Mask of Duplicity (The Jacobite Chronicles Book 1) (12 page)

“Sarah,” she said. “You know that I did not approve of your appointment. I’m sure you also know that the rest of the staff do not approve of you either. I know that when my brother employed you he expected you to provide other services for him in addition to the duties expected of a kitchenmaid. I have no doubt he also asked you to spy on me and the servants, and to report back anything of interest. I do not like you, I will be honest. But I do not blame you for seeking to improve your life, either.” She hesitated for a minute, choosing her words carefully. She didn’t want to reveal too much to the maid, who had become very still now.

“Last night,” she continued, “Richard and I had an argument. When he left me he was extremely angry. I suspect that he has taken that anger out on you. I need to know, and I will not leave this room until I do. I’m not annoyed with you. If you have a headache I will send Mary up with some willow-bark tea. If you are injured I must know.”

She moved to the foot of the bed and leaned against the bedpost, waiting. A few minutes passed, and Beth was just about to try again, when Sarah moved and slowly lowered the sheet, revealing her head and shoulders. Beth gasped.

One eye was swollen completely shut, black and maroon with bruising. Her lip was split and also swollen and had bled quite badly, judging by the dried blood on her chin. There were dark finger-shaped bruises at each side of her throat as well, and Beth’s mouth twisted with rage.

“Tell me what happened, Sarah,” she said softly

“I didn’t do anything, Miss Elizabeth, I swear it!” Sarah said painfully, alarmed by the look on Beth’s face. “I...he...came to my room. You were right, he does come sometimes, but not as often as everyone thinks. I could see he was angry and I tried to...er...console him. He just went mad.” A tear trickled slowly down her cheek. “I don’t know what I did wrong,” she continued in a small voice. “I thought he was going to kill me.”

Beth could imagine what Sarah had done to try to console him and how painful he must have found her attempts to caress him. Now she knew why he had not tried to re-enter her room. He had found another victim on whom to vent his rage, a more vulnerable one, one who would never go to the authorities, no matter how badly he beat her.

“Do you have any more injuries, Sarah?” Beth asked.

“He hit me in the belly, Miss, but not very hard. It’s just a bit sore, is all. I’ll be fine in a day or two.”

Beth moved up the bed and took the maid’s hand, startling her.

“I will ask Grace to come and tend you. She has a very gentle hand. You cannot stay here. You must leave as soon as you are well again,” she said. When she saw the look on Sarah’s face, she spoke again, quickly. “No, I’m not dismissing you. You did nothing wrong last night. He was angry with me, not you. But you must know him for what he is, Sarah. He’s a bully, and he enjoys hurting people. You cannot still want to stay here, after this.”

Sarah nodded her head, to Beth’s amazement.

“He’s no worse than many others I’ve known, Miss, and better than some. At least I’ve got a place to sleep at night and plenty of food. I’ll be fine. Please don’t make him dismiss me.” Her tone was pleading, hopeful. He had clearly made her promises of some sort.

Beth tried to envisage the sort of life this girl must have endured for her to find her present situation an improvement. She released the maid’s hand, and stood up.

“Richard will not be here for much longer, Sarah. Many things are going to change soon. I have no idea what promises he has made to you, but whatever they are, he is lying. He seeks to move up in the world and will discard you without a thought as soon as it suits him. Be realistic. You have no friends among the servants. Richard is protecting you from them. Once he is gone they’ll force you to leave, one way or another. I know them, they’re my friends, and do not suffer spies gladly.”

Sarah’s face crumpled and Beth felt a rush of sympathy and guilt that was almost physical. She had despised this girl, had made no attempt to try to befriend or understand her.

“I will promise you something, but you must give me something in return, Sarah. While I am here, I will do my utmost to make sure that Richard doesn’t hurt you again. I will also ensure that he gives you a reasonable sum of money when you leave, enough for you to leave the area and maybe make a new start. I’ll be honest with you. We are not rich, but I will do the best I can for you. In return I ask you not to report back to him anything the servants may say about him or anything else, for that matter.”

“That won’t be hard, Miss,” Sarah said, trying to smile, and wincing as her lip cracked open again. “They hardly speak a word when I’m around. I hate being with them, but he told me I have to spend as much time in the kitchen as I can. He’ll be angry if I don’t.”

