“No one needs to fuss over me,” Oliver declared. “I realize I’ve caused a scene, but I think the doctor is a bit of an alarmist, and I don’t want the two of you fretting.”
“We won’t fret, Uncle,” Lizzy assured him, “but we will be vigilant.”
An elderly woman dressed in black with a white pinafore apron entered, pushing a tea cart loaded with all sorts of things. Lizzy frowned, wondering if she was actually going to serve tea.
Jason offered an explanation. “Father asked Mrs. Platte to sit with your uncle and act as his nurse. I hope you approve. She’s quite competent and in fact was a nurse in her youth, serving with Florence Nightingale in the Crimean War.”
Lizzy felt a new respect for the older woman. She had read about such nurses. “I’m grateful for your help, Mrs. Platte. Did the doctor inform you that my uncle is not to have anything alcoholic?”
“Indeed he did, miss,” the older woman replied as she began sorting through the cart.
Lizzy turned back to her uncle. “I’m going to leave you for the time being, then. We’re leaving shortly for tonight’s performance, and I need to prepare a script for Jason and his father.”
“I’ll be praying for you,” Uncle Oliver said.
Despite his bravado, he was so weak that Lizzy hated to leave his side. How she wished her mother and Wes were there. Perhaps she could have Jason send for them.
She kissed her uncle again and got up from the bed. “If he needs anything, Mrs. Platte, please see that he gets it . . . with the exception of alcohol. I’m afraid that has been the cause of this problem.”
“You may rest assured that there will be no alcohol used in my service,” the older woman declared.
“I’m glad.”
Lizzy looked to Jason, who offered her his arm. He drew her out into the hall and had barely closed the door before Lizzy broke down into tears. She hadn’t meant to cry in front of Jason, but she had exhausted her resolve. She didn’t even fight when he took her in his arms.
“Poor Lizzy. I’m so sorry, but rest assured we will do everything possible to see him through this. I am confident that he will recover.”
She forced herself to calm and straightened, pushing away from Jason’s comforting hold. “I want my mother to come. Wesley too, if he isn’t already on his way. I don’t know why I haven’t heard from them, but I must have them here. Can you arrange it?”
Jason looked momentarily surprised, then nodded. “Of course.”
“My uncle will listen to Mother, and she has a way with him that no one else does. I believe his recovery will be much improved if she’s here.”
“Then I will see to it immediately. You know I only want whatever will offer you peace of mind and heart. I love you, Lizzy, and I hate seeing you suffer like this.”
“I don’t have the energy to chide you again for your declaration of love. Just get my mother here as soon as possible. If anything should happen . . . if he should fail . . .” She sniffed back tears and shook her head.
Jason put his arm around her again. “Lizzy, let me comfort you. Let me be the one to see you through this.” He lowered his face to kiss her, but Lizzy turned away.
“Leave me alone!”
“You heard her, Adler.”
Both Lizzy and Jason startled as Wes’s voice echoed in the hall. When Lizzy caught sight of him, she burst into tears anew and ran into his arms.
fifteen
Lizzy didn’t think she’d ever been happier at the sight of someone. Resting in Wesley’s comforting arms, she thanked God over and over for this moment. Now, somehow, she felt certain things would be all right. She felt confident that she could face whatever was to come.
“Oh, Wes. I prayed you’d come. I prayed, and here you are.” She looked up at him, assuming she’d find his expression sympathetic and loving. But instead he wore a fierce scowl. She pulled back. “What’s wrong?” Then she remembered that he’d just found her in Jason’s arms. “Oh,” she murmured.
“I say, it’s good to see you again, Wesley,” Jason said from behind her. He sounded anything but sincere.
“I’ll just bet.” Wes let go of Lizzy and all but pushed her aside.
She turned and saw that Jason was smiling. Wes seemed to forget she even existed as he stalked toward Jason. She expected a harsh exchange—perhaps even a threat of violence. She didn’t expect Wesley to swing his fist into Jason’s jaw.
