Alyssa's Autumn Affair

by Tabetha Waite

  He wanted nothing more than to repeat the experience, but he wouldn’t disrespect her like that. If the time came when she wanted more, she would have to be the one to approach him. He would keep his distance, even if it tormented him.

  Even so, after Travell had finished breakfast, he found himself drawn to the conservatory. He told himself it was merely to see what she’d done with the space, but also because here, in her sanctuary, he could be close to her.

  The moment he walked into the warm, humid room, he was struck with the fragrant perfume from numerous flowers. It was hard to distinguish one from the other, for there were several blooms in varying colors. It amazed him how much this dilapidated area had been transformed in such a short amount of time. What had once fallen into ruin was now bursting with life.

  He spied her prized roses and walked over to them, gently rubbing one velvety petal between his thumb and forefinger. “And how are you doing today?” he murmured, and then instantly felt foolish for speaking to a flower. And when the petal’s softness began to remind him of the silkiness of Alyssa’s skin, he let his hand fall to his side.

  He had to admit that these Blue Ladies were truly remarkable, boasting a haunting shade of sapphire that he’d never seen before.

  His sister had gushed about Alyssa’s talents more than once, but he’d generally listened with half an ear as she’d droned on. Now he could see that what Alyssa had accomplished was rather impressive. But then, he had never been around anyone who enjoyed horticulture to this point. His mother certainly hadn’t cared about gardening, her talents best employed in a drawing room gossiping over tea. And Triana generally had her nose stuck in a book.

  While his memory was rather fuzzy, he vaguely recalled Alyssa’s mother. He’d only been five when she’d died, but the former Lady Lockley had possessed a kind smile, and the same interest in plants that her daughter now shared.

  It was a shame Alyssa had never known her mother, but he knew the lady’s good traits lived on in her, and the daughters she had would likely bear the same similarities.

  Travell’s heart clenched as he suddenly pictured a girl with brunette curls running across his estate.

  He clenched his jaw, thinking that it might be a good day to ride about the estate and check on his tenants, where temptation wasn’t so easily accessible. Otherwise, he might be inclined to break his own promise to leave Alyssa alone.

  Travell left the conservatory and ordered his horse to be saddled. But before he could take one step out the door, Ives intercepted him. “I’m afraid there’s a problem, my lord,” he said grimly.

  This didn’t sound good at all. “What is it?”

  “It appears that Lord Trenton has gone missing.”

  ***

  Alyssa schooled her expression to present the picture of calm as she rode to Rosewood. Seated across from her maid, she kept her shoulders back, hands in her lap, and now and then glanced at the countryside beyond the window, although she noticed very little of it. Of course, it was all a façade to hide the fact she was a mess on the inside. If anyone were to look closely, they would see the tight set of her mouth and the shadows beneath her eyes. Anyone might think that paying a visit to her Blue Ladies would be enough to lift her spirits, but when she stopped to think about seeing Lord Curdiff again, the butterflies began to flutter furiously in her stomach.

  She closed her eyes briefly and released a slow breath. She could do this. After all, it wasn’t as if she hadn’t faced him in the past after that first kiss. But while her ardor had been strong before, now it was positively flaming. All night she’d dreamed of his kiss, her body yearning for more of his touch.

  However, when she’d dressed and gone downstairs to find Caroline waiting for her, any fantasies had quickly vanished. Just the sight of the woman was enough to dampen the most pleasant of moods. Thankfully, Alyssa was able to make another easy escape.

  “Who is that?”

  Daisy’s query caught Alyssa’s attention and she actually focused on the passing scenery. “Oh, dear God. It’s the earl!” Instantly, her lungs froze and she rapped on the roof of the carriage. “Stop!” she shouted.

  She opened the door and vaulted out of the vehicle before it had even come to a complete stop, rushing across the field toward the pond where Lord Trenton was standing along the edge. He was still attired in his nightshirt and she didn’t even want to imagine how he might have slipped past the servants at Rosewood to end up here.

