Love Stories of Enchanting Ladies: A Historical Regency Romance Collection

by Bridget Barton

  “Not entirely, there was a gap of two or three months in which I have no idea how she lived and how she spent her time.”

  “I see,” Eliza said, feeling a little excited by the idea that there was something to tell about the young woman who had caused her so many sleepless nights. “And how did Nella West get on with Mrs Humphries?”

  “For the first two years, I understand that she was an excellent employee.” He shrugged. “I suppose just as she has been here. Anyway, that all changed.”

  “Why? What happened?” Eliza said urgently, willing him to continue.

  “At first, I did not think that Mrs Humphries would tell me for she looked most uncomfortable. In the end, I had to give her a little idea of my own concerns before she would say anything. Anyway, it appears that Miss West treated Mrs Humphries in very much the same way she has treated you.”

  “She threatened her?” Eliza said, her eyes wide with interest.

  “She did indeed. She threatened to go to Mrs Humphries’ husband with the idea that there was some romantic intrigue between the lady of the house and the gardener.”

  “Good heavens,” Eliza said aghast. “And what happened? Did Mrs Humphries have to pay her off?”

  “It appears that is what Nella West demanded, but Mrs Humphries did not do it. Apparently, Mr Humphries is a very reasonable man, and his wife did not think that he would believe such a thing for a minute. In fact, Mrs Humphries went directly to him and told him exactly what their maid of all works had threatened.”

  “And so Mr Humphries dismissed her?”

  “Yes, he dismissed her on the spot, throwing her out of his house without references.”

  “Then how on earth did she manage to get employment here? How could she go from a reasonably small establishment to Lytton Hall, the home of a Duke, without a very fine reference indeed?”

  “It appears she did have a reference from Mrs Humphries.”

  “But I thought you said her husband dismissed her without?”

  “Oh, Mrs Humphries did not write any reference for Nella West.” He paused for a moment and ran a hand through his silvery blonde hair in a way which made Eliza hold her breath. “But a reference was sent here to the Duke’s housekeeper in Mrs Humphries’ name.”

  “A forgery? Well, well I never,” Eliza said and smiled at him brilliantly. “But how does Mrs Humphries know of all this? Has she seen her since?”

  “No, Mrs Humphries has never laid eyes on Nella West since Mr Humphries ejected her. But some months after she had seen her for the last time, Mrs Humphries received a letter from the Duke’s housekeeper, Mrs Norwood.”

  “And what did Mrs Norwood have to say?” It was true to say that Eliza did not particularly warm to her husband’s housekeeper, and much as the rest of the staff, she did not trust her.

  “She thanked Mrs Humphries kindly for such a fine reference and stated that Nella West was turning out to be every bit as industrious as her former employer had claimed her to be.”

  “And did Mrs Humphries not write back to enquire after the circumstances? Did she not even tell Mrs Norwood that the reference must surely be a forgery?”

  “In the end, she chose not to. In part, I think she was simply glad to have the young woman out of the way, clear across the county. She did say that she felt a little sorry for her, that she worried that the girl might need something so badly that she was prepared to stoop to blackmail for it when she had ordinarily been a very fine employee.”

  “You seem a little sceptical, Mr Winchester,” Eliza said and was surprised that she was able to read his expression so well.

  She realized then that she had come to know Daniel Winchester bit by bit, that he was a very firm presence in her life, one she was growing very used to. It struck her for a moment that she could never have imagined such a friendship on that first day when he had regarded her so coldly in the chapel.

  She could never have believed then how much she would come to rely upon him. And nobody seeing how the two of them glowered at one another on that day could ever have hoped to successfully convince the Duke that there was a single fond feeling between them.

  “I am sceptical, Your Grace,” he said and nodded firmly. “There was something in Mrs Humphries’ manner which made me believe that she was glad to be rid of Nella West, relieved that she is now somebody else’s problem. In short, I think Mrs Humphries found herself a little afraid of that young woman.”

  “And so, she chose to simply forget all about it, to live out her life and hope she never saw or heard from her again,” Eliza said. “As much as I would like to be annoyed with her for her oversight, I cannot say that I entirely blame the woman. There is something about Nella West that is rather frightening. I think it is her extreme composure at all times, the fact that she never seems to be rattled by anything. It is almost as if she is not real, somehow. She is not quite human. I suppose that sounds ridiculous, but there it is.”

