Fenella J Miller Read online

  “I hope I shall not be long. Betty, give the children their meal immediately it arrives. Don’t let it go cold on my account.”

  “What shall I tell them if they ask where you are?”

  “Just say that I have come down to the library to find a fresh book to read to them before they go to bed.”

  She was familiar with the house, having stayed there several times before. This was the third time she’d been summoned to the first floor since arriving three days ago. Hopefully Jane wished to speak to her on some other matter and not about the interlude at the lake.

  She paused outside the door to check that her hair was pulled back correctly and her dress was free of cobwebs from her scrambling around the attics. She knocked firmly on the sitting-room door.

  Her heart sank. Her brother bid her come in.

  “You took your time. Fifteen minutes have passed since I sent for you.”

  Eleanor did not apologize for it made little difference to his treatment of her. If he was in a mind to be brutal, nothing she nor Jane could say would deflect him. At least he had not managed to break her spirit or cause her to lose her self-respect. She shuddered to think what might happen to her if she ever removed her dowry from his keeping. The interest was all he had to live on much of the time.

  “Well, I am here now. I am about to serve the children’s meal. You would not wish them to eat cold food, I am sure.”

  “I don’t give a damn about their food.” He strode across the room and she braced herself for a blow, but he stopped and grabbed her wrist instead, twisting it cruelly.

  “What is this I hear about cavorting in the lake?”

  She stared back at him, determined not to flinch. “Lord Bentley fell in and the children went to assist him. He was no way discommoded by the experience. In fact, he positively enjoyed being wet.”

  He dropped her arm and stepped away. “If I have any reports of misbehaviour from any of my children you know what to expect. Either you shall be the whipping boy or I shall thrash each of them in turn.”

  “Will that be all?”

  He didn’t answer but gestured towards the door. She turned and made a dignified exit, relieved she had escaped with nothing worse than a bruised wrist. His threat was not an idle one; she had received two beatings in the last six months in order to protect the children.

  She stumbled to the window seat at the far end of the corridor.

  How much longer she could endure this punishment? Why didn’t Jane protest?

  Hating a member of her family was wrong, but her brother was an evil man, a gambler and drinker like their father had been before him. He was deeply in debt again. The only time he came home was when he was insolvent. The longer he stayed, the worse his treatment of his family became.

  Her face was wet and her nose running; she could not return to the nursery until she was more composed.

  “Here, Lady Eleanor, take this.”

  To her astonishment, Lord Bentley pushed a soft white handkerchief into her hand and then joined her on the seat whilst she mopped her face.

  “I did not hear you approaching, my lord. I’m sorry that you should see me like this. I thank you for the handkerchief.” She blew her nose and pushed the soiled item to her pocket, knowing better than to offer to return it.

  “Your wrist was not bruised like that earlier in the day. Who did that to you?”

  Her eyes flew up in horror. He must not intervene on her behalf, it would make matters so much worse. “This is nothing, sir, a rough game with the children and I came off the loser. I bruise more easily than most.”

  His eyes were sympathetic, and he did not press the point. “I look forward to seeing you at dinner, Lady Eleanor.”

  “Oh no! I do not dine downstairs. I eat with the children in the nursery. If you will excuse me, my lord, I must be getting back or my meal will be cold.”

  Alex watched the young woman vanish through the servants’ door. His fists clenched. No child’s fingers had caused those marks. Thorrington had done it, he was sure.

  God’s teeth! Eleanor was the daughter of an earl, not a poor relation or a serving wench. She should be dining downstairs with the other guests.

  He would speak to Haverstock and enquire politely why she did not join them. Thorrington might take precedence in the matter of titles, but the Bentley fortune was such that when it came to influence what Alex wanted would be arranged. Having friends in Government was useful in a situation like this.

  As he was changing, his mind drifted back to Sarah. He wished she could accompany him to these parties, but Society frowned on women who chose to go their own way.

