A Lady's Deception

by Pamela Mingle

  A second chair was quickly brought, and Hugh placed it across from Eleanor’s, before the windows. “Tell me what you know,” he said.

  “There isn’t much.”

  When her account was complete, he said, “You’re right, it’s not much to go on. Abbot, his wife, and our daughter are gone to Portsmouth. But we don’t have a direction, or any idea where they might be.” He seemed lost in thought for a moment. “Before we race after them, we must make inquiries here to see if we can find out anything that might help us. I want to speak to this Vickers fellow myself.”

  Mrs. Foster brought in the tea and set it on the desk. Hugh thanked her and poured it himself. After handing Eleanor a cup, he said, “I agree with your father. Abbot wants money.” He swallowed the contents of his cup and poured more. “I want Ned to talk to the other laborers. Abbot may have revealed things to them, even if inadvertently, about his intentions.”

  “But this is all going to take so long,” Eleanor said. “Are you sure it’s worth the time to talk to these people?”

  “I understand your frustration. But if we head to Portsmouth without any idea of where or how to find them, it will take much longer in the end.” He placed the palm of his hand against her cheek. When she flinched and drew back, he jerked his hand away. “I understand how worried you must be. I am, too. Now, drink up. We have work to do.”

  “I am coming to Portsmouth with you. You do realize that, don’t you?”

  He didn’t argue with her. “I’ll be at your parents’ home within an hour.”

  …

  After he’d seen Eleanor off, Hugh found Ned supervising the unloading of materials and motioned to him. They were well out of earshot of anyone else. He kept the tale brief. Ned showed no shock, or even surprise, that Hugh and Eleanor had a child together. In truth, Hugh was beginning to believe there was nothing that could rattle the man. Ned’s one question concerned what explanation to give the others as to why they needed to find Abbot.

  “Put them off,” Hugh said impatiently. “Tell them we believe he knows something about the fire. No need to say we suspect him.”

  “Some of the men may have guessed. I took a few of them aside and made some inquiries. Didn’t learn anything useful.”

  Hugh pulled his watch from his pocket. “I’m going to ride out to see Thomas Vickers. He may know more than what he told Sir William. Meet me in an hour at the Broxtons’, by the stables. If you’ve any extra clothing here, you should pack a few things,” Hugh said.

  Ned turned to walk away, but Hugh stopped him. “One more thing. Can you see to sending an express to my brother in London? Tell him Lili’s been taken, and ask him to meet us where the London Road meets the Portsmouth High Street, tomorrow morning at ten o’clock.”

  The other man nodded, and both went off to their respective tasks.

  Hugh found Vickers’s farm easily enough. The man he sought was in the stables, checking on a horse with a sore hock.

  “Thomas Vickers?”

  “That’s me,” Vickers said. “You’ll pardon me if I don’t shake hands.” He’d been rubbing liniment on the sore spot and hadn’t cleaned up yet. “What can I do for you?”

  Hugh introduced himself and explained he was trying to help Sir William track down the Abbots. “Can you tell me anything else? Anything you may have neglected to tell Broxton?”

  Vickers lowered the horse’s leg gently and motioned Hugh outside, wiping his hands on a rag. It was late afternoon, the hottest part of the day. “Like what?”

  “Where does Abbot intend to find work, for one thing?”

  “Shipbuilding. He heard they’re looking for men to help manufacture the wooden blocks used in riggings.”

  “Ah. A block mill, then. With his skills, that makes sense.”

  Vickers shrugged. “I suppose so.”

  “Does he have friends there, or family? There are any number of places he could find work as a carpenter without going all the way to Portsmouth.”

  “But maybe no place else he can be so well concealed,” the other man said, giving Hugh a sly look.

  Hugh held an advantage in both height and weight over Vickers, who was a little too smug for Hugh’s liking. He stepped closer to the man and said, “Did Abbot pay you to bring the news to Sir William?”

  Vickers dodged the question. “I’ve told you all I know. Now, if you’ll excuse me, there’s work to do around here.”

