by Laura Martin
‘Ah, I see you’re afflicted with the poor memory of the old, dear brother. I always was the more talented, the more coordinated at shuttlecock.’
‘You used to drop it on the second hit every single time.’
‘Nonsense.’
‘I have a way to settle this argument,’ Beth said, standing up in between the two men. ‘I have two rackets and a shuttlecock. Would you care to prove who is the more accomplished at the game?’
The garden equipment was all kept in a dilapidated shed hidden in a little copse of trees to the side of the house. It had never been her favourite place to go as it was perpetually covered with cobwebs and dark and dirty. She would, however, be willing to brave it to see the Ashburton brothers compete at the childhood game.
‘I’ll give you a hand,’ Josh said, jumping to his feet and gesturing for her to lead the way.
‘It’s just in here.’ They walked side by side around the house, stopping when they were right in front of the shed.
‘It’s locked.’
Sure enough a hefty padlock hung from the door. Beth reached out and touched it, frowning. There never used to be a padlock on the door, although she hadn’t ventured into the shed for years. She and Annabelle had played shuttlecock and bowls as children, but as the years had passed the games in the shed had been almost forgotten.
‘I suppose someone must have the key.’
Josh took a step back and looked at the shed, grinning as he took a step to the right. ‘No need to go searching. The window has been left ajar. I’m sure we can get inside and find what we need.’
Beth looked up at the high window with a frown. It was the type of window that was hinged at the top, allowing it to swing out and rest on a metal prop. It was half open now and likely had been for years.
‘You’ll never get up there.’ It was high, above shoulder height even for Josh. The window was big enough to squeeze through if you could get up there, but would leave you with your clothes ruffled and dirty.
‘You will. If I lift you.’
‘I’m not going through the window.’
‘It’ll be the work of a few minutes.’
‘Why wouldn’t I just go and find the key?’
‘Do you know where it is?’
She had absolutely no idea. There were hundreds of places a key like this could be kept and she doubted any of the servants would know. By the grimy state of the padlock it had been put on years before, probably when they’d still had a gardener. The old man might even have taken the key with him when he’d left.
‘Perhaps we could play something else.’
‘Are you scared, Lady Elizabeth?’
‘Stop it. We’re not children and I will not respond to your jibing.’
He smiled, flashing her his white teeth, and she felt some of his good humour flow her way.
‘Just try. I’ll boost you up and you can slip inside and pass out the shuttlecock and rackets.’
‘Then how do I get out?’
‘A good shed always has something to climb on. Just pull it to under the window and climb up. I’ll be out here to help you out.’
Beth knew she shouldn’t. As a child she’d loved to climb, scaling the trees on the estate and propping herself up in their high branches. There was a freedom to being up in the air and she’d enjoyed the unparalleled view from her position above the ground. Still, she wasn’t eight any more and it was completely undignified for a well-bred young lady to be climbing through the window of a dirty shed.
Glancing over her shoulder, she considered. No one else was coming and they were hidden from the view of the rest of the guests by the side of the house. If she was quick she could be in and out of the shed in two minutes.
She stepped closer to Josh, waiting for him to make a cup out of his hands for her to put her foot on. He boosted her without any effort at all, lifting her so her torso was level with the window.
‘What if I get stuck inside?’
‘You’ll have a peaceful few days.’ He laughed at her expression before continuing. ‘Then I promise to rescue you.’
‘There will be spiders in there.’
‘Probably one or two. But remember they’re more scared of you than you are of them.’
Beth doubted it. She hated spiders.
Gripping hold of the narrow ledge below the window, Beth manoeuvred herself through the gap, only realising when she was halfway through and completely committed that she was heading into the shed head first. Squirming, she managed to somehow turn herself round so she was able to grip onto the window on the inside and lower herself down.
When her feet hit the floor she took a moment to catch her breath, panting hard from the exertion. It was dark in the shed, with only the light from the single window above her and a little where it came through near the hinges of the locked door. She looked around, wrinkling her nose at the number of cobwebs, trying to make herself smaller so she didn’t touch anything. She loathed spiders, hated the way they moved and especially hated the ones with hairy black legs.
‘See what we need?’ Josh shouted in, his face appearing at the window. He must have pulled himself up from the ground and Beth was momentarily distracted by the thought of how it had felt to be held in those strong arms of his.
‘There’s so much junk in here.’ She looked around, unsure where to start. Vaguely she recollected the garden games equipment being stored in the back right corner of the shed and started to rummage through things, checking carefully for any signs of spiders first. ‘Here.’ She gripped the handle of one of the shuttlecock rackets in triumph, pulling it out. In her excitement she forgot to look at it before she began brandishing it, waving it around in front of her face.
As if time had slowed she saw the huge black spider sitting on the strings as the racket passed her face. Her arm jerked and immediately she knew that instinctive reaction had been the wrong thing to do. The spider flew through the air, dislodged from the racket, hitting her squarely in the chest. Beth screamed, feeling the fat legs begin to writhe against her. Frantically she tried to brush it off but only succeeded in knocking the arachnid down the front of her dress.
