by Darcy Burke
“Cousin, pray allow me to introduce Lord Bellmere and Major Trevithick,” Ellen made the introductions. “My cousin, Lord Havers.”
Both men bowed with the perfect amount of deference to a peer of his rank, but it was more than clear that their interest was fixed upon Ellen. Neither of them seemed a brainless fribble blithering out fulsome compliments, either, rather to Thomas’ irritation. Indeed, both seemed intelligent, thoughtful gentlemen of exactly the sort he would rather like to know better… if they weren’t making calf eyes at Ellen.
“I met with my cousin on the board of the Museum this morning,” Bellmere was telling Ellen genially. “The Museum is closed to the general public until noon on Mondays and Tuesdays, so if an early morning outing would be acceptable, I should be delighted to escort you to see the Elgin Marbles.”
Ellen looked quite delighted too, though she very properly said “I should have to seek Lady Havers’ permission, of course, and arrange for a chaperone…”
“No need to bother Aunt Clarice,” Thomas said jovially. “I should like to see the Marbles too. I can chaperone you.”
“Perhaps we might make a party of it,” Major Trevithick said, and Thomas thought he would have to watch out for the military man. Likely a master of strategy, Trevithick could well sneak into Ellen’s favour right under both his and Bellmere’s noses.
“Did you say a party? Are we giving a party, cousin?” Louisa called from across the room, obviously put out that they were having a conversation of which she was not the central focus.
Left with no choice but to include Louisa, Thomas took a few reluctant steps closer to inform her of Lord Bellmere’s proposed outing to the Museum. He was astonished when Louisa claimed a great interest in being one of the party, but did not take long to discern her reasoning. Lord Bellmere was reputed to be one of the wealthiest men in England, after all, and Louisa was piqued that the baronet had not chosen to join the ranks of her suitors, but instead expressed an interest in Ellen.
With Louisa’s avowal of interest, suddenly all her suitors expressed a great desire to view Lord Elgin’s famous acquisitions too, and Bellmere acquired a distinctly aggrieved look, though he was gentleman enough to promise they might all attend.
Thomas caught a slight smirk playing around Major Trevithick’s lips as Bellmere was drawn inexorably into the circle around Louisa. Turning away as though disinterested, the major picked up a book lying on a side table and asked Ellen a question about it which Thomas did not hear, as he was addressed at that moment by an older lady seeking to bring her daughter to his notice.
Louisa’s tinkling laugh rang out, and Thomas glanced across to see her lay a hand on Bellmere’s sleeve, smiling coyly up at him.
It hit him then, all of a sudden.
He did not care in the slightest who Louisa smiled at or flirted with, despite having been briefly bowled over by her beauty. He cared very much, though, that Ellen had her head bowed over a book with Major Trevithick, a small smile playing about her soft lips.
Jealousy was an entirely new emotion for Thomas, and he found he did not care for the feeling at all. He wanted to be the only one favoured with Ellen’s smiles.
In the centre of a crowded drawing-room was probably the worst possible place for his true feelings to suddenly become clear, Thomas realised, but there was nothing he could do about the fact that his entire world had just turned topsy-turvy.
Clarice was looking at him strangely, coming across to intercept the persistent woman with the daughter and remove Thomas to Louisa’s side, which she obviously felt was his proper place. Clarice was going to be disappointed, Thomas thought dimly, but he knew now he could never marry Louisa, even if her feelings for him were what Clarice claimed. His minor infatuation with her beauty was as nothing compared to what he felt for Ellen.
Love. He whispered the word silently, inside the vaults of his own mind, and knew it for an immutable, timeless truth. He loved Ellen; loved everything about her, from her intelligent, curious mind to her kindness and empathy for others. Best of all, she would be the kind of Countess he had imagined ever since his grandfather’s stories of Havers when he was a child; a gracious lady of the manor, always aware of the needs of her people.
