Tenacious Trents 01 - A Misguided Lord (18 page)

She flipped to the back page, read the
figures and sank into the chair. One thousand pounds.

“
I don’t have this much
money.” She finally looked up at him.

“
You got the money for your
other debts. I am sure your grandfather will give you
more.”

“
I don’t believe he will.”
She had let everyone assume her money had been part of her
inheritance. The truth was too humiliating. She never dreamed the
ruse would come back on her. What was she to do now? There was no
inheritance.

“
Well, I hope you are
wrong. Mrs. Barnes insists on payment.”

Eleanor felt herself grow pale.
“When?”

“
I am allowed to give you
one month or you will need to vacate the property.”

“
One month?” It wasn’t
enough time.

“
I’m sorry, but these debts
have been carried a very long time. I didn’t even charge interest.”
Mr. Barnes explained.

“
I understand.” Eleanor
stood. “I’ll do my best to obtain the funds in time.”

She waited until she heard the front
door close and sank back down into the chair. Where was she going
to get the rest of the money? She only had five hundred saved. She
could write her grandfather, but she had written before, several
times, and he wouldn’t part with a shilling if it were to help the
family. His answers were always the same. “Let Adam Culver worry
about them. They are his niece and nephew and his responsibility.”
In his opinion, Elle should live at the family estate where she
belonged and make a good marriage. That had been his answer for the
past two years and she didn’t expect it to change now. She should
just be thankful he didn’t make her live there. As her guardian, he
had every right to pull her from her family and force her to reside
with him. Thank goodness his interest in her was limited and
fleeting.

Eleanor straightened when there was
another knock at the door. Her stomach clenched. What if this was
another creditor? What if her step-fathered owed even more than she
was aware? She thought these days were behind them.

Relief shot through her at the sound
of Drake’s voice. He walked into the parlor and stopped short.
“Elle, what is wrong. You are quite pale. Are you feeling
well?”

Eleanor offered a smile, but she knew
it was weak. “Mr. Barnes just left.”

“
Yes, I noticed him ride
off.” Drake shut the door behind him and walked to Eleanor’s
side.

“
I just learned he holds
the mortgage to the house. My step-fathered owed him a thousand
pounds and when I didn’t pay him, as I did everyone else, he came
asking for the funds.” Tears sprang to her eyes and Eleanor sat
down once again. Her legs were too weak to hold her. Where would
she get the money?

“
Do you have anything left
from London?”

“
Only five hundred, which I
hoped to save for emergencies.”

Drake settled beside her. “I will give
you the rest.”

Eleanor straightened and took his
hand. “No. I cannot. I will not.”

“
Elle, you can’t lose the
house.”

She sighed. They would be in a worse
pickle with nowhere to live. “He has given me a month. If I cannot
find the funds in time, I will let you know.”

Drake squeezed her hand. “Very
well.”

Eleanor could accept his offer, but
she hated to be indebted to him and who knew when or if she would
ever be able to pay him back. Her step-father borrowing from
acquaintances was what brought her to this situation and she wasn’t
about to repeat his mistakes, or have her family forever owing
money to someone. Society may prefer to live in that state, and not
care. But she could not. Drake always insisted that it was a gift.
But Elle couldn’t take the charity. She would not have that between
them. There had to be another way to come up with the
money.

“
Why are you here? You have
a houseful of guests.”

“
You left without a word
yesterday. I was concerned. Bentley didn’t upset you did
he?”

Eleanor glanced away when her face
grew warm remembering those moments in the summer house. Bentley
had certainly not upset her. “I grew tired and needed to come
home.”

He clasped her hand. “Are you
certain?”

Eleanor turned back to him and smiled.
“Yes.”

*

Clay glanced at the clock beside the
door. It was already four in the afternoon, yet Eleanor hadn’t made
an appearance. Was she not going to show? Had yesterday upset her?
No, she seemed to have enjoyed herself, and could have experienced
even more if she would have only given in to her
passion.

He turned away and stalked outside.
Had her passion scared her? Maybe she hadn’t experienced it before.
If she had been in love with Jamie’s father, engaged to be married,
perhaps she allowed him the liberties, but found no joy in the
mating. Eleanor deserved to know passion and experience blinding
releases. If she would just give him a chance, he would show her
how wonderful it could be.

But, she wasn’t here.

Maybe it was the children. Had one of
them become ill or been injured? He dearly hoped that wasn’t the
case. Eleanor had too much to worry about and carried far too much
on her gentle shoulders. Eleanor needed someone to take care of her
and he was offering just that. Who knew how long their relationship
could last? Some men kept mistresses for years and after the taste
he experienced yesterday, Clay was fairly certain he would not be
tiring of Eleanor for a very long time.

Frustrated he stuck his hands in his
pockets and paced, not sure what to do with himself. He could join
the others getting ready to take a ride, but what if she arrived
and he was not here? No, he couldn’t leave.

Some guests were going to walk to the
lake and try their hand at fishing. While it kept him outside, what
if she came down the other path? No, he couldn’t do anything that
required him to be away from the house. Not until she arrived and
he was assured all was well with her.

Damn! Where the hell was
she?

Clay stopped and looked
around. When had he become the type of gentleman who waited on a
lady, or any woman for that matter? He had always laughed at the
men who couldn’t stand to be parted from their wives, betrothed, or
even mistress. They claimed to be in love, and Clay was
certainly
not
in
love. There was no such thing.

