Disgrace and Desire(25)

‘Does he, by thunder! Then I’ll go back and fetch my pistol—’

She gripped his arm.

‘No, no violence! But I want you to come with me, Alex, and hide in the woods. The letter says I am to come alone but I do not think I am brave enough to do that.’

‘Of course I will come with you, I would not let you go unattended to meet the villain.’

‘Good. We will set off now, if you please. I expect him to be watching out for me, so we must go separately. You must take the path through the woods, I will follow the lower track beside the lake.’

‘It could be dangerous.’ Alex caught her arm. ‘You do not have to do this, Elle.’

‘I do,’ she replied softly. ‘You know that until we destroy the journal we cannot be safe.’

‘There is a way out of this that does not involve paying the blackguard!’

‘Go abroad, you mean? The Allyngham name would still be tarnished, and I will not do that to Tony’s memory.’ She squeezed his arm. ‘Wait for me in the woods, but be ready to come if I call.’

They hurried through the rose garden and Alex set off up the hill. Eloise watched him disappear into the trees and felt a slight moment of panic. Giving herself a mental shake, she pulled her cloak more tightly about her and set off along the lakeside path. Black clouds were scudding across the sky, occasionally blocking out the moon and making it difficult to see the ground in front of her. The sudden cry of a fox made her jump and at one point an owl flew silently overhead like a sinister dark angel. Eloise walked on, keeping her eyes fixed on the solid shape of the temple in the distance. A slight breeze blew across the lake, rippling its calm surface. The trees sighed and a tingle ran the length of her spine: unseen eyes were watching her, she knew it. She left the lakeside and made her way up the slope towards the temple. The steps and the portico gleamed white in the moonlight, but deep shadows filled the interior. Taking a deep breath, she climbed the steps and entered.





The square temple had a glazed door and large windows on each of the four sides, casting a silver-grey light into the centre. Eloise was immediately aware of a figure standing in one of the shadowed corners. His face was a ghostly pale disc against the blackness around him.

‘I have come,’ she said, steeling herself to keep still. ‘What is it you want of me?’

‘Well, that depends.’ The grating whisper jarred on her stretched nerves. ‘How badly do you want the return of that book?’

She shrugged. ‘It is worth something to me, I admit, but not much. There are no names in it, after all.’

He laughed softly.

‘Oh, come now, Lady Allyngham. A full year’s reminiscences: dates, places. It would not take a vast intelligence to work out the identities of those mentioned. I have not yet decided if I should publish it in book form—look how popular Caro Lamb’s Glenarvon has become in just a few months!—or perhaps I should release it to the newspapers, little by little…’

‘How much do you want?’ she interrupted him sharply.

‘Everything.’

‘Now you are ridiculous!’

‘Am I? To prevent your ruin, and that of your friends?’

Anger surged through her.

‘Step out of the shadows,’ she challenged him. ‘I am tired of talking to nothing. I want to see the villain who dares to threaten me!’

Again that soft laugh.

‘Villain, madam? I am your most ardent admirer.’

He stepped forwards and as the cloak of darkness fell away she recognised Sir Ronald Deforge. Eloise knew a momentary insane desire to laugh. The fear, shock and horror she should have felt was outweighed by relief. Relief that it was not Jack Clifton. Despite everything she had been afraid her judgement had let her down where Major Clifton was concerned. She stared haughtily at Sir Ronald as he stood before her, one white hand resting negligently on his silver-topped cane. With his tight-waisted frockcoat and tasselled Hessians he looked as if he had just strolled in from Bond Street.

‘An admirer who would stoop to threats,’ she said, her lip curling. ‘Tell me, how did you obtain the diary?’

‘A stroke of great good fortune, nothing more. Some time ago I was travelling back to town on the Great North Road and when we stopped to change horses a ragged wretch approached me. He wanted the fare to London and offered to sell me the journal.’

‘So you bought it.’