‘Get it out. Get it out,’ she cried, starting to rip at the material of her dress.
All of a sudden she felt a presence beside her as Josh levered himself through the window and landed with a thump on the floor of the shed. Unceremoniously he pulled out the front of her dress and peered down into her cleavage. Beth knew she should feel self-conscious although nothing but the thought of the spider crawling over her skin was being allowed in her mind. She saw him grimace, then spin her round and begin to unfasten the sash that held the dress tight, and within a few seconds he tugged at the material and pulled it down, lifting her out of it as it fell around her ankles. Watching in horror, she saw him pick up the dress and shake it gently, and she shuddered as the fat black spider fell out of the material and skittered away into the shadows.
Her skin felt itchy with every nerve ending on edge and Beth had to give in to the impulse to smooth the cotton of her chemise and petticoats to check there were no other spiders hiding inside.
‘Thank you,’ she said, shivering from the memory of what had just happened. She crossed her arms in front of her body, hugging her sides. ‘I really don’t like spiders.’
‘I’m sorry, I didn’t realise. I know you said, but I didn’t realise they made you that scared.’ He reached out and placed a hand on her bare arm, his hand warm on her skin. ‘I would never have suggested you come in here if I’d known.’
‘How did you get in?’
‘I pulled over a flowerpot.’ He grimaced. ‘I think I broke it when I pushed myself up from it.’
Carefully he began checking her dress over again, looking in all the folds of material.
‘Nothing in there.’
‘Thank you.’
For a moment Beth forgot where she was as Josh stepped in closer to her. Although she was still clad in her chemise and petticoats she felt practically naked under his gaze and her whole body shuddered with anticipation as he raised a hand and trailed his fingertips across her shoulder. Letting her head fall back, she closed her eyes and revelled in his touch, almost crying out when she felt his lips brush against the skin on her neck.
‘I’m sorry,’ he murmured quietly. ‘I couldn’t stop myself.’
Beth almost cried out as he stepped away, wanting to beg him to take her in his arms but knowing she had to maintain whatever little dignity she had left.
Taking the dress from his hands, Beth began pulling it over her head, trying not to mess up her hair any more than it already was. She felt Josh move behind her, helping her straighten it, pulling it down and then his fingers deftly fastening it. He seemed to know exactly what to do and she wondered how many women he’d helped to dress.
Once the sash was tied Beth spun around, not realising Josh was still standing so close. They were body to body and if she tilted her head her lips would only be a couple of inches from his. It was a dangerous position to be in, especially when she was so aware of every part of him.
‘Perfect,’ he murmured, reaching out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. She wasn’t sure if she imagined the trailing of his fingertips on her neck for just a second, but her body reacted all the same. ‘No one will ever know.’
Beth tensed all her muscles for a second and then forced herself to take a step back.
‘How do we get out of here?’
‘Same way we got in. I’ll boost you up—just be careful of the flowerpot when you’re dropping down on the other side. I’m sure I can move something to help me climb through the window.’ He eyed her, adding quickly, ‘Although I won’t move anything until you’re outside.’
Beth was careful not to brush against any spiders’ webs as she manoeuvred herself into position underneath the window. It was easier going out, having practised how to spin round at the top on the way in, and within a few seconds her feet were back on the grass. She shivered in the sunlight, knowing she would never forget the feel of the spider dropping into her dress. Closing her eyes, she forced herself to stop thinking about it, instead touching her neck where the skin still tingled from his touch.
‘Is there a problem?’ Leonard Ashburton’s clipped voice came from behind her. She turned slowly, making sure her expression was neutral before she faced him.
He could only just have rounded the corner of the house and stepped into view of the shed, but her heart began to hammer in her chest all the same.
‘The door of the shed was locked,’ she said, smiling serenely, ‘and I have no idea where the key is.’
Leonard Ashburton frowned as his brother’s head appeared in the window. The shuttlecock and rackets clattered to the ground as he dropped them before swinging himself out. Beth thought he looked like a cat, landing lightly on his feet.
‘So my brother thought he’d climb in to get them?’
Beth nodded, holding her breath, wondering if she could be lucky enough for Leonard Ashburton to believe it had just been Josh in the shed.
‘I really want to thrash you at shuttlecock,’ Josh said, handing one of the rackets to his brother and starting to walk away. Leonard Ashburton frowned, leaning in closer to Beth, his hand coming up to pick something out of her hair. He held it out between them and inspected it.
Beth felt a churning in her stomach as she realised it was a big ball of dust. Leonard Ashburton didn’t say anything, just regarded her for a few seconds longer, then spun and followed his brother back to the lawn where the other guests were assembled.
Chapter Twelve
Josh leaned back in the comfortable armchair, sipping the fine brandy and closing his eyes. It had been a tiring day, with the ride to complete their journey to Birling View in the morning and spending the rest of the day socialising. He still felt as though he were playing a part when amongst these people Leo called his peers, as if he were just pretending to be a gentleman.
