An Improper Companion

‘Oh…’ Elizabeth was relieved—he had seemed so angry at seeing her. ‘I see. It was to retrieve the glass only, but…it would be rather startling had I come to your bedchamber at this hour, sir.’

Daniel caught the hint of mischief in her voice and looked at her sharply. Her eyes were bright with laughter and he realised that underneath her slightly prim manner lurked a wicked sense of humour.

‘Just a little,’ he said wryly, ‘but it has happened, Miss Travers. Let me assure you that you would not be the first, especially when I was in Spain with the army.’

‘I dare say you have been much plagued by eager ladies, sir?’

‘As it happens I have,’ Daniel growled, a little piqued by her manner. ‘You would not believe how often a young lady feels faint when I am near.’

‘If you look at them so severely, I should not be at all surprised, sir.’ Elizabeth’s eyes sparkled, and for the first time Daniel realised that she was something out of the ordinary.

‘You have a ready wit, Miss Travers,’ he acknowledged, ‘but you must excuse me if I do not respond in kind—I am not at my best this morning. I must go upstairs and make myself ready before Mama sees…’ He glanced at the beautiful gilt mantel clock. ‘Good grief! What are you doing up at this indecent hour?’

‘I always rise early,’ Elizabeth said. ‘And I thought it a good time to begin the task I have promised to undertake for you. I dare say Lady Isadora will not need me for some hours yet.’

‘I should think not.’ He pulled a face at her. ‘It is but ten minutes past the hour of seven. I like to rise early when I have not spent the night hours indulging in too much brandy—but I seldom leave the house before eight.’

Elizabeth laughed huskily. ‘Oh, dear, I am so sorry. It is a custom I formed when young. I used to ride with my brother before our governess was ready to begin the day’s lessons, and I fear the habit has stayed with me.’

Daniel nodded thoughtfully. ‘So you ride, then? I shall inspect my stables and discover if I have a suitable mount for you.’

‘Oh, no, that is too kind,’ Elizabeth said. ‘I have not often ridden since Papa…Our horses were deemed part of the estate, you see, and Lord Wentworth had nothing in his stable that I cared to ride…’

‘Not a good judge of horseflesh?’ Elizabeth shook her head and he gave a snort of laughter. ‘I shall be on my mettle, shan’t I?’

‘Oh, I did not mean…’ She looked flustered and his eyes gleamed in triumph for she had lost her air of unconscious command, which, with a head that felt as if it contained a thousand working hammers, he had found daunting. Now he was back in charge, which was his usual status with ladies.

‘No, of course not. Nevertheless, I shall expect you to ride with me tomorrow morning at eight, Miss Travers. You will not refuse me, otherwise I shall know that you think my cattle not worthy of your skill.’

‘I think you like to mock me, sir.’ Elizabeth gave him a reproving look.

‘My mother says I suffer from an excess of levity,’ Daniel said, though the gleam faded to be replaced by a disturbing expression that sent a little chill down her spine. ‘But this is a cruel world, Miss Travers. If a man may not find something to make him laugh sometimes, it would hardly bear the living.’

He nodded to her and walked from the room, leaving her to stare after him and wonder what had brought that look of near despair to his eyes.

It seemed to her that the Earl of Cavendish was a man of many parts, and she was not sure which was the real man.

Chapter Three

After two hours of uninterrupted work, during which she had become rather dirty, Elizabeth went back to her room to change her clothes. She ought to have worn an apron, and would do so in future, she decided, for many of the books had not been touched for years. She had begun on the shelf that had only a few books and was pleased to discover that they were estate journals, which Lord Cavendish had obviously placed there himself in an effort to make his work easier. She had cleaned them carefully and then put them back on the shelf at the bottom—she thought it might be best to have the older volumes at the top and work downwards. It would then be quite simple to reach up for something when some research into the past was needed. She was pleased with her efforts, though as yet she had not attempted to begin the cataloguing. She would get the estate journals into good order first, before she began on the larger project.

She had just finished changing her clothes when a tap came at the door. She answered it to discover an elderly woman, whom she believed to be Lady Isadora’s personal maid.

‘Miss Travers,’ the woman said. ‘Her ladyship asks if you would be kind enough to visit her in her room this morning.’

‘Yes, of course,’ Elizabeth said. ‘Am I right in thinking it is the room at the far end of the landing?’

‘Yes, miss, that’s right,’ the woman smiled at her. ‘I am Jean Phipps, and I’ve been with her ladyship since before she was married.’