Lust. He was in lust and as soon as he
bedded Miss Westin, his world would be set to rights again. So,
where the hell was she?

Clay turned just in time to see
Eleanor emerge from the path and relief shot through him. He took a
step in her direction but was brought up short. Worry marred her
brow and her face was pale, completely devoid of all color. What
had happened?

He rushed forward and her eyes lifted
to his. They were almost lifeless, as if she were defeated. This
was not how his Elle should look.

“
May I have a word with
you?”

“
Of course.” He offered her
arm.

Eleanor took it and glanced around.
“Where is everyone?”

“
Fishing, riding, playing
games.”

She simply nodded and they began to
stroll toward the summer house. “How does it work?”

Clay hadn’t the foggiest of what she
was talking about. “How does it work?”

“
Being a mistress.” She
glanced up at him. “I am assuming your offer still
stands.”

Victory shot through him and his body
began to harden with anticipation. Perhaps she was pale because she
feared his reaction to her offer.

“
You would be my lover,
exclusively.”

She nodded.

“
I would set you up in a
townhouse in London, arrange for servants, a carriage, clothing and
jewelry on occasion.”

Eleanor sighed and her shoulders
slumped. “That won’t work.”

He just offered her an existence far
more pleasant than the way she lived. What more could she
want?

“
I can’t be away from the
children.”

“
You could bring them with
you.”

She bit her lower lip as if pondering
the idea before she shook her head.

“
I will not be your
mistress and reside in the same house with the children. I would
not shame them in that manner and ruin them as well as
myself.”

Clay wanted to point out that the fact
she had a child out of wedlock already brought censure to the
family, but held his tongue.

She stopped and looked up at him
again. “Perhaps an agreement, of short duration, while you are
here.”

“
That is only a few more
days,” he argued. “But, I could stay on, though Acker will
wonder.”

Her eyes widened. “He can never, ever
suspect.”

“
Very well.”

He patted her hand and they continued
on the path.

“
If you remained for a week
or two and I visited with you each night, what would, I mean, how
would it benefit me?”

Her face turned a lovely shade of red.
If she were an experienced courtesan, the topic of payment would
not be so uncomfortable. He liked that she was new to the game and
he would be her first true lover. She may have been bedded, but
Clay was willing to bet she had not been shown pleasure. Her
reactions were too innocent yesterday for there to have been much
experience. “I would be very generous. And, the more pleased I am,
the more generous I could be.”

Eleanor went back to biting her lip.
In truth, he wasn’t sure how much he would pay for a week or two.
When one was considering a mistress, one thought in months or
possibly a year. Not in days.

*

Eleanor wished he would name a price
but she couldn’t bring herself to come out and ask. She could only
pray generous meant enough to get them out of debt. Or, enough that
added to five hundred she had saved it would satisfy Mr. Barnes
until she could raise the rest.

They continued in silence and Eleanor
once again mentally went over her other options. There was nothing
left of value in the house to sell. She had scoured it from top to
bottom this morning and asking Drake was her absolutely last
option. His friendship meant more to her than anything outside of
her family and she would not have debt between them.

“
What if you remained for a
month?” Surely that would be plenty of time to raise most of what
she needed.

“
I can’t remain here that
long. I have an estate to run.”

She had forgotten. Clayton
did have obligations, though most in the
ton
didn’t behave as if they
did.

“
But, we could take a week
and visit my home. There we could continue to be
lovers.”

“
I couldn’t leave the
children?”

“
Not even for a week? I am
sure Acker would see to them.”

“
And how would I explain
where I was going.” Drake must never learn of this. She wouldn’t be
able to face his disappointment. This could likely ruin their
friendship much quicker than borrowing the funds.

Clayton stopped and turned her toward
him. “Why don’t we see how we get on and take it one week at a
time?”

Eleanor studied him. He did have a
point. What if he tired of her that quickly?

No, she squashed the thought. She had
to keep him well-pleasured until he left and pray that he was
generous. If only she knew what to do to keep him satisfied. Her
stomach churned. She had no idea what to do and hopefully he
wouldn’t complain about her lack of experience.

“
Very well. A week and we
shall see what happens.”

Clayton grinned and pulled her close.
“You have no idea how badly I want you.”

His lips found hers and despite her
nervous and worried state, Eleanor melted into him. Clay had a way
of making her want to forget there were troubles or that she was a
virtuous young woman. However, after tonight, she would no longer
have that claim.

He pulled away for the moment. “Shall
I come to you tonight?”

“
Not my house.” Goodness.
What would her siblings think? The boys were too young to
understand, but Leigh was not.

“
Where? My
room?”

That was worse. What if Drake or
anyone else saw her going in and leaving his room? “The summer
house?”

He grinned. “When? Now?”

Eleanor’s face heated. “Not now,” she
hissed. “Tonight, around nine. After I have put the boys to
bed.”

“
Tonight it is.” He bent
and kissed her once again, searing her soul. The very one she would
lose tonight.

Eleanor pulled the hood of her cape up
over her head, picked up the satchel and stepped from the back of
her house. What was she doing? Her stomach knotted, making her
almost ill. What if he were disappointed? What if she gave the only
thing left of value tonight and he wished not to
continue?