Chapter Eighteen
Ellie stood on the steps waving as Rose and Georgie, in separate coaches, waved back until they were well down the drive.
Luckily, she’d been able to explain away her weepiness at the fact that they were leaving, and by the time they were out the door, everyone was crying, but assurances were made that they would gather again at the Twelfth Night ball.
If only she’d never sent out the invitations.
She finally dropped her arm and turned back to enter the house, where Sophie waited in the entryway. “What?” She let Beacham have her cloak.
Sophie clasped her hands before her. “Something is wrong. It’s not because Rose and Georgie are gone.”
Ellie glanced at Beacham, thankful that Sophie always spoke quietly. Unfortunately, Sophie was far too observant and wouldn’t stop asking until she was satisfied. “Beacham, Lady Sophie and I will take tea in my glass terrace.”
“Yes, my lady.”
“Shall we?” Ellie held her arm out toward the grand staircase.
Sophie ascended beside her, not saying a word, the white skirts of her dress swishing as they climbed.
Her friend’s loyalty and caring almost undid her, but Ellie managed to keep her wits about her until they entered the terrace. Then, as if being called to it, she walked to the wall of glass and stared out at the north wood…where Darius hid from her.
Sophie joined her but said nothing.
They stood there for at least fifteen minutes, Ellie not sure how she could explain her unhappiness.
At the sound of the door opening, she directed the footman to set the tea service on a small table she’d added to the space. Moving to it, she poured the tea, making sure that Sophie’s had extra cream and no sugar, as she liked it.
Sophie lifted her cup and sipped, smiling at the taste, but not saying a word.
Ellie knew that her friend could go a whole day without uttering a sound and feel completely content.
That, coupled with her patience, meant if Ellie didn’t say something, there would be no further discussion.
On the one hand, that was tempting, but the pain inside her needed to be released, and Sophie was such a good listener.
“He’d hiding from me.”
“Your husband?”
“Yes.” She turned her head to look out the glass, waving her hand toward it. “Out there in the north wood in an old bathhouse. He told me he had to travel and attend to business, but he’s been there all this time. He’s still there. Even after I found him last night.”
Sophie touched the side of her jaw with two fingers. “Is it perhaps that he hides from your guests? Some people prefer not to interact with others very much. After all, there were three of us.”
That hadn’t occurred to Ellie. “He seemed to be fine when we went visiting.”
“Yes, but that is not the same as having guests in your house, constantly underfoot.” Sophie gave her a small smile.
She grimaced. “That’s true. It could also be why he didn’t wish to host a Twelfth Night ball. But if that were it, why could he not tell me? I would understand. He certainly didn’t need to lie to me.”
“It may be much like the reason you haven’t told him about your tendency to knock into things. Or he may have thought you’d be insulted that he didn’t wish to be around us.”
Again, that was a plausible answer. Just as she began to feel a bit better, she remembered the first time he’d gone “on business.” Was that truly business?
She shook her head. “It can’t be that simple. When I discovered him, he kept telling me I had to leave and that he’d tell me why he was there when he returned to the house. He was frantic about it, and even yelled and cursed.”
Sophie’s green eyes widened. “Then it must be something extremely important. He does not appear a gentleman to put aside formality and appropriateness unless it’s absolutely necessary.”
Ellie blew out air between her closed lips.
“He was a completely different person. He told me he had to protect me.” She shook her head again, rising from her seat, the uncomfortable feeling starting in her belly again.
“Why would he tell me that lying to me and sending me away was to protect me? It doesn’t make sense.
Something untoward is happening. And he’s keeping it from me, his wife.
” She walked to the glass and stared at the north wood, the sun shining happily on the barren trees and dried grass, making everything slightly yellow.
“Many men keep things from their wives.”
At Sophie’s comment, Ellie turned. “I know. It’s just that it didn’t seem like he would. He even told me about his late wife and their unhappy marriage. What could be worse than that?”
Sophie looked away.
“No, it’s not a mistress. I had thought that too.
But the only person who was with him was the gamekeeper.
” Remembering that had Ellie growing angry again.
“Others have known where he was hiding, when I, his wife, have not. If I hadn’t seen the lights flickering in the trees last night while here using my telescope, I would still not know.
Yet his servants know. I’m not sure I can forgive him for that.
