“You poor things. These gowns must be what those … those brigands left you with. You certainly couldn’t go out naked.” She shook her head. “Don’t worry, I have a few gowns you can borrow in the meantime. Good thing I’m such an ‘unfashionable height’ as Grandmama says,” she said with a chuckle. “My gowns will easily fit Miss Anderson and we can always shorten them for Miss Henney.”
“Gowns for the season will cost you a fortune,” Reed commented. “Perhaps you may need to wait a while until you get some funds.”
“We’ll be fine,” Elise snapped. “We aren’t paupers.”
That she seemed upset in turn made his wolf agitated. “I didn’t mean—”
“We have the means, I assure you,” Jonasson interrupted. “The er, pirates and robbers only managed to steal our luggage while I had our money stored safely away.”
Reed looked the other man up and down, wondering where in the world he could possibly have a substantial amount of money hidden on his person.
“Excellent,” Eleanor said.
There was a soft knock on the door before it opened. “Your tea is here, Your Grace,” Neville then turned to Eleanor. “Lord William is in the playroom, enjoying his biscuits.”
“Thank you, Neville,” Reed said. “Actually, if you wouldn’t mind, could you arrange for tea in the library instead? And show our guests there please.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“My sister and I will follow in a moment,” he said.
“We will see you there, Your Grace.” Jonasson and the two ladies followed Neville out. Once he was sure that they were far enough away, Reed turned to his sister.
“What the devil are you thinking, inviting them to stay with you and offering to sponsor them for the season?” His hands clenched at his sides. “We don’t know them or if they’re telling the truth about their Alpha and our father.”
“Reed, don’t be silly. Who could make up such a wild story?” Eleanor reached out and placed a soothing hand on his arm. “It all fits, right? You know Father and Mother were always very forward thinking when it came to alliances. Maybe this was their plan, right before they—”
“Still, it’s all very strange. They’re very strange.” And, he did not like how Elise Henney caused so much chaos in both himself and his wolf.
“They’re foreigners, of course they’re going to be a little … odd.” Eleanor wrinkled her nose. “Think of poor Mother when she first moved to England. You know she must have had a terrible time, and Grandmama—and I love her dearly—couldn’t have made it easy on her. I won’t have those girls suffer like her.”
That comment really hit him in the gut. He’d seen it over the years, of course—the dowager duchess never really got along with her daughter-in-law, and the two were often at odds with each other. “It is very odd that an Alpha would let his daughter and niece travel all the way here for an alliance.”
“Maybe their customs are a bit more permissive.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “You don’t suppose he …”
“He what?”
She shook her head. “No, preposterous. Neither of them would suit you.”
“Not suit me?” Well, they were both American and untitled.
“Of course not,” she chuckled. “I know you too well. Miss Anderson is too exuberant, you’d squash her spirit, and Miss Henney seems so shy, you’d scare her to death.”
“Perhaps you’re right.” His wolf, on the other hand, yowled in protest at the latter of Eleanor’s suggestion.
“Unless you’re interested—”
“We’ve been gone a long time,” Reed said. “Let us join our guests before they think we’re talking about them.
“We are talking about them,” Eleanor pointed out. “But I suppose you’re right.” She took Reed’s offered arm and they strolled out of the office.
As they walked toward the library, Reed contemplated what he was going to do about Mr. Jonasson, Miss Anderson, and of course, Miss Henney. While Eleanor may have been convinced by their tale, he was not. There was something the three of them were hiding and he was determined to find out the truth.
In the meantime, he vowed to ignore Elise Henney as much as he could. He did not want or need a wife, not even a True Mate. Women were not to be trusted, as he had learned in the past. Besides, he couldn’t even be sure they were True Mates, and there was no way he was going to confirm it by getting her with child.
The thought of Elise growing large with his pup made his wolf growl in approval. And while it brought out a primal feeling inside him, he quashed it, like he did with every emotion he’d felt for the last decade.