  Was Eleanor the kind of person his mistress had in mind when she had sent him on this quest for a wife? What were the requirements? Impeccable breeding, submissive, and a love of children—good grief! He had found someone that fitted this description exactly. He would prefer someone a little more prepossessing, but as he had no intention of sharing his bed with her, her lack of countenance was no handicap.

  She appeared to have a lively wit; however little time he intended to spend with his wife, he could not marry a simpleton. Tomorrow he would spend the afternoon with her and the children playing cricket and get to know her better.

  Alex strolled into the drawing-room to find it all but empty of guests. The glass doors at the far end of the room had been thrown open and everyone was outside enjoying the early evening sunshine. No, not quite everyone, a small nervous woman was hiding in the depths of an armchair.

  “Excuse me, madam, but are you unwell? Can I send for your abigail to assist you?”

  The woman shook her head. “No, thank you, Lord Bentley. I am perfectly content to remain here where I shall not be disturbed.”

  He bowed. “You have the advantage of me, madam. I do not believe we have been introduced.”

  “I am Lady Thorrington. I believe you have already met my sister-in-law, Lady Eleanor.”

  “May I join you? I have no wish to socialise either.”

  She nodded, glancing at the door before answering. “Please do, my lord. But you will find me poor company; you would be much better entertained outside.”

  Flicking aside his tails, he folded himself into a chair opposite. “I met your children as well as your sister-in-law today. They are delightful bunch of youngsters. You must be very proud of them.”

  Her face lit up. “Oh, I cannot tell you how much I love them. Thorrington prefers that Eleanor take care of them so they do not have a governess. I believe she is responsible for them being so charming and well-behaved.”

  “I am surprised Lady Eleanor is not to join us tonight. This is a most unusual circumstance; surely a member of the aristocracy shouldn’t be kept apart from society in this way. I should like to further my acquaintance with her. I rarely meet young ladies of intelligence.”

  She gasped and her fingers tore at her reticule. “Oh, Lord Bentley, you must not mention it. My husband would not be pleased if you showed an interest in her. She is indispensable to the family and has no wish to leave us.” Lady Thorrington pushed herself upright. “Pray, excuse me, sir. I must join my husband outside.”

  He watched her go; his brow creased. There was more to this business than he had at first surmised. He had no wish to make Lady Eleanor’s life more difficult, but was curious as to why this plain young woman allowed herself to be mistreated. She must have had at least one Season. She was not an antidote exactly, so why had she not taken?

  As Lady Thorrington had been so insistent he did not enquire after her sister-in-law he decided not to speak to Haverstock. Tomorrow he would seek out Lady Eleanor and discover what kept her tied to her brother’s household. Did she have no dowry? Perhaps that was the problem. However well-bred, a plain woman without money would not be sought after as a bride.

  “I think that is enough for this morning, children. You have worked hard. You may put your books away.”

  “Are we to play cricket again, Aunt Eleanor?”
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br />   “No, my love, I thought we could take a picnic to the woods. We are becoming uncomfortably hot up here and I am sure that the lawns will be unpleasant too.”

  She decided to take Mary with her, that way she was less likely to be accosted by anyone. It would be an unmitigated disaster if Bentley decided to take an interest in her welfare. His interference would push her brother into further unpleasantness. At least if Edward was bullying her, he was leaving his children unmolested. Poor Jane was another matter.

  She had no intention of committing the folly of marrying; not that any man would offer for her now. She was approaching five and twenty, and had lost what looks she had been blessed with. If there was any way to remove herself from her brother’s control she would take it, but without her inheritance, she was as dependent on him as his wife and children.

  “We shall take the back stairs as usual, children. Try not to clatter with your boots on the boards; we do not wish to disturb anyone.” They all knew she meant not alert their father.

  Outside there was not a cloud in the sky. Hopefully it would be cooler in the woods. Male voices were approaching from the stables.

