Page 10 of The Marquess’ Disguised Heiress (Love and Secrets of the Ton #13)

Chapter 9

Alexander stretched comfortably, the muscles in his thighs feeling slightly sore after his early morning horse ride. He walked inside the house, still dressed in his riding breeches, and headed straight towards the parlour, which faced the gardens up front.

He enjoyed the sunlight filtering into the room and had his breakfast there every day. His valet, John, immediately came to his side silently as Alexander made his way to the parlour.

The servants must have known he was returning since the breakfast tray was already waiting for him when he entered, and he sat down wordlessly. No matter how he tried to indulge his mind otherwise since last night, his thoughts would always return to Eliza.

She had felt warm and absolutely perfect in his arms as he had held her while she had slept, and even though he had never expected that moment to happen, it had been the highlight of his night.

When he had seen her uncomfortably asleep against the wall while being seated on the metal bucket, his heart had gone out to her, and he had known he couldn’t allow her to sleep in such discomfort.

Hence, he had only wanted to place her on the bench in the alcove and cover her with his coat for warmth, but she had been so snuggled up against him that he simply could not find the courage to disturb her sleep-induced mind.

The perfection of that moment refused to leave his mind one bit, his heart wishing to relive it again and again, night after night.

Only if that were possible.

“My Lord?” John’s questioning voice made Alexander shake the thoughts away and look at his trusted valet, staring at him with concern.

“Yes?”

“Are you quite alright? Your tea has turned cold, and you still haven’t touched a morsel of breakfast. Do you fancy something else this morning?”

Alexander shook his head. “My mind was occupied with some thoughts.”

“Do you wish to relieve them on me so you can feel lighter?”

Alexander smiled, realizing how much his servants cared for him, especially John. However, he could still not tell anyone about what he was actually thinking and reveal everything that had transpired between him and Eliza. Although, other things worried him just the same, especially everything about the Russels.

“The Russels have me curious about everything they are hiding. Interacting with the family last night revealed a lot about their true faces, but I must find out more. As much as I can.”

“Were you able to find out something momentous last night?”

“Nothing of that importance, no.” Alexander shook his head, “Although, I am certain about the fact that Lady Beatrice Russel is the one who holds most power in the house, and everyone revolves around her command. Lord Leicester, on the other hand, is nothing more than a peacock who enjoys flaunting the wealth that does not belong to him at all.”

“And the children?”

“I simply could not stand Henry, but he seems like a weak man with no morals. I am certain he has some vices that can be used against him when needed, and for that, he must be closely watched. Lady Victoria, on the other hand, is too full of herself and considers herself to be superior to everyone else. She is definitely not a kind person and is certainly rather clever like her mother, but Lady Margaret is softer and weaker and might be influenced by the right amount of pressure employed on her head.”

“What will you be doing next?”

Alexander took a sip of his tea, trying to think of his next step. “I need to take a closer look at the family and snoop in their house for proofs and clues. That might help me find something of importance that I would be able to hold against the Russels.”

“Finding a way inside the house and looking around without being discovered is impossible, My Lord.”

“It is not impossible.” Alexander sighed, a smirk on his face as he plotted. “The family will just need to be outside the house. But where?”

“A ball, perhaps?”

“No,” Alexander shook his head, turning to look at John, “The earl must invite them to dinner.”

“If you are going to invite them for dinner, who will sneak inside the house?” John was clearly confused.

“I cannot be the earl in front of their eyes, John.” Alexander stood up, making his way towards his valet. “They might have already seen me visiting the estate as George, a stable hand, and I cannot risk everything by being two people at the same time. You must pretend to be the earl and invite them over for dinner and while they are here, I will look around the house.”

John’s eyes widened in horror.

“You are surely kidding, My Lord.” He laughed nervously, “How can I ever be the earl?”

“You will have to do it for me, John,” Alexander said straight away. “There is no other way to go about this, and if there is anyone who can pretend to be me, it is you. You have seen me closely enough and know everything about me. I am certain you can do it.”

“I will try my best not to disappoint you, My Lord.”

“I am sure you won’t.” Alexander smacked John’s back in praise, quite ecstatic about his agreement to the deal.

“But you will need to find a way to navigate through the house without being seen by the servants.”

“I know the ins and outs of the house, and I am sure I will manage,” Alexander reassured John, suddenly remembering another important task he had handed over to Mrs Carlyle, the housekeeper. “John, you must immediately go and fetch Mrs Carlyle and bring her here to me. I have something terribly important to discuss with her.”

Without another word, John left the parlour, and Alexander resumed his breakfast. He could not lie to himself and claim that he was not worried for Eliza, living the way she was in that house, but he had faith in himself to reveal the truth in front of the world.

That was all he needed to do to make sure Eliza’s reputation was restored in society. The door opened, and Mrs Carlyle walked in beside John.

“You asked for me, My Lord?”

“I asked you to get some gifts delivered to the girl who lives in the attic in the Russel Estate. What happened about it?”

