"Well, Miss, I understand you have applied for aid --"
Gritting her teeth, Elise jumped down from the small knoll she was occupying. Brushing the back of her skirt, she threw him a steely eyed glare.
"I didn't apply for aid, someone put my name in, not that anyone seems to care. I don't want to leave the cottage. Why can't I rent it myself?"
The boy hesitated, clearly uncomfortable. Elise surmised from the sorry state of his clothes that he was not the owner, but sent on the unhappy mission of evicting her.
After a moment, his face brightened a little. "What services could you barter, in payment of rent?"
"I could sell the cow, the goat and the chickens. They've got to be worth something toward rent."
Doubtfully, the boy walked over to the cow, poked at its ribs. He looked the goat over in the same manner.
"Well, ma'am," hesitantly he met her eyes, and Elise felt her shoulders slump, "the cow is past her prime, she would not fetch much on the market. The chickens --" he shrugged.
Elise felt her shoulders slump. She swallowed hard, then managed, "How long do I have?"
The boy cleared his throat, frowning as he looked down at his crumpled sheaf of papers. She saw the color creep up from his neck, but he didn't utter a word, just stared at the papers.
"Tell me," she said with resignation, prepared for the worst.
"It is most unusual, but - er, you must be out by Friday."
"How gracious," Elise muttered sarcastically, "they've given me two days notice."
#
Elise had run out of options. A small satchel was packed with the meager supply of clothes she'd found in Mandine's stores, some skirts, the green dress Mandine had produced for her to wear the first night, her jeans, sweat shirt and sneakers.
She continued to wear skirts. That's not to say women didn't wear pants or britches further into the countryside, but it was not too common in town. Today was the day of the auction, and Elise had no alternative but to leave. She had carefully packed the small wagon with Mandine's herbs and healing creams and now she stuffed the satchel under the wooden seat.
Two evenings ago she had been desperate enough to seek out Darien and Rufus, but to no avail. She had gone to their home and been told by the manservant who came to the door that Darien was away on business and not expected back for several days. No one was certain of Rufus' whereabouts.
When she had swallowed her pride a second time and returned to the house yesterday, the house had been strangely silent and she had been unable to raise anyone, even the help.
It was then that Elise decided she must leave. She couldn't remain if she were to be auctioned off. It had been an abhorrent humiliation when she'd witnessed it as a child, but now, after having experienced twenty-first century freedom, there was no way she would be under bondage to any woman or man. She wasn't so naive she didn't know what went on in male households when women were purchased at auction.
In her early teens Elise had discovered, quite by accident, that in her father's household, the women and girls bought at the auction were given the choice to be bedded by her father and his friends at whim, or work the dreariest, most back-breaking jobs available in the household.
She'd become accustomed to too much in the way of precious rights and freedom to ever be degraded in such a way. Elise wasn't sure now if the freedom she had grown used to had been a blessing or the opposite, now that she was back here. She might have adapted and changed, but here the times had progressed very little. The differences in attitudes brought home to Elise just how much less fortunate women were, little more than chattel in this time.
Climbing onto the wagon seat, Elise picked up the reins and couldn't help but wonder, as she had done countless times in the past, how her life would have been had she, Darien, and Isabeau been a family.
Weary of questions for which there would never be any answers, Elise clucked to the cow and drove out of town. When she was a short distance away from the main street, she jumped down from the wagon and tied the cow and goat in a lean- to at the edge of a field. She hoped it was a travelers' resting spot, otherwise the animals might be gone when she returned.
With determination, Elise circled back to town on foot, pulling a nondescript brown scarf up over her hair. At the edge of town, she stared at the enormous gathering of people. Stiffening her resolve, Elise knew she could not miss the auction. She walked up the main street, as many others were doing.
She took the risk of being caught, but she had to discover who had put her in this predicament. Someone had to have a specific reason.
