“But you are in danger!”
“No, of course not,” he said, obviously surprised.He was smiling, and his hand came up to stroke gently down her cheek.
Eleanor’s head was spinning with confusion, passion, and fear.“I want to help you.”She instinctively tightened her hold on him.
“There is nothing you can do.”His thumb teased the corner of her mouth.“Smile for me, my darling.It is a sordid business and rather tangled, but it’s about to become unraveled.All you can do to help is to behave as you have all along, calmly and bravely.”
Gently he released her and shook his head, still smiling.“I’m sorry about all this.All I intended was to see you and give you a few distant words of praise to keep your spirits up.I must be more tired than I thought.I’ve been keeping out of your way just to avoid such a scene as this…”
He dropped a kiss upon the tip of her nose.“Please don’t worry.There’s no need.”
Eleanor held onto his arms fiercely.“I can’t help it.”
The desire to tell him everything was almost overwhelming.His plot was about to tumble down around his ears.But at least, if Lionel kept his word, he would be safe.
“Please at least get some rest, Nicholas,” she said.“I will make sure you are not disturbed.”
He shook his head.“No, there are still things I have to do, and then Miles will give me his bed for an hour or two.I have to be there this evening anyway.”
With that, and one last soft kiss, he was gone, and Eleanor was left bemused.She was trusting Lionel to achieve his betrayal without involving Nicholas, with no idea how her brother intended to manage that or even if it was possible.Trusting Lionel had never been very sensible.
The alternative was still the same, however: signing her brother’s death warrant.Even though Nicholas could bewitch her body and charm her soul, that route was evil.
He had said the matter was about to unravel.What did that mean?Was Napoleon even now being brought back from Elba to terrorize Europe once more?Eleanor gave a little moan.She could not sort this out at all, and she had no one to turn to, no one she could trust.Something momentous was about to happen and she could only stand by helpless.
She was still in a daze when Amy came again to visit, but she did her best to conceal her anxiety.“Good heavens, Amy.Don’t say you’ve tired of Peter’s company already?”
“Never that,” said Amy with a chuckle, “but he has a number of manly things to do, and so I thought I would come and spend some time with you, if you do not have engagements.”
“Of course I don’t.I live a very quiet life these days.In fact, we are planning to leave town in a day or two.”If Nicholas still has his life and liberty, she whispered inside.
“That’s good news.You need country air, Eleanor, in your condition.”
At that, welcoming any distraction, Eleanor took Amy off to see the redecorated nurseries.Even though she hoped to bear and raise her child in the country, she had taken this task in hand.
Then they sat and worked together on tiny garments for the child and chatted of any number of subjects.Amy lamented that Eleanor would probably not feel able to attend her wedding in September, and Eleanor agreed that such a long journey would be inadvisable but that Nicholas might be able to attend.
“Nicholas,” snorted Amy.“I am quite out of kindness with him.”
“Why?”
“Why?”Amy exploded.“Why because of the way he is mistreating you!Oh, please don’t look so upset, Eleanor.I don’t wish to distress you, but I can’t keep pretending everything is well between you.Peter would be angry to hear I have spoken to you, but I hate dishonesty.I’m on your side, Eleanor, and I told Nicholas so!”
“You told Nicholas so?”repeated Eleanor faintly.
“Yes, when I met him on Bond Street.He started to pay me all sorts of silly compliments.Normally I wouldn’t mind, for he flirts delightfully, but I told him if he was in such a mood he should flirt with you.He looked quite thunderstruck, and so he should.Have I upset you?”
Eleanor shook her head.“No.I suppose I thought it would upset you to realize that things are not right with us.”
“It is always the same,” declared Amy.“Just because I have a happy disposition people think I can’t bear unpleasantness.In fact, the opposite is true.It’s because I keep my spirits up in the face of afflictions that I’m always happy.”She broke off with a chuckle.“Heavens, that makes me sound like the kind of person who would smile at a deathbed, doesn’t it?”
Eleanor shared her laughter.“Well, why not in some cases?The gloom at funerals can be overwhelming and sometimes inappropriate, especially for a Christian who is supposed to be going on to better things.”
“True,” said Amy doubtfully.“But I don’t think I could be very chirpy at Peter’s funeral, or at Francis’s.”
“No, indeed,” said Eleanor with a shiver.This was cutting too close to the bone.“But that would be sorrow for our own loss.And a feeling of waste.It’s always sad to see people die young.”
Amy suddenly sat up straight.“What a morbid conversation.And I came to raise your spirits.Mother is in a terrible fret about wedding details.The church, the flowers, the wedding breakfast.I’m keeping aloof from the debate and secretly thinking of an elopement.”
