Juliet nodded. “If it means I am able to save the women of the ton, then I shall do so without concern for my wellbeing.”
“It is like the highwayman,” Annabel said and quickly covered her mouth with her hand.
Juliet suppressed a smile. She had taught Annabel how to reveal a secret and make it appear an accident, and she performed the task as if she had been doing it all her life.
“What highwayman?” Caroline asked in clear interest.
Annabel looked at Juliet, who gave her a nod. “The night was full of thunder and lightning,” Annabel began in theatrical tones that were close to matching those of Juliet. “A rider came to the door, drenched from the rain to inform us of a highwayman who was being sought after.”
“Is this true?” Caroline asked with a gasp.
“It is,” Annabel replied. “It was that night, as lightning flashed, that Juliet and I spotted the highwayman in the stables of Scarlett Hall.”
As Annabel continued the story, Juliet studied Caroline. She sorted the information she had received about Robert, what little she had, but no matter which way she organized what she knew, none of it made sense.
The fact of the matter was Caroline was desperate for attention and had resorted to telling tales. It was sad that a woman would go to such lengths, but Juliet knew the story was not believable. If any man were to look upon any woman with lust, it would have been she, Juliet, who would have been on the receiving end of that look, not someone like Caroline Thrup. Yet, Robert had not done so even once, and therefore he could not have done so to Caroline.
Yet, she did have her mother’s concerns with which to contend. Although she did feel her mother might be struggling with jealousy, she sensed there was more there than the obvious. Therefore, she decided to speak to her mother once more to see what more she could glean from the woman about the cobbler.
Pleased to have worked out a plan, Juliet turned her attention to Annabel’s story. The girl was quite convincing, evident by how Caroline listened with wide eyes, and although the story was not completely true, it was entertaining, nonetheless.
***
Tuesdays had proven to be Eleanor’s favorite day of the week. The house was empty and she was given time alone without any distractions, a tradition she had begun years before as a way to work through any issues with which she might be struggling at any given time.
The house was quiet, and although it might be considered silly, at times, Eleanor found herself whispering to the thick walls whatever might be on her heart. In doing so, she released secrets and burdens and Scarlett Hall absorbed them all.
Today, her concern was great, and she feared she would no longer be able to handle it as she had in times past. There was her worry over Hannah, for one. Her middle daughter, by all accounts, had taken an interest in Laurence’s cousin John, for which Eleanor felt a great relief. However, there was still the chance the woman would wish to leave London and throw herself into the arms of a sheep farmer of all people.
Then there was her sweet Juliet, the one over which Eleanor always worried. Now, however, her worries had become significantly worse with the girl’s newfound friendship with that cobbler, Robert Mullens.
The rumors concerning the man had already reached Eleanor, and upon hearing the man’s name, she had hurried to the shop with quick steps. When she entered, her fears were confirmed, and she wanted nothing more than to get Juliet as far away from the man as she could.
One question plagued her above all. Did the man know?
Eleanor could not answer that question. Perhaps it was merely coincidence the man had returned to Rumsbury, but regardless, Eleanor would do what she could to keep Juliet, as well as Annabel, away from him. She poured herself a glass of wine and sat beside the fire in the drawing room. Perhaps she should send Juliet to London in order to avoid the possibility of trouble.
A knock at the door made her start, and she wondered who would be calling in the middle of the day without sending a card first. Her skirts rustled as she glided through the foyer. She took a deep breath to calm her pounding heart; it would do no good to answer the door with a look of fright on her face.
When she opened the door, however, her heart jumped into her throat when she saw Robert Mullens standing on the stoop.
“Lady Lambert,” he said, although his tone was more mocking than diffident, “how wonderful to see you again.”
“What do you want?” she demanded, attempting to keep her voice from choking. “And what are you doing at my home?”
The man laughed, an evil sound to her ears, as he adjusted the lapels of his coat. Eleanor looked past him, but no one else was there. Had the man walked all the way from the village?
“I came to speak to you of matters that concern us all,” he said. “May I come in?”
Eleanor shook her head. “You are not welcome in my house, nor on my property. If you will excuse me, I have matters to which I must attend.” She moved to close the door, but Robert pushed against it, and she took a step back, her fear so great, she thought she might faint.
“Ah, Eleanor,” he murmured with a shake to his head, “I know your secret; did you know that? And what a secret it is! Perhaps the most damning secret one could have.”
“I have no idea what you are speaking about,” Eleanor said with a shaky voice that belied her attempt to appear unshaken. “In fact, I believe…”
Robert’s laughed made her cringe in fright. “You know of what I speak,” he said in a low hiss. “A secret that came to my ears not even a year ago.”
Eleanor took another step back, tears threatening to spill over her lashes as Robert stepped through the door. “Now, will you invite your former servant into your home, or shall I leave and tell everyone what I know?”
“No!” Eleanor cried. “Do not do it. It would cause…”
“Shame?” he asked with a laugh. “Yes, it most certainly would add a stain on your good name. And your poor children! If they were to know…” His eyes narrowed, and Eleanor knew she was at his mercy. “Now, invite me inside.”
