by Joyce Alec
Releasing her, he stepped back and bowed elegantly, a bright smile on his face. “Until tomorrow, then.”
Eleanor felt Miss Wiltshire almost drag her along towards the entrance, her limbs refusing to move without help. She was not quite sure what Lord Thornley meant, but his threats against Miss Wiltshire were clear. He would do whatever it took to win the wager, he had said, so she should not expect that this one threat over Miss Wiltshire’s reputation was the only thing he would do. She could hardly believe that she was now in such a dire situation, having come to the ball that evening with such happiness.
“Come, Eleanor,” she heard Miss Wiltshire say, pushing Eleanor’s shawl around her shoulders. “Keep yourself calm until we are away from this place. Do not let anyone see that he has unsettled you—or that you are influenced by their whispers. Come now.”
Eleanor was forced to give herself a slight shake, the glazed expression disappearing from her face as she focused on Miss Wiltshire and the approaching carriage. As usual, Miss Wiltshire was quite right. She could not allow the ton to see that she was flustered or ashamed. Holding her head high, she linked arms with Miss Wiltshire once more and walked down the steps to the awaiting carriage.
Once back in their townhouse, Eleanor let herself cry for a moment, as Miss Wiltshire went down below to fetch a tea tray for them both. The servants had all gone to bed, as Eleanor had instructed, and Miss Wiltshire seemed to understand her need to remain awake for some time yet, to go over all that had occurred.
Eleanor did not know what she was most upset about. There had been the terrible accusation against Miss Wiltshire, followed by the revelation that Lord Thornley and Lord Armitage were locked in a wager over her. Then, when she barely had time to take in what had happened, Lord Valliant had left the room without any promise of taking the suggestion of Miss Wiltshire’s involvement in the missing jewel away, and then she had been forced to battle with Lord Thornley on their way out from the ball. Tears dripped from her cheeks as she leaned heavily against the wall, lifting her face to the ceiling in an attempt to stop the rivers that ran from her eyes.
She had not thought that Lord Armitage would be involved in any way with Lord Thornley, thinking him something of a kind and honorable gentleman despite his past behavior. Her cousin would not have introduced him to her if he had not been well regarded by him.
In truth, Eleanor had found herself missing his company over the last sennight, although she had surprised herself by telling him that exact thing. How devastating to see that he had been secretly hoping that Lord Thornley would fail in his address to her so that he might add to his wealth at Thornley’s expense.
Miss Wiltshire would chide her, should she discover Eleanor’s feelings, for had not Eleanor said, on more than one occasion, that she did not wish to marry? Now, it appeared as though she would have very little opportunity to find a suitable gentleman, even if she did want such a thing, for by now the ton would be whispering about her and Miss Wiltshire. Eleanor knew that, by standing by her companion, she would be both ridiculed and rejected by society until the jewel was returned and the blame put squarely on someone else’s shoulders. Then the ton would welcome her back almost at once. She could almost hear the witterings of the ladies in her ears, promising her over and over that they had never even dreamed that Miss Wiltshire was the guilty party.
It was just the kind of sycophantic, insincere behavior that Eleanor despised. Wiping her cheeks with her fingers, she brushed the last of her tears away and set her jaw. It was time for her to be quite determined in her actions. She would show the ton, and Lord Thornley if she had to, that she was not about to be run over roughshod by them.
Sitting down beside the fire, Eleanor reflected for a moment on what Lord Thornley had whispered in her ear as he had grasped her arm so roughly. The trembling in her soul from that moment had not quite left her, for the threats he had made had shaken her utterly, although she had done her best not to show her fright. Whatever his reasons, he was quite determined to marry her and was doing everything in his power to do such a thing. Perhaps he had very little coin and could not afford to lose to Lord Armitage, but that did not mean that his lack of fortune was a burden she had to carry.
