Realm 04 - A Touch of Grace

by Regina Jeffers

  But it was not the well-dressed schoolgirls making their curtsies that held him transfixed. It was the prim and proper woman standing dutifully in the shadows.

  Lady Brant continued, “And this is the girls’ governess, Miss Melsont.”

  Gabriel forced himself to look away. To make his hand repeat the circle within the mixture. Yet, his heart raced as if he had chased a culprit across the moors. “Your punch, my Lord,” Lady Brant said from beside him.

  Gabriel shook off the offer. “I promised my punch to Miss Haverty,” he said without much conviction.

  “Are you well, my Lord?” Lady Brant said in concern.

  Gabriel made himself focus on the gathering. Without an audience, he would learn more of the nefarious Miss Melsont. “The festivities made me think of my late parents,” he said softly. “Christmastide holds special memories.”

  Lady Brant nodded her understanding. “Miss Haverty will assist you in creating new memories, my Lord.”

  Gabriel swallowed hard. Suddenly, he wanted to be anywhere but the Brants’ kitchen. Miss Haverty waited for him to escort her to the drawing room, but all he wished to do was turn about, clasp Grace Nelson to him, and throttle her within an inch of her life. Then he would settle what had transpired between them by kissing her senseless. With a stiff bow, he placed Miss Haverty’s hand on his arm. Not looking back at the woman he had once foolishly considered making his marquise, he exited with his future bride on his arm.

  *

  Grace’s world had tilted on its axis. She had dutifully brought the children to the kitchen as Lady Brant had requested. But the moment her foot had reached the bottom step, she had known he was there. The other servants in the house had spoken of the master’s guests, and she had overheard his name. Crazy as it was, she was pleased to see him. To see for herself he had recovered from his wound. To know her quick action had likely saved Lord Godown’s life in the park.

  She dared not to look directly at him, but she watched him through downcast eyes. Grace knew the exact moment His Lordship recognized her. Although his expression had not changed, she noted the slight twitch of his sculpted jaw line. She wondered what he would think of her changing her name. On impulse, to mask her speedy retreat from London, Grace had altered her name on the letter of recommendation from Viscountess Averette. Such was her fear Lord Spectre or one of his agents might follow her. Lady Averette’s fluid manuscript made it easy for Grace to change the “N” to an “M.” Then she had added a “t” to the end of her surname. Grace assumed Lord Godown would not understand what a woman alone had to do to survive.

  Lord Godown had purposefully not looked upon her. Not even as much as an aristocratic nod of his head. Yet, that fact had not stopped Grace’s heart from racing, nor did it place a damper on her elation at once again to look upon his handsome countenance.

  Even when he placed the beautiful blonde on his arm and walked away, Grace had not suffered. Nor had she known a deflation of the happiness when the other servants had spoken freely of His Lordship’s pursuit of Miss Haverty. Grace had always known no future marriage existed for her, especially one involving Lord Godown. If Gabriel Crowden could find contentment with Miss Haverty, she would celebrate the news.

  From Mrs. Williams, the Brant’s housekeeper, Grace had learned His Lordship would remain at Clement Hill until after the Brants’ annual Christmas ball. Speculation said Lord Godown would propose to Miss Haverty some time during the present week.

  “Then I must keep myself and the girls from sight for the next week,” she told her reflection in the cheval mirror as she undressed for bed later that evening. “Not an easy task with two girls who wish to participate in the Festive Days, but not impossible.” Grace tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “A week. Then Lord Godown will depart with his new wife, and I shall convince my heart seeing him do so never really mattered.”

  *

  Gabriel had managed somehow to set his feet in motion, but that was all he could recall of those moments following Miss Nelson’s appearance. He assumed Miss Haverty had found nothing circumspect in his behavior for the woman had smiled at him as if she felt true affection for him. Yet, her smile did nothing to allay his qualms. In fact, it increased his tension. His gut clenched as if someone had struck him. Miss Haverty’s newfound affection was as deceitful as Miss Nelson’s changing her name. Both were forms of betrayal. Would he ever discover a woman he could trust? Of course not, his heart answered. He would simply have to guard his feelings. For the rest of his life.

