'I can promise naught,' he said, 'but I would welcome you for Elinor.'
Elinor was aghast when Charles, having manoeuvred her into an empty antechamber in the chateau, gracefully knelt at her feet and, in a flowery speech, offered her his hand and heart.
'Charles, pray get up! I like you, but I cannot marry!'
'If you like me, why cannot you marry me?' he responded, rising and attempting to grasp her hand.
'I – do not wish to marry,' Elinor said desperately.
'Am I repugnant to you?' he demanded.
'It is naught to do with you,' she tried to explain, seeing the hurt look in his eyes. 'I just do not wish to marry, but if I did I would choose a man like you, truly I would.'
Charles took this as encouragement, and tried to kiss her.
'Don't be afraid, my dearest. I will teach you gently, I swear, you need not fear me,' he murmured, attempting to imprison her lips beneath his. Suddenly Elinor went limp, and Charles, thinking she acquiesced, grunted in triumph and lifted his head to smile into her eyes. But these were closed, and two tears were rolling slowly down her cheeks.
'My dear, forgive me!' he exclaimed, contrite. 'I did not mean to distress you so!'
Quickly she shook her head. 'It is none of your fault, Charles, that I cannot love you. I am sorry, but I cannot explain.'
*
A few days later Kit told her that Charles was leaving St Germain.
'He joins the King at Urbino. He told me you rejected him, Elinor. I am sorry, he would have made you an excellent husband.'
'I have no desire to marry,' Elinor replied in a low voice.
'Do you wish to enter a convent?' he asked suddenly. 'Is that why you are so cold to every man who approaches you?'
'I have never considered it,' she replied truthfully. 'Please, Kit, don't be angry with me. I may feel differently one day.'
She knew this was unlikely, but Kit watched hopefully as she treated all the men who admired her with polite interest. When Louise announced Elinor had begun to take more interest in her gowns, and had an excellent taste, he was more optimistic, yet when two more men asked his permission to address Elinor she refused even to hear them.
'What are you hoping for?' he asked, exasperated. 'To attract a bigger prize by seeming unattainable?'
'You misunderstand me,' Elinor replied angrily. 'I am not ambitious, I simply do not wish to marry any of them.'
'Is there someone in England?'
'There is no one there,' she said, thankful she could reply truthfully. 'I simply do not love them,' she added, and he smiled in sudden sympathy.
'I can appreciate that. I had no intention of marrying until I met Louise. We have been fortunate, but not everyone is. If it does not happen for you it would be preferable to marry a kind, considerate man than dwindle into an embittered spinster.'
He said no more until a young man arrived from Urbino, and Elinor spent a great deal of time in his company. Kit's hopes rose once more.
'Roger Grendon believes Spain will support the King with money,' he commented one evening.
'Spain wants to overthrow the Duc d'Orleans,' Louise pointed out. 'That is the only reason she is willing to assist. I would put greater dependence on Sweden.'
'Charles has his own problems in the Baltic, and since the Legation in London was raided by George's minions the details of the help he has promised are known. I doubt if we can rely on him.'
'But he is fighting Hanover in the Baltic over his trade. Surely he would wish to keep the English troops occupied at home, so would encourage King James to invade again.'
'Yes, but Russia is more important and he is concentrating on fighting her. Spain, however suspect her motives, is our best hope.'
'Is Roger returning to Urbino?' Louise asked, glancing at Elinor.
'He may be going to England,' Elinor said, but with no trace of fear or regret in her voice.
Louise sighed. When the young man left, soon after Christmas, Elinor agreed with her about the risks he faced, but seemed more concerned at the discomforts of the journey.
'I pity anyone riding on a long journey in this weather,' she said one afternoon as they returned from the castle during a snowstorm.
'We may soon be able to hunt again,' Louise consoled. 'You must be anxious to wear your new riding habit. That dark red suits you admirably, better than the rose colour you have on, which sometimes makes you look too pale.'
Elinor glanced at her gown as she removed her fur lined cloak. It was in fine wool, with inserts and bows of damask in a deeper rose at the front. It was tight waisted above a flowing skirt, with frothy creamy lace at the low cut neck and elbow length sleeves. She was interested in her clothes only as a distraction from the ever present longing for Sir Talbot, a longing which had in no way diminished or become more bearable.
'I think I will buy the deep blue velvet we saw yesterday,' she said, about to follow Louise into the salon. Kit rose from his chair to one side of the fireplace and turned to greet them as Louise spoke.
'I beg your pardon, Kit, I did not know you had a visitor.'
'Don't go, Louise. You had best hear this at once. Now I understand your reluctance to marry, Elinor!'
*
Elinor, surprised at the grim look on his face, moved forward into the room. The guest stepped forward and she put out her hand to ward him off.
'Francis! How do you come to be here? No, keep away from me!'
'My dear Elinor, is this the way to greet a loving husband?' he asked, smiling and moving towards her.
'Husband?' Louise excaimed, while Elinor continued to back away from Francis.
'Kit, I beg of you, don't let him near me!'
'You had best wait, Francis,' Kit said sharply. 'Is it true, Elinor, that you married this – man?'
She sank down into a chair while Louise hovered uncertainly beside her, patting her shoulder.
'I was compelled,' she whispered. 'He held me prisoner and forced me.'
Kit held out a piece of paper to her, his expression cold.
'But you signed this, proof of your marriage, signed also by the parson and the witnesses.'
'I signed naught, neither did the parson!' Elinor protested, astonished. 'I have never seen this! He must have forged the signatures.'
'It looks like yours.'
'He has seen my writing many times, when I wrote notes to his mother for Aunt Theodora,' Elinor said, recovering some of her composure. 'What proof have you it is the parson's hand? He did not sign anything in my presence.'
Francis glanced at Kit. 'It has been a shock for her, she does not know what she says. Kit, Elinor has been persuaded I meant to betray you by enticing you back to England, but that is a fantastic notion. Our old friendship prohibits it, whatever our different loyalties now. I love Elinor, I still do, even if she went willingly with that arrogant fellow, and whatever happened while she was with him.'
'Why did you not tell me of the marriage?' Kit asked.
'I was afraid you might wish for revenge, and still fall into their trap.'
'You see how confused she is,' Francis put in. 'I believe that although she married me willingly, she had no notion of what marriage meant and my ardour frightened her, and so she ran away and believes ill of me.'
'You would have ravished me, you beat me and used me ill, and forced me into that marriage!' Elinor replied indignantly. 'Sir Talbot knows the truth. Why isn't he here to give you the lie! Kit, where is he? Why does he not return?'
'He has gone to England again,' Kit replied abstractedly.
'England?' Elinor rose to her feet and stared at him in horror. 'But he was wanted, there is a price on his head!' She whirled to face Francis. 'Did you know? Have you killed him? Is that how you discovered my whereabouts? Do you dare to come here only because there is no one now to deny your lies?'
When Francis smiled triumphantly she stared at him for a moment, then turned and ran from the room. For two days she locked herself into her room, refusin
g to admit even Louise, and emerged, pale and with dark ringed eyes, only when Kit threatened to break down the door.
She refused to discuss the matter apart from describing how she had been forced to submit to the marriage ceremony, or to meet Francis, or to leave the house, until the Queen, having discovered what was amiss from Louise, commanded her presence and sent a carriage and a pair of brawny footmen as escort.
Elinor, unable to refuse, put on a plain white velvet gown and tried to pinch some colour into her cheeks, but the Queen exclaimed in dismay when she saw the shadows about her eyes. She dismissed her other ladies and made Elinor sit on a low stool beside her.
Faced with the Queen's gentle but persistent questioning Elinor told her everything, including her hopeless love for Sir Talbot, and her fears that he had been caught in England.
'All my son's gallant adherents run such risks,' the Queen said sadly.
'But Sir Talbot must have gone there on my account, and I shall never forgive myself. If it had not been for me Francis would not have hated him so and pursued him so relentlessly.'
'We do not know that. I will endeavour to obtain news for you,' the Queen promised. 'In the meantime, although Fleet marriages are still permitted and legal, I will order your husband be sent away from St Germain.'
