Eloisa's Adventure (29 page)

Eloisa’s
curtsy was as low as she could make it. She rose gracefully and
smiled rather insipidly at their guest as he walked toward her,
bowed and then moved to stand before the mantle. He propped one
elbow on the wooden edge almost proprietorially and turned to study
her.

Pinned
beneath that curious stare, Eloisa struggled to keep her face
polite and impassive while Cissy served tea and cake. Thankfully,
to consume both Lord Aldwich had to take a seat, but he still
continued to stare at Eloisa a little too intently.

“Are you
well, my lord?” Eloisa asked politely for want of anything else to
say.

“Yes,
quite, my dear. Thank you for asking,” Lord Aldwich replied with a
nod. “I am a little perturbed to hear that you have declined to
accept my invitation to my ball two days’ hence. Should I take it
that I have offended you?”

Eloisa
stared at Lord Aldwich in dismay. “Oh, no sir, please don’t think
that. It is just that, well, after my last carriage ride, I am a
little nervous about going again.”

Lord
Aldwich coughed and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Well.
Quiet. Yes, well, one can understand your reluctance. However, I
have it on good authority that the weather will be better this time
around, and I really do want you to attend as a proper guest this
time.”

“But you
don’t know me, sir. I mean, if it wasn’t for Mr de Lisle, you would
never have heard of me at all. Please don’t feel responsible for
what happened to me. It was all down to a terrible set of
circumstances that were beyond everybody’s control.”

She
sighed and studied her hands in her lap when sudden flashes of
memory of her night with Simeon came to the forefront of her mind.
Colour flooded her cheeks but she rather suspected that Lord
Aldwich put it down to her agitation rather than anything to do
with the one man she was trying desperately to forget.

It was
on the tip of her tongue to ask him if he had heard from Simeon,
but she knew it would be terribly impolite of her to do so. It
would raise so many questions that she didn’t want to even venture
a vague enquiry in that direction and so wisely kept
quiet.

“I can
assure you, my dear that I shall send my very best coachman for
you, and my most reliable footmen. They will get you to the ball on
time and in one piece,” Lord Aldwich promised.

Eloisa
looked askance at Cissy, but knew from the carefully blank look on
her face that she would get no help from that quarter. Several
minutes ticked by while they consumed tea and cake, and engaged in
small talk about the local area, and the village fayre that was due
to take place next week. Eventually, once the conversation had
started to lapse, Lord Aldwich prepared to take his
leave.

“Can I
take it we shall be graced with your presence, my dear?” he asked.
There was something in his eyes that warned her that he would be
most displeased if she refused him. Rather than wait for her to
answer, he looked at Cissy. “Of course, you must come too, my
dear.”

Cissy
beamed. “I should be delighted do, my lord. Thank you for your
kindness.”

“Nonsense. It is my pleasure to have two such delightful
ladies in attendance. Miss Eloisa?”

“I
should be delighted to, yes,” she murmured quietly when she
couldn’t find a way to say ‘not in this lifetime’. She rather
suspected that there was something he wanted to say, and something
going on that she didn’t know about but couldn’t quite place what
it was. Was she seeing shadows where there were none?

“I
should like to reimburse you for the damage caused to your dress by
your accident. I understand that it was beyond redemption. It was a
splendid creation as well, by all accounts,” Lord Aldwich declared
as he handed her a small white card. “Although I cannot hope to
replace your previous ball gown, Madame Pomterrey will endeavour to
find you something to replace it. Please accept Madame Pomterrey’s
assistance with my sincere apologies for the problems you
encountered. She will be waiting for you tomorrow at
twelve.”

Eloisa
opened her mouth to reply but Lord Aldwich abruptly turned his back
and stalked toward his carriage without giving her the chance to
object. They both followed him outside and watched in amazement as
he climbed aboard and the door was slammed closed.

“Next
week then,” Lord Aldwich called out of the window. Anything else he
was about to say was abruptly cut off when the carriage suddenly
lurched into motion.

Both
Eloisa and Cissy watched in horror as the footman struggled to
climb aboard the now fast-moving carriage as it careered down the
road and disappeared from sight.

“You
want me to take a second journey with them?” she murmured as she
watched the footman clamber awkwardly into his seat, only to nearly
be tossed off the opposite side of the carriage when it took the
corner at the end of the road too quickly. The last view they had
of the unfortunate footman was of him clinging on for dear life,
with his legs akimbo while trying to keep his hat on.

“We will
take some food with us this time,” Cissy suggested wisely. “It
could be a long walk home.”

“I shall
make my will before I go and leave everything to you,” Eloisa
mumbled darkly.

In spite
of her fears, her lips twitched as she followed Cissy back into the
house. She threw one last slightly bemused look at the end of the
now empty road, and shook her head in dismay. She wasn’t certain
that she was prepared for another adventure of a lifetime;
especially since she had lost a very large part of herself during
the last one, but it was too late now. To Lord Aldwich’s next ball
she would go.

CHAPTER
SIXTEEN

Eloisa
stepped out of the front door and eyed the waiting carriage like it
was a beast about to strike her. Although the footman stood tall
and resplendent beside the door ready to assist her, Eloisa wasn’t
about to be fooled. She threw a dark look at the waiting coachman.
It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him to drive carefully this
time, but her attention was diverted by Cissy, who stepped out of
the house and came to stand beside her.

“You
look beautiful, Cissy,” she murmured softly to her sister for about
the tenth time within the last hour.

It was
all she could think to say because, over the course of the
afternoon, nerves had turned her mind to mush. She wanted to turn
around, hurry back inside and stay there, but she knew she
couldn’t. Cissy had talked of nothing else but going to Lord
Aldwich’s ball since he had paid them a visit and insisted upon
their attendance. It would be rude and churlish of her to come up
with some excuse not to go; especially now that Cissy was so
looking forward to it.

