Page 41

Eliza did not wish to pursue it; she could barely contemplate any further loss. Everyone she had longed for seemed to have been stripped from her grasp. But what wild impetuosity had sprung her into Mr Flynn’s camp, to ride against Lord Purfoy, to deceive her generous, loving hosts? She was close to reneging on her promise to ride Ohio when Zadoc Flynn stood up to go.

‘On my last night here I’m off to join the gaming tables at the casino. I’ll see you for breakfast.’

As Eliza rushed from his coach, Lord Purfoy remained deep in thought. He feared his heart had finally broken its bonds and was out of control. But his damnable pride! What damage had he done in not explaining Mrs Cornford to Eliza? She had caught him unawares with her question and had imbued the incident with such unwarranted significance. Now more than ever he knew this was a strand of his emotional life that he must clarify.

Taz’s face, streaked with rain, appeared at the door. ‘Where to, guv?’

‘Back to The White Hart.’

Purfoy entered the front door of the hotel and ran up the stairs, two at a time, to the first floor where he had his rooms. He divested himself of his redingote and hat and without pause, crossed the corridor to knock on the opposite door.

‘Come in,’ a woman’s voice answered, and he walked in to find Mrs Cornford reclined on the sofa in a charming gown made of blue silk and lace and tied at the front. Her eyes met his and her seductive glance became more guarded. His lordship did not look like he was bent on pleasure. ‘You seem discontented, my lord?’

He dropped a fleeting kiss on her cheek. ‘My apologies, Amelia. How ill-mannered of me.’

‘Come sit beside me.’ She patted the satin. ‘It’s seldom I have the diversion of your company for more than an hour or two.’

He sat slightly apart from the voluptuous curve of hip and breast and took her hand in a more formal gesture. ‘Amelia, we have been good friends to each other, I hope you can agree?’

She nodded, her expression placid but her eyes betraying anxiety as to what was to come. ‘’Tis true, my lord. We never aspired to more.’

‘I hope you understand that circumstances have changed for me.’ He met her eyes with a soft expression.

She smiled, slipping her feet to the ground. ‘I always knew this time would come. Perhaps it is you have fallen in love?’

‘Indeed, I am shocked at this alteration in myself. So unexpected, in some ways so unwelcome. How much more comfortable to continue as before. But love changes everything, and I am changed.’

He took both her hands and brought them to his lips. ‘Thank you, dear Amelia, for your generosity and understanding, for the pleasure we have shared.’

‘Well, my lord, we never pretended it could be anything more. I can only wish you but fair weather for the future. She is a lucky young woman.’ They both stood up and held each other in one last long embrace.

As they broke away, Purfoy said, ‘I know you are staying in Bath to see your sister, but I will be leaving tomorrow. When I’m back in Town, I will ask my bank to set up an annuity. But you are to come to me if ever you are in trouble.’ With that he kissed her hand and was gone.

The following morning dawned clear and bright, perfect weather for a long journey home. Everyone was up early and breakfasted and once again two maids and Zadoc Flynn climbed into the coach and made extra space for Corinna carrying baby Emma, wrapped against the dawn cold but already looking less flushed. The Purfoy coach was the most luxurious Eliza had ever seen, with its navy satin interior and tasselled blinds. She traced her finger over the gilded coat of arms on the door. Audaci Venus ut Fortuna favet. She was intrigued and turned to Taz. ‘What does this mean?’

He chuckled. ‘Oh that’s the Purfoy family motto; ’is lordship is very keen on quotin’ it. Summat like, Venus, like Fortune, favours the bold.’ She looked at him, trying to fathom what amused him so much about his master and his conduct. She wrote it hastily into the small notebook she carried in her reticule. Then she climbed in and they set off.

The large wheels and well-oiled springs meant it was a much more comfortable ride and the horses were swift and so well-matched they seemed to fly over the miles. It was clear to everyone why Taz was considered the best man to drive any vehicle. Under his skilled hands, the whole equipage worked with optimum speed and efficiency. They spent an uncomfortable night at The Rising Sun in Reading and after another long day’s travel, rolled wearily into Brook Street.

Everyone fell ravenously on the cold supper Cook had to offer and then hurried to bed. Eliza was delighted at the chance to ride again and looked forward to the morning. Before allowing herself to succumb to sleep, she wrote a quick note requesting a meeting and addressed it to Marina Fairley. She hoped this new friend would help her discover who her real father was and she placed his letter, the miniature portrait and her mother’s haberdashery list on the table beside her bed, alongside Mr Fox, and fell asleep with her hand resting on the precious pile of relics.

Alick Wolfe carried his daughter up to bed. Corinna put a hand on his arm. ‘I’ve been sleeping with her and think I should tonight. The fever seems to have passed but just to make sure she is all right.’

Alick looked down at his wife and said quietly, so as not to wake his sleeping child, ‘There’s no way you and I are not sharing a bed after these days apart. Emma can sleep in with us.’

‘Well then you’ll have to help Meg bring the cot in to be beside me.’

After she and Meg had settled Emma, she looked up at Alick. ‘We’ll get the doctor tomorrow just to check she is truly getting better.’ Polly had unlaced her and she was sitting in her dressing gown, brushing out her thick russet hair while Alick, propped on an elbow against the pillows of their bed, watched her. ‘Poor Eliza had a terrific shock. Her longed-for father has turned out to be not her father but a monster who, wishing to punish his wife, manipulated a maid to wilfully lose her young daughter in a crowd.’

Alick’s smile froze on his face as he sat up abruptly. ‘There are some iniquitous people in this world.’ Then he met her sympathetic eyes and his face softened as he added, ‘How lucky you were with your father – and your husband.’

‘I know.’ She was ruminative. ‘Then this wicked man informed her in the coldest manner that her mother was dead of grief, it seems! But Eliza thinks she has a miniature portrait of her natural father. So we will see if that helps her find out a little more of her family.’ As she put down her brush and started to plait her hair for the night she continued, ‘And your relation, Mr Flynn, has a wild scheme to race his new horse against Horatio. I fear the ructions.’

Alick sighed. His relation was proving to be rather a trial and he was hopeful that he would move onto the next stage of his Grand Tour and head for Ireland. ‘Sometimes excessive wealth can lead to scattered brains and untrammelled appetites.’

‘And our dearest Rav seems so out of sorts. I don’t want him further upset.’

‘Well don’t tattle to him. It’s not our business and anyway, it may not happen.’