  Hugh sensed there was nothing else to find out from this source. He’d gotten the man’s back up, and even if there were more to the story, Vickers wouldn’t be of a mind to reveal it.

  …

  While her father saw to readying the mounts and making other preparations, Eleanor bathed and changed into a traveling dress. She had no illusions about riding all the way to Portsmouth—it was upward of thirty miles—and she didn’t need to be told she wasn’t up to it. She would travel in the carriage with one of the maids while the men rode.

  When she descended the stairs, her mother awaited her. They hadn’t spoken since last night’s revelations, and Eleanor had no wish to speak to her now. As far as she was concerned, her mother bore some of the responsibility for this turn of events. She had conspired with Abbot to keep Lili from her; indeed, had paid him to do so. Her actions had encouraged Abbot in the belief that he could blackmail Eleanor with impunity. With disastrous consequences.

  “I asked Mrs. Simpson to pack some sandwiches for you to eat along the way.” She held out a basket, and Eleanor accepted it. She wouldn’t turn down food, for the sake of the others, if not for herself. “Sarah has packed your things and will accompany you.”

  “Fine. Thank you.” Eleanor attempted to brush past her mother, but the other woman wasn’t ready to yield.

  In a flat tone, her mother said, “Forgive me, Eleanor. I should never have had any dealings with that man. It was very wrong of me.”

  As apologies went, it was less than heartfelt. “Mama, I’ve no time for this. As I’m sure you understand, I am only concerned with one thing right now. Lili’s safety and welfare. Your actions have put her at risk, as you’re aware.” Carrying the basket, she shoved her way past her mother.

  “Don’t you think you are exaggerating the danger?” her mother asked, infuriating Eleanor.

  Halfway to the door, she slid to a stop. Trembling with anger, she said, “If any harm comes to Lili, I will never forgive you. And make no mistake, that’s not an exaggeration.” Eleanor couldn’t help gloating over the shocked look on her parent’s face.

  Out back, her father awaited her, his horse shuffling nervously. “What kept you?” he said.

  “I apologize. Mama wished to say a word to me.” Eleanor recognized Hugh’s horse, and the other animal must belong to Ned. In a moment, the two men came around the corner of the stables.

  Hugh spoke first, the unacknowledged leader. “Ah, I see we’re all here now, save one. My brother will meet us tomorrow morning in Portsmouth. Ned and I need to inform you of what we’ve learned. Ned?”

  “I questioned the men Abbot worked closest with, the other carpenters and woodworkers, but I’m afraid I didn’t learn much. One of the men said Abbot once brought up Portsmouth and the opportunities to be found there. This was after the fire, apparently, but none of the others had an interest, so Abbot dropped it.”

  “Did they think that was odd?” Eleanor asked.

  “As far as I could tell, they didn’t think much about it one way or the other. Sir Hugh, tell them what you learned.”

  “I paid a visit to Thomas Vickers. He said Abbot specifically mentioned wanting to work in the block mills. If Vickers knew more, he wouldn’t say.”

  “But that’s a good lead,” Sir William said. “We can inquire at the manufactories.”

  “Do we have a plan?” Eleanor asked. An urgency clawed at her to be under way.

  Hugh shook his head. “Not a very well formed one, I’m afraid. Once we get to Portsmouth, we’ll stop for the night and discuss how to proceed in
the morning. We know where Abbot might seek work, which is in our favor. Traveling with a child, they can’t be too far ahead of us.” He glanced around at them, and Eleanor thought he paused particularly long to study her. Did he expect her to change her mind about going?

  Hugh gave a brief nod. “It is late, but the days are long. We should be able to make it to Portsmouth before night falls, barring any unforeseen disasters with people, carriages, or horses. We’ll stop once to refresh ourselves.”

