Clearing her throat delicately, Noelle tilted her nose in the air and turned towards her sister. “Without regard to offending anyone’s delicate sensibilities, I must insist on pointing out the obvious; the man’s a known rake, is it really so hard to believe that he may have fathered a child during one of his illicit trysts?”
Soren sputtered and blushed at his wife’s bluntness. “Darling, it isn’t any of our concern.”
“If it wasn’t any of our concern, Lord Martineau would’ve had the decency not to bring it up in our company,” she pointed out.
“Be that as it may, I don’t think that—”
Pierce cut Soren off and turned to his friend, “Elliot you are the most vexing man alive. Every time I talk to you of late you are spewing off some sort of craziness, but this…this tops it all. Are you or aren’t you a father and where did this supposed child come from?”
Elliot began to feel self conscious at all of the attention that was on him. Four pairs of eyes were staring back at him, anticipating what his answer would be. He hadn’t planned on spilling his momentous news to everyone at once, nor had he anticipated having to explain his poor choices that had led up to the discovery of him being a father. He looked around the table at each pair of eyes before something occurred to him. “Where is Miss Ogglesby?” he asked, not intentionally trying to change the subject, but honestly curious about her absence.
Hope answered, “She retired to her room earlier yesterday eve complaining of a stomach ache. She wasn’t feeling well enough to attend services with us this morning, the poor dear, but I haven’t had a chance to check on her since we’ve gotten home. I’ll send someone up to check on her now.”
Hope gave instructions to one of the maids to check on Elenore while Pierce quickly brought the conversation back to Elliot. “Nothing you can say will convince me that you actually care about Miss Ogglesby’s whereabouts, now stop stalling and start explaining yourself.”
Elliot placed both feet on the floor and leaned forward, resting both elbows on the table. He tried to think of the easiest and least awkward way to explain himself. “Well it would seem that four years ago, before Felicity disappeared, we created a child together. I just found out about our daughter yesterday.”
“Can you be certain it’s yours?” Pierce asked bluntly.
Elliot winced, “Of course I can.”
“But,” Pierce stammered, “There’s always the possibility that—”
“You can stop right there. No, there is no other possibility, none. The child is just over three years old, she’s the right age and she has my eyes. Her name is Edith Margaret, and she’s absolutely delightful.”
“Edith Margaret,” Hope said, letting the name roll off her tongue. “Though this is all quite a shock, please let me be the first to congratulate you. I’m sure that marriage and fatherhood will do you wonders Elliot.”
Just as Elliot was about to respond, the maid returned. Her face was as white as a sheet as she frantically scurried over to Hope and shoved a piece of paper at her mistress. “Miss Ogglesby is gone!”
Hope grabbed the paper from her shaking hand and read it as quickly as she could. Her face paled as she turned and handed the letter to Pierce. The note passed quickly around the table. It seemed to have a domino effect as each person read the letter and instantly paled before handing it off to the next person in line. When the letter finally made its way to Elliot, he glanced at the words briefly before letting out a sonorous laugh.
Everyone turned quizzical eyes on him as if he had gone crazy. Elliot threw the letter down in the center of the table and said, “A nun? You truly believe the chit went to a convent?”
“Elliot,” Hope chastised, “This is no laughing matter. How would you feel if your ward just up and disappeared? This is serious!”
Elliot rolled his eyes and shook his head, “No, I think this is a cry for attention. I’m sure she just felt like she needed a little adventure in her life and will probably be back before nightfall when she realizes that she’s not cut out for a life of piousness.”
“How can you be so sure?” Hope asked.
“Because she asked me to marry her and take her to America with me. Clearly she’s not interested in a life of abstinence if she was so ready to wed and sail off to a foreign country as my wife. She’s young and immature and looking for attention. My advice to you would be to find some other relative or friend who’d be willing to take her in and get her off your hands.”
“What a heartless thing to say.” That came from Noelle and Elliot chose to ignore it.