“It is already done, My Lord.” Mrs Carlyle smiled. “It was not an easy task, but I made sure it was done. We first left the gifts on the path outside the mansion, but before she could find them, another maid saw them and stole them. Hence, the second time around, I took the help of the gardener’s son, who easily climbed over the vine fence, which led straight to the attic window, and deposited the gifts directly inside. He is very young and light enough for his weight to be handled by the fence, and I gave him a small amount so he would keep his mouth shut about the matter.”

Alexander was thrilled. He wanted Eliza to have everything she deserved to have, and he was ready to go to any length to get those things to her.

“Make sure this continues happening and keep sending her fine things.”

“I will do just that, My Lord.”

Alexander nodded, dismissing her. He needed to see Eliza immediately.

***

Dressed in breeches and a shirt fit enough for a stable hand, Alexander made his way towards the woods at the back of the Russel Estate, hoping to find Eliza.

A part of him hoped for her to be comfortably snuggled in her bed after the work she had done last night, but he knew better than that. No one in the house would let her sleep at such an unreasonable hour, and there was a much higher chance that he would find her working instead.

As he went further into the woods, his eyes landed on a familiar head of strawberry blonde hair tied into a messy braid, and he knew he had been right. Eliza stood ahead of him, completely oblivious to his presence as she foraged through the woods.

She was bent over a tiny shrub, which Alexander could not see, carefully tearing away leaves or fruits or perhaps even flowers. He walked closer, his feet crunching on the dried leaves, alerting Eliza of his presence.

“George!” She smiled warmly at him, waving him over.

He could see the tiredness of last night evident on her face, but she looked just as beautiful, the light on her face visible still. He made his way towards her, his heart already melting at the sight of her smile and last night came rushing back to him. Although right now, he was just George and not the stranger she had clung to as she slept.

“I am surprised to find you here after last night.”

“Whatever do you mean?”

“Do you have the energy to forage in the woods after staying up all night due to the ball?” he asked, making her chuckle softly.

“What can I say? Life must continue to go on even after a busy night. I certainly cannot say no to work and rest all day.”

“Then at least let me carry your basket while you look around and pick up everything you need to?” He took her basket from her before she could either agree or deny, and to his relief, she did not protest as she quietly gave up the already heavy basket. Alexander could see she had already picked up various fruits and flowers.

Despite that, the pair walked around in silence for several minutes as Eliza continued to pick up a flower or some leaves from one plant or another, her face a mask of concentration.

He could see she enjoyed doing this, and he was simply glad to be awarded her company even if both of them remained completely quiet.

He stared at her simple olive-green dress with its chequered pattern and apron tied around her waist and realized how beautiful she looked even when dressed so simply.

“Are you tire-” he began speaking just as she spoke up as well.

“Did the earl-”

They looked at each other, both stopping mid-sentence and instead broke out into laughter, Eliza’s eyes shining as she dissolved in giggles. He had never seen her laughing this openly before, and he was glad to see her this happy. Once the laughter had faded, Alexander shifted the basket from one hand to the other and nodded at her.

“Please go ahead and continue saying whatever is on your mind.”

“I was just asking you if the earl enjoyed the ball. He must have attended last night, I am sure.”

“He did attend,” Alexander replied, “and I heard him saying that he enjoyed it immensely and the ball was organized beautifully. I am certain it was all because of you.”

Eliza blushed.

“I tried my best for it to be successful.”

“And it was just that.”

She nodded, her eyes darting from left to right as if something was weighing on her mind. Alexander wondered if she could be thinking about the stranger from last night and the conversation she had with him. He could not blame her for constantly thinking about it since that must have given her a lot to consider.

“You must thank the earl for his praise,” she finally said, sighing deeply.

“I will,” Alexander promised. “Is something troubling you, Beth? You seem rather worried.”

She immediately became flustered, blinking quickly before looking at Alexander, and a smile pinned on her lips. Eliza shook her head as if it was the most absurd thought one could have ever had and rejected the question entirely.

“Not at all,” she said enthusiastically, “Although I must return to the house now.”

“I will walk you there. I do not wish you to be carrying this heavy basket all the way to the kitchen.”

“Oh, you don’t have to do that, George,” she protested.

“I insist.”

She wordlessly allowed him to walk beside her, and the two made their way back to the house.

“Thank you,” she finally said.

“That is entirely unnecessary.” He smiled, “I completely forgot to tell you that the earl is planning to invite the Russels to dinner later this month. The entire family, of course.”

“That sounds delightful.”

“I was wondering if I could come to the house during the dinner and perhaps become a part of the traditional game of cards that goes on between the servants.”

“How do you know about the game?” Eliza looked at him squarely.

Alexander had seen the card game happening once when he was a little boy and had assumed it still went on, but he definitely could not tell Eliza that. Although, if he remembered right, he had heard two footmen just by the gate discussing the winnings of the card games the night of the ball.

“I accidentally overheard a few servants bragging about their skill and winnings in the card games held here.”

Eliza laughed.

“You are right, the games do happen, but I have never participated,” she replied, “I will ask Lara about who organized the game and make sure we have a seat for you. You are more than welcome to join.”

Alexander nodded, knowing this might be the only chance he would get to find proof against the Russels. He could not let this opportunity go.

