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“You have been so very kind, Mr Patmore. I am filled with renewed courage, but now I must bid you farewell.”
He also dismounted, nodding at a handsome landau tethered to a nearby railing, empty but for the muffled drive., “Your aunt has company, I see. Naturally, I would like to pay her my respects in the hope she’s improved since yesterday.”
Eliza hesitated, wondering if she could say no for it seemed Mr Patmore was dead set on coming in. So she shrugged and led the way towards her aunt’s bedchamber where, on the threshold, she started. “Susana! I didn’t know it was you. When I saw the landau outside—”
“Yes, it was high time I was conveyed about the district in something a little more up to the minute than the sad old dogcart I’ve been driven in forever. But really, Eliza, show some consideration,” her cousin added, lowering her voice. The girl was holding their aunt’s hand, and Aunt Montrose was propped up on several pillows, her eyelids fluttering, her mouth moving as she again tried ineffectually to speak.
“Aunt Montrose, you’re awake!” Eliza cried, genuinely pleased.
“And we’ve had a lovely old coze. She’s feeling far more the thing, aren’t you, Aunt? But who is this?”
Eliza bit her lip as Mr Patmore appeared in the doorway. She made the introduction, and didn’t miss the calculating interest in Susana’s eyes as they travelled from Mr Patmore’s Hessians up to his laughing grey eyes. Mr Patmore was, Eliza realised, a man of very easy spirits. Not once could she remember having seen his mouth turned down or thunder in his eyes. Not like Mr Bramley, she thought with a shudder, and was dismayed at both the dislike she felt at the thought of Susana taking an interest in Mr Patmore and the prospect of Mr Bramley for a husband.
“Miss Montrose—” Mr Patmore took a step towards Eliza as she stood at the end of the bed, and for one wonderful moment, she thought he was going to take both her hands in his. Instead, he gave an abrupt bow. “I should return Devil’s Run to your intended.”
Was there some deeper meaning he was trying to convey? He certainly seemed to be focusing very intently on Eliza.
“I’ll see you out, Mr Patmore,” said Susana gaily, jumping up from her aunt’s bedside and stepping between them. “Aunt Montrose and I have been talking for simply an age, and now that Eliza’s returned I’m sure she’ll be glad of the change of company.”
Eliza tried not to let her feelings show as she first thanked Mr Patmore for his help and bade him farewell, before lowering herself onto the chair near her aunt. She picked up a book lying on the bedside table and opened to the page marker, realising at the same time that her Aunt Montrose had slipped back into unconsciousness.
She should start reading nevertheless, if only so that she wasn’t accused of eavesdropping, for through the window she could hear Susana talking in her quick, vivacious way, and Mr Patmore responding politely. Did he like her? Was he as taken by Susana’s fair prettiness as most men? Susana had rejected three suitors in the past year for she was anticipating her first London season shortly. She wanted a match more illustrious than the local squire’s son, and no doubt she could aspire to an earl if she inherited her aunt’s wealth.
She probably would, Eliza thought with a stab of angst.
“Did you speak, Aunt?” she asked, lowering her head as she heard the jingle of harness indicate Susana’s departure.
Her aunt was awake again, her eyes wide and fearful, her mouth working quickly though no intelligible sound came. She began to thrash about as if she were in the grip of another seizure, and Eliza leapt to her feet and ran to the front door, just as Mr Patmore mounted Devil’s Run and started riding down the street.
She didn’t think he could have heard her. She was out of earshot, but he turned as he was about to round the bend and so saw her flailing arms signalling him to return.
Eliza had intended to ask him to fetch the doctor back again, but he insisted on coming back into the cottage, telling her the doctor was attending another gravely ill patient three miles away, and perhaps there was something with which he could assist.
There wasn’t, for when they reached Aunt Montrose’s bedside, the old woman was trying to speak what would be her final words. Eliza thought she heard her name, but as she took her aunt’s outstretched hand, it went limp and the old woman’s eyes glazed over.
She looked up at Mr Patmore who shook his head.
Aunt Montrose was dead, and Eliza had no idea what the future had in store for her.
Chapter 9
Eliza put on an old gown that had been dyed black to mourn her father seven years before. There was so much to organize, and appearance was the least of her concerns.
She was glad of Dora’s practical presence. What must happen both spiritually and physically were matters with which she needed help, to ensure the right people were notified and fetched.
The doctor arrived and wrote out a death certificate. There would be visitors, said Dora, adding that she would need help washing and dressing the body.
Aunt Montrose might have left a fortune, but she had lived like a village woman.
Eliza was sure Mr Patmore would leave at this juncture, but he didn’t.
“Abandon you in your darkest hour, Miss Montrose?” he asked, raising his eyebrows as Eliza pushed up the sleeves of her gown and donned an apron in preparation of her grim and unwelcome task.
“But what about Devil?
??s Run?”
“You mean, what about Mr Bramley?” he clarified with a sly look. “He can wait another twelve hours. The race isn’t until next week. Now, burden me with something useful to do.” He gave her a bolstering smile. “It won’t be long before the cottage is full of mourners, and it’ll fall to you to ensure their comfort, even if you’ve never seen most of them in your life. I have firsthand experience of this.”
