A Secret Deal With The Devilish Baron (Historical Regency)

by Lucy Langton

  She rushed into the restroom to take care of herself, after which she returned to the room to arrange her bed. She hated the maids doing her personal things for her; she was not trained that way. Her mother brought her up in such a way that she could adapt to any environment without being an unnecessary burden to people.

  “What if there is no maid on earth, would you not do your chores by yourself?” her mother would ask her.

  She had taken much solace in that and had learnt how to do almost everything for herself, even to prepare her own meals. It was a great idea, and she would not hesitate to teach such a healthy culture to her children.

  She finished arranging the bed and went for the broom to sweep her room. She finished putting everything in order and headed for the door. Opening it, Isabel stepped out, shutting it behind her.

  She headed to Beatrice’s room and just at the door, she met Rachel coming out. Her countenance was not friendly. Isabel greeted her, and she responded almost inaudibly, swayed her waist this way and that as she stepped onto the stairs. Isabel shook her head and smiled, watching her while she walked down the stairs and out of sight.

  She knocked on Beatrice’s door and went in, found her still on the bed and became shocked.

  “My Lady, I greet you.”

  Beatrice gave a beaming smile, evidence that she had been waiting for her.

  “You are not up yet?” she asked her.

  “No, My Lady. My body aches.”

  “Oh, how awful. Have you cleaned up?”

  Beatrice shook her head.

  “But, the maid was here? I saw her leaving.”

  “Yes, My Lady. I didn’t need her services. In order not to keep her waiting, I sent her away.”

  “Why did you do so?” It was then Isabel understood the reason for the maid’s unfriendly action and shook her head.

  “I don’t think I like her anymore. Something in me tells me she is evil.”

  “My Lady!” Isabel gasped. “It’s just your mere imagination playing pranks on you. No one is evil here,” she cautioned her lovingly. Afterwards, she helped Lady Beatrice up and encouraged her to do her toiletries. Then, she got an ointment from the shelf and gave her body a thorough massage, her fingers playing out magical roles on Beatrice’s skin. She winced at each touch, her whole body feeling like someone whose body had been hit with a hammer or one who wrestled with the Devil. She tried her best to endure the pain for she knew that the outcome would be fantastic, and there was no pain reliever other than the massage therapy. After feeling Isabel’s fingers leave her skin, she laid still on her bed as the feelings in her body returned, and with a spring in her step, she got out of bed and led Isabel to brunch.

  Chapter 20

  Beatrice went to bed feeling better than the way she embraced the morning. She had a great day and remained grateful to God for sending Isabel to her life. Isabel had once told her about her experience in massaging and resetting of bone, a skill she learnt after the fall from horse riding. She had since then helped a few chaps and young girls in getting their health back in order. Beatrice told her to take up health care as a profession. But she declined, contented with doing it as a sacrifice of love to people dear to her.

  She loved her so much and wished they were more than friends. Several times she had wondered why it took Isabel so long to come into her life. Had she come earlier on, maybe, she would have regained her freedom from self-sabotage and destruction. Well, she was not totally destroyed. At least, she was regaining her self-worth and dignity. Now, she knew what it meant to pick up a quill pen, dip it inside an inkwell, and put something down on parchment. It felt so good to pour the imagination of her head on paper and read through it, just the way she did to other people’s works of poetry and prose. She laid still and allowed her head to ruminate on different episodes of her life. From there, she drifted off to the dreamland and had a beautiful encounter with people in the other world.

  Beatrice’s eyes slowly parted as she regained full consciousness of her environment. She was on her bed. As she rolled over to face the large room, she felt untold pain. Her body was in a serious condition. It was double of what she felt the previous day. She wondered what could have been going on in her body. Her soul was filled with grief and sorrow. She did not like the condition in which she found herself. Worst of all, she had lost the voice with which she could cry. Cold chills passed through her body, and she felt goosebumps all over.

  Beatrice could remember when she passed through such a condition. It was during the season of plums in July some years back, while her father was still alive. She had gone plum picking and ate so much that she could barely breathe. She had come back with only a few in her basket and handed them over to her brother. She laid down on the bed to rest a little and to enable proper digestion of the fruit. That was the beginning of her body ache, and she ended up having a physician check her body, and drugs were administered to her for so many weeks before she could regain her good health again.

