A Game of Shadows (2 page)

Valerie threw open the shutters, inhaling the fresh, and wonderfully cool, morning air.  The downpour stopped sometime during the night, taking with it the stifling heat and mugginess of the past few days. 
Brilliant sunshine flooded the valley, drying the soggy ground and bathing everything in a golden glow.  Fluffy sheep dotted the rolling hills in the distance, and the sky was a brilliant shade of blue that almost hurt the eyes with its intensity.  Valerie turned from the window and pulled the coverlet off Alec, who tried to hold on to it as he burrowed deeper inside before admitting the futility of his efforts and getting up.

“We need to leave as soon as possible,” said Valerie as she threw his clothes at him and poured water into a basin.  “Where’s your razor?  You shave while I wake Louisa.  You know how she loves to dilly
-dally.” 

Valerie was already halfway
out the door, disappearing into the adjoining room where their daughter was still fast asleep.  Alec smiled to himself as he found the razor and lathered his cheeks.   They would have to reach Kit’s estate today no matter what.  Another delay and Valerie would lose her mind.  He could understand her feelings; she hadn’t seen her sister in nearly two years, and the impatience was killing her.  Crossing the Atlantic just after the king declared war on Spain was foolhardy, but he simply couldn’t say “no”.  Poor Valerie would be devastated if they had to put off their visit yet again, so he agreed against his better judgment.  

A visit to England would also take her mind off Finn’s mission.  He was worried
for their son, but so proud.  What a brave lad Finn had grown into.   Seeing him in the spring had been a bit of a shock.  When they left him in December of 1775, Finn still had something of the boy in him, but by March of 1777, he was a man.  Alec hoped that Finn would exercise restraint and not get Abbie with child until their mission was finished.  He was putting her at risk as it was, and to bring a baby into that situation would be madness.  Alec sighed and wiped the remaining soap off his face.   Finn was thousands of miles away and one hundred and fifty years ahead.  All Alec could do was pray for his safety.

**

It wasn’t until afternoon that the towers of Willowbrook finally came into view as the carriage rattled down a wooded drive, traveling nearly a mile before finally coming within view of the house.  It was grander than anything Valerie had ever seen.  Yealm Castle was a heap of stones compared to the elegant façade, dotted by countless windows of leaded glass, glowing in morning sunshine.  The house must have been built quite recently since it didn’t feature the medieval elements of a tower house, whose purpose was not only to act as a residence but as a fortress.  Willowbrook was turned outward with eye-pleasing symmetry and artistry that was visible in every pilaster and roundel.  Valerie looked forward to exploring the extensive grounds of the estate, suddenly remembering her love of English gardens. 

“Where’s your mistress?” Valerie called out to the surly servant
who opened the massive wooden door.  She completely ignored his look of utter astonishment and asked again.  “Where’s my sister?”

“She’s in the garden with the children,” stammered the man as Valerie ran past him in the direction she indicated.  

“Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Whitfield and Miss Whitfield,” Alec informed the servant as he watched Valerie disappear through a door at the end of the hallway.  “I believe we’re expected.” 

“Yes, of course, sir.  Right this way.  We really weren’t sure when you were coming, but I will have everything prepared immediately,” the servant prattled on as he led Alec and Louisa into the drawing room.  Louisa looked around, her mouth open in silent admiration.

“Dad, I think this room is actually larger than the entire first floor of Rosewood Manor.  I had no idea Kit was so wealthy, and to think he was mucking out stalls and chopping wood in Virginia.” 

“Kit’s father, Lord Sheridan,
distinguished himself during the battle with the Spanish Armada and was well-rewarded by a grateful queen, but I had no idea his estate was this grand,” Alec replied, looking around in astonishment.  He hadn’t expected such grandeur either.

“Do Aunt Lou and Uncle Kit visit the Court?” asked Louisa, still gaping at the
splendor around her.

“I believe they do, pet, when they
’re in town.” 

“I think I’m going to like England,” Louisa stated, settling into an elegant chair
and resting her arms on the armrests like a queen.

