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“Enough! Your sister’s gone. You’re to marry Lord Crawford. That’s the end of the matter, do you hear me?” he roared.
Eloise was curled up into a ball, shielding herself from him, as tears rolled down her cheeks.
“I hate you! Get out! I never want to speak to you again!” she screamed until her throat was raw.
Her father turned on his heels and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him with such force that one of the pictures on the wall fell to the floor with a crash. Eloise sat up and rubbed her eyes. Anger mixed with sorrow and despair, as now she could only think of the bleak future that lay ahead. Her father was adamant she would marry Lord Crawford, but the thought of doing so filled her with the utmost dread. Her life would become unbearable, and her sister would never be found.
“My Lady?” Delphine said softly, as she gently opened the door, her anxious face appearing.
“Oh, Delphine, there’s no hope now,” Eloise cried, as the maid came hurrying over to her.
Eloise’s cheek was stinging from the pain her father had inflicted.
“You poor dