen frowned. ‘It means a great deal to her.’
‘I can assure you that will not happen.’
Helen shook her head. ‘She only has your word for that, Lord Sharland, and we know nothing about you. Why should she believe you?’
‘I understand your concerns, but I am here to carry out my father’s instructions, and Daniel is here to help me.’
‘And what are your father’s instructions?’ she asked boldly.
‘That I cannot tell you at the moment, but once my task has been successfully completed, or Elizabeth comes of age, we shall leave.’ James stood up and walked towards Helen. ‘I am also going to ask you to convince Elizabeth that
it would be helpful if she would carry out my instructions without question.’
‘You are asking a great deal – and giving very little in return.’
‘You can choose to believe that I mean Elizabeth no harm – or not. That is entirely up to you.’ James turned away, indicating that this conversation was over.
Helen was now assailed by doubts. For some reason she really wanted to give him the trust he asked for, but how could she do that? She cast Mr Edgemont a beseeching look, but he remained silent. Suddenly, a feeling of dread swept over her. Was Elizabeth about to suffer a similar fate to hers? Oh, she prayed not! ‘Is the Langton estate in financial trouble?’ she blurted out.
‘Not as far as I can see.’
She drew in a shaky breath. That had been a silly question; of course it wasn’t. Beth looked after the accounts herself and would have known if anything had been amiss.
‘Was there anything else you wanted to say, Lady Helen?’
The tone of his voice told her that she was dismissed, but she was going to speak her mind before she left. ‘You have asked me to trust you, Lord Sharland, but, under the circumstances, that is something I cannot do. However, I will – reluctantly – go to London with Elizabeth.’
Without giving James a chance to reply, she left the room.
She made her way up to Elizabeth’s private sitting room and found her checking over menus she had arranged for the next few days. She looked up and smiled. ‘Have you been out for a walk now the rain has stopped?’
‘No, I’ve been talking to his lordship and Mr Edgemont. They know who I am.’
‘That is hardly surprising. Everyone here knows you are Lady Helen Denton, though I would not have expected the staff to talk to those two men.’ A look of sadness showed in her eyes. ‘You are the only one who tries to pretend you are a companion.’
‘Well, that is over. When Lord Sharland called me Lady Helen, it was a shock, but it served to wake me up.’ She smiled at her friend. ‘I am grateful for the kindness of you and your godfather, and I accept the allowance settled on me – but only until the bequest from Lord Edward comes through, and then you shall have every penny back.’
‘Oh, Helen, I do not want anything from you but your friendship and support.’ Beth rushed over and hugged her friend. ‘I have so longed to see you cast aside the role of servant! Welcome back, my dear.’
Happy to have their relationship again on a proper footing, Beth asked, ‘And did you find out anything about those two mysterious men?’
‘No, I’m afraid not. His lordship would only tell me that he is here to carry out some instructions left by his father, and to take over as your guardian. He asked me to trust him ...’
Beth pulled a face. ‘And what did you say?’
‘I said I could not do so unless he told me what he was really doing here. He refused, of course. However, I did agree to go to London with you, so we shall be able to support each other, for there will be a great deal of talk and speculation about both of us, I fear.’ She drew in a deep breath. ‘I do admit to being relieved the pretence is over.’
‘I am also happy it is, Helen. At least if we are together, we might be able to endure the social round, and it will be an opportunity for you to take your proper place in society again. Did Mr Edgemont say anything?’
‘Hardly a word.’ Helen frowned. ‘For a moment there I wanted to believe they only had your best interests at heart, for they have strong personalities, but they are both so secretive and I could not do it.’
Beth nodded. ‘I think we should still be very vigilant.’
‘Oh, one thing I couldn’t resist.’ Helen gave a quiet laugh. ‘I let his lordship know we were aware that he had been the one who was chased away from the Gresham house.’
‘And what did he say?’
‘There was absolutely no response at all, but he didn’t deny it. And you are right, Beth: we must keep a very sharp eye on their activities.’
Beth was buoyant by the time she went down to lunch. Her friend was completely over the disaster she had had to deal with when her father had committed suicide. And, together, she was sure they could overcome whatever was happening here. Helen had shown enormous strength of character as she had struggled through the crisis thrust upon her. It was a great comfort to have her by her side, and she trusted her friend’s judgement. She was well aware that she was going to have to gain control of her emotions if she was to survive this next year and still have a home of her own. She would not allow James Sharland to gain the upper hand!
‘Lady Sharland seemed in fine health,’ she remarked as the first course was served.
‘She is much improved, and she does enjoy a visit from you.’