“You may enter,” she said, knowing she had no other choice.
He glared down at her. “Invite me as a man of substance, not as a servant,” he growled.
Eleanor took a deep breath to calm her pounding heart. “Mr. Mullens, would you like to come in?”
“Thank you,” he said as he stepped into the foyer and closed the door behind him. “I believe I would.”
The former servant stood before her, and he did nothing to hide his appraisal of her. “Your beauty is still to be admired. How many times did I look upon you with awe?”
“What do you want?” she asked, pushing aside her fear with as much effort as she could muster.
“I would like to sit,” he said, removing his coat and hanging it over his arm. “I do not wish to speak of business in the foyer like some peasant.”
Eleanor did not want this man in her home, let alone the drawing room. However, as he stared down at her in expectation, she relented. “Follow me.” She led him down the hall to the drawing room, and he sat on the couch as she took one of the chairs, assuring that he could not sit beside her. “Mr. Mullens…”
“I’d like a drink,” he said as he threw his coat over the back of the couch. He eyed the heavily laden liquor cart. “The finest brandy you have, of course.”
Eleanor nodded and poured the man a glass of brandy as she fought back tears. She would not allow this man to see her weep! He was nothing, a pauper who thought himself a cobbler, and she would deign to giving him the pleasure.
When she turned, the man’s gaze made her tremble, and she regretted allowing herself to be alone with him.
“Well?” he demanded. “Are you not going to bring me my drink?”
She handed him the glass, and to her mortification, he took a hefty gulp and smacked his lips afterward. “Very good,” he said.
“What is it you want?” she asked. She moved to return to the chair, but he reach
ed out and grabbed her wrist.
“Sit beside me,” he said.
Fear shook her to her bones as she lowered herself to the couch. If she had attempted to stand for any longer, she would have fallen, for her legs trembled so.
“Now,” he said as he eyed the brandy, “what is it that I want?” He sighed and took another sip, this time without the dramatics he had used earlier. “I would like to enjoy some of the finer things in life just like you.”
“I do not have much money,” Eleanor replied. “However, I shall give you…”
“I don’t want just money!” he snarled. “But you I want.”
“Me?” Eleanor asked in astonishment. “Whatever do you mean?”
“You don’t know the hours I spent wishing you were my wife. The dresses you wore, the jewels. Our positions separated us, but now, I think that no longer matters. We can come to an arrangement.”
She stared at him. “What arrangement?”
“One of business, of course. It is quite simple, really. I plan to open more shops in the future, and your monetary contribution to my enterprise would be most welcome. Say, twenty-five pounds a week to start?”
“That is blackmail!” she said incredulously.
The man laughed. “It is business,” he replied. “It is the cost you must pay for what you have done!”
Eleanor’s heart stung. “My finances are not what they were even five years ago. We have struggled to maintain…”
Robert snorted. “I don’t believe you, and even if it were true, I don’t care. Do whatever you have to in order to see I receive my funds.”
With no choice, Eleanor nodded. “And you will keep what we know, this secret, between us?”
“There are a few other expectations, as well. The way you spoke to me in front of Juliet and Annabel, for example.” He gave her a look of scorn. “That was quite rude. I’ll assume you told them to stay away from me?”
“I did,” she whispered as a single tear escaped her eye.
He reached up and wiped it away, and she felt her stomach roil in disgust. “You will tell them they are to return to me,” he said. “In fact, encourage it, and tell them you regret your behavior.”
Eleanor shook her head. She would not allow either of the girls to be in his company! He was dangerous, and the possibilities of what might happen terrified her.
“Then you have decided,” Robert said as he stood. “In that case, I cannot make any promises to keep what I know hidden.”
“Wait!” Eleanor had to fight down the bile as she rose to face the man. “You will not hurt them?”
“I am not a cruel man,” he said with a smile that made the hairs on the nape of her neck stand on end. “I am merely a man of business. Now, for my final request.”
He wants more? Eleanor thought, the agony consuming her. “What is it?” she asked.
He placed a hand on her arm, and she could not keep from trembling beneath his touch. “You have not changed in all these years. Your beauty, the way in which you hold yourself, it is all the same. I wondered to myself, ‘Will she still send everyone away on Tuesdays as she did when I was worked here?’ And here I am inside Scarlett Hall. Not as a servant, but as your equal.”
If the man wanted recognition, then Eleanor would give it to him. “You are my equal,” she managed to say, hoping the words would appease him and thus make him leave.
He gave her a wide grin. “Now that it is confirmed, every Tuesday, I will call over, and we will spend time together.” He moved his hand down her arm. “A few drinks, a bit of conversation, and I will then collect my payment.”
Eleanor clutched her skirts to keep her hands from reaching out to grab the man by the throat. “And word of what you know?”
“Never leaves my lips.” He leaned in and placed his mouth to her ear and whispered, “Do not disappoint me again, Eleanor. Next time, I want a warmer welcome.”
Eleanor closed her eyes, her heart racing. When he moved away, she opened them again.
“I will leave now to allow you time to think about what we have discussed.”
She followed him to the door, and as he stepped through, he stopped and turned back to her, “Do not forget to send the girls back to me,” he said with a tiny smile. “And do not forget about my money.”
