A Simple Lady (25 page)

Apollo, who had been sleeping on the foot of Elizabeth’s bed, raised his head. Clearly disgruntled, he stared at her as though to ask, “Is this rushing about so early in the morning really necessary?”

Amused by Apollo’s attitude, Elizabeth smiled and bent to rub his head. It was then she heard the soft scratching upon her door. Surely it was too early for her maid to be waking her—unless something else was wrong. Her mouth suddenly dry, Elizabeth hurried to the door and pulled it open. Her husband waited on the other side.

Kenrick was dressed for riding in buckskins and top boots. His coat was plain and his cravat modestly tied, but Elizabeth was convinced no other man in the world could appear so exquisitely handsome. One dark curl had slipped onto his forehead, and his gray eyes appeared darkened almost to black.

“You were already up,” Kenrick commented, his gaze flying first to her open bedroom curtains and then to the dressing gown she would not have had time to don had his knock awakened her. “It is very early. Are you unwell?”

Elizabeth shook her head. “I had a bad dream.” Her reaction to Kenrick’s presence, she realized, was much like what she had experienced just minutes before when she had awakened except that now the acceleration of her heartbeat resulted from an indescribable sense of excitement rather than from fear.

Kenrick’s expression of concern deepened. “Shall I ring for your maid or fetch Mother for you?”

“No.” Elizabeth took a deep breath, aware she was staring but unable to tear her gaze away from his face. Fondness for her was written clearly in his eyes, and she felt her heart leap in response. “I am fine now, thank you.”

“May I come in?”

“In?” Elizabeth gulped. She had not expected this. Why would he wish to enter her bedchamber? And why was her pulse leaping at the thought?

“Please. I leave for Oak Groves within the quarter hour and I must talk to you before I go.”

“Oh! Yes, of course.” Feeling a bit foolish for her seeming missishness, Elizabeth turned to lead the way toward a grouping of chairs in front of the hearth. She quickly seated herself, wrapping her dressing gown about her carefully, and waited for Kenrick to sit down, but he didn’t take a chair. Instead he walked to the fireplace and stood for several seconds, leaning against the mantel and staring into the empty grate.

At last, growing increasingly unnerved, Elizabeth could tolerate his silence no longer. “You said you wished to talk with me. Have you had another message from Oak Groves? Has something else happened there?”

He looked up immediately and smiled ruefully. “I’m sorry, Elizabeth. I fear I was woolgathering. No, I’ve had no further messages from Oak Groves, but I hope you will understand when I say that I feel it’s my duty to travel there as soon as possible. Later last evening, Smithfield sent word that he has everything under control, but he has not fully regained his strength, and I don’t want to leave all of the burdens on his shoulders. There will be much to do, finding new homes for the tenants who were burned out and arranging care for the little boy who was injured.”

“Of course you must go,” Elizabeth said quickly. “But I don’t understand what happened. Did the message from Smithfield say how the fires started?”

“Only that they were set,” Kenrick answered.

“Obviously someone is taking advantage of your absence to attempt to disrupt life at Oak Groves,” Elizabeth noted.

Kenrick gave her a quick, sharp look. “So that is clear to you, too.”

“Yes. Do you have any idea who’s creating the problems, or why?”

Elizabeth was surprised to find her husband’s gaze suddenly shifting away from her questioning expression. He looked back quickly, but not before she realized he didn’t want to answer her question.

“Whatever my conjectures might be, I can prove nothing,” he said at last, shrugging. “Now, I’d better go. I mustn’t keep Solomon standing too long. What I wanted to talk to you about is twofold. First, I want you to look after Mother for me. As you know, she led a secluded life for many years, and I’m afraid she’s pushing herself too hard these days. She’s no longer a young woman, so I hope you can curtail her activities somewhat, at least until I return from Oak Groves.”

“I’ll certainly try,” Elizabeth replied, a slight frown furrowing her brow. “Perhaps if I tell her I’m growing fatigued, she’ll stay at home with me.”

“An excellent idea. She would be much more willing to spend a few evenings at home for your sake than for her own.”

“You mentioned a second topic?”

“Yes. I want to ask a particular favor of you. I want you to avoid associating with Gerald during my absence.”

