Tenacious Trents 01 - A Misguided Lord (21 page)

“
Leigh is her only sister,
and fourteen. Tobias is ten, Ethan is eight, Benjamin is five, I
believe, and Jamie will be three at the end of summer.”

Clay sipped the fiery liquid, not
caring that it was still early in the day. The answers only brought
more questions. “Why did her grandfather pick now to give her a
season? Did Eleanor want one earlier?”

Acker shrugged. “We don’t know. He
never said. Stanhope simply issued the command and Elle had to
obey.” He took a drink. “She reaches her majority in September and
won’t have to do his bidding ever again after that.”

Clay pushed his fingers through his
hair. She had far too many responsibilities to shoulder alone at
her age. The house looked as if it could collapse at any moment,
and boys that age grew out of their clothing fast and would soon be
eating her out of house and home. No wonder she took his money
quickly enough. How had they survived until now?

He straightened. And what prompted her
to suddenly accept this offer to become his mistress?

His stomach clenched. She needed more
money. Something else must have happened for Elle to believe she
had no other choice but to give up her virtue. If he’d learned
anything, Elle would do anything to take care of her family, even
if it meant selling her body. But how to ask Acker without letting
on about what had occurred between he and Elle.

“
Elle seemed upset
yesterday,” he began and picked his words carefully. “She even
mentioned that blasted proposal I made in London.” His face heated,
ashamed he had treated her so poorly and assumed the worst of
her.

Acker hitched a brow. “Is that why she
doesn’t wish to ever see you again?”

“
We argued.” Clay wouldn’t
tell Acker anything further. First, he wouldn’t shame Elle in such
a way and second, he had no desire to face his friend at a dawn
appointment. “Has something occurred where she needs more
funds?”

Acker relaxed back in his seat. “Her
step-father had a number of debts. None of them from the usual sort
our London friends face from things such as gambling, woman and
drink. No, they are honest debts from family, home, poor economy in
this area. Elle’s biggest fear is that she won’t be able to take
care of her family and the boys will be sent to workhouses. Her
grandfather has suggested that option on more than one occasion.
Elle refuses to abandon her family and is determined to keep
everyone together.”

No wonder she was so adamant about the
conditions in the mills. Had she feared the children would actually
end up there one day? Good Lord, what pressure she must have been
under.

“
I don’t mean to be crass,
but I gave her a substantial sum in London. Has it not been enough
to help?”

Acker stood to refill his glass. “Oh
it was enough at the time.”

“
At the time, were the
debts so large she could not meet them all?”

“
Yes and no.” Acker sighed,
settling back in the chair. “Elle paid all the debts she was aware
of and put the rest aside for emergencies and continued to live in
the same style as before, using other means to bring funds into the
home from teaching piano, taking in mending, and that sort of
thing.”

“
What debt did she not know
of?” Clay stood and also helped himself to more brandy.

“
Apparently a gentleman
holds the deed to the house. Her step-father used it as collateral
for a loan. That debt is due at the end of the month or Elle and
the children lose their home.”

Clay took a gulp of the burning liquid
and sat. His conversation with her yesterday became so clear. Of
course she wouldn’t want to be pampered with servants, a nice house
and jewels around her neck. She’d simply taken the only option left
available to her. Elle had sold her body for the sake of her
family, to keep a roof over their head.

He had judged her so, so wrongly. Elle
was nothing like Adele. Elle sacrificed her virtue so her family
would not suffer. If only she would have told him. Everything would
be so different, if only she had told him the truth.

Would he have listened? Perhaps not in
the beginning, but certainly he would have later, especially after
he had seen her home. He should have known things didn’t add up but
his own pride and arrogance had gotten in the way. He needed to fix
matters. He had to do right by her.

Despite what she had done for
financial security and that she had lied to him about her
circumstances, Clay couldn’t think of any other woman, or person he
respected more at this moment. How could he have been so
blind?

Elle began to relax as the
day grew long. Thank goodness Clayton had not come to call. She
could not face him or the humiliation now, so soon, if ever. The
house party would be over in a few days and she would meet with
Drake to draw up some form of contract. As the house would be hers
once she reached her majority, she would use it as collateral. At
least she knew Drake would not evict her and the children and in
time she would be able to pay him back. Resolved that everything
would work out, Elle had put her thoughts to the afternoon meal
with she heard a carriage outside.
Please,
don’t let it be Bentley
.

Tobias rushed into the kitchen. “Lady
Acker has come to call.”

Elle took a deep breath and blew it
out. She wasn’t expecting Drake’s mother to return until after the
house party had concluded, and she really didn’t want to face the
all too perceptive woman right now.

“
Could you please inform
Lady Acker that I need to finish preparing dinner and that I will
call on her tomorrow.”

“
That won’t be
necessary.”

Elle turned to find Lady Acker
standing in the door of her kitchen. Good gracious.

“
Lady Acker. Did you enjoy
London?”

The woman waved a hand, “It was the
same as always, though you disappeared rather quickly.” She pulled
a chair out and sat.

“
Shall we go into the
parlor?” She could not have the countess sitting in her kitchen, of
all places.”

Lady Acker dismissed her with another
wave of her hand and looked around. “I like your kitchen. It
reminds me of the home I grew up in. Many hours were spent cooking
and chatting in our kitchen.”

Elle gaped at her.

Lady Acker chuckled. “I have a
confession.” She grinned. “I wasn’t always a lady, but a poor
vicar’s oldest daughter. There were eight of us.”

Eleanor had always assumed
Lady Acker came from society and made a match within the
ton.
She turned away and
filled the tea kettle and set it on the stove.

“
I didn’t know you would be
returning so soon.” Elle wiped her hands on a towel and gathered
cups, saucers and tea.

The woman sighed. “I haven’t yet
arrived home. I just learned my son was having a house party and
thought to stop here for a refreshing cup of tea before facing
whomever Drake has invited.”

Elle smiled and took a seat across
from Lady Acker. “The guests are not that daunting.”

“
If that is true then why
aren’t you there instead of here?” The lady eyed her
skeptically.

Elle looked down, unable to meet her
eye. “I am tired that is all. I have spent the last four days at
Drake’s gathering and couldn’t let things go here.”

Lady Acker eyed her closely, but
didn’t ask what was so important that needed to be done now.
Instead she asked further questions. “Who are my son’s
guests?”

Elle rattled of all the names, ending
with Lord Clayton Bentley.

“
Ah yes, I should have
expected him to be present. He and Drake have been such good
friends since Eton.”

“
Yes, that is what I have
been told,” Elle murmured and stood to remove the kettle and poured
the hot water into a teapot.

“
You made his acquaintance
in London, did you not, dear?” Lady Acker asked
searchingly.

“
Ah, yes I did.”

“
He is such a handsome man.
It is a shame he is so like his father.”

“
How so?” Elle settled into
her seat again and poured Lady Acker a cup of tea. She hoped her
curiosity wasn’t obvious.

Lady Acker frowned. “The man was a
judgmental, hypocritical prig.”

“
That sounds accurate.”
Elle immediately wished she could take back her words. The last
thing she needed was Lady Acker becoming suspicious about her
relationship with Clayton.

“
Did he insult you dear? He
will apologize if he has.”

“
No,” Elle quickly
answered, leaning forward. “I don’t want you to say a word to him.
It was not so much as an insult but he was quick to assume Jamie
was my son, without the benefit of marriage, without inquiring
otherwise.”

Lady Acker’s eyes opened in shock
before she narrowed them. “Did he make an improper
proposition?”

The very last thing Elle wanted to do
was tell her the truth. “It doesn’t matter. I would rather just let
matters rest and forget his existence if you do not
mind.”

“
What aren’t you telling
me?” Lady Acker insisted.

“
Nothing, please just let
it go.”

The woman pursed her lips and after a
moment nodded her head.

*

Within an hour of leaving his meeting
with Acker, Clay sent a letter to his man of business with
instructions to look into Eleanor’s financial situation and see
that all debts were paid in full immediately. The mortgage had
surprised her and he wanted to make sure she didn’t become aware of
any further debts. When he came to her and offered marriage, he
wanted it to be because she wished to marry him and not because it
would solve her family’s financial burdens. If he had not been so
blind and stupid they probably would have been married by now,
without a serious care in the world. He had taken that from her in
London and last night he had taken the option from her permanently.
He refused to let his sins ruin her financially as well.

Who was he kidding? He would have to
go a lot further in convincing Eleanor to become his wife than
paying a few debts. No doubt she hated him at this very moment and
he didn’t blame her. But how should he go about convincing her they
belonged together and somehow make her like him? He hoped for love
one day, but would settle for any fond emotion at this
point.

If necessary, he would continue to
help her financially as if she were his mistress without any of the
benefits. It was the very least he could do. He wished he had seen
the truth in the beginning. His admiration for her was
unparalleled.

Unfortunately, that option was
probably gone, though he would still try. She was everything he had
ever sought in a wife and now he may have completely destroyed all
hope in having her.

Just as he was standing to leave the
room Lady Acker announced herself. Acker welcomed his mother
warmly, as did Clay. Her greeting to him was as frosty as a January
morning. She shut the door behind her and turned a glare on
Clay.

“
Sit down young man. You
and I have a few things to discuss.” She turned toward her son.
“Pour me a brandy. I have never been as angry as I am now.” She
turned back to Clay. “If you were younger I would take you over my
knee. If I were a man I would call you out. Since neither option is
available I am going to tell you what I should have told you years
ago.”

Stunned, Clay sank back into his
chair. What did she know? He had never seen Lady Acker angry and he
wasn’t about to cross her now. At this moment she was as
frightening as some of his former schoolmasters.

“
I had hoped you would have
inherited some of the decency from your mother, or
Adele.”

Clay sat forward. “I barely remember
my mother and Adele died.”

“
I remember them both
vividly and I can’t blame Adele for running away.”

Clay’s heart ceased for a moment. What
did Lady Acker know of the matter? The whole world had been told
Adele’s carriage went over a bridge. Nobody had ever let on that
they knew she’d left the family with Julia.

“
Your father poisoned your
mind against her and your heart against any decent, respectable
lady.”

“
Not the decent and
respectable ones.” Clay argued.

The lady harrumphed and sat in a
chair, brandy in hand. “I suppose your father blamed Adele for
leaving and not himself.”

“
My mother’s carriage went
off a bridge killing both her and my sister, Julia,” Clayton said
evenly. Lady Acker could not possibly know they were running away,
could she?

She arched an eyebrow. “You didn’t
know she was leaving your father at the time?”

How did the woman know
that?

A small smile came to her face. “Ah,
you did know. I can see it in your eyes.”

Damn and blast. The woman was far too
perceptive.

Acker arched a brow at him in
question, but said nothing.