Melinda Hammond (15 page)

‘Then you will have a lonely time of it, Simon, for I shall not run away with you. Now, goodbye.’ She almost pushed him through the gate, shutting it firmly behind him, then she began to walk back towards the house.

She tried to put Simon from her thoughts, but he was not so easily dismissed. His concern warmed her, especially since Aldringham’s bitter regrets were still ringing in her head. Perhaps Simon was right, and she should leave. She had hoped that she could make Aldringham care for her, just a little, but she had failed, and now he was beginning to realize just how foolish he had been to marry her. She could almost wish that he had made her his mistress: at least then he could have pensioned her off when he had grown tired of her. Instead, he had acted in a stupidly noble way and married her. She gave a wry smile: it was probably the noblest thing he had ever done, and now he was regretting it. It was the stubborn pride that the dowager had mentioned.

She felt the tears welling up, pressing at her eyes, but even in the dark seclusion of the shrubbery she would not succumb: she despised those lachrymose females who wallowed in their misery. Her nature was to act, and she would do so, even if it broke her heart. She did not want to leave, but even less did she wish to tie Aldringham to her against his will. That he had done precisely that to her she dismissed as of little importance. He was impetuous, she thought wistfully, and she would not let him suffer for it. The black shadow of the house rose before her as she considered her plight. Her integrity would not let her use her cousin as a means of escape, but his visit had given her an idea: perhaps there was a way to be free of the earl.

* * * *

Melissa entered the breakfast room the next morning to find, as she had expected, that Aldringham had not yet left his room. Sir Richard was making a hearty breakfast in readiness for his journey. Lady Aldringham seated herself at the table and helped herself to a thin slice of bread and butter.

‘You return directly to London, Sir Richard?’

‘Yes, my lady, I must see my man of business in the morning without fail. My coach is ordered for eleven.’ He grinned. ‘Aldringham has given me his word he will be dressed in time to see me off.’

She gave a perfunctory smile, giving her attention to pouring herself a cup of coffee.

‘I have promised to take some clothes to one of the tenants in the village this morning and I regret that I shall not be here to take my leave of you.’

‘Then accept my thanks now, ma’am, for your hospitality. I only wish my stay could be longer, but perhaps next time—’

Melissa’s cup rattled as she put it down on its saucer.

‘Yes, of course.’

Sir Richard looked at her, frowning.

‘Lady Aldringham, are you well? Forgive me, but it seems you are not yourself.’

‘No, sir. I am not quite as well as I could be.’ She looked across the table at her guest, and said earnestly, ‘Sir, you once told me that if you could help me in any way you would do so - are you still willing to aid me?’

‘But of course, my lady, but—’

‘I’m sorry, I cannot tell you now, but perhaps -perhaps in the near future I will apply to you, and it is a comfort to know you will not refuse me.’

Sir Richard was mystified by this speech, but before he could enquire further Melissa had risen and was holding out her hand to him.

‘I must go. I wish you a good journey to London, Sir Richard. I hope we have the pleasure of meeting again soon.’

‘He took her hand. ‘I look forward to it, ma’am.’

* * * *

The earl and his guest stood at the door as Sir Richard’s travelling carriage drew to a halt before them.

‘Have you any idea when you will be in Town again, Jason?’

‘Soon, Dick, I promise you. Where do you stop on the road?’

‘That is not decided, but since I shall be on the main post road you may be sure there will be a dozen or more hostelries to accommodate me.’ He hesitated. ‘Jason, when we spoke last night - Lady Aldringham—’

The earl’s brows snapped together. ‘I really do not recall what we spoke of, my friend. I fear that burgundy was not at its best. I must ask Borster to check the cellar.’

Realizing the earl had no intention of confiding in him, Sir Richard stifled a sigh and climbed up into the carriage. He turned to hold out his hand to Aldringham. ‘Goodbye, then, Jason. Until we meet again.’

Aldringham stepped back, raising one languid hand as the coach bowled off down the curving drive.

Sir Richard settled back into one corner of the carriage and reached into the pocket of his travelling cloak for a book, planning to while away the tedium of the journey by reading. They had scarcely left the village, however, when the coachman gave a loud exclamation and the coach slowed suddenly. Sir Richard put his head out of the window to enquire the cause of the interruption to their journey.