“What?” Elizabeth was so started by his request that she jumped to her feet. Feeling the need to think before she answered, she walked slowly to the foot of her bed and bent to pet the sleeping Apollo. He opened his eyes, yawned, and then curled back up into a ball, obviously preferring sleep to affection. Elizabeth was left with little choice but to turn back to her husband.

“I realize,” she said, speaking slowly, “that you and your cousin don’t always get along well. However, Gerald is a favorite of your mother’s, and he has been kind to me. How am I to break the connection without hurting him and arousing your mother’s suspicions?”

Kenrick looked directly into her eyes, his gaze unwavering. “I’ve previously shared with you my conviction that my mother is too trusting. I’m aware of her affection for Gerald. As you may know, both of his parents died when he was a boy. His mother died first, giving birth to a stillborn daughter. His father, never a rich man, then squandered his few resources at the gaming tables before breaking his neck in a fall from his horse.”

Elizabeth grimaced. “Mary told me about the gambling but I didn’t know the rest.”

Kenrick continued. “When my own father showed no interest in caring for his brother’s orphaned son, Mother brought Gerald to Aston Arbor and treated him as though he were her own. She loved him dearly, but she never really knew him. I did. I knew for many years that Gerald was a dangerous, perhaps even an evil person. He felt he’d been unfairly treated by fate, knowing that had his father been born before mine, he would have been in my shoes, with my wealth and my prospects for the title. He did all in his power to make my life miserable when we were boys, and I, perhaps unwisely, did everything in my power to hide his true nature from my mother. She’d already suffered so much disillusionment, I didn’t want her to be hurt again. But I tell you now, Elizabeth, Gerald is a dangerous man. Please, make whatever excuses you deem necessary, but do not spend time alone in his company.”

Elizabeth had been watching Kenrick’s eyes as he talked. She felt certain he was telling the truth, or at least the truth as he perceived it. And she believed him. Despite any evidence to the contrary, she believed him, and she trusted him. “I want to go with you to Oak Groves,” she said softly, gazing into his eyes with trust shining in her own.

Kenrick’s eyes brightened. With a triumphant smile, he pulled Elizabeth into his arms. “I would like nothing better than to have you at my side, dear one,” he murmured, holding her close. “But I can’t allow you to go. It could very well be dangerous. I do not know what might happen at Oak Groves next.”

Snuggled into her husband’s arms, Elizabeth realized she had never felt safer, but that feeling, she feared, was merely an illusion. “You believe Gerald is guilty of the incidents at Oak Groves,” she said softly.

Kenrick took a deep breath. “I have not said so.”

“No,” Elizabeth agreed. “Nor would you without proof. But I know what you are thinking, and I want to understand why. Please explain to me what Gerald would gain by creating trouble at Oak Groves.”

Kenrick smiled sadly. “I would be delighted to share my thoughts with you, dear heart, if only I had time. Unfortunately, I must go now. Please, Elizabeth, take care of yourself.”

Before Elizabeth could respond, he gently brushed her lips with his own and then wrapped her in a fierce embrace, kissing her with great urgency for a few seconds before sliding his lips along her cheek.

“Oh, my dearest Elizabeth,” he whispered into her ear. “There is so much I want to say to you when there is time. Rest assured, I shall return as quickly as possible. Please, my dearest, be careful in my absence.”

Elizabeth had time only to nod before he turned and strode from the room. Nearly dazed, she stared for long seconds at the space where he had stood, wishing him back, wishing herself still in the comforting and exhilarating embrace of his arms.

There was no question of going back to sleep. Her thoughts were in too much turmoil to allow for any sort of rest. She paced the confines of her bedchamber for several minutes before throwing herself across the bed and staring out through her window at the now-blue sky. Questions, unanswerable questions, persisted in careening about in her mind. What reasons could Gerald have for instigating the problems at Oak Groves? Could Gerald really be guilty of shooting Homer Smithfield in the back and burning down the cottages of innocent tenants?

Thinking back, Elizabeth could not imagine how Gerald could be guilty of setting the fires at Oak Groves last evening. He had been at the Elldon’s ball, at least for the first dance. And as for Smithfield’s shooting, Elizabeth recalled that Gerald had been at Kenrick House when news came of the bailiff’s injury. Of course Gerald could have hired someone to shoot Smithfield, but, again, what did he stand to gain? Unless— Could Gerald have ambitions of standing in his cousin’s shoes? Could the incidents at the estate be a prelude to an attempt on Jeremy’s life?