***

“Who is he?” Victoria stared across the garden from the parlour window, watching Eliza as she walked through the garden with a man beside her.

Margaret stood up from her position on the sofa to stare at what Victoria was looking at and turned towards her sister, “I think that is George. He is a stable hand on the earl’s estate and has been coming to the house after he accidentally met Beth a few days ago. The other day, I saw him in the kitchen with the other servants and heard a little bit of their conversation.”

“A stable hand?” Victoria asked suspiciously, unsure about the theory. “He does not look like a stable hand.”

“Just because he is handsome, he does not have to be noble, Victoria,” Margaret replied, returning to her tea.

“Handsome?” Henry chimed in, finally gaining some interest in the conversation. “Let me look at the man.”

He stood up beside Victoria as the two of them stared at the pair, but Henry immediately shook his head.

It could simply be that he was still hungover from last night and had no energy left in him to think rationally or to think at all really, but the chap hardly looked handsome to him, or even important for that matter.

“He is as common as they come, Vic,” he addressed his sister, returning to the settee he had been reclining on. “You are worrying yourself over nothing.”

“He is a commoner, yes,” Margaret added, “but I do not know what it is about him that gives off a noble air. Perhaps it is his manner of walking that seems almost regal, but despite all that, he just seems like a simple man. I believe a little too simple to be considered one of them, although from what I heard in the kitchen, he appears to be both kind and friendly.”

Victoria sighed, hardly registering what Margaret had even said about the man. She did not care about Margaret’s opinion anyway and was simply voicing her doubts about the man, although, she felt as if the doubts could only be about Eliza’s presence beside him.

Victoria always felt the urge to take all happiness away from that girl, and she seemed to be laughing with George. Victoria did not enjoy that sight. She turned to look at Henry, who was already dozing off on the settee, his cup of tea forgotten beside him.

“Did you see the enigmatic stranger at the party last night?” she asked Margaret instead, who nodded enthusiastically.

“He is such a wonderful dancer,” Margaret replied, making Victoria roll her eyes. She had seen her sister dancing with him and had concluded that he must have taken pity on her.

“He is,” Victoria replied with an air of superiority, “although I do wonder why he would not give us his name. That seemed rather suspicious.”

Margaret said something in reply but, Victoria did not hear her sister, her eyes on George as he strolled away from the house. She wondered why the man had something peculiar about him, for he certainly did not look like just another servant.

She could be worrying about nothing, but she worried all the same. Victoria shook her head, not wanting to think any longer about it, and motioned towards the maid standing in one corner.

“Go call Beth.”

The maid scurried off and returned with Eliza just moments later.

“Yes, My Lady?” Eliza asked with a curtsy.

“I am too tired from the ball. Come give me a foot massage.”

Victoria knew she could have asked anyone to give her a foot massage, but she enjoyed humiliating Eliza in this manner.

The others were just servants aiming to please, but Eliza was one of them, her very own cousin, demeaned to this position, and Victoria enjoyed taking full advantage of it. Without a single word of protest, Eliza quickly began to rub Victoria’s feet.

Although, despite humiliating her from time to time, Victoria still never felt satisfied because, in her heart, she knew how Eliza was better than her in every way possible. She was more beautiful and far kinder, qualities that Victoria did not possess.

That was what angered her.

“Children!” They all looked up as their mother walked in, her eyes falling on Eliza rubbing Victoria’s feet.

“Go fetch me a pot of tea, girl.”

Victoria pushed Eliza away with her foot, and she scurried away without a single word, making Victoria and Lady Leicester laugh at her humiliation. Henry, who had woken up sometime in the past few minutes, joined in the laughter, but Margaret remained silent, not wanting to be a part of this unnecessary humiliation.

“You seem never to enjoy our treatment of Beth, Margaret? Why is that?” Victoria asked teasingly, but Margaret simply remained silent. She knew replying to Victoria would only give her sister more reason to come at her.

“Is it because you think you are just as unfortunate as Beth? A wallflower with no suitors and no prospects.”

Tears glazed through Margaret’s eyes, and she silently exited the parlour, sick of the taunts Victoria sprung on her now and then.

However, it was not just Victoria who was mean to her, but her mother, father, and brother behaved the exact same way as well. She had never once felt loved in the family, and none of them had ever been kind to her.

Before she could escape to her room, she happened upon Eliza, who had a pot of tea and a plate of biscuits in her hands. Upon seeing her, Margaret quickly wiped away the tears that were not all over her cheeks, not wanting a servant to see her crying.

A servant?

She knew Eliza was anything but a servant, but the way she had been turned into a servant by her family angered Margaret.

Despite that, she had no confidence to stand up against her family in outrage at what they had done to poor Eliza.

“Would you like a biscuit, Lady Margaret?” Eliza asked kindly.

Margaret shook her head no, realizing how Eliza had never been unkind to her even once. She had never been unkind to anyone, the goodness of her heart apparent to everyone in the house.

Margaret wished she could do something for her cousin, but she was entirely powerless against her family, a prisoner in her own home. She could do nothing even if she tried, and that pained her immensely.