‘You look pensive,’ Leo said, pulling at the cravat at his neck to loosen it. They were the only two still in the dimly lit library, the rest of the guests having retired to bed at various points in the evening. Josh had never needed much sleep, always late to bed and early to rise. He hated tossing and turning in the sheets and had found he only actually needed about five hours in bed to be fully rested. On his return to England he had found Leo was the same.
He’d been thinking about Beth, about all the moments he’d shared with her, but most particularly about the moment in the shed this afternoon when she’d stood in front of him in just her chemise and petticoats, her eyes rising up to meet his, and the feeling right in the centre of his chest—the feeling that he’d been hit by an arrow to the heart.
‘If Lord Abbingdon wasn’t making it a stipulation of his will, would you get married?’ He tried to make the question light, but saw the way Leo’s interest was piqued, the sharpness behind his eyes giving him away.
‘No,’ he said after some deliberation.
Josh nodded. It was what he thought. Despite their differences in personalities, their completely polar upbringings, he and Leo seemed to share the same view on many aspects of their lives.
‘Why not?’
‘What about you? Will you marry?’ Leo asked rather than giving an answer.
‘I doubt it.’ He thought of Beth’s warm smile, the way she moved, the way her body felt in his arms.
‘Why not?’
Josh began speaking, began giving the answer he always did when someone asked him why he wasn’t married, why he wasn’t searching for a wife, but then he paused. If he couldn’t tell the truth to his brother, then who could he ever be truthful with?
‘I always tell people that it is because my life is not compatible with marriage, that I couldn’t ask a woman to give up the comforts of home and join me in the foothills of India.’ He shook his head and took another sip of brandy. ‘Of course, that’s nonsense. Rose, my guardian’s wife, has led a very happy life in India and has never once regretted leaving England with her husband. And there are the women who already live there, of course, the daughters and sisters of other landowners.’
Leo watched him silently, giving him space to continue.
‘I think it was losing our parents at such a young age...’ He trailed off.
‘You don’t want to let anyone too close in case you lose them too.’
He heard the emotion in Leo’s voice and felt a little comfort that he wasn’t the only one who felt this way.
‘You feel the same?’
Nodding, Leo swirled the liquid in his glass around as if needing a distraction from the intensity of his thoughts.
The candle that sat between them had burned low and was flickering now and Josh welcomed the interlude of standing to fetch another from on top of the mantelpiece.
‘I would never presume to tell you what to do,’ Leo said slowly, ‘but I can see you happily married, perhaps with children. You’re good with people, sociable.’
Josh sat back in his chair, the fresh candle giving out a slightly brighter light.
‘I always tell myself I need to focus on the business, not get distracted.’
‘No one could question your dedication, Josh. All these years you’ve worked, getting to know every aspect of the company you will soon run. It is admirable and I doubt a wife would take away anything from your ability to make the business thrive.’
Thinking of how distracted he felt every time Beth entered a room, Josh grimaced. If she were his wife he would find it hard to leave his bed in the morning, tempted to always stay for one more kiss, one more touch.
‘I don’t intend to let my nuptials distract me from looking after the estates and growing the inheritance my children w
ill one day receive.’
Josh was about to murmur something non-committal when a clatter at the veranda door made both men stand up suddenly, setting their glasses down on the table. Josh moved first, darting through the veranda door, his eyes taking a moment to adjust from the candlelit room to the complete darkness of the garden, but nevertheless he saw the movement to his left and reached out and grabbed the person skulking in the shadows.
As soon as his hands touched the person’s wrist he knew it was a woman. The bones were too delicate, the arm too small, to be a man’s. He relaxed his fingers, but the mistake had already been made and the woman in his grasp let out a loud scream.
Josh took two steps back, holding his hands out to try to show he wasn’t a threat.
‘I’m sorry,’ he said, peering into the shadows, trying to make out which of the female guests had been walking in the dark of the night. ‘I thought you were an intruder.’
Behind him he felt Leo’s presence and he watched in amazement as Leo reached past him and held out his hand.
‘Come, my brother meant you no harm.’
A delicate, pale hand inched forward hesitantly and eventually rested in Leo’s, allowing him to pull the woman out into the moonlight.
Her head was bent, her free hand up trying to cover one side of her face. It wasn’t any of the female guests, nor any of the maids he’d seen hurrying backwards and forwards throughout the day.
As she took a step she stumbled, her free hand flying from her face, shooting out to steady herself. Josh forced himself not to react as the scars became visible on the pale skin. Three deep, crisscrossing red tracks on her left cheek that pulled and puckered the skin, visible even in the moonlight.
The woman’s eyes shot up, fear filling them as her gaze met his. Josh gave a gentle smile.
‘I’m sorry for startling you,’ he said again.
‘Annabelle.’ Beth’s concerned voice made the three of them on the veranda freeze.
So this was Beth’s mysterious sister.