“Yes, I think you might,” answered Alec, smiling at his daughter. 

Valerie felt as if she passed through two houses before finally emerging on the other side into the glorious July sunshine.  She shielded her eyes, taking her bearings.  The formal garden stretched in front of her, neat and elegant with its trimmed hedges and pebbled walks, but she could hear the laughter of a child coming from somewhere further away and headed in that direction.  How big was Kit’s estate anyway?  The park stretched as far as the eye could see, and she had no doubt it all belonged to the Sheridans. 

Valerie sprinted down a graveled path past what she assumed was the maze
, until she caught a flash of something white in the distance.  Her breath caught in her throat as a little girl in a white frock exploded from between two hedges, giggling as she ran from her nurse.  Her black curls were swept up and tied with a ribbon, and a couple of ringlets framed her flushed cheeks as she ran shrieking toward her aunt.  She stopped short, surprised by the stranger, suddenly looking for protection from the young woman who chased after her. 

“Evie, don’t be frightened.  It’s Aunt Valerie.  You don’t remember me, but I remember you.  May I give you a kiss?”  Valerie inched closer,
desperate to hug her niece and kiss that soft cheek.  Oh, how she’d missed her.  Evie would be two in September, but the long dress and the upswept hair made her look a little older than the toddlers of Valerie’s time.

Evie just studied Valerie with her dark eyes, unsure of whether the stranger could be trusted.  “
No, kiss Robbie,” she said and took off in the opposite direction, clearly eager to get away.  Valerie was disappointed, but there was time.  She’d need to establish a relationship and build trust before Evie would accept her. 

“Lady Sheridan is just over there, Mrs. Whitfield,” the nurse called over her shoulder as she took off at a trot after Evie.  She wouldn’t want to lose sight of her in
parkland as large as this.  Valerie put Evie out of her mind momentarily and sprinted toward the spot indicated by the nurse.  Louisa sat on a stone bench in the shade of a poplar tree, her eyes closed and her face turned upward as she leaned back.  A small boy was fast asleep in her lap, his chubby hand wrapped around Louisa’s fingers.  What a picture they made as they dozed unaware of Valerie’s presence.  Valerie wished she could capture them on canvas, and maybe she would in time if painting supplies were available.

“Lou,” she whispered, “wake up.  We
’re here.  We’re finally here.”  Louisa’s eyes flew open as her lips stretched into a huge smile. 

“Oh, Valerie, I thought you’d never come.  I can’t believe you
’re really here.  Where are Alec and little Louisa?”

“They’re back at the house.  I just couldn’t wait a moment longer to see you.  And is that little Robbie?  Oh, Lou, he’s so beautiful.  He looks just like you did when you were little.  Nothing of Kit in this one.
”

“I know,” Louisa giggled.  “He takes after our family, in personality too.  He’s so sweet, whereas Evie is a little monster.”  Louisa brushed a stray curl from the little boy’s face, her own aglow with tenderness.   Valerie couldn’t help noticing that her sister looked tired and drawn, deep shadows beneath her violet eyes.  Living in such bucolic
splendor, she should be a picture of vitality and health, but something was clearly wrong. 

“Lou, have you been ill?” Valerie asked, taking a seat next to Louisa on the bench.  “You look exhausted.”

“I’m all right.  I just haven’t been sleeping very well, that’s all.”   She shifted the baby on her lap, momentarily looking away from Valerie.

“Is it because you’re still nursing Robbie?”  She felt a jolt of apprehension as she saw a change come over her sister’s face.

“No, the milk dried up after about two months of nursing, just as it did with Evie.  Robbie has a wet nurse, but he’s starting to eat solid food now.  He turned one last week, so I’m ready to have him weaned.  He’s not the one who’s keeping me awake, Val
—
it’s Kit.”

“You haven’t mentioned anything in your letters.  Is he all right?”  Louisa’s last letter had come before they left Virginia two months ago, but there was nothing in it that gave cause for concern.
  Louisa was just about to answer as the nurse appeared holding Evie by the hand.