Chapter Four
Having tea with Reed Townsend and his sister was no less strained than their confrontation in the office. While Eleanor seemed to be doing her best to put them at ease, it was obvious to Elise that Reed was still highly suspicious of their story, if the way his dark, brooding eyes bore into her were any indication.
Just thinking of them made her shiver, the way his onyx eyes made her feel naked and stripped. It didn’t help that he was handsome and imposing, so much so that her inner wolf went very still at his mere presence.
As the tea wore on, she tried not to glance at Julianna and Cross, as if any passing look between them would betray them even more. When finally Eleanor declared that they were to head to her home, which was conveniently located next door, she wanted to weep in relief, knowing she wouldn’t have to endure Reed’s oppressive stare much longer, and she would have some privacy to gather her own thoughts.
Eleanor’s house, though not much smaller than Reed’s, was much more inviting. It was obvious that the cheerful young countess had put much love and care into decorating her home. As she and William bid them goodbye, they went to their own wing, the butler showed her, Julianna, and Cross to the guest wing. They first stopped by her room, and as soon as she entered, she sprawled out on the comfy four-poster bed and closed her eyes. She wondered what her companions were thinking. The only way out of this, as she figured, would be to leave right away. Yes, that was it. Cross could whisk them back to their hiding place and they could regroup and find another way to get the dagger. For now, she could close her eyes and enjoy being in this luxurious room for now. Maybe Cross could whip up or steal some mattresses—
“Oh. My. Fucking. God.” Julianna seemed in a fury as she burst though the room, the door slamming behind her. “What the hell have we gotten ourselves into? Why didn’t you tell me what a ‘season’ was?” Julianna stormed across the plush carpet, hands gesturing wildly. “A marriage mart? How does that happen? Are we going to be put on display and have men bid on us?”
“Uh—”
“This is insane. Barbaric. And she insinuated I was old! Like a wrinkly grape dying at the end of the vine! I’m not even twenty-four. I’m twenty-six.”
Elise bit her lip, glad that at least to Eleanor, she looked much younger than her real age—which was thirty. In truth, she probably would have been considered a spinster in this age.
“I hope we find that damned dagger soon—” A knock on the door interrupted Julianna’s rant. “Come in,” she barked.
The door opened and Cross strode inside, his fingers on his lips to signal them to be quiet. He shut the door behind him slowly. “Under the circumstances, I probably shouldn’t be in here, but now it’ll be easier for me come and go.” Cross’s powers to transport himself and others across long distances had one caveat: He had to have been to a place before or at least have seen a picture and a satellite map of the area so he knew where to go.
“Cross, what are we going to do?” Julianna moaned.
He turned to Elise, his golden brows drawn together. “You shouldn’t have done that, Elise.”
“I know.” She bit her lip. “But what was I supposed to do? Let that kid be run over? He could have died.”
Juliana’s mismatched eyes widened. “Fucking hell, did we just change the future?”
Cross thought for a moment. “Hm
mm … history might be okay. I do remember that when Townsend died, his nephew William inherited it which means he should have survived the accident.”
Elise’s chest tightened at the thought of Reed dying, and her inner wolf growled. I hardly know him. Yet that feeling of loss made a pit in her stomach form.
“Then maybe we’re still safe.” Julianna blew out a breath. “And when we go back, it won’t be some weird post-apocalyptic future.” Placing her hands on her hips, she trained her gaze at them. “But the question is, what do we do now?”
“I’ve thought about this,” Cross began. “We might actually have a better chance at finding the dagger now.”
“How so?” Elise asked.
“We now have direct access to Townsend for one thing.”
Juliann’s face brightened. “That’s right. We can use this to our advantage. We might even be able to figure out where the dagger is if we ask the right questions.”
“Wait a minute.” Elise shot up from the bed. “You guys can’t mean to stay here? With them?” With him. “We should stick to our original plan. Cross, you can transport us back to the safe house, right?”
