Tenacious Trents 01 - A Misguided Lord (29 page)

Tears sprang to her eyes. If he had,
at least she hadn’t been alert enough to remember, or perhaps she’d
blocked the memory.

What was she to do? There was no
escape now and she would have to live with this man for the rest of
her life. Even if she was rescued, could she ever face her family
and friends again, knowing what that man had done to
her?

The humiliation was too much and she
just wanted the ground to swallow her whole.

“
Eleanor?” Clayton’s voice
whispered near her ear. A warm hand caressed her brow.

Her mind was playing tricks on her.
Clay was gone. Drake said he had left so he could not possibly be
in the carriage with her. She just wished he was so badly her mind
had conjured him.

“
Elle, wake up.”

It sounded so much like him. Oh, if
only he were truly here.

Warm lips touched her brow. It was
such a gentle caress, not cruel or hurtful, but loving.

She forced her eyelids up and focused
on the face hovering above hers. It was blurry and she blinked her
eyes a few times until the man came into focus. The greenest eyes
looked down at her, brows drawn together with concern.

What was Clay doing here? What had
happened?

The carriage lurched and Elle could no
longer control the contents in her stomach. Sitting quickly, pain
raging through her body and head throbbing, she leaned over the
side of the carriage seat. Clay must have realized what she was
about to do and shoved his legs to the side as her stomach spasmed
and she cast up her accounts onto the floor.

His hold about her waist was gentle,
but he kept her from toppling from the seat and pulled her hair
from her face with his other hand. When her body finished heaving
she fell back onto him and Clay gathered her close. Elle clung to
him with her good hand and buried her face against his warm firm
chest. “Please don’t leave me.” Her voice was a choked
whisper.

He smoothed a hand down her back. “I
plan on never leaving your side again.”

At his words all tension left her body
and she drifted off into a peaceful black void.

*

Clay glanced out the window, holding
Elle close. He meant every word. No matter what her intentions or
whether she’d later regret her dazed plea, he would not leave her
again. Ever. He knew a thousand regrets as she lay unconscious on
his lap, soaking his coat sleeve with her blood. What if he had
lost her for good? What if he had not arrived in time? He pressed
his lips to her brow. Why hadn’t he stood at her front door and
begged her to marry him instead of going away? Why was he such a
damn blasted fool when it came to Eleanor?

He looked down into her pale,
beautiful face. She had put up a fight. He knew of no women who had
the spirit of Elle and he admired her for it as much as he loved
her.

Yes, he loved her. It came as a rush
over him when he feared she was gone from him, fearing she would
never awake. Head injuries were so dangerous and she had lost so
much blood. But, she would survive. He would make her survive. And
she would never know worry again in her life. She and the children
would have everything they might ever need, and every comfort
imaginable. He just prayed she would still have him after the way
he had treated her.

Clay clenched his jaw and blinked back
tears, the first to come to his eyes since he was a boy. But the
pain at the thought of losing her was too much, coupled with the
relief when she had briefly opened her eyes and looked at him. Clay
let the tears slip free. He had to make her love him. Somehow,
someway, he would win her heart or die trying.

He lifted his shoulder to swipe the
tear away, unwilling to remove his hold on her. She once claimed if
one did not enjoy life, one would be reduced to tears. He
understood so well now. Not that he anticipated ever becoming a
blubbering fool, but his father was wrong. Tears were not a sign of
weakness, but evidence of emotion. If one were to truly laugh and
love, one must also accept pain, and its effects. And he was
willing to openly embrace each and every emotion a human could
succumb to, even if it meant a tear now and then. He wanted to
live. He was ready to live. He had not known that he hadn’t been
until he met Elle. She showed him how bloody blind he had been his
entire life.

Clay brushed the back of his finger
along her soft, white cheek. Her skin was cool and breathing light.
Did she sleep or had she fallen into unconsciousness again? Please
let it be sleep, from that she would awake.

The carriage slowed and he glanced out
the window. They had arrived back at Acker’s estate. At first Clay
had thought to deliver her to his home at the mill, which was much
closer, but the doctor was further away. He knew at Acker’s there
would be a comfortable bed and staff to protect Elle. Until she
reached her majority, her grandfather could still come after her
and he would die before he let that man within the same house. Elle
would not be leaving Acker’s until she was well enough to travel to
Bentley Manor, where she would live for the rest of her life with
her siblings, whether she liked it or not, because he refused to be
parted from her again.

As the horses came to a stop the main
doors were flung open. It wasn’t a servant, but Acker, pistol in
his hand. The faces of the children appeared at the window of the
parlor, as did that of Lady Acker. “It is me. I have Eleanor,” Clay
called out.

Acker pocketed the gun and rushed
forward, yanking the door open before the driver had a chance to
climb down from his seat. “Good Lord.”

“
I need to get her inside
and send for a doctor.”

Clay carefully lifted Elle and passed
her into Acker’s waiting arms. As soon as his feet touched the
ground, he took her back. He wasn’t about to let anyone else care
for her.

“
Where is Wilkes?” Acker
matched his hurried pace to the door.

“
Send for the constable,
too. He—,” Clay jerked his head back toward the driver, “—can take
him to the body.”

They paused in the foyer, the children
now stood in the doorway. Their eyes were wide with fright, Leigh
fought tears. They were now to be his family.

Acker paused and gave the instructions
to the footman then headed for the stairs. “This way.”

Clay took the stairs two at a time. He
wanted to hold Elle until the doctor arrived, but knew it was best
if she rested in a bed.

“
Stay here with the
children, Leigh,” Lady Acker ordered and then followed them
upstairs.

