Chapter 11
"Ihave a letter."
Clara's breath caught as she reached out for the note Alice held in her hand.
"I wanted to wait until we were both safely in the carriage before I gave it to you," Alice said, a note of apology in her voice. "I could not risk it, not when your brother was in the house."
"There is no need to apologise, truly." Opening the letter, Clara scanned the few lines quickly, then returned to read it all again with a good deal more care.
Her eyes rounded, her pulse quickening as the scattered pieces she had been collecting --- David's terror at the ball, Thomas's letter about shame, the name half-legible on ruined paper --- suddenly sharpened into focus.
"Miss Jennings is Lady Prentis's companion. Lord Rutland's own aunt."
"Then it is all connected," Alice breathed, sitting forward. "Your brother's fear, Thomas's letter, and this Miss Jennings --- they are all part of the same thread."
"Yes." Clara's hand trembled slightly as she held the letter.
"Whatever shame Thomas spoke of, whatever it is that made my brother go white at the mention of the Jennings name --- it leads back to a woman who lived under Lord Rutland's roof.
" She looked up at her cousin. "That is why David separated us.
It must be. He was afraid Lord Rutland would discover the truth. "
Alice's eyes widened. "That would explain everything --- the letter, the threats, keeping you apart."
Clara nodded, then looked back at the letter. "Lord Rutland says that he will speak to his cousin, Lord Prentis, about Miss Jennings. Once he knows more, he will write again."
"That is good." Alice smiled at her. "All the same, I am sure that there is more you can do."
Clara frowned. "I do not think so."
"Yes, there is." Alice tilted her head. "It will take some courage, however and there is always the risk that you will not find anything else out."
Looking back at her cousin, Clara waited for her to speak.
"You could find out the address of your brother, Thomas."
"How could I do such a thing?" Clara responded, frowning. "The letter he wrote to me is ruined and my brother Tyrone is the only one who knows where he is."
"Precisely."
Clara stared at her cousin. Then her eyes widened and she shook her head. "No, I could not!"
"But I could be with you," Alice said, leaning forward again as the carriage continued on its way.
"If we knew that your brother was gone from the house, then it would not take much for one of us to search his study for an address or for something that might tell you where Thomas lives at present.
I could stand outside the door or in the hallway, ready to warn you of anyone coming. "
Clara's heart beat wildly as she considered, shivering at the thought of what would happen should her brother return home unexpectedly and discover her. "I --- I do not know." Swallowing, she closed her eyes. Can I find the courage I need to do this? For the sake of my future --- for our future?
"I will be with you," Alice said again, as Clara opened her eyes. "I do not mean to pressure you but this would be something we could do that would certainly seek to further your endeavors."
Steeling her resolve, Clara clasped her hands tightly in her lap and then nodded.
"Yes. You are quite right. It is something that I could do and if you are with me, then there is no need for me to be afraid.
" Despite her outward determination, Clara's heart began to quicken in anticipation of all she was to do.
"Let us hope that it will not be in vain! "
---
"Are you certain my brother is out?" Clara tried to speak calmly and somewhat dismissively whilst, inwardly, her whole being thrummed with nervousness.
"Yes, my lady. He went to call upon Lord and Lady Worchester and their daughters."
Clara nodded. "I thank you. When was this?"
"Less than an hour ago, my lady." The butler lifted his eyebrows gently. "Is there anything further?"
With a shake of her head, Clara dismissed him and despite the fact the tea tray was now sitting on the table between herself and Alice, rose to her feet. "Well?"
Alice grinned at her, apparently delighting in this scheme far more than Clara was. "I am ready."
Clara could not even raise a smile. Making her way from the room, she walked directly down the hall towards her brother's study. Alice stayed behind her, their steps soft on the carpet.
"I will wait here." Alice gestured to a small alcove in the hallway, giving her a wide vantage point. "If I seat myself here, then I will be able to intercept anyone coming towards the study --- though I cannot imagine who would interrupt you."
"My mother is still in the house," Clara reminded her. "Resting, yes, but that does not mean she might not come through the house."
"But what need would she have to come to the study?" Alice reassured her. "Go, now. I pray you find what you need."
Clara walked to the study door and reached for the handle --- but her fingers slipped, her palms too damp to grip.
She tried again and the door opened, revealing an empty study.
Hearing nothing but the beat of her own heart, she stepped inside and closed the door behind her.
Leaning back against it, she surveyed the study.
It was darker than she remembered, for she did not often have cause to come in to this space.
The study desk was a rich, dark mahogany, pulling all of the light in towards itself.
She let her gaze drift from one side of the room to the other, taking in the towering bookshelves laden with leather-bound books, recalling her father would sometimes be found reading such a volume in the parlor.