  “Quickly, let us race to the path that leads into the wood. Amanda and I shall go first, then Peter, then Jonathan, and last Ned. Remember, you must count to twenty after each person departs before the next one can leave.” She smiled at Mary. “I do not expect you to run but follow on at your own pace.”

  Taking the little girl’s hand, she gathered her skirts and set off, shortening her strides to accommodate the child beside her. The laughs and shouts of the boys as they ran behind lifted her spirits and, as always, they arrived at roughly the same time.

  “That was capital, Aunt Eleanor. I’m quite puffed out. I need to sit down in the shade for a bit.”

  “If you recall, Ned, there’s a stream not far ahead; if we walk there we can dip our toes in the water to cool down.”

  “I’m thirsty. Can we drink the water?” Amanda asked.

  “As long as we drink before we paddle, I’m sure it will be perfectly safe. The stream crosses the paddocks after it leaves the woods.”

  Mary arrived, red-faced and out of breath. “Well, I never! I’ve been eating too many puddings. I don’t run as fast as I used to.”

  “Never mind, Mary. You had to carry the picnic so it wasn’t a fair race. We are going to the stream for a drink and you can have a paddle with us.” Ned grinned and held out his hand to take the basket but Mary shook her head.

  “Why, thank you, Lord Edward, I might just do that.”

  Eleanor settled her charges along the edge of the bank and demonstrated how they could scoop water up in their cupped hands. This enterprise was fraught with difficulty and by the time they had quenched their thirst they were weak with laughter and considerably damper than when they had begun.

  “There, that was fun, wasn’t it, children? Shall we sit in the sun until our clothes are dry?”

  “I want to paddle, Aunt Eleanor. So what’s the use of getting dry as we are all going to get wet again?”

  “Excellent point, Jonathan. But please, all of you, don’t fall in. Your father was not impressed by our activities yesterday.”

  She hated to dampen their enthusiasm but soon her brother would not be satisfied with chastising her. He would begin disciplining his children as well. Her pleasure in the excursion was gone. She smiled as though she was enjoying herself and stood, watching them paddle.

  “I shall go in with them, Lady Eleanor, you sit under the trees and rest a while.”

  “Thank you, Mary, I didn’t sleep well last night and shall certainly enjoy a quiet sit down after all that exertion.”

  Eleanor took the picnic with her into the shade. Everyone was dressed in their oldest garments so there was no harm in sitting on the grass. She settled comfortably, her back against a tree trunk, and closed her eyes, letting the peace of the woodland restore her jangled nerves.

  Alex was returning from the stables with his host and two other gentlemen when he saw Eleanor and the children running across the grass to the woods. A plump nursemaid trundled along behind, clutching a picnic basket. The shouts and calls from the boys made him smile. The adults in that household were either subdued or bad-tempered, but the children were obviously unaffected, their high spirits plain to see.

  “Forgive me, Haverstock, I have left my crop behind. I shall, no doubt, catch up with you in the billiard room later this afternoon.”

  He let the others continue without him and headed for the woods. Lady Eleanor was chaperoned so it would be perfectly acceptable for him to join her and the children for a while even in the privacy of the trees.

  The sound of splashing echoed down the path. What was it about this family and water? Smiling, he headed towards the noise. However, something made him pause, to dawdle, giving him time to consider the real reason he was seeking out her company.

  He needed a mother for his children, not a wife. Sarah gave him everything that a wife could, and made no demands either financial or emotional. The arrangement suited him perfectly. He had known when he met Anna that he would never love another. Eleanor would be an ideal choice for what he required. Surely she would leap at the chance to escape from her brother’s cruel domination? All he had to do was spend the day with her and he would know for certain if she was a suitable candidate.

  The shouting and laughter drew him forward but the voice talking to the children was that of the nursemaid, not Eleanor. Soft footed, he approached the sunlit clearing just ahead, wanting to see before being seen.