Ellen glanced up from the book just then, looking around the room until her gaze settled on Thomas. At once she smiled, more widely than the slight smile she had given the major. Thomas smiled back, wishing everyone else in the room to perdition so he could tell Ellen how he felt—but no, he must not rush this. She had not the slightest idea, he thought, and he had thus far encouraged her to treat him as a trusted older brother. What a fool he was! He should have recognised her sterling qualities earlier, realised that his delight in her company was far more than mere friendship. Now he would have to fight off other suitors for her hand, all while convincing Ellen his intentions were genuine… and somehow not allowing Clarice or Louisa to figure out what he was about, lest they sabotage his suit.
At that moment, Thomas rather wished he could plead a headache and quit the room. But no; he would not leave the field to Trevithick and Bellmere, who had slipped from Louisa’s court back to Ellen’s side, insinuating himself into her conversation with the major.
The At Home seemed to last forever. Thomas was sure a half-hour was considered the polite maximum of time to spend at such things before taking one’s leave, and indeed most of Louisa’s court seemed to drift in and out, though there was always a constant circle around her. Neither Lord Bellmere nor Major Trevithick showed any inclination to depart, however, eyeing one another like a pair of wary cats. Ellen did not seem to favour either of them above the other, which was some comfort at least to Thomas. She merely seemed delighted to have someone willing to make intelligent conversation with her.
Clarice watched from across the room with sharp eyes as Thomas remained at Ellen’s side, and no sooner had the last of their guests finally departed than she was ordering the two girls upstairs to dress for dinner and catching Thomas’ arm.
“You must not hover so over Ellen, nephew. Louisa felt quite neglected! It was very ill-done of Ellen to monopolise Lord Bellmere and Major Trevithick, too!”
“Ellen is in her first season, ma’am,” Thomas said reasonably. “While Louisa is in her third, quite comfortable handling a horde of enthusiastic swains. I did not observe her to be forlorn. Quite the opposite, actually.” Louisa had laughed often and loudly, though Thomas caught her sneaking regular looks at their little grouping. “If anything distressed her, it was undoubtedly that she was not the centre of everyone’s attention, for once.”
“Thomas!” Clarice affected shock. “That is unkind!”
“It is the truth,” Thomas said curtly. “Two dukes, a marquis and any number of earls, barons and heirs danced attendance on your daughter this afternoon, Aunt Clarice. Louisa should not grudge Ellen a pair of suitors who are discerning enough to see her good qualities.”
Clarice’s mouth flattened to a thin line. “Good qualities?” she said scornfully. “She is a parson’s daughter with little in the way of manners and no looks to recommend her! You waste your time and diminish the family name with your recognition of her!”
Shocked, Thomas stared at her. “Ellen Bentley is my relative by blood,” he said, his tone quiet but with a dangerous edge to it. “She has more right to my time, and to the family name, than you do. Indeed, I have no doubt that she will—would make a far better Countess than you have ever been!”
His slip of the tongue did not go unnoticed. Eyes narrowed, Clarice spat out “Oh, I see how it is. The hussy has seduced you, right underneath Louisa’s nose!”
“That will be quite enough,” Thomas said, surprising himself with the snap in his voice. “You will keep a civil tongue in your head when you speak of Ellen, or you will find yourself no longer welcome beneath my roof.”
If looks could kill, he would no doubt have been struck dead on the spot. “Upstart American,” Clarice hissed. “You understand nothing of
class and society!”
“I understand I want nothing to do with any society which cannot recognise the superior qualities of an intelligent young woman with a kind heart, merely because she is three generations removed from an earldom rather than one!”
They were both breathing fast, voices raised. Clarice looked away first, though, when she saw Thomas clearly had no intention of backing down.
“I am only thinking of Louisa’s future,” she muttered.
“As you should,” Thomas said, gentling his tone. “There are, however, many eligible suitors for Louisa’s hand. This is her third season, Aunt, and I do not doubt that she has been just as overwhelmed with suitors throughout the previous two. What is she waiting for?”
Clarice hesitated before sighing heavily. “I do not know,” she admitted. “She seems to delight in having every man at her feet; if she chooses one, I think she fears the others will all abandon her.”
“That is rather the point of a marriage,” Thomas said, not unkindly. “I should not want a wife who wanted to be surrounded and adored by other suitors.”
