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Eleanor shivered.
“Just don’t go out on your own from now on, all right?” Her father said quietly. “I want one of the servants to go with you whenever you go out, and Marion too, and certainly when you go to the orphanage.”
“You’re not stopping me from that?”
“You think I’d be able to?” Edward Heavenly shot her a sharp look. “But no trying to slip away from your escort or sending them home because they don’t feel very well. You have a guard with you, and that’s the end of it.”
Eleanor knew better than to argue. If she was honest, she was now unsure about being out and about. Leyton had shown to her in the past that he was very sneaky when he wanted to be. He wasn’t one to be deterred. Eleanor could take care of herself, but it would make her feel better knowing that she had an escort.
She nodded. “All right, Father.”
Edward Heavenly gave her a gentle smile, his eyes warming. “Good girl.”
Eleanor didn’t feel very good right now. She felt scared.
Chapter Fifteen
“Eleanor?”
Eleanor jumped as someone touched her arm. She looked around to see her father standing at her side with a concerned frown.
“Father?”
“Are you sure you’re all right?”
Eleanor took a deep breath. She was still shaken from her father’s news earlier. Knowing that Leyton had been committed for his behaviour and was now back walking around London had been a shock to her. She had moments over the years wondering where Leyton had gone as his departure had been very abrupt, but Eleanor hadn’t paid too much thought to it. She was happy not to see him again. After what Leyton had done and essentially ruined her first season, Eleanor would not be wasting too much time on him.
Having him back in London was bad enough. Hearing that he had been committed...that just left Eleanor cold. What if Leyton found out about her marriage arrangement and tried to sabotage that? He wasn’t above making sure other men ran the other way once he started throwing his weight around. Eleanor had witnessed it before. What if he approached Captain Reynolds and started making outrageous claims? He might be believed, and Nathan would break this marriage agreement.
Nathan. Eleanor found herself almost smiling. She should be more formal with the man. They were only going through a courtship right now, nowhere near being at the stage where they could address each other with a relaxed attitude. But Nathan sounded nice to her ears. Much better than Captain.
And it was certainly much better than Lord Brixton. Nathan didn’t look like a lord at all. He looked every bit the army man. And he acted like a soldier as well. A respectable gentleman who was very polite towards her. He had been trained well. He had a soldier’s mentality. His title meant nothing to him. If anything, it made him shudder. Eleanor had seen it several times while she was at lunch with him the day before. Nathan despised the title of Earl that he had inherited. If he was given the chance, Eleanor was sure he would give it to someone else.
Eleanor didn’t care one way or the other. She would just be happy to marry someone who seemed decent enough and was willing to treat her with respect and be a friend more than a husband.
Other than a few nights where they did their duty to conceive a child. Eleanor could feel her face getting warm, and her corsets suddenly felt a little too tight. Was it getting warmer in here?
“Eleanor?” Edward Heavenly was looking at her strangely. “You drifted off there. I asked you a question.”
“What? Oh.” Eleanor winced. “Forgive me, Father. I guess I’m still a little concerned that Leyton is back out and he’s walking around.”
“I understand.” Edward Heavenly squeezed her hand. “But he’s not getting in here. I won’t let him anywhere near you.”
Too late. He’s already gotten close.But Eleanor wasn’t about to tell her father about Leyton confronting her outside the orphanage. Jonathan had already been sworn to secrecy, so there were no problems on that part, and Eleanor didn’t want Edward Heavenly to know that the man they both hated with a passion was already pestering her.
That could wait. If Eleanor couldn’t deal with Leyton, she would turn it over to her father. Then the young man would realize how foolish it was to come back and carry on where he left off.
“Just so I know you’re going to be fine.”
“I am fine.” Eleanor managed a smile and kissed her father’s cheek. “Don’t worry about me. I can manage.”
“That’s the trouble. I do worry. You’re my little girl still, Eleanor.” Edward Heavenly brushed a hair off Eleanor’s face. “I’m never going to stop worrying.”
Eleanor knew that. For all his faults, Edward Heavenly was a loving father. His love for his family had never been brought into question. Not like his judgement over money and drink.
Edward Heavenly moved away and sat on the window seat, crossing his feet at the ankles. Eleanor then moved off into the library, going to her little favourite nook in the corner. It had a window seat and a beautiful view of the garden. In the summer, the garden was just stunning, and Eleanor also loved to see it covered in snow in the winter. It was a place Eleanor would go when she needed a few moments to herself. As a child, she had spent hours sitting on the window seat, curled up with a book, barely noticing anyone around her. Edward Heavenly had indulged her in her reading, and her mother had pushed Eleanor to read everything and concentrate on her lessons. Eleanor just loved a good book.
Hopefully, Nathan - Captain Reynolds, Eleanor reminded herself - wouldn’t look too unfavourably at her love of reading like he had done with her charity work.