“Elliot,” Pierce winced, “You know I can’t in good conscience write the girl off. What would Paul say if he returned to find his only sister had run off to become a nun?”
“He’d probably say good riddance.”
Noelle and Hope both gasped in shock. Elliot just shrugged.
“Well it’s a good thing he didn’t leave her in your care then,” Pierce grumbled. “I have to take responsibility for the child therefore I will be going after her.”
Elliot rose to his feet. “Well have fun with that. I on the other hand have more important things to do than go chasing that chit across London.”
Pierce reached forward and placed a hand on Elliot’s shoulder to stop him from going anywhere. “No you don’t, you’re coming with me.”
Chapter 15
Wednesday April 27th, 1814
Felicity scanned the contents of the letter she had received from Elliot three days ago, frustrated that he had said he would be by to pay her a visit on Sunday and he still hadn’t shown. The letter clearly indicated that he had planned to stop by the very day she received the missive but after spending the day anxiously awaiting his arrival, she had only been disappointed when he never came. And each day since, his absence had left her with the same frustration and disappointment.
It was bad enough trying to reassure herself that he was just busy and surely had a good excuse for his absence, but when Edith started inquiring about her new papa, she couldn’t help feeling angry at him for not keeping his word. She questioned her decision to tell Elliot about their daughter—it was one thing for her to be hurt by him but another thing entirely for Edith to be. Maybe she had been wrong to start trusting him.
She refolded the letter and slipped it into the pocket of her skirt and picked up one of Edith’s dresses that she had been mending. The child was impossibly hard on clothes and with their limited resources she couldn’t afford to buy her new clothing every time she tore something. She longed to give her daughter the kind of wardrobe she had been accustomed to as a young girl but knew the only way that would be possible is if she were to marry. She thought of Elliot once more as she methodically stitched the torn hem, her eyes taking on a faraway look.
She knew she was allowing her thoughts to stray into dangerous territory when she envisioned what her life would be like if she were to wed Elliot. Of course she would become a Viscountess and never have to worry about providing for Edith’s needs again, but though those things would be nice, they weren’t the things that she really longed for. Being Elliot’s wife and sharing his life was what her heart hungered for. She had once dreamt of a future by his side so it wasn’t hard to imagine it now. Edith would have both a mother and father and maybe even someday brothers and sisters to play with, the thought reminding her of other things she would like to share with Elliot as well, but this time once they were properly wed and belonged to each other forever.
It had been so long since she had allowed herself to dream of Elliot and it still scared her completely, not knowing if she was just setting her heart up for further anguish when her dreams would once again be shattered, he had after all, never mentioned marriage in their previous conversation. She was so deep in thought that she actually jumped and barely missed poking her finger with the needle when she heard a knock at the door. She quickly set the dress down on the settee and rose to go see who was coming to visit, eagerly hoping it would be Elliot.
Opening the door, Felicity tried desperately to disguise the regret she felt from showing as she stared into Lord Wadsworth’s face. The disappointment at not seeing Elliot quickly disappeared and was replaced with shock. What was Lord Wadsworth doing at her house and how did he know where she lived?
Before she could ask him anything, he took her hand in his and bowed deeply before her, “Lady Davenport, it’s truly a delight to see you.”
Felicity stiffened at the use of her alias, caught off guard by his unexpected visit and not quite prepared to entertain him with her act. When he rose from his bow she got a better look at his face and noticed the yellowish green remnants of bruising on his nose. She gasped, “What happened to your face my lord?”
Lord Wadsworth cringed, “I thought it had healed enough by now that you wouldn’t notice.” Brushing off her concern he said, “It’s nothing to fret over, what is worth fretting over is the fact that it’s been way too long since I last laid eyes on you.”
Felicity laughed nervously, furiously trying to concoct an excuse to get him to leave when her eyes wandered behind him to the street where a carriage was just coming to a halt. Lord Wadsworth turned to follow her gaze and they both stood silently staring at the intrusion.
