Chapter Thirty
Eve stood outside the ground-floor sitting room that afternoon fighting her growing nerves. She had not previously been prone to trepidation, but these past couple of weeks had seemed to change that. Carrying secrets, being brushed aside after confiding in someone she had trusted, and having her entire future snatched away without warning had left wounds. She didn’t yet know how many of those wounds would become scars.
Her heart floated and calmed when she spotted Duke walking toward her. His rejection at the beginning of the house party still ached, but she’d seen regret in his eyes since then. She couldn’t entirely believe that he disliked her or was indifferent or truly wanted nothing to do with her.
She didn’t know all the answers, but she still trusted him enough to tiptoe toward them.
His smile was tentative. She could feel that hers was as well.
“Your aunt is in the sitting room,” she said. “But so is Mater and Mme Fortier. They’ve been together all afternoon, and I suspect that’s unlikely to change.”
He nodded. “You don’t want to interrupt.”
“I don’t—I don’t want to keep annoying people with my problems.”
The regret she’d so often seen in those deep-blue eyes returned once more. “I was never annoyed, Eve.”
She wanted to feel relieved, but she didn’t. “But that’s not really better, is it? I’m not irritating; I’m just not worth talking to.”
His brow angled low. “That isn’t true at all.”
“Then, what is? Because I’m so very confused by you, Duke.”
“My family hurts everyone who wanders into their sphere, and I was already seeing that impact you.” He released a breath. “I was and am trying to save you from it, and distance is likely the best way.”
“Did it never cross your mind to talk with me about what was worrying you?” she asked. “Or, at the very least, tell me why you were abandoning me after having promised that you wouldn’t? You just walked away when I needed you, and you didn’t even tell me why.”
Duke’s eyes dropped. “I went about this entirely wrong, didn’t I? In trying to prevent pain, I instead caused it. I am sorry, Eve. I truly am.”
He was sorry for the rejections he’d dealt her the past few days, but he didn’t say he no longer considered the closeness that had grown between them or the kiss they’d shared “a mistake.” She had some of those elusive answers she’d been longing for. In time, she hoped to have all of them, but she felt certain now was not the time to push for more admissions from him.
“Are you still willing to go in with me when I talk to your aunt?” she asked.
“Of course.” His response was fervent and sincere.
Her nervousness began to ebb. “How well do you know Mme Fortier? I think she could also be helpful in this matter, but I cannot say if she would be willing or simply inconvenienced.”
He met Eve’s eyes once more. “I can ask my aunt.”
“I would appreciate it,” Eve said.
“Thank you.”
She hadn’t expected that. “Thank you?”
“For still having a little faith in me,” he said. “It’s more than I deserve.”
She did have faith in him. But she also felt uncertain. Asking his aunt for a moment of her time and helping Eve know how to approach the coming conversation would be legitimately helpful. It was also a comparatively safe thing to trust Duke with.
Duke opened the sitting room door, and they stepped inside. Heavens, she was nervous. If these ladies helped her, and she hoped they would, her future away from home, away from Society, away from the Huntresses would be that much more real.
“Please forgive the interruption,” Duke said. He looked to his aunt. “May I speak with you for a moment?”
“Of course.” Mrs. Greenberry stood and walked with her nephew a bit aside. They began whispering.
Eve stood awkwardly as she waited.
Mater didn’t allow it to last long. “How is your sister feeling, Miss O’Doyle?”
“She is sleeping,” Eve said. “And feverish again, unfortunately. Dr. Wilstead has chosen not to return to Epsom. She is more unwell than any of us would like her to be.”
“My son Corbin had rheumatic fever when he was twelve years old,” Mater said. “It worried me so deeply.”
Mother would be worried, too, when she learned of Nia’s illness.
“Corbin has endured no lasting effects.” Mater spoke firmly and comfortingly. “Rheumatic fever is a frightening illness but not a hopeless one.”
Eve nodded, grateful for the encouragement, especially as it had been offered without dismissal of the reality of the illness or belittling her worries.
“ S’il vous pla?t ,” Mme Fortier said, “tell us if we can do anything for you or your sister.”
“I will, thank you.”
Duke and Mrs. Greenberry returned to the group.
He moved to Eve’s side and spoke quietly. “My aunt says she would trust these ladies with her life, that people have, in fact, done just that. And she says she hopes you will allow them to help you in whatever way they are able.”
That should have lifted some of the weight from Eve’s mind, but her thoughts remained distressed. “I’m grateful that they’re willing to be of assistance, but I wish I didn’t need them to, not in this way.”
“Would it help if I stayed?” Duke offered.
A flicker of hope in her heart told her the answer. “If you’re willing.”
“More than willing.”
Eve straightened her shoulders and nodded. There was no point in delaying any longer. The ladies were watching her expectantly.
“Do sit with us.” Mater motioned her over.
Eve took the offered seat next to Mater. Duke remained standing, placing himself near the windows.
“I’m certain you’ve sorted out that my family’s not well off,” Eve said. “But—and this bit isn’t widely known, so I’d appreciate it not being whispered about.”
“Of course,” Mater said.
The other ladies nodded their agreement as well.
“Our situation has grown worse lately. And now, with Nia being ill and facing months of needing a doctor’s care and treatments, things are dire.” Eve took a deep breath, pushing it out slowly. “I need to find a position that will earn me a bit of money that I can send back to my family. I am hoping that you three might know of a lady looking to take on a companion. I realize I am hardly in a position to be particular, but I would prefer a lady who isn’t cruel or inclined to be too much of a taskmaster.”
“I think you are entitled to greater consideration than that, Miss O’Doyle,” Mrs. Greenberry said.
“I haven’t the luxury of waiting for an ideal option.”
Duke was watching her with a pained look from his place near the window. “You’ll at least wait for one that isn’t abysmal, won’t you?”