“Pardon the intrusion
, your ladyship, but it’s time for Lady Evangeline’s nap.  Shall I take Lord Robert inside as well?”

“Yes, thank you, Mills,” Louisa answered wearily, carefully handing over the boy.  “I’ll just stay here for a little while.”

“As you wish, your ladyship.”  Mills managed a curtsey despite holding the sleeping Robbie and keeping a tight rein on Evie, who was twisting and turning, eager for an opportunity to escape from the nurse. 

“Don’t want to take a nap, Mama,” she whined, but Louisa wouldn’t be swayed.

“Go with Mills, darling, and later on you can meet your cousin Louisa.  She’s come a very long way to see you.  Would you like that?”  Evie considered this question for a moment, her eyes narrowing just like Kit’s.

“Did she bring a present?” she asked before capitulating.

“Yes, sweetheart, more than one.  Now, go with your nurse while I talk to your mommy.”  Valerie managed to give the little girl a kiss before she wiggled away, walking away with the nurse, but clearly resenting being told what to do.

“You’ll have your hands full with that one,” Valerie chuckled, watching her niece walk away as if she
were being led to the gallows.

“I already do.  She’s a terror
, and she’s so jealous of her brother.  She doesn’t seem to mind me being with him so much, but God help us if Kit picks him up.  She won’t share her father with anyone.”

“Hm
m, sounds familiar,” giggled Valerie.  “Mom always said that you monopolized Dad and wanted to get rid of me for good.  Now, tell me what’s going on with Kit.”

Valerie felt her heart break as she saw the look on Louisa’s face.  Whatever was going on was serious.  Louisa opened her mouth as if to speak, but closed it again, gazing off into the distance
, her hands twisting in her lap with anxiety.  A tear ran down Louisa’s cheek, but she wiped it away almost defiantly, refusing to give in to self-pity.

“Lou, what is it?”  Valerie reached out and took her sister’s hand, trying to offer whatever comfort she could. 
It had been so long since they’d seen each other, but it felt as if they’d never been parted, instantly re-establishing their sisterly bond.

“He has a mistress, Val.  There
, I’ve said it.  This is the first time I’ve actually said it out loud, and it sounds even worse than I expected.”  Louisa leaned her head on Valerie’s shoulder, tears flowing freely now. 

“Lou, are you sure?  That’s not like Kit.  He’s always been so devoted to you, and you’ve recently had Robbie.  I would think he would be over the moon
to have a son.”  Valerie stroked Louisa’s hair, trying to soothe her, but her own mind was racing.  She’d known Kit for several years; had lived with him in the same house and seen him in his role as a husband and father.  She couldn’t imagine anything less likely than Kit suddenly taking a mistress.

“Yes, I’m sure.  I found proof.  I don’t know if he’d been careless
, or he wanted me to find it.  Maybe he hopes I will stay here in the country when he returns to London in September.  There are plenty of couples who live apart, you know.  Divorce is not really an option.”  Louisa pulled a handkerchief out of her sleeve and wiped her eyes, her hand shaking badly.  “I can’t lose him, Val.  I just can’t.”

“Tell me everything from the beginning.  Maybe I can help you make sense of this.”  Valerie was sure that Louisa had the right of it, but maybe she’d missed something, some vital clue to Kit’s change of heart.

“It started a few months ago when King James invited Kit to sit on the Privy Council.  Now, this is a huge honor, but Kit was reluctant to accept.  His father was on the Privy Council during the reign of Elizabeth, and once a seat became available His Majesty extended the invitation to Kit.  He hates politics, but he couldn’t say no.  That would constitute a grave insult, so he was forced to accept. 

Of course
, this meant that he now had to spend a lot more time at Whitehall.  Oh, Valerie, you can’t imagine what that place is like.  From the outside, it’s all beautiful and glamorous, full of people who dazzle you with their beauty and wit.  I felt like Cinderella at the ball the first time I was invited to Court.  Of course, Kit grew up among people like that, so he’s not intimidated by it all, but it took me some time to learn how to conduct myself.  Everyone smiles and flatters, but no one says what they mean or means what they say.”