‘And you.’
Lord Sharland nodded. ‘She loves to have callers, and so few bother with her these days.’
‘Conversation can be difficult at times,’ Beth remarked, ‘but she is a dear lady. Do you think she would like to come and stay here for a while?’
‘I have already suggested it,’ his lordship informed her, ‘but she will not leave her own home and the staff who care for her so lovingly.’
‘That is understandable.’ Beth knew she should not ask the next question, but her curiosity was such that she could not resist. ‘Why did she feel you might be in danger?’
He gave a blank look. ‘Did she?’
‘Yes. She asked you quite clearly.’ She wasn’t fooled by his expression; he knew what she was referring to.
‘I’m afraid she gets rather confused at times and says the strangest things. You must not pay too much attention to her ramblings.’
‘She seemed in perfect control of her faculties at the time,’ she told him.
‘Maybe – but her question made no sense.’ He laughed. ‘I can assure you that I am not in any danger.’
What a shame, she thought waspishly. She immediately reprimanded herself. She had never wished anyone harm in her life and, although sorely tried, she would not start now. She did not pursue the subject further, and when she looked back on the visit, Lady Sharland had said some peculiar things. No, difficult as it was to admit it, his lordship had the right of it, she decided. It had just been an odd remark from a confused mind. However, there was another matter to be raised.
‘What about the lady who is supposed to be coming to help with our season – is that also imagination?’ She hoped most sincerely that it was!
‘No, Lady Trenchard will be arriving soon; I have instructed the housekeeper to make rooms ready for her.’
‘Trenchard? I don’t believe I know the lady?’
‘You have never met her. She lives in Scotland and is making the arduous journey at my request.’
‘Scotland!’ Beth was astounded. ‘Could you not have found someone already living in London?’
‘Lady Trenchard is most suitable.’ He poured himself another glass of wine, ignoring Jenkins, who was hovering and looked affronted at being deprived of the task.
‘I hope she isn’t travelling alone?’
‘The man I have engaged to start our pig farm is accompanying her.’
Her mouth turned down in disgust. This was the first she had heard about bringing in another man, and the venture had now been elevated to a pig farm. ‘Does he also come from Scotland, then?’
His lordship nodded.
‘But where will you house him?’
‘A room in the servants’ quarters will suffice for the time being. There is space on that ground to build a cottage. Work will begin on the building next week.’
‘How dare you authorize such work without consulting me!’ she exploded, absolutely furious.
He gave her a level stare. ‘Have you forgotten that I am your legal guardian and have complete control of the estate until you come of age?’
That was true enough. Her godfather had never interfered with her management of the estate, but, in handing over his duties to his son, he had tied her hands completely. She fought to control her t
emper, knowing she wouldn’t get anywhere by shouting at him. ‘Would it be too much to ask you to discuss your plans with me?’
‘As you wish. Perhaps you would like to ride out with me tomorrow and I will show you where the cottage will be built?’
‘I would like that. Thank you,’ she added. Then the answer to one mystery suddenly became clear. ‘Have you also been living in Scotland, and that is why no one appears to know you?’
‘That is correct.’
His expression was shuttered, and she knew that an explanation would not be forthcoming. He had granted her a small snippet of information, but it was all he was going to allow. She continued with her meal, deep in thought. But it was a step towards finding out who he really was. He had the speech and manners of a gentleman, without a trace of an accent, so she had assumed that the answers would have been found in London, but that was clearly not the case.
She smiled. ‘It was wise of you to arrange for your man to travel with Lady Trenchard, for she might need protection from a robber during the long journey.’
He tipped his head back and laughed out loud. ‘It would be the robber who would need protection if he dared to hold up Alice. No man would be permitted to take anything from her – jewels or loved ones.’
‘She sounds formidable.’ Beth had never seen him so animated, or with such a look of affection in his eyes. It transformed him, and she could feel herself warming to him for the first time since his unexpected arrival. But she quickly banished the feeling. It would be foolish to drop her guard.
He flicked open his pocket watch and rose to his feet. ‘If they have not been delayed, the coach should be arriving within the hour.
The next two hours seemed interminable, for Beth was not pleased about having this unknown lady descend upon her, and she hoped he was not going to fill the house with his acquaintances.
At last a carriage pulled up at the door, and she hurried out to greet her guest. She had determined not to like Lady Trenchard, but she took to her immediately. She was tall, elegant and stately in her deportment, more than fifty years old, with deep chestnut hair, liberally sprinkled with silver, and vivid blue eyes. Beth caught her breath; she must have been quite a beauty in her day.
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