  “No, I have perceived myself that there is something rather vital missing from Nella West. I do not know if it is a conscience or a soul, perhaps, but she is most certainly not like other people. And I daresay Mrs Humphries was right to fear her a little. I think it is true to say that there is no telling what she would do if driven to it.”

  “But now we have something against her, Mr Winchester. I think we should confront her with it immediately and let her know that we have enough proof that she has attempted such a thing before and that my husband would never believe her. And you know what the Duke’s temper is, Mr Winchester. The minute he discovers that she is working in this house on the say-so of nothing more than a forged testimony as to her suitability, I am sure that he would throw her out without a reference too.”

  “I still think that we need to exercise a certain amount of caution.”

  “But why? We have everything we need. We have everything you searched for and more,” Eliza said and was suddenly keen to have the whole thing over and done with.

  It had been a very long few weeks with the threat of Nella’s spurious exposure hanging over her, and Eliza had a sense of urgency, a feeling that she wanted to leave the library that minute, hunt down her little maid, and have it out with her.

  At least then she could replace her with one of the other maids, and even if she did not expose her forgery and have her dismissed, at least she could reduce her own dealings with the woman.

  “If we are to threaten Nella West with the idea that we will tell the Duke everything, then we must be absolutely ready to tell him. I cannot help thinking that the minute we threaten her, she may become unpredictable. We need to have a very clear plan for how we will approach your husband, Your Grace, for we are not only dealing with one unreasonable person but two.”

  He looked down at his large hands as they rested in his lap before looking back up and straight into her eyes. “Forgive me for speaking so of your husband, but I do not think that now is the time for sensitivity. I can do no more than be completely honest in my assessment of the Duke, despite the fact that I know my words to be insulting. It is not my place to say these things, I know, but given the events of the last weeks, I think I must say them anyway.”

  “Mr Winchester, you have nothing to fear from me,” Eliza said and held his gaze as easily and steadily as he held hers. “I could not have managed my time here in this dreadful place without your friendship, and that is the truth. I realize that it is a little unconventional, and I very much doubt that there are many people in this world who would understand it, but I cannot help that. And if, in helping me, you must tell me things that you think I need to know, whatever they might be, then you must know yourself to be absolutely free to say them.”

  “Thank you,” he said and nodded.

  Eliza was once again assailed with a very deep sense of attraction to him. There was something so strong and reassuring about him, that familiar feeling of safety that he had always provided even when they had not been particularly friends, that made her want to go to
him, to reach for him.

  The feeling was so sudden and so strong that she felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment, almost as if he had the ability to read her mind and her heart and know the secret feeling she held for him.

  But she was also very well aware that he had, once again, provided some means by which to rescue her.

  Whether it was to enquire after her welfare and discreetly keep her confidence when her feelings had been so disordered after the letter from her mother, or to hide her in his study and be utterly prepared to defend her if need be, he always seemed to be the person who ultimately solved any little crisis that came her way.

  She knew she could not rely on the feelings of excitement that came to her when she thought of him, for she knew how difficult life had been for her since coming to Lytton Hall and that those feelings could not be trusted. They were undoubtedly one set of feelings dressed up as another; relief and gratitude dressed up as attraction and the beginnings of love.

  And even if they were not feelings in disguise, what good could the true acknowledgement of them do either Eliza or Daniel? Eliza was a married woman, and that was all there was to it. She could never consider for a moment betraying the vows that she had made, even though she had made them under duress.

  Her life was truly unfortunate, she knew that, but it did not give her the right to reach out and snatch a passing pleasure. She could never be the woman that Nella West, with her nasty insinuations, had suggested that she was.

  Not only for her sake but for Daniel Winchester’s also. After all, he had been good and kind and stoic, and that would be no way to repay him, not really. He did not deserve to have his own feelings played with in such a fashion.

  And, of course, he had never given her any sign that he felt the same way. He was a gentleman, a truly strong man who would never leave her isolated and friendless. But that was it, that was all of it, and to dwell upon the subject a moment longer would be utterly fruitless.

  “So, what do you think we should do, Mr Winchester? You are a very sensible man, and I shall be entirely guided by your advice,” Eliza said and shook herself out of her silly, romantic notions.