  After an hour of polite conversation, Gabriel had excused himself from the group and made his way to his chambers. Immediately, he rang for Mr. Sanders.

  “Yes, my Lord.” His valet appeared within minutes.

  Gabriel did not turn around. He stared out the window at the decaying garden. “Come in, Sanders, and close the door.” He realized his tone would set Sanders on alert, but Gabriel could not eliminate the pure disgust that shook his core.

  “Have I done something to displease you, my Lord?” Sanders asked cautiously.

  Gabriel remained by the window. “That depends on whether you can explain why you did not warn me Miss Nelson served as the governess to Lady Brant’s children.”

  “Miss Nelson? At Clement Hall?” Sanders asked with true interest. “I swear, my Lord, I held no knowledge of the lady’s presence under Lord Brant’s roof.”

  Gabriel turned to study the man’s countenance. To judge for himself whether his man spoke the truth. “How is that possible?” Are you not accepted into the circle with Brant’s upper servants?”

  “I assure you, my Lord, Miss Nelson has never sat at table in Mrs. Williams’ sitting room. At least, not since our arrival at Clement Hall.”

  Gabriel’s eyes narrowed. “I want to know it all. How long has the lady been employed within the household? Where she has been if she has not been here? Every little detail.”

  “Yes, Sir.” Sanders bowed to leave.

  “Sanders.” Gabriel stayed the man’s exit. “Be discreet.” Gabriel paused. Danger dangled before him. “And be aware the lady is using the name of ‘Melsont,’ not ‘Nelson.’”

  For the next two hours, Gabriel paced his quarters. Finally, Sanders returned. “Well?” Gabriel asked anxiously.

  Sanders wasted no time in reporting the nuggets. “Your Miss Nelson has been employed by Lord Brant for nearly a month, but this is the first time the woman has been at Clement Hall. She and Lady Brant’s daughters arrived yesterday afternoon from one of His Lordship’s smaller properties. It seems Lord Brant is enthralled with Lady Brant’s charms, but not necessarily the idea of being a stepfather.” Sanders grinned widely.

  “But Brant distinctly said Miss Melsont had been with him for some four months,” Gabriel protested. “I do not understand.”

  Sanders refolded several of Gabriel’s shirts. “The housekeeper, Mrs. Williams, says Lady Brant recently released the former governess. It seems Her Ladyship thought Miss Nelson’s predecessor offered too much temptation for Lord Brant. Your Miss Nelson is a better fit for the household.”

  Gabriel thought, Not true. If Lord Brant would actually look at Grace Nelson, he would find a very handsome and desirable woman. He said, “How did you manage such intimate details?”

  Sanders’ lips turned up at the corners. “I simply told Mrs. Williams my master had expressed his surprise at the notice of Lady Brant’s children, and the housekeeper was all too happy to come to her mistress’s defense. It seems Lady Brant brought Mrs. Williams with her from York. Mrs. Williams served Lady Brant when Her Ladyship was the local squire’s wife.”

  Gabriel considered the implications. “And now the lady is a viscountess. That is quite a step up. So large of a social coup Lady Brant is willing to keep her children from underfoot in order to please her husband.”

  “And so large she wishes to keep the viscount happy in the bedroom and in the running of his household. It seems Lady Brant has made major changes in the staff,
of late.”

  Gabriel rubbed the back of his neck. “Interesting. Perhaps I should be more aware of the underlying interactions between the household’s players.”

  Sanders nodded his agreement. “What do we do next?”

  Gabriel thought it ironic how much Sanders enjoyed all the mystery. “First, tonight, the Ghost will seek out our Miss Nelson and the truth of her involvement with my attackers.”

  Sanders instinctively reached for the black shirt and jacket, preparing it for Gabriel’s late night use. “And until then, my Lord?”

  “I will return downstairs to woo my future bride while attempting to divine the truth behind Miss Haverty’s abandonment of Lord Abbott and why in damnation does the lady suddenly direct all her smiles at me.”

