She allowed Mary to strip the sodden garments from her but her mind was far away, trying to adjust to yet another change in her relationship. One minute he was threatening to beat her, the next holding her close to his heart and calling her, ‘my dear’. What was going on? He would have to decide whether he wished to treat her as a woman grown or a child. She wouldn’t allow him to continue to confuse her like this.
Chapter Six
Dinner was to be served at the fashionable hour of eight o’clock much to the dismay of the staff who were all more used to country ways. Eleanor had spent an hour or so resting in her bed with a hot brick at her feet not wishing to catch a chill from her soaking. Mary woke her with a dish of tea.
‘What time is it, Mary? I must have fallen asleep.’
‘It’s almost seven, miss, plenty of time before the dinner gong. Have you decided what you wish to wear tonight?’
‘It’s a shame my new rose-crepe dinner gown isn’t completed; that would be perfect.’
‘But it is, Miss Ellie. One of the girls finished the hem this afternoon and I pressed it whilst you were resting.’
Eleanor jumped out of bed, her drink disregarded on the side table. ‘Let me see it please.’
Mary held it up for inspection. The gown had been designed to fit tight over the bosom and the tiny cap-sleeves were exquisitely embroidered with dainty rosettes made from ruby red bugle-beads. The neckline was quite daring and decorated in the same style as the sleeves. The skirt fell in shimmering folds, the beads embroidered on it swirling from bodice to hem and the back was finished with a small train.
‘How beautiful, Mary. I can’t believe it has turned out as well as this. Are you sure the red beads are not too much? After all, red is considered rather a fast colour.’ It was a sophisticated dress, a dinner dress for an adult and Eleanor was unsure whether she was ready to wear it.
‘It’s perfect, lovey, and it will look wonderful on you. My, you’ll have his lordship’s eyes out on stalks when you go down in this.’
Eleanor didn’t want Leo to have such a reaction. When he looked at her in that sort of way she became flustered and hot. She thought she preferred him angry, then at least she knew where she was.
The gown looked even better on. Mary put Eleanor’s hair up in a knot on top of her head, allowing a few curls to escape each side. They had found a necklace of garnets and matching ear drops which complemented the outfit admirably. The ensemble was completed with elbow length gloves in the exact shade of the beads and rose-crepe slippers embroidered to match.
She stood, enchanted, in front of the full-length glass. The dress made her appear beautiful - like an exotic foreign princess, not herself at all. The dinner gong sounded, the harsh noise reverberating throughout the house. For once she was eager to go down; she couldn’t wait to see Leo’s reaction to her new finery.
She glided down the stairs, her feet barely touching the steps, her head high and her eyes sparkling. He was waiting in the hall, his back to her, staring pensively into the fire.
‘I am sorry if I have kept you waiting, Leo.’ Eleanor spoke softly as she came towards him. He turned slowly to face her and stopped, arrested, his eyes widened and his jaw dropped.
‘My God, you look ravishing, my dear.’ He took her hand in his and raised it to his lips. The gentle touch of his mouth sent a flash of heat down her arm. She had hoped to make an impression, to show she was no longer a child, but the darkness in his eyes was disturbing.
She removed her hand. ‘This is the first of my new dinner gowns. I’m glad it meets with your approval.’ Her voice was light, accepting his compliment as a well-bred young lady should. ‘I adore this dress, Leo; look how lovely the skirt is when I move.’ She twirled around like a child making her dress spin out in a pink cloud around her.
He laughed, the darkness went and his eyes were a clear, slate grey again. ‘It is a truly wonderful gown and if you could only behave for longer than five minutes one could almost mistake you for a grown-up.’
Her gurgle of laughter accompanied them into the dining-room. The dinner was elaborate and delicious, with several removes and side dishes. Late though it was, she had sufficient appetite to do it justice. They had been chattering companionably across the table on various innocuous subjects when she decided it was safe to mention the events of the afternoon.
‘Leo, I wish to explain to you what happened this afternoon,’ she began, hoping he would allow her to continue.
