Sebastian was gone. It was a sure thing he would not be looking for her, and her uncle did not want her around anyway, so who would miss her, except for Teddy and Nelly? It appeared they both had someone in their lives to take up their attention, anyway. Fate could not have dealt a better hand, she decided, and began packing the clothes she would take with her. She would leave at first light, in the morning, she decided.
With care, she sewed up Brambles and added him to her belongings she would be taking with her. She took one long look around her room. This would be the last night she would spend there, she realized, and as she looked at the bed, she decided it was just as well, because every night she slept in that bed, it would bring back memories of the wonderful time she and Sebastian had spent together. That part of her life was over forever, and a new chapter was about to begin.
Eleanor rose before first light, and walked the three miles into the village where she could catch the coach leaving for London. She wished she could tell Teddy and Nelly good-bye, but perhaps it was better this way. She would not have to shed tears, when they begged her to remain. It was time she flew free, just as Teddy had mentioned. They would all be better off without her, she decided.
Five hours later, Eleanor stepped up into the coach. There was plenty of money left over after paying her fair, so she knew she would be able to eat along the way when the coach stopped at changing stations, for new horses. She only hoped that the sickness that her baby brought on, would not create a problem for her. Already the rocking of the coach was starting to make her feel sick. Her baby, she thought. Who was the father, though? Her hair was dark, and so was Percy’s. However, Ned had light brown hair, so it would be very difficult to tell, as the child would most likely have dark hair. Sebastian also had dark hair, she thought idly. If it had dark hair, she could easily pass it off as his child as well. But she would never try to pass it off as his child, she chided herself, that would be a cruel punishment to Sebastian, if she ever saw him again.
There were several other people in the coach along with her, which made the interior hot and stifling. The smell of human perspiration, wafted around her, and she had to fight to keep her stomach from turning. The man sitting across from her, stared at her, his brooding dark eyes barely leaving her face, except when it swept down over her body. He was dressed in fancy clothes, and she figured him to be some dandy on his way to London.
The lady next to her, was heavy, her soft flabby arms causing the material of her dress to strain, and her wide hips pushed against Eleanor, every time the coach swayed. She held a fan, and was constantly fanning her plump face, that dripped with perspiration. The rustle of her purple gown, raked on Eleanor’s nerves.
Next to the fancy dressed man, was a tall thin elderly man, dressed in black. He had a top hat on, and he was reading a book, which could not be mistaken to be anything other than the Bible, so Eleanor assumed he must be a minister of some sort. Then there was a small boy, sitting next to the man in black, rather fidgeting, Eleanor thought with a half smile. The boy could not sit still for a moment, in spite of the fat lady insisting he sit quietly with his arms folded.
Eleanor thought of her father, taking a similar trip as a young child, much younger than this boy, though. He probably was as restless as this young lad was, she thought. He had been traveling with a young girl. Eleanor wondered how old the young girl was that was to transport her father to Clifford house?
Eleanor was pulled out of her thoughts, by the voice of the dandy. “I beg your pardon,” he was saying, and she focused her eyes on him. “I am surprised a lady as yourself is traveling alone. London can be very dangerous for a woman on her own. I thought perhaps I could offer my assistance, once we arrived. Let me introduce myself. I am Garth Wellington.”
“Thank you kindly, sir, but I am not going to London. I am on my way to Clifford House. I am sure you have heard of it, seeing as it is right on the way to London.”
“Clifford House? What business would you have at Clifford House? It is almost a tomb. No one lives there but Lord Boyd, who has one foot in the grave, eagerly on his way to hell, and the other on his millions, hording his wealth like a miser. The place is practically falling down around his ears, and yet he won’t spend a penny on restoring Clifford House back to its glory.”
“Have you met Lord Boyd?” she asked, starting to feel a little frightened at the thought of meeting the old man.
“He does not welcome many visitors. Only people from his own era who are about ready to die themselves. My father was his solicitor for a time, that is how I know he is swimming in money that he refuses to use in refurbishing the house. And when he dies, I doubt there is anyone he can leave it to anyway, considering he is the last of his line,” Garth informed her.
“Well, you are mistaken, on that part,” Eleanor corrected him. “Because I am his grand daughter, Eleanor Boyd.”
Garth’s mouth fell open. “You do have the dark look of him,” he said after a moment. I thought you looked familiar. That is why I was staring at you. Trying to place where I had seen you. I used to go with my father when he visited the old man. I have seen pictures of him when he was younger, hanging on the walls of the house. He keeps a small picture on his mantle, of a woman who looks a lot like you. No one knows who the portrait is of, since he will never tell them. His wife didn’t even know, but he forbade her to remove it. He says he wants it buried with him, when he dies. Fancy that!”
“It is probably of his first wife, Camellia, who happens to be my grandmother,” Eleanor murmured.
“He had been married before?” Garth looked surprised.
“No one knew of it. His parents had the marriage annulled, and he never knew that my father was born. It is a long story, and I have only just discovered it myself, so I am going to stay with him, if he will allow me,” she smiled, trying to remain brave.
