Disgrace and Desire(30)

‘There would certainly be a scandal if anyone was to know that you had been running around the country at night with Mr Alex!’ She looked again at the gown, then picked up her muddy slippers. ‘And what am I suppose to do with these? Ruined, just like your gown and your stockings! And all left on the floor for me to fall over! You should not have had to undress yourself, madam: if I had been here when you came in last night I could have taken these away and cleaned them, but now the dirt is so dried on there will be no getting it out.’

‘No, I think you should dispose of the gown and the slippers,’ said Eloise. ‘But do it discreetly, Alice.’

The maid snorted. ‘Do you think I would take these things down to the servants’ hall and announce to all and sundry that my mistress was gallivanting the night away?’

Despite her heavy heart, Eloise smiled. ‘No, of course not. I am very sorry to be so troublesome, truly I am. There is something else.’ She pulled the silk wrap from under the bedclothes and held it out, saying airily, ‘This needs to be returned to Major Clifton.’ She observed Alice’s shocked countenance and looked away, her cheeks growing hot. ‘I was very chilled when we came back last night…’

Alice reached out and took the banyan, holding it at arm’s length as if it was some contaminated rag instead of a very costly and fashionable item of a gentleman’s wardrobe.

‘Well, I never did!’ exclaimed the maid. ‘So you put this on over your gown? Ooh, Miss Elle, if anyone had seen you!’

‘Well, they did not see me,’ replied Eloise, her cheeks very hot. ‘So see that it is returned to Major Clifton, if you please, and leave me to drink my chocolate in peace!’





Later, when she helped her mistress to dress, Alice was still muttering about the heathenish ways of the Quality. Eloise made no attempt to stop her, knowing her handmaid would talk herself back into a good mood all the sooner if she was allowed to have her say.

Thus Eloise was prepared for the talk and consternation of the party when she joined everyone in the breakfast room later that morning and she was able to assume a suitable expression of shock when Mr Renwick’s sister greeted her with the news of the attack.

‘Poachers,’ exclaimed Mrs Briggate, ‘and in the park, too! I do hope, brother, that you will take precautions to secure the house.’

‘I have already done so, sister.’

Mr Renwick’s response was calm and reassuring.

‘How is Mr Mortimer?’ asked Eloise as she took her seat at the table.

‘Very poorly, but Major Clifton says his life is not in danger,’ replied Mrs Renwick. ‘It was Major Clifton who found Mr Mortimer and he has been looking after him.’

‘He is with him now,’ added her husband, ‘I have told him he has only to say the word and a man shall ride for the doctor immediately, but he does not seem to think it necessary at present.’

Sir Ronald had sauntered into the room and he said softly, ‘The question is, what took Mortimer into the grounds at night in the first place?’

Eloise wrapped her hands around her coffee cup and tried to ignore his sly look.

‘Perhaps he likes those horrid little cigarillos that are so popular with the gentlemen today,’ said Mrs Renwick.

‘That would certainly explain what Clifton was doing in the gardens,’ put in Edward Graham. ‘Doubtless he picked up the habit while he was in the army.’

‘Don’t know what these young fellows should want with those things,’ barked Mr Briggate. ‘What’s wrong with snuff, I should like to know? Good enough for m’father.’

Eloise glanced at the brown stains around his nostrils and suppressed a shudder.

‘Or a pipe,’ put in Mrs Renwick. ‘I remember my father enjoyed a pipe of tobacco of an evening. I always thought it smelled quite delicious.’

‘Yes, yes, this is all very well, but we are straying from the point,’ put in Mrs Briggate with a nervous glance around the table. ‘What is to be done about the poachers?’

‘We will do what we have always done, sister.’ Mr Renwick smiled at her. ‘I shall put extra men into the grounds today, and tonight we will let the dogs loose, so I would warn all of you to remain indoors after dark.’

‘We are shooting today, are we not, Renwick?’ asked Edward Graham. ‘Perhaps we can bag a few of the rascals for ourselves.’

There was general laughter at this, and the gentlemen soon went off to prepare for their day’s sport. Mrs Renwick carried the ladies off to the morning room and Eloise slipped away. She was anxious to see Alex and since the back stairs were deserted she quickly ran up to the bachelor wing and scratched upon the door.

‘My lady! You cannot come in here!’

Eloise pushed past Farrell, ignoring his half-hearted attempts to deny her.