Biting her lip, Eleanor wondered how she could extract herself entirely from his grip so that he would leave both her and Miss Wiltshire alone. Of course, she could leave town entirely and return to the country, but then that would give the appearance of guilt, would it not? She did not want Miss Wiltshire to have such an accusation hanging over her head for the remainder of her life. Miss Wiltshire was not particularly old and might yet marry should the right gentleman come along, but that chance was severely decreased by the accusation of theft. Eleanor shook her head to herself, knowing that she could not leave town without Miss Wiltshire’s name being cleared. That meant that she would have to think of another way to remove herself from Lord Thornley’s licentious intentions.
“I could offer him money,” she murmured, unaware of Miss Wiltshire’s presence. “More than he needs. Enough to restore his fortune.”
“Are you talking of Lord Thornley?”
Jerking in her seat, Eleanor saw Miss Wiltshire studying her with a slight frown. “I apologize; I was lost in thought,” Eleanor responded, trying to smile. “Yes, it was Thornley.”
“You cannot simply offer him wealth, Eleanor,” Miss Wiltshire said practically. “What is to stop him from keeping coming to you to ask for more and more and more, until you have nothing left to live on?”
Eleanor frowned, her heart slowly sinking in her chest. “I had not thought of that,” she mumbled, pressing her fingers lightly against her temples. He would end up wealthy and she the pauper.
“He is not an honorable gentleman, Eleanor,” Miss Wiltshire said, heavily. “I do not think you can offer him money without him resuming his threats each time he requires more.”
“Then what can I do?” Eleanor asked, helplessly. “You saw how he spoke to me, how he grabbed my arm without caution. His threats are murderous, and I cannot think of how to stop him.”
Miss Wiltshire nodded, her gaze drifting towards the fire for a moment. “You must speak to Lord Armitage,” she said, her eyes now back on Eleanor’s face. “Do not protest, my dear, for I know you do not wish to see him so soon, but I believe he might be our only ally. Perhaps he, who knows Thornley better than I, might know what to do. I think he might be our only hope.”
Chapter Eight
Unfortunately for Lord Armitage, Eleanor was still not particularly enamored with him when he came to call the following afternoon, still quite despondent and upset over all that had happened. She received him with a cool demeanor and could tell from the way he could not quite meet her eyes that he was more than a little ashamed of himself.
“I do thank you for coming to call on us,” Miss Wiltshire said warmly, as he sat down. “You are most kind.”
“And yet, I believe, I am not truly welcome,” Lord Armitage murmured, shooting a glance at Eleanor. “Which is quite understandable, truly. I must beg your forgiveness once more, Lady Brooke, for entering into such a ridiculous agreement with Lord Thornley. I had no expectation that he would go to such lengths to secure you.”
Eleanor clasped her hands in her lap and sighed heavily, ice shooting through her veins as she recalled how Lord Thornley had grasped her arm so tightly, pinning her in place. “No, I am quite sure you did not have the smallest expectation of his behavior,” she murmured, glancing at Miss Wiltshire and seeing her give a small nod of agreement. “And I should not hold Lord Thornley’s behavior against you.” She knew in her heart that it was true and saw the look of relief in his expression as he bowed his head to her for a moment.
“I will do everything I can to assist you, I swear it,” he replied quietly. “If you will permit me, of course.”
Eleanor wanted to refuse, to tell him that she could manage quite well without him, but the truth of the matter was that she could simply could not
. She had tossed and turned almost all night trying to find a solution to their current predicament but had failed entirely.
“I believe we would both be grateful for your help, Lord Armitage,” she replied, albeit with a small amount of reluctance. “I do not think we have any other particular acquaintances who would consider even calling upon us at this present time.”
“You have seen the papers, then?”
A jolt hit her at his question, and she shook her head.
“It is best that you do not read them,” he replied at once, seeing her abject curiosity. “They are more lies than truth, and Lord Valliant has done very little to suggest that Miss Wiltshire is not the main suspect, much to my frustration. It is all around town, of course.”