‘What is it, Morgan? Why are we stopping?’

‘A young person, sir, blocking the highway,’ explained that worthy, sniffing.

Sir Richard jumped down and, as he did so, a cloaked figure carrying a bandbox appeared in front of the horses.

‘Lady Aldringham! What the - what on earth are you doing here?’

Melissa came up to him, her face pale.

‘I cannot explain here in the road, sir, but I would be most grateful if you would take me up.’

‘My lady, I cannot - I mean—’ He paused realizing that the open highway was not the place to demand an explanation of the lady, with his coachman and steward watching the proceedings with undisguised curiosity. He handed Lady Aldringham into the coach, throwing the bandbox on to the seat beside her. When the coach was moving again, he turned to his companion for an explanation. Melissa threw back the hood of her cloak.

‘I am sorry to embroil you in my affairs, Sir Richard, but there was no other way. And you are his friend, I think, so you will understand. I have left him, you see.’

‘Madam, this is madness. I should order my coachman to turn about this minute and drive you back to Russetts.’

Melissa put up her chin to gaze at him, and he saw the tears glistening on the ends of her lashes.

‘Then you would be doing your friend a disservice, Sir Richard. He does not want me.’

‘Nonsense. The earl is devoted to you. I suspect his unruly temper has caused him to utter something harsh and he is even now regretting it with all his heart.’

She smiled wanly. ‘You are very kind, sir, but the only thing he is regretting is his marriage. He wants to be free, I know it.’

‘No, no, you are wrong, my lady,’ he contradicted her, his mind working feverishly to think of a way to return Melissa to her husband without incurring the earl’s wrath - no one knew Aldringham’s temper better than he. Jason was quite capable of running him through before he had a chance to explain.

Misreading the changing expressions on his face, Melissa felt her spirits sinking.

‘I am right, am I not, sir? I cannot bear to make him unhappy. And he is, you know. He feels he cannot cast me aside, because of the way he has treated me, and now he is sacrificing himself. He has been so kind to me of late, so considerate - I cannot bear it!’ She buried her face in her handkerchief while Sir Richard looked on in dismay.

‘My lady, let me urge you most earnestly to return to Russetts. If you love him so much you should tell him …’

‘No!’ She raised her head. ‘No, he must never know how much I - I care for him.’

Sir Richard threw himself back in his seat. ‘Well here’s a pretty coil!’ he exclaimed.

Melissa stared at him. ‘I cannot think this is a laughing matter, sir.’

‘No, of course not. Forgive me, madam. What do you intend to do?’

‘At first I thought to ask you if you would take me to Lady Steepledean, in Bath. But I know that is too far out of your way, since you must be in Town by the morning. I thought, perhaps, that you could take me as far as Oxford. I can catch the Bath mail from there.’

‘My dear lady, I cannot leave you at a common posting house! Besides, I do not think that the dowager duchess would be your best ally.’

‘You don’t?’

Sir Richard was emphatic. ‘Certainly not. She is more likely to hand you back to Aldringham and tell you both to make the best of it.’

Melissa considered the matter. ‘Well, I cannot go back to my Aunt Fryer; it is the first place he will look for me. I must find lodgings, and apply for a post as a governess, or something similar.’

‘A governess! My dear Lady Aldringham!’

‘Oh, I shall change my name of course.’

‘My lady, if you are so determined to live apart, why do you not explain it to Jason?’

At once a frightened, hunted look came into the lady’s eyes.

‘You know he would never let me go. No, I must disappear.’ She wiped away a tear. ‘P-perhaps he will accept it is for the best, in time.’

Sir Richard thought otherwise, but he knew it would be useless to say so when the child was so overwrought. For the present he could see no other plan than to take her to London, possibly to Lady Carlestone. Then, if he could just manage to talk to Aldringham before the earl put a bullet through him, he might be able to effect a reconciliation.

Chapter Twelve

Aldringham sat at his desk, the accounts books open before him, but estate business could not occupy him and after a fruitless hour, he lounged out into the hall, calling for his butler.

‘Borster, is my lady yet returned?’

‘No, sir.’