“Good luck to you. The man is a hermit, and not very nice, if you want to know the truth. It is like he hates most people. After his wife died, the place was practically closed down, and he never entertained again. Been living on his own, with his few servants, who are about as old as he is, so what good are they, I wonder? Most of the house is closed up, since he won’t hire anyone to care for the place, that can actually walk without being hunched over,” he chuckled. “I’ll give you a week before you decide to hightail it right back to where ever you come from,” he grinned.
Eleanor frowned to herself. There was no way she was going to return to Uncle Hector’s house, who really was not her uncle anyway. So she would just have to tough it out, she decided. She hoped her grandfather did not send her packing the moment he saw her, but the mention of him wanting the portrait of whom Eleanor was sure was her grandmother, buried with him, gave her a glimmer of hope. If he was still in love with Camellia, perhaps he would welcome Camellia’s grand daughter since there was no other family connected to him.
This whole time, the minister seemed to ignore the conversation, as he read his Bible, but the woman sitting next to Eleanor appeared quite interested in what she was saying. She reached over and patted Eleanor’s hand. “The old man is not so bad, once you get to know him,” she said. “My cousin happens to be his nurse. She visits him regularly to make sure he is in good health. The man is very vigorous, considering his age. One foot in the grave, my foot! He is as healthy as an ox!”
“Thank you very much for the information,” Eleanor said, nodding to the both of them. At least she would know what to expect, she decided, as she distracted herself looking out the window, while Garth continued to eye her.
She was the spitting image of that portrait, he thought. He had always been drawn to the picture, because the face of the woman was so beautiful, and he could understand why old Lord Boyd wanted the likeness buried with him. Well this was one for the books, he thought. There would be interesting news to talk about, once he returned to London, he decided. He made a mental note to call on the woman, once she got settled in at Clifford House. Too bad
his father was no longer the old man’s solicitor. It would have given him a good excuse to come by and see how she was fairing.
But the woman did not look happy. There was something about her eyes that seemed to grab at him. The fact that she was going to live with the old man, told him she had no other place to be. She didn’t even know her grandfather, and yet was prepared to become a part of his household. She certainly was going to be in for a rude surprise, he thought, as he remembered how run down the place had been the last time he was there. It was probably worse by now.
By dusk, the coach pulled up to the changing station, where Eleanor was to get off. The village was small, but in the distance, on a rise, with woodland behind it, she could see the dark outline of what, Garth told her was Clifford House.
“Just follow the road there,” he told her. “It leads right to the house. You might be able to hire someone to take you and your luggage out,” he smiled.
Eleanor did not have much luggage, as he put it. It was only the carpet bag that she had packed, which was not difficult to carry. She had carried it the three miles to where she boarded the coach, so she was sure she could walk the distance to Clifford House.
“Is there an Inn in this village?” she asked Garth.
He shook his head. “You might ask around and see if someone has an empty room for you to stay in the night, if you don’t want to walk up there today,” he suggested.
“Thank you,” she nodded. “Maybe I can hire someone to drive me there,” she said wistfully.
The coach was getting ready to start off again, once the driver had handed down her carpet bag to her. She watched it as it lumbered away in the direction of London, and felt a sudden loneliness and trepidation about going to Clifford house. But there was nothing else she could do, she reminded herself. She would have to face it, and make the best of it.
Eleanor looked about herself. The station, she assumed to be a changing station, was merely a barn with a few horses in it. And since they did not change horses there, she wondered if it was a changing station at all? Maybe it was kept to replace a lame horse if needed, she thought, as she walked past the structure, and down the one street that led through the village and then on up the rise to Clifford House.
Lamps were starting to be lit in the windows of the houses, that lined the cobbled road. People were leaving their shops and locking them up for the night, and some turned and stared at her, as she passed.
“May I be of any help?” she heard the voice of a young man say, and she turned to find a boy, who did not look much older than sixteen, dressed in worn home spun brown clothes, coming up to her. “I could carry your bag if you like.” he offered. “I saw you get off the coach. We don’t get many visitors here. Are you visiting someone in the village?”
“I am going to Clifford House,” she informed him.
The boy looked at her, and then looked in the direction of Clifford House.
“It’s farther off than it looks,” he told her. “The road winds a bit as it starts to climb the rise. It will take you at least two hours or more to walk. By that time it will be quite dark,” he told her, looking worriedly at her.
“I was told you don’t have an Inn here,” she murmured, glancing at his youthful face framed with a tassel of curly blond hair, his blue eyes penetrating her dark ones.
“My mum has a spare room you could stay in,” he offered. “I’m Jake Baker. I don’t live far from here, if you want to wait until morning to go up to the House. “We have a small cart. I could take you in it in the morning, if you want.”
“That is very kind of you. Are you sure your mother won’t mind if I stay?”
“She has leant the room out before,” he informed her.
“I would gladly pay for the night,” she offered. “How much?”
“What ever you think you can spare,” he said, noting that she was dressed in fancy clothing and must be a woman of means.
“My only purse is in gold coins,” she informed him. “But I would be willing to use one for the use of a room and you taking me up to the house tomorrow.” She saw a grin stretch across his face, and a spark come to his blue eyes.
“I am sure that would be more than is necessary, but if it is the only tender that you have…” The boy paused. “This is our place here,” he said, guiding her to a small cottage. “It’s only me and Mum, here. Who should I say is calling?” he asked.
“Eleanor Boyd,” she told him, and he stopped short.
“You belong to the House?” he asked astonished. No wonder she was dressed so nicely, he thought. Lord Boyd owned the village, as it was part of his estate. All the houses were let by him, and he took part of the profit of all the shops. The farm land belonged to him as well, which filled his store house with all the food he needed, and to the villagers he was like a king. Jake had not heard that he had relatives, but this woman seemed nice. Much nicer than the old man was. Of course, had never met the old man, but he had heard plenty about him.
Jake pushed the door open and motioned Eleanor to come in. “Mum!” he called as he entered before her, and she stood looking around the sparsely furnished room they had entered.
A middle aged woman put her head around the corner of a door frame, which Eleanor assumed led to the kitchen.
“There you are Jake.” She stopped short, when she saw Eleanor standing near the entrance door. “Who have you got with you?” she asked, eyeing Eleanor with appraising eyes. Her long blond hair was pulled back in a bun, but strands of it escaped and hung down by the side of her face.
“This be Miss Boyd. She’s goin’ up to the House and I’m taking her come morning. She wants to use the extra room. She says she’ll pay.”
“Miss Boyd? I didn’t know…”
“I am Lord Boyd’s grand daughter,” Eleanor explained.
“Well, I’ll be. I never heard he had a grand daughter,” she exclaimed.
“I don’t think he knows he has one either,” Eleanor admitted. “I hope it doesn’t give him a heart attack when he discovers it.”
“Do come in and sit down. Tell us all about it. Not much happens here about, but an unexpected grand daughter of the House, is something that will put everyone here in a tizzy. I’m Lilly Baker, by the way.” Lilly led her to a sofa and offered her to sit.
“Would you like some tea?” she asked, excitement emanating from her pale blue eyes.
“Thank you, yes.” Eleanor smiled, as she watched Lilly bustle out to the kitchen, and then shortly returning with the tea tray.
Eleanor watched her pour out the tea, offering her a cup. There was milk and sugar on the tray, and Eleanor used both, watching the two, as she stirred the tea in her cup to mix it in.
“Have you come far,” Lilly, asked eager to hear all about Eleanor.
“A day’s journey,” she said, and then sipped her tea.
“She’s come to stay with the old man,” Jake, informed his mother. “Haven’t you?” he asked suddenly, hoping he got his story right.
Eleanor nodded.
“Won’t he be surprised to see you. Not knowing you exist and all. How could that ever be?”
Eleanor began relating the story of her father’s fate, and the two listened with wide eyes, as she went through the narration. It was rather late by the time everything had been talked about, that Eleanor would allow them to know, and by then she realized how tired she had become.
“You look ready to fall in your tracks,” Lilly commented. “Let me show you to the room. It is just off the kitchen,” she told Eleanor, and Jake jumped up and picked up Eleanor’s bag, following the women into the room, at the back of the house.
It was small, but it looked clean enough. A single bed, and small night stand with a mirror over it. There was a bowl and picture on the night stand where Eleanor could wash, and as soon as Lilly was satisfied that Eleanor had everything she needed, she turned to go. Eleanor stopped her, and handed her a gold coin. “I hope this will be enough,” she said, to the woman who
looked down at her hand with wide eyes.
“Oh, this is more than enough,” Lilly informed her, and grinned at Jake. “A God’s send you are,” Lilly said. “Feel free to come visit us once you settle in,” she told her, and then hustled Jake and herself out of the room.
Eleanor sank onto the bed. She liked Lilly and her son, so at least she had friends in the village, she thought, as she took her clothes off and got ready for bed. She washed up, and then climbed under the home made quilt, snuggling into the straw mattress. She wondered what Sebastian was doing at that moment. She wondered if she would ever get him out of her head.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“Teddy!” Nelly burst into Teddy’s room unexpectedly.
“Heaven’s Nelly, what is the problem? I have never seen you in such a state.” Teddy saw that his sister was on the verge of hysterics.
“It’s Eleanor. She’s gone, Teddy, and so is Sebastian!”
“Don’t tell me she ran off with him,” Teddy exclaimed, as he came to Nelly’s side, and helped her to a chair.
“If they were going to get married, they would not have to run off together. It had been Sebastian’s desire all along to marry Eleanor, and everyone knew that. She told me, she would never marry Sebastian, but wouldn’t tell me why. I could see that she loved him, and he loved her, and yet…”
“Then why have they suddenly left?” Teddy wanted to know.
“Maybe Eleanor ran away, and Sebastian is looking for her,” Nelly offered. “But if I remember correctly, Sebastian left before Eleanor went missing, so that couldn’t have happened.”
“Do you know where Sebastian went to?” Teddy questioned, as he began pacing the room.
“No, but I do know that Eleanor packed some clothes, and took Brambles. That means she has planned to leave for good.”
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