Without another word, he turned and walked away, and Eleanor had to fight back the urge to slam the door behind him. Once the door was closed, the tears poured from her eyes. What the man knew would bring shame upon her family, and worse, her children. How he learned what he knew, she did not know, but it did not matter. The fact was he knew.
As she returned to the drawing room, she felt numb. Yet another attack on her family, and the stress of it caused her steps to slow. Falling against the wall, she whispered her heart into the walls of the house in hopes of finding some semblance of peace.
However, as the final words left her lips, she rested her head against the wall, for the weight of this new burden weighed heavily on her shoulders, and it was far worse than anything she had endured before.
For years, Eleanor had enjoyed the solitude of Tuesdays in Scarlett Hall, for that was when she could speak from the heart and the walls would hide away her secrets. Now, however, with her ear pressed against the stone, she could hear the voices of shadows past returning to haunt her.
Chapter Thirteen
The last remaining rays of the sun peeked over the horizon as Juliet made her way to the stables, Annabel at her side. The pain in her foot had subsided even more today, and she enjoyed the freedom of not being forced to rely on the crutches to get about. Clutching a book in her arm, they walked past the stalls and into the workroom at the back of the stables.
Daniel bowed when they entered, and Juliet could not help but stop and take in the man. With his new overcoat and his usual smile, he looked even more handsome than he ever had, and she had to force herself to take the final steps to stand beside him.
“Miss Juliet. Miss Annabel,” he said formally as he indicated one of the tables that held several candles with two stools beneath it.
“Are you ready for your first lesson, Daniel?” Juliet asked. Simply saying the man’s name made her knees grow weak.
He nodded. “I have an extra seat for Miss Annabel, too. I’ll sit on the floor.”
Annabel turned to Juliet. “If you do not mind, I would like to go admire the horses for a while.” She wore a sly smile, and Juliet could not have been prouder of the woman. She was putting to good use all that Juliet had taught her, and without prompting!
“I believe that will be fine,” Juliet replied as if the request meant nothing to her.
As soon as Annabel disappeared around the corner, Juliet turned her attention back to Daniel. She still could not believe her luck at being able to spend time with the man without fear of being chastised by her mother; to finally be able to learn what she truly felt for him.
The past few weeks had not been easy. For so long, she had become accustomed to spending time with Daniel whenever she pleased, if only to have someone who would listen to her without rebuke. How strange it was to see him as perhaps something more than a friend.
She walked over to one of the stools, which he pulled out for her as if he were seating her at a lavish dinner party—that surprised her, for she would not have expected a man of his station to know the proper conduct for formalities—and he sat on the other stool. She was disappointed that he sat across from her rather than beside her, but she would have to make due for the moment.
“Miss Juliet,” he said, “I wanted to thank you for doing this for me. It’s kind, and I know I don’t deserve it.”
“Why would you say such a thing?” she asked in shock.
“I’m nineteen years of age,” he replied with a shrug. “I’m just a stable boy who can only read a few words. I know you’re taking a risk by teaching me.” His words caused her heart to ache, for Juliet knew it was she who had commented on more than one occasion that his position was lowl
y.
“You are more than just a simple stable boy,” she replied. “You are a brave and strong man. And you are my friend. Now, there will be no more talk of your position in such a disparaging manner, for I hold it in very high regard.”
Daniel’s cheeks went red. “Thank you.”
Juliet looked at the book on the table, glanced up at Daniel, and a thought came to her. “Bring your stool beside me so you can see the book with ease.”
He nodded and did as she bade. As he sat, his knee bumped hers, and her breath caught.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“No need to apologize,” she replied, although her heart raced. Her hands trembled as she reached for the book and opened it to the first page. It was a book she had used when she was a child just learning to read. “These are the letters of the alphabet. Do you know any of them?”
Daniel bit at his lip and leaned over, placing his arm on the table beside hers. Although it was a cold winter’s night and the barn was chilled, Juliet’s body felt like it was a summer afternoon.
“This one,” he said, pointing. “That’s the letter J. J is for Juliet.” As he said this, he looked at her, and Juliet wished at that very moment that he would kiss her. She would not resist. In fact, she would welcome it. And she did not feel a bit embarrassed for thinking it.
“That is very good,” she said, glad her voice was not shaking. “Do you know this letter?” She pointed to the ‘H’, and he shook his head. “H is for horse.” He nodded and her finger moved to the ‘K’. “K is for kiss.”
Her heart thumped in her chest. Why had she said that? She cleared her throat and moved to the beginning of the list as quickly as she could. “Do you know this letter?”
“That’s an A,” he replied, beaming.
“And this?” she pointed to the ‘B’ and he stared at it as if it were some unknown species of animal. “That is a B.”
They continued on with the remainder of the alphabet in order for Juliet to gain an understanding of which letters Daniel already knew and which he did not. She quickly learned he knew far fewer than she would have expected, so they went through the letters again, this time with her naming each and him repeating, until they arrived at the end once again.
Voices of Shadows Past: Secrets of Scarlett Hall Book 3 Page 12