‘Of course not. I do not deal with thieves. He had no idea what it contained, I doubt if he could read well enough to know its true value. No, I had him flogged, and told him I would return the book to its rightful owner.’ He grinned. ‘Of course, I did not then know what a pleasant task that would be.’ He moved closer. ‘I admit when I first read that journal I thought only to sell it. After all, I guessed it must be worth something to protect the revered Allyngham name. But then you came to town and I was captivated. The more I see you, the more you inflame me.’

She suppressed a shudder and stepped away from him.

‘And you disgust me.’

‘Now that is a pity, my lady, because there is only one way I will give up the journal to you.’ He waited until she had turned again to face him. ‘You must marry me.’

Eloise laughed at that.

‘The full moon has affected your wits, Sir Ronald! I would never do that.’

‘Oh, I think you will, madam, when you consider the consequences of not becoming my wife. I can tell by your look that you are not convinced. Perhaps you think to wrest the book from me. You will not succeed. It is with my lawyer in London, in a sealed box. He has instructions to make its contents public if anything should happen to me. Anything at all,’ he added softly, ‘so you should pray no ill befalls me!’ He moved towards her. It took all Eloise’s will-power not to back away. He reached out to touch her face. ‘Do not look so shocked, my dear, you might even enjoy being my wife.’

She brushed his hand aside.

‘It astonishes me that you should wish to marry someone you do not know.’

He bared his teeth in a leering smile that made her feel physically sick.

‘Oh, I know you, Lady Allyngham. I have seen you in the salons and ballrooms, throwing out lures to every man in the room. And remember I have read that journal. You are a woman of experience, not averse to the more…unusual demands of the male.’ His hand shot out and grabbed her wrist as she began to back away.

With a cry she tried to pull free. A shadow fell upon them and she heard Alex’s curt voice from the open doorway.

‘Let her go, Deforge!’

Sir Ronald’s brows rose.

‘So you did not come alone as I instructed.’

‘Did you think I would be that foolish?’ she retorted, struggling against his grasp.

‘I thought you had more concern for your friends.’

Even as Sir Ronald was speaking Alex launched himself forwards. Deforge released Eloise and leapt back, putting his hand to the top of his cane and unsheathing a lethal-looking blade.

‘Alex, be careful, he has a sword-stick!’

Her warning came too late. Deforge lunged and the blade pierced Alex’s shoulder. He staggered back. Eloise tried to grab Deforge’s arm but he shook her off so violently that she fell to the floor. In horror she watched him advance upon Alex, who retreated to the door. Moonlight glinted on the sword as Deforge slashed Alex across the thigh and following up with a kick that sent him tumbling down the steps and on to the grass.

Eloise was still struggling to rise when another shadowy figure flew past the window. She saw Sir Ronald turn but before he could defend himself his head was snapped back by a swift, hard punch to the jaw and he crashed to the ground.

‘Attacking an unarmed man is not worthy of you, Deforge.’

Jack Clifton bent to pick up the sword-stick. For a moment a look of pure hatred transformed Sir Ronald’s face.

‘What are you doing here?’

‘Taking a stroll in the moonlight. It appears to be a very popular pastime.’ Jack stepped into the little room and held out his hand to Eloise. She allowed him to help her up, aware of the tension within him. Despite his casual words he was taught as a bowstring, alert and ready for action.

‘So she has caught you in her web, too, Clifton.’ Sir Ronald was climbing to his feet, one hand feeling his jaw.

‘We will leave the lady out of this, if you please.’

Sir Ronald laughed.

‘Your concern for the lady’s reputation is touching, Major, but misplaced, believe me.’

With a growl of anger Jack stepped towards him, fists raised. Eloise gripped his arm.

‘No, Major, please!

‘She is right to stop you, Clifton. If you lay another finger on me I shall cause a scandal that will destroy what remains of Lady Allyngham’s reputation, and that of her…friends.’ He straightened his coat and made a play of smoothing out the creases of his sleeve. ‘I am going back to bed. I leave you to explain it how you will, Major Clifton. You may try what you can to keep the lady’s name out of this. Oh—my cane, if you please?’

Jack picked up the discarded cane and sheathed the wicked blade.

‘Here.’ He tossed it to Sir Ronald. ‘You had best keep out of my way, Deforge. I would like nothing better than an excuse to kill you.’