Page 79

Tis well, sir, that you hunted for yourself;

Tis thought your deer does hold you at bay.

E lizabeth woke well before the first rays of dawn touched London rooftops.

The dull throbbing in her head from the night before had grown into searing pain, her eyes and chest uncomfortable from prolonged weeping.

She rolled over listlessly in bed and looked about the dark room, her eyes dimly discerning the shadows of her rage.

Fuzzily she ran her hand across her brow as if to pull her thoughts together.

She lurched sideways out of bed. She had made plans last evening, plans for this dark morning. She pressed the heels of her hands against her agonizing temples and sat down again on the edge of the bed.

A soft scratching at her door roused her.

“Mistress?” called a quiet voice, “be you awake?”

Elizabeth rose and hurried to the door. “Shush, yes I’m awake.” She unlocked the door to let her maid slip in with a tray of hot chocolate. “Well?” she asked.

“I doubt anyone be rising early today with all the hue and cry of last night. His lordship drunk himself into a stupor, he did, and had to be carried to bed. I saw the butler remove an empty spirits bottle and confide to Mr. Cranston it were brandy. Like as not he’ll have an awful head.”

“It couldn’t be any worse than mine,” Elizabeth said dully, as she sat down on a small sofa by the fireplace. “Can I fetch you some lavender water, my lady?”

“No, I doubt it would help.”

“Well here, drink your chocolate while I stoke the fire bright again,” soothed Ivy. “Are you still determined to return to Larchside today?”

Elizabeth watched the woman deftly rekindle the fire “Yes, and I’m not going to wait upon a carriage either. I intend to ride back with only a small portmanteau of necessities.”

She raised a hand to forestall Ivy’s objections “You will have to follow as best you can with the remainder of my things. I’m certain my husband will not stop you however, if everything continues in a disarray, it may be a few days before you are able to come.”

“I understand, my lady.”

“Help me get into my riding habit, then while I pack a few items, you run along to the stable and see if you can get a horse to be saddled for me.”

“Oh, that won’t be no problem, ma’am,” she said brightly, “seein’ as how Thomas is kinda sweet on me.”

Elizabeth laughed hollowly as her maid twitched the skirts into place and fastened the hooks. “Good, and keep it quiet. Though I do not think my husband will follow, I do not hold the same faith in his not trying to stop me.”

“Don’t you worrit, my lady, we’ll get you off right and tight.”

Patches of cold wet fog still clung to the road and lay low in the valleys as Elizabeth, followed faithfully by Thomas, rode toward Larchside.

Despite her depressed spirits, she was amused by the young groom’s dogged insistence that he accompany her.

She had even tried to order him to remain behind, but with an apology he refused.

Her maid’s estimation of him climbed considerably, and both were surprisingly voluble in their instance.

They wore down her resistance finally by a blunt admission on Thomas’s part of a reluctance to being available to answer questions when her absence was discovered, and the reminder that there was no one now at Larchside who would see to her horse.

He promised to be discreet and not trouble her with his company, and so rode silently behind, leaving Elizabeth to her own thoughts.

In truth, her thoughts were as murky as the day.

The weather, she mused, was much like it had been the first time she’d journeyed to the manor.

She’d come last time bottled up with anger and fear for what was to be.

Today she traveled with anger and fear for what was not.

How ironic for her to come full circle, and the property, once considered a prison, now representing a haven.

Her headache found relief in the cold morning air, and with that relief and the long miles to travel came an opportunity for objectivity.

A nagging little belief that perhaps she’d been too hasty in her anger wormed its way into her thoughts.

Justin freely admitted his guilt in the past. His explanation, though not terribly flattering, did ring true.

That was another matter—he had not strived to do up his actions in clean linen, to make them flattering to her ears.

In all, he talked as though his guilty actions were a distinct part of the past, and that at some time he had suffered an attitude change.

Of course, “suffered” might be precisely the correct word, and he regretted any softness he might have begun to exhibit, and thus felt no compunction in setting her up once again for the entertainment of society.

Still, though he displayed some of the blind arrogance of the privileged, when his errors were presented to him, he did not retreat into stubborn denial as so many were wont to do.

Regardless, there remained the matter of the last wager.

If he had regretted his previous behavior, would he have engaged in such a heartless bit of foolery?

