Broken Legacy (Secret Lives Series)

by Colleen Connally

  Then Marc Pierre turned to her husband, but he did not release her hand, giving to her his strength. “Lord Lenister, your plan to rescue your children is admirable, but do not mistake my admiration for respect. I do not care for you and your misguided sense of superiority. Typical of nobility and its arrogance. But now circumstances force us to work side by side, for you are correct. I, too, fear for Eloise.

  “I do not trust Gairden. He is an ambitious man, a powerful, ruthless, ambitious man. He knows about Eloise’s past…a past he hopes to use as a face to the Revolution. He sees Eloise as a pawn, a beautiful helpless French woman badly mistreated by both the French and English nobility. Abandoned by her father. Abused by a cruel marquis.

  “Gairden wants Eloise because she turned her back to the comforts and luxuries that the aristocrat’s life would have offered. Instead, she chose a commoner to love. A forbidden love, a love where the hero’s attempt at rescuing her ended not only with his death, but the death of the culprit who was responsible for the hero’s torturous death. The rumors are true, Lord Lenister. Eloise was responsible for the death of the Vicomte Calognac.

  “That is the reason Giarden wants her and will stop at nothing to obtain her. He has pressed me about Eloise in the past. I thought perchance with you by her side he would refrain his desire. Tonight's events have led me to believe he has not let her marriage to you deter his aspiration. But there is one fact Giarden does not know. I also comprehend that will change. He will dig into every detail of her past. Then he will discover that the woman he wants to proclaim the face of the Revolution was in truth the Vicomtesse de Calognac.”

  A deadly hush encompassed the room. Eloise dared not look at her husband. Suddenly her head swirled. Clutching her head, her legs weakened beneath her and she crumbled to the floor.

  Chapter Ten

  Lenister didn’t know how long he stood at the door before he entered. He had spent the last hours listening to Marc Pierre’s implausible story. The words rambled in his head as Marc Pierre’s voice echoed his tale.

  “Eloise was raised within my family. My brother and I long understood that our futures intertwined with hers. My mother is an extremely intelligent woman. It was not hard for her to decipher that she was allowing D’Arcy to use her in keeping Eloise’s existence quiet. My mother used it to our advantage. Without question, our association was quite advantageous. I was fortunate to have been allowed to become an attorney.

  “My brother chose a different route. Smuggling. Eloise’s cousin, Andre D’Arcy, was his best friend. The two concocted a wild scheme to make enough money to emigrate to America. Luc had never been a patient person. He wanted immediate gratification. Our father had been killed fighting in the war for their independence. He had dreams of a place where a man could be judged for his actions, not what status he was born. Luc was also brash and daring to the point of carelessness. He began his ventures into smuggling when he bought a schooner, with Andre as his partner. He knew well the dangers and accepted the risks.

  “We had not seen Eloise for years, not since she had been sent to the convent. Then she reappeared with Andre in the dead of night at my mother’s cottage, pleading for help. She had run from the marquis. It seemed that after the marquis withdrew Eloise from the convent, he informed her that it was his intent for her to marry his son, Vicomte de Calognac.

  “Eloise was young and confused. She was not asked, but told to accept Calognac. She feared greatly both men. She refused, but was threatened. The nobility had methods to obtain their wishes even from the innocent. Eloise has never confessed what happened to her, but when the opportunity arose to escape, she took it. My understanding, the daughter…Eloise’s friend, Giselle, was instrumental in helping Eloise to escape.

  “I had long left my mother’s house, as had Luc. My mother took Eloise in without any hesitation. The act itself was perilous. Eloise, you understand, had been handed over to the care of the Marquis de Mortiere. The consequences of helping Eloise would be harsh if discovered.

  “When Luc discovered Eloise’s presence, he took her to the hut he used for his smuggling, not far outside Calais. My brother loved Eloise, but it was impossible to marry within France. The marquis was scouring the countryside. I warned Luc it was only a matter of time before she was discovered.

  “It was decided the only course of action that we could take was to seek an audience with her father, the Duke of Rotheward. I went with Luc to plead his case. My thought was that whether Eloise was a bastard or not, her father would extend a helping hand…at least to see her safely across the English Channel.

  “His Grace, with the greatest reluctance, offered to take Eloise within his household, but Luc would not have it. He wanted only help to secure her safe passage into England and then depart for America, where the two could begin a life together. You see, Eloise was with child by this time. The duke offered to pay Luc for his services in obtaining his daughter, but adamantly refused to give his blessing to their union. Luc was not acceptable in his eyes, even for a child the duke had turned a blind eye upon.

  “Luc was furious, but accepted the duke’s help. At least Eloise would be safe until he could come up with another plan. Before Luc could escort Eloise across the Channel, disaster struck. Shortly after our return, Eloise was found. The marquis and Calognac were like madmen searching for her. In as much, I could never understand his stance on Eloise. I still have questions as to his intent. But at the time, our attention was our fears, for they were many—Eloise, the unborn babe…our own lives. We prepared for the worst, certain the marquis would strike hard and quickly.

  “Then strangely, I received a request for my presence from the marquis through Orville D’Arcy. He said the marquis came to him and pledged my safety if I met with him. I did not trust the meeting, but I went. Thinking if something happened to me, it would give time for Luc, Andre, and my mother to make an escape across the Channel.

  “The marquis informed me that Eloise had married his son. I was in disbelief, but I quickly made the assumption that she did so to save all involved in her disappearance. Then the marquis made a bargain with me. If I ensured him that Luc would go to America and never return, he would allow things to go as if they never happened. If not, then all would pay for the injustice. Foolishly, I took him on his word and gave him mine I would inform Luc.

  “I began arrangements for Luc to depart, but the marquis used me to find Luc. He had me followed. After I met with Luc, Luc was arrested immediately. I tried to have him released. I tried to appeal to de Mortiere’s sense of honor. He had given his word! The man laughed in my face. He had me thrown out and threatened me with arrest.

  “Andre and I were relentless in trying to free Luc. It took time. We had no knowledge where he had been taken. Then one of de Mortiere’s men found us. He held a grudge against the man and was willing to accept an incentive to inform against the marquis. We accepted and paid the man the bribe. To our surprise, we learned that Luc was being held in the dungeon at the Chateau de Chlodio. We were told that Eloise resided there as well, with no knowledge that Luc was being held prisoner.

  “Andre and I plotted, but before we could enact a plan, our informer sent an urgent message to come at once. My immediate thought it was a trap, but we hadn’t a choice. It took us hours to arrive at the chateau. Darkness had already fallen. Even as we entered from the back, a chill was in the night’s air. We followed a path up to a bonfire. It was where we found Eloise. She was unharmed but covered in blood, rocking Luc’s broken body in her arms. Calognac lay dead also, no more than a few feet away within the area they had tortured my brother. He had…fallen…headfirst down upon one of the sharp-pointed stakes used to tie Luc down and torture him. The stake pierced through his eye.

  “Our informer arrived moments after, screaming for us to leave, which if we had not, would have led to his own arrest. We had no time for anything other than grabbing Eloise. Guards were coming. We left my brother lying there on the ground and ran. Eloise was i
n shock, unable to tell us anything other than the marquis had her baby and Calognac murdered Luc in the most torturous of fashion.

  “The rest you know. Andre sent word to Eloise’s father. It was her only hope. Again we all went into hiding. The marquis was crazed. Eloise was in grave danger. Then her father and brother arrived. Without any hesitation, they took her across the Channel. Andre and I disappeared and waited only for a chance to revenge my brother’s death. In the end, revenge was mine.

  “There is much that I don’t know, but this I do. Eloise married Calognac to protect Luc and the rest of us. She made a promise to Luc to find their daughter. She kept her promise and it has haunted her. I believed she died a thousand deaths the day I informed her of her daughter’s passing. Now you know her story. If you abandon her, I will see to her needs. I will get her out of Paris. Your concern is your children…”

  “Stop,” Lenister said in a hard voice. “You are extremely mistaken if you believe I would ever abandon my wife. Ever! I would never have….” He paused and recomposed himself. Drawing in a deep breath, he uttered, “We can agree on one thing. She needs to leave Paris without delay. And make no mistake, she is going home. To my home…her home.”

