Nicholas drove over to Lord Middlethorpe’s and sank with a groan into a chair.“Francis, I’m going to go mad!”
“I’m not surprised.What’s happened now?”asked his friend, thrusting a brandy into his hand.
“Eleanor,” said Nicholas, taking a deep swallow.“I think her patience is giving out.I can’t blame her, but I could wish she could hold on for a few days yet.”
Lord Middlethorpe regarded Nicholas with concern.As much as Eleanor he had noticed the toll all this was taking on him.“It is close, then?”
“It’s all arranged, but Therese keeps to this obsession of taking me with her.I daren’t weaken at this point or we could lose all.I can scarcely bear to touch her,” he said with a shudder.
Lord Middlethorpe came over and rested a strengthening hand on his friends shoulder.“It’s Eleanor?”
Nicholas sighed.“Of course.I’ve never known this before, Francis.I’ve no interest in any other woman.I even dream of her … I suppose it must be love, but it’s a damnable time to catch the affliction.”
Lord Middlethorpe laughed at the despairing complaint but could think of nothing to say.
“Do you know,” said Nicholas, “I think of her constantly?I can hardly bear to be in the house when she’s there, because the need to seek her company is overwhelming.Sometimes she comes in search of me and it’s all I can do to escape…”
“Have you thought of telling her the whole?”
Nicholas gave a bark of bitter laughter.“Dear Eleanor,” he parodied, “excuse me while I go off and make mad passionate love in a number of novel, and occasionally disgusting, ways to a woman I hate.You don’t mind, do you, my dear?It is, after all, for the good of our country.”
Lord Middlethorpe colored at this speech.He didn’t like to think of what Nicholas had to do as that woman’s plaything.“It might be less painful for her.At least the fact that you hate Therese.”
Nicholas sank his head into his hands.“I can’t, Francis.I just can’t.”
The mantle clock marked the passage of silence, and then Nicholas added, his voice muffled by his hands, “Each time I go to Therese I wonder if I will be able to go through the motions for her.I think I hope that despite my best efforts I’ll fail.”He gave a choked laugh.“I never do.Such bravery in the face of the enemy!Do you think they’ll give me a medal?”
Lord Middlethorpe tightened his hand.It was all he could do.
“Do you know, Francis,” said Nicholas in an almost conversational manner, lifting his face, drawn and pale and with the glimmer of wetness near his eyes, “it has occurred to me it would be fitting retribution if my vaunted virility left me when I’m finally free to seek Eleanor’s bed.”
“You don’t deserve retribution, Nick,” said Lord Middlethorpe firmly.“Don’t torment yourself.You are suffering enough to wipe away any number of sins.And,” he added with a slight smile, “such a fate would hardly be fair to Eleanor, now would it?”
Nicholas laughed shakily.“No, I don’t suppose it would.Do you wish I’d never involved you in this?”
“No, of course not.Though I would prefer to be in the country by now.I could wish you had never become involved—and Eleanor, certainly—but not, to be honest, if the consequence were to be another war.”
Nicholas took a deep breath.“No.That’s the point, isn’t it?Thank you.I think you’ve given me the strength to endure one or two more nights.And then, God willing, this whole ghastly mess will be over.”
“God willing,” assented Lord Middlethorpe, and then persuaded his friend to lie down and rest on his bed for a while.
Two dayslater Sir Lionel again joined Eleanor on her morning walk.She should change her route or her time so as to be less predictable.
“My dear sister.Such a delightful picture of felicity.”
“My dear brother.You are, alas, a picture of dissipation.”
“Drowning my sorrows, Nell,” he said.“I think of poor little Deborah constantly.”
“Her fortune more like,” Eleanor responded dryly.
“Both, both.Alas, both gone.Which brings me nicely to the subject of my fortune.”
Eleanor braced herself for trouble.“I have already said I will not lend you money.My husband wouldn’t allow it.”
He gave a little laugh.“So strict a husband.So obedient a wife.But wouldn’t a dutiful wife wish to safeguard her husband against himself?”
“What do you mean?”Eleanor felt relief.He was going to tell her about Madame Bellaire and offer to help to disentangle Nicholas.He would catch cold at it, and she would enjoy the situation.