“Wes!” She hurried to his side before he could punch the Englishman again. “What are you doing? Why did you hit him?”
“Didn’t you get my telegram?”
She shook her head. “No. I’ve been beside myself, not hearing from you or Mother about what was going on at the ranch. I’ve sent letters but heard nothing.”
Wes turned back to Jason, who held his hand to his face. “Why don’t you tell her, Adler? Tell her what happened to her letters and my telegram. Tell her about the telegram that started this whole charade.”
Jason lowered his hand and gave Lizzy a look of regret. His entire countenance seemed withered. Had Wes hit him too hard?
“What is this all about?” Lizzy couldn’t stand the tension between the two men. It was worse than it had ever been. “What is he talking about, Jason?”
“Tell her. Tell her or I will,” Wes declared. He crossed his arms and fixed Jason with a glare. “And then so help me, I’ll hit you again just for being a coward.”
Jason shrugged. “What Mr. DeShazer is alluding to is the fact that I sent him on a wild goose chase.” His chin was red where Wes had clipped him. “I know what I did was wrong, but I felt I had to do it. I had to have time alone with you in order to win you for myself. I felt certain I could make you love me, but I knew I would never be successful unless I got Wesley out of the picture so you could see my good attributes.”
Lizzy backed up a step. “What are you saying, Jason?”
“Go on, Adler. Tell her about your deception.” Wes held his stance, but his voice was angry.
Jason looked at the carpeted hall floor. “Your mother didn’t send a telegram asking Wes to come back to the ranch. I did. I wanted to get rid of him long enough to show you that I could make you happy. I wanted to show you my world and how beautiful it is and how I could give you all that your heart desires.”
Lizzy felt ill. She looked at Wes. “Mother didn’t ask for you?”
“No. In fact, she was very alarmed that I had left you and Oliver. I turned right around to get here as fast as I could. Thankfully, I thought to get money from my bank before leaving Montana, because Adler didn’t even have the decency to leave me a ticket as he promised.”
She turned to Jason. “And Wesley’s telegram? My letters?”
Jason gave a shrug as he rubbed his jaw. “I’m afraid I did away with them.”
“Oh, Jason! How could you?”
He had the decency to look regretful. “As I said, I’m in love with you. I would go to any lengths to win your heart. I thought perhaps you had just never considered the possibility of loving someone else since you grew up with . . . him.” He glanced only a moment in Wesley’s direction, then returned his gaze to Lizzy. “I know it was wrong, but I was desperate. I know you hold great store in your Christian faith, so I’m asking you to forgive me.”
Lizzy shook her head. “It isn’t that simple, Jason. My uncle is sick . . . perhaps dying.” She had to force the words from her mouth. “This might have been avoided if Wes were here. He would have been able to keep my uncle company. Uncle Oliver might not have struggled so much with his sadness, and even if he had, Wes could have helped keep him from drinking. Now, if my uncle dies . . . it will be as much your fault as the alcohol’s.”
“That’s hardly fair,” Jason started, but Wes wouldn’t let him finish.
“We’re going home,” he announced.
“Don’t do that on my account,” Jason said quickly. “Remember, Oliver needs to rest. If you move him, it could be to his detriment.”
Lizzy r
emembered what her uncle had said about the show and their payments. “Dead men hardly need money,” she muttered.
“What was that?” Jason asked.
She shook her head and looked at Wes. “I’m afraid we must stay. The doctor just saw Uncle Oliver and said he needs bed rest for six weeks.”
“You must see reason,” Jason interjected.
“Reason,” Wes said, putting his arm around her. “You want us to see reason? The time for that has passed. We can hire a nurse, Lizzy. She can take care of Oliver on the trip home.”
“No. No, we can’t.” Lizzy knew Wes wouldn’t understand, but she had made her uncle a promise and couldn’t tell him why it was necessary to remain.
Wes stared at her. “Do you mean to tell me that after all this man has done, you feel obligated to honor your commitment? He forfeited any loyalty you might have felt was owed.”