He frowned at her. ‘I think it’s a subject that’s best left alone, my dear.’
‘Please, I would like to tell you why I disobeyed you.’
Her earnest expression must have convinced him she had something other than excuses to offer. ‘Very well, Eleanor, if you insist, but I give you fair warning that you are more likely to earn my approbation than my understanding.’
She smiled nervously but decided to risk his disapproval anyway. Leo listened impassively until she told him of her fall. His eyes flashed dangerously and his face darkened.
‘You could have been injured. That damn horse is too much for you. You should not be riding it.’
‘No, he is not. He has never thrown me before. It was the saddle; I should have realized he wouldn’t like it.’
‘Am I to understand that this was the first time that animal had met a side saddle?’
‘Of course it was. Why should he have had a side saddle on as I am the only person who rides him?’
Leo shook his head in disbelief. ‘Good God! How could such an experienced horsewoman fail to realize the introduction of any new tack requires skill and patience? No horse, however docile, would accept a new saddle without preparation.’
Eleanor stared at him, her eyes wide with shock. ‘Rufus has always done as I ask. I’m afraid it never occurred to me he’d object or I would have done things differently. It’s no wonder he was upset.’
‘You,’ he said, smiling broadly, ‘as I have said before, are a complete ninny, Eleanor, my child. I blame myself for not realising it sooner.’
At her look of indignation his smile became a deep roar of laughter. He leant forward in his chair shaking with amusement. His behaviour incensed Eleanor still further.
‘It was your stupid idea to ride him with a side saddle, pray don’t forget that! If I hadn’t been carrying out your instructions I wouldn’t have fallen, would I?’ Her voice had risen and she was almost shouting.
Leo mopped his streaming eyes and reached across to capture her wildly waving hands. ‘Please, my dear, don’t raise your voice; it’s so very unbecoming.’
She snatched her hands away and replied haughtily, ‘I believe that if I mention a pot and a kettle, my lord, you will fully take my meaning.’
He bowed, and the charm of the smile he bestowed upon her was quite devastating. ‘Touché, my angel, I stand corrected.’
‘But you do not,’ she teased, by now thoroughly enjoying their repartee.
‘Do not what?’
‘Do not ‘stand corrected’… as you are sitting you can hardly ‘stand corrected’ can you?’
‘And you, my girl, will find yourself unable to sit at all if you persist in this nonsense.’ His eyes were alight with laughter as he spoke.
‘You gave your word you would not raise your hand to me, so fiddlesticks to that,’ she answered rather rashly.
‘A hand, yes, but I don’t believe anything was said about the use of a hairbrush was it?’ His expression was serious and, for an awful moment, Eleanor believed him. She pushed back her chair, and leaping to her feet prepared to flee the room in case he truly desired to carry out his threat.
‘Sit down, Ellie, that was a joke. However much you might deserve a spanking I will endeavour to restrain myself from administering it.’
‘So I should hope. I’m not a child, Leo, and don’t take kindly to being treated as one.’
‘Just how would you like to be treated?’ he asked, his eyes narrowing speculatively. This time she recognis
ed the danger signals.
‘With the same respect that I treat you, Leo. If this marriage of convenience is to work we must show mutual respect.’
‘Calling me, now let me think, ‘an idiot’ and ‘a pot’ are considered respectful, are they?’
‘No, but calling me, ‘a ninny’ and, ‘a baggage’, are hardly the height of politeness.’
‘Shall we call it quits then? And both promise to improve our manners?’
‘I believe I could almost be coming to like you, Leo, in spite of your many faults.’
‘Are you indeed? How very kind of you to say so, and I, of course, find you quite irresistible, my love, especially when you are showing me so much respect.’
‘I am going to leave you to your port. I have bandied quite enough nonsense with you this evening, Leo.’ She stood up and began to walk towards the door when he called her back.
‘I will join you in the drawing-room later, Ellie.’
She smiled saucily over her shoulder at the dark, attractive man standing, watching her. ‘That is your prerogative, I believe, my lord.’ Before he could answer she skipped out, scarcely allowing the footman time to open the door.