  That was the last time that saw her going plum picking or even bringing it closer to her buccal cavity. She never wished to be in that condition again. Therefore, she tried to force herself out of bed but discovered how heavy it felt to achieve. She wanted to scream to attract people’s attention; her voice was so faint that she could barely hear herself. She wished someone could come to her rescue but saw no one. She managed to force herself to sit up, pending when a maid or Isabel would enter the room and help her condition. As she sat there, resting her back on the frame of the bed, she began to regain her strength little by little, though with the speed of a snail.

  A few minutes later,

  She heard a knock on the door and knew immediately that it could be one of the maids because that was not Isabel’s pattern of knocking. She invited whoever was at the door to enter. The door clicked open, and Rachel entered, bearing a tray containing a mug of tea and cake. She hissed silently and ordered her to drop it on the table at the centre of the room. Rachel curtsied as she was commanded. Then, she turned to Lady Beatrice, expecting to receive more instructions. Lady Beatrice, on the other hand, pretended not to notice her presence.

  “What else, My Lady, would you have me do?” she asked Lady Beatrice.

  “I do not think I would want you to do anything for me!” Lady Beatrice snapped at her. Then she felt a sharp pain in her stomach, although she tried hard to suppress it.

  “Why, My Lady?” Rachel asked her in the most humble way she could.

  “Do you ever care about me?” Lady Beatrice questioned her.

  “I do, My Lady,” she responded with a curtsy.

  “I doubt it! You got in here, saw me in this condition, and never cared to know what I’m passing through. Do you think that food over there is as important as my health? Anyway, if you think you care enough about me, fetch me Lady Isabel. I think I will appreciate her presence better.”

  Rachel curtsied and left her presence. She returned with Isabel not long after.

  Isabel gave her friend a warm embrace upon seeing her.

  “My Lady, I want to believe that you had a great night because, from your facial expressions, you look otherwise?” Isabel addressed her as if teaching the maid the right way to treat the noble lady.

  Beatrice, on seeing that the maid was still standing there ordered her out. As she opened the door to leave, Lady Beatrice added, “Never forget to remain inconspicuous in this chamber. I’m tired of beholding your disgusting face!” With that, Rachel walked away, but not forever as she was commanded.

  “My Lady, you never answered my previous question?” Isabel requested.

  “I’m sorry for not doing so, my dear. I just woke up worse than expected. My body aches, and I feel irritated over everything. What could the problem be?”

  “I have no idea, my dear,” Isabel replied, sitting beside her and caressing her body like a mother.

  “You seem to know the answer to all the questions in this world. Is it out of place to ask you why I’m feeli
ng this way?”

  “It is only God that has all the answers to the questions. I’m just a mere mortal, an instrument in the hand of the maker. I could sense that you need some massaging therapy. That, I will do immediately. Let me get some ointment from the first aid kit in the other room. I took it there the other day. I will be with you in a moment.”

  She left, and while walking into the room, she met the Baronet the door, talking with Rachel. He quickly discharged Rachel and faced Isabel, eager to know what brought her to the room.

  “My Lady, what if I may ask, could be the matter, for your countenance is dull?” Lord William implored.

  “Nothing, My Lord. Lady Beatrice’s body aches, and I need to fetch the first aid kit to attend to her.”

  “I believe she is in her chamber?”

  “Yea, she is. Only that you can’t see her now, I will send for your presence at a convenient time.”

  “If you say so,” he responded, giving way for her to get in. He made sure his body brushed hers, sending some electric signal to her body. She got what she needed and went back to Beatrice’s chamber.

  ***

  Rachel went to the courtyard moodily. She refused to welcome the greetings from her fellow-servants. The butler and the stable boy were outside having a tête à tête with each other. She passed them and went towards the entrance of the estate. As she got to the entrance, the gatekeeper greeted her, but she cast a cursory look at him and ignored him. Finally, she turned her back and moved towards the courtyard. She found a little back chair close to the wall and sat down, head bent. She was close to shedding tears, but that was not going to be. Everyone was watching her, and she noticed all eyes on her. Feeling insecure and restive, she moved towards the back and found herself resting at the end of the building, sitting among the lilies.

  That morning, Lord William received an impromptu letter from his friends in a faraway place, informing him of their desire to visit him since it had been ages since they last met. According to the letter, they were actually passing by his community to attend a social function somewhere and deemed it wise to visit him and probably catch up with old times. He was pleased to receive the letter for some reasons, one of which was the fact that it had been long since he set his eyes on them. Another one was that one of them happened to be a doctor. He was going to kill two birds with one stone by inviting him to check his sister’s health condition and to ascertain the cause of her ailment. He had to let his household know about it so that they could get things prepared and put into place for the visit.

