Page 90 of The Lovers
SIXTY-EIGHT
Elise dressed carefully for Sunday dinner. She wore her favorite gown of peacock-blue silk and pinned her mother’s brooch to the bodice. Lucy coifed her coppery hair into an elaborate hairstyle with curls cascading over her ears and framing her face. Some women needed rouge to give the impression of dewy freshness, but Elise needed no artificial enhancement. She was rosy as an apple, her eyes bright at the thought of seeing James after their long separation. Perhaps Edward would even show off Charlie to him, so James could see the boy tonight.
Lord Fillmore and Edward were downstairs enjoying a cup of wine when Elise swept into the parlor. Her heart beat like a drum in her chest, but on the outside, she was a picture of calm and grace. Her eyes swept the room, searching for James, but he had not yet arrived, so she accepted a cup of wine and perched on a settle closest to the fire since the room was chilly, even with the fire blazing and the curtains drawn against the cold draught seeping in from outside.What if James doesn’t come?Elise fretted. What if she never saw him again? But her anxiety was unfounded. James entered the room a few minutes later, looking splendid despite his modest attire. He greeted the men and bowed over her hand, his eyes meeting hers for the briefest of moments. Elise glanced at Lord Fillmore from beneath her lashes, curious to see his reaction to finding himself in the company of a servant, but Lord Fillmore didn’t seem bothered. On the contrary, he was studying James with undisguised interest and smiling at him as if they were old friends.
“Come, let’s eat,” Edward invited. “Cook has made a wonderful meal for us, and I, for one, have missed the comforts of home.”
Elise took her seat and waited while Peg, who was none too happy at being demoted to the position of downstairs maid once again, served the men first. There would be seven courses, and then they would walk over to St. Martin’s for evensong. Elise rarely attended evensong, it being in the evening and inappropriate for a lady to attend on her own, so she was looking forward to it since the service was mostly sung, and she enjoyed music more than a verbal sermon. Elise hoped to snatch a private moment with James, but Edward seemed determined to keep them apart, making sure they sat across from each other, the distance preventing any intimate comments during the meal.
A light snow fell when they finally left the house, making the night somehow less dark despite the thick clouds that drifted across the sky, obscuring the moon for long moments and casting everything into near pitch-black darkness. They should have brought a lantern, but there was enough moonlight to guide them. Elise pulled up her hood to protect her hair from getting damp and accepted James’s arm. Edward and Lord Fillmore walked on ahead, talking of some political matter that Elise didn’t really care about. James made sure they fell slightly behind.
“How are you, my love, and how is our son?” he asked quietly.
“I’m well, now that you are here. Charlie is a wonder. I can’t wait for you to see him. Oh, he looks so like you, James.”
“Mercy was desperate to see him, so I brought her along. She stayed in the kitchen with Mistress Benford and Cook while we dined. I wager she got some lovely treats. You know how Mistress Benford dotes on her, and she was happy to see her oncemore before returning to Suffolk.” Elise glanced up at James, reluctant to ask the question uppermost in her mind.
“Molly and Peter have weathered the storm, but Beth is gone,” James said. “Molly lost two children in less than a year, but she’s grateful for Mercy. She might not have survived had she remained in London.”
“I’m so sorry, James. Now that I have Charlie, I can’t even begin to imagine how painful the loss of a child must be. The thought of losing him is more than I can bear. I pray each night that he is never taken from me.”
“As does every mother, but God has his own plan,” James replied bitterly.
“How is Mercy?”
“She’s well. She misses you and Peg, and especially Charlie. Molly was delighted with Mercy’s newfound ability to read and write. She was so impressed, having never learned herself.”
“I hope Mercy will make the most of it, even if only to read a book from time to time. I gave her two books to take home so that she can practice her reading.”
“She’s read them from cover to cover and asked me to bring her more books from the Asher Hall library,” James replied with a smile. “She’s taken to reading like a fish to water.”
“Will you be moving back into the house?” Elise asked. Having him under the same roof would make everything that much more bearable, even if they would have to be extra careful to keep their secret. She opened her mouth to tell him of her possible pregnancy but then changed her mind. She’d wait a few weeks until she was absolutely sure. A part of her still hoped that it was a false alarm, but deep down she knew that not to be the case. Her body had changed, even in the last few days, her breasts growingmore tender and an aversion to meat and wine making her feel bilious at mealtimes. Her milk wasn’t as plentiful as before, making the need for a wet nurse for Charlie a necessity, and she felt tired and weepy, just like last time.
“I will take Mercy back tomorrow, then return. Nothing will keep us apart, Elise. Nothing. I will make sure of that.”
Elise was relieved when the service finally ended, and they could return to the house. The snow continued to fall during the service, and it now crunched underfoot, turning her feet to ice as the cold seeped through the thin soles of her shoes. She was tired and wished she could retire, but Edward insisted on having one more drink to warm them all up. It would have been churlish to refuse. Elise accepted a glass of claret and raised it in a toast with everyone else. “To our Lord and Savior,” Edward said, surprising Elise. He wasn’t a devout man by any means, so this newfound fervor was odd. Perhaps he was grateful that his family was spared and attributed his good fortune to God rather than to his baseborn son, whose good sense saved both Elise and their child.
“One more drink,” Edward said, reaching for the bottle. “This is rather a fine wine, wouldn’t you say, Fillmore? A gift from His Majesty.”
“Excellent,” Lord Fillmore agreed. “I’ll gladly take a refill.”
“None for me,” Elise said. “I really must get to bed. I’m rather tired. Good night, gentlemen.”
She took a step toward the door but grabbed on to the nearest chair for support. Her legs felt wobbly, and a thick mist seemed to descend on her head. She sank heavily into a chair.
“Are you quite all right, my dear?” Edward asked, solicitous as ever in front of others.
“I feel odd,” Elise muttered. Her tongue felt unwieldy in her mouth, and it took a lot of effort to form the words. Elise forced herself to concentrate as she glanced at James. He seemed to be swaying where he stood, and his hand reached out toward the wall to steady himself. There was panic in his gaze as he turned to his father.
“Do sit down, James. You don’t look at all well,” Edward suggested and shoved a chair toward him.
“What have you done?” James croaked as he sank down on the chair.
Edward didn’t reply but watched with interest as James fought to stay conscious. Elise tried to say something, but her thoughts scattered like beads from a broken necklace. She felt a darkness descending upon her and didn’t have the strength to fight it off.
“You thought you could cuckold me, the pair of you?” Edward asked, his tone conversational. “You imagined that I was too dim-witted to see through your scheme. Well, I didn’t get to where I am by being obtuse or overly forgiving. You of all people should know that, James. You’ve dispatched my enemies for me often enough to know that I don’t forgive, and I most certainly don’t forget. You owe me, and it’s time to settle our account.”
Edward’s words came from a great distance, but Elise heard them just before she lost consciousness.