  Bernard gave him no issue. Together, a plan had been laid out. Lenister now had only to inform Eloise. He turned the handle of the door and entered the bedchamber they shared. She stood with her back to him, staring blankly out the window. She had not changed.

  He walked over and encircled his arms around her.

  She whispered, “You know?”

  He nodded.

  Eloise’s heart sank. She had known this moment would come, but had wanted only a little more time. She turned and looked into his eyes.

  “I know what Marc Pierre told me,” he said softly. “But there is more.”

  “You are right. It is for the best you know. My conscience will ease that I hold no more secrets from you,” Eloise said, pushing back against his arms. She prayed she kept her composure. Her heart raced. “Know I hold nothing against you. I hope only this will not harm you in your attempt to regain your children. I…”

  “Ssh, Eloise, my love,” Lenister said. “This is my fault. Mine alone. I rushed in blindly, thinking only of my children, and have endangered your life. Marc Pierre and I both have agreed you have to leave immediately. In the morning, Seamus will escort you with a man of Marc Pierre’s. I dare not.

  “Marc Pierre feels Gairden’s men will be watching both of us. He is expecting us at the Council. We will keep the appointment. We both feel that calling upon your network after it was compromised wouldn’t be a wise move. You will be taken immediately down to Le Treport, where we are to meet your brother’s schooner. You will wait there until we arrive or your brother’s ship appears. Do you understand?”

  She nodded. She didn’t have any strength to protest. “I want you to know I will go quietly away. I will make sure Edmund knows it is all my fault…”

  “Why do you do this? Why do you push me away without giving me a chance to speak my mind? Look at me.”

  She looked upward at him, but her vision blurred. Her eyes stung.

  He reached over and tenderly caressed her cheek. “You’re my wife. I don’t know what you are thinking, but I refuse to have you go anywhere but Ashforth Manor.”

  “Gerard, it is you that doesn’t understand,” she said. Each word caught in her throat. “I am responsible for the Vicomte de Calognac…my husband’s death. That makes me a murderer.”

  “Tell me why if you insist, but I will tell you what I have surmised. Calognac forced you into marrying him. He pushed you to the brink and threatened someone you loved very much. This Luc…” Lenister paused. His gaze penetrated her soul. “No, it wasn’t Luc. He lay dying or was already dead…it was your daughter. He threatened your daughter.”

  She stared at him in disbelief. She choked back her tears at the remembrance. “Rosabel,” she said in a soft voice. “My baby. I never even got to hold her. Never touched her. Yet I love…loved her more than life itself. He took her from me as punishment. The marquis ordered her swept away from me immediately after the birth. I was to pay for my defiance.”

  “Why, Eloise? Why was he so insistent on your marriage?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t know. I don’t.”

  “I only want to understand. It makes no sense. He must have known of your questionable birth.”

  “I have often wondered. I know only what transpired. From the time I was ten, I was taken to the convent to study alongside of Giselle, the daughter of the marquis. It was as though I was already part of the family in some form. I never was allowed to go back to Calais. Instead, at breaks I traveled with Giselle to the Chateau de Chlodio and after I turned fifteen, I was not allowed to return to the convent.

  “One morning, I was called down for an audience with the marquis. To my surprise, I found a crowd of people, not only the marquis, but his wife, Calognac, my uncle, and a man I had no knowledge. The marquis informed me that a marriage contract had been drawn up between Calognac and me. I was aghast. Calognac…had always scared me. There were awful rumors of his inhumane treatment of the servants. Even Giselle was scared of her own brother. I refused to sign. It was here the first time I was threatened.”

  Her thoughts carried her back to that day and the memory chilled her. The terror of being locked in her bedchamber surged through her and the visit by the marquis and his son. The sting of the slap that sent her sprawling across the floor frightened her, but nothing like the marquis’ grip upon her holding her against the wall with his hands on her person, feeling her body.