Elizabeth sat up quickly. Surely Gerald would not harm Jeremy. Surely. She moaned softly, aware of how important Jeremy’s welfare had become to her.

“My lady, you are up early.” Elizabeth’s maid had eased the door open and now stood staring in surprise. Within seconds, however, Peggy had conquered her emotions and donned the mask of impassivity expected of most servants. “Do you wish your chocolate brought up now, your ladyship?”

Elizabeth stifled a sigh. Peggy was very efficient, but she had always resisted stepping out of her assigned role to establish any sort of relationship, no matter how superficial, with her mistress. It was days like this when Elizabeth missed Mattie the most.

Mattie, with her innate practicality, would have advised Elizabeth to stop worrying about what she could not change. But Mattie had sent word that her ankle was slow to heal and she feared she would be more of a burden than a help if she were to join Elizabeth in London. Aware from the tone of Mattie’s letters that she was quite happy living with the Freemans at Cramdon Cottage, Elizabeth had urged her to stay, despite knowing that she must learn to forego her old friend’s always practical advice.

“Easier said than done,” Elizabeth murmured to herself.

“I beg your pardon, your ladyship?”

“Nothing. Do you suppose Billy is up yet?”

Peggy lifted her nose a notch. “Yes, your ladyship. That little friend of his was at the kitchen door first thing this morning. Billy finished his chores in the kitchen, and Mr. Larkman let him go on up to the schoolroom.”

“Then I shall join him. Please ring for some hot water and lay out my blue muslin. I wish to dress immediately.”

Elizabeth found Billy and Johnny playing in the schoolroom floor with a rather battered set of toy soldiers. The boys’ faces were glowing with pleasure at their pretend war games, and Elizabeth was reluctant to disturb them. After all, she suspected that neither child had enjoyed many opportunities for play in the past, so she seated herself quietly and indicated that they were to continue their game.

Finally, when Johnny claimed victory for his set of scratched and dented warriors, Elizabeth called the two boys to her side. “Where did you get the toy soldiers, Billy?” she asked. Billy smiled but made no effort to respond. Instead, he made several swift movements with his fingers, and Johnny passed his message along to Elizabeth.

“Billy says that his lordship found ’em in the attic and brought ’em down for him to play with.”

“His lordship? Are you sure?” Elizabeth asked, trying to swallow the lump that had leapt into her throat. Could this be the set of soldiers Gerald claimed to have seen reduced to a lump of metal in the schoolroom fireplace at Aston Arbor?

Billy nodded vigorously before making several more signs with his fingers.

“His lordship told Billy he used to love to play with these soldiers when he was a boy,” Johnny interpreted. “He told Billy he brought them here and hid them to keep them safe.”

Elizabeth clenched her fists at her sides to hide the fact that her hands were trembling. “Safe from whom?” she asked in a voice that was not quite steady.

More hand motions from Billy led to a shrug on Johnny’s part. “Some boy that used to play with his lordship. Billy doesn’t know any more than that.”

Not wanting the boys to realize how upset she was, Elizabeth stood quickly and hurried to the window where she stood staring blindly into the street below. Gerald had lied to her about the toy soldiers. Kenrick had never thrown them into the fire at all. He had, in fact, tried to protect them, probably from Gerald.

Why had Gerald told such a blatant falsehood? Feeling lightheaded from shock, Elizabeth struggled to recall the rest of Gerald’s conversation that day in the park. He had spoken of Kenrick’s aversion to anything that was less than perfect, warning her to protect Billy from her husband’s strange prejudices. And she had assumed those prejudices would extend to her.

What a fool she had been. Had not her husband proven time and time again this past summer that he possessed no aversions to imperfection. He had befriended Billy and gone out of his way to be kind to her. In what other ways, she wondered, had she misjudged her husband?

But there was no time to consider the matter further. Billy was handing her a book, a hopeful expression on his face, and Johnny was pulling her back toward her chair, obviously anticipating the prospect of being read to. Elizabeth spent the next hour reading aloud from Billy’s favorite book.