Beloved (45 page)

She left them amid a chorus of sympathetic sounds. Summoning Rose had been a precaution. As soon as she’d allowed the maid
to think her mistress was tucked up in bed, Ella would find a way to leave Pall Mall and set off for the Cotswolds and Saber.
She would have to consider carefully how she would divert Devlin for long enough to allow her to release her husband.

Her stomach burned at the thought of her dear Saber locked away, yet she felt in her bones that the only way Devlin would
contain him would be by force, and while Saber was unconscious.

The buttons. Ella stopped on the stairs and almost turned back. Military buttons. When Saber had been suddenly awakened, he’d
cried out, “You shall not have more of them,” or something similar. Was he remembering some horrible battle in India? The
death of some of his men, perhaps? She carried on. All of these things would be made clear to her and she would help Saber
overcome whatever troubled him so deeply.

A fire burned brightly in her sitting room and in her bedroom. Rose was already present, her blue eyes anxious. “Are you all
right, then, miss—I mean, my lady?” The girl tugged awkwardly at the cap she wore over her blond hair. “Just you tell me what
I can do to ’elp, then.”

Ella kept all emotion at bay. “I’ll go to bed, thank you, Rose. I’ve had a tiring journey. Where’s Max? Back at Oxford?”

Rose rubbed her hands together. “Bigun went back to Lord Avenall’s house. And Mr. Crabley’s—”

“I did not ask about the staff.” One finger at a time, Ella pulled off her gloves. “I repeat, has Max returned to Oxford?”

Rose’s face turned a mottled shade of pink. “That’s what everyone’s supposed to think,” she said.

Ella dropped her gloves on a table. “But he hasn’t gone back to school? Is that what you’re saying, Rose?”

“Aye.” The girl’s throat clicked as she swallowed. “I ’aven’t known what t’do. I was going to go to the dowager, only you
arrived, so I thought I’d …Well, I thought I should talk to you about it—like ’e told me. Only, I was afraid.”

Ella hadn’t eaten in far too long. Weakness overcame her and she sat down in the nearest chair. “Do you know where my brother
is, Rose?”

The maid wrung her hands. Her young face worked.

“Rose? Please do not keep this from me.”

“He was supposed to have gone by coach. I know ’e didn’t. I saw him go to the stables and I followed. I begged ’im to talk
to the dowager, but ’e wouldn’t listen to the likes of me.”

Ella rubbed at her eyes.

“You don’t feel well, do you, my lady?” Rose said. “Mayhap you’re already increasin’.”

Ella looked at her askance. She knew what the word meant. “I hope I am,” she said stoutly. “Yes, that would be the finest
thing I could imagine. Now, Max left on horseback. Perhaps he decided to ride back to school.”

“No, my lady. He only went a short while since. Right after you was returned with their lordships and the duke. Oh, I asked
him not to do it. And I asked him not to make me a part of it. He said he’d made sure I saw him go to the stables because
he knew I’d follow and there was something he wanted me to do for him.”

Another of Max’s intrigues. Irritation tweaked Ella’s nerves. She waited for Rose to draw the courage to finish her story.

“Max wanted me to come to you and tell you he’s had to go to the ’ouse you’ll know of. He made me promise not to speak to
anyone but you. Could cause his death if I did, so he told me, my lady. I ’aven’t told a soul, and I won’t. Oh, I’m so worried
about Master Max.”

Ella pushed to her feet. “Lushy’s,” she whispered.

“Beg pardon, my lady?”

“Nothing. Was there anything more? Did Max tell you anything else?”

“Just that you was to follow him to the ’ouse you’ll know of. He said you mustn’t let anyone else know where you’re going,
but you’d better get there before it’s too late.”

An alley flanked the tall wall surrounding the gardens at Pall Mall. Dawn’s purple blush was upon the city. The smells were
of roses in the gardens, and bread baking in the kitchens of great houses, and, faintly, the downdraft of smoke.

Saber paced, and chafed the rope burns on his wrists. Bigun followed him, reversing direction each time Saber reversed direction.

“Where the blazes is Crabley? What’s taking so long?”

“He’ll come just as quickly as possible, my lord. Crabley is a most reliable fellow.”