  “Is this what you want, Eloise—to be treated as a whore? If you do not sign, it is what you will become, I can assure you. I gained the rights to your guardianship from your uncle long ago. You must have understood that fact by now. Sign and you will become a lady.”

  Contrary to the marquis’ words, if Calognac hadn’t accompanied his father, he would have treated her as a whore at that moment. Even in her innocence, she felt the desire within Mortiere. Calognac would have none of it.

  “Enough, Father. Eloise will comprehend the ramifications of her refusal if she does not sign. She is intelligent enough to understand the consequences, not only to herself, but her family.”

  The marquis frightened her, but Calognac terrified her. It was as if he had no soul. His eyes held no light within them, but he was correct. In the end, she had signed the contract. Afterwards, Calognac made it his personal mission to ensure her complete obedience. The remembrance surged through her…his rules…his many rules in which he demanded total compliance, telling her in vivid detail his plans for his future wife…

  “Eloise, your father allowed this?”

  Lenister’s voice called her back to the present. She shrugged slightly, trying to distinguish the past and present, for the memories swallowed her.

  “I had no contact with my father at this time, but it was he who I was running to when I escaped the chateau. Despite the marquis’ insistence, I do not believe that Calognac was happy with me as his bride, but he seemed intent on the marriage. He conveyed his expectations quite clearly and harshly. Giselle understood my unhappiness and helped me to escape.”

  “But instead you found yourself in another’s arms.”

  “Please do not blame Luc. It was I that…that…” She could not find the words. How could she tell her husband of her wanton behavior and the manner she enticed Luc to make love to her?

  “You seduced him,” he completed her thought.

  She looked up at him, startled at his comprehension of her situation. She had. Luc would have never touched her in that manner before they married if she had not. “How would you know?”

  “I remember your fear before our marriage. The loss of your virginity seemed to weigh heavy on you. I would surmise that it was Calognac that instilled that fear within you. So I would deduce that you thought if you were not a virgin, he would not want you for a wife.” He sai
d it as a statement, not a question. She gave him no answer.

  “But he did marry you?”

  She nodded. “All was so strange as a nightmare I could not wake from. He seemed eerily calm about the whole of the matter when he found me. He offered to claim the child as his own. Moreover, he demanded I tell his father it was his child. He would do no harm to any of my family…and Luc...if Luc left France and I agreed to become his wife.

  “I had no choice. I had to do everything I could to protect the people I loved. It was only…I was so miserable. I thought I would have my child to give me comfort, but I soon learned that was not going to happen. I would pay and pay dearly for my betrayal.

  “When Rosabel was born, she was taken away from me. My only comfort came with the knowledge that Giselle went with her. Three weeks after the birth, Calognac sent for me. I was prepared for…he…had not touched me, not while I was with child. I realized the time had come I could no longer deny him his… rights. He was my husband. But I was not taken to his bedchamber. Instead, I was led outside and down past the garden.

  “A huge bonfire had been lit and then I saw. Luc was tied down on the ground by four stakes, spread eagle, naked…bruised and battered.” Her voice became flat. “Calognac made me watch everything they did to Luc…every torture they could inflict…his cries, his pleas…his prolonged death. Then Calognac sent everyone away. He walked to Luc’s body and cut him from the stakes as Luc still breathed. I ran toward Luc, but Calognac grabbed me. He told me he wanted Luc’s last sight to be him taking me.

  “I fought back, trying to get to Luc, but Calognac was stronger. He laughed as he ripped my gown and told me what he planned to do with me and my baby. He told me I would live but I would wish I was dead. He taunted me, telling me how he was going to kill my daughter…rid the world of a lowly bastard and feed her to the dogs…He grabbed at me. I was frantic. I became hysterical. He was going to kill my baby. He slapped me and then I pushed back at him. It must have taken him by surprise. He stumbled back over Luc and fell on one of the stakes. I don’t remember anything else…”