What do they think of me that they keep his secret from me?
” Her voice was rising, but she couldn’t help it.
Sophie rose from her chair and walked to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. “You’re hurt.”
Her eyes began to tear. “I am. He thought I was wonderful. No one has ever thought that.” Sophie opened her mouth, but Ellie held up her hand.
“Except for my dear classmates. He’s even grateful I’m in his life.
He said so. He told me that. But he couldn’t tell me he was hiding?
And why is he hiding from me?” She looked at her friend, wishing she could make the pain go away.
“You love him.”
Sophie’s soft words seemed to seep into Ellie’s soul, and understanding came. She did love Darius. “I must, because his betrayal hurts here.” She placed her hand on her chest and let her tears fall.
“Come sit.” Sophie led her to a settee. “Here, take my handkerchief.”
At the simple kindness, Ellie started crying harder.
“I should have known it wasn’t meant to be.
I should never have hoped. Mother always said I’d be lucky to marry, and look, the only reason I did is because he didn’t know me.
To think that I could have a marriage like Elsbeth or Dory or Lissa was no more than a dream.
It’s my fault I’m hurt. I expected too much. ”
Sophie jumped to her feet. “Don’t you say that. You’re not the one who is wrong. He is. Eleanor Compton Taylour, he lied to you. Not only did he treat you kindly and made you trust him, but he broke that trust. He must not be the man you thought he was.”
Since those had been her exact thoughts, she couldn’t argue, even if a part of her still believed she should have somehow known. “But who is he, then?”
“I have a more important question, Ellie. Will you be able to forgive him?”
“I imagine it depends on why he did it.” She tried to imagine a good reason for Darius to hide from her.
“What if he lured someone out there to keep them from harming me? But then he would have rounded them up and not stayed over a week. Or what if he contracted scarlet fever and didn’t wish me to see him fighting it?
But he looked fine, though maybe a bit feverish.
What if he owed a life debt to the gamekeeper and was forced to meet with him there? But he could certainly tell me that.”
“It doesn’t matter why he did it. Men, from what I’ve observed, will make decisions far different than women in the same set of circumstances.
What may seem like the right decision to one feels like the worst decision to the other.
So it really doesn’t matter why he hid from you and lied about it.
What will matter in the end is if you can forgive him. ”
Ellie’s head understood what Sophie was saying, but her heart rebelled. “I don’t know if I can.”
Sophie sat next to her again. “I understand.”
“You do?”
“No, not truly. I’ve never been in love. But I do know you, and you are a strong, capable, intelligent woman with a kind heart, who I’m honored to call my friend. I know that you will do what is best for you.”
She hadn’t realized how much Sophie’s words meant to her until just that moment.
“And you are my wise, kind, and very patient friend whom I will always support.” She gave Sophie a hug, her friend’s small frame comforting, then stood.
“Now, as your strong, capable, intelligent friend, I plan to talk to both my butler and my housekeeper and discover what has been afoot.”
“And so you should.” Sophie nodded.
Ellie moved toward the tea service, intending to warm up her drink to settle her belly before calling her staff, but her hip caught the chair, which hit the table and sent the pot of tea crashing to the floor.
Though it didn’t break, the small carpet quickly turned dark brown.
“Oh, no.” She looked back at Sophie, whose brows rose in concern. “Maybe just strong and intelligent?”
Sophie stood once more. “No, you are very capable as well. You had to hit that chair at just the right angle to tip the table so the teapot would fall but nothing else. I call that quite capable.” Then she crossed her arms, mimicking Ellie’s usual stance.
Ellie grinned, then chuckled, then laughed loudly until new tears fell from her eyes. “Oh my… Just right…nothing else… Sophie…” She finally stifled her humor a bit and sniffed, wiping her eyes with the handkerchief her friend had lent her. “Thank you.”
Sophie grinned. “You’re welcome.”
“I’m so glad I know you so well. I would not like to be on the opposing side of your mind.”
“Thank you. Would you like help with confronting your servants?”
All humor vanished, but Ellie felt much more ready to tackle that situation. “No. I am capable of handling Mr. Beacham and Mrs. Torbett on my own. You can return to whichever book you’ve been reading, and I shall go to the parlor—no, the study, to talk to my servants.”