Alyssa's Autumn Affair
Page 15
“Hardly. He’s too deep in his cups most of the time to know what’s going on around him. But even so, I can handle him.”
“You think so?”
She mirrored his reaction and lifted a brow. “I manage you just fine, don’t I?”
With that, she spun on her heel and marched away from him.
***
Alyssa blew a stray curl out of her face and then finally tucked it behind her ear in frustration. This ‘grand scheme’ of hers certainly wasn’t going as she’d planned. She expected to return to Rosewood with all the secrets she’d uncovered, but either Caroline was careful to conceal any evidence, or she truly was without blame. She’d searched the baroness’ sitting room and her bedchamber, looking in drawers and rummaging about in wardrobes and jewelry boxes, even feeling about beneath the mattress, careful to return everything to its previous position, but she’d come up completely empty handed.
Alyssa sat back on her heels with a sigh while Daisy continued to keep watch in the hallway. She glanced at the clock on the mantel and decided that it was time to abandon this fruitless endeavor. She had been gone more than three hours and Travell was likely biting at the bit for her to return. Not only that, but she’d walked to Breyton Hall and already, she could hear the rumble of thunder in the distance, so if she didn’t wish to arrive a soaked, bedeviled mess, she should be on her way.
She glanced out into the hall and nodded at her maid who took her leave, and then shut the door leading to Caroline’s bedchamber behind her. She made it to the top of the staircase where she met James, who was heading up. He paused, his hand on the railing to steady himself, and she could see that his eyes were red rimmed, evidence that he had been drinking heavily for most of the day.
He blinked, as if trying to focus. When he spoke, his words were slurred. “Ah, coushin. What a shurprise t’ shee you here a’ this time o’ day. Are you tired o’ th’ viscount’sh company already?”
She moved to the opposite side of the railing, in order to keep as much distance between them as possible. She had told Travell that she could handle her cousin, but she didn’t wish to test that theory unnecessarily. “I merely returned to speak with Daisy,” she lied easily, knowing her maid would back up her claim. “It’s time I returned.”
Alyssa started to move past James, intent on putting an end to their conversation, but he turned and began to follow her down the stairs, his steps uneven. “There’sh no need to rush off. Perhapsh we can shpend shome time alone together.”
She shook her head. “I don’t think so. You need time to sober up before we can converse in a proper fashion.”
He laughed and the scent of brandy that wafted off him nearly made her eyes water. “Don’t be shilly. Come ’ere.” He reached for her, but Alyssa easily avoided him as she sidestepped his advance.
However, without anything to stop his forward momentum, he began to waver unsteadily, eventually losing the fight for balance. Alyssa gasped in horror as he tumbled down the stairs, landing on the hardwood with a decided sprawl. She lifted her skirts and immediately rushed to his aid, for while she didn’t care for his continued attempts at seduction, that didn’t mean she wished for him to be hurt.
“James!” She touched his shoulder gingerly and relief flooded her with she heard a slight groan that proved he was alive. “Help!” she shouted.
The butler and a footman quickly appeared. The moment they saw their master on the floor, shock filled their gazes. “The baron has suffered a fall down the stairs,” she explained. “Please take him to his room and send for the physician to ensure nothing’s broken. I’m going to inform Lady Lockley of the incident.”
“Yes, my lady.” The butler lifted Lord Lockley’s torso, while the footman took his legs. Together they started the climb back to the second floor, as Alyssa donned her redingote and bonnet.
She walked outside to a gust of wind that nearly ripped the hat off of her head. The sky was darkening rather ominously to the west, so she knew she had little time to spare. She climbed into the carriage and instructed the driver to return to Rosewood in all due haste.
Alyssa closed her eyes until they finally reached their destination, where she jumped out without assistance the moment it rolled to a stop. Ives opened the door and took one look at her and knew something was wrong. “The viscount and Lady Lockley are taking a walk in the gardens, my lady.”
Frustration coursing through her veins, Alyssa rushed around the side of the house. It didn’t take her long to find Travell and Caroline — although she hadn’t expected to find them in such a compromising position. The viscount was pressed up against the hedge, as the baroness kissed him passionately.
She cleared her throat and Travell’s head instantly snapped up, where he carefully disentangled himself from the lady.
“Alyssa,” Caroline said rather breathlessly. “I wasn’t expecting you back quite so soon.”
“Apparently,” she snapped in return. “There’s been an accident. James fell down the stairs.”
Caroline’s blue eyes instantly widened.
“I sent for the village physician to access any injuries, but I thought you might want to attend to him. He is your husband, after all.” She made a point to emphasize that bit of information.
But instead of eliciting a sympathetic response, Caroline snorted. “The foolish drunkard,” she spat. “I’ve warned him about his excessive drink. Maybe now he will listen to reason.” She started to walk away, but then paused when she realized Alyssa wasn’t following her. “Aren’t you coming?”
Alyssa paused. “I’ll be there in a moment.”
Caroline’s eyes narrowed, but she merely huffed and headed for the carriage.
Only when she was out of earshot, did Alyssa turn to Travell with a glare, but since there was nothing she could say to express her distaste regarding his actions, she was fully prepared to leave him standing there looking as though he was a child with his hand caught in the proverbial cookie jar.