The armchair, upholstered in deep red velvet did not look as if it had much use and, with her gaze returning to the study desk, Clara commenced her search there.
My brother is certainly untidy. Her nose wrinkled as she took in the scattered papers, the inkstand and two small books resting on the polished surface. Feeling as if she were committing a great sin, Clara reached out and, unwillingly, lifted the first paper from the others.
A bill. Nothing more.
Setting it aside, she began to sort through the papers in turn, hoping that her brother would not remember the order they had been in.
There was nothing of interest for her, however.
There were notes, vowels, bills and the occasional letter to the Marquess but none of them spoke of Thomas nor gave her any indication as to where her younger brother might be.
Pressing one hand against her forehead, Clara let out a slow breath as she fought against her nervousness.
There was nothing obvious here but then again, would he really have left something like that out in a clear place?
Pressing her lips together, Clara reached to pull open one of the drawers, wincing at the way the wood whined.
Still believing that someone might walk in and discover her, Clara leafed through the papers stacked there --- only to freeze.
Thomas.
His name was written on the top of the letter. Her throat grew tight as she slowly pulled it out, recognizing Tyrone's handwriting. She sat down in the chair beside the desk and began to read, every other thought forgotten.
'I need not repeat to you my reasons for keeping you in Devon. If you decide to return, then, as I have stated, there will be severe consequences, all of which you are fully aware of. I care not for your complaints, I only ---'
The letter stopped abruptly and Clara frowned down at it, as if somehow it might reveal more should she glare at it with a certain amount of displeasure. Why did it end there? Had her brother thought to write more, only to be pulled away from it by some other concern?
Devon. Her brow furrowed. Were they acquainted with anyone in Devon? Was there some relative that might reside there, someone with whom her brother might now reside?
Her eyebrows shot upwards, a gasp escaping from her throat. Had not Tyrone mentioned their spinster aunt upon occasion? A spinster aunt that Clara was sure lived in Devon?
A knock at the door made her yelp in surprise, the letter fluttering from her fingers.
"Clara?" Alice's voice hissed through the door. "Your brother's carriage has just arrived."
In a panic, Clara picked up the letter and, hurriedly, set it back into the drawer.
Placing some other papers on top, she closed it hastily and, with fear urging her on, rushed to the door.
Opening it carefully, she peeked outside, only to see Alice beckoning her from a few steps away.
With as much care as she could despite the terror ripping at her frame, Clara stepped out but closed the door slowly, hoping it would not make a single sound.
"There have been no letters? None?"
Hearing her brother's voice echo up towards her, Clara picked up her skirts and hastened to the other end of the hallway, pushing open the door to the parlor and stepping inside with Alice at her heels.
"You are safe," Alice breathed, as Clara sank down into a chair, her lungs burning. "I do not think you were seen, not by anyone."
Clara closed her eyes and nodded, trying to steady herself. "That is good."
"And?"
Opening her eyes, Clara looked into Alice's expectant face.
"Did you find anything?"
A soft smile brushed the edges of Clara's lips. "I did. It is not anything particularly substantial but I did discover a half finished letter written to my brother."
Alice's eyes went wide. "You did?"
Clara nodded. "I have no address but it mentioned that Thomas is to remain in Devon --- and I am sure we have a spinster aunt who resides there.
" She paused, committing the words to memory --- I need not repeat to you my reasons for keeping you in Devon --- so that she might record them in her journal tonight, alongside everything else she had gathered.
The collection was growing: David's terror, Thomas's letter about shame, Miss Jennings, and now this half-finished threat.
Each piece sharpened the others, though the full picture still eluded her.
"Then what shall you do?" Alice asked, shifting to the edge of her chair. "Will you ask your mother about the lady?"
Considering this for a few moments, Clara frowned.
"No, I think not. There is no certainty that she will not, in turn, say something to my brother and that could bring a good deal of suspicion with it.
" She set her shoulders. "If you would be willing to help me, I will write a letter to my brother Thomas and will send it to my aunt's home in Devon.
If it arrives there, then all is well. If it does not.
.." Her shoulders lifted and then fell. "Then it will be lost. I will place no seal on it, I will not even sign it for fear of discovery.
I shall take great care with what I write and in what I convey in the hope of a response. "
"I shall send it for you, of course," Alice replied, her eyes bright with hope. "You cannot have it sent from this house since your brother or mother might intercept it."
"Indeed." Clara smiled back at her. "Oh, Alice, once more your advice has been just what I needed to hear. I thank you for it."
Her cousin waved a hand vaguely. "I need no thanks," she said, as Clara sat back in her chair, somewhat weary after the afternoon's escapades. "All I want is for you to be able to stand, hand in hand with Lord Rutland again."
"It is everything my heart desires," Clara admitted, softly. "I want nothing more than that."