Eleanor decided to escape to the library instead of waiting for Leo to join her for tea in the drawing room. She found a book that she hadn’t read and curled up contentedly in an armchair in front of the fire. She had only read a few pages when the excitement and emotional strain of the day overcame her and her eyes slowly closed; her book dropped to the floor unnoticed.
Leo found her fast asleep some twenty minutes later. Smiling down at the sweetly sleeping girl, he was loath to wake her. She looked so adorable all the irritation he had felt at her defection quite evaporated. He scooped her easily out of the chair and carried her carefully from the library and up to her bedchamber.
Chapter Seven
When Eleanor awoke the next morning still in her undergarments, she was puzzled. Then she remembered she’d fallen asleep in the library, so how had she ended up in bed? Leo must have carried her up; she glanced down in shock. Surely he hadn’t been the one to remove her evening dress?
She reached over and pulled the bell cord, hard. Only Mary could explain. Her maid arrived through the dressing room door, followed by the chambermaid carrying the jug of hot water for her morning ablutions.
Mary had with her the usual tray of hot chocolate and soft, sweet rolls. ‘Good morning, Miss Ellie. Did you sleep well? Good heavens, you’re still in your petticoats! Why ever didn’t you call me? I know it was my evening off, but I was only in with Mrs Basingstoke having a game of whist.’
Eleanor felt her face glowing pink with embarrassment. If Mary hadn’t undressed her then Leo must have. How absolutely dreadful! How mortifying; she was never going to be able to face him with equanimity again. She realized her abigail was waiting expectantly for her answer.
‘I didn’t wish to disturb you. It can’t hurt to sleep in one’s undergarments occasionally, can it? I was too fatigued to struggle with all the buttons and ribbons on my own.’
‘It’s a good thing Lady Dunston isn’t here to know about it, is all I can say,’ Mary said, obviously still bothered by her shocking lack of decorum.
‘I’ll wear one of my new gowns today. I think that the peach and brown sarcenet, with the organdie overskirt, would be perfect for an autumn day.’
Mary’s reply was grumpy. It would take considerably longer for this lapse to be forgiven.
Eleanor was glad to remove herself from the confines of her bed chamber. Her maid’s sunny disposition had disappeared because of the degrading spectacle her charge had presented, asleep in her underwear like a demi-rep. She giggled as she closed the door behind her. Whatever was becoming of her ladylike pretensions? In less than two weeks she had descended into shouting matches over the table, rummaging in boxes in the attic and, to cap it all, sleeping in her underwear!
Her future husband was quite definitely a bad influence and his language was quite shocking! She had always been what was politely known as a lively girl, but she was rapidly deteriorating into what could only be described as, a sad romp. She paused at the top of the stairs. The shining, gently curving banister gleamed invitingly.
She hadn’t slid down it since she was fourteen and newly arrived to live at Monk’s Hall. Dare she do it one more time before she became a staid, married lady? Yes, she could. Without further hesitation she swung her leg over the rail and launched herself.
She had forgotten just how fast one travelled on a slippery polished surface and immediately deeply regretted her impulse. By the time she arrived at the halfway point she was feeling decidedly unstable and knew, with a sickening certainty, that this particular escapade was going to end in disaster. She began to sway dangerously.
*
‘Leo, Leo…help me please, I’m falling!’ Eleanor screamed as she hurtled towards the hard parquet floor of the entrance hall. At the very last possible moment Leo’s arms encircled her waist and snatched her from the banister.
He staggered backwards trying desperately to keep his balance. The speed of her descent was almost too much for him. With a painful thud he crashed against the wall, his fall halted by the impact. Carefully he restored her to her feet.
‘What the devil were you thinking of, you stupid girl? You could have been killed.’ He grabbed her shoulders and was preparing to give her the shaking she richly deserved when he heard a small, ominous, gulping noise. He looked down at her sickly green face with alarm. ‘Outside, hang on, sweetheart.’ He snatched her up and ran for the door, hastily opened by Brown. He made it in the nick of time.
