by KT Grant
“Maid? You think I’ll agree to this and work for you while you diddle me in secret?” Her voice caught in her throat. Kristina had used her. She’d been such a fool! A blind, dimwitted fool like everyone thought her to be.
The sounds of cheers and music came from down below. The clock struck one and let off a soft ding.
Kristina said her name and took another step closer to her. Ellie shook her head and backed away until she met the French doors leading out to the balcony. Kristina’s face lit up in triumph, and as she stalked, she picked up her chemise from the floor and put it on. Ellie fumbled for the door knob and turned it. Breathing a sigh of relief when the doors behind her opened, she darted outside.
Kristina rushed after her. Ellie slammed the doors shut, slapping her palms against them. Kristina banged on the doors, yelling for her to let go.
She searched around for an escape. The branches of an elm tree hung low over the corner of the balcony. She turned around and leaned against the door while she untangled one of her ribbons from her hair. Kristina kept banging on the door, pleading to be let out.
She knotted the ribbon around both door handles and tied it tight. This would give her enough time to climb down the tree before Kristina could stop her. When the ribbon was adequately tied, she stared straight at Kristina’s tear-stricken face.
“I’m sorry,” Kristina mouthed through her tears.
Ellie refused to cry. She would later when she was alone.
“You’re sorry because you got caught,” she said and hurried over to the tree.
The doors behind her rattled and Kristina yelled her name. Ellie boosted up on the ledge of the balcony and swung her leg over the branch. She slowly moved back toward the base of the tree to place her foot on another branch under her.
“Ellie, come back here!” Kristina shouted and curses left her mouth.
Ellie’s vision grew blurry from her tears, and she flinched when a sharp piece of the bark jabbed into the heel of her foot. She didn’t stop to investigate the cut and descended. She moved as fast as she could. She had to reach the ground before Kristina gave chase.
Kristina’s voice had died down and the only sounds were the ones of celebration and the hooting of an owl or some unknown bird. A shaky breath left Ellie when she landed on solid ground. Lifting up her skirt, she ran around the side of the building, wincing from the throbbing and cramping in her feet and legs.
An indent in the ground made her twist her ankle and she landed face first on the grass. Tears drenched her face and she whimpered in pain. She got to one knee and started to stand, but a sharp, shooting pain ran up her leg.
“Eleanor? Dear God, what has happened to you?
She couldn’t answer. She was crying too hard. Hands lifted her up and she groaned in anguish. Swiping away her tears, she stared up into Lord Robert’s face. The countess rushed to her side. She hid her face into the countess’s chest and sobbed.
“She may need a doctor. It looks like she’s been assaulted,” Lord Robert said.
“No…no doctor. Want to leave. Need to…” She hiccupped and cleaved onto the countess.
“Robbie, she’s hysterical. I have no clue why she would be in tears with her dress torn and in bare feet, but we need to take her away from here. I’m afraid of what Geraldine will do,” the countess said over Ellie’s head.
Ellie wailed upon hearing her stepmother’s name. If Geraldine found her, she would be beaten and locked in the basement, or worse.
“Want to go home with you.” She suddenly grew lightheaded. Her legs gave out and she crumpled to the ground.
She was lifted back up. Her stomach rolled and she hung her head over the person’s arm, ready to be sick.
Soft hands brushed over her face and soon she was deposited inside a carriage. She rolled into a ball in the corner and didn’t react when the countess patted her hips, saying everything would be all right from now on.
The carriage moved and she closed her eyes. Lord Robert and the countess spoke in low voices. They talked about her as if she wasn’t there, not that it mattered.
She was dead inside. She no longer cared about anything.
Chapter Fourteen
Ellie sat on the couch, holding a large glass filled with brandy. Her feet had been cleaned by one of the countess’s maids. She shivered and pulled the blanket tighter around her, staring at the dark amber liquid that reminded her of Kristina’s eyes. The countess stood over her, watching in concern. Lord Robert sat near the window with his own drink. He also stared down into his glass with a serious look on his face.