Felicity gasped as she saw Clinton step out of the carriage, a devious smile on his face. He strolled arrogantly up to the porch, his eyes never once leaving her face. As he approached he reached for Felicity’s hand that was laying limp at her side. She was so stunned she didn’t even bother offering it to him. “My darling, I’m so glad I found you at home. We have some urgent matters to discuss.”
Lord Wadsworth turned to Felicity, clearly confused by the situation. “What’s going on here Lady Davenport? Don’t tell me this is another of your protective suitors coming to warn me away.”
Felicity turned to him confused, “What do you mean?”
“You mean you hadn’t heard about Lord Martineau?” he scoffed.
At the mention of Lord Martineau’s name Clinton bristled—if there was one person in the world he truly abhorred, it was Elliot Martineau. He reached forth and grasped Felicity’s arm painfully. “Lord Martineau is of no consequence to us.” Then turning to Lord Wadsworth, “I insist you leave at once so I can speak to my cousin in private.” While still holding onto Felicity’s arm, he attempted to push her back into the house, his attention turned fully away from Felicity’s intrusive visitor.
Lord Wadsworth stepped forward, not sure he liked being pushed aside so carelessly. He was sick and tired of people trying to come between him and Lady Davenport. Placing a hand on Clinton’s shoulder to stop him he said, “With all due respect, I wasn’t finished with the lady.”
“With all due respect,” Clinton replied icily, barely containing the anger he felt, “I said I have personal family business with the lady and insist you leave now.”
Lord Wadsworth looked at Felicity, sensing something was amiss but not sure what to do about it. She didn’t look exactly pleased by her cousin’s visit but she wasn’t saying anything in protest either. He finally decided that there was no point in arguing. He bowed slightly before Felicity and as he stood he said, “I’ll call on you tomorrow.”
“No you won’t,” Clinton swore. “You’ll stay away from her indefinitely. She’s soon to become my wife and I won’t tolerate your attentions any longer, do I make myself clear?”
Lord Wadsworth was dumbfounded. “Your wife? Is this true my lady?”
Felicity felt Clinton’s fingernails dig into her arm painfully, a clear indication that she shouldn’t contradict him. She had no other choice but to nod at Lord Wadsworth. He looked back at her with bewilderment and she longed to tell him the truth but knew she couldn’t. He may be her only chance for help at this point but she knew Clinton would hinder her from seeking his assistance, only punishing her further if she tried to rebel against him.
When Lord Wadsworth remained rooted in his place Clinton grasped Felicity’s shoulders and began shaking her as he spoke, “The girl is mine now get off of my property before I call for the authorities.” Lord Wadsworth nodded almost apologetically before retreating backwards off the porch.
Felicity felt her cheeks burning with embarrassment and anger. She knew personally the cruelty that Clinton was capable of but she had never been subject to him treating her so rudely in front of others.
When the door was securely shut he turned on her, his devilish smile once more in place. “Next time you want to hide from me may I suggest that you don’t stay at one of my residences?” He bent over and leaned his head close to her face, placing a finger under her chin to tilt her head so she was staring up into his soulless eyes. “I told you I would find you and ruin your life. Did you ever doubt my sincerity?” Felicity shook her head slowly, fear clutching at her heart.
Clinton gripped her chin tightly before shoving her back into the wall and releasing her. She reached out and caught herself and watched as he looked around the entryway in disdain. “Inheriting your father’s estate was supposed to amount to more than a handful of worthless, rundown properties and a worthless, rebellious daughter.” He looked back at her, “This is all your fault you know? All of it,” he stated coldly.
Felicity had heard all of this before. She’d heard countless times how she had ruined his life by allowing Elliot to ruin her. If she hadn’t been with child she would’ve been forced to marry Lord Kilpatrick, helping to ensure that Clinton would have inherited more than a few rundown estates and a heaping mount of debt to go a long with it. Not only had she ruined her father’s life, she had ruined his as well. He still hated her for it.
