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To say Elizabeth was relieved not to lose her only ally was understating the situation. But that still didn’t change the unsuitable fact of her father-in-law, a man aged in his fifties, demanding sexual favors from her maid, who was only nineteen.
Peggy straightened determinedly. “We’rebothgoing to leave here and go back to London, taking Christopher and Mary with us, the moment you feel well enough to travel.”
Traveling in a rocking and bumpy carriage with her body bruised from head to toe was the last thing Elizabeth felt like doing. But if they continued to stay here, she knew that she wasn’t currently well enough to prevent Whitlow from demanding sexual satisfaction from Peggy whenever he felt like it.
That, she could not and would not accept.
Whether she was well enough or not, Elizabeth knew she had to get them all away from here as soon as possible. She refused to allow her father-in-law to continue molesting Peggy. She also knew that she was unlikely to survive another “accident” like the one she’d had the previous evening.
With that in mind, she now instructed Peggy to pack a small bag for each of them, with a quiet word to Mary to do the same for herself and Christopher. They would have the rest of their belongings sent on to them once they knew where they were going.
“One of the grooms is sweet on me,” Peggy confided. “If I ask, I’m sure he’ll ready a coach and drive us back to London tonight.”
“He will lose his position in the earl’s employ if he does that,” Elizabeth cautioned worriedly, unwilling to involve any more innocent people in this dilemma.
“Jimmy wants to leave anyway,” Peggy dismissed. “He doesn’t like the earl, for obvious reasons, and he’s been trying to persuade me to go back to London with him. His uncle owns his own stable, and he can work with him there for a while until he finds another position.”
Elizabeth was gratified that someone had Peggy’s best interests at heart. It also sounded as if Jimmy had honorable intentions toward Peggy. If so, Elizabeth would do all in her power to encourage the alliance. She would miss having Peggy as her maid, but the young woman’s welfare must come before her own.
Elizabeth’s only regret was that she would not see Sterling again before she left.
Sterling, knowing nothing of the events of the previous night which were forcing Elizabeth into taking the drastic step of escaping in the night, would arrive at Whitlow Grange this evening, fully expecting Elizabeth to join him and the Earl of Whitlow for dinner. No doubt the disgusting man who was her father-in-law would have a perfectly believable—and untruthful—excuse as to why Elizabeth was unable to join them.
Whatever happened, by morning, Elizabeth and her small entourage had to be gone from here.
“Where is Eliz—Lady Elizabeth?” Sterling corrected when he saw the speculation in his host’s pale and shrewd eyes as the two men walked down the drafty hallway together to the formal dining room in Whitlow Grange. Elizabeth’s presence was noticeably absent.
Whitlow shrugged. “I did tell you that she is often overwhelmed with grief and feels unable to mingle socially.”
“You are referring to a lingering grief over the loss of her husband, your son?”
“Of course,” the older man confirmed. “Although I believe on this occasion, her absence is due to the arrival of her womanly courses.”
Sterling’s nostrils flared with distaste at the mere thought of this crass and disgusting man even being aware of what time of the month Elizabeth’s womanly cycle occurred.
His own feelings of disappointment were severe after spending a night and day anticipating seeing and being with Elizabeth again this evening.
But perhaps Elizabeth did not feel the same eagerness to see him again when he had been so forward in his attentions toward her the previous evening?
There was no doubting that he had been passionate and demanding, but Elizabeth hadn’t seemed overwhelmed or apprehensive at the time. But that didn’t rule out the possibility she had regretted allowing that intimacy once she returned to Whitlow Grange. That she might even have felt guilty about it, once alone and able to think of her dead husband.
Whatever the reason for her absence Sterling’s disappointment was so deep, he seriously considered telling Whitlow he suddenly felt indisposed himself and would not be staying for dinner after all.
He would have done so immediately if not for the fact Whitlow was sure to then realize the real reason for his hasty departure. He doubted giving the earl even that much insight into Sterling’s desire to be with Elizabeth again would be wise. Not when he believed Whitlow was the sort of man who would use a man’s weaknesses against him.
Elizabeth had become such a weakness for Sterling.
He could never remember wanting a woman in the way he wanted her. To now find himself denied spending evena few hours in her company had totally soured Sterling’s temperament, resulting in Whitlow spending the evening trying to entertain a taciturn and autocratic dinner guest.
He failed miserably.
So much so that Sterling refused the offer of brandy and cigars and instead abruptly excused himself.
He paused before entering the carriage to turn and look back at the house. There was evidence of candles being alight in a room on the third floor, but he had no idea whether or not that was Elizabeth’s bedchamber.
Wherever she was, he sincerely hoped she felt better soon.
Tears fell silently down Elizabeth’s cheeks as she lay in bed and listened to Sterling’s carriage departing.
