Defiant Heart

by Jeanie P Johnson

  Eleanor’s head was whirling with all the things her grandfather insisted must be done for her. She was to pick out colors for her room and they would order the material to be sent to Clifford house to redo her bedroom. Already, he was having the house completely cleaned and decorated.

  “When we are finished, we are going to throw a ball in your honor, to welcome you to the family,” he informed her.

  Eleanor, looked worried. “But who will come? No one knows me,” she insisted. “Are you sure that is necessary?”

  “Once it is discovered that you have arrived, the countryside will not be satisfied until they can meet you for themselves. Perhaps you would like to invite the Belingtons,” he suggested.

  “I…I hadn’t thought about that. They may not be interested,” she hesitated.

  “Nonsense! Of course they will be interested. They cared for my son, and I want to thank them!”

  She did miss Nelly and Teddy, and now, because of the change of her position, Uncle Hector would probably allow Teddy to marry her. But Teddy was like a brother, and besides, he seemed interested in Percy’s cousin. On top of that, she could never love anyone but Sebastian. Only Sebastian was probably long gone by now. The only problem was, that she would have to explain her condition to them, because by the time the house was finished, she would be showing by then, and they may not support her story about being a widow. This could ruin everything. Her Grandfather would be so disappointed in her, if he discovered she had been lying to him.

  But there was plenty of time, she decided. Perhaps she would come up with an idea before then.

  Eleanor was helped down from Lord Boyd’s coach, by the foot man, and then Lord Boyd offered her his arm.

  “First we will go to all the shops to pick out your wardrobe,” he insisted, “I do wish we had a knowledgeable woman along who could advise you, though,” he frowned.

  “I’m sure I am capable of picking out the proper gowns. I have attended many an affair and know what is expected of a lady in the clothes department,” she smiled, sure she would be able to know what would look best on her.

  “Then I will leave you here, to choose, while I go talk to the solicitor. There is a millenary shop next door, if you have time to pick out some hats,” he suggested.

  “Thank you Grandfather. You are so kind to me. I don’t deserve any of this.”

  “Certainly you do, child. When I think of your poor grandmother having to take care of herself and your father, after I was forced to leave her, I feel like I owe you so much more than I could ever offer you.”

  “It was not your fault,” she said, patting him on the cheek.

  “Well that doesn’t make me feel any better about it,” he insisted.

  She watched as her grandfather walked away. Since she had come he seemed even younger than before. Everyone told her that his whole personality had changed since she arrived, and they thanked her for bringing him so much happiness, because that happiness was rubbing off on everyone else. He had hired several people from the village to work on the grounds and house, and this lifted the spirits of everyone in the village.

  Eleanor was sitting on a cushioned bench as the woman, who owned the shop, began to bring out dresses for Eleanor to examine. She had such confidence when she first came into the shop, but now she felt completely confused. The door opened, and the bell gave a jingle, as a man stepped into the shop. What would a man be doing in a lady’s shop, Eleanor wondered, and turned to stare at him.

  “Well, there you are,” Garth Wellington smiled, taking off his hat and giving her an exaggerated bow. “Your grandfather said I would find you here. He thought you could use some of my experience in choosing ladies clothes. I have very good taste, you know.”

  “Garth,” the lady holding up a gown for Eleanor to examine, gushed. “So pleasant to see you. He cannot steer you wrong, miss, he has dressed more than one lady in this town,” she gave a blush. “Oh, you know what I mean. He has a very fine eye for style and color. Everyone knows it.”

  “Then I suppose I will have to give you a try,” Eleanor, laughed.

  “My father is taking over your grandfathers legal affairs, it seems. Perhaps we will see more of each other, Miss Boyd,” he said hopefully.

  “Oh, I am not Miss Boyd. I know I introduced myself as such, but I am a widow. Mrs. Brentwood.” She felt uncomfortable using Sebastian’s name, but now she was stuck with it, and had to continue with her charade.

  “So sorry to hear about your loss,” Garth said in a low voice. “If there is ever anything I can do for you, please let me know.”