  As she drew closer, she slowed her pace. She didn’t wish to startle him. “Papa?”

  He turned his head and narrowed his eyes. “Amelia, why on earth would you call me that?”

  Alyssa sighed inwardly. So she was to be his wife again. “John, please, come back to the house and stop this foolishness.” She held her hand out to him, but he continued to glare at her.

  “Why? So you can just yell at me again?”

  A prickle of warning began to crawl up her spine, but she continued to speak to him in a soothing manner. “You know that we settled our differences.”

  He snorted. “Did we? Because just this morning you were complaining about the time I spent at the gaming tables.” He shook his head. “I can’t seem to make you happy, Amelia.”

  “Of course you make me happy, John. How could you not? We have two wonderful children—”

  “Enough!” He sliced his hand through the air and Alyssa fell silent. “We both know this marriage was doomed from the start. We’ve always chosen different paths. You wanted to be a countess, so that’s what I gave you. Now it’s time to think of my own happiness. I love Sophie.”

  Alyssa didn’t have to know the earl’s history to figure out that must have been the name of the scullery maid he’d run off with. She also knew this is where she had to tread carefully. “You must do what you believe is best for you. I won’t stop you.”

  He laughed at that. “You already tried to have her sacked, but I refuse to have you destroy our child.”

  “Sophie’s with child?” She choked out, her mind spinning with the implications of this knowledge.

  “As if you didn’t already know. But then, you’re embarking on your own peccadilloes, aren’t you?” His mouth twisted. “How are Lord and Lady Fremont these days?”

  Alyssa put a hand to her head, as the blood ran cold through her veins. She knew she would have to relay this conversation to Travell, but how could she possibly tell him any of this?

  “Where is Sophie now?” she whispered. If, by chance, they could manage to find the former maid, perhaps she could shed some light on all of this.

  Unfortunately, she realized she’d overstepped a little too late.

  He advanced on her, his fists clenched, his blue eyes nearly crazed with mania. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you, Amelia? You want to see me fail in every way. But I refuse to be held under your thumb any longer.” He grabbed Alyssa by the throat and began to squeeze. “For years you told me I was worthless, a disappointing lover and a bad father, just so you could become the victim and do as you pleased without any remorse. But those days are over. I’m leaving with Sophie tonight.”

  Alyssa gasped for air, darkness starting to close in on her vision. She tried to talk, but his grip only tightened. Desperate, she clawed at his arm, but he was too strong.

  As she began to fall limp and lose consciousness, she thought she heard someone call her name, and then there was nothing but silence.

  Chapter Eight

  Travell had never been struck with such all-consuming fear in his time as an agent for the Crown, but when he saw Alyssa in the frenzied grip of his father’s madness, he had nearly lost his own tenuous hold on sanity. He’d seen red as he lunged for Lord Trenton, knocking him to the ground and rolling him onto his back. He’d just lifted his fist to send it flying into the older man’s face, but the fury he’d initially read on the man’s face was replaced with white-faced horror.

  Slowly, Travell lowered his arm as Ives and the two footmen he’d enlisted t
o help him search for his father rushed over and hauled the earl off into the coach. As they departed for the manor, he came back to his senses and went to check on Alyssa. Bruises marred her porcelain neck, but at least she was breathing.

  He gently lifted her into his arms and strode to her carriage where her maid’s eyes were as round as saucers. “What happened?” she breathed.

  “My crazed father attacked her,” he returned harshly. “To Rosewood as quickly as possible!” he shouted to the driver.

  Travell cradled Alyssa on his lap. She had been valiant in her efforts to help the earl, but Travell knew it had all been in vain. He realized now that he would have no choice but to suffer the scandal and send his father to Bedlam, for he wouldn’t allow something like this to happen again.

  But first, he would do what he’d been dreading and send a letter to his mother and inform her of her husband’s resurgence.

