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‘The family doctor has found that the countess is deranged by grief and she will be confined at the chateau—for ever, I suppose. Julie will be sent back to her mother with an annuity, which will cease if she ever tries to contact the family again, or leaves Brittany where her mother lives.’
‘How neatly it is possible to dispose of murder and attempted murder,’ Nell said softly.
‘How kind of you to come out of your way to tell us this, Marquesa,’ Eva remarked. ‘You must, of course, stay the night.’
‘Thank you.’ If Ana was offended by being asked for only one night, she did not show it. ‘And it was not out of my way at all, I am travelling to the coast to take ship for Italy. Lady James had already sent to Avignon to arrange her lodgings, so it would have been inconvenient for her to detour.’
Inconvenient, but natural, Theo thought, protective of Nell’s feelings. At least if she had any concerns about her mother’s safety, they were now put to rest. He watched her while the others asked more questions, sorted out just what had occurred to their own satisfaction. She sat still, her hands folded in her lap. For a while he was deceived into thinking she had reverted to the way she used to deal with her mother, passively allowing it all to wash over her. But then she lifted her head, listening to something Ana said about her plans in Italy, and he saw he was wrong.
She was not happy, but she was thinking, planning—he could see it in her eyes. His Nell was making a decision, and she was making it with no reference to him. But then, why should she? he thought with a bitter jab at his own feelings. He had made love to her when he knew he ought not to have done and yet he had failed to give her whatever it was she truly needed.
‘Theo!’ It was Sebastian, who appeared to have been talking to him for some time.
‘Sorry, I was miles away.’
‘I was asking if you wanted to ride out with me, see the agricultural experiments I’ve introduced.’
‘Of course, although you do realise I wouldn’t know a turnip from a potato, don’t you? Nell, why don’t you come too?’
She was at the door, exchanging a word with Eva who was bearing their latest guest off to her bedchamber. ‘No, thank you, Theo. Mr Finchingfield is expecting me in the library.’
‘Bloody librarian,’ Theo muttered as he found himself alone with Sebastian in the breakfast room.
‘You didn’t take to him?’ His cousin looked surprised. ‘Very competent, good family and all that. I wonder if Eva is matchmaking—he’s a excellent choice for Elinor, I’d have thought.’ Apparently not noticing Theo’s snarl, he added, ‘Let’s see if Freddie would like to come with us. I’d value your opinion on the pony I’ve just bought him.’
A librarian? For Nell? A pattern-book pretty young man with respectable bloodlines and a sound knowledge of the classics? She would be bored to tears. Safe, no doubt, no dungeons or pistols or scandalous lovemaking with Mr Finchingfield, that was for certain, but where would all that fun go, that courage?
‘I’ll get my hat and gloves.’ He took the spiral stairs to his roof-high chamber at a run, two at a time, all the way up, arriving with his breath tight in his chest and a burn in his thigh muscles and still wanting nothing more than to ruin the line of the librarian’s perfect nose for him.
A day spent in the panelled library was soothing, Elinor found. It was light and airy and well organised and she admired the young librarian’s enthusiasm for his task.
‘But there is still so much to do,’ he said with a groan, waving a hand towards the back of the room where stacks of books, dusty and disorganised, still crowded the shelves. ‘The late Grand Duke was not interested, except for sporting subjects and, um…certain rather indelicate volumes. But he bought widely, just as he did works of art. The only trouble was, he neglected to replace the librarian when the last one died twelve years ago. And as for the archives, I haven’t even touched them. They are a full-time job.’
He opened a door into another chamber, with stone walls and vaulted ceiling. Bundles of documents, rolls of parchment, tin boxes and wooden chests were crammed inside with great ledgers balanced on every flat surface. ‘Goodness, what a treasure trove.’ Intrigued, Elinor lifted the nearest scroll off its shelf and peered at it. ‘This is fascinating.’
‘I am glad you think so.’ It was Eva, her skirts lifted clear of the dusty floor. ‘I did wonder whether you would like to spend a little time here as our archivist. It would allow you to consider your plans and to make a considered choice of companion for your travels.’
Mr Finchingfield effaced himself and tactfully went off to his desk while Eva waited for Elinor’s response. ‘Naturally, we would pay you the same salary as Phillip. And you only need stay as long as you wish—just make a start and help me find a permanent archivist is all I would ask.’
Taken aback, she considered it. ‘It would make things easier with Mama. I am sure she would be less anxious if I came here rather than taking off by myself.’ Actually she probably wouldn’t be anxious at all. Irritated at having to find a new secretary, that was all. But it would stop Theo fussing. She might even see him from time to time if he knew where she was. ‘Thank you, yes, I would like that very much.’
‘Excellent. We must find you a desk. Phillip! You have a colleague,’
At dinner she found herself seated next to Mr Finchingfield with the castle’s Anglican chaplain on her left. Perhaps to dilute the impact of Ana, Eva had invited a
number of people, including the widowed Mrs Massing-ham, whom she had suggested as a possible companion for Elinor’s travels.
It made it easier to avoid Theo. Why she wanted to, Elinor was not certain, but instinct told her that he would not be happy with her plans and that having an argument with him would be more upsetting than she could cope with just now.
When the gentlemen rejoined the ladies and Eva presided over the tea tray, Theo finally cut through the group around her. ‘Elinor, I was hoping for a word with you.’ Next to Phillip’s slight elegance and the chaplain’s comfortable roundness he looked big, masculine and decidedly commanding. He also looked thoroughly irritated, although she doubted anyone who didn’t know him well would notice.
‘Why don’t you join us?’ she asked, knowing that was not what he wanted. ‘Mr Finchingfield was just explaining his new classification scheme for the library, which sounds most comprehensive, only I am not certain how it would work for theology. What do you think, Dr Herriot?’
‘Indeed, comparative religion may be the stumbling block with your ideas,’ the chaplain began.
Theo shot her a look that showed he knew exactly what she was up to, combined with something else she could not fathom. Surely he was not hurt by her evasion? He must know she would only refuse him again if that was his intention in speaking to her.
‘Theology is not my subject, you must excuse me.’ He turned and went back to join the rest of the group clustered around the wide, empty hearth.
