AllFreeNovel
Share Us
In the same way those tears had fallen when she had heard his carriage arrive two hours earlier.
On neither occasion did she have the strength to actually leave her bed to cross the bedchamber so that she might look outside and see the man himself. No matter how much she might have longed to do so.
Having wrapped a bandage about her sprained ankle, she had made an effort during the day to play down her injuries for Christopher’s sake. Mary, his nursemaid, had already told the little boy that Elizabeth had fallen down the stairs and hurt herself before she brought Christopher to her bedchamber. Initially he had burst into tears at the sight of the bruises on his mother’s face and arms, but Elizabeth’s reassurances that they only looked bad but didn’t hurt had soon soothed him.
Even if those reassurances were a total fiction.
None of them had spoken a word to each other of their plan to leave the house and Cornwall during the night.
At least, Elizabeth hoped they would be able to do so.
Theyhadto, she told herself determinedly.
Even if Elizabeth believed she hurt more now than she had this morning, after a day of playing games and reading to her young son. She hadn’t been able to accompany him to the beach in the afternoon as she usually did, but he had seemed content to have the company of both Mary and Peggy instead.
During their absence at the beach, Elizabeth’s father-in-law had let himself into her bedchamber without so much as attempting to knock first.
She had expected to feel fear when she next saw the earl, but instead, the predominant emotion was disgust. She again wondered how a man as kind and loving as Thomas could ever have been the son of such a selfish and contemptuous one.
Whitlow strolled confidently across the room until he stood beside the bed where she was once again resting. “Might I enquire how long you intend sulking in your rooms?”
“Sulking?” she repeated incredulously, pulling herself farther up the pillows even though it hurt to do so. “You calmly went to bed yesterday evening and left me lying unconscious at the foot of the staircase!”
He gave an unconcerned shrug. “And yet here you are, apparently none the worse for it.”
“I am covered in bruises, my ankle is sprained, and I cannot stand without assistance.” She knew that to be true because Peggy had been helping her to use the chamber pot all day. “I might have died.”
The earl’s nostrils flared. “It is a pity you did not.”
“What did I ever do to you that you hate me so much?” Elizabeth choked.
“You eloped with my son and heir.”
“I am also the mother of your grandson and heir!”
“More’s the pity.” He shook his head. “At the time, I had begun negotiations with the Duke of Norwich for Thomas to marry his youngest daughter.” He made no attempt to hide his contempt as his gaze raked over her. “Instead, Thomas eloped with the daughter of an impoverished lord.”
“We loved each other.”
“Love!” Whitlow scorned. “Thomas should have married Norwich’s daughter and kept you as his mistress.”
She winced. “You would not know love, for Thomas or anyone else, if it were to slap you in the face!”
“Perhaps not, but I do know lust,” he deliberately taunted.
Rage welled up inside Elizabeth, threatening to overflow like lava from a volcano. “I will not allow you to continue molesting my maid.”
Whitlow reached out to grasp hold of her wrist, his fingers squeezing tightly about the bruised flesh. “You really are an unsightly mess,” he told her disgustedly as tears of pain instantly filled her eyes. “And there is nothing, absolutely nothing, you can do to stop me from doing exactly as I please in my own household.”
He was wrong. She could leave. Shemustleave, and take Peggy with her, along with Christopher and Mary.
The earl dropped her arm back onto the bed. “I will make your excuses to Bristol this evening.”
Elizabeth was surprised by the lack of concern in his voice at that prospect. “I thought you wished me to encourage the duke’s attentions?”
A shrewd glitter appeared in Whitlow’s eyes. “It never pays to appear too eager when a man like Bristol is involved. Especially when it comes to women. All of the Ruthless Dukes are elusive in that area. No,” he added decisively. “I am more than happy to make your excuses this evening.” He smiled his satisfaction withthe arrangement before the smile disappeared and he viewed her through narrowed eyes. “Do not think for a moment that I have forgotten your disobedience regarding the gown you wore yesterday evening. You will come to my study at ten o’clock tomorrow morning for your punishment.”
“I doubt I will be well enough,” she protested.