  “Well you seem to have come to rescue me from having to make up my mind about these gowns. I will leave it completely in your hands, if you wish,” she laughed. “But do make sure that they are the kind of style that hang loosely. I am with child, and some may have to be let out, in time.” She wanted to make it very clear about her condition, so Garth would not get any ideas.

  Garth raised his eyebrows. “Congratulations,” he said, not even looking shocked. “It is sad your husband could not share this joy with you,” he added.

  “Yes,” is all she said, lowering her eyes. She was feeling so bad about her fabrication, that she wasn’t sure she could continue to play the part of a grieving widow, even though she did grieve for the loss of Sebastian. Only she had been the one to send him away, so it was no one’s fault but her own.

  Eleanor began focusing on the dresses Garth was choosing for her, while he lightened the adventure by telling her jokes and interesting stories about friends he had in London.

  “You will have to come visit me and let me show you the town,” he insisted. “If you feel up to it, of course.”

  “I would like that,” she smiled back. He could easily take the place of Teddy, she was thinking. He was so charming and kind. He made her feel comfortable, just like Teddy had.

  “I will look forward to it. Your grandfather tells me he plans to have a ball for you, once his house is in order again. I will look forward to that as well.”

  “I wish he would not go to so much trouble for me,” Eleanor mumbled, as she looked away. “I really don’t need to have a ball, in my condition and all, it seems…”

  “Of course you need to have a ball. Everyone will be falling over themselves to meet the new heiress. And if you don’t feel like dancing, you can watch everyone else dance. I will gladly keep you company while you do it,” he offered.

  “That is very kind of you,” she murmured, feeling even worse just thinking about it. She still had to deal with what she was going to do about informing the Belingtons about this new situation. She had hoped to just disappear, but her grandfather wanted to shout her whereabouts to the world, and she could not very well stop him.

  At last Lord Boyd returned to the shop, and by that time, Garth had picked out a good assortment of clothes for her, and they had even looked at the hats next door, but Eleanor was starting to feel tired by then, so she was happy to see her grandfather arrive.

  “We will stay the night in town,” he informed her. “Would you and your father like to join us for dinner?” he asked Garth.

  “I would love that,” Garth grinned.

  “Then we will see you at eight at the Grand Hotel,” he instructed. Then he gave Eleanor his arm and escorted her back to the coach.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Sebastian was startled out of his deep thoughts, by a banging on his office door. He had closed his office, but was trying to pull his spirits back up as he sat gazing across the room in frustration. He had finally gotten to the bottom of what had happened on his ship, and sent young Ned packing when he discovered his part in the abduction, of Eleanor. Only according to Ned she was not Eleanor, but a flower girl named Rose. He even showed Sebastian the dress she had been wearing at the time and Sebastian was angry at the danger Eleanor had deliberately put herself in, in order to learn more about him. For it was very clear that all she did was ask questions about him, and it turned out to be Ned
who had informed her about his affair with Annie.

  Now that that part of the mystery was solved, it only confirmed his fear that Ned had taken advantage of Eleanor, while she was unconscious, of all things. But of course, Ned thought her to be just a homeless flower girl, whom he would convince to remain with him, once she discovered she was trapped on the ship. Sebastian may of done the same thing if he had been in Ned’s situation, and he thought back to his youth and the women he had seduced over the years.

  Ned paid the price though, considering he had used Sebastian’s office to conduct his nefarious affair, and brought a woman on board, which was not allowed without the captain’s permission. The lad would have to look elsewhere for another position on someone else’s ship.

  Now Sebastian looked up through the pane of the door, where he could see Teddy banging, holding a newspaper in his hand. He looked excited, and Sebastian jumped to his feet to let him in.

  “You will not believe this, Sebastian! I can’t believe it myself!”

  “What are you going on about?” Sebastian asked half heartedly. He had run into a dead end for his search of Eleanor, and was trying to decide what his next move would be. Two months had gone by already, and they had not turned up anything concerning her disappearance.

  “I know where Eleanor is,” Teddy announced.

  “What? How?” Sebastian demanded.

  “It’s in the newspaper. You are not going to like it. She is claiming to be your widow!”

  “How can she be my widow? She never married me, and I am not dead.”

  “It turns out she is an heiress. A Boyd, of all things. You know Clifford House. We passed it when we were looking for her. Somehow she has discovered she is the old man’s granddaughter. She told him she was a widow, and gave your name as her husband.”

  “It’s because she is with child,” Sebastian breathed. “She had to cover up the fact that the child had no father. But an heiress? How did she come up with that?”

  “I don’t know. But she is at Clifford House, and in a few weeks they plan to throw a ball in her honor.”

  “Is that so?”

  “Maybe we should show up for the ball,” Teddy suggested.

  “Oh, we will attend the ball all right, but first I am going to go claim my wife. She says I am her husband, so now there is no way for her to back out. I would not want to spoil her ball, by showing up unexpectedly, but I am going to show up unexpectedly from the dead,” he chuckled. “I wonder how she said I died,” he mused.

  “Well, you are a sailor. How do sailors usually die?” Teddy grinned.

  “At sea,” Sebastian responded. “This sailor is going to return from the sea though, and make my widow very happy.”

  His heart was starting to soar, knowing that finally he would have Eleanor where he wanted her, and she would have to bend to his wishes.

  ********************

  “There is someone here to see you, Mrs. Brentwood.” It was the new butler addressing her as she sat reading in the drawing room. “I put him in the sitting room,” he informed her.

  It was probably Garth coming to call. He had been paying a lot of attention to her, in spite of her condition, and she liked him well enough, but not the way he seemed to like her. She was going to have to dampen his hopes, very soon, she decided. She rose up and followed the butler to the sitting room door.

  “Thank you Hobbs,” she said, as he opened the door for her.

  Eleanor walked into the room, and almost fell over when she saw Sebastian sitting on the sofa, smiling up at her. She held onto the arm of a chair to support herself, as her heart took a sudden leap while he rose and came to her side.

  “My sweet wife,” he breathed, as he took her into his arms. “Apparently you thought me to be dead, but I have survived. Oh, I have barely survived. I could not go on without you, Eleanor, so imagine how wonderful I felt when I discovered you were my widow?”

  Eleanor was speechless, as she clung to him.

  “Did you miss me?” he whispered in her ear. “Heaven knows I have missed you.”

  “But…but…I…”

  “I know why you claimed to have a dead husband, Eleanor. I don’t care if you are carrying someone’s child. I talked to Dutton, and to Ned, so there is nothing more you can hide. The only problem we have now is to find a way to get a marriage certificate, so this whole thing does not blow up in our faces. You have to marry me now. You are carrying a child, and I am going to claim it as my own, whether you like it or not. I am the lost husband, who went missing at sea, and then found his way back again, only to discover that my wife is now an heiress. You must tell me all about it when you get a chance. But for now, before you can run and hide again, I wish to meet your grandfather.”

  Eleanor looked up into his searching green eyes, not knowing what to say. He had found her, and offered to protect her, even in her lie to her grandfather. She did not deserve him, she moaned to herself.

  “Well if you don’t have anything to say, at least kiss me hello,” he insisted, and his lips were upon hers pulling every fiber of her being to the surface, as relief washed over her, and confusion rose up in its place. But she kissed him with all the desire that she felt would never be hers to share again. As they clung to each other in abandon, so caught up in the kiss that they were oblivious to anything but each other, the door of the sitting room opened.

  “Oh, pardon me,” a voice said, and Eleanor drew back from Sebastian.

  “Garth,” she exclaimed.

  “Who is this man who is handling you like he owns you, Eleanor,” Garth barked in astonishment.

  “I do own her,” Sebastian stated, as he looked up at the dandy, and then at Eleanor. “I assume this is some friend of your’s?” he questioned.

  “Garth, this is Sebastian, my…my husband. I thought he was lost at sea, but it seems I was mistaken.”

