Page 89 of Enslaved to the Seduction of a Lady
Chapter Thirty-Two
“My Lady,” Jeffries said, entering Alison’s room. “A letter has arrived for you.”
“Oh!” Alison was surprised. She so rarely received letters. “Thank you, Jeffries.”
She took the paper from the proffered silver tray. The parchment was poor quality, and it looked as though it had been hastily ripped from the bottom of a larger document. Her name, too, had been awkwardly scratched, the handwriting messy and lacking control.
She knew instantly who it was from, and her heart leapt. Luke would struggle to find the materials needed for letter writing, and even if he had managed it, his literary skills were acceptable but far from exceptional.
Still, he had found a way to contact her, and she loved him all the more for it. She read it quickly, eagerly, swallowing his words as restoratives for a damaged heart. And then, just as quickly, she tucked it away for fear anyone else would see.
She immediately pulled out a slip of her own parchment and dipped her quill in her ink. She would not write back to Luke—she did not even know where he was staying—but she wanted to send word to Teresa.
Dearest Sister,she wrote,
Please do not think badly of me for what I have done. I must follow my heart and my love, and by time you read this missive, I will be gone. I truly believe you understand my quest and why I have to do it this way. If there were another way, Dearest Sister, believe me I would take it. But there is not, and so consider this letter not a goodbye, but a farewell. I will not be gone forever, but for as long as it takes to get the deed done. I am vague for fear of prying eyes, but I know you understand my words, and I am certain you will understand my actions.
Give my nephew the biggest kiss from his Aunt Alison, and please, Teresa, take good care of yourself while I am gone. We were separated for far too long before you were returned to us, and now we are separated again, but there will be time—I hope in the not too distant future—when we can be together once more.
All my love, Alison.
She waved the parchment in the air to dry the ink, and then she folded it, sealed it with a blob of hot red wax, and ran down the stairs.
“See to it that this reaches my sister,” she said, handing the letter to Jeffries. She went to turn away but, remembering something, she turned back and said, “but not until tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow, My Lady?” Jeffries was very clearly confused, and Alison thought quickly.
“It’s a game we’re playing, nothing more,” she said with a wave of her hand and as confident a smile as she could muster.
“Very well, My Lady,” he said.
With that sorted, she dashed outside to the stables, in search of a footman she had long been acquainted with.
“You’ll do it, then?” she asked once she’d explained what she wanted of him.
“Of course, M’Lady. Anything for you.”
“Excellent, thank you.”
And then she rushed back to her rooms to pack a few belongings into a bag, looking around herself to ensure she had not forgotten anything of too great an importance. That she would run away with him had never been in question, but it was happening so quickly that she needed to be certain.
Finally, she lay on her bed and dozed, half dreaming of a future that was getting closer, half remembering Luke’s perfect smile. She thought sadly of her parents who, despite their actions in recent weeks, she loved deeply and would miss terribly. But shewouldmarry Luke, with or without their consent.
* * *
Alison tucked the note into her stays and picked up the small bag she had packed. She was ready to go, in her shoes and dark cloak, hood up. She turned to look around her room one last time. She was sad she would not return to it, but to be without Luke was infinitely worse, and if her father would not accept him, then she had no other choice.
Noah would take a coach on some pretense and ride far past the house and out of the grounds. She had bribed him well from the little money she had managed to gather together, the rest she had stowed safely in her stays with Luke’s letter. Besides, she had always been kind to Noah, and he had appreciated it, saying he was happy to help.
She blew out the candle, then closed the door to her room as quietly as she could and tiptoed down the stairs, through the kitchen, and out of the servants’ entrance at the side of the house. Noise from that door would elicit less suspicion than the front entrance, and it meant Alison could sneak around the pathway and out of the gardens without too trouble. The servants’ entrances were so rarely guarded in the same way as the main doors.
She slipped through the trees, up out of the garden, and onto the street behind. Even in the gloom of the midnight sky, she could see he was leaning up against the coach, chewing on his nails. When he saw Alison approach, he jumped to attention and touched his hat.
“Evening, M’Lady,” he said. “All ready, are we?”
“We certainly are,” Alison said, but she could feel a tickle of unease. She wished there had been a better way, that her father had listened to reason.
Noah took her bag from her and placed it in the carriage, then helped Alison climb in. She forced herself not to look back at the house, reminding herself that once they were married, she could visit and beg for forgiveness and acceptance.