  “I think we should spend the next few days coming up with a form of words that we should use upon the Duke should the need to speak to him truly arise. We might even decide that we should go to him first before we even say a word to Nella West. But I cannot yet say what I think the best course of action to be, and I think there is something to be said for a little time and a little thought.” He straightened up in his seat, and Eliza knew the time for him to leave was drawing near. “And then, once we have decided upon that matter, I shall approach Nella West myself and speak to her about everything I have discovered. Perhaps we should give her the opportunity to take back her threat and live quietly in future.”

  “Do you think she would?”

  “No, in truth my first instinct is that we should, in the end, make everything known about her and see to it that the Duke dismisses her. She is sly and untrustworthy, and I do not think that you will be able to rest easy as long as she resides under the same roof.”

  At that moment, both Eliza and Daniel were startled by the sound of footsteps outside the library. Daniel was the first on his feet, and he tore towards the door, ripping it open and looking out to see who was there.

  But Eliza could already hear that the footsteps were running away, and she knew with certainty that her deceitful little maid had been listening at the door.

  “Where did she go?” Eliza said, joining Daniel in the doorway and standing at his side breathless as if she had run for miles.

  “She was gone by the time I reached the door, Your Grace. I cannot tell which direction she went in.”

  “What should we do now? Should I run straight up to the Duke and tell him everything?”

  “No, not before we have worked out what it is we ought to say,” Daniel said and laid a steadying hand on her shoulder. “I think we must first track down Nella herself and speak to her, reason with her.”

  “I shall go below stairs immediately and find her, Mr Winchester,” Eliza said and took a deep breath to steady herself and emulate a little of Daniel’s calm assuredness.

  “I should come with you.”

  “No, there will be enough raised eyebrows at the sight of me below stairs. You stay here, Mr Winchester, and I shall bring Nella back to the library.”

  “Very well,” he said and did not look at all happy with the plan.

  “Mr Winchester, I will be quite alright, I promise.”

  Chapter 22

  By the time Eliza had reached the servants’ quarters, she was breathless and a little dishevelled. She had run all the way from the library, little caring how it looked to others. She needed to find that young woman before she took it upon herself to seek an audience with the Duke.

  But what on earth they would say to her when they finally had her in the library she could not begin to imagine.

  “Your Grace?” The cook was the first person she happened upon below stairs, and the poor woman looked at her with a mixture of shock and incredulity. “Is everything alright?”

  “No, I am searching for Nella West. Which way did she go?”

  “Now?” The cook looked at her and shook her head. “Your Grace, I thought Nella was with you. Forgive me, but I have not seen her come this way.”

  “Perhaps she did not use this staircase,” Eliza said as much to herself as to the cook. “Perhaps she went around the side of the house and came in the other door.”

  “She might have, Your Grace, but I cannot see any sense in it. Why on earth should she run out of the front of the house only to run around to the side?”

  “I have to find her,” Eliza said with such firmness that the cook’s eyes opened wide. “I have to find her this minute.”

  “Then let me help you look for her,” the cook said and set off immediately through the lower level of Lytton Hall.

  Whilst Eliza looked down corridors and into boot rooms, the servants’ dining area, drying rooms, and other such similar places, the cook ran off to the quarters where the servants slept to check Nella’s room.

  When the two of them reconvened in the kitchen, the look on the cook’s face told Eliza immediately that there was no sign of the maid anywhere below stairs.

  “Shall I ask the others to go in search of her?” the cook said and looked as confused as she had been in the beginning.

  “No, I will check outside myself. Thank you for your help, really,” Eliza said and nodded curtly before setting off to run again, tearing up the servants’ staircase and out through the main entrance hall. Just as she had been about to run out through the great door at the front of the house, she heard such a commotion coming from upstairs that she immediately realized where it was Nella West had run to.

  The Duke was bellowing, and it was absolutely unmistakable, albeit that it was far louder than anything she had heard before. Even when he had chased her through the house intent on finding her and punishing her for her harsh words to him he had not shouted as he was doing at that moment.

  Eliza was paralyzed for a moment, rooted to the spot.

  She could hear the soothing tones of a woman and knew it to be Nella West feigning concern for her master as he allowed himself to become apoplectic with rage.

  Eliza put a foot on the bottom step before she stopped herself. Could she really go up there and try to explain to him about the lies and the forgeries of her lady’s maid?

  Would she manage to get anywhere at all with him or would he simply let his rage and irrationality overtake him as she had seen him do before?

  Knowing full well that the last time he had been angry with her he would very likely have struck her had he caught her, Eliza retreated from the bottom of the stairs and ran through the house once more.