  When they returned to Rosewood, Travell took Alyssa to his chamber and laid her on his bed. However, the moment he did so, her eyes fluttered and she awoke with a light cough. Relief instantly flooded Travell. He brushed a stray curl away from her forehead. “How are you?” he whispered, emotion clogging his throat.

  She blinked at him. “I have to… tell you… something,” she said in a raspy tone.

  She swallowed several times, but the effort seemed to pain her, so he said, “Don’t try to talk now. We can discuss it later when you’ve fully recovered and Lord Trenton has been sent away.”

  Alyssa shook her head adamantly and clutched at his jacket lapels. “No. You mustn’t. He told me… about Sophie.”

  For a moment, Travell was at sea, and then recognition dawned and all the blood seemed to recede from his body. “Do you mean… ?” He was so shocked he couldn’t even finish the sentence.

  She nodded. “Yes. I know today was… unfortunate.” Travell would have used a decidedly different description. “But we are… making progress. I… feel it.”

  They were interrupted by an angry roar that sounded from farther down the hallway, followed by a long wail, like that of an animal in great agony. “I just don’t know how much more of this I can take,” he whispered.

  Alyssa grabbed his hand, her green eyes full of determination. “You forget that you’re not… alone.”

  Travell couldn’t speak. In truth, he didn’t know how to respond. He didn’t know what he’d done in his life to earn the dedication of this woman, but he was grateful for it.

  He stood and said, “I’ll send up a tea tray and see if cook can’t make some sort of herbal remedy to ease your throat.”

  Travell left the room, but before he went downstairs, he had to grip the railing to steady himself. He knew as long as he lived he would never forget the panic on his father’s face when he’d drawn back his arm, fully prepared to deliver a punishing blow.

  Until that moment, Travell hadn’t even considered what he meant to do; he’d just acted on impulse. But now that he had time to reflect, he was ashamed that he’d been about to, not only strike his sire, but someone who was suffering from a mental affliction.

  Was he truly so deprived that he would have struck a sick old man?

  Bile rose up, but he forced it back as he stumbled down the stairs and headed for the kitchens.

  ***

  Alyssa felt better after a brief nap, soothed to sleep by the combination of Travell’s manly scent that clung to his counterpane, and the stressful events of that morning. Once she drank some hot tea and whatever the cook had added to the liquid, most of the soreness in her throat had eventually dissipated. However, a glance in the mirror showed that the purple bruises would take some time to fade. She attempted to draw her fichu a bit higher to hide the marks, but with the current fashions of a lowered neckline, it was almost impossible to hide them completely.

  She left Travell’s chamber and started to make her way downstairs to the conservatory, for she hadn’t yet checked on her roses, but she hesitated, turning back to Lord Trenton’s chamber instead. All was silent now, but she had to see how he was faring.

  She gently eased open the door and peeked inside. She was disheartened to see the brown glass laudanum bottle was sitting on the side table. When she glanced at the bed she saw that the earl was asleep, but it wasn’t an easy rest, for every now and then he would frown, his legs jerking with whatever nightmare was tormenting him. Not only had his wrists been tied back with the leather straps, but his legs had also been bound.

  She gently closed the wooden door, her throat aching for an entirely different reason now. It hurt her to see such a powerful man of society brought to such a low level. Granted, he might have brought all this madness upon himself; they might never know, but to be lost inside one’s own mind was a personal hell that no person should ever have to endure.

  Since there was nothing else she could do for him at the moment, she headed to the conservatory. When she entered, she was surprised to see that the Blue Ladies’ blossoms had grown even larger since the day before. If anything would make her smile, it was the sight of her precious flowers.

  She grabbed a watering can and went to the kitchens to fill it with fresh water from the indoor spigot. While she was there she thanked the cook for the herbal tea, at which the older woman actually blushed and expressed her appreciation for Alyssa’s help in trying to “restore the master to his former glory.”

