Anne Herries - Regency - Mischief & Marriage - Secret Heiress / Bartered Bride

‘Oh…’ She hesitated, then, ‘His voice was rough, but may have been disguised. His eyes may have been grey… or perhaps blue. I could not be certain, sir. I was a little nervous. I am sorry I cannot tell you more.’

‘You have told me more than you imagine,’ he replied with a nod of satisfaction. ‘Plainly, the man is no common thief, but someone with a grudge against me personally.’

‘Who do you think it could be?’ Lady Sarah asked as Eliza remained silent.

‘Someone who knows me well enough to need to disguise himself, though not as well as he imagines. I do not trap decent young ladies into becoming my mistress, though I shall not deny certain accommodations in the past with married ladies who understood the rules.’ His expression relaxed a little. ‘Please forgive me, Miss Bancroft. I am sorry you were used so ill when under my protection. The rogue will be brought to justice, I assure you. If he is a gentleman, he will meet me for this and think himself fortunate to escape the noose.’

‘I am sorry you feel this a personal slight. I am certain it was a harmless prank.’

‘I am surprised that you should take this so calmly, Miss Bancroft. Very surprised.’

He looked at Eliza hard and she blushed. What must he be thinking? Perhaps that she was involved with a man of ill repute—and therefore not the proper person to be companion to Lady Sarah?’

She noticed that he rubbed at the little finger of his left hand, as if he were seeking for something he had lost. Lady Sarah noticed it too.

‘You do not wear your ring,’ Lady Sarah murmured. ‘Is it lost?’

‘Temporarily. I hope to have it restored soon.’

‘Mine was lost years ago, but a ring is just a ring. Memories never leave one.’

During the silence that followed her words, Eliza sensed an undercurrent of feeling—of sharing. It was so intense that she wished she might leave them together without appearing to suggest she understood. In her mind there was no doubt that there had been something special between the marquis and her employer. She could feel the sadness and saw echoes of a lost love in Lady Sarah’s eyes. Her senses told her that there was an old mystery here, but in seconds the barriers were in place again. A casual politeness was resumed and the marquis turned to Eliza, his eyes narrowed and thoughtful.

‘My wife and daughter are in Bath. They did not attend the assembly last evening for they wished to recover from the journey. I think my daughter must be two years or so younger than you, Miss Bancroft. I shall make certain that both you and Lady Sarah are invited to our ball.’

‘How kind of you, sir,’ Eliza said.

‘We shall be delighted to attend.’ Lady Sarah smiled a little wistfully. ‘How is Marianne? And your wife?’

‘Both are well. In confidence, I must tell you that we are expecting an offer for Marianne quite soon.’

‘I am sure she will marry well. She is, I know, a delightful girl.’

The marquis nodded, glanced at his watch, asked to be forgiven and took his leave.

Lady Sarah was silent for a few minutes after he had gone, staring into space as if her mind were elsewhere. Eliza noticed that her hand trembled as she reached for a glass of restorative wine. She gave a little cry as it tipped and spilled a few drops.

‘How clumsy of me…’

‘So easily done,’ Eliza said and swiftly wiped the spill with a napkin the maid had brought earlier with their refreshments. ‘There, it was only a little and no harm done…’ She turned and saw that Lady Sarah’s cheeks were wet with tears. ‘Ma’am, are you ill?’

‘No, just upset.’ Lady Sarah dabbed at her cheeks with a lace kerchief. ‘Sit beside me, Eliza. I am going to tell you a secret, because I think you may have guessed at least a part of my story.’

‘You need tell me nothing, ma’am.’

‘I wish you to know.’ Lady Sarah reached for her hand. ‘You will speak of this to no one else. I know I may trust you, my dear. I was once very much in love with the gentleman who has just left us. He was handsome and charming, but at the time not rich. I was married to Lord Manners. He was not kind or loving and spent all his time with his mistresses in town. Because I was lonely, I was drawn into a love affair with a younger man. Henry was charming and he adored me. My husband discovered the affair, but would not release me. When my lover’s child was born, he took it away from me and forced me to give up my lover. I was devastated, but my husband was a cold cruel man and Cheadle would have been ruined had I defied him. He was younger than I and I felt it would be unfair to burden him with a woman who could not appear in society and a child—and so I chose seclusion in the country, where I stayed seeing only a few friends until my husband died.’

‘Oh, ma’am, how dreadful for you,’ Eliza exclaimed in sympathy. ‘I am so very sorry. I think you loved the marquis very much?’

‘He begged me to go away with him. My husband warned me that he would follow and kill us both. Even had my lover killed him in a duel, which he wanted to do, he would have lost everything. He could not have been an officer in the army with such a scandal hanging over him, and his uncle might easily have disowned him. I could not ruin his life so I agreed to my husband’s terms, though it broke my heart. Do you think me weak and foolish?’

‘Certainly not. You were trapped. There was nothing else you could do.’

‘I felt trapped until my husband died. He never forgave me and took every chance to punish me.’

‘I think you must have suffered a great deal.’

‘Yes, that is true. I have been lonely despite my friends and my son, who is very like his father. I hope one day to find my lost child, but my husband did not make it easy for me. Should I find her and acknowledge her, I should lose the right to live at the Dower House and the portion of his estate he left me. That would not leave me penniless, for I have money of my own, which was denied me while my husband lived—but I should be loathe to lose my home. However, I am determined to find my daughter if I can.’ Her hand tightened on Eliza’s. ‘At least I have you to keep me company. You have brought me a great deal of pleasure, Eliza. Indeed, it is almost like having my daughter with me.’

‘I am happy to be of some comfort to you, ma’am.’

For a moment Eliza was tempted to tell her her own story, but she decided that it would sound too particular, as if she were claiming some kind of kinship with Lady Sarah. That would be too much of a coincidence and was a foolish notion, which she instantly dismissed—though the stories were undoubtedly similar.

‘You are far more than that. Having you here has given me a reason to live, Eliza. I was quite low before you came.’

Eliza smiled and held her hand until she recovered her spirits. She was surprised and honoured to have been given her employer’s confidence. It showed trust and liking on Lady Sarah’s part and gave Eliza a warm glow inside. Not since Mama’s death had she felt needed or loved in quite this way. Of course no one would ever replace the woman who had given her so much love in her heart, but there was room for a good friend and she had found that friend in Lady Sarah.

‘Your invitation to join you was such a wonderful thing for me, ma’am. I had so little experience and did not know if my advertisement would bring any answers.’

‘It was so honest and simple that I knew you would be the right kind of girl. I shall of course keep you with me until you wish to move on, Eliza. I spoke of a trial period, but already I know you so well.’ She sighed with relief. ‘I feel better for having told you.’ She sat up straight in her chair. ‘Now we must both get ready. We are going visiting this afternoon. We shall call and take a dish of tea with various of my friends, but first we must have nuncheon here. Just a light meal, for this evening, as you know, we dine with Lady Julia and Kate.’