*
So Francis departed for England, and Elinor endeavoured to resume her life. Kit was deeply puzzled, unable to reconcile the conflicting accounts of his sister and his erstwhile friend. Her accusations were so much against all he had ever known of Francis, their friendship halted only by their political differences, that he and Louise concluded Francis, the eager lover, must have frightened Elinor so much as to unhinge her mind. It was fear of being forced to return to him that caused her to make such wild accusations. He might learn more when Sir Talbot returned, and he worried about his prolonged absence almost as much as Elinor did.
Elinor, hearing Francis had been sent away, threw herself desperately into all the Court's activities, welcoming all diversions. It was that which one day made her join another girl walking along the Grand Terrace, the English Garden on their left and a magnificent view over the glittering country to their right. Snow had fallen, only a light covering, but it had frozen hard and the brilliant shiny whiteness dazzled them. Well wrapped in furs, they ventured out into the crisp sunlight, the thin layer of snow and ice crunching under their feet.
They had reached the middle of the terrace when a small page came panting after them. He bowed and handed a screw of paper to Elinor's companion. She read it quickly and frowned.
'A visitor with news of my family? I cannot read the signature. What was he like?' she asked the page.
'I didn't see him, the footman gave me the note,' he replied, shivering, for he wore only his livery.
'Too lazy to venture out himself. Run back quickly, tell him I am coming. Will you return with me, Elinor?'
'I'll walk to the end,' Elinor said, glad of this rare opportunity to be alone. She strolled on, deep in thought, and was at the end of the terrace, about to retrace her steps, when the scrunching sound of footsteps on the frozen leaves made her turn her head swiftly towards the trees. Walking towards her, swathed in a dark cloak, was Francis Merton.
Her impulse was to run, but before she could pick up her impeding skirts he was beside her and had grasped her arm.
'I must talk with you,' he said curtly. 'Come into the shelter of the trees.'
'I have nought to say to you,' she replied angrily.
'This way, my dear wife,' he repeated, forcing her along beside him. 'I offer you a bargain. Do you wish to save that Stuart spy?'
'Who do you mean?' she asked, her attention fully on him. 'You know where Sir Talbot is? Or is it another trick?'
'It is no trick. He most foolishly returned to England. I found him there when I was so discourteously sent away from here. I hold him in a secure prison, and I intend to hand him over and lay charges that will send him to the scaffold unless you agree to do as I wish.'
'I don't believe you,' Elinor said scornfully. 'No prison of yours could hold him.'
'Then I must take you to him. Only if you accept our marriage will I release him.'
She had no chance either to scream or to struggle, for he stuffed a fold of her cloak into her mouth for a gag, then he held her tightly while he bound a thin rope round her. He carried her to where he had left his horse, lifted her onto it before him, and turned away from the castle.
'So my ruse did not work, dear wife. Perhaps you do not care so much for him after all. Our reunion will be more pleasant for you if you bring yourself to accept me willingly. But have no doubt, my dear, we are wed, and even though your brother is unfortunately alive you can be sure he will provide an ample dowry to persuade me to keep quiet about your indiscretions with Sir Talbot. In addition to that benefit, my dear, tonight I mean to have you yourself!'
*
Chapter 12
Elinor fumed impotently. She considered various stratagems such as throwing herself off the horse, but that would avail her nothing while she was still tied up, and on the hard ground she could be badly hurt. She would have to wait until she was freed, and trust in finding some way of escaping from Francis then.
For a while she wondered whether Francis had spoken the truth and did hold Sir Talbot, but she decided it was unlikely, and pointless to worry over that when she was in such dire straits herself. Busy concocting plans for tricking Francis and escaping from him, she did not hear the hooves of the horseman following them through the forest until Francis glanced back over his shoulder, uttered a curse and urged his mount into a canter.