“It isn’t about that.”
Wes shook his head. “Then what? Give me a reason why we can’t just close down the show and walk away.”
“There’s only a few more weeks,” Jason interjected. “It’s hardly fair to punish the entire crew for what I did. I promise—and if my word means nothing, then my father will pledge to see that Oliver has the best of care. You know how my father favors him. By the time the show finishes, Oliver will be better able to travel.”
“Complete your show, Adler, but do it without Lizzy. She and I are going to take Oliver home.”
“No.” Lizzy prayed Wes could somehow understand. “Please listen to me. There are only a few weeks left. Let’s honor our commitment and give Oliver the time he needs to rest, and then we’ll leave.”
“But you still have the performance in America as well,” Wes replied. “And then it will be one more thing after that. I say we go now and forget this lying schemer.”
“I’d like to, but I can’t, and I’m asking you to accept that.”
“It’s really to everyone’s benefit that you stay. My father is going to be furious with me, and believe me, his punishment will be worse than what you have in mind,” Jason said.
“I don’t know,” Wes answered in a low, husky tone. “I had in mind to put an end to your scheming permanently.”
Jason blanched.
“We’re staying and finishing the contract.” Lizzy kept her gaze on Jason, unable to bear the fact that Wes would see this as a betrayal.
Jason gave a hint of a smile. “And you’ll forgive me?”
“I’ll forgive you, but I’m not going to forget this. I won’t trust you again. You’ve proven you can’t be trusted. Not only that, but I’m not the main person you’ve wronged in this. You should seek Wesley’s forgiveness even more than mine.”
Jason looked at Wesley. “I am sorry, chap. I’ve always been of a mind that until a woman is wed, she’s fair game.”
Wes tensed at Lizzy’s side, and she figured she’d better intercede before Jason ended up with another punch to the face.
“Enough. Wes, I want you to come see Uncle Oliver. He’s quite ill.”
“I know,” Wes all but growled.
Lizzy feared he might well spring like a cat. She took hold of his arm. “Jason, for your own benefit, I suggest you leave us now.”
Jason hesitated only a moment, then gave a slight bow of his head and went off in the direction of the stairs. Lizzy shook her head. What Jason had done was unthinkable. How terribly betrayed Wesley must feel.
“I’m so sorry, Wes. I had no idea he’d done this.”
“I know.”
She turned and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him close. “I missed you so much and needed you so dearly. It’s been overwhelming at times, and now with Uncle Oliver desperately ill, I’m beside myself.”
She felt him begin to calm as his muscles relaxed and he rubbed her back. “I wish I’d been here for you.”
“You’re here now, and that’s all that matters.”
“But it’s foolish to stay here and finish out the show. Your uncle needs to be in America—home, where he can be with people who love him and have his best interests at heart.”
Lizzy didn’t know what to say. She knew if she argued for honoring their obligations, Wesley would think her heartless, yet she’d made Oliver a promise.
“Wes, do you trust me?” she asked, pulling away from him.
“You know I do.” His brows knit. “What are you getting at?”
“There are things that complicate us leaving. I’m asking you to trust me. I can’t talk about them . . . but we have to stay and finish out the show. We have to finish the season. Uncle Oliver has constant nursing care here, and when we leave, the Adlers will see that he has care on the ship. Once we’re back in America, hopefully Mother will have joined us by then, and she can take care of Uncle Oliver’s needs. We can send them both home and finish with the Expo in Buffalo.”
“I don’t see why you’re being so stubborn,” Wes said, shaking his head. “What good is it for the show to go on if it kills your uncle?”
“It won’t. He’ll have no further part in it—at least not this season. Jason and his father are going to share the master of ceremonies’ duties, and I’m going to write them a script.” She drew a deep breath. “I’m asking you to trust me. Pray about it, and I’m sure God will show you the right way.”
She could see in his expression that he didn’t like the idea, but after a few moments, he nodded. At least that would buy her some time.