He shoved a hand through his hair, those cool blue eyes turbulent. “It’s not what you’re thinking.”
She rolled her eyes. “Of course it’s not,” she returned snidely. “It never is.”
He pointed toward the direction Caroline had gone. “She kissed me. Trust me, there is a vast difference.”
“It doesn’t matter.” Alyssa sighed. “I think I just… need to take a break from Rosewood for a while.”
Travell jerked as if she’d struck him. “Why? Because of what you think you saw?”
Alyssa wasn’t about to tell him the true reason she required some distance. She had no doubt that Caroline had instigated that little interlude she’d come upon. No, the trouble was her heart. She was falling for Travell too hard and too fast. She’d always loved him, but if she wasn’t careful, she would ruin any chance she had at happiness before his eyes were finally open enough to truly see her.
He set his hands on his lean hips and she swallowed at the stiff set of his shoulders. “What about your roses? Do you intend to just let them die?”
“I’ll send Daisy over to water them and give me a report. If it is something urgent, then of course, I will see to them. But as they are thriving in their current environment, I don’t see any cause for concern.”
He stared at her intently, until she had to fight the urge to fidget under such a direct glare. “So, that’s it then? You’re leaving me when I need you the most? When my father needs you?”
She swallowed thickly. “You managed before I arrived and you’ll do fine after I leave. Mr. Lyridon promised that he would send another trusted colleague to your door, and I believe him to be a man of honor. Besides,” she added quietly. “We both know I can’t stay here forever.”
He snorted at that. “Indeed. You’ve made that abundantly clear.”
Alyssa put a hand to her stomach. She was sick leaving Travell like this, but for her own sanity, it had to be done. “I’m sorry, Travell. Truly, I am.”
***
She climbed inside the carriage, where he watched the driver urge the horses down the drive. He had to clench his fists to keep from running after her and begging her to stay like some sort of lovesick swain. Even so, he waited until the carriage disappeared down a bend in the road, hoping that she would plead with the driver to stop so that she could return to him.
He shook his head. He was living in a fantasy world if he imagined that she would come rushing back to him. This was Alyssa Breyton, for God’s sake, a woman who had her own mind and knew what she wanted.
Apparently, it wasn’t him.
Feeling rather despondent, he walked inside with a frown etched into his brow, perhaps permanently.
Without any particular destination in mind, he bypassed the conservatory, which would only remind him of Alyssa and cause him to hunt for the brandy, and went upstairs to his father’s chamber. While the bonds had been removed, Lord Trenton was still confined to his room unless he had an escort. A footman was also charged with standing watch outside at all times to ensure that the earl didn’t wander off.
Travell nodded to the servant, who stood at his approach. “I’ll take over for a while, Stuart.”
“Very good, my lord.”
The footman departed and with a deep breath, Travell entered his father’s room. Each time he passed over the threshold, he expected to find his sire in one of his former fits, shouting and cursing about poison, but ever since Mr. Lyridon’s treatments, he’d been rather calm, almost docile.
The older man was dressed in buff trousers, a white shirt and a brown embroidered waistcoat, seated at a table and piecing together a jigsaw puzzle of the map of England. He appeared confused, but when he glanced up and spied Travell, his vision cleared. “Ah, m’ boy!” Travell wasn’t sure if his father still thought he was in short pants, or if he just wanted to act as a doting parent again. Either way, Travell didn’t mind. “I can’t seem to get this piece to fit in anywhere! Damned English sea. All the same color blue!” he huffed.
Travell smiled as he drew closer and dragged the chair from across the other side of the table to sit next to his sire. He studied the pieces that the earl still had laid out, and after a moment, he picked up the right piece and slid it into the hole.
Lord Trenton sat back in his chair. “Marvelous,” he breathed. “I’ve been studying that design for the past quarter hour, and here you come and find the right fit almost immediately. But then, you always were good with figuring out certain problems.”
“Not everything,” Travell murmured as he mirrored his father’s pose and leaned back in his chair. “Women, for instance.”
“Oh, well,” Lord Trenton grumbled. “When you get an answer to that one, let me know. They are a more intricate design than anything John Spilsbury might have invented.” He waved a hand to indicate the incomplete map before him.
Travell wasn’t sure how far to push his father’s memory, but Mr. Lyridon had told him that as long as he didn’t get too flustered, it was safe to start breaking down the walls holding his past in place. “I thought you would know everything about the female mind, what with juggling a wife and a mistress at the same time.”
“A mistress?” The earl blinked several times, but his eyes remained clear. “Many men of my acquaintance chose to have their fun on the side, but I never cheated on Amelia. She was the love of my life.”
Travell’s fingers tightened on his thighs. “What about Sophie, the scullery maid that you ran off with the night of Triana’s debut?”
“Sophie?” This time his vision glazed over for a moment. “She wasn’t a servant. She was a spy.”
“A spy?” Travell’s brows lifted to his hairline. This was a word he was quite familiar with, and yet, it didn’t match the same story his father had spun to Alyssa the day he’d attacked her. “For who?”