“We have had a few invitations rescinded,” Miss Wiltshire added, making Eleanor’s eyebrows lift once more.
She had not known about this, but evidently, Miss Wiltshire had thought she had enough to deal with already.
“There might well be more,” Lord Armitage said heavily. “Although some of the ladies and gentlemen who are too sensible to believe such gossip might yet continue to seek your company.”
A scratch at the door announced the arrival of the tea tray, and Eleanor waited until the maid had set down the tea tray before continuing the conversation.
“Lord Thornley is to be one of those continuing to pursue me,” she said quietly. “He has not given up his intent to marry me, as you rightly suspected.”
“Oh?” Lord Armitage gazed at her steadily, and Eleanor felt a deep reassurance settle over her. She could tell this man almost anything, and, in that regard, it was probably best that she did not hide any of what Lord Thornley had said to her.
“Lord Thornley threatened to do Miss Wiltshire harm if I do not agree to wed him,” Eleanor said, slowly, hearing Miss Wiltshire’s gasp of dismay. She had not revealed the entirety of what Thornley had said to her, which accounted for Miss Wiltshire’s shock.
“I see,” Lord Armitage replied, his expression one of horror. “And how did he come to make this threat?”
“I refused to allow him to call on me,” Eleanor explained, her hands clenching in her lap. “I told him that I was aware of what he had done in regards to Miss Wiltshire, and I confess that I mentioned your name, Lord Armitage.”
He shook his head at once. “No matter. I know he saw me when Lord Valliant was creating such a commotion.”
A little relieved, Eleanor drew in a quick breath in an attempt to settle her anxiety before continuing. “As for Thornley, I told him that I was aware of what he had done in an attempt to force my hand, but that did not seem to sway him from his attempt. In short, he only increased the threat, so that I might know the extent he would be willing to go to in order to have me wed him.”
“I can offer him the money I owe by breaking the agreement,” Lord Armitage said slowly, but Eleanor shook her head.
“He will not have it,” she replied, her voice wane. “He wants my entire fortune and to have me as his wife.”
Miss Wiltshire began to serve the tea, although her hands shook somewhat. “I must go, Eleanor,” she said, handing her a china cup and saucer. “If I am not present, then I cannot be used as a pawn in Thornley’s game.”
“No,” Eleanor replied, firmly, aware of the lady’s fright. “To send you away would only show the ton that I consider you quite capable of doing what you have been accused of, and I will not that allow that to happen, particularly when it could affect you for the rest of your life.”
“And there is no guarantee that Thornley could not find you,” Lord Armitage added, quietly. “Not to alarm you, but it appears that he is a man intent on getting what he wants. I do not think that retiring to the country is a solution.”
“Nor is paying him off,” Eleanor added hopelessly. “I had considered that, you see, but Miss Wiltshire reminded me that he might then use that to his advantage.”
Lord Armitage nodded gravely. There was silence for a few minutes as the three of them sat together, considering what they might do.
Just then, the butler walked into the room, closing the door firmly behind him.
“A Lord Thornley, my lady?”
Chapter Nine
Before Eleanor could react, Lord Armitage got to his feet, holding one hand out to the butler.
“It is best he does not know I am here,” he said, softly. “Where can I go?”
Eleanor widened her eyes for a moment, her mind refusing to find the answer he required. It was as though the knowledge of Lord Thornley’s presence had stupefied her.
“Give us a moment, please,” Miss Wiltshire said to the butler, getting to her feet and taking charge of the situation. “It is vital that Lord Thornley does not know Lord Armitage is here with us. Do you understand that?”
“Yes, of course,” the butler replied, his normally blank face holding a modicum of curiosity. “Shall I wait for five minutes?”
“Five minutes,” Miss Wiltshire confirmed, quickly turning to Eleanor as the butler left the room. “Now, Eleanor, you must quieten your anxiety and show Thornley no ounce of fear. He will feed upon it.”