  He was all business, and she was glad of it. Everybody nodded their assent, and a groom helped Eleanor up the carriage steps. In another moment, they set off toward the London Road, heading south to Portsmouth.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Hugh let Ned take the lead so he might think unimpeded. He had debated asking Eleanor not to travel with them; indeed, he’d thought about forbidding it. She would slow them down. But he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

  Her countenance was pale, and from the looks of her, she hadn’t been eating. He blamed himself for that. If only he’d waited to speak to her about their daughter until after he’d had a chance to calm down and consider the matter from her point of view. He should have been more understanding. She’d deceived him, and he had a right to be angry. But he was beginning to comprehend her reasons, one of which was to shield him from scandal. And she’d apologized. Most sincerely. But no, like the resentful, judgmental man he was, he had barged in and accused her of everything from lying to neglecting and abandoning her child. He’d said she was exactly like his mother, and she hadn’t even flinched. She carried too much on those slim shoulders as it was, and he’d added to her burdens. And now this.

  Could Eleanor possibly have believed he would not want Lili? She had said she did not know the kind of man he was and had no idea what to expect from him. At the time she had learned she was with child, their acquaintance had been of short duration. It wasn’t until he’d returned and they’d become close—more than close—that he’d confessed his feelings about his mother. She could not have known he would never, ever, willingly give up a child he’d fathered. She’d stated, and she was right, that in such a circumstance, men usually ask to be informed if there are consequences. It was de rigueur. Most men wouldn’t have meant it sincerely, though Hugh most certainly had. But she hadn’t known that at the time they’d made love atop some hay bales on a freezing November night.

  Eleanor had said she wished to start over posing as a widow with a child, in a new location. Perhaps she believed that was the only way forward. Such a lonely, isolated existence that would be.

  …

  They broke the journey at a coaching inn near Petersfield. Ned opened the door of the coach and let down the steps for Eleanor, and they joined her father and Hugh, who were waiting in the yard.

  “We haven’t much time,” Hugh said. “I’ll have them bring out a tankard for everybody. Eleanor, I understand your cook provided us with victuals?”

  She’d forgotten about the basket, since food was the last thing on her mind. “Yes. Sandwiches. The basket is in the coach.” She turned to retrieve it, but Hugh stopped her.

  “Leave it. We’ll congregate there in a few minutes.”

  Eleanor nodded and went off to locate the privy. When she’d finished, she found a barrel of water nearby for washing up. While she was rinsing her hands, something caught her eye. A bit of white fabric, which she initially assumed was a lost handkerchief, lay beneath a scraggly yew tree. Out of curiosity, she drew closer to investigate. It was then that she noticed the vivid red fabric, now torn and soiled, attached to the bit of white. Her heart rioting in her chest, she squatted down and picked it up.

  It was Lili’s doll.

  Eleanor didn’t know if she possessed the strength to stand up again. If her legs would hold her. But at length she stood, and they did. Clutching the doll to her chest, she made her way back to the front of the inn and found the others gathered around the carriage. Her father had opened the basket, and he, Ned, and Sarah, Eleanor’s maid, were all munching on sandwiches. Hugh stood alone, drinking from a tankard. Eleanor stopped before she reached them. Hugh looked up and saw her, tossed his drink to the ground, and came to her at once.

  He grasped her arm. “You must sit before you fall down,” he said. “What is this you’re holding? What have you found?”

  She felt the stares of the others. Somehow, Hugh shooed them away from the carriage and helped Eleanor inside, then climbed in and sat next to her. He started to speak, but before he got any words out, a great, racking sob burst from her. She dropped the doll and covered her face with her hands.

  “Is this Lili’s doll, Eleanor? It looks like countless other dolls to me, but I can see you’ve recognized it, and most likely made the dress. You’ve taken such pains with it. It’s beautiful. Is that right?”

  She nodded. “And the doll.” His voice was soft, almost crooning, and it soothed her. When she uncovered her face, Hugh handed her his handkerchief. “Lili loves her doll. She sleeps with it, carries it about. She would never leave it or throw it away. Someone took it from her. Maybe hurt her. Oh God, Hugh.”

  Now he clutched her shoulders and gave her a slight shake. “Look at me. They were probably in a hurry, and Mrs. Abbot took her to the privy. When they dashed off, Lili dropped the doll. It was most certainly an accident. Nothing more.”