When she didn’t answer he barked at her once more, “This is all your fault, do you even realize that?” She nodded in response, hoping to gratify him. Clinton stepped closer once more and growled, “And I promised to make you pay for it, didn’t I?”
Felicity’s heart filled with dread. She had hoped that when she fled from his house in the middle of the night last fall that she had been leaving him behind for good. She had desperately hoped that her and Aunt Agatha’s plan would have worked, that she would have been able to find someone else to marry and protect her before Clinton had the chance to inflict his punishment upon her.
Clinton reached up and stroked the side of her face causing her insides to cringe. She wanted to recoil but knew that would only anger him further. “You ruined my life and now I plan on ruining yours. Are you the only one here?”
Felicity’s thoughts instantly turned to Edith and Aunt Agatha who were both resting upstairs, completely unaware of the drama unfolding below. Clinton didn’t know that she had been reunited with her daughter and she wasn’t about to tell him for fear of what that could mean for Edith’s future. She made a hasty decision not to tell him about the others in the house, knowing that if she was being forced to go with him, the least she could do was spare them the horrors of what he might inflict upon her.
She shook her head no, “I’m the only one here at the moment.”
“Good. Let’s go.”
“Where are we going?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Clinton spat out caustically as he once more opened the door and drug her to his awaiting carriage.
Chapter 16
After two long and uneventful days of searching for Miss Ogglesby, both Pierce and Elliot were exhausted and disgruntled. Pierce was furious at the girl for being so impudent and vague in her letter. There were a number of Abbey’s throughout London and the surrounding towns that she could’ve gone to and so far each one of them they had visited had turned up nothing in their search for the girl. Elliot had been agitated the entire two days, anxious to get back to Felicity and Edith. He couldn’t care less about Miss Ogglesby or her fate and he had made sure to tell Pierce that several times over the last few days, much to Pierce’s chagrin.
They were both out of sorts by the time they pulled up to the Black Hawk Inn. The night was getting late and they still had a ways
to go before getting back to London. Both of them were too anxious to put their homecoming off another day so they opted to just stop for a quick dinner before traveling once more towards home.
The inn was warm and inviting, the smell of roasted chicken filling the air caused Elliot’s stomach to grumble. They were the only ones there besides a lone figure sitting at a table in the corner. Both Elliot and Pierce sank into the chairs and informed the serving girl that they would like a plate of dinner before either of them spoke.
Turning to Pierce, Elliot said, “Well I think you can safely say you did all you could to find Miss Ogglesby. Surely Paul won’t hold you responsible for her dim-witted decision to run off, especially once he knows how fervently you searched her out.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that. All I know is that if my little sister had run off while in the care of somebody else, I’d hold them responsible.”
“Well be grateful that you don’t have a little sister then. I’m not completely convinced she’ll stay away for good. Just bide your time and I’m sure she’ll show up eventually, apologizing profusely for the worry she caused you and your wife.”
Pierce raked a hand through his hair, “I can only hope that’s the case. Speaking of my wife, I can’t wait to get home to her. This is the longest we’ve been apart since we’ve been married.”
“I don’t feel sorry for you—it was your idea to chase after Miss Ogglesby, not mine.” Elliot pointed out unsympathetically.
Pierce sighed, not wanting to start into that argument once more. He took a long swig of his ale before looking towards the lone stranger in the corner. His eyes squinted as he tried to get a good look at the man. “Isn’t that your good friend Lord Wadsworth over there?”
Elliot leaned back in his chair trying to get a discreet look at the man. He didn’t have to see his face fully to know that it was him. He turned back to Pierce, “Should I go bid him good evening? I’m sure it’d make his day to see me again.”
Ladies of Deception 02 - Misleading Lord Martineau Page 11