“That is why I wanted to talk with”—she looked at the three ladies—“the three of you. You know more people than I do.”
Mme Fortier laughed, the sound fittingly graceful. “We know more older people, I believe you mean.”
Eve shrugged. “I wasn’t going to actually say it out loud.”
The ladies all laughed at that. Duke smiled a little.
“Your mother might know ladies nearer to your family home,” Mrs. Greenberry said.
Eve’s heart dropped. “She might, but she doesn’t know the change in Nia’s health, so she wouldn’t realize how urgently I need to make whatever arrangements for employment I can.”
“You haven’t written to her?” Mrs. Greenberry asked.
Eve shook her head. “My family couldn’t possibly pay the postage on a letter.”
“Eve, my uncle is a member of Parliament,” Duke said. “He can frank letters. Your family would not have to pay any postage to receive them.”
She swallowed down a surge of emotion. “Do you think he would do that for me?”
“Absolutely,” Mrs. Greenberry said.
“I’ve wanted to send a letter, but I couldn’t strain the family finances that way.”
Duke crossed to the door. “I will have the arrangements seen to immediately.” And on that firm declaration, he stepped from the room.
“In your letter,” Mrs. Greenberry said, “be certain to tell your mother that we have room enough for her to stay here and be with your sister. She needn’t worry about that.”
“We cannot afford to receive letters,” Eve reminded them. “There isn’t money enough for a journey. Even if there were, she needs to be at Tulleyloch with my brothers. And I need to sort out a means of seeing my family through these painfully lean times.”
“Well, Julia,” Mrs. Greenberry said, “I suspect I know what you’re thinking, but I do have to wonder what you think the chances of success are this time.”
“Considering I haven’t managed the thing in more than thirty years of trying...” Mater made a show of deep pondering. “I can see no reason not to expect absolute success.”
Eve looked at each of them in turn, confused.
“This is the risk one runs when sitting amongst friends who have known each other as long as we have,” Mrs. Greenberry said. “Too many discussions are undertaken without the least context offered to those listening.”
Mater turned to face Eve more directly. “The first time I attempted to take on a companion was in 1787.” She motioned to Mme Fortier. “It was Nicolette, in fact. And while she did accept the offer, in the end, she married Henri instead. Our friend Violet Barrington made the same offer to Penelope.” Mater nodded to Mrs. Greenberry. “But she married Niles instead.”
“You ought to have noticed the pattern by then,” Mme Fortier said.
“Alas.” Mater sighed dramatically. “A few years ago, I took on a dear young lady who grew up on a neighboring estate to ours, and she was my companion for mere weeks before marrying Artemis’s brother. Then I offered the position to Sarah Sarvol, but she decided to marry my son Harold instead.”
“Even I am beginning to see a pattern now,” Eve said, letting her amusement show.
“Oh, it continues.” Mater shook her head. “This past Season, I arranged for Daria to take on that role.”
Eve remembered that. “Because her parents were going to force her to go live with a tyrannical relative.”
“Because I have very much wished for a companion these past years,” Mater said. “And I would have enjoyed having her stay with me. But she married Toss instead. And here I am still without a companion.”
Eve’s heart pounded out a hopeful rhythm even as her mind warned her to be cautious. “But you do wish for one?”
Mater nodded. “The offer I made thirty-two years ago was extended to allow Nicolette a means of escaping a very difficult situation. But the attempts I have made in more recent years have been undertaken because I genuinely would enjoy having someone make her home at the dower house and travel with me to London and the various parts of the kingdom where I have children or friends I’d like to visit.”
“I like to travel,” Eve said. “And I believe I can accurately and honestly say that I’m an easy person to get along with, unlikely to be a difficult addition to your household.” How she wanted to believe the issue of earning money had been solved so swiftly.
“Yes,” Mrs. Greenberry said, “but how likely are you to abandon the idea in favor of getting married? That does seem to be the usual outcome of anyone accepting Julia’s offer.”
“Quite un likely,” Eve said with a laugh.
“I suppose Monsieur Duke jumps to secure letter franking for you only because he disapproves of the current Royal postal system?” Mme Fortier suggested dryly with a smile in her eyes.
“There was a time when I thought the wind might be beginning to blow in that direction.” Heavens, Eve was back to her old way of spilling her thoughts as she had them. “But he’s made it clear in a few ways and a few different moments that he’s not so inclined to see things that way any longer. Maybe he never did to the extent that I thought.”
The three ladies exchanged looks that, she suspected, were very communicative from their perspectives. She, however, wasn’t certain what they were silently telling each other.
“I intend to spend this Christmas season here with my dear friends,” Mater said. “You and I can work out all the details and arrangements needed.”
“I do need to keep this a secret for the time being,” Eve said. “Nia doesn’t know the extent of our family’s difficulties, and I am not at liberty to tell her yet. I don’t know how I would explain to her my employment intentions without breaking my word to my parents.”
Mater gave Eve’s hand a quick squeeze. “Set your mind at ease, my dear. Your sister will have all she needs while she is at Fairfield. We’ll keep this arrangement a secret until you tell us otherwise. And when Nia is ready to return home, you will be in a position to help her and your family.”
“And you aren’t making this offer out of pity?” Eve didn’t think she could bear that.
“I am offering for two very important reasons: because I would enjoy the arrangement and because I am certain my friends will forthwith place a wager among themselves as to how long I will keep my companion this time, and I look forward to hearing what absurd forfeit they decide upon.”
“For the sake of our entertainment,” Eve said, “I hope, no matter what their guesses are, that they are wrong enough to have to pay that likely ridiculous forfeit.” Her heart was lighter than it had been since the day she’d stepped into the Royal Pavilion with Mother.
“So do I,” Mater said.