  “A pleasure to meet you,” Garth said, holding out his hand. “I have never seen Eleanor looking so happy before. I am sure it was a hard blow to her when she thought you dead. I have been trying to cheer her up, to no avail, I’m afraid. You are so lucky to have survived. She is so very lucky as well.”

  He seemed genuine, Sebastian thought, and knowing that Eleanor would never be interested in a dandy like him, he gave Garth a friendly smile. “Do you think you could hunt up Eleanor’s grandfather and send him to us? He is not aware of my survival,” Sebastian requested.

  “Certainly. He will be overjoyed to discover he has a grandson as well as a granddaughter,” Garth assured them. “I am so happy for you, Eleanor,” he smiled, she thought a little sadly.

  “How did you find out about where I was?” Eleanor asked Sebastian, once the sitting door closed.

  “It was plastered all over the papers, about you and the pending ball in your honor. Teddy saw it. I was too distraught to read the papers.”

  “Grandfather wanted me to invite the Belingtons. I was trying to figure out how to go about doing that. I thought you would have sailed away by now, though,” she confessed.

  “I would have, but when you went missing, I could not rest until I found you. I would have hunted for you for the rest of my life if need be, Eleanor. Promise never to leave me again.”

  “But we are not married,” she whispered.

  “No one but you and the Belingtons, know that, but Teddy is busy explaining how they should agree to back us up in this. We would not want your grandfather to be under any undue stress, you know.”

  “I don’t deserve you or Teddy,” Eleanor, insisted.

  The door opened, and Lord Boyd stepped into the room. “My dear child. Garth tells me that you have a surprise for me,” he said, as he looked at Sebastian with concern.

  “My husband is not dead after all,” Eleanor breathed, feeling just as guilty as she did when she lied about her husband being dead. “This is Sebastian Brentwood. Sebastian, meet my grandfather, Lord Maximilian Boyd.”

  “This is wonderful news!” Lord Boyd exclaimed as he
came forward and took Sebastian’s hand in his, and then hugged him and gave him a hearty pat on the back. “Now my great grandchild will not be born without a father to be there. And as I told Eleanor, her husband would become the next Lord of this estate.”

  “But…but I have my own business to tend to. I own a fleet of merchant ships. How can I take over the estate, and do that as well? I have my own estate in America, which I have to run. The whole purpose of my marriage was to bring a wife there and start a family in order to have someone to step into my shoes when the time came. I did not know Eleanor was an heiress when I agreed to marry her.”

  “But you love her, so I am sure there will be compromises to be made,” Lord Boyd said kindly.

  “We will have to discuss it later,” Sebastian said. “I cannot stay long. I just came to let Eleanor know I was alive. I read about the ball on the social page. I didn’t even know where she was, because she hadn’t told anyone she was coming to find you, and I did not want to upset her by showing up at her ball unannounced. But I have business to take care of before I can join her again,” he explained.

  Eleanor looked at Sebastian worriedly, her heart starting to fall. He had been so happy to see her, and now he was just going to leave, almost as quickly as he came.

  “Then I will leave you two alone. I am sure there are many things you need to talk about before you have to leave,” Lord Boyd said, turning to the door, and closing it behind him.

  “If you have changed your mind, you don’t have to come back,” Eleanor mumbled in a shaking voice. “I will tell the truth. I won’t make you pretend to be married to me if it is going to ruin your life,” she sobbed, and a tear slowly rolled down her cheek.

  “Don’t cry, Eleanor. I am sure we can work this all out, but I am going to have to consider everything first. I love you Eleanor. Only my life is in America, not here. I was going to bring you there when I married you.

  “According to your uncle, you really had no family to hold you here, which is another reason I was willing to marry you, sight unseen. I needed someone who had no ties here, so she would feel more content to come with me and remain in America. Now, you suddenly have family, and apparently, because of that, have gained responsibilities here, that can’t just be shrugged off. I cannot pull you away from your inheritance, but I have to consider my work which has taken years to build up.”