  “But what if—”

  Hugh gave her a stern look. “I forbid any ‘what-ifs.’ Try to see this in a positive light. Now we know we’re on the right track. We know for certain they were here, at this very inn, which means there is no longer any doubt as to where they are headed. This is the proof we needed.”

  Eleanor dabbed at her face with the handkerchief. “Very well. I’ll try to look at it that way.”

  “Can you eat something, Eleanor? You need your strength for tomorrow. That is when we shall find our daughter, yes?”

  She couldn’t help smiling. “Yes.”

  “I’m not leaving this carriage until you’ve bitten into a sandwich.” He fished one out of the basket for her, then opened the carriage door and shouted to Ned. In a minute, Ned passed Hugh a tankard of ale.

  She supposed she would be holding them up if she did not try to eat, so she dutifully took a bite and washed it down with some ale. After she’d repeated the process a few times, Hugh seemed satisfied.

  “Well done,” he said, smiling. When he turned to climb out, Eleanor laid a hand on his arm.

  “Hugh.” He paused and looked at her, eyebrow cocked. “I will always regret keeping Lili from you.”

  Did his expression harden? He nodded and was gone so fast she could not judge his frame of mind.

  The remainder of the trip flew past in a blur. Eleanor sat and stroked the doll, remembering her last visit with Lili, how she’d helped her to dress it in the ball gown. Her little hands had not quite been up to the task. Sarah, perched on the opposite seat, was knitting. Eleanor didn’t know how she could do so in such dim light.

  Hugh was being quite kind. She could almost forgive him for his harsh words and his grim determination to remove Lili from her. But he hadn’t asked for her forgiveness, nor had he said anything about a change of heart. This whole episode further called into question Eleanor’s fitness as Lili’s mother.

  It was of no consequence. Nothing mattered right now except finding Lili.

  When they neared Portsmouth, the traffic increased. Eleanor glimpsed the cobalt blue of the sea shimmering in the distance and spotted riggings of some of the ships. The coach slowed and stopped, and she heard the men conferring. After a moment, the carriage door opened, and her father, after putting down the steps, motioned to her to descend. “Come, Norrie.”

  For the first time, Eleanor swiveled around to take in her surroundings. The London Road had given way to the High Street in Portsmouth. The garrison, a looming fortress built of limestone, stretched in either direction. Hugh said, “Are you up to a short walk? The coach must be conveyed to the livery, an
d given the volume of traffic, we don’t want to attempt to drive it through Town.” Hugh offered his arm, but she pretended not to see.

  “Of course,” she said, eyes seeking her father. He smiled at her, and she grasped his arm. She could not allow herself to want Hugh, to trust him, to lean on him, ever again. Depend on him she must, to find Lili. But there was no sense in pursuing an artificial closeness with him. After they’d secured the safety of their daughter, their relationship would become adversarial. He, the instrument of her loss, would become her enemy. She must not forget that, even temporarily.

  After passing through the Landport Gate, they set off walking, jostled by the crowds. Naval officers in their blue coats with gold buttons, seamen in varying dress, all of them wearing cocked hats. Women of questionable virtue, dressed in their evening finery, strolled about. Eleanor tried not to gawk. Fishmongers, costermongers, and flower vendors were all hawking their wares, striving to be heard over the cacophony. Even at this hour, the road was heavily trafficked with drays, carts, and coaches jockeying for position, and in some cases, narrowly avoiding accidents. Eleanor’s confidence began to ebb. How could they ever find one little girl amid all this chaos?

  After passing the Customs House and crossing a bridge, they took East Street to Broad Street, until they found the area where the hostelries were located. Her father explained they were at the Point, home of the vast dockyard. This was the part of Town in which they were most likely to find the Abbots, and thus Lili.

  They secured rooms at the King’s Tower Inn, a reputable-looking establishment. “I’ll request a private dining parlor,” Hugh said. Although he seemed composed, Eleanor saw signs of exhaustion in the lines around his mouth and the tension in his expression. “Shall we meet here for supper in, say, a half hour?”