“Yes, but that would mean we would have to be even more careful. Townsend and his sister know our faces.”
Julianna’s face was grim. “While I don’t want to be on some kind of auction block, I also agree. The sooner we can get Reed or his sister to give up the location of the dagger, then the sooner we can go home.”
She knew they were right. But she just wished there was some other way.
“We must be careful,” Cross said. “I think Townsend doesn’t believe us. He knows something is up.”
“Of course he does.” Julianna gestured to her outfit. “They must think we’re lunatics.”
“Er, sorry about that.” He scratched his head. “I just picked the two dresses that were easiest to steal. I’m not exactly a fashion expert.”
“Well, hopefully Eleanor can help us blend in,” Julianna said. “We have to stay inconspicuous. Good thing we’re not English, and we can always pass off our faux pas as a colonial quirk.” She did the air quotes when she said the last two words while copying Eleanor’s posh accent, then promptly put her hands down. “I probably shouldn’t do that, huh?”
“And you should probably control your cursing too,” Cross added as a smile tugged up the corner of his lips.
“Fucking hell.”
Elise chuckled, because what else could she do? She was going to be trapped here, at least until they found out where the dagger was. At least we’ll be sleeping in beds.
Chapter Five
Their hosts left them alone for most of the afternoon which allowed Cross to make a few clandestine trips to gather more information, as well as money and bank drafts to fund their stay. While he didn’t explain where he got the cash, Elise trusted that he got them from sources that wouldn’t miss them.
Meanwhile, she taught Julianna all her knowledge—albeit limited to what she’d read in Aunt Jade’s historical romances and Pride and Prejudice—about Regency England.
“So, let me see if I remember this.” Julianna sat cross-legged on top of Elise’s bed, scratching her head. “I have to call dukes and duchesses ‘Your Grace’ while everyone else is ‘my lord’ and ‘my lady.’”
“Yes,” Elise said. She remembered one particular novel where a dowager duchess—the title given to the ‘old’ duchess once a new one came into the picture—was teaching a young woman from America all about the peerage. She remembered loving that particular one, and often pictured the handsome hero in her head—tall, dark hair, broad shoulders, eyes black as coal and—
“How about people without titles?”
Knowing where—or to whom—her thoughts were going she was glad for the intrusion. “I think everyone else is just Miss, Mrs., or Mr. unless you’re a servant. The higher-ranked ones are called by their last name and lower-ranked are called by their first names.”
“How classist,” Julianna sneered.
Not really wanting to have some sort of politico-socio-economic debate with her, Elise continued. She did her best, trying to recall what she knew, hoping that the authors she read did enough historical research. One particular author she read was a real professor of history, so she tried to remember those books. Julianna absorbed as much as she could and was greatly relieved to learn that the ‘marriage mart’ wasn’t some barbaric ritual where they lined up ladies on an auction block and had men purchase them. It did, however, involve a lot of balls and receiving offers of marriage.
“When you think about it, it’s probably simpler these days.” Julianna’s lips pursed together. “No dating apps, no texting, no going to bars, dealing with assholes who hit on you and then ghost you because they’re too neurotic or cowardly to actually make any commitment. I mean, if marriage was your goal, then just get it over with, right? And you can just get to know someone after the wedding.”
“Would you want to get married first before really knowing your groom?” Elise thought that part was barbaric. She knew enough that these days, divorce was difficult to obtain and often left a woman without prospects.
“Hell no. I mean,” she stretched her legs out in front of her, “I don’t want to get married at all.”
“You don’t?”
“Ugh, I’m a modern woman. I prefer to keep things casual.” She grimaced. “I don’t like the way guys can be so clingy either. I have my job, my apartment, my life, and I’m fine with that. I don’t need a man to come in and mess it all up. You don’t have a boyfriend either, right? So, you must know how freeing it is.”
“Yeah,” she said with a weak chuckle. In many ways, Elise admired Julianna because she actually wanted to be alone.
