He marched her back into the house. When they arrived in her room, Mary whirled around. Her eyes widened when she saw Diana.
“Get out,” her father snarled, and Mary moved to comply. Her eyes met Diana’s as she passed. Diana stared back glumly. She shook her head, slightly, telling Mary not to do anything.
She wasn’t sure what to expect. Her father had never been this angry with her before. Once Mary was out, he pushed Diana into the room. She stumbled, catching herself before she fell to her knees. She turned to face her father, her skirts whirling about.
“If you see him again,” he said, “I will punish you even more severely. For now, you will remain in your room.”
“Until?”
“Until your marriage to the Duke of Morrow.”
He slammed the door shut. Diana heard a key turn in the lock. She sunk down to the floor, all of the energy draining from her.
As soon as someone opens that door, I’m going to find a way out.
Chapter 32
Eleonora was standing in the hallway. When she had heard the commotion caused by her father and her sister, she had slunk into an alcove. There, in the shadows, she heard her father say, “If you see him again, I will punish you even more severely.”
She had heard him use that tone of voice before. It came to her, rolling over her in waves. Her breaths came in small, harsh pants through gritted teeth.
Fear. The smell of blood and smoke.
Darkness overwhelmed her as a cold sweat rose across her skin. She recalled her father’s angry face, orange in the firelight as her eyes stared at the familiar hallway carpet in Lutterhall Manor.
Nicholas, falling to the ground, crumpling in a heap. The light fading from his green eyes, that I loved so much. Blood, on my hands. It was hot, thick as syrup.
She remembered screaming and screaming. Turning, to find her father, standing over her. A large rock in his hands.
I had thought that I was going to die then.
She slid down to the floor, her knees giving out. Tears were falling down her cheeks. She covered her mouth with her hand to stifle her sobs. It wouldn’t do if her father came upon her at that moment. He might look in her eyes and see that she remembered everything.
Then what would I do?
“My Lady?” A maid was there, kneeling before her. She reached out, gently touching Eleonora’s shoulder.
“Sarah?”
Not Sarah. Sarah is gone.
“I’m Mary, My Lady.” The maid gave Eleonora a kind smile. Her dark eyes were round in concern. “What’s the matter?”
“I remember—I remember something, but I don’t know what. It might be my imagination, running wild.” She shook her head, tears blurring Mary’s face.
Eleonora’s stomach roiled like a storm-tossed sea. “I think I’m going to be ill.”
Mary helped Eleonora to her room, where she was sick in the chamber pot. Waves of nausea wracked her body as memories came to her, unbidden. Her father, standing in the parlor at Lutterhall Manor.
“I love him. We have been meeting in secret for months now.”
“You do not know who he really is, stupid girl. You’re ruined now, the Duke will never marry you.”
“My Lady?” Mary asked. Eleonora looked at her, and she began to dab at her face with a cool damp cloth.
“It was all my fault,” she said, the taste of bile in her throat. She wiped her lips, her hands shaking.
A loud bang. Then, Nicholas, the light gone out of his eyes, blood on my hands. Then, darkness, darkness.
She couldn’t say it aloud. She was trembling.
I think my father did something awful.
* * *
Elijah was sitting at the dining room table, reading the newspaper. He felt completely useless. There was nothing to be done. It was all in the constable’s hands. He had found enough to get him started. He wondered when he would go to speak to Lord Lutterhall about the night of Lady Eleonora’s accident.
All would be revealed, then the angry Earl would likely return to Cambolton House, angry at Elijah for ruining his daughter’s reputation. Elijah found that he was ready for such a confrontation. He had a hunch that it might allow them to come to some sort of an understanding.
It would be the perfect time to argue in favor of his suit. In favor of his love for Diana. If Lord Lutterhall truly loved his daughter, then shouldn’t he be able to see that Elijah was meant to be with her?
“My Lord?” Hanby asked, jolting him out of his thoughts.
“Yes, Hanby?”
“Lady Bolger is here to see you,” he said. Elijah couldn’t have been more shocked. He wasn’t entirely sure whose side Lady Bolger was on. He had been inclined to believe that she was fiercely loyal to her brother.
“Show her in, straightaway.”
When Hanby showed her in, she was dressed for travel, in a gray suit with a hat perched jauntily on her head.
“My Lady,” he said, standing up and then bowing. “Would you care for a cup of tea?”
Lady Bolger held up a hand. “Thank you, Lord Cambolton. However, I’ve only stopped by for a quick word with you. It is of the utmost urgency.”
“By all means,” he said, taking his seat. He watched as she settled herself in a chair. “Are you leaving the county?”
“My brother’s sending me away from Lutterhall Manor,” she explained. “I know how much you love Lady Diana, and it’s because I’m concerned for her that I come to see you this morning.”