Acker stopped at the first door to the
left of the landing and pushed it open. A large bed loomed in the
center of the room. Lady Acker rushed around him to pulled the
counterpane away and a maid appeared at her side to help finish the
task

“
We need to get her
comfortable,” the other woman insisted. “Hold her for a moment,
Bentley, and let me get her buttons.”

He lifted an eyebrow at Acker and his
friend turned his back, giving them privacy. Then Clay adjusted
Elle so that Lady Acker could work the buttons and free her from
her gown.

The older woman’s hands shook and Clay
lost patience. Stepping around her, he laid Elle on the bed, turned
her on her side and ripped the dress open at her back. Beneath the
fine traveling dress was a tightly tied corset. He didn’t have time
to undo the strings. “Give me your knife, Acker.”

Acker produced it and Clay slit the
ties. Between him and Lady Acker, they stripped Elle of her gown
and corset, leaving her in her shift before letting her rest upon
the pillows. Her head had begun to bleed again with all the
movement and a maid handed him a towel for Elle to rest
upon.

Why didn’t she awaken again? With all
the jostling, that should have brought anyone from a sound sleep.
Clay stood above the bed, unable to take his eyes from Elle. She
was so pale. Her lips were even colorless. Why wouldn’t she
wake?

“
What happened?” Acker
asked quietly from his side.

Clay pulled his eyes way and focused
on his friend and explained quietly how he came upon her and what
happened. A maid moved silently about the bed with a wash cloth,
cleaning the dirt from Elle’s face, arms and hands. More bruises
were revealed. What was her grandfather thinking to marry her off
to the likes of Wilkes? Did he know nothing of the man’s
reputation?

Or maybe he did, and simply wanted
Elle out of the way.

Acker pulled him away from the bed and
quickly told him what the children had relayed after they arrived
on his doorstep in the middle of the night. “I went to the house
but Elle and Wilkes had already departed. I roused Lord Stanhope
and demanded answers but he refused to talk,” Aker said. “Tobias
arrived just as I was saddling my horse. As you already had a head
start on me, I decided to stay back with the children. They were
frightened enough already.”

Clay gave a brief nod. Had he stayed
at Acker’s and not gone to the mill, he may not have made it to
Elle in time.

No, he couldn’t think like that. He
had gotten to Elle in time and she would heal. She had
to.

If only she would wake up.

A scream rent through the air, jolting
Clay from his light sleep in the chair beside Elle’s bed. He must
have drifted off. Bolting upright, and rushed to her side. Elle sat
up in bed, looking about the dim room, lit by only a candle and
fireplace, a dazed look on her face. Her eyes were wide with fear,
tears streamed down her face.

“
Elle, I am
here.”

She looked toward him, confusion
etched on her brow. Her bottom lip began to quiver, tears
pooled.

Clay settled on the bed and gently
pulled her into his arms, stroking her back. The sobs came and she
clung to him, shaking his body with her own as the onslaught of
emotions from the day poured out of her. All he could do was rub
her back and rock her as he whispered soothing words in her
ear.

She was finally awake and that was all
that mattered at the moment. Dr. Morway had not known how long it
would take, or if she would wake, after he examined her injuries
and stitched the gash in her head. He left her with a grim look
that made Clay’s heart ache.

The door to Elle’s room cracked open
and Clay looked up. Acker stuck his head inside and the men’s eyes
met. With a quick nod, Acker pulled back and closed the
door.

Her sobs slowed and stopped after a
few more moments and she pulled back, looked up at him and sniffed.
Clay pulled the handkerchief from this pocket and wiped her nose.
Her eyes were red, but even in the dim light he could see some of
her color had returned. It was the most beautiful sight he had laid
eyes on.

*

Elle wasn’t sure what to do. She was
alone in a bedchamber with Clay, and he was holding her while she
sobbed. A shudder ran through her. The nightmare had been so real.
It was real. It was memories of earlier. Was that today? Where had
Clay come from and what happened to Wilkes? Did she want to know
about Wilkes?

Yes! She wanted to make sure he would
never come near her again.

But what did happen? The last thing
she recalled was Wilkes grabbing her by the waist and then nothing.
Had he…? More tears formed and her stomach wanted to revolt. Did
she dare ask Clay? Had he found her like that? Found them while
Wilkes was…?

Stop thinking about
it
.

She couldn’t. She had to know. The day
would haunt her for the rest of her life but it would be worse not
ever knowing the truth.

Elle glanced up into Clay’s concerned
face. His arms were so warm, strong and comforting. She never
wanted to leave their cocoon. If only there could be more, but she
knew how he viewed her and after today, may think even less of
her.

Still, he was kindness and strength
and she needed him more than anyone else at the moment. Elle
straightened. Had the children gotten to Drake? “Where are my
brothers and sister?”

A small smile pulled at his lips.
“Sleeping down the hall.”

Elle glanced around the room. She did
not recognize it. “Where are we?”

“
In a room at Acker’s
estate.”

Relief flowed through her. Everyone
was fine. They were together. Clay was with her and Wilkes was
nowhere to be seen.

But, she couldn’t stay like this,
holding Clay as if they had a right to share a bedchamber or bed.
What would everyone think of her? Elle pulled away and a chill ran
over her skin at the loss of his heat. She brought the blanket up
to her chin. “Where did you come from?” Her voice was harsh and
throat dry and she glanced around for something to
drink.

“
Just a moment.” Clay stood
and walked to a table where he poured her a glass of wine, or maybe
it was water. She couldn’t tell.

He returned and pressed the goblet
into her hand. “Drink slowly,” he whispered and got up. This time
he moved to the fireplace and added more wood, making the room
brighter and sure to bring more heat. Why was she so cold? This was
summer.