A knock on the door made them both freeze. “Come in,” Elise called.
The door swung open and Eleanor strode inside. “Oh, you’re together, excellent.” She clapped her hands together, then stepped aside as two young women strode in. “I’ve had some gowns readied for you both so you can have something to wear for dinner. Melinda and Jane”—she gestured to the women—“shall help you dress.”
“You’re too kind, my lady,” Elise said.
“We can dress ourselves,” Julianna added. “No need to bother.”
“Nonsense,” Eleanor insisted. “I’ve taken them in so they can train as ladies’ maids. You’ll be helping them get some practice.” Her face softened. “Please, this is the least I can do for what you’ve done. I don’t even know what I would do …” Her voice choked as her eyes became shiny with tears. She turned to Elise. “You saved my boy. Let me do this for you.”
A flush of embarrassment crept up Elise’s cheeks. “Anyone would have done it, my lady.”
“I don’t believe that.” Eleanor took a deep breath. “You were at the right time and the right place for a reason.”
“My lady—”
“And stop with this ‘my lady’ nonsense.” Eleanor placed a hand on each of their shoulders. “I should like it if we become friends. Please, call me Eleanor.”
Julianna nodded. “Then you should call us by our first names as well.”
“Splendid.” She signaled at the two maids. “Have the baths sent up for our guests. And make sure we at least have the morning gowns ready for breakfast tomorrow.”
“You’re too generous,” Elise said.
“I have so many unused gowns from when my own season was cut short. Believe me, I’d rather they be worn then left rotting in the closet since they’re more suitable for debutantes rather than married countesses. I would have liked to have finished the season but …” Her eyes sparkled and a smile tugged at her lips. “But when I saw Jeremy at my coming out ball … well, I instantly knew he was my True Mate, and that was that.”
“You what?” Julianna and Elise said at the same time, their mouths opened in what was probably an unladylike manner.
Eleanor tittered. “Yes, it’s a quirk in my family. We almost always instantly know
our True Mate when we see them. Well, most of us anyway.” She shrugged. “I’ll leave you ladies to get ready. Dinner is served at seven o’clock, but we have drinks in the library at half past six.” With a quick wave, she left the room.
“A bath sounds fuck—” Julianna covered her mouth when she realized the two maids were still in there, albeit silent and stony-faced. “It sounds heavenly.” She turned to one of the maids. “Er, which one of you will be helping me?”
“Me, miss,” the blonde with the pixie-like face said. “I’m Jane.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Julianna.” She stuck her hand out at the maid, who gave her a horrified look and then glanced nervously at her companion. “Er, right.” She muttered something under her breath. “All right, Jane, I’m in your hands. Let’s go.”
“Melinda, right?” Elise asked the other maid after Jane and Julianna left.
“Yes, miss.” She bobbed her head up and down, her dark curls bouncing around her cherubic cheeks. “If you excuse me, miss, I’ll have Florence bring the tub up and get the bath ready.” She curtsied and scurried out of the room.
The bath was as heavenly as Julianna said, and though she felt bad about all the labor that went into providing her with one—that is, the maids bringing up the buckets of water and supplies, plus the cleanup after—Elise felt a hundred times better afterwards.
Plus, while she felt weird having another person wait on her and help her dress, she had to admit it was necessary, seeing as it was so difficult to get all those layers of clothing on. Melinda had to do up all the tiny buttons on the back of her evening gown, a task she probably would have done poorly.
But Melinda was not just great at helping her get dressed, she was amazing at styling hair as well. She was somehow able to tame Elise’s locks into a sophisticated updo. When she thanked the maid, she had blushed. “Yer hair’s already so pretty and unusual, miss. I didn’t have to do much.” When Melinda reached for her hand to help her with the gloves, Elise suddenly pulled away. “Beggin’ yer pardon, miss,” she said in a timid voice. “Them gloves can be hard to put on by yerself.”
A Witch in Time Page 8