“Of course not.”
Clarice’s head was down, and Thomas realised his aunt was deeply distressed about something. Gently, he took her arm and guided her to a chaise, pressing her to take a seat.
“Is there something you want to tell me, Aunt?” he asked gently.
There were tears on her cheeks when she looked up at him. “Perhaps we spoiled her,” Clarice said, her voice cracking. “Yet I too was a little spoiled by my parents, and I am sure I was not so awful as Louisa can be when she does not get her way. I saw her face when Lord Bellmere left her to return to Ellen, and you followed; someone will pay for that, Thomas.”
“What do you mean?” He really didn’t understand.
Clarice hesitated before the words spilled from her in a rush. “She is my daughter, the only child I have left, but God help me, she terrifies me! She stabbed a maid once with a pair of scissors; the poor girl almost bled to death, Havers had to pay her off…”
Thomas’ jaw dropped. He could scarcely believe what his aunt was saying. “Louisa stabbed a maid?” he said faintly as Clarice sobbed.
“There was so much blood,” Clarice sniffled. “And Louisa seemed so calm, just stabbing her again and again, saying that Nellie had made eyes at Mr Danvers while she was carrying in the tea tray.”
“Christ!” Thomas was appalled. There was something seriously wrong with Louisa, that was obvious. He’d thought Clarice’s efforts to satisfy Louisa’s every whim were just those of a mother over-indulging a spoiled daughter, but now he realised Clarice was terrified of the consequences should Louisa feel she was not receiving her due.
“Oh, dear God. Ellen.”
He was on his feet without conscious thought, running for the door, sprinting across the hall to take the stairs three at a time, shouting Ellen’s name.
Behind him, he heard Clarice call his name, but he ignored her entirely, too focused on getting to Ellen as quickly as possible. Just in case. Surely Louisa wouldn’t hurt her, but…
He ran faster.
Chapter 13
“What a delightful afternoon!” Louisa exclaimed as they walked up the stairs together. “Did you enjoy yourself, Ellen?”
“I did, yes,” Ellen agreed.
“Were you surprised to receive callers yourself? You looked surprised, when you entered the parlour to see Major Trevithick and Lord Bellmere.”
“I was,” Ellen admitted. “Though both of them asked at the ball last night if they might call on me, I confess I did not truly expect them to do so, and certainly not so soon.”
Louisa hummed to herself and nodded. “Come into my room so we can talk further,” she invited as they reached her door. “I’ve had two seasons already, and my fair share of importunate suitors. There are things you should know.”
Her last words were delivered with a tone and expression of dire warning. Concerned, Ellen immediately followed Louisa into her room, where Louisa’s maid looked up in consternation from her task of laying out clean clothes on the bed.
“M’lady?”
‘Leave us,” Louisa said, waving a hand towards the door. “I’ll ring when I need you.”
“Very good, m’lady!” The girl scurried quickly from the room, closing the door behind her.
Louisa wandered over to the bed, hummed thoughtfully as she inspected the gown laid out there, and turned away, crossing the room to an elegant writing-desk by the window.
Uncertain what she should do, Ellen stood close to the door, waiting for Louisa to speak, or invite her to a chair. After a couple of minutes of silence, though, she spoke first.
“What sort of things do you think I should know, cousin?”
Louisa did not speak for another full minute, toying with an ornate silver letter-opener on her desk, before turning and looking at Ellen. “Which of them will you choose?” she asked.
Confused, Ellen blinked. “Excuse me?”
“Major Trevithick, or Lord Bellmere. Which will you choose? You are unlikely to find any other suitors, you know. Best for you to accept one of them quickly, before they come to realise you are not truly of our station. Look how Thomas hovered close when you spoke with them today, terrified you would say or do something to embarrass the Havers name.”
Horrified, Ellen took a step back as Louisa approached her. “Really?” Her voice shook. “I did not think…”
Louisa sneered. “Why else would he leave my side, for you?”