‘Then you must know her very well,’ Elizabeth said. ‘May I come to you if there is anything I need to know concerning Lady Isadora’s preferences?’

‘Yes, miss, of course. I shall be only too pleased to help you if I can—but her ladyship is well looked after. It is young company she needs, if you ask me. It would have been Miss Jane’s eighteenth birthday this year and she has been brooding over it. With Miss Melanie being mistress of her own home, and a mother herself, it has left her ladyship at a loss.’

‘Yes, I can understand that,’ Elizabeth said. ‘Well, I am here now and I shall endeavour to take her mind from her unhappy thoughts.’

‘Oh, she seemed much more cheerful this morning,’ Jean Phipps said. ‘I do not doubt that she will throw off the megrims now that you are here and start to entertain once more.’

Elizabeth nodded to her. They had walked together to Lady Isadora’s rooms, and Miss Phipps indicated that she should go in, which she did, though her companion turned away. As she went into the little sitting room, her ladyship called to her to come through to the room directly behind it. She was sitting at an elegant little desk in her boudoir, a pen in her hand. She rested it on an exquisite French boulle tray, which was made with patterns of intricate silver and gold inlaid into tortoise-shell, and smiled at Elizabeth.

‘I trust it is not too early for you, my dear?’

‘Oh, no, I have been working in the library,’ Elizabeth said. ‘I have made a start with the estate records, which should help Lord Cavendish to find what he needs more easily.’

‘You have been working?’ Lady Isadora looked surprised and then slightly put out. ‘My son is a slave driver. I did not ask you to come here to work yourself to death, Elizabeth dearest.’

‘No, no, I shall not,’ Elizabeth told her with a smile. ‘You must know that I have been accustomed to being busy, and I enjoyed myself. Books are so fascinating, are they not?’

‘Are they?’ Lady Isadora looked so doubtful that Elizabeth laughed.

‘Yes, I assure you that they are for me—and you have such a treasure house here at Cavendish.’

‘Do we?’ Lady Isadora wrinkled her brow. ‘I know Cavendish spent a lot of time visiting sales of old books and was quite excited when he found something special, but it was not an interest we shared—though I believe Daniel has similar tastes.’ She nodded her head. ‘Well, I shall not stop you if it pleases you, Elizabeth—as long as you do not tire yourself.’

‘I shall not, ma’am, and I shall not desert you for the task. It is my habit to rise early and I may easily spend an hour or so in the library in the mornings before breakfast—though Lord Cavendish has asked me to ride with him tomorrow at eight.’

‘The fresh air and exercise will be good for you,’ Lady Isadora said, looking pleased. ‘Now, my dear, do you think you could find your way to the vicarage? I should like you to take a note for me. I wish to ask the Reverend Bell to dine with us tomorrow evening. I can send one of the servants, of course, but I thought you might like to become acquainted with the vicar and perhaps discuss the flowers for the church.’

‘Yes, I should very much like to do that,’ Elizabeth said, ‘but is there anything I may do for you before I go?’

‘Oh, no, I shall not come down for another two hours or so,’ Lady Isadora said, waving her hand vaguely. ‘Please feel free to consider the mornings your own, Elizabeth.’

Elizabeth thanked her, for it was much as she had expected. She took the note Lady Isadora had given her and went out. As she walked along the landing she met Amy, who told her that she had taken a pot of tea and some bread, butter and honey to her room.

‘I wasn’t sure if you would want breakfast downstairs, miss. Her ladyship has just a pot of chocolate and some biscuits in bed at about half past nine…’

‘As you have no doubt discovered, I am always up much earlier. But I do not wish to cause more work for the household—something in my room at about this time would be agreeable, unless you are setting the breakfast room for his lordship? I could just as easily take mine downstairs.’

‘Yes, miss. While his lordship is here we set breakfast at about nine o’clock, when he comes in from his ride.’

‘Then shall we say that I will breakfast downstairs when there are guests or his lordship is in residence, and in my room at other times?’

‘Yes, miss.’ Amy looked pleased. ‘That’s thoughtful of you, though it would be no trouble to do whatever you want.’

‘I shall have my breakfast before I leave,’ Elizabeth said. ‘But then I intend to walk to the vicarage—could you tell me the easiest way to get there?’

‘Yes, of course, miss. It is close to the church, and that is just across the meadow behind the house. That’s the quickest way when it’s dry as it is now. Though in the winter it is best to follow the road to the village, but that is the long way round and you would do better to go in the carriage.’

Elizabeth thanked her. They parted and she went to her room, drinking a cup of tea and eating two of the delicious freshly baked soft rolls with butter and honey.