Perched uncomfortably in front of Francis, Elinor caught the occasional glimpse over his shoulder of a rider coming recklessly through the trees, ignoring the treacherously icy ground as he spurred his horse to greater efforts. Her heart leaped wildly. Could it be Kit, having discovered her abduction and riding to the rescue? Then she ceased speculating as Francis kicked his horse into a shambling gallop, the fastest pace the beast could achieve, and her thoughts were fully occupied with the fear of falling under the flying hooves.
The two horses pounded on and the pursuer gained steadily and inexorably. Suddenly a shot rang past Elinor's head. The horse, startled, bolted in panic, and Francis fought to bring it back under control, cursing furiously as he did so.
The hooves drummed over the hard ground, beating almost in unison, an echo of Elinor's heartbeat. Then she saw a foam-flecked nose appear, then a powerful head, racing beside them and gradually the horse, a magnificent huge grey animal, drew level. Francis struck out at the rider alongside just as his horse swerved, panic stricken, in an attempt to turn aside from the narrow path. The path there was higher than the surrounding undergrowth, the horse's shoes slipped on the icy slope, and his legs buckled under him. Elinor was tossed clear, landing with a jolt that shook all her breath from her body. Then, her bonds preventing her from helping herself, she rolled down the slope until her head struck something and she knew no more.
She regained consciousness to find someone supporting her in his arms, gently feeling her head, which felt exceedingly sore.
'Elinor, my darling, wake up,' she heard, and thought she must be dreaming. It was not possible for Sir Talbot to be here, but even if he were he would not be whispering endearments to her. It was only a dream. At the thought she gave a shuddering sigh and his arms tightened about her shoulders.
'She moves, and there are no bones broken. We must take her to the nearest house.'
'There is a small lodge a short distance on,' Elinor heard and her eyes fluttered open. How could both Kit and Sir Talbot be here?
'I'll carry her,' she heard Sir Talbot say, and found herself lifted gently and held firmly against a warm, comforting body.
'How – what happened?' she asked weakly, her voice a mere croak.
'Elinor, how do you feel?' Kit asked, coming and taking her hand in his.
'Just my head,' she whispered, but
her voice was stronger. 'Why are you here?' she asked, looking up at Sir Talbot's face so close to her own.
'No questions, we must get you indoors and away from this cold,' he replied brusquely, but she had never seen his eyes so tender as they gazed down into hers.
Suddenly she recollected the mad ride. 'Francis? What happened?' she asked fearfully, trying to look about her.
'Later,' Sir Talbot said, and she thought she had been mistaken about the tenderness for his eyes were now flinty and hard.
*
She sighed, permitting her eyes to close again, aware only of Sir Talbot's heart beating so close to her own as he carried her carefully along the forest path until, with many exclamations of concern, the plump wife of a forester helped her into a comfortable and blessedly warm feather bed.
She drank some broth, then slept, awaking to find the room dark, lit only by the flames of a fire. As she moved the woman came to feel her forehead.
'Good, no fever,' she said, and Elinor, who had learned much French during her few months in St Germain, began to thank her.
'Where is my brother?' she asked.
'He and the other gentleman had business to complete, they said, but they promised to return as soon as possible with your sister-in-law and a carriage to convey you home. Would you like some venison stew?'
'It sounds delicious,' Elinor said. 'I would prefer to get up though, nought ails me apart from the bump on my head, and even that feels less sore than it did.'
'Eat first and then I will help you dress. I have been able to brush your gown and remove the worst stains.'
Elinor was ravenous, and enjoyed the herb flavoured stew. Then she dressed, and the woman helped her arrange her hair to hide the ugly bruise on her temple. When Kit and Louise arrived she was sitting beside the kitchen fire, stroking a black kitten which, having decided her lap was a suitable bed, had curled up there in great content and was purring loudly.
Louise came in and gently kissed Elinor.
'My dear, should you be out of bed?'
'I am recovered apart from a bruise,' Elinor reassured her, then looked diffidently past them to the door.
'Did I dream Sir Talbot was here?' she asked slowly. 'I was certain I heard his voice, but where is he?'
Louise glanced quickly at Kit.
'He was here but he had to report to the Queen. He said he would see you in the morning if you were well enough to be moved home. How do you feel?'
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