“May I join you?” the countess asked.
She nodded, allowing the countess to wrap an arm around her shoulders.
“Are you feeling better now? Can you tell us what happened to you at the ball? It was a surprise to see you there in the first place, wearing such an expensive and beautiful dress and your hair styled with ribbons,” the countess said.
Ellie took a sip of her drink. “You must have found it odd I was missing stockings and slippers.”
“That also.”
“What time is it?” she asked, finishing off her drink.
Lord Robert took out his pocket watch. “It’s almost three.”
She nibbled her lip. By now the ball would be ending and Geraldine and Mina would return home. When she wasn’t there to receive them, Geraldine would go into a rage.
She released her chapped lip and placed her glass down on the floor. “Stepmother is going to be very angry with me for not being home when she returns. I’ll never be able to explain the way I look.” She lifted her bandaged foot.
The countess tapped her chin. “Did Geraldine approach you with my offer?”
“Yes. She mentioned it to me before the ball.”
“Good.” The countess patted her knee. “This might be the perfect time for you to accept. You don’t have to confide in me just yet how you snuck into the ball or found a stylish dress and hair ribbons. Eventually I expect you to tell me the hows and whys, including why you were rolling around in tears on the duke’s lawn. Seeing you like that broke my heart. I care for you. I always have even when you were a little girl. At times, I might have been too aggressive, which I apologize for. I would love nothing more than to take you far away and show you all the world has to offer. Please say yes.”
Lord Robert walked over to sit on the arm of the settee. “I’ve wronged you also. I allowed your stepmother to abuse you without stopping it. We both would like to make it up to you. Come stay with us in London. You can rest assured you’ll be well taken care of.”
Ellie glanced between the two siblings. “I’m not comfortable with people I don’t know or big crowds—”
“Eleanor, dear, I’ll bring you out of your shell.” The countess ran a finger down the side of her face. “There’s so much I want to show you…to teach you.”
The unwavering look in the countess’s eyes made Ellie’s breath hitch. When she didn’t response, the countess and Lord Robert shared a look she couldn’t decipher.
“If you will excuse me, it’s getting late. I will leave you with Yvonne.” Lord Robert stood and bowed.
“We’ll be up shortly.” The countess waved him away.
Lord Robert left the room, but kept the door open.
“Now that Robbie is gone, I can be honest.” The countess twisted her hands and lowered her eyes. “Did Geraldine ever tell you how she came to me for a loan to pay off your father’s doctor bills and the other outstanding bills, such as the mortgage on your house?”
Ellie shook her head in disbelief. “You’re mistaken. Papa had money saved—”
The countess laughed. “Oh my dear, how truly clueless you are! Geraldine spent all your father’s savings. She thought when she married your father she would live a life of luxury. She was in for a rude awakening because he didn’t have a fortune and was cut off from his family because he married your mother, a commoner.”
Ellie’s stomach turned. She wanted
to pull the blanket over her head and hide. But the countess wouldn’t let her and herded her into a tight embrace.
“Tonight has been full of shocks for you. I hate to add more to your burdens, but your stepmother is in dire straits. As her good friend, I kept her creditors at bay. But she took advantage of our friendship and spent my money on frivolous things like dresses and unnecessary baubles.” The countess sighed. “And the fact she never took care of you and treated you poorly has upset me immensely.”
“You’re never going to get your money back,” Ellie said weakly. She wished the countess would just come out and say what she wanted from her.
“I came to that conclusion a long time ago. I would hate to have to go to the authorities and have Geraldine thrown into prison, all to prove a point, but it won’t come down to that,” The countess cupped Ellie’s cheek. “Unless—”
“Unless I come live with you and be your…companion,” Ellie said.
“Yes. I’ll forget the debt owed as long as if you leave everything behind and start a new life with me.” The countess kissed her forehead, her wet lips leaving a brand on Ellie’s skin.