  Once Alyssa had returned to her roses, she began to hum a light tune. It was from a pocket-sized Swiss music box that her father had given her about a year before he’d died. He’d told her that he had gotten it during his Grand Tour of the continent and given it to her mother as a birthday gift. He’d passed it on to Alyssa when she’d turned seven. Although she didn’t remember much about her childhood, the years having stripped away much of her earliest memories, she knew that was one that would never fade.

  She walked along the conservatory, sniffing the various petals as she went along, and then giving them a gentle shower from the watering can.

  It wasn’t until she turned a corner and the doorway came back into view that she jumped. She put a hand to her pounding heart when she saw Travell leaning against the frame. “You startled me,” she said with a light laugh.

  “I didn’t mean to,” he returned softly. And that was when she noticed he wasn’t smiling.

  She frowned in concern. “Are you well?”

  He scratched his jaw and shrugged. “I’m not really sure how to answer that,” he murmured as he strode into the room, moving to the other side of the table of flowers that stood between them. Instead of looking at her, he stared intently at a rhododendron. He was silent so long that she wasn’t sure if he was even going to elaborate, but then he blew out a breath and said, “How is one supposed to feel after contemplating killing his own father?”

  Alyssa wasn’t sure she had the right reply to that, but she knew she had to say something, for it was obvious he was torn. “You wouldn’t have killed him.”

  This time he did look at her, and the pain she read in his turbulent blue eyes broke her heart. “Are you so confident, then? Because I’m not so certain.”

  She set down the watering can and moved to him. But instead of being empathetic, this time, her tone was firm. “You listen to me, Travell Abernathy.” She poked him in the chest with her finger to make sure he was listening. “I know you, a man who has honor and compassion and any number of other good traits that are sadly lacking in so many others. You might have been upset, but Lord Trenton had nothing to fear from you. If he had, we wouldn’t be standing here having this ridiculous conversation.” She poked him a second time. “You are a decent man. You always have been. You just haven’t had anyone slap some sense into you, but I’m not afraid to do so, because I know I have nothing to fear from you.”

  He snatched her hand and yanked her to him, trapping her against his hard body. “Are you quite positive about that, my lady?”

  She gasped, but she knew this was all part of his inner battle. She li
fted her chin and dared to meet his gaze. “This moment has nothing to do with fear.”

  His nostrils flared, his eyes darkening to a fascinating blue to rival that of her roses. “I daresay you are rather correct on that score.”

  Alyssa allowed his kiss. In truth, she wanted it, had been craving it ever since they had parted ways the day before.

  He drank of her hungrily, like a man in the desert denied water who was given his first drink. His hands roamed over her back, pressing her fully against him. She could feel his erection pressing against her urgently. She moved her hips restlessly and he groaned, finally pulling away and setting her at arm’s length.

  He was breathing heavily, his eyes closed, when he said, “You need to go Alyssa. Now. Before that eloquent speech no longer has any meaning.”

  Alyssa paused, but then she turned and fled.

  ***

  “Your thoughts seem rather distant this evening, cousin.”

  Alyssa glanced up at James’ unspoken query as they sat around the dining table for the evening meal.

  “I hope none of your flowers have died tragically.”

  He smirked at his own joke, and Caroline grinned from across the table.

  “No. They’re fine,” she returned evenly. “I fear I was just woolgathering about Aunt Pearl.”

  Alyssa hated to lie, especially when it was about one of the most important people who had recently been snuffed from her life. But she couldn’t very well tell them the truth, that Travell’s intense kisses had caused her to forget everything of late, including her dearly departed aunt. While her grief was still present, his overwhelming presence, combined with concern for the earl’s welfare, caused her to focus on something other than her own personal misery.

  “Heavens,” Caroline huffed as she set down her fork with a clatter. “Must you mope about this house for another month? You act as though she’s the only person who has ever died. It’s a fact of life, Alyssa.” She glared at her black gown. “And I should think it’s time to put away those gloomy weeds you insist on wearing.”