The Haunting of a Duke(28)

She took her seat, and extended greetings to the other players. The first hand was dealt.

"Tell me, Miss Walters,” Lady Eleanor began, “Have you given any thought to the questions Lady Phyllis posed to you upon your arrival at Briarwood?"

So it begins, Emme thought and smiled politely back at her. “I have considered the matter, but have yet to ascertain the answers, Lady Eleanor."

"Perhaps there are no answers to present,” Lord Ellersleigh interjected. His tone was mild, but there was a surprising hint of steel beneath it.

"Or perhaps you are occupied in looking for something else, Miss Walters,” Lady Eleanor suggested, pointedly ignoring Michael's earlier retort. “Certainly there are many distractions here. It cannot be easy for you in London. Not to be indelicate, but with your family's history, I imagine that invitations to events have become quite scarce. Yet, here you are in a household full of eligible gentleman. It must be quite overwhelming."

"Lady Eleanor,” Emme began, and then took a deep breath to still her temper. Insulting the closest friend and confidant of her hostess, not to mention the woman who apparently ran Briarwood Hall with an iron fist would be the height of foolishness. “I cannot imagine what I might be looking for other than to enjoy the entertainments provided by Lady Phyllis, and to offer her any assistance that I may. I am here at the request of your family, after all, without agenda of my own."

"I was so pleased when you accepted Phyllis’ invitation,” Lady Eleanor added.

Her meaning was clear to Emme. She had been pleased when Emme arrived, but was not pleased with her now. “Your hospitality is unparalleled,” Emme countered, and Lord Ellersleigh disguised a chuckle as a cough.

"Indeed,” he said, “I have rarely found a house party so convivial or enlightening."

The first hand ended, with Lord Ellersleigh and Lady Eleanor as the winners. Lord Pommeroy was too distracted to care about winning, and Emme had no desire to continue the game any further. Were it not for the impeccable manners instilled in her by her late governess, she would have marched from the room.

The second hand began, and Emme played with intent—the intent to lose and end the frigidly civil confrontation.

"Enlightening, Lord Ellersleigh?” Lady Eleanor queried as she surveyed her hand.

Michael glanced at Emme and said, “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio."

Lady Eleanor harrumphed loudly and tossed down a card. Emme could not match the suit, and discarded. She was getting tantalizingly close to finally losing the game and getting out of the card room. Several more turns were taken, until finally, the game was lost. With Ellersleigh and Lady Eleanor winning the first two games of the rubber, Emme could gracefully bow out of the third game. Pleading fatigue, she rose and thanked Lord Pommeroy for partnering her in the game.

"Enjoy the rest of your afternoon, Miss Walters,” Lady Eleanor said, but her voice was cool and dismissive.

"I shall, Lady Eleanor. Thank you for your concern."

Emme left the card room and made her way toward the garden, by way of the library. She was not in the mood for poetry, but on her previous explorations she had found a copy of one of Mrs. Radcliff's novels. The novel required little thought, making it the perfect reading material for her that day. She passed by the bench where she had first encountered Melisande, and followed a graveled path deeper into the garden. She knew that there was a maze, but wished to avoid it. Her life, at present, was convoluted enough. There was also a summerhouse and a series of follies closer to the lake, and those follies were her destination. She needed a bit of peace and quiet and walked until she found the first folly.

It was a small grotto, featuring a statue of Poseidon in a small fountain flanked by a wooden bench that backed up to a stone wall. The wall was cushioned with moss, providing a comfortable spot to settle in for the afternoon. The overall effect was that of a ruined Grecian temple. It was perfect

Taking a seat on the bench, she opened the book and tried to read. After several moments, she simply closed the book on her lap and tilted her head back to look up at the sky. Even the grand escape provided by Mrs. Radcliff could not hold her attention. She was too distracted by the veiled warnings of Lady Eleanor, and her own preoccupation with Rhys. His Grace, she corrected herself mentally. She needed to break the habit of thinking of him by such an intimate moniker.

Emme became aware after a few moments that she was no longer alone. She braced herself for the shock, but it was still a jolt when she turned her head and saw Melisande sitting beside her. The girl smiled, and she looked so vital that it was difficult for Emme to reconcile herself to the knowledge that Melisande was a spirit.