‘Oh please put me down, Leo. I am going to be horribly sick.’ And so saying, she was. Leo held her hair away from her face and offered her his support until the awful retching had ceased. When it was over he wiped her mouth with his handkerchief and held her gently against him.
‘How do you feel now?’
‘Better, thank you. I am so sorry…’
‘Forget it. Just promise me, never, ever to do anything so stupid again.’
She drew a deep, steadying breath. ‘I promise. I’ve never been so scared in my life, Leo. I thought I was going to be killed. Whatever possessed me to do such a thing?’
‘God knows, I said you were a ninny and after this morning’s performance, my dear, I hold by that assessment.’
‘I think I would like to go for a walk, my head’s still spinning a little.’
He pulled her arm through his and smiled down at her affectionately. ‘Well, I suppose a walk is fairly harmless, but I think I had better accompany you in case you have any other hare-brained schemes in mind.’ He kept on talking in a friendly, light hearted manner, hoping his words would take away the fear in her eyes.
They strolled around the rose garden admiring the few blooms that remained, but her responses remained subdued. Leo halted by the arched entrance to the stable yard, worried by the continuing silence.
‘Ellie, what is it sweetheart? Are you feeling unwell?’ She mumbled an incoherent reply and attempted to withdraw her arm from his. Leo held her by the shoulders and studied her pale face closely.
‘Cut rope, Eleanor. There’s something troubling you – tell me what it is. For we will not move from here until you do so.’ Although his tone was kindly he left her in no doubt that he meant every word.
‘Last night,’ she blushed again as she spoke. ‘Last night... Leo, you should not have done it,’ she finally managed to say.
He dropped his hands from her shoulders as if burnt by the contact. ‘I hope you’re not suggesting that I behaved in anyway improperly, Eleanor?’
‘No, that is…’ she stumbled, ‘I am suggesting, my lord, that you undressed me last night. That action was totally unacceptable.’
‘Good God, Ellie, is that all?’ He grinned, his grim expression vanished. ‘I thought you were accusing me of ravishing you in your sleep.’
The girl didn’t know whether to laugh or be outrage
d at his frank speaking. ‘You should have rung for my abigail; you have placed me in an embarrassing situation. ‘
‘Come on, Ellie, you’re making too much fuss over a trifle. I saw you in your undergarments, not unclothed. It would be quite a different matter if I wasn’t to be your husband in less than a week.’
‘Not a true husband, remember; ours is to be a marriage of convenience only, and I must insist there are no further intimacies of that kind.’
He ruffled her hair. ‘Don’t fret, little bird, you can fly free for a while longer.’ And with that cryptic statement he reattached her arm to his and led the way under the arch to the stable yard.
*
The sound of impatiently stamping hooves echoed round the empty yard. Eleanor let go Leo’s arm and rushed over to the loose box in which her precious horse was housed. ‘Rufus, whatever’s the matter? Stop that noise right now,’ she admonished him sternly. Immediately the stamping ceased and a handsome chestnut head emerged over the loose box door. She rubbed his muzzle lovingly and the horse lipped her arm, delighted to see his mistress.
Leo joined her and pulled the horse’s ears. ‘I expect you’re bored, old fellow; missing your gallops, are you?’ He looked thoughtfully from Eleanor, to the stallion standing so peacefully beside her and came to a decision. ‘Very well; I relent. You can ride this monster again, but only with me and never when we have company.’
Eleanor was overjoyed; without thinking she spun round and flung her arms about him intending only to reward him with a friendly hug. However, offered such an unexpected opportunity he enclosed her with arms of steel. He drew her closer, welding their bodies together. She couldn’t step back even if she’d wished to do so.
She tilted her head knowing full well what the result would be. His mouth claimed hers in a searing kiss; his lips moved almost roughly against hers, then one hand came up to cup her head, forcing it back to allow him to plunder her mouth still further. She parted her lips in order to catch her breath but he took this chance to deepen the kiss to a level that swept her away from all safe places to experience a flood of uncharted feelings.
A Marriage of Convenience Page 4