  He first went to the kitchen to inform Mrs. Smith, the chef. She was preparing lunch for the entire household when he got in.

  “I will have some guests coming to the house tomorrow,” Lord William announced, after the exchange of greetings.

  Mrs. Smith nodded and requested the number of people that he expected and the dishes that would be served. Mr. Jason, the butler, entered immediately and was told the same thing. Fifteen guests, nine males, and six females.

  “Mr. Jason, tell the stable hand to make space enough to contain about ten horses,” he ordered the butler.

  He excused himself from their presence and went straight to meet the gardener. She was shocked to see him, for he rarely visited the garden, except to show his guests around his estate, displaying his acquisitions and affluence.

  “Miss Sanders!” he called out to her.

  She stood up to receive the information he came with.

  “I will be expecting guests tomorrow, and I’m likely to take them around the estate. Make sure to keep the garden in order. Get your father informed about the situation of things since he is out of town. If by any means he does not come back today, be diligent in your duty.”

  “I have heard you, My Lord,” she replied.

  He made to walk away, then changed his mind. As he turned back, he said to her, “One more thing!”

  She stood up in obedience.

  “This is your duty post. Remain here. You have no business with the chef or any other female here. I have noticed that you barely do your job these days. You are more interested in doing girly talk than focusing on the reason you came here. You are too young for that. Be warned!” His face was not friendly, a rare expression.

  As he walked away, he met the maid on her way out of her hiding place. She looked grave and feigned ignorant of his presence. He cast a brief look at her and walked away to his sister’s bedchamber, where he learnt of the latest developments.

  ***

  Isabel helped Beatrice to clean herself up and massaged her body. She screamed as Isabel’s palms moved swiftly across her body. Her head hurt, and she had lost appetite. By the time Isabel was through with her, her whole body felt as though a hot liquid or peppery substance had been applied to it. Isabel helped her with her choice of dress to put on. It was a long, sleeveless dress, closely fitted to the torso just under the bust and falling loosely below. She needed it because of the weather. Summer was gradually approaching, and the weather was getting hotter than usual.

  There was a knock on the door. And the second and third. Isabel went to open it for him. He got in, looking as sober as a judge. They stood there for some seconds, staring at each other. As soon as he beheld her beautiful face, his facial expression brightened up, and he smiled. Then, he greeted her. She made way for him to enter. He got in and greeted his sister as well. She was looking pale and sad. He didn’t like it as it reminded him of her previous condition.

  “If it persists by tomorrow, we will have to get a physician,” he expressed.

  “The same manner they were invited the previous times and were not able to diagnose my condition.”

  “Not as you think, My Lady. I will get more capable hands this time around. Your health is of utmost importance to us. I want the best for you,” he said, examining her body.

  Isabel stood there watching as both of them exchanged words, each not scared of the other’s response.

  He opened her eyes and peered in. They looked pale and dry. He could not fathom what could be wrong with her. He stood up, looked around the room as if it was his debut entrance to the room. Hands akimbo, he faced Isabel, flames of fire flashing from his eyes. She returned the looks, melting with each stare. She felt like being wrapped up in his arms. But, no! Caution must be exercised because of the presence of Lady Beatrice.

  “You look so worn out. I guess you didn’t have enough of the night?” he asked her.

  “I did, My Lord,” she replied softly with a nod.

  “Fine. I know you have not been informed that my friends will be coming to visit us tomorrow. The news just got to me this morning by the postman,” he announced to them.

  Isabel nodded in approval, but not so with Beatrice.

  “Tell me, which of your friends?” she asked him.

  “From Hastings in Sussex county council. I met them when I was much younger. But now, most of them are married. They just want to visit us and to know how much our estate is worth. It will be an honour to see them after so many years.”

  “That would be great. Shall I come to greet them?” the fatigued Beatrice asked.

  “Of course, you can. Even Miss Montgomery is invited.” He flashed a smile at Isabel.

  “Oh! That would be an honour, My Lord. Is there anything we can do to help out in preparations for their coming?”

  “Oh, no! Everything has been taken care of. That is so kind of you.” He extended his hand towards her. She accepted it, and he held her a little longer than necessary.