Her words had been brave and Eliza still believed that adventure was a wonderful thing, except she wasn’t so certain she was ready to stray from the house, or out of sight of the servants who were tasked with watching and protecting today.
This, alone, irritated her. She had never been one to hide and she certainly never let fear control her actions, but that man had been in her bedchamber.
It wasn’t fear that would keep her inside today. It was caution. Somehow that sounded better than being afraid. Besides, even though her hand pained her too much to write today, she still needed to organize her items. Yesterday, she’d put her things on the desk and attempted to write before she realized that she couldn’t without pain. But she’d not organized, which was necessary because everything had its place. The manuscript she was writing in front and to the right of her. The previous version, in front and to the left. In front of those, spare pencils and quill tips. To the far right, the inkpot.
After Eliza arranged everything as it should be, she then opened and went through the boxes that were brought over from the cottage. Those with books that she’d collected over the years were stacked in a corner. It was a rather tall stack and as she had already read them, they should have been left in her set of rooms at her family’s Mayfair estate. She had not lived there in years but as she collected items, such as books she loved, she left the crates there until they had a permanent place.
Again, she wondered if she shouldn’t purchase a home where she could fully settle, and then all her favorite possessions could be on a shelf or displayed instead of taking so many crates and trunks with her when she traveled because she had not had an opportunity to see them stored.
The remaining crates were various items that she had collected or were given to her as a gift, and Eliza couldn’t help but smile when she lifted the voodoo doll and long pin. She then lifted the documents Oliver had sent that explained the purpose and how it was used.
Of course, Eliza didn’t believe in any of the nonsense, but she wanted to do everything in the instructions so that she could write a better description in her novel.
The doll was only a little larger than her hand, fashioned from straw, or that is what she assumed by the roughness and stiffness inside, covered in burlap with the sides neatly stitched. Two small buttons had been sewn on for eyes and x’s stitched for a mouth. It was rather crude, unlike dolls that were delicately stitched from soft muslin and then stuffed with cotton for a child to play with. And even though Eliza possessed very little talent for sewing, she could have made one of these, and just might in the future. Eliza smiled and wandered to the doors leading to the terrace and stepped outside.
It was a warm day but she needed to be in the sun, for it was the first instruction before using the doll for any purpose.
A footman appeared almost instantly. “Is there something that I can get you, Miss Weston?”
“Perhaps something cool to drink, if it is possible.”
He frowned, then looked about. He had not expected her to ask for something and now wasn’t certain what to do. After all, he was there to protect her, or to keep anyone from entering the house. If he left for the cool beverage he would be leaving her alone. Yet, she was a guest with a request.
“I promise not to run off.” Eliza chuckled.
“It is not that, it is…” He looked around.
“I shall return inside and make the request myself,” she offered.
“You should not, but I…”
The footman was saved in that instant when Stella stepped outside.
“Should you be out of the house?” she asked.
“I am only on the terrace and promise not to go any further,” Eliza swore. “I have also asked for something cool to drink but this poor footman is afraid to leave me alone.”
“He is here for your protection, not to do your bidding,” Stella scolded. “I will request your beverage.”
Eliza blew out a sigh as Stella disappeared back inside and then smiled at a much-relieved footman, before she turned to search out the perfect place for the doll. When she spotted the low table in full sunlight, Eliza walked forward and placed the doll in the center then retreated to the shade.
“What are you doing?”
She turned to find Lucian at the entrance to the house.
“Cleansing my doll,” she answered.
“Cleansing your doll?” he asked in confusion.
“Yes. The instructions are to cleanse the doll of any lingering energy, which can be accomplished with incense, sage, salt water, or several hours in the sunlight or moonlight. As I have no incense, sage, or salt water, the sun will need to do.”
“Why do you need to clean energy?” he asked stepping forward.
“It could redirect the spell to the energy of the person before and that would never do.”
“What are you up to Eliza? I would have thought you had outgrown dolls a long time ago.”
She tilted her head and frowned. “I am not certain that I ever had one.”
