Page 55 of The Lovers (Echoes from the Past #1)

FORTY

Road to Suffolk

The rain came down in nearly horizontal sheets of water.

Elise ran toward the carriage, her impractical shoes getting soaked in mere moments and squelching loudly.

The hem of her skirt was muddy, and rainwater ran into her bodice, but it felt good on her skin, and the air smelled fresh and summery.

Elise turned her face up to the sky, put her arms out, and did a graceful pirouette, as if she were performing some pagan rain dance.

She came to a stop and closed her eyes, savoring the moment.

Elise couldn’t recall the last time she felt such a sense of abandon.

It was as if the chains binding her grew slacker with every mile that separated her from London and her husband.

Elise opened her eyes to find James watching her.

Rain dripped from the brim of his hat and his coat was soaked, but he didn’t seem to notice as he gave Elise a warm smile before handing her into the carriage.

They’d barely spoken since he came to fetch her yesterday, but there seemed to be a kind of new understanding between them, an unspoken bond.

Peg dashed from the door of the inn to the carriage and jumped in, collapsing onto the seat. She was remarkably dry.

“Ye’ll get a chill,” she said reproachfully. “Just look at the state of ye.”

“Stop fussing, Peg. It feels good,” Elise retorted, feeling chastened, nonetheless.

Her behavior wasn’t ladylike, but she didn’t feel much like a lady.

She felt like her old self, a carefree girl who was full of hopes and dreams. The carriage lurched, and they got on their way.

It would take longer to get to Suffolk than anticipated, what with the roads awash and the wheels getting stuck every few miles, but Elise didn’t care.

She was in no rush to get to their destination.

While on the road, she was free. Once they arrived, she’d be Lady Asher again, and she would no longer be invisible.

And sooner or later, she would have to return.

The thought was soul crushing, so she put it out of her mind for the time being. She would enjoy this, no matter what.

The manor house was located two miles west of the town of Southwold on the shore of the North Sea and was built of forbidding gray stone.

The crenelated tower was silhouetted against the leaden sky, its sections like giant teeth taking a bite out of the heavens.

The estate was vast and well managed, by all accounts, the parkland full of game.

Elise gazed up at the great house as the carriage drew closer.

It stood atop a slight incline, like a fortress.

She supposed that it might have been a fortress once, as the middle section appeared to have been part of a keep, and the dip in the ground that surrounded the house might have been a moat.

Elise looked for any evidence of a curtain wall but found none.

Perhaps her imagination was getting the better of her.

James did not drive the carriage up to the front door but stopped in front of the stables, where he unhitched the horses and led them away to be fed and watered after helping Elise, Barbara, and Peg alight from the carriage.

They walked slowly toward the house, taking in their surroundings.

All the windows were shuttered. The massive oak door remained firmly closed, and there seemed to be no activity in or around the building.

There didn’t even appear to be a groom to see to the horses.

“Where is everyone?” Peg asked as she looked around in dismay .

“The house is closed up,” James said as he approached them, having dealt with the horses and carriage.

“Where have you been staying?” Elise asked, wondering what James had been up to these past few months.

“At the gamekeeper’s cottage. The man died near a year ago, and it’s been vacant since, so I took it over.”

“Is that where we will stay?” Elise asked carefully.

“You are the lady of the house, so it’s only proper that you stay in the house.

I’ll send word to Master Grove, the estate manager, that you have arrived, and he will see to provisions and servants.

You can stay with me until the house is fit for habitation.

Peg will act as chaperone,” he added with a wry smile. “It’s just through there.”

James took hold of Elise’s valise with one hand and offered his other hand to Barbara, who took it eagerly.

He led them down a narrow, wooded path that seemed to stretch on for miles.

Peg followed behind, muttering under her breath.

Unlike Lucy, whose disposition had been sunny, Peg was a complainer, and her mouth was more often pouty than smiling.

Having lived in London all her life, Peg wasn’t used to walking long distances and was out of breath by the time they finally arrived at the clearing where the cottage was situated.

The cottage was small but clean and comfortable.

The first room consisted of a large hearth, a table with two narrow benches, a wooden chest, and an alcove for a bed.

The second room held a larger bed, another chest at the foot of the bed, and a nightstand with a pitcher, basin, and a pewter candlestick.

There was also a loft accessible by a ladder.

“Have you been living here all on your own?” Elise asked, taking in the surprising orderliness of the place .

“Master Grove’s daughter, Lizzie, comes by twice a week.

She cleans and cooks for me.” James seemed a bit uncomfortable at the mention of Lizzie, and Elise felt a pang of jealousy, which she quickly suppressed.

What right did she have to be angry? James was a free man, and if he found some comfort in the arms of a comely maid, well that was his business.

“She’s thirteen,” James said pointedly, as if reading her thoughts.

“Ah. Is she a good cook, then?” Elise asked to hide her embarrassment. Was she so transparent?

“Passable.” James glanced at Peg who instantly bristled.

“Well, don’t ye look at me. I ain’t no kitchen maid.”

James shrugged and carried Elise’s bag into the bedroom. “You can sleep in here, your ladyship. Lady Barbara, it’s the alcove for you, and Peg can take the loft. There’s a cot up there.”

Peg didn’t look pleased since she’d been clearly hoping that James would take the loft and leave her to sleep in the alcove, where it was bound to be warmer and dryer, but she wisely refrained from commenting.

She was lucky to be away from London, and she knew it.

Peg took her small bundle and climbed up the ladder, eager to investigate her sleeping quarters.

“And where will you sleep?” Elise asked.

“On the floor. I’ll be fine, don’t you worry,” James added, seeing her expression. “It won’t be the first time. I’ll call on Master Grove and inform him of your arrival,” James said as soon as Peg disappeared up the ladder.

James looked at Elise as if he wished to say something more, then turned on his heel and left.

Barbara sat down by the window and took a piece of embroidery out of her basket, instantly content.

There was nothing for Elise to do, so she stretched out on the bed and placed her hands on her belly.

The baby gave a hearty kick, making Elise smile.

She didn’t wish to stay in the big, empty house.

She liked it just fine here and would have gladly kept the knowledge of her arrival from the estate manager.

How wonderful it would be to simply vanish for a while and live as she pleased with no one watching her or passing judgment.

A place to sleep and simple, country food was all she needed to be happy, and James and Peg were company enough.

But she was Lady Asher, and James wouldn’t hear of it.

Besides, he wouldn’t wish them to infringe on his privacy.