She eyed
her sister suspiciously, and wondered if she had an ulterior motive
for going. Given her previous objection to balls and social
engagements, it was slightly odd that Cissy had suddenly done an
about turn and now had a complete change of attitude. What was she
up to?

“I never
realised that you were so enthralled by dancing, Cissy,” Eloisa
murmured obliquely as she followed Cissy toward the
carriage.

Cissy
was spared having to reply though because they were handed into the
carriage by the footman.

Eloisa
accepted the hand the footman held out to her but wasted no time
sitting down. She had already witnessed, and experienced, just how
fast the coachman liked to drive and had no intention of ending up
an undignified heap on the floor again. Sure enough, the footman
had barely slammed the door closed before the carriage lurched into
motion.

Eloisa
braced herself but, strangely, this time the carriage began to
glide slowly down the road.

“Oh,
this is lovely, Eloisa,” Cissy gasped, and slid over to sit beside
the window so she could peer outside. She called to the people she
knew and waved to a few others out of the window, and was so
delighted by the experience that Eloisa ruthlessly pushed her
worries aside and forced herself to relax.

“It is a
bit different to last time, I have to admit,” Eloisa replied as
they left the village behind.

Cissy
looked around at the plush confines of their transport in
awe.

“It’s
beautiful, isn’t it?” Eloisa murmured as she watched
her.

When
Cissy began to point out the refined details of the inner workings
of the carriage, she turned her attention to staring out of the
window. She felt an entirely different person to the excited young
woman who had taken this journey a month ago. Although the scenery
was still the same, she now knew that the rest of her life never
would be. She had no idea how long she sat lost in her musings, but
it was the sound of her name being called that drew her attention
back to Cissy.

“Pardon?”

“I said
that you don’t seem to be enjoying the journey much. Does it bring
back bad memories for you?”

Eloisa
looked at her wryly. “I was thrown from the carriage at speed.
Well, I slid actually and was thrown into a hedge.” She threw Cissy
a dark look. “It is hardly something to be joyous
about.”

Cissy
had the good grace to look a little sheepish.

“Oh,
my,” Cissy gasped suddenly. Her gaze shot to Eloisa. “Please tell
me that is Simeon’s castle,” she whispered and pointed out of the
window.

Eloisa
closed her eyes. She didn’t want to look at it. Eventually though,
curiosity won through and she just had to take one final look while
the opportunity was there. She knew that their return journey would
be undertaken in the dark, and it would be impossible to see
anything of the building where so much of her life had
changed.

“It’s
beautiful,” she whispered with a sigh.

Indeed
it was. Now that the storm had passed, the huge turrets that had
once seemed so threatening now made the entire castle look like
something that had come straight out of her girlish fantasies. It
was strange to think that was actually the place where all of her
dreams had been cruelly destroyed.

“Are you
alright my dear?” Cissy asked when she noticed that Eloisa looked
on the verge of tears.

Eloisa
nodded but didn’t speak. Right now she couldn’t speak because of
the huge gaping hole where her heart had once been. She cast one
last look at the castle before it disappeared from view, and
resolved never to think about it ever again.

If only
life would be that simple.

Aldwich
Hall positively glowed in the evening sunshine, and sat resplendent
amidst a rolling green landscape that stretched out for miles.
Several carriages lined the long, sweeping driveway but nothing
could detract from the ostentatious surroundings of the huge
mansion Lord Aldwich called home.

When
they pulled to a stop beneath the huge portico, they immediately
saw the refined Lords and Ladies dressed in brilliant ball gowns of
all colours and sizes inside the main hallway. Eloisa stared down
at her own creation and suddenly felt considerably better about her
own dress. Although she had her doubts as to its suitability when
she had bought it, the modiste had assured her that her gown was
the height of fashion, and she would be wearing the finest clothing
to befit the grandest occasion. No expense had been spared, in
spite of Eloisa’s protests.

She was
glad that the modiste had been so persistent now. Her dress was a
wonderful, and blended in perfectly with everyone else at the ball.
She realised then just how wholly inappropriate the other dress had
been. Not only had it been horribly outdated, but it was the wrong
colour altogether. It was something of a relief now that she hadn’t
managed to get to the ball.

She
waited until the footman dropped the step, and carefully climbed
down. Her eyes remained locked on the brilliant lights of the inner
hallway. Her stomach dropped to her toes the closer she got to the
door, and she was suddenly very glad that Cissy was with
her.

“I can’t
do it, Cissy,” Eloisa gasped when her sister stepped out of the
carriage and joined her on the doorstep.

“It is
too late to go back now, Eloisa,” Cissy whispered. She tucked her
arm through Eloisa’s and practically dragged her into the hallway
before Eloisa got the chance to object.

Eloisa
glanced desperately behind her but the carriage was already moving
away, and the new arrivals were in the process of getting out. She
couldn’t leave now.

“Ah, you
made it at last,” Mr de Lisle cried as he hurried toward them. He
kissed each side of Eloisa’s face before he repeated the process
with Cissy, and then turned toward the receiving line.

Being
introduced to everyone passed in such a blur that Eloisa’s head was
still reeling when Mr de Lisle handed her a card along with a small
pencil. She didn’t even bother to look at it; she was so enthralled
by her surroundings. Her head was in a whirl. She couldn’t think
beyond the lights, colours and sounds that battered her senses. She
couldn’t feel beyond knowing that this was Simeon’s
world.

“Ah,
Miss Delaney and your sister too,” Lord Aldwich cried when they
reached him at the end of the line. “I am so glad you could join us
this evening. I must say that you are looking most
elegant.”