“Not at all, I can tell you care greatly,” Elise hastened to reassure them. “I only want to remind you that you are no longer in the army, commanding and making decisions without the need to consult those beneath your rank. You are all good leaders and I know you care for your people, as you listen when it comes to matters of the estate. You simply must practice the same listening skills within your role in Parliament as well.”
Chastened, the men all gave her sheepish smiles before returning to their conversation. Elise left them to it, unable to suppress her smile, grateful she had been able to put them in their place when they needed to remember who they were working for in the first place.
When she returned to the drawing room later to clear away what remained of the refreshments, Elise once again felt Reid’s eyes on her. Turning to return his gaze, he smiled at her appreciatively and she gave him a small nod in return. Neither were paying attention to what Fitz was saying until Lord Dorsten’s name registered, and Reid’s face clouded.
“What?” Reid barked, sitting up from his previously reclined position.
Fitz looked over at Reid, startled by his outburst. “I was just saying that as someone younger, we may want to reach out to Lord Dorsten, we may be able—"
“Absolutely not,” Reid said loudly, cutting his friend off. Surprise at both hearing Dorsten mentioned as well as Reid’s reaction, caused Elise to fumble a tray of biscuits she had been carrying. A loud clang ensued, and the men all looked in her direction. Sidney, being the closest, rushed to assist her with the cleanup effort as she was still flustered.
“Reid, you may not like the man,” Fitz persisted, “but we need everyone we can possibly get.”
“No, not if they are like him,” Reid said firmly. “I know we want to expand the ranks of the party, but not with men who would tarnish the image of the Whigs. He is not a gentleman, and I will not negotiate with him.” There was a note of finality in his tone. Elise worried that Reid was shutting down what could prove to be a viable avenue to connecting with Lords who could be persuaded into listening to what the Whigs were proposing She couldn’t argue with the fact that it might be better for the party in the long run if they were represented by more reputable and widely respected members of the peerage, but while they were in the minority, votes were votes and could not be dismissed. What if Reid was harming his own goals out of a misguided sense that by doing so he was protecting her? Elise didn’t need him to defend her honor, especially not if it hampered reform moving forward at the national level, but she couldn’t help but be moved by his impassioned defense of her.
* * *
Reid fumed. He absolutely would not consider working with a man like Dorsten after what he had done to Elise.
Henry, who had remained quiet throughout the exchange, was eying Reid with concern. “Maybe we should call it a night. It’s been a long day and we can resume in the morning when we are all a bit more clearheaded,” he said. All three agreed, and after Sidney had finished helping Elise, he and Fitz left the room, Fitz shooting him a puzzled look on the way out.
“Are you alright?” Henry asked him in his calm and caring manner.
“Yes, I’m just tired. Why don’t you go to bed, and I’ll help Lady Elise finish up here? Good night, Henry.” Being the close friends they were, Henry heard Reid’s unspoken message and left him alone with Elise.
“I’m sorry about that,” Reid said to her quietly after hearing the click of the door closing.
“You have nothing to be sorry for. Dorsten does still exist in the world, and I have to expect I will either hear about him or run into him from time to time.”
Reid could tell she did not want to speak further about the man, so he would let the issue lie for now. Instead, he made his way over to her and began collecting cups. “Thank you for everything you have done for us the past few days. You’ve made this process much easier on us by anticipating our every need. We’re all grateful.” Smiling, he added, “And thank you for putting us in our place earlier, we needed that.”
Coloring slightly, Elise said, “I didn’t mean to intrude, assisting has truly been my pleasure. The work you are doing is important, and I’m glad I can help shoulder some of the burden.” She worked quietly for a few moments, loading a tray as he looked on. His intention had been to help, but he wasn’t much use as he kept stopping to stare at her. “I like your friends,” she said, perhaps trying to divert his attention away from her and onto a new topic.
“They’re good men,” Reid said. “They have helped me through a lot, and I appreciate them humoring me with their support. I know they care about the issues, but sometimes I think their drive is more about supporting me knowing how involved I am,” he reflected.
“It’s good to have those kinds of people in your life,” Elise said, lifting a tray. “You’re lucky.”
Grabbing the other tray, Reid followed her towards the door. He could have called one of the maids or footmen to help, but he liked assisting her and didn’t want to risk the possibility of raising one of his staff from bed at the late hour. With his hands full, he used his hip to keep the door wedged open so she could pass through. Releasing his weight and beginning to exit himself, the door swing shut with more force than Reid had expected, slamming right into the tender spot of his bad leg. Hissing in pain, he clenched his teeth to prevent an expletive from escaping.
“What’s wrong?” Elise asked, setting her tray down to assist him. “Is it your leg? I’ve noticed you favoring it more since the harvest, you’ve most likely overused it.”
Reid hated nothing more than talking about his leg. He’d like to forget his injury and that time in his life, so he was probably more curt than he should have been when answering her. “I’m fine,” he said in a steely tone while grinding his teeth. “Let’s just get these trays to the kitchen so we can go to bed.”
Elise looked surprised by his tone and seemed to pull in, making herself smaller. Not saying another word, she picked up her tray and walked to the kitchen.
CHAPTER21
Watching her walk away, Reid felt bad about the way he had dismissed Elise, but the lingering reminder of Waterloo always brought out his worst side. Walking up the stairs to his room, he went slowly so as not to aggravate the leg further. Elise was right that he had overtaxed it while bringing the wheat in the week before, and he was still paying for it. Reaching his room at last, he closed the door and leaned against it with a sigh. Rousing himself into action, he began his nightly ablutions and was putting on his banyan when he heard a knock at the door. He was more than surprised to see Elise on the other side of the door, but he stepped aside, allowing her to enter.
“I’m sorry if I upset you earlier, it was not my intention,” she apologized. “I’ve noticed that you don’t like to speak about your leg, and I respect that, but you also can’t neglect caring for it,” she asserted, raising a jar of cream before continuing. “If you’ll allow me, I think a massage of the tired muscles will go a long way towards speeding a return to normal.”
“For someone who was rather concerned about the propriety of being at my home without a chaperone, this hardly seems like an appropriate endeavor,” Reid said, wishing to respect her concerns.
“This isn’t about propriety,” Elise responded. “It’s nursing and care—it falls into a completely different category in my book.”
“I’ll not tell you no, but I want to make sure you’re certain that you are fine with this.”
“I am,” she insisted. “Sit down, please.”