Her eyes stung from her tears. What other choice did she have? She couldn’t live with the guilt if Geraldine was arrested and Mina thrown out on the street. No one would come to their defense or lend aid like the countess had. Ellie owned nothing of value and even her two pets didn’t really belong to her. Leaving behind August and Jack would pain her the most. Also poor Clement and Egan would be beside themselves, not knowing where she’d gone off to. But then again it was probably for the best if she disappeared.
Kristina’s face popped into her head and Ellie bit down hard on her lip to stop from crying out. The pain of Kristina’s deceit was still too fresh. There was no way now she could stay in Aulnory, knowing they could come in contact again. She was sick of being the subject of constant ridicule, and the way Kristina had treated her was the last straw.
The countess brushed her finger across Ellie’s lip. “If you keep that up, your lip will be bloody mess.”
She flinched. Kristina had said that exact same thing in jest. The pain in her chest intensified again. She didn’t want to feel anything, not joy, sadness, or even hate. She wanted to be numb.
She sat back and pulled her hands through her hair. She caught a ribbon and gave it a sharp tug. The burn overpowered her sick stomach and her aching heart.
“Eleanor, I need an answer.”
She twined a ribbon around her finger and gave the countess a hard smile. “There’s nothing keeping me here. It’s for the best if I join you in London. It should be a grand adventure,” she said with fake cheer.
The countess’s face lit up. “You’ve made me very happy.”
At least one of us is. “When can we leave?”
“As soon as you want.”
“Would now be too much to ask?” she was more than ready to start their journey.
The countess pursed her lips, her eyes roaming over Ellie. The heat of her stare didn’t concern her like it had done in the past. She no longer cared if the countess wanted her for something more than just companionship.
“We can leave before noon. First we’ll catch a few hours of sleep and then pack up our belongings. We should be in London by nightfall.”
Ellie nodded in agreement, and when the countess nuzzled her cheek, she allowed herself to be carried away on a sea of frozen numbness.
Chapter Fifteen
Loud banging woke Kristina out of a deep sleep. She sat up, wiping her swollen and gritty eyes. She had forgotten to lock the French doors last night before she collapsed on her bed in tears. She cursed and rose, her body stiff and achy. Stumbling over to the doors, she walked onto the balcony, not caring her gown was wrinkled and her stays untied. In her haste to chase after Ellie, she had thrown on her dress, not bothering with decorum. Finding Ellie was all that had mattered. She had failed.
She glanced down at the ground below. Comforted that the descent wasn’t too far, she propped her elbows on the ledge and dropped her face in her hands. By the time she cut the ribbons away from the door, Ellie had disappeared. She sped down the stairs to catch her before she ran off. She didn’t get far, for the crowd surged around her, making it impossible for her to move. She then had become sick from too much champagne and the deep pain in her heart for treating Ellie so poorly. She never expected Ellie to act in such a way. The shock and anguish on Ellie’s face and the tears streaming down her cheeks destroyed at her. She had to find Ellie and make things right between them.
But she had no idea how to find her missing darling, and that left her with a conundrum.
She paced her bedroom, debating what to do next, when she spotted Ellie’s unsightly clogs and frayed stockings. Maybe she could bring those shoes around to the townspeople and see if they recognized them as Ellie’s? How many servant girls in short, ragged hair with an enchanting smile and kind eyes could be in this town? And ones with bad taste in shoes? She wouldn’t rest until she found Ellie, and if she had to go door to door to find her, so be it!
Yes, Ellie was hers and she wouldn’t let her to walk out of her life. She would get down on her knees and beg her for forgiveness if that would make it better. Once Ellie accepted her apology, the next step was figuring out a way for them to be together.
She wished she could go to her mother for advice. The duchess might be sympathetic, but she didn’t expect her mother to be that tolerant if she found out her daughter was in love with another woman.
