That evening, Meliah wavered on whether or not to leave the sanctuary of her bedchamber and join Lord Belmont for dinner. She was feeling the strain over what dress to wear when there was a light knock at the door. Nerves immediately rose up within her midsection, but when she answered the summons, she spied a middle-aged woman standing on the other side with a kind smile, a simple brown dress, and her graying brown hair pulled back into a tidy bun. She was petite and stout, the type of common persona that Meliah was used to conversing with on Brick Lane.
“Good evening. My name is Mrs. Salisbury, the housekeeper.” Surprise must have instantly registered on Meliah’s face because the woman chuckled. “I gather you weren’t expecting me?”
Meliah recovered her shock and offered a welcoming smile in return. “No. I daresay I wasn’t. During my stay here I was starting to wonder if the earl was actually being truthful when he claimed that he had any servants at all to attend him here.”
“Yes, well, we are around when needed. He is gracious to allow us time to attend to our families and other duties in the village while paying us a full-time wage.”
Meliah found herself curious by that revelation, but then an alternative reason occurred to her. “I assume you are referring to the marquess.”
“Oh, no, miss. Lord Belmont has been more than accommodating. His father, Lord Traverson wanted to see the hunting box sold off a few months ago, claiming he was getting too advanced in age to appreciate the hunt any longer. It was under the earl’s authority who ensured we were not without a position if that came to pass.”
This came as a surprise to Meliah, who had already decided to villainize the earl, along with the rest of society. But if what Mrs. Salisbury said was true, then Lord Belmont had been rather generous indeed. A true contradiction of the man in which he was portrayed by “The Belle.” It was another facet to his personality that he seemed eager to hide, but was starting to come to light.
“When Lord Belmont wrote that he would be needing to come to the cottage a few days ago,” the housekeeper continued. “We wanted to ensure that his kindness was repaid in full, that he was compensated with three hearty meals a day and a clean and tidy place to stay.” She nodded her head. “Of course, we were asked to look after you, as well. As such, I decided it was past time to make my acquaintance.”
This was the perfect opportunity for Meliah to find out if the earl’s staff was truly loyal or not. “I do appreciate that, Mrs. Salisbury, and although I don’t wish anyone to get the wrong impression about my presence here. I?—”
The lady was already waving away her explanation. “You don’t have to worry about gossip spreading unnecessarily. Everyone in the village has been touched by the earl’s kind consideration in one way or another. You won’t find anyone who speaks a cross word about him.”
“Is that so?” Meliah murmured. “In that regard, would you mind if I joined you tomorrow afternoon and hear what the earl has done? There has been a… story published in the London papers that didn’t speak very highly of Lord Belmont and I am determined that the truth is revealed.”
Mrs. Salisbury put a hand to her chest. “Upon my word, I should be grateful if you were to quiet such unfounded rumors. I can promise you that the earl is nothing but the sole of thoughtfulness.”
After the housekeeper parted a short time later, Meliah closed the door with a considering frown. It was strange to think that the paragon Mrs. Salisbury had spoken of so highly was the same man as Lord Belmont. Although her experiences with him had been nothing but hospitable in regard to her lodgings and the gowns he’d purchased for her, it was his mannerisms and his charisma that didn’t fit. Now that she’d been told there were two sides to the earl, she was more curious than ever to find out which part of his personality was genuine and which part was fabricated.
An image of a whip flashed in her mind and a frisson of fear mixed with something else entirely slid down her spine. When her host had spoken of a line between pleasure and pain, she had to wonder if there was any truth to that as well. She had no doubt that the earl would be more than willing to assist her in that regard, but for now, she was more interested in the gentleman that no one in London really seemed to know.
Donning a light blue, watered silk dress, Meliah decided that she would head down to dinner after all. She wasn’t sure if Lord Belmont was still cross with her, and honestly, she wasn’t sure if she was still upset as well, but it was best that they discussed their disagreements instead of letting them fester any longer.
On the off chance thatMiss Newton decided to join him for the evening meal, Elwood had donned a pair of black trousers, a silver waistcoat, and black dinner jacket. He’d asked the housekeeper to starch one of his cravats and he’d tied it into a perfect knot at the base of his throat.
If he couldn’t seem to act like a gentleman around her, perhaps he could look the part.
He heard movement out in the hall and while he expected it to be Mrs. Salisbury coming to let him know he would be dining alone, he was pleasantly surprised to see Miss Newton walk across the threshold.
For an instant, his heart stuttered to a halt. He had imagined that shade of blue would look remarkable with her dark hair and sparkling green eyes, but he hadn’t known exactly how enticing her every movement would make him physically uncomfortable. In all of the women he’d courted and generally bedded over the years, none of them had made him feel as if he’d been punched in the solar plexus. It proved that Miss Newton was unlike any other woman of his acquaintance—and he wasn’t quite sure how to feel about that.
He moved from the head of the table and pulled out her chair to the left of his.
She offered him a slight smile that he wasn’t sure how to interpret. “Thank you, my lord.” After she sat, he resumed his seat.
“Would you care for some wine?” he offered, holding up the decanter.
She cast him a wary glance, but then inclined her head. “Please.”
He poured the red liquid in the crystal tumbler and realized that although he generally despised stilted silences, he was more concerned how this evening might end. He was still a bit distracted from earlier when he’d discovered she’d been rummaging for pen and paper to use as weapons against him. To say he’d felt a little betrayed was more than an understatement. The longer he’d had to reflect on his recent behavior, he certainly hadn’t made much of a lasting impression, not in the way she might prefer, at least.
“I wanted to apologize for earlier today.”
As if reading his very thoughts, she spoke the words he nearly uttered aloud. “It’s ironic that you should say that, because I was going to say the same.” She laughed lightly, and he suddenly found it one of his favorite sounds in the world. “I appreciate your consideration, but you were only being true to your… nature, whereas I attempted to disguise my reasons for being in your rooms, however innocent they might have seemed at the time.”
He thrilled at the slight hitch of color that appeared on her cheeks, as she seemed to recall the moment she’d been revealed. “You did nothing wrong. I certainly haven’t given you any reasons to warrant becoming an ally thus far.”
“Not particularly,” she said slowly. She hesitated as she took a delicate sip of her wine. “But I still have to wonder if that is the real Lord Belmont.”
He tilted his head to the side, stiffening slightly. “What do you mean?”
She shifted her eyes away. “I might have learned something about you today that has given me cause to alter society’s opinion.” She took a deep breath and met his gaze directly once more. “I find that, while I used to want to agree with ‘The Belle’s’ perception of you, I wish to prove her wrong even more.” Elwood’s brows lifted at that. “Whoever the author of the RakeReview is obviously had a sour relationship of her own, which is why she wants to council other women. Or else, she considers it to be a lark and she doesn’t care if she injures anyone in the process so long as people are reading her articles.”