  Sanders cleared his throat. “I can answer part of your question. Mr. Haverty is experiencing some financial difficulties. It seems none of the gentleman’s staff has received wages for nearly six months. And other than when the family let the townhouse in London for Miss Haverty’s Society appearance, the family has made a habit of staying with friends.”

  “So there is no need to maintain his own estate,” Gabriel said with new realization. “And my pockets are deeper than Lord Abbott’s.”

  “It would appear so, my Lord.”

  *

  He had directed Sanders to discover all he could of the Haverty’s true financial situation. Gabriel would not rule out Miss Haverty simply because her father had come upon hard times. Many of the ton lived on reputation rather than real coin, but he would not finance another man’s gambling habit. Bad investments were one thing, but gaming hells were another.

  After Sanders’ revealing details, Gabriel had noticed subtle comments and interactions that before had gone unnoticed. It seemed in his desire to meet his family obligations he had abandoned all the fine honed skills, which had kept him alive in his role with the Realm.

  Tonight, he would again become the “Ghost,” the being who could move through a guest-filled house without anyone knowing. He had not applied those skills in some nine months: The last time was when he retrieved Lillian Levering’s revealing diary from her son’s manor house in order to save Lady Eleanor Fowler from the baronet’s blackmail.

  Now, he was on a more personal mission. He would seek out Miss Nelson to determine what she knew of the chaos in his life of late. And he would not leave her room until he knew the truth of the lady’s involvement. Even if it took the rest of the night.

  Just the thought of spending the night with her brought a reluctant smile to Gabriel’s lips. Those few days and nights they had shared in Scotland had held a promise of better times. Yet, the lady had had other ideas.

  From Sanders, Gabriel had learned the Brants had assigned Grace a small room off the nursery. It was his destination this evening. He would break all propriety’s rules. Slipping through the shadows, Gabriel caught his breath as he reached for the latch and eased her chamber door open. As he had expected, he stepped into a room draped in complete blackness. With no window to allow even a strip of light through the darkness, the room felt open and hollow. Gabriel hesitated debating on whether he stepped into an open pit.

  Then he heard a rustle of feet on the bare floor before she said, “Welcome, my Lord. I have been expecting you.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Grace struck a flint and held the flame to the single candle. A dim light filled the small space. Gabriel glanced at the sparse furnishings. “It is not much,” he said as he pushed off from the doorframe.

  “What did you expect?” Grace said with a shrug. “At least, it is dry and warm and far enough away from the rest of the household to provide me some privacy.”

  Gabriel walked slowly toward her. “So you anticipated my visit?” He fingered the personal items, which Grace displayed on the one piece of furniture, other than the narrow bed, the Brants had provided her.

  “I did not think the Lord Godown I have come to know would permit me the opportunity to slip into oblivion without my answering for my early departure in Scotland,” she said matter-of-factly.

  Gabriel sat on the bed’s edge. “And that is your wish, Miss Melsont? To slip into oblivion?” he said coldly.

  “I can explain,” she began.

  Gabriel lay casually across the small bed, propping himself on one elbow. “I am going no where. You are welcome to explain to your heart’s desire.” He fingered the embroidery on the bed’s one pillow. Although he despised her recent perfidy, he could not stop the pain he experienced at seeing her brought so low. The bed was likely made for a child. He could not imagine Grace could find any comfort in this threadbare room. He prayed she lived in more comfort on Lord Brant’s other estate.

  She was on her feet pacing. “I changed my name so no one could follow me.”

  Gabriel rolled to his back to stare at the ceiling. No bed drape, he thought. He could not watch Grace pace. First, her movements quicken his heart. They were a mixture of elegance and passion, and he wanted more of it in his life. Secondly, her agitation made her soft breasts bob against the thin material of her night rail and wrapper. And she wore no shoes or stockings. Bare ankles peeked from her gown’s hem. In all the weeks he had courted Alice Haverty, never once had his groin sprung to life, but from the moment he had entered her darkened chamber, he had been in a semi-erect state. It was not the hollow blackness he had feared a few moments earlier, it was that he had no control when he was around this woman; and that particular fact scared him more than any man-made danger he had ever faced. “Why would anyone follow you to Clement Hall?” he asked automatically.