A few days after Lizzy told Mary and Ella that her uncle was facing death, Ella received another plea for help from Phillip. He was in trouble again, and this time he wasn’t in the comfort of a public house, but rather a jail. She shook her head. What could she do? She knew nothing about English jails, and even if she did, she could hardly go there and demand they set him free.
She thought about talking to Wes, but Phillip had begged her to say nothing to anyone. Telling his big brother would be the worst thing she could do—at least in Phillip’s eyes.
“But I must do something.”
Ella paced the beautiful bedroom she’d been given at the Adlers’ country estate. It was much bigger than their place in the heart of London and done in hues of gold and blue. And whereas her bedroom in London had been shared with Mary, here there were enough rooms for everyone to have their own. The mansion was like a palace, with dozens and dozens of rooms that could never be explored in a single day. Each of those rooms was filled to the brim with antiques and beautiful tapestries, as well as precious artwork by artists Ella actually recognized. Jason had told her over dinner one evening that his father and mother used to go on trips throughout Europe with the sole intention of finding treasures for the estate. She remembered a time when she was quite young that her parents had done the same.
“This house grieves my uncle to no end,” Jason had admitted. “Which in turn delights my father. He may never have the title of earl, but he has amassed a fortune my uncle can never hope to match.”
Ella remembered Jason’s words. It saddened her to think of the rivalry between brothers when they might have been close instead. She thought of her own family’s division, and even of Wes and Phillip. If Phillip didn’t know the disappointment he would cause his brother, he might have reached out to him instead of her.
She loved being a part of the Brookstone show, but Phillip’s constant problems were beginning to weigh her down. She wasn’t sure how she’d become his keeper. It was impossible to forget what he’d said the night she’d retrieved him from the tavern. That he’d killed his father. Was he serious? He seemed to be, but the opportunity to question him further had never arisen, and Ella kept what she knew to herself for fear of getting Phillip in trouble.
“Oh, Phillip, what am I to do?”
Sadly, Ella was attracted to the troubled man. She loved his dark brown eyes and the way they lit up when he was truly amused. He had such a sweet and gentle spirit, but there was a darkness in his soul that threatened to destroy him. Now he was in trouble
, and all she wanted to do was save him.
“What do I do?” she asked the room.
She went to the massive window and gazed out on the lawns below. She was surprised to see Jason Adler playing with two of his father’s Irish wolfhounds—gifts from King Edward VII when he was still the Prince of Wales. Jason was the epitome of propriety, and yet he seemed to genuinely care about the show and its people. Perhaps if she went to him and explained, he could figure out what to do about Phillip. Especially since it might well take an Englishman to get Phillip released from an English jail.
Making her way downstairs, Ella tried to think of what she would say and how she might gain his promise to say nothing to Lizzy and Wes. Of course, there was no guarantee he would keep that promise even if he gave it, but it was a risk she had to take.
By the time she reached Jason, he was speaking to a servant who had both dogs on a leash. She waited to approach until the man had bowed and led the dogs away.
“Miss Fleming, don’t you look pretty today. Like a beautiful flower,” Jason said, smiling as she approached.
This pink gauzy gown was her favorite of the new wardrobe. “Thank you. You’re very kind to say so.”
“What can I do for you today?”
Ella bit her lip and looked at the stone walk. “I . . . there’s a delicate matter that I need help with, but first I must impose upon you a promise of secrecy.”
Jason didn’t hesitate. “Of course. You have my word. But please tell me what has you troubled. I do love to play the rescuing prince.”
She looked up to find him smiling and smiled in return despite her worries. “Might we walk while I tell you? I don’t want to be overheard.”
He extended his arm, and Ella took it. They walked for several yards before she finally stopped and turned to face him. “Are you sure you promise to keep this just between us?”
Jason’s expression softened. “My dear, I would never betray your confidence. I’ve made a number of mistakes and done things I’m not proud of, as you may know, but I am a man of my word.”
She wasn’t sure what he was talking about, but she nodded. “Very well. I have received a note from Phillip.”
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