Page 49 of A Sense of Injustice
Luke shook his head, admiration forming the bedrock of his expression as he fought against a smile. ‘Reckless female!’ he chided softly.
‘I’m afraid that I told him Louise enjoyed your support. I hope you don’t mind.’
‘Not in the least. Hopefully it will make him think twice.’ He settled himself into a more comfortable position, stretching his long legs out in front of him and crossing them at the ankle. ‘And I have news for you.’
She listened as he told her what Paul’s man had discovered. She gasped when she learned that someone had spooked Brigstock’s horse.
‘On purpose?’
‘None of the keepers were in that part of the grounds at the time, but it wasn’t the hunting season so it’s safe to assume that an intruder deliberately tried to cause what would pass for an accident.’
‘You think it was Cleethorp? That he would really go that far?’
‘It seems a reasonable conclusion, but Paul is going to Warminster himself tomorrow to question the landlord of that tavern. Then we shall know more.’
‘I have persuaded Louise to confide in her grandmother.’ Flora plucked absently at the fabric of her riding habit as she spoke. ‘Having followed her here, I can’t convince myself that Cleethorp will give up on her as easily as we hope, so it’s better if Mrs Pearson is properly prepared. She knows something is seriously amiss with Louise and is, I think, waiting for her to speak out rather than insisting upon an explanation. It will be a very uncomfortable admission for Louise to make since she is still convinced that she was in the wrong. I have tried to persuade her that her aunt should have warned her away from Cleethorp at the very least, but instead she worked in tandem with him in the expectation of financial gain.’ Flora wrinkled her nose. ‘She sounds despicable.’
‘I think you have done the right thing. Secrets have a way of coming out in the end, so it’s better for Mrs Pearson to hear the truth from her granddaughter’s own lips.’ He chuckled. ‘It’s not as if she can endanger her own life by calling Cleethorp out.’
‘I wouldn’t be so sure about that. She has a lot in common with your own grandmother. If, God forbid, someone had played fast and loose with Emma or Mary’s affections, I’m sure the countess would have been the first to reach for her blunderbuss.’
Luke smiled that glamorous smile of his; a gesture that lit up his rugged features and made him appear so disarmingly sophisticated that she was obliged to look away in case her expression revealed the true nature of her thoughts. Flora reminded herself that she was a servant in his house and that she would gain a permanent crick in her neck if she constantly looked up at him from her lowly position on the social ladder.
‘You’re probably right about that,’ he said softly, but Flora’s thoughts had taken a sensory detour and she was no longer sure what she was supposed to be right about. Thankfully, Paul interrupted their conversation at that point by putting his head round the door.
‘Sorry if I’m disturbing you,’ he said.
‘Cleethorp’s already here,’ Luke replied, waving Paul into the room. ‘He tried to accost Flora and Miss Pearson up at the reservoir.’
‘Ah, in that case you will be pleased to know that I’ve found out who looked after Brigstock’s legal affairs. A firm of solicitors in the heart of Swindon as it happens, Heath and Sons.’
‘Well done.’ Luke nodded his approval. ‘I am vaguely acquainted with Heath. I’ll pay him a call tomorrow and see if he will tell me the terms of Brigstock’s will. I am very curious to know how he ran through his fortune so fast.’
Flora stood. ‘I have promised to call on Louise tomorrow afternoon. Anything you gentlemen discover before then to set her mind at rest would be appreciated. But now, if you will excuse me.’
She left the room at a trot, aware that she had neglected her charge for too long. It was time to put her friend’s problems to the back of her mind for a while and concentrate upon the duties she was paid to discharge.
Chapter Twelve
Louise returned home feeling nervous yet resolute. Marianne was out for the afternoon visiting a friend in a neighbouring village, leaving Louise with no excuse to postpone doing what she should have done the moment she arrived in Swindon.
She must tell her grandmother the complete and shameful truth about her spectacular fall from grace.
It was cowardly to hide herself away in Grandmamma’s house under false pretences. It left the old lady exposed to the potentially embarrassing possibility of a visit from Cleethorp, who would distribute charm and veiled threats with an even hand, attempting to shame Louise into accepting his proposal. She was equally determined that he would not succeed, even if it meant losing her grandmother’s respect.
Louise knew that she must prepare herself to be ordered from the house. If Grandmamma didn’t want someone of her loose morals corrupting Marianne, Louise would find somewhere else to hide away until the unpleasantness abated. Distancing herself from her sister and being disowned by her grandmother was possibly the only way to protect her sibling’s reputation.
Louise closed her eyes, desperately hoping that the earl would find a way to keep her disgrace under wraps. But in her heart of hearts she accepted that she couldn’t depend upon anyone else to help her. She had created this farrago through her own irresponsible behaviour and must somehow find a way out of it again.
She washed the smell of horses from her hands, stepped into a modest day gown and tidied her hair, her movements impeded by unsteady fingers. With no further excuses to procrastinate she stood, straightened her spine and went in search of her grandmother. She found her in the small parlour at the back of the house that caught the afternoon sun and afforded her an unimpeded view over the garden.
‘Ah, there you are my dear. I was just thinking that those perennials need to be pruned. I must remember to tell the gardener.’ Grandmamma folded her hands in her lap and turned to face Louise. ‘Did you enjoy your ride?’
‘Yes, very much indeed.’ Louise kissed her grandmother’s cheek and perched on the opposite end of the couch that the old lady occupied. ‘Have there been any visitors?’
‘No. Were you expecting someone?’ Grandmamma’s eyes sparkled. ‘Henry Beranger, perhaps.’
Louise smiled and shook a finger at her grandmother. Then she burst into tears.