Saber grunted and continued his tramping. If Crabley and Bigun had not arrived at Bretforten—apparently as a result of a message
Bigun received from Margot—Saber would still be tied to a chair in a locked room.

He looked at his watch. “Half an hour! What can be taking half an hour?”

“I should think there are many possible explanations for the length of time—”

“Yes, Bigun,” Saber interrupted. “I’m sure there are. But I want my wife and I want her now.”

“Mr. North will likely be on his way soon, my lord. We hit him hard, but he’s a strong man. Have we considered how to deal
with him when he comes?”

“He will not come,” Saber said, and hoped he was right. “If he does, I shall kill him. I promised him as much before you arrived.”

Bigun looked away.

“No,” Saber said, “what you’re thinking is correct. I shall likely not kill him since I have sworn never to…I shall not kill
him but he will wish he were dead. But Devlin is no fool. He will take his chance to put as much distance as possible between
us.”

“I think I hear someone coming,” Bigun said. This morning his red silk tunic and white trousers appeared decidedly misused.

“Good.” Saber faced the gate into the gardens. “Ella is the answer to my—my condition. She can heal me, I know that now.”

The gate opened and Crabley stepped into the alley. He closed the gate carefully behind him. His round, black eyes popped
with anxiety. “The news isn’t good,” he said. “I had to be careful or they might have followed me out here.”

“Where’s Ella? Why didn’t you bring her with you? Have they confined her somewhere?”

Crabley held up short-fingered hands. His mouth stretched wide, then formed a little O before he said, “I spoke with Rose.
The girl’s beside herself, but I convinced her to reveal what she knows. She hasn’t told another soul. Afraid to.”

Saber grabbed the butler’s lapel and drew him near. “Tell me—”

“My lord!” Bigun said, working to pry Saber’s fingers from Crabley’s coat. “Mr. Crabley is most helpful. Do not abuse him,
if you please.”

Saber released Crabley as abruptly as he’d taken hold of him. “Yes, yes. Forgive me.”

“You’re anxious, my lord,” Crabley said, brushing at his crumpled lapel. “Rose is very afraid. Seems she’s the only one with
certain knowledge. We’ll have to go quickly, or we may be too late.”

“Go where?” Saber and Bigun asked in unison.

“To a certain house?” Crabley raised his eyebrows questioningly. “Rose said Max told her to get Miss Ella—her ladyship—to
follow him to a house they both know of. Whatever that means. Evidently the young man told Rose his life might be forfeit
if she revealed his destination to anyone but Lady Avenall. And his life would be forfeit for certain if Lady Avenall didn’t
follow him there at once.”

This time Ella was shown not into the rose sitting room at Lushbottam’s, but into a larger room on the second floor. The motif
here was grapes. Plum-colored grapes. Wax bunches cascaded from shell-shaped bowls supported by naked female forms. More bunches
blossomed over painted tiles around the fireplace and crept with startling brilliance over the wallpaper.

The front door had opened before Ella had time to knock, and Milo had drawn her inside. His excitement showed in the unnatural
height of his color, and in the clamminess of his fingers on her wrist.

He’d guided her up to this dreadful room and closed her in. She’d heard a key turn in the lock.

An hour or more had passed since then, with no sound from the passageway. The room was windowless, but lamps burned on tables
beside a four-poster bed draped in almost the same plum color as the wax grapes. Heaps of pillows scattered the floor, and
a chaise of pale mauve trimmed with gold-tasseled braid stood before the fireplace.

Ella tried the doorknob. She’d done so several times and knew it would not turn, but she could not help herself.

Footsteps sounded.

She withdrew to the farthest corner of the room and watched the door. Her stomach chased her heart into her throat.

The key turned in the lock.

Ella drew her cloak more firmly about her. She would ask to see Max at once, then demand to be allowed to leave.

Milo came into the room. He smiled, but Ella noted that his hovering hands trembled.

“As I’ve already said,” she told him. “I’ve come for Max. Bring him to me at once.”

“Of course,” Milo said, glancing nervously over his shoulder. “He’s coming right now. Come on, Max. Your sister wants to see
you.”