The earl shrugged. “I don’t know.” He smiled and returned his attention back to the puzzle, and Travell could tell he was slipping back into his own mind, so he decided to drop the subject. He didn’t want to push him too far, and with that bit of information, it was enough to set his own thoughts whirring.
Although one thing was clear.
Starting tomorrow, he was going to send word to one of his colleagues and start the search for Sophie.
Chapter Seventeen
Five days had passed since Alyssa had left Travell in the gardens of Rosewood. Five days of staring longingly out of her bedroom window and wishing that she was back there, but knowing it wasn’t prudent to continue subjecting herself to those wicked kisses that were stolen around every corner.
Curled up on the window seat in her nightdress, she leaned her head against the cool glass and sighed. A new day was dawning, but since it had rained for the past five days and the clouds looked thick with moisture, she knew any hope of sunshine would be for naught yet again. At least she could take comfort in the fact that each day when Daisy returned from tending to her Blue Ladies, she reported that they were continuing to thrive. Not only that, but the new mesmerist had arrived, and she believed that the earl was making continual progress.
However, when the subject of Travell would arise, the maid would merely shrug and give a similar answer each time. “He stays in his study. I hardly even see him.”
Alyssa closed her eyes. She prayed that he hadn’t turned to drink. That day she’d arrived to find him soused on brandy still tormented her. But she reminded herself that it wasn’t her fault if he chose to act in such a brooding manner. He had so much to be thankful for, if he would only open his eyes. And yet, for years she’d wished for him to see her as more than his sister’s friend, but he still closed himself off from any sort of human connection. After five days, one would think that he might have sent a message to her, at the very least, but there had been nothing but silence.
At least James had fully recovered from his injuries. Other than a bump on the head, the local physician hadn’t been concerned from his unfortunate spill down the stairs. Caroline, of course, had acted as the perfect, doting wife upon their return, cooing over the baron as if he was a child in need of constant care.
Alyssa was just grateful that, other than a polite greeting upon her arrival at dinner each evening, James made sure the meal remained a stilted affair. When Caroline attempted to make conversation, he would murmur some noncommittal reply, and then retire to his study once it was over, to drink or reflect on his poor life choices, Alyssa couldn’t say, but neither did she care. After two unwanted advances, she was through feeling sorry for him and his unfaithful wife.
The very next day after James’ injury, Caroline had returned to Rosewood, presumably to give the viscount an update on the baron when she could have just as easily sent word by messenger. But she returned a short time later after being denied an audience with Travell. Alyssa could tell that she wasn’t pleased at being dismissed, but again, she didn’t really care.
Alyssa found that she was content to stay in her room or, if the same four walls became too much to bear, she would venture down to the library for a change of scene. She found her escape in the leather tomes, their musty scent a source of comfort when she could easily allow her own despondency to envelop her, especially as her twenty-fifth birthday approached. While it meant that her trust would finally be available to her, she was hesitant to start making preparations to travel to America. She told herself it was merely because she had plenty of time, but that was a lie. She was torn about leaving Travell.
She opened her eyes and stood up, moving away from the window. That was enough time spent on melancholy. It was time to begin the day, however morose the weather might be.
She rang for Daisy and sat down at her dressing table as she waited patiently
for her maid to attend her. The younger girl arrived moments later with a slight curtsy. “Good morning, my lady. Would you like your breakfast tray now?”
Other than making her daily appearance at dinner, Alyssa generally chose to take her breakfast and lunch in her room and afternoon tea in the library. “I find that my appetite has deserted me this morning, Daisy. If you could just bring me a cup of tea, that would be wonderful.”
“Yes, my lady.”
The maid returned a short time later with a silver tray. After Alyssa held a cup of the steaming liquid, she could tell that her spirits were already starting to improve. She had just taken a sip when there was a brisk knock at her bedchamber door. She frowned as Daisy went to open it. The butler stood on the other side. “Pardon the intrusion, my lady, but there is a gentleman here who is most insistent to see you.”
Alyssa’s heart lodged in her throat as she imagined Travell waiting downstairs. After swallowing down her anticipation, she managed to ask, “Who is it?”
“Dr. Jacob Perimore.”
She shook her head, more disappointed than she wanted to admit. “I don’t know anyone by that name. Kindly send him on his way.”
“Wait.” Daisy’s entreaty caught her attention. “That’s the name of the new mesmerist at Rosewood.”
Yet again, Alyssa’s attention rose, but for a different reason altogether. “Indeed.” She stood and grabbed her dressing robe, tying it around her waist. “In that case, I’ll see him.”
The butler stood aside as she rushed downstairs. She found a man in the foyer holding a crumpled hat in his hands. He looked to be in his mid-to-late forties with fading dark hair and silver at his temples. When he glanced up and saw her, his face relaxed slightly, but his dark eyes were intent. “Lady Alyssa?”
“Yes. How can I help you, Dr. Perimore?”
He nodded. “I’m the new mesmerist at Rosewood. Mr. Lyridon sent for me to assist Lord Trenton, but I fear I need your help. I fear the earl has had a relapse and the viscount said you might be able to assist in calming him.”