Ellen’s head drooped forward. She had no answer for that question; Thomas’ admiration for Louisa had been evident from the first time she saw them together. With a crowd of rival suitors in the room, surely Thomas would not have left Louisa’s side unless he saw a clear duty to do so.
“So I ask again, which shall it be, Trevithick or Bellmere?” Louisa pressed.
“I barely know either of them! Why do you demand I choose now? Surely it is not so urgent!” I could not possibly make a decision of such magnitude on such a slight acquaintance, Ellen thought with a surge of anger.
Louisa’s beautiful face twisted with a sudden rage. “I was willing to allow you one,” she said, her voice a low, harsh snarl. “Mama said I must let you have one. You’re being greedy, Ellen.” She changed to a high, almost sing-song voice. “Choose, Ellen, you have to choose!”
Louisa was making no sense, and acting very strangely. Suddenly frightened, Ellen took another step back, towards the door.
A clawlike hand locked around her wrist. “You have to choose, Ellen. You’re being naughty.”
“Let go of me,” Ellen said, trying to keep her tone steady even though panic gripped at her insides, making her knees tremble. “You’re hurting my wrist. Thomas will be angry with you for hurting me.”
Louisa tilted her head to one side, and a dreadful rictus of a grin spread across her beautiful face. “I know your seeeeeecret,” she said, drawing the word out. “So foolish, to think Thomas would ever look at you. Such a silly, naive little girl.”
Ellen swallowed. “Let go of me,” she said again, but it was becoming harder to speak calmly. Louisa’s grip was tight, and despite her fragile appearance, the other girl was terrifyingly strong. “You’re not well, Louisa.” Indeed, she was beginning to fear that her cousin was not entirely sane. There was a strange light in Louisa’s blue eyes that spoke of madness.
“Enough!” Louisa shouted suddenly. “You won’t listen!”
Ellen gasped as Louisa’s other hand came up between them, silver flashing as she brought the letter-opener from her writing-desk to Ellen’s throat.
“Louisa, don’t,” she croaked, suddenly petrified.
“You won’t listen, so I have to make you be quiet,” Louisa crooned. Cold metal traced over Ellen’s skin, pressing lightly at first, and then harder. Frightened to breathe, wondering just how sharp the letter-opener was, Ellen stood stock still.
“I knew you’d ruin everything from the moment Thomas
insisted you come to live at the Hall. You should have married some yeoman farmer and stayed in the country. Then I wouldn’t have to do this.”
Louisa was going to kill her, Ellen realised incredulously. She was insane, and she was actually going to kill Ellen.
Some ancient instinct of self-defence kicked in as Louisa drew back her arm, and Ellen jumped back, her free hand coming up to try and fend Louisa off. The other girl was still holding onto her wrist, though, and Ellen couldn’t get free. Her heel caught on the edge of one of the floor rugs and she tripped, falling backwards. Landing with a thud, she finally managed to get out a scream as Louisa came down atop her, malevolence written all over her beautiful features as she stabbed the knife down.
Unable to escape, it was all Ellen could do to try and swipe Louisa’s arm aside with her own. Instead of piercing her heart, the knife caught her forearm instead, driving clean between the delicate bones of her wrist and piercing deep into the floorboards with the force of the thrust.
Ellen screamed with shock at the excruciating pain, pinned to the floor by the knife through her arm.
“Damn you!” Louisa shouted, yanking at the knife, but it was stuck fast. Ellen screamed again, agonised, as the knife shifted slightly inside her arm. “Damn you, just die!” Letting go of the knife, she put her hands around Ellen’s neck and squeezed.
“Ellen!” Thomas roared her name, cursing his legs for not carrying him faster as he took the stairs three at a time, suddenly absolutely certain that Ellen was in mortal danger. “Ellen!” He flung her bedroom door open without bothering to knock, startling her poor maid. “Where is she, Susan?”
Susan just shook her head, staring at him with wide eyes, and Thomas spun on his heel. If Ellen hadn’t made it to her room, she must have gone into Louisa’s for some reason. Louisa had lured her in, undoubtedly, and Ellen, in her innocence of Louisa’s true nature, had trusted her.