A Debt From the Past (2 page)

Nodding to herself, Helen turned from the window. Thankfully, she was so numb she no longer had any feelings, and that was a blessing because the future ahead was going to be very difficult. Although she was going to live with her friend, it would be as a paid servant, and she must accept that she would always be a spinster because, with such a scandal surrounding her family, no man of substance would offer for her now.

Had her father fully realized the extent of the disaster he was leaving for her to deal with and the life of poverty now facing her? No, she doubted that. He must have been in a very confused state of mind to take his own life. Helen sighed in sadness for her dear father. They had always known he had a tendency to gamble, but it had never got out of hand until her mother had died. It was then he had sought the gaming tables as a release from his grief. She should have been aware that he was losing badly, but she hadn’t because he had hidden it so well. He had appeared to recover from his wife’s death, always smiling and generous to her. Word of his suicide must have spread with lightning speed because within two days the creditors were demanding their money. Fortunately, he had kept accurate records of his debts, so she knew exactly who was making a legitimate claim, and who was not. When she had found the ledger, the extent of the amounts owing had been alarming, and it had soon become clear there was only one way to deal with it. And she had done just that. Now it was over.

Helen picked up the box containing all the receipts she had made every creditor sign, stating that payment had been made in full, so that no future claims could be made on her. She made her way upstairs to collect her meagre belongings, bracing herself to face her new future, determined to earn her keep as Beth’s companion. It was going to be strange for both of them, but she would make sure she was of help to her friend, for she had had to face her own heartbreak and problems in the last year. Elizabeth’s mother had died when she had been very young, and her father had tragically been killed only nine months ago in a riding accident. Lord Sharland had been made her guardian, and, with his guiding hand, Elizabeth had taken on the task of running the large estate, with great success. It hadn’t been easy – Helen knew that – but her friend had faced the challenge with courage, and that is what she too must do. There was a new kind of life ahead of her, and what she made of it would be up to her.

Picking up her bag and tucking the box of papers under her arm, she walked down the stairs and out of the house. The frosty ground crunched under her feet as she walked towards the coach Beth had insisted on supplying for her. As they drove away, Helen never looked back.

Helen was here at last! Beth turned away from the window, ran out of the room and down the stairs. She had been so worried about her friend and had wanted to stay by her side to the very end of the distressing business, but Helen would not hear of it. Beth had understood, but it had been hard watching her friend become pale and withdrawn. But she was here now, and the peace of the Langton estate would soon work its magic and help her to recover. The staff had all been told that Lady Helen Denton was coming as Elizabeth’s companion, and, at her own request, her title was no longer to be used. Most of the staff had known the two since they were toddlers, and it wasn’t going to be easy to think of Helen as little more than a servant, but Lord Sharland had impressed upon them the need to respect Helen’s wishes in this matter.

Helen was standing in the entrance hall, and when Beth hurtled down the stairs, Jenkins, the butler, blocked her way, the expression on his face warning her to be careful. As soon as she glanced at her friend, she knew he was right. It was only a week since she had seen Helen, but in that time the change in her was dramatic, and Beth’s heart ached, for her suffering was all too evident.

‘Your ... er ... companion is here, Miss Elizabeth.’

‘Thank you, Jenkins,’ she said softly as the smile on her face disappeared. She could see now that her friend had closed herself off, shutting out her feelings and emotions.

She stepped forward, her smile of welcome back in place. ‘Oh, Helen, I’m so pleased to see you at last.’

At that moment Lord Sharland strode in. ‘Ah, welcome, my dear. I’m delighted you are here. I shall be leaving for India earlier than expected, and Elizabeth is going to need you.’

‘I’m happy to be here, your lordship, and I thank you for your kindness in seeing to the sale of the horses for me, and to Elizabeth for her help and support.’

So formal, Beth thought in dismay. Helen had always called her Beth, but she was obviously determined to take on the role of companion. This was going to take time, but, knowing the strength of her friend’s character, Helen would eventually heal.

‘Think nothing of it.’ Edward smiled and beckoned to the footman. ‘Stanley, take Miss Helen’s case up to her room, please. It’s the one next to Miss Elizabeth.’