“No, he won’t,” Beth said. “I will be giving him some very good news when he gets back. You can spend as much time as you want in your room. He has vented his anger on you now, and I don’t think he will be fit enough to require your other services for some days yet. Now, I will go downstairs. I’ll send Grace up to you later. Try to rest until then.”

When she arrived back in the kitchen the others were halfway through breakfast. It was clear that Jane had told them that she was expected. A place had been set for her in her customary spot next to Graeme, and all eyes turned to her as she entered. She walked round the table and sat down.

“I’ve been upstairs to see Sarah,” she said, looking at Jane. “Richard beat her quite badly last night. I told her I’d send Grace up to tend her. She’ll be leaving once she is well enough.”

Everyone looked relieved.

“Well, I can’t say that I’m sorry she’s seen sense,” Jane said. “I’ll be glad to see the back of her.”

“She wanted to stay,” Beth replied. “She said that this life is better than the one she knew before. I feel sorry for her.”

“Yes, well, you always were soft-hearted,” said Graeme, cutting himself a slice of cheese. “I’ve got no sympathy for her myself.”

“You will have when you see what my brother’s done to her,” Beth replied. “She’s a mess.”

“Not as much of a mess as John was after being flogged, I’ll be bound,” he said callously, taking a huge bite of bread and cheese. “And with less cause for it, too,” he finished in a muffled voice.

Beth couldn’t argue with that, but even so she determined to do what she could for Sarah. John she could do nothing for. In spite of extensive enquiries nothing had been discovered as to the whereabouts of either him or Martha.

Grace had quickly finished her bread and cheese and now stood up, intending to go to Sarah.

“No, don’t go yet, Grace.” Beth held up a hand to stop her. “I have something to say, and it concerns all of you.” Grace sat down again, and everyone looked at their mistress expectantly.

“Richard has written to my cousins asking to renew the acquaintance between us. Yesterday he received a favourable reply from Isabella. We are invited to visit next week, and if things go well, to stay with them for a time. I have decided to accept Isabella’s invitation.” Her voice broke slightly on the last word and she stopped, looking down at the empty wooden platter in front of her. The silence was profound, and when she looked up again a moment later everyone was still staring at her, their faces masks of shock. She swallowed, and opened her mouth to explain further.

“What has he done to you?” Graeme said harshly. Beth felt the sudden tears threatening and swallowed them back hastily.

“Nothing,” she lied. “I’ve decided to renew my acquaintance with my family and that’s all there is...”

“Take off your gloves,” Thomas commanded suddenly. Beth looked at him in surprise. She had often heard him issue orders; that was what he was paid to do. But he had never used that tone of voice with her before. It was Graeme who was the master of plain, even abrupt speaking, not Thomas. She folded her arms defensively as though she expected him to force her to comply with his demand, and he sighed, his handsome face creasing with concern.

“You only wear gloves when you go riding,” he explained. “I’ve never seen you wear them in the house, and certainly not when you’re having breakfast. You’re hiding something from us. If you’ve decided to make friends with your family, that’s up to you, but you owe us honesty, Beth. We deserve that.”

Beth flushed with shame. He was right. She unfolded her arms, but did not remove her gloves.

“You’re right, Thomas,” she said. “I will be honest with you. Richard told me about the letter last night, and we had an argument. He gripped my wrists and they’re bruised. They look worse than they are, though. But I was afraid you would react like you did when he hit me in the barn, and so I wore these, hoping you wouldn’t notice.” Thomas raised one eyebrow. “Yes, I know it was stupid. You notice everything. And anything you miss, Graeme sees.” She looked up at her neighbour, but he had not responded to her light-hearted tone; his tanned face was grim and forbidding, his bushy eyebrows drawn low in a frown. She cleared her throat uncomfortably. At times like this she wished she had maintained a distant relationship with her staff. They knew her too well.

“Let’s see your wrists, then,” Thomas said.

Beth took her gloves off and laid her hands on the table. Thomas’s whole body stiffened, but he showed no signs of charging off to confront Richard, although Beth was still glad her brother was not at home. She reached over for a bread roll, trying to make light of the situation.

“As I said, they look worse than they are.”

“What else did he do to you, Beth?” Thomas asked, his voice too quiet. Beth’s heart somersaulted. She could not tell him. She was absolutely certain that if he and Graeme knew what Richard had tried to do to her they would kill him, or die in the attempt.

“Nothing,” she said carefully. “He got the worst of the encounter.”