“He…what has happened, My Lady?” he demanded. His stomach flipped nauseously as he was filled with concern for Diana. Clearly, something had happened. Or else Lady Bolger wouldn’t have stopped by, and she certainly wouldn’t be looking so concerned.
“He’s locked her in her room,” she said. “He won’t tell me why or what happened yesterday. She stormed out of the parlor after he told her that he’s arranged for her to marry the Duke of Morrow. I retired to my room, and when I came out for dinner, he had locked her up. He’s told me that I’m no longer needed at Lutterhall. To be honest, I’m worried.”
“What about?” His mind was racing. Surely, he wouldn’t harm her. Lord Lutterhall loved his daughters.
“I don’t know, My Lord. My brother is a good gentleman. I think he’s just concerned about his daughter.”
“What should I do?” His mind was racing.
“I’m not sure,” she admitted. “I’ve never seen him so angry before. Finding out that his daughter has been…seeing you unchaperoned, has put him in an utter rage. If anyone finds out, then Diana is ruined, but I think that now would be the best time for you to revive your suit. Otherwise, I fear he may try to force her to wed the Duke of Morrow.”
Elijah now saw why she was there—Lady Bolger wanted him to marry Diana. He was grateful to her.
“I would never allow that to happen to her. She’s still chaste, My Lady.”
She eyed him doubtfully, raising her eyebrow. “For her sake, I hope that you’re telling me the truth.”
He let out a deep breath that he hadn’t realized that he had been holding. “You’re right,” he said, cursing himself for being so thoughtless. He had wanted to see her. He hadn’t thought about how it would throw doubt upon them both, but more particularly on Diana and her honor.
“Be careful, Lord Cambolton. I will pray for a favorable outcome for the both of you.”
“Thank you, My Lady. I hope that you have a safe journey.”
He saw her out to her carriage, and then went upstairs, his breakfast utterly forgotten. He had thought that she would be safer not seeing him. However, everything had fallen apart a whole day ago, and he had known nothing.
Elijah sat in his study, wondering what to do. He was worried for Diana. He realized that she must have finally come to the decision that she wanted to elope with him, instead of being forced to wed the Duke of Morrow.
Diana had hoped to make things right between Elijah and her father, but when Lord Lutterhall had told
her that he’d arranged her marriage to the Duke, Diana had then tried to come to Cambolton House.
What do I do now? Do I go to Lutterhall, to demand the Earl speak to me? Or do I go and get help?
* * *
Diana had been locked in her room for two days. The only person who came in to see her was Mary. She entered with a tray with Diana’s breakfast. As had happened two times a day for the past few days, her father opened the door, letting Mary inside before closing and locking it again. Then, he would wait on the other side, listening to everything that went on.
I can’t even tell Mary to get word to Elijah.
Diana was a prisoner in her own home. Everything had been stripped away—her dignity, her pride. She had always thought that her opinion had mattered. That what she wanted—what her heart told her to do, mattered.
Clearly, it does not. And I’m a fool for not realizing it sooner.
“Morning, My Lady.” Mary set the tray down in front of her, going about the room briskly. Diana began to eat the oatmeal that was in the bowl. She knew that she needed to keep up her strength. As she had been doing, she ate all of it, then drank the hot black tea that sat beside it. She had not lost hope. The moment that she found the opportunity, she would take it, slipping out of the house and running through the woods on foot, if she had to. It would be a small price to pay for her freedom. She only wished that Elijah knew what was going on. He had no idea, and that made things worse.
No one is coming to save me. I have to save myself.
Once Diana had finished eating her breakfast, Mary helped her dress even though there was no reason to be dressed up. She chose a plain, dark-colored muslin.
Neither of them spoke, while Mary did up the buttons, and then arranged her hair in an austere bun. Once Mary had finished, she gave Diana a look which said, I’m so sorry, My Lady. She picked up the breakfast tray, and the door opened to let her out, then was locked again.
Diana could hear her father, on the other side of the door, checking to see if his wayward daughter had tried to slip a letter to Mary.
She had no plans to do so. She wanted him to think that she had given up. He expected her to sneak a letter out through her lady’s maid. Much like Eleonora had done.
Diana sat, staring out of her window. She found herself watching the birds. She wondered what it was like to be so free. She was only just realizing that while she had always believed herself to be free, she had never been so.
She was always trapped—in corsets, in rooms, in protocol and expectations. There was no way out, unless she could make it to Cambolton House. Elijah would make sure that she was able to have her say. He would give her freedom, real freedom. Then, she would be just like the birds, her wild heart allowed to love him.
* * *
After a very long internal debate, Elijah decided that he needed to go to the constable. He himself couldn’t go—Lord Lutterhall would only be angrier at the sight of him. But if the constable was alerted that something wasn’t right at Lutterhall Manor, then perhaps he could be allowed inside. To check on the Lady’s welfare.
“What brings you out this way, My Lord?” the constable asked.
“I’m concerned for the welfare of Lady Diana Dunkeld,” he said. The constable looked confused.
“I was there at Lutterhall Manor, just this morning—questioning Lord Lutterhall about the night of Lady Eleonora’s accident.”
“And?” Elijah was curious to know what Lord Lutterhall had said. Perhaps, something in his demeanor would convince the constable to return on Elijah’s behalf.
“Everything seemed fine there.” The constable was frowning.
“Did you see Lady Diana?” Elijah was desperate to know that she was well. Her aunt’s admitted worry had him in a frenzy.
“No, I did not.”
“What exactly did Lord Lutterhall tell you about that night?” Elijah asked.
“He found Lady Eleonora beside the path in the woods. She had been thrown from her horse, presumably when she escaped the murderer.”
“Is he going to question her?”
“We agreed that we were going to approach her gently, with a physician present to ensure her wellbeing.” The constable was rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
“He’s holding Lady Diana against her will,” Elijah said. “Lady Bolger told me before she left. I need you to go and check on her.”
“Lord Cambolton, there’s nothing that I can do. Lord Lutterhall is one of the county’s most important nobles. If I go in there, I could lose my position.” He held his hands out, palms up, showing Elijah their emptiness.
“I didn’t realize that you, of all people, were bound by social conformity. I thought that you were an arbiter of justice.” Anger flared within him.
“I can’t—”
“She’s in trouble. I know it.”
“How do you know?” he asked. “What right have you to demand this?”
“Her aunt stopped by. She’s been locked in her room for days.”
“For what reason did she say that Lady Diana has been locked up?” The constable was frowning. He sat back in his chair. Elijah knew that his answer wasn’t going to help his case here.
“Because Lord Cambolton doesn’t want her to see me. He’s likely discovered her trying to leave Lutterhall, so that we could elope.” Elijah watched as the constable’s face fell.
“It sounds like he’s done right.”
Elijah had never been more disappointed in someone else in his entire life. He stared at the constable, realizing just how he sounded. He cursed himself for being so forthcoming.
“Lord Cambolton,” he said, sighing and holding up his hand, as if to stop him. “Why don’t you go and see for yourself?”
Because Lord Lutterhall will refuse to let me see her.
“I might just do that.” Elijah stood up, then left the constable’s house. The only other people he could think that would help would be Lord and Lady Albany. However, when he arrived at their house, the butler told him that they had gone to London for the week. When he arrived at Lord Forstall’s, he found that he, too, was gone. Elijah suddenly found himself without a single person to help him.
Chapter 33
It was late at night, though Diana hadn’t been able to fall asleep. She lay in her bed, wide awake. The birds had just begun to wake up, the sounds of their early morning songs loud in the silence before the dawn. Her mind was full of Elijah.
Sleepless, she thought back over their entire acquaintance. How he had looked at her, the very first time that they had met. Meeting him, in the millhouse. Her skin heated up at the thought. She ached for his presence.
If Elijah was here, then he would take me away.
A cool breeze blew in through the window, making the curtains flutter. She had never been so bored in all her life. Diana had, nearly three days ago, resolved to run away the moment that she got the chance. However, she remained firmly under lock and key.
She lay back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. In the darkness, it was blue, with a bit of molding in the shape of a circle. She thought of Elijah, wondering if he sensed that something was wrong.
He couldn’t know. How could he? He probably thinks that all is well.
Aunt Clarabelle had left the day before. She had come to say goodbye to Diana. She knew that her aunt wouldn’t have gone to him. Aunt Clarabelle was on no one’s side but her own. She likely thought that Diana had brought this upon herself.
Her father would have made certain that no one knew what was going on at Lutterhall Manor. The door opened. Diana sat up in bed, her heart fluttering. She relaxed when she saw that it was Eleonora. She was dressed in a simple dark-colored shift, a black shawl over her shoulders, with a pair of soft-soled shoes on her feet. She was clearly ready to go somewhere. Diana knew—her sister had come to let her out.
“Oh, my dear,” she said, getting up. Hope bloomed within her. “How did you get a key?”
“I have keys for the whole hous
e,” Eleonora said, holding up the rather impressive ring of keys. “I got rather good at sneaking out, you know.”
“Where were these hidden?”
“My hiding place, beneath the floorboards.” Eleonora shrugged, looking down at the keys in her hand. “I’m remembering things. Things which I had quite forgotten. I’m not as muddled as I’ve been.”
“Do you remember that night?” Diana asked, hopefully.
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