Milo stood aside and Max appeared. He came toward Ella with a plea in his eyes that sent her running to take him in her arms.
“What is it?” she whispered, hugging him. “What’s happened to you?”

“Do as he asks,” Max told her. “He says that if you will, nothing bad will happen to either of us.”

Ella held his arms and stood back. She should have used her best judgment and told someone where she was going. “Why are you
here, Max?”

He bowed his head. “I was a fool. The night when I told you I’d been trying to get into White’s”—he glanced at her— “I came
here, not to White’s. I came here because I wanted to know. I wanted to know if I could find out anything about…I wanted to
know who I am. Who I really am.”

“Oh, Max.” She should have known he would come to this point. “You are yourself. Just as I am myself. Mother died and—”

“But I knew Milo hadn’t,” Max said, rushing now. “So I came to see if I could find out where he was. And he was glad to see
me. Very glad. He told me… Oh, Ella, I’ve brought you terrible trouble. I’m sorry.”

She shook him gently and looked at Milo, who remained near the door. “I’m sure Milo encouraged you to come here out of family
affection,” she said, sure of no such thing. “But we must return home now, before we are missed.”

“I played into his hands. I made it easier for him. He wanted to get you here again, and he used me.”

Goose bumps popped out on Ella’s arms. “Milo won’t do anything to harm us.”

“Yes, he will!” Max jerked away from her. “He told me he wasn’t my uncle. He said he was mother’s lover, not her brother,
and that I was his son. I believed him. I wanted to believe him.”

Ella shook her head. “No, Max, no. You should have told me. I could have—”

“I know it isn’t true.” Misery weighted down the boy’s shoulders. “He admits as much now he’s got what he wants. He will use
us to control each other.”

“That’s enough,” Milo snapped. “I didn’t have to let you see him, Ella. Now you have, you know I have not harmed him. Yet.
You will do as you’re told, missy, and we’ll get along well enough.”

“We’re leaving,” Ella said, not feeling as brave as she sounded. “Kindly step aside.”

“Is that any way to speak to your old uncle?”

“We never want to see or hear of you again. Make no attempt to contact us further, do you understand?”

“I’ve heard enough of your lip, miss,” Milo said. “Out with you, boy. And don’t try anything or your sister’ll be the one
to suffer.”

Max stood beside Ella. “I’ll not leave her to you.”

“If you don’t leave her to me,” Milo said, all silk now. “If you don’t, I’ll have you dragged away and she’ll be whipped by
someone who’ll enjoy the job.”

Ella smothered a cry. “Go, Max. Please. I can take care of myself—and you. Just go for now.”

He hovered.

“Go, Max!” Ella said. “Please.”

With dragging steps, he did as she asked.

Milo waited until Max disappeared from sight and turned excited eyes on Ella. “Now we can get on with it. You’ll do just as
you’re told, missy, unless you want that whipping. And don’t think I wouldn’t take pleasure in it—and in seeing that little
nuisance of a brother of yours squirm too. Your mother shouldn’t have spent herself trying to care for the two of you when
I needed her. Now it’s time for you to make good on what I lost.”

Ella held herself rigidly straight. “I am a married woman. My husband will come to my rescue.”

Milo snickered. “From what I hear, that isn’t very likely. Anyway, I hear your visitors arriving. Do as you’re told. They’ve
paid me well for what they want from you and the blunt’s already spent.”

Precious Able rustled into the room. A malicious smirk held none of the “friendship” she’d begged of Ella.

“I always knew you were a slut.” Pink and white as a party meringue, Precious approached Ella with mincing steps. Her taffeta
skirts swayed, and her extravagant evening hat bobbed. She clasped her hands behind her back. Her embarrassingly displayed
breasts rose and fell with each rapid breath.

Confusion overwhelmed Ella. “Did you come to help me?”

Precious giggled. “Of course I did, Ella-the-whore. I’ve come to help you stop pretending to be something you’re not. The
ton
knows all about you, but they’re too afraid of the Ross-maras and the Franchots to tell you what they think of you. I’m not.
I’ll tell you to your face. Think of it. You being all high and mighty, when all you are is the
adopted
daughter of a viscount! Did you think no one would find out you used to be a whore?”