  The children were paddling in the stream, lifting stones and exclaiming over what they discovered hiding there. Where was their aunt? A slight movement at the far side of the dell caught his eye and he moved forward. His quarry was resting peacefully against a tree trunk, her skirt smoothed out carefully over her legs and not even an inch of ankle visible. He remained where he was for a moment staring at her. She looked almost pretty with the harsh lines of worry smoothed from her face.

  He must not lurk in this way. He cleared his throat loudly. “Lady Eleanor, is there sufficient in your hamper to feed an extra mouth?”

  Her eyes flew open and there was dismay, not pleasure, written on her face. He was not wanted here; he had made a grave error of judgement. He bowed. “I beg your pardon, madam. I am obviously de trop. I shall—”

  Although he had spoken quietly his words had carried and the smallest boy heard him. “Lord Bentley, what fun! Are you going to fall in the stream for us today?”

  He shrugged an apology and turned to greet the child. “Absolutely not! However, I shall be delighted to paddle with you all. Do you know how to catch a stickleback with your hands?”

  “I am sorry if I seemed ungracious, sir, you startled me. You are, of course, most welcome to stay and enjoy a picnic with us.”

  He glanced down, Eleanor was smiling, but it didn’t reach her eyes. His first impression had been correct; she did not want him here. She was prepared to suffer his presence because the children wished it. For some reason her disdain annoyed him. He did not enjoy being rebuffed in this way.

  Chapter Three

  When Eleanor opened her eyes and saw Bentley standing there, her stomach flipped. Why was this man pursuing her? She had no wish to encourage him; the last time a gentleman had shown a serious interest in her he had vanished without a trace. It might have been a coincidence, but she feared her brother had been involved with his disappearance. She had no wish to be responsible for any harm coming to this man just because he felt sorry for her and enjoyed the company of the children.

  She had not intended to reveal her feelings, but his smile faded. Hastily scrambling to her feet, she went to his side to tender her apologies. Now that Peter had seen him, she had no choice but to invite him to stay. Should she warn him of her fears or would he think her ready for Bedlam?

  Of course she couldn’t speak. Not only would he consider her deranged, but would think her decidedly forwar
d. She was at her last prayers—what possible interest could she be to this handsome aristocrat? From the cut of his clothes, one could see he spared no expense. Haverstock only invited the cream of Society to his house parties.

  At his mention of catching sticklebacks her interest was piqued. “That is impossible, sir. They are the smallest and most slippery of creatures. I defy anyone to catch one in his hands.”

  He grinned. “Is that a challenge? I accept. But I shall demand a reward if I am successful.”

  “Nonsense! You shall have my resounding applause and that will have to suffice.”

  “Very well, Lady Eleanor. However, you must promise to answer me three questions honestly if I succeed, and I shall do the same for you if I fail. Is that acceptable?”

  There seemed no harm in this request so she nodded. “I agree. Now, children, we must set some rules for this challenge. How many attempts is Lord Bentley to be allowed before we declare him the loser?”

  “Three, no more, but you may take as long as you like for each one, my lord.” Ned, as always, acted as spokesperson for his siblings. The boys clapped and Amanda squealed.

  “Hush, children, your noise is scaring away the fish. We do not wish to be unfair to Lord Bentley, now do we?”

  “I don’t believe fish have ears, Lady Eleanor. As long as no one splashes about in the water whilst I make my attempts you may make as much noise as you wish.”

  Eleanor turned to Mary, who was standing to one side and most interested in what was taking place. “Would you lay out the picnic under the tree, please, Mary? We shall all be hungry and thirsty by the time this fish catching experiment is over.”

  Lord Bentley lay face down on the bank and peered into the shallow water where the reeds and stones were plentiful. She watched with amazement as one by one the children lay down on either side of him, mesmerized by his strange behaviour. Intrigued in spite of her reservations, she stood behind him, watching what he did.