Lucian narrowed his eyes. While both a tempest and a tornado could occur in England, it was very rare and he suspected Eliza was being overly dramatic, which led to her creativity in writing.
“When and how?” he finally asked.
“I was thirteen and attending the Wiggons’ School for Elegant Young Ladies,” she began. “I had been reading with Rosemary and Sophia in Sophia’s chamber.” She smiled. “It was a spooky story about a vampire and the windows were open, the curtains blowing. We could feel that a storm was coming, which made the story all the more fun.”
Lucian could nearly picture the three as girls reading by candlelight. Rosemary would have been Rosemary Fairview, now married to Maxwell Trent, brother-in-law to Lucian’s sister. Sophia was Sophia Trent, sister-in-law to Lucian’s sister.
“Our teacher caught us and sent us to our individual chambers, but I snuck down to Sophia’s.”
Had Eliza ever done what she was told?
“The storm grew fierce and caused an old, large oak tree to come down, right on the corner of the school, crushing two sleeping chambers, mine, and the one below, which belonged to a teacher. Had I been in my bed as I was supposed to be, I would have died.”
Perhaps it truly had been a tempest or a tornado if it was fierce enough to uproot a large tree.
“For the longest time, we assumed that Miss Crawford had perished but Mrs. Wiggons wouldn’t let anyone try and get her out. It turns out, she had been out walking when the storm came through.”
“It could not have been a tempest if she survived being outside,” Lucian offered. It must have just been a strong storm and the tree old and weak.
“She was saved by Viscount Atwood, who was in the cemetery putting flowers on his wife’s grave. He rescued her from a falling limb and helped her into a vault where they stayed until the storm passed. A good portion of the town received damage. The school was the worst, but partial roofs were lifted, fences blown over, and lots of trees came down and there were limbs everywhere. Viscount Atwood sent us out to clean up his estate after he gave us shelter because the school was uninhabitable.”
Lucian blinked at her. If the town had received as much damage as Eliza claimed, then it truly must have been a tempest or tornado.
“There was another incident when I was out walking at my parents’ estate when a storm began to build. I assumed I had time to make it back to the house, but I did hurry because after the incident at school, I no longer danced in the rain or enjoyed the energy of a storm. I wasn’t necessarily afraid but had developed caution where it had not once existed,” she explained. “Before I reached safety, lightning struck not far away and I could feel it in my body. The hair on my arms and at the back of my neck stood up and there was tingling through my entire body. Then lightning struck a tree near me and it split in half. That sent me running for the house.”
“I would have done the same,” Lucian answered.
“The same storm sent a limb through a window of the house, shattering glass in the room where I was sitting and a maid was cut on her face, neck, and arms.” Eliza winced. “There was so much blood.” She looked away. “She did not live.”
Lucian reached over and put his hand over hers. “I am sorry. It must have been horrifying to witness.”
Eliza gave two quick nods then took a drink of her wine. “I tried to save her, but I did not know how...her neck…the doctor told us that there was nothing that could have been done.”
“I am sorry, Eliza.”
Two storms that had brought destruction and one had brought death. It was no wonder that she feared them. He was just thankful that the storm that they experienced earlier had died down to only rain.
The footman entered to remove the bowls of soup while another footman placed the second and last course before them, then retreated.
Eliza picked up her fork and stared at the chicken, before she set the utensil aside. “I am afraid that I am no longer hungry.” She placed her napkin on the table beside her plate. “If you will excuse me.”
Lucian could hardly blame her for losing her appetite after reliving those memories. He just hoped that the thunder that he heard rumbling in the distance didn’t develop into anything else and would quickly pass or Eliza would have a very difficult night.
Eliza was exhaustedby the time she arrived at her chamber. It had been a long day. Not that she had accomplished much, other than learning what she could do with voodoo dolls, but the strain of the storm, of being frightened, had left her tired and as soon as she changed into her nightshift, she had crawled into bed.
Thunder rumbled in the distance and she could only hope that if there was a storm that it would be mild, and that she would be able to sleep through it, blissfully unaware.
Her eyes blinked open as she searched the darkness for what had awakened her.
Her first thoughts were that the man who had been sending her letters had somehow found his way into the manor. Then thunder clapped, and she nearly jumped from the bed. A moment later, lightening flashed so brightly that she could see that she was very much alone in her chamber.
A limb scratched at the window and Eliza drew the counterpane up to her neck as if it could protect her.
But it couldn’t. She knew that.
Oh, how she hated having weaknesses and fears and she hated more that Lucian now knew.
Would he think even less of her now?
