Page 57 of The Heiress in Disguise
But she had always said no when Jane had suggested that they go. Jane had never understood why. Surely Ella’s life was miserable, so she couldn’t possibly want to stay.
Apparently she could. And now Jane thought, perhaps she wasn’t really miserable after all. Maybe she never had been.
Because she had been standing here long enough to see that Philip wasn’t the only person Ella had been speaking to in the woods. Before he’d come along, there had been another guest—the masked stranger from the ball.
At least, Jane assumed it was the same man. He wore a different mask today, but his hairstyle was the same, long hair tied back with a leather cord, and he wore a cape, just as he had that night. It was strange enough that Philip would go out of his way to meet with Ella in the woods, but why on Earth would a gentleman choose to meet her here? That really didn’t make any sense.
It seemed as though all sorts of good luck was finding Ella lately, Jane reflected. These two gentlemen were only a part of it. There was also the matter of her so-called fairy godmother, who was showering her with expensive gifts. Jane didn’t like the fact that she felt jealous, but she couldn’t help wondering why Ella had been chosen to receive those gifts. Why hadn’t she been the one? It seemed so random, and Jane felt it was a little bit unfair.
Well, if she was being honest with herself, she felt that it was very unfair. Ella hadn’t done anything wrong, of course, but it seemed as if everything good was happening to her these days. And it was such a reversal of fortune, such a change from what, if Jane was honest, she thought of as the way things were supposed to be.
She knew it was a bit unkind of her, but Ella wassupposedto be the unfortunate one in the household. It had always been very easy for Jane to care for and be kind to her friend because Ella had always served her as a reminder that her own life wasn’t so bad. She had only to look at Ella to recognize that things could always be worse.
Now that no longer seemed to be so. Ella had so many wonderful things happening to her lately, and it was difficult for Jane to watch. It was hard to grapple with the fact that nowshewas the unfortunate one in the household.
She hoped that Ella hadn’t heard the sound of the twig breaking when she had stepped on it. She had run away too quickly to know for sure what had happened.
She returned to the house, her heart pounding with a combination of agitation and frustration at what she had seen. It wasn’t fair.
The housekeeper stopped her in the foyer. “Lady Gwyneth is asking for you.”
“Asking for me?” That was also strange. Lady Gwyneth didn’t usually call for Jane. She would allow Jane to serve her if they were in a room together incidentally, but when Lady Gwyneth summoned someone specific, it was always Ella. She liked to put Ella in her place. She called for Ella even when she didn’t need anything.
Perhaps she had tried to call Ella only to realize that Ella wasn’t in the house. Perhaps Jane would now be asked to tell tales on her friend. She wasn’t sure what she would do if that request was made. She didn’t think of herself as the sort to betray a friend like that. But if Lady Gwyneth wanted to know where Ella was, would Jane really lie for her? It was a lot to ask.
There was a time when Jane knew she would have done it out of a desire to protect a friend who she saw as suffering, but things were different now. Ella’s life seemed so charmed. Did Jane need to sacrifice her own well-being to keep her friend out of trouble?
She went into the sitting room and found Lady Gwyneth sitting beside the fire. “Ah,” she said. “Jane. Come here, won’t you?”
Jane hesitated. Something about this situation felt troubling, but what else could she do? She approached Lady Gwyneth. “What can I do for you?” she asked.
“I’ve noticed that you and Ella are particular friends,” Lady Gwyneth said.
Of course this had something to do with Ella. “We’ve always gotten along,” Jane said cautiously. Was she about to be punished for her friendship with Ella?
“It stands to reason that you would,” Lady Gwyneth said. “You’re near enough in age, and I’ve noticed that she has an uncanny knack for winning the favor of people around her.
I’m sure you’re aware of the fact that Count Benavente has long carried a torch for her, though it defies all logical explanation that he should. I can’t imagine what a gentleman could possibly see in silly little Ella, even if he is only a count. It’s a bit maddening. And I’m sure you must feel the same way, watching attention be showered upon your friend when none is spared for you.”
“It doesn’t trouble me to see Count Benavente pay attention to Ella,” Jane said.
That was true enough. She and Ella had often laughed together about the foolish count and the attentions he tried to lavish on Ella. It was ridiculous to them, because not only would Ella never return his interest, but they also knew that she would never be permitted to engage in any sort of relationship with him.
It made no difference how either of them felt, for Lord and Lady Leicester would never have permitted Ella to pursue a relationship with a gentleman.
But Lady Gwyneth didn’t know the extent of the matter she referred to. She had no idea that Count Benavente wasn’t the only person to show an interest in Ella. That he wasn’t even the only gentleman to do so. And unlike the count, the other gentlemen who had shown interest did seem to have attracted Ella’s notice.
This, she was sure, was the reason she had been called in here. Lady Gwyneth had referred to the friendship between Ella and Jane, and now she wanted to see whether Jane knew anything.
Jane knew that she would win favor if she revealed what she knew. She had the chance to earn a special place among the staff, to be treated better than she currently was. Perhaps there would even be an increase in her pay. It seemed unlikely, but if Lady Gwyneth was pleased enough with her, it was possible.
And that would mean more money to send to her family. They needed that money. Was protecting Ella worth passing up an opportunity such as this one?
For a moment, she almost spoke. She almost told Lady Gwyneth everything she had seen today.
But she stopped. She couldn’t bring herself to do it. No matter how she felt about Ella right now, as servants of this household, the two of them were natural allies. It would be a violation of that relationship for her to tell Lady Gwyneth what she’d seen. She couldn’t bring herself to do it. It would have felt wrong to the point of being unnatural, and besides, their long friendship meant that she owed Ella more than that.
“The count continues to ask to marry Ella,” Lady Gwyneth said.