Elise drew nearer to the town building, trying to calm her breathing. Her palms became sweaty, not only from the warmth of the sun, but her nervousness at being discovered. Several empty wooden crates had been stacked on one side of the street. Using several of the crates to stand on, Elise scanned the crowd.
As the bidding began with what she thought was unnecessary zeal, Elise sat down. She was unable to stomach watching the auction and bidding. The people she could see who had applied for aid were frightened looking women and children, some of them sickly. One old woman was brought forward on a stretcher; all through the bidding, she remained on the ground and was never moved.
When Elise heard her own name, her attention zeroed in. Casually, so as not to draw undue attention, she stood up again and scanned the crowd. It took her several moments to realize there were two bidders. Indignantly, from the cover of her scarf, Elise stared at the bespeckled clerk from the town house as he called out his bid. Thankfully, as the bidding went upwards, the man shook his head and dropped out.
Someone moved and blocked her view. Leaning forward, Elise craned her neck to see the identity of the other bidder. He was tall, with a heavy paunch, and a rough-whiskered face, his hair a dark brown. He seemed somehow familiar.
A new bidder's voice rose from the crowd. Elise turned her head, but she wasn't quick enough to see who it was before the crowd obscured him.
The rough-whiskered stranger called out again, and on the heels of his bid came another.
"Here, get down now, lass, you are blocking my view."
Someone from behind grabbed Elise and set her aside. Not daring to show her face in case she was recognized, Elise moved into the crowd, searching for the bidders holding up their cards. It was difficult, because most of the men were taller than she.
Frustrated, Elise began to edge her way toward the outer edge. Perhaps it didn't matter. It was wiser if she got out of here, and quickly.
"Am I bid a final amount on one Elise Lancaster?"
From across the crowd Elise caught an unexpected glimpse of one of the bidders, his hand upraised with a white card before he was lost to view.
Pressing back into the throng with difficulty, Elise drew closer to where she thought she had seen the man.
She stopped. He had his back to her. He was a big man, blond hair splayed along the back of his collar. He counted out the money, then lifted his head, looking around as the breeze tossed his hair across light colored eyes.
The breeze played through her scarf, blowing it off her hair, but she didn't notice or care as it trailed behind her in the dirt.
She felt betrayed, angry . . . absolutely furious as she marched over to him.
"Shit." She knew she had shocked several women whom she passed in the crowd, but she didn't care. Unmindful of an audience, she made her way quickly to the man who now watched her approach. She felt anger coupled with an unfamiliar helplessness.
Seeing her coming, Rufus actually backed up a step and put up a hand as if to ward her off.
"What do you mean by participating in this fiasco!" she hissed. "Why? I can't believe you would do this to me. I thought I could trust you."
Would you rather I let the other one win the bid? he signed. It was either my bid or the other.
"I would like to know why I was placed in such a position, she said, then added irritably, "It makes no difference. I do not choose to have e
ither one of you." She looked behind him suspiciously. "And where is this other person?"
Rufus jerked his head toward the platform.
Elise moved around him, but Rufus grabbed her arm.
Elise saw the man and glared at him. He happened to look up, then sauntered over, spitting into the dirt past tobacco-stained lips.
Stopping before her, the man grinned, his teeth, despite an otherwise slovenly appearance, stark white. Feeling a sudden rush of heat, the blood drained from her face. All she could do was stare at the man as he saluted her, then turned on his heel and walked off.
She swallowed with difficulty, feeling as if she were coming out of a trance.
"I have to get out of here." She looked up at Rufus. "I don't know why you have done this, but I will see you get your money back, one way or another." She narrowed her eyes. "For such a big, fierce man, you look very uncomfortable all of a sudden." Elise grabbed his arm and pulled him further from the already dispersing crowd. "What's going on? Rufus, there's something you're not telling me."
It was not my money, he signed. Darien told me to bid. He would not have you go to anyone.