Kristina gathered Ellie’s shoes to her chest. One of Ellie’s hair ribbons was entangled in a buckle. She rubbed the silky fabric, her eyes growing damp again. She had fallen in love for the first time in her life and had no idea what to do or how to get her precious beloved back.
She hunched over her knees in pain and whispered Ellie’s name in longing. She wouldn’t be whole again until Ellie was by her side and in her arms.
Rising, she wiped away her tears. She would get dressed and begin her search for Ellie. But she wouldn’t be going at it alone. Simon would help her.
She straightened her gown the best she could, took the clogs, and opened the door. She rushed down the hallway to Simon’s room. She didn’t have any guilt about waking her brother, and when she reached his door, she knocked, waited a few beats, and swung the door open to walk inside.
What she saw in Simon’s bed made her drop the shoes and slap her hands over her mouth. Her face flamed in embarrassment. Simon was naked and wasn’t alone. Not only did he have an equally naked woman sleeping next to him, but an equally naked man snuggled up against his back with his arms draped around him. Simon snored and turned, facing the other man—who, dear lord, was her brother’s tailor!—and cupped the man by the back of his neck and kissed him. The woman snuggled up against Simon and yawned.
“Mina de Saltin?” Kristina asked in a high voice, blinking away the shocking scene before her.
Mina yelped and threw the sheet over her head.
Simon broke away from Mr. Lyons and sat up. His mouth fell open as he stared at her.
“Simon Christian Perrault, cover yourself!” she ordered and pointed a finger in the direction of his lap where his male genitalia was openly displayed.
He grabbed the pillow behind him and set it upon his lap. Mr. Lyons sat up and also covered his manhood with a pillow. He nodded in her direction, yawning loudly.
“Had too much to drink last night, brother?” she asked, and grabbing Simon’s robe hanging in front of his closet, threw it at him.
He caught it and pulled it on. He whispered something to his male bedmate and climbed out of the bed. Mina remained hidden under the covers.
“I could say this isn’t what it seems, but it is,” he said and ran his hands through his hair. He peered over his shoulder at the bed. Mina’s face peeked out from under the sheet. Noah leaned over, speaking softly to her.
“Really, Simon? With your tailor? I can understand Miss de Saltin in your bed,
but as for the other…” She waved her hand around at a loss for words.
Simon cupped his elbow as he rubbed his fingers across his mouth. “His name is Noah and I love him. We’ve been having an affair for three years now.”
“You really do love me?” Noah asked, sitting back up.
Simon turned and gave him a soft smile. “How could you even ask? I’ve loved you from the first moment we kissed.”
“And what about me?” Mina muttered and lifted her head over the sheet.
“I adore you,” Simon responded and rested his hand against his chest.
Kristina crossed her arms and tapped her foot. “I don’t have time for this. Something horrible has happened. Now that I know your dirty little secret, you must do whatever I ask.”
Simon gave her a glare of foreboding. “And if I don’t, you’ll snitch to mother and father?”
She slapped her arms against her side. She was all bluster and no bite. She loved her brother too much to betray him to their parents. There was only so much they would be able to take, especially if they learned both their children had peculiar sexual tastes.
“It’s not proper for a lady of my breeding to share what may or may not happen in my brother’s bedroom. That’s on your shoulders.” She cleared throat. She glanced back at the duo on the bed who hadn’t said a word. Both stared at her in apprehension, as if they waited for the other shoe to drop.
Speaking of shoes, she got back to the matter at hand.
She picked up the clogs and thrust them at Simon. “I need to find the owner of these shoes.”
Simon curled his lip and folded his arms behind his back. “These things should be burned. They’re ghastly.”
“Yes, they are.” She gave the clogs a fond caress. “The woman who owns them is very special to me and I need to return them back to her.”
“Those are Ellie’s.” Noah cinched the sheet around him and rose from the bed.
“You know Ellie?” She faced the half-naked man who rested a hand on Simon’s shoulder. Simon curved an arm around Noah’s waist.