  “Because I feared…” she began and then stopped suddenly. “Why am I explaining myself to you?” she said in frustration. “Look at you.” She gestured wildly as Gabriel rolled to his side once again. “You come in here without an invitation, criticize my way of life, and then expect me to confess my deepest fears.” Her hands fisted at her hips, and to Gabriel’s chagrin the move brought the material tighter across her breasts, making her nipples more evident. “What gives you the right, my Lord, to question my reasons for assuming a different name?”

  Gabriel rose in one smooth movement to stand before her. His hands itched to reach out to touch her. Instinctively, his fists flexed and unflexed. “Mayhap because your reasons are mixed in with the attacks upon my life,” he hissed. Lord, help him: He wanted nothing more than to catch her to him and to kiss the truth from her lying lips.

  Grace threw her hands up in frustration as she stepped away from him. Turning her back on Gabriel, she said softly, “And you think I held guilt in those assaults? Is that your reason for seeking me out, my Lord?” Gabriel noted the gentle rise and fall of her shoulders. Was she crying? Or was it another of the lady’s ploys? “You think so little of me that you believe I saved your life in order that another might take it? I was under the delusion we had developed a respect for each other.” She laughed ironically. “How very naïve you think me.” She turned to face him. “Our business is at an end, my Lord. I have early duties with Lady Brant’s children so if you will excuse me.” She made for the bed, but Gabriel caught her arm to tug her to his side.

  “Grace…” he whispered into her hair, but before he could say more, a sharp rap came at her door. They both jumped at the sound. With no place to hide, Gabriel silently huddled beside her bed while Grace moved toward the door.

  He listened as she edged the door open. “Yes?”

  “Miss Melsont,” a female voice sounded distressed. “Lady Brant asks you come at once. Victoria appears to be running a fever.”

  Grace said, “Tell Her Ladyship I will be there momentarily. I need to don my shoes and a gown.”

  “Yes, Miss, but hurry. Her Ladyship is quite distressed.” The light from the girl’s candle disappeared.

  Grace waited until they both heard the girl’s retreating steps before she said, “I must ask you to leave, my Lord.”

  Gabriel scrambled to his feet. “This is not over betwee
n us,” he warned as he started toward the door.

  Behind him, her cold reply filled the room. “If you come uninvited to my room again, Lord Godown, I will be forced to protect myself from the intrusion.”

  He turned slowly to face her. Gabriel understood her implication perfectly. “You would shoot me with my own gun, Grace?” he said with an amused smirk.

  She returned his contempt. “With pleasure, Gabriel.”

  *

  “Did you hear the commotion last evening?” Lord Abbott said conspiratorially over breakfast the next morning. As much as Gabriel had no interest in idle gossip, and especially gossip from the man who would usurp Gabriel’s place in Miss Haverty’s heart, he turned to listen to the man’s tale. Perhaps, Abbott knew something of Grace’s mood after Lady Brant’s summons had forced Gabriel to retreat to his chamber.

  “I am afraid I am a very sound sleeper,” he said casually. “Was something amiss?” In reality, Gabriel had slept very little last evening. Every time he closed his eyes, images of Grace Nelson’s perfect breasts appeared behind his lids. He had spent many waking hours in a state of hard passion until he finally saw to his own needs.

  Abbott leaned closer. “One of Lady Brant’s daughters took ill. It seems the child ate something she should not.”

  Gabriel fought the urge to roll his eyes. “Is that all? Children often indulge in too many sweets.”

  “Not this one,” Abbott continued. “Lady Brant’s little Victoria has an appetite for wild mushrooms.”

  Gabriel knew the effect of many of nature’s most dangerous edibles. “How did the child fare?”

  “The Brants’ governess knew exactly what to do.” Gabriel’s interest piqued with the mention of Miss Nelson. “I do not recall the lady’s name.”

  “Miss Melsont,” Gabriel said before he could stifle the words. He wanted no one to connect him to Grace Nelson.

  “Yes, yes, of course. Miss Melsont. Yesterday, I thought the lady quite plain, but last evening with her hair down and no spectacles, Brant’s Miss Melsont cut a tempting figure of a woman.”