"Darien!" she wailed, unable to help herself. "This is getting worse and worse. You can't be serious. Oh my God, Rufus, how could you be a party to this -- now I really have to disappear, he's liable to make my life unbearable. Where is he? He cared so much, he sent you instead of coming?"
Rufus put a calming hand on her arm.
Elise shook her head. "You don't understand. If you had known Darien -- the way he was at seventeen, and the different man he is now. He's so hard, so -- unforgiving."
Rufus signed. Perhaps my brother needs time.
"How did Darien know of the auction? I heard he was away."
Rufus sighed, then searched in his coat pockets, patting both sides before he pulled out a wide flat pencil and then a piece of paper from a breast pocket. He moved over to a fence post and began to write.
He held the paper out to her.
My brother tends to business off the Mountaintop. I sent a message as soon as I saw the posted scroll. Had he not taken the matter in his hands, I would have done the bidding myself.
"How could you get a message to him on such short notice?"
Pigeons, he signed. Darien is in Catskill. When my bird flew in, the keeper of the pigeons brought him the message. His reply came back the same way.
"What was the reply?" Despite herself, Elise had to know.
Now Rufus grinned. Outbid all others.
A feeling of exultancy swept through Elise, a quiver of emotion infusing her entire body with dangerous hope. Why had Darien done it?
Noticing for the first time how truly pale Rufus was, Elise asked him if he was well.
Yes, I am fit. Just a touch of something the day previous. The illness left as quickly as it came upon me.
Elise looked down, guiltily twisting her fingers. "I'm sorry Rufus -- for jumping all over you. I was just -- well, afraid." She swallowed, looking up at him. "It's stupid, but that's the truth, I was afraid. I feel like I'm so out of touch. Where -- where I've been these past years, people don't get auctioned. I have no control. This used to be my life, but I don't know it anymore. Nothing is working out as I'd hoped. I should never have come back. Dammit," she spun away from him, staring at hayfields through a blur, "I don't belong anywhere."
He took her arm gently, not giving her any chance at refusal, but led the way down the road, past Mandine's cottage, to his and Darien's house.
At the walkway to the house, Elise stopped dead, looking up at Rufus.
"My belongings, I left them in the cart with the animals on the outskirts of town."
I will send someone to fetch it, he signed.
Elise drew a quivering breath as she allowed Rufus to lead the way up the walk toward the house.
#
Stay, Elise, and be our housekeeper Rufus signed.
Elise sat in Darien and Rufus' parlor. An incredulous laugh escaped her. "You're kidding, Rufus, right? This is a joke."
He merely looked at her.
"Rufus, you're crazy. What do you think Darien will say when he comes home and discovers your brilliant idea?"
Rufus smiled, a quick quirk of his lips. He leaned against the door frame. It will be extremely interesting, he signed.
Elise rolled her eyes. "Of course, you would find this funny. From what I have seen you find humor in the strangest places."
You are offended being offered a housekeeping position until Mrs. Lennox is well? Rufus signed.
"I don't see the job offer as an insult." Indeed, she had cleaned bathrooms to support herself and her daughter during some lean years. Elise shook off the memory, knowing she must make Rufus see reason.
"And I don't hesitate on Darien's, though I'm sure things will be damned uncomfortable. What about Adeline?" Elise sighed. "Although we've barely met, she seems a decent person, and I really think I'd be hurting her the most if I accept what you're offering."
Set your mind at ease. Adeline has gone back to her home.
"Gone?" Instantly, Elise was overcome with guilt, thinking of the night she had barged in uninvited. "My God, it's my fault, isn't it? That night I came here --"
He shook his head and again reached for a sheet of paper. He wrote on it and handed it to her. Darien and she parted as friends. Whether it is a permanent situation, I am unsure. Truthfully, if it were, I think it would be for the best. They were not suited."
As much as Elise wanted to believe what he said was so, she shook her head. "You don't know that. Did Darien tell you about it?"
No.
"Then you can't know." She was back to square one. "I know Darien, he wouldn't think about marriage unless he cared about the woman."