Her spirits sank again, for she could not believe the sincerity of his remorse if he continued to treat her like a stage character and an object for sport.

The worst of it all was she could not tear the love she felt for him from her heart.

Nonetheless, she would not again allow him to get close enough to harm her.

If she were lucky, he might divorce her or at least allow her to live her life alone.

She sighed audibly and her mare’s ears twitched at the sound.

She smiled and leaned forward to pat her neck.

“We’ll be home soon, and though you won’t be quartered in the best stable, it will be dry and provide a full measure of oats. ”

The animal’s ears flicked again in response to the sound of her voice as they turned down the lane before Larchside.

Elizabeth viewed the manor with satisfaction as she slipped from her horse’s back and handed Thomas the reins.

The morning sun was burning off the gray fog, while a light autumn wind chased clouds away, revealing a warm, welcoming building instead of the foreboding edifice she had faced on her wedding day.

She smiled, albeit sadly, and vowed she would make her own form of happiness here.

“After you’ve seen to the horses, please slip over to the Humphries’ and ask Mrs. Geddy if she would be so good as to return to her duties. I’m famished and I’m sure you must be as well, though not, I warrant, hungry enough to stomach Mrs. Atheridge’s fare!”

Thomas chuckled. “Nay, my lady. Don’t worit—if I know Mrs. Geddy, she’ll nip o’er immediately, and cluck and fuss ’cause she weren’t here before you.”

“Yes, that’s most likely true. Now the question is if I can rouse the Atheridges to let me in.”

But even as she spoke the front door to Larchside flew open and Mary Geddy, wrapped up voluminously in cloak and shawls, ran down the steps.

“Oh, milady, milady! It’s reet glad I am to see you. The most dreadful thing has occurred, and I think he done it deliberately and I’m mortal scared,” wailed Mrs. Geddy, grabbing Elizabeth’s hands and wringing them between her own.

“What is it, Mary? Who did what?”

“Mr. Tunning, milady, he’s gone for the magistrate. He says it’s deportation for Gerry and maybe all o’ us, too.” Mary’s words came out in a rush, her color high and her spry little body trembling.

“Deportation? For what?” Shock and concern in Elizabeth’s face gave way to incredulity. Thomas stood rooted in his spot, the reins of their horses held loosely in his hands as he listened, his eyes fairly bugging out of his narrow face.

“Poaching. He says he caught Gerry removing a rabbit from a trap in the woods, but milady, Gerry wouldn’t hurt no animal, he loves ’em.”

“That’s certain true, everyone around knows that,” put in Thomas.

Mary threw Thomas a look of thanks and continued: “No one weren’t more surprised than my Gerry to find the poor creature in the trap and he were freeing it, it being caught by only one leg.”

“I see,” said Elizabeth. “When did this all occur?”

“Early this morning.”

“He often goes out early to see the animals,” Thomas said.

“And is this generally known also?”

Thomas looked uncertain. “I think so, my lady. I mean, he’s done it since we were young, and sometimes he’d drag one or another of the lads with him if he knew a mother with her young were bound to be out feeding.”

Mary nodded vigorously.

“Hmm,” Elizabeth mused thoughtfully. “Where is Gerry now?”

“Why, here, milady. Mr. Tunning has him locked up in my pantry, he does, and is scurrying off to fetch the magistrate. I was just talkin’ to him through the door when you rode up. Can you help him?”

“Definitely. Now don’t worry. Tom Tunning will not have anyone deported while I’m here.

” She squeezed Mary’s hands reassuringly.

“Thomas, take the horses to the stable and see to them, then step up to the house. I know this is all very traumatic for Mrs. Geddy, but not so traumatic she can’t fix us all a nice breakfast, I’ll wager. ”

“Oh, milady, you know I would if I could, but the pantry’s locked?—”

Elizabeth laughed. “Don’t forget, I am mistress of this manor and have a nice size ring of keys—and besides, I’m sure that grandson of yours is hungry, too. We’ll all have a nice breakfast and await Mr. Tunning's return.”

“Yes, ma’am,” cried Thomas delightedly, before he turned, leading the horses at a jog to the stables.

Tears welled up in Mary’s eyes. “Oh, thank you, milady, thank you.”

Elizabeth put her arm reassuringly around Mary Geddy’s shoulders and led her into the house.