“Sounds just like Washington D.C.,” Valerie quipped in an effort to make Louisa smile.  She ignored the joke and went on with her story.

  “The first few weeks were fine, but then I began to sense something.  Kit would come home tense and angry, so I thought it was just the political maneuvering that was getting to him. It’s like a pit of vipers.  Your very life can be at stake if you cross the wrong people.”  Louisa wiped her eyes, looking to see if Valerie understood the gravity of the situation.

“You don’t think Kit can handle it?” Valerie asked.  She could only imagine what went on behind closed doors.  She’
d read many works of literature that dealt with the clandestine players at Royal Court, and all the underhanded maneuvering that frequently led to innocent victims getting caught in the crossfire.

“I think he can handle the wheeling and dealing, but maybe it’s the women he can’t resist.  He became more guarded and distant,
emotionally removed from me.”  Louisa sniffled, looking off into the distance.  “Maybe now that we are in England, he sees me for the bumpkin that I am.  I don’t belong in his world.”

“Lou, that’s nonsense and you know it. 
Kit fell in love with you for who you are.  If he wanted some painted courtier, he could have had one years ago.  Do you still sleep together?”

“That’s the strange part; he’s more passionate than ever.  His lovemaking is almost frenzied, as if he’s trying to make up for something or is trying to
eradicate his guilt.” 

“So, what’s this proof you found?  How damning is it?”  Valerie prayed that Louisa was just overreacting and reading into things.  Maybe Kit was under a lot of pressure, being on a Privy Council of a government that had just declared war against Spain
for reasons that seemed less than sound.  Valerie didn’t claim to understand the rationale, but it had something to do with the daughter of the king and her husband being defeated by the Spanish in Flanders, and a failed attempt to betroth the king’s son Charles I to Princess Maria Anna of Spain.

“First I found a crumpled note.  It fell out of his papers
when he came home from Whitehall one day.”

“What did it say?” Valerie asked with a heavy heart.

“It said, “My dearest Kit, your resistance will make it that much sweeter once you’re finally mine.  G.””  Louisa started crying again as Valerie took that in. 

“Any idea who “
G” is?” she asked more to distract Louisa than because it would really make any difference.

“There are dozens of women at Court
whose names start with G.  It could be anyone.”

“But Lou, the note clearly indicates that he’s resisting.  Maybe it’s just a flirtation and not a full-blown affair.  Kit is an honorable man.  I can’t see him just jumping into bed with
someone.”

“That’s what I tried to tell myself until I found the gift.  It’s an exquisite silver snuffbox, encrusted with rubies and sapphires and
engraved.  It said, “To my heart’s desire.  G.”   I don’t think this woman would be giving him such expensive gifts if they weren’t lovers.”

“She certainly seems very forward,” Valerie noted.  It wasn’t common for a woman of this time to pursue a man with such single-mindedness.

“She’s obviously accustomed to getting her way.  She must be someone who holds a position of great power; therefore, she’s likely married,” Louisa replied matter-of-factly.

“So you don’t think Kit wants out of the marriage?” Valerie asked, hoping there was still room to work things out.

“A divorce would only cause scandal for both Kit and whoever this woman is.  Likely, they’d just carry on with the relationship secretly until one of them tired of it.”

“Lou, I trust your
judgment, but I don’t think one note and one snuffbox are enough to make a case again Kit.  You have absolutely no proof that he’s actually keeping a mistress.  Have you confronted him?”

“I have, after I
found the snuffbox.  Kit swore that there’s no other woman, but didn’t explain the inscription on the box or the note.”  Louisa sighed, obviously convinced that Kit was hiding something. 

“Have you tried to investigate further?” Valerie asked.

“How can I?  I’m stuck here in the country, away from everything and everyone.  Besides, if I start poking around I could only humiliate myself and Kit.  Discretion is highly prized at Court, and there’s nothing more ridiculous than a jealous wife.  The trouble is that I have too much time to brood.  Life is so different here than it was in Virginia.”