"I'm gratified by your sentiments, Elise," drawled a voice from the doorway. "Are you and my brother having a private discussion?"
"Darien." They stared at each other, and the air grew heavy with unspoken emotions.
After a brief span, probably only seconds, Darien turned to his brother. Elise sat still, observing the two brothers greet each other with mutual respect and affection.
Rufus clapped his brother briskly on one shoulder. Our minor crisis is at an end.
Darien merely looked at his brother with eyebrows raised.
"Rufus explained that Mrs. Lennox fell and badly twisted her ankle," Elise said. "The doctor advised complete rest for the next month. He has asked me to consider filling in as temporary housekeeper during her absence."
"How . . .considerate," remarked Darien. His face was blank, leaving Elise frustratingly uncertain of his true feelings.
"I didn't really say I would --"
Of course you will help us, Rufus signed. Elise looked from Rufus' sly grin to Darien's inscrutable face. The man must be made of steel, or empty of all emotion! She felt more unsettled by his non-reaction. She would rather know exactly where she stood with him than play a guessing game.
Despite the circumstances, she knew she did want to stay. It was as if fate, in the guise of Rufus, was leading her in the direction she had wanted to take all along. In all probability, she was letting herself in for a tremendous heartache and pain, but the thought of it was not a deterrent. She had to know if there was any hope for her and Darien. If he truly did not want her, then so be it. Many things had changed, she thought with grim humor, maybe in the end she would not want him. She was a fighter, but there was no sense in looking ahead for trouble.
Elise stood up slowly and faced Darien. "Thank you for -- for having Rufus help me out at the auction." She drew a deep breath and extended her hand. "I'll accept the temporary position if it's what you want also."
Rufus rose to the occasion, touched his palm to hers, then brought her hand to his lips, a roguish grin playing about his mouth.
Darien watched them, arms crossed in front of him.
Undaunted, Elise turned to Darien.
"Darien?" she queried, hand extended.
"You wish to shake hands?" He looked totally nonplussed.
Elise nodded. "Sure, to officially seal our agreement for temporary employment. And that's what it is," she insisted, hands now on her hips. "Despite your participation in the auction, you do not own me. I will pay you back every single penny you spent."
Both Darien and Elise turned as Rufus made a deep sound of amusement in his throat. It has begun already, he signed. I surely look forward to this.
"You find this situation amusing?" Darien inquired, eyes narrowed on his brother.
Rufus grinned and then bowed. You must excuse me.
Darien and Elise watched Rufus leave, then looked at each other. Slowly, he held out his hand and she took his hand, the warmth of a callused palm closing over her own with a sureness and strength she well recalled.
Surely the awareness did not go unnoticed by Darien, but he said nothing. After a brief clasping of hands, they mutually stepped back.
"That takes care of it then." Darien turned toward the door, cursing aloud as his toe caught in a rug underfoot. Elise had a momentary vision of him sprawling at her feet, and caught her smile in time.
"My first duty will be to see that that rug is properly tacked," she murmured.
Darien made no reply, indeed he did not turn back to acknowledge her comment. As he proceeded from the room, Elise caught sight of a small smile tugging at his lips. She felt the tiniest relief. Perhaps they could learn to know each other again.
#
Elise acknowledged that living here at times was an impossible situation. Only the day before she'd thought herself alone in the house. Intent on cleaning Darien's room and changing the linens, she been stunned to find him still in bed at mid morning as she started pulling the sheets from the bed.
Darien lifted his head from the pillow.
"Darien!" She stepped back quickly. "I'm sorry -- you startled me -- are you ill?"
"No," he mumbled, rubbing his eyes. "What time is it?" He sat up, the white sheet falling to his waist.
Elise edged toward the door, his gaze transfixed on his well muscled chest with its light dusting of blond hair.
"Um -- ten-fifteen. I -- I thought you and Rufus had left for the day."
Time Travel Romance Collection Page 39