“Miss Wiltshire is quite right,” Lord Armitage agreed, sounding a little urgent. “But I would not leave you both here alone with him. What room is next to this?”
Giving herself a slight shake, Eleanor pushed aside her feelings of worry and tried to think clearly. “There is a smaller morning room to the left,” she said, quietly. “The door is just over there.” She pointed across to the room to the other door that was adjacent to the one the butler had just closed, and Lord Armitage nodded, his gaze flickering towards Miss Wiltshire for a moment.
“I presume I can exit into the hallway from the morning room?” he asked, evidently worried about Thornley’s presence. “I shall stand directly outside so that I can hear all. I do not want Thornley to hurt you.”
“I will ask the butler to leave the door open slightly,” Eleanor said, her voice a little softer than she intended. “You should hurry.”
He paused for a moment, looking into her eyes and bringing her a reassurance that she had not expected. When he touched her arm, however, in a gesture of friendliness, she winced and sucked in a breath. His gentle touch made her bruised flesh scream, although she knew he did not intend to hurt her.
“Have you hurt yourself?” he asked, even though Eleanor wanted to urge him away. “Tell me that was not…”
He drifted off as Eleanor met his gaze, seeing the anger flash into his eyes almost at once.
“I should remain,” he bit out, his expression now furious. “How dare he touch you!”
Eleanor shook her head and caught his hand, walking with him towards the door. “You must not,” she responded, quietly. “It is best that he speaks freely, and he will not do so if you are present. He must believe us to be without friends, without hope. My courage is buoyed knowing you will be just a few steps away. Now hurry, please.”
Dropping his hand and ignoring the warmth that was burning its way towards her heart, Eleanor opened the door for him and waited for him to step into the other room.
“I will be just outside the door,” he promised, his eyes still holding a lingering fury. “Thornley will not get away with this, Lady Brooke. I swear it.”
Eleanor held his gaze for a moment longer, only to hear Miss Wiltshire hiss loudly. She quickly shut the door and half ran back to her chair, picking up her tea cup just as the door opened.
“Lord Thornley to see you, my lady,” the butler said, quietly, just as Lord Thornley brushed past him and walked into the room, a look of gleeful delight on his face.
“I am delighted to see you both again,” he said loudly, giving the impression that he was nothing other than a well-meaning gentleman. “And how are you both, after the ball yesterday evening?”
Eleanor rose to her feet and curtsied as she ought, seeing Miss Wiltshire’s quick glance towards her as the butler made to leave.
“Keep
the door open, will you?” she called, ignoring Thornley entirely. “The room has grown a little stuffy.” She sat back down and tried to calm her frantically beating heart. She would do exactly as Miss Wiltshire had suggested and refuse to show Thornley any kind of fear.
“Leaving the door ajar, my dear?” Thornley asked, sounding surprised. “Anyone might think you were afraid of my company.”
“Your company is unwelcome,” Eleanor replied, crisply, lifting her chin. “As well you know.”
“And yet, see how little that affects me,” he said at once, sitting back in his chair. “Now, are you not about to ring for a fresh tea tray? And is your companion not going to leave us in peace?” He threw a withering glance towards Miss Wiltshire, who stiffened at once.
“Miss Wiltshire is not going anywhere,” Eleanor retorted, as a spiral of anger began to grow in her chest. “This is not your home, and we are not your possessions. You cannot order us around as you please.”
Thornley’s grin only widened, his eyes running over her form and making her shrink inside.
“Ah, but you soon will be mine, Lady Brooke,” he replied, silkily. “I have come with the intention of setting a wedding date.”
Miss Wiltshire snorted, turning her face away from him. “A wedding date indeed. Lady Brooke will not marry you, not for anything.”
“Oh, but I think she will,” Lord Thornley said calmly, as though he had not just been badly insulted. “When someone’s life is on the line, then what choice does she have?”
Eleanor’s mind was working as fast as it could, trying to find any way to persuade Thornley that she would not do as he asked, her stomach rolling with growing nausea.