‘At once, your lordship.’

‘Now, if you ladies will excuse me, I have business to attend to, and I am sure you have a great deal to talk about.’

‘Will you be joining us for dinner?’ she asked her godfather.

‘Of course. I’ve already informed Cook.’

‘Excellent. We shall look forward to hearing all about your plans for your trip to India.’ Beth kissed her godfather and then turned to Jenkins. ‘We would like a large pot of tea and some pastries in my sitting room, please.’

The butler bowed and hurried away to the kitchens.

Cook had obviously anticipated the request because a trolley arrived the moment they were settled. Once they had cups of tea in their hands, Beth looked closely at her friend and was swept with such sadness that it was difficult to hide. Helen had been through a terrible ordeal and it showed. ‘Is it all finished, Helen?’ she asked gently.

‘Yes.’ She managed a faint smile. ‘Every penny of the debts has been paid, and I have the receipts to prove it.’

‘I am relieved to hear that, but I wish there had been another way.’

‘There wasn’t.’ Helen’s expression was one of grief mixed with determination. ‘The debts were so huge that everything had to be sold, and quickly; otherwise, I would have had people pounding on my door for the rest of my life. I couldn’t have lived like that, Elizabeth. Now no one can make a claim upon me.’

‘Of course I understand. You have always had a clear head – and courage.’

‘And stubborn pride.’ Helen grimaced and then changed the subject. ‘I am grateful to be here, Elizabeth, but now you must tell me what my duties will be as your paid companion.’

‘Well, as you know, my guardian will be away for many months, so I will need your help in running the estate. Your advice will be invaluable, and we shall be busy. Mr Greenway is an excellent manager, but Father taught me how to handle the business side, and I like to keep an eye on everything pertaining to the estate. ‘But –’ she looked at Helen straight in the eyes – ‘the thing I need most of all from you is your friendship. You are a guest in this house, Helen, and a very welcome one.’ Elizabeth put down her cup and took her friend’s hands in hers. ‘I know you need to feel you are earning your keep – and you will be, for this is a very large estate – but you have always called me Beth, so please do not change that.’

‘Of course.’ A hint of a teasing smile crossed Helen’s face. ‘I expect I would have soon forgotten to be so formal and slipped back into our old ways.’

‘Of course you would.’ Beth smiled in relief and relaxed for the first time. The signs were that it wouldn’t take Helen long to recover from her ordeal. What she had just gone through would have destroyed many a young woman, but not her friend. She was made of sterner stuff!

‘I will be delighted to help in any way I can, Beth, and to be kept busy is just what I need.’ Helen shook her head sadly. ‘When we were children running wild around the estate, we never imagined we would end up like this. We are both twenty years old and we thought that by now we would be attending balls and social gatherings with a string of young men vying for our attention. Instead, you are working constantly, and I am destitute. How did such misfortune come upon us?’

‘We have both been dealt tough challenges,’ Beth agreed, ‘but we can help and support each other through this. We were always getting into scrapes, if I remember rightly, and nothing daunted us. It won’t now, and I feel sure we have had our share of disasters. From now on it will be smooth going for both of us.’

‘You are right. The past is behind us, and we must look to the future – whatever it may hold.’

The last four weeks had been good, Beth acknowledged with satisfaction. It had been a blessing to have Helen beside her now that her godfather was away, and her friend had already regained much of her vigour and health. Beth smiled quietly to herself as she remembered Helen’s joy at seeing her beloved horse in the stables, and it had made both of them weep a little. Lord Sharland had told Helen that the animal was hers to use all the time, but she must exercise her and look after her, which she was delighted to do. It had been a good moment. And so was this. They had a rare couple of hours to themselves and were enjoying a relaxing time together. Although it was still cold, there were hints that spring was on the way. Once March gave way to April, they could look forward to long summer days. Beth missed her god-father and hoped that his business would not take too long, but with the support of her estate manager she was quite capable of running the estate successfully. Her only concern was that her godfather had appeared tense and distracted before he went, and she had been worried that the trip would be too much for him, but he had just laughed and said that he had done it many times and would be quite all right.