‘Where in damnation can she be? She said she was going to the village, did she not? Did she take the carriage?’

‘I think not, my lord. I understand from Mrs Borster that my lady wished to walk into the village, it being such a pleasant day.’

‘Even so she should be back by now. Did her maid go with her?’

Borster coughed gently.

‘No, my lord. Neither could she be persuaded to take a footman.’

The earl’s black brows snapped together.

‘Damn the girl! Does she know no better than to be going off alone? Send to the stables. Have Vulcan saddled and brought round immediately. I will ride out to meet her!’

Less than an hour later, Aldringham stormed back into the house, shouting for his butler. The old man hurried into the great hall, followed by his wife, both looking anxiously at their master.

‘Well, is she returned?’

‘No, my lord.’

‘I have scoured every lane - no one in the village has seen her.’ Mrs Borster almost blenched as the earl rounded on her. ‘Fetch her maid.’

The girl came in, and even in his fury Aldringham could see she was shaking so much she could hardly stand. He curbed his impatience and tried to speak gently. ‘Annie, is it not? Tell me, Annie, where is your mistress?’

‘G - gone to the village, m’lord. She was taking some clothes to the Calders in Heath Cottage.’

‘I have just returned from there. She has not been seen in the village. What were you about to let her go out alone?’

‘I offered to go with her, my lord …’

‘Offered? Surely you know of the dangers from footpads, or worse! ‘Fore God, if she wouldn’t listen to you why did you not come to me?’

‘My lady said you wasn’t to know—’ Annie broke off with a gasp, and clapped her hands over her mouth.

The earl frowned.

‘She said what? Come along, girl, tell me!’

She quailed beneath his searing gaze.

‘I can’t! I promised on oath I’d not say a word.’

Annie wrung her hands together, casting an agonized look at Mrs Borster, who shook her head at her.

‘Now, Annie, if you know where my lady might be you must tell the master.’

The maid cast a frightened look at the earl then threw her apron over her head and burst into tears.

‘Mrs Borster,’ Aldringham’s voice was dangerously calm, ‘you will find out what this girl knows, or I shall personally thrash the life out of her!’

The housekeeper tutted, and put an arm around the maid’s thin shoulders.

‘Hush now, Annie. My lord is very angry, for sure, but if you will tell us what you know, you will come to no harm, I promise you. Come now, dearie, tell me. Where is my lady?’

‘I don’t know! She-she was packing her things into a bandbox when I went into her room this morning, and she said she w-was walking to the v-village. If anyone asked I was to tell them she was going to visit Mrs Calder. And - and m-my lady s-said I was to tell no one about the gentleman in the garden, because it was all a s-silly m-mistake.’ Her voice was muffled by the folds of her apron.

 The earl had been pacing the room, but now he stopped and fixed his dark stare upon the maid.

‘What gentleman?’

The maid emerged from her apron and took Mrs Borster’s proffered handkerchief.

‘My lady s-said he was her c-cousin, come to see her. Sh-she said he did not want to disturb the household, it being so late . . . .’

‘When was this? After dinner last night?’

The maid shook her head. ‘When - when m’lady retired. She - she read his note and went out to see him . . . .’ Annie trailed off, her anxious gaze shifting from Aldringham to the housekeeper.

The earl’s eyes were fixed upon the maid. ‘How long was she in the garden with this - gentleman?’

‘Not long sir, a half-hour, perhaps, but when she came back she said I was to put it from my mind.’

Mrs Borster turned her anxious gaze toward her master. ‘Surely, sir, my lady would not—’

‘No, because I will not let her. Have my chaise at the door in ten minutes, Borster!’

* * * *

Gazing from the carriage window, Melissa was lost in thought. Aldringham would forget her in time, she told herself. He would return to his old ways, with his paramours, and his gaming, while she retired quietly to some small corner of the world with only the memory of these past few weeks, and especially the kindness he had shown her. A tear slipped over her cheek and she carefully wiped it away, drawing on all her pride and courage to help her. She had held up this far, and Sir Richard would not thank her for crying all the way to London.

‘Madam, can I help?’

At the sound of Sir Richard’s voice she turned to face him, summoning up a brave smile.