‘It is my fault your master is injured and I must know how he is,’ she said, walking into the room.

Alex was propped up in his bed, looking very pale. He raised his brows when he saw her.

‘Go away, Elle. You should not be here. What if the servants see you?’

‘They will not, for I am very careful. Besides, it does not matter if they do,’ she said bitterly. ‘It will merely add to my reputation. I had to find out how you go on.’

‘I feel devilish,’ he muttered. ‘I have a neat hole in my shoulder which is a little sore but the cut on my leg will keep in bed for a week at least. I suppose I should be thankful it is no worse.’ He frowned suddenly. ‘Farrell tells me you and Clifton put me to bed.’

She flushed.

‘Yes.’

‘Damnation, Eloise, there was no need for that!’

‘Yes, there was. It needed two of us to undress you and Farrell had to fetch the bandages.’

‘You should have made some excuse and left the room.’

She had been thinking much the same thing, but at the time she had wanted to stay, and Jack’s calm assumption that she would not be shocked by the sight of a man’s body had allowed her to override her scruples. She realised now that it had only added to his conviction that she was a woman of the world.

She said quietly, ‘I wanted to help.’

‘But, good heavens, Elle, what will Clifton think?’

‘I neither know nor care what the major thinks,’ she retorted. ‘He is an odious man.’

She looked away from Alex’s searching gaze.

‘Quarrelled again, have you?’

‘Of course not. But I beg you will not confide in him. Do not tell him anything more about us. I do not trust him.’

‘Well, I think you should. Jack is sound enough, my dear.’

Eloise pressed her lips together and hoped she was not scowling. So it was Jack now, was it? Alex put a hand to his shoulder.

‘He made a capital job of binding me up, and he was here first thing this morning, checking the bandages. You’ve no need to worry about Clifton.’

‘Did I hear my name?’

Eloise whipped round as Major Clifton came into the room. Her face flamed but he gave her no more than a nod as he walked towards the bed.

As if we were no more than acquaintances, she thought. As if he had forgotten what happened last night.

She bit her lip, knowing that she was being uncharitable. Perhaps he was trying to spare her blushes.

‘Aye, we were talking of you.’ Alex held out his hand to him, grinning. ‘I was telling my lady what a good sawbones you would make.’

‘One picks up a little knowledge in the army.’ Jack gave Eloise a half-smile but she turned away, determined not to respond. ‘Lady Allyngham nursed you, too, you know.’

‘And I am very grateful to you both. But, Elle, now you can see that I am getting better I do wish you would go away: we are not related, my dear, and there will be the devil to pay if you are found here.’

‘You should have thought that way last night before you went off together to meet Deforge,’ growled Jack.

‘That was different.’ Alex shifted uncomfortably. ‘No one was meant to know about that.’ He glanced at Eloise. ‘What are they saying downstairs?’

‘That it was poachers. I saw Sir Ronald this morning.’ She shuddered. ‘I could hardly bear to sit still at the breakfast table, for he was smiling in the slyest manner.’

‘The devil he was! When I am back on my feet I shall take a pistol to the villain!’

‘When you are back on your feet you may of course do what you wish,’ replied Jack. ‘But for now you must rest. I’ve sent your man down to fetch you some breakfast.’

Even as he spoke, Jack was very aware of the lady standing silently beside the bed. She looked so pale and forlorn that guilt wrenched at his insides. If only he could go back and unsay his hasty words of last night. He was furious with himself for his outburst. From the little he had overheard when he walked into the room he was sure she had not told Mortimer what had occurred, so he would follow her lead and say nothing, at least when they were in company.

He needed to talk to her, to explain his behaviour, but that was not possible here, with Alex Mortimer looking on. He was not at all sure that it was possible under any conditions. How could he make her understand just how he had felt, after the most glorious, the most fulfilling lovemaking he had ever known, to discover that she was still a maid? He had been shocked, mortified to think he had not known. True, she had responded to him, matched his passion with her own but that was no excuse. He was not inexperienced and he was horrified to think he had been so insensitive to her. She had thought his annoyance was directed towards her and by the time he had collected his dazed wits she had gone, fled back to her room. Unable to rest he had collected her cloak, wrapped up her discarded clothes and deposited them at her door. He hoped she would know from that gesture that he intended to be discreet, that he meant her no harm. Until he could find a way to talk to her privately, it was all he could do.