‘Come in,’ Beth said when there was a gentle tap on the door, and, as her butler stepped into the room, she didn’t move from her comfortable position, curled up in an armchair with a book in her hands. ‘What is it, Jenkins?’

‘Mr Crighton wishes to speak with you, miss.’

She frowned, beginning to unwind herself. ‘I wasn’t expecting him today, but perhaps he is just checking to see that we have everything we need while Lord Sharland is away.’

‘He has another gentleman with him, but he did not offer his name.’

‘Perhaps the lawyer has a new assistant.’ Helen put down her book and left her seat. ‘Will you change before seeing them?’

‘Certainly not. I’ll be down in a few minutes, Jenkins.’

He inclined his head and left the room.

‘She began smoothing down her blue dress. ‘I am quite presentable. Let us go and see what Mr Crighton wants, and then perhaps we can go for a ride. The weather is quite pleasant.’

When they walked into the drawing room, the first thing to catch Beth’s attention was Mr Crighton’s nervousness. ‘How kind of you to call.’ Before the lawyer had a chance to say anything, Beth smiled graciously at the man standing by the fireplace. She felt a ripple of unease as soon as she looked at him. He was in his late twenties, she guessed, tall and slender to the point of being on the thin side. His hair was black, but it was his eyes that disturbed her the most – they were pale grey and as cold as a frosty morning.

The lawyer stepped forward. ‘May I introduce—’

The stranger cut the lawyer off in mid-sentence. ‘I am your guardian.’

It took a dozen heartbeats for the words to register in Beth’s stunned mind. The gentleman was a complete stranger, and he was talking nonsense.

‘My guardian is my godfather, Lord Edward Sharland.’

‘He died a week ago.’

Beth gasped in pain. Her eyes filled with tears, but she fought them back as she spun round to face Mr Crighton. ‘This cannot be true!’

Seeing the lawyer speechless and distressed, she turned to face the stranger again. ‘How did this happen?’

‘He caught a fever on his business trip to India.’

‘Why was I not told?’ She raised her voice in a most unladylike manner, but she was too upset and angry to care. How dare this man come and break such devastating news in these cold terms? He appeared to be unconcerned by her outburst and was leaning casually against the mantelpiece, as if telling her that her beloved godfather was dead was all he had to do. She didn’t miss the longing glances he kept making towards the drinks decanters, but she certainly wouldn’t offer this individual any refreshment. Beth knew that she was sadly remiss in the social graces and should have asked him to be seated, but she was devastated and so angry.

He detached himself from the fireplace and strode across the room, then poured himself a generous brandy.

‘Sir!’ Beth was incensed by his effrontery. ‘I have not given you permission to act so freely in my house.’

He sipped the drink, clearly savouring the taste, and then raised an eyebrow. ‘You are no longer in control of the Langton estate. Lord Sharland has put everything into my hands until you reach the age of twenty-one.’

Helen, who had been standing quietly by the door, now moved to Beth’s side and guided her to a chair.

She was shaking badly, but, having a strong nature, Beth soon had herself under control again, speaking in a clear voice. ‘My father declared me his sole heir, and it was arranged with my godfather that I should have complete authority over the Langton estate.’

‘Ah –’ he sat down and crossed his long legs – ‘but I am not your godfather.’

She realized that she still did not know who he was. ‘You have not had the courtesy to introduce yourself.’

‘I beg your pardon; I thought your butler would have informed you who was calling.’

‘He merely said Mr Crighton was here with another gentleman.’ She cast the dark man a disbelieving look. Jenkins had got that wrong: this person was clearly no gentleman!

He dipped his head in a parody of a bow but did not rise to his feet. ‘I am Lord Sharland’s son, James, and your guardianship has become my responsibility.’

‘You lie, sir! He did not have any children or close heirs; that is why my father appointed him my guardian.’ Beth was struggling to clear the confusion from her mind. Who was he? Why had she never seen or heard of him before? Her heart ached for her dear father. How upset he would be if he knew that she had been left to the mercies of a complete stranger – and not a very trustworthy one, if she had guessed correctly. His clothes were fashionable enough, but the man wearing them looked decidedly uncivilized.