Page 48 of A Sense of Injustice
‘He comprehensively fooled me. I still think it very fortunate that I happened to overhear him in that summerhouse with Mrs Brigstock, arguing about me.’ Louise swallowed, looking angry and upset. ‘If I had not, the chances are that I would have accepted his proposal and—’
‘And your life would then not have been worth living. You have had a very narrow escape.’
‘At least it allowed me to finally see my aunt for what I always suspected her to be, which is self-serving and vindictive.’
‘And it gave you the courage to reunite with your sister and grandmother.’
‘Yes, that too. But now I could easily destroy the reputation of one and severely disappoint the other.’
‘Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.’
Their conversation saw them safely returned to the stables at Beranger Court. Grooms ran forward to take their mounts. Flora suggested tea and the ladies made their way to the house, Romulus panting at their heels. Flora dropped a hand to give his ears a good rub, rewarding him for his protective behaviour. She thought it unlikely that Cleethorp would have attempted to approach them after Flora had made it crystal clear his company wasn’t wanted. Bullies seldom knew how to respond when their victims stood up to them. Even so, Romulus had made Flora feel secure enough to tell the despicable man precisely what she thought of him.
They talked about nothing in particular as they took tea in the morning room. Flora felt awkward entertaining her friend as though the house belonged to her, but Woodley seemed perfectly willing to serve them with his normal stately aplomb. Flora knew very well that if her behaviour had transcended the butler’s strict code of conduct, he would have made his displeasure apparent.
‘Thank you so very much, Flora,’ Louise said, putting her empty cup aside and standing up. ‘I feel so much better now that the first confrontation with Cleethorp is behind me. Knowing he is here is better in some respects than wondering when or if he will put in an appearance. But even if he threatens to spread rumours about me, I shall not give in to his bullying. On that score I am now quite determined.’
‘Then I am glad. I shall call and see you tomorrow afternoon and you can tell me how things went with your grandmother. I am perfectly sure that she will take your side.’
Louise shuddered. ‘Let’s hope so.’
Flora waved Louise away in her carriage and returned to the house. Woodley informed her that the earl was asking for her and so she immediately went to his library, keen to tell him about the interlude with Cleethorp.
You are in trouble.
‘Thank you for stating the obvious,’ Flora muttered in response to Remus. ‘Why didn’t you warn me earlier, before the horrible man reached us?
I did warn you.
‘Only when it was too late for us to get away from him.’
I’ve told you before. I can’t always be dancing to your tune. Anyway, you had that dog to keep you safe.
Flora grinned. ‘You can say his name, you know,’ she chided, having deliberately named the dog after the brother with whom Remus was always at odds.
You did well, but you’ve set the cat amongst the pigeons. Take the greatest possible care. That man has a temper and tends to act without thinking when roused.
‘As Louise can attest. Can’t you manifest yourself in front of him and scare him into turning tail and running or…well, something? Make yourself useful.’
Remus chuckled.That’s against the rules.
‘Who makes these wretched rules that you are so worried about breaking?’
Flora had reached the door to Luke’s library by the time she posed that question and sensed Remus drifting away again. Typical! The more she saw of him, the more confused she became about his purpose in her life. How she wished now that her grandmother had told her more about her own abilities, or that she had paid more attention on the few occasions when she had referred to them. But still, it would be prudent to take Remus’s warning about Cleethorp’s temper seriously. She had made an enemy out of him by standing up to him and preventing him from approaching Louise. For now. His being in the district made it obvious that he had no intention of giving up on her.
‘Cleethorp is here,’ she said as she tapped at the door and walked into the library. Romulus pushed through it ahead of her and trotted up to Luke, his tailing spiralling. Luke looked up at her from behind his desk, and the slow, intimate smile that he sent her way made her feel weak at the knees. It faded as he absorbed the enormity of her news.
‘You’ve seen him?’ Luke stood up, looking angry and very concerned.
‘Yes, he followed us to the reservoir but Romulus frightened him off.’
‘Sit down and tell me about it,’ Luke said, scowling as he bent to pat Romulus’s head. The dog, tired after his run, merely flapped his tail and closed his eyes. ‘Are you all right? Did he try to molest either of you?’
‘We were certainly taken aback.’ She told Luke about Miss Gregory’s unexpected visit to Louise. ‘We assume that’s how he knew where to find us.’
‘He didn’t approach you?’
‘He wanted a private word with Louise but I robustly dissuaded him.’