“Kicked him in the bollocks, did you?” Graeme said unexpectedly.

Ben exploded with laughter, instantly extinguished when he caught sight of Jane’s shocked countenance.

“Graeme!” she cried. “How dare you use such a word in front of ladies?”

He ignored her completely. “You did, didn’t you?” he said, looking down at Beth. His face was still set in its grim expression, but his eyes were sparkling, sure that he was right.

He was close enough.

“Yes,” she replied. “But how did you know?”

“I knew there was something wrong with him as soon as he walked into the stables. He walked very carefully, with his legs apart, as though he’d just shat himself. Sorry.” He held up a hand to forestall a further outburst from Jane. “It’s happened to me, and no, I’m not going to tell you why,” he said, looking at Ben’s and Mary’s alert and curious faces. “Some stories are not fit for young ears. I’ll tell you this, though, Beth. I’d have killed the person who did it to me if I’d caught them. It’s a dangerous thing to do to a man. I’m surprised you’ve got no more than bruised arms.”

“Yes, well, by the time he recovered, I was in my room with the door locked and the chest pushed up against it. He took his rage out on Sarah instead.”

“In that case, maybe I do feel some pity for the girl. Just a little,” Graeme qualified, in case anyone should think he was going soft.

Beth was profoundly grateful to Graeme. He had unwittingly deflected Thomas’s attention from Richard’s attack on her. She spread butter thickly on her roll, and took a small bite. The bread was still warm, light and delicious.

“Why have you changed your mind about your family, Beth?” Jane asked. “I never thought you would. None of us expect you to.”

“I know, but I must face facts. None of us can carry on like this. You are all miserable and...”

“We’re fine,” Jane said. “Don’t give in to him on our account. We don’t want you to do that.”

“I know you don’t,” Beth said. “And I’m not. But the way things are going it’s only a matter of time before one of us murders the other. I’m miserable too.”

“But if you give in to Richard now and go begging to your cousins, surely that will encourage him in his violence?” Jane pointed out.

Graeme and Thomas both nodded agreement.

“Don’t worry,” said Beth determinedly. “I have no intention of begging. Nor am I giving in to him. I am going to compromise, that’s all. And so is he.”

* * *

To her surprise Richard did not return to the house until late in the evening. From her chair in the library she heard him come in. She put the book she had been attempting unsuccessfully to concentrate on down on the table, and waited for him. She was very tired, had been fighting drowsiness for hours, but when she heard the doorknob turn her mind cleared instantly and she was awake.

He had removed his coat and his boots, although he still wore his wig, which was slightly crooked. He took several steps into the room before he saw her. He stopped, clearly taken aback. His face reddened and he looked away, unwilling to meet her cool, level stare. That was good. He was ashamed of what he had done. That would help her to achieve what she wanted.

“Good evening Richard,” she said serenely. “Come and sit down. I need to talk to you.” He hesitated, obviously torn between a wish to leave and curiosity about what she was going to say. Curiosity got the upper hand and he took the chair opposite her by the fire, seating himself carefully. His face was sullen and guarded. Beth smiled.

“I have read Isabella’s letter,” she said. “And have decided to accept her invitation to visit, and to stay, if we are asked.”

The transformation was instantaneous. His face lit up with a huge smile, his brown eyes sparkled, and he moved forward as though to embrace her. She jerked back in her seat, revulsion causing the bile to rise in her throat. She spoke quickly, before he could move any closer.

“I said I wish to talk to you. I have not finished. If you touch me I will leave the room immediately, and will not go to Lord Edward’s, now or at any other time.”

He sat back in his seat, the smile fading.

“I am sorry about last night, Beth,” he began tentatively. “I had no intention...”

“I don’t care what your intentions were, Richard, but as you’ve brought the matter up, I will tell you this. If you lay violent hands on me again, you will have to kill me. Because if you do not, I promise I will kill you at the first opportunity that presents itself.” He smiled again, a little superciliously, she thought. “You may think this is an idle threat. You are stronger than me and enjoy violence, whereas I do not. But everyone is vulnerable at times. Everybody has to sleep, and your door has no lock.” Her voice held no emotion. She was not threatening him. She was making a promise. The smile disappeared completely, but otherwise he did not react to her words. Beth was a little surprised. She had half-expected him to retaliate, and her hand, hidden innocently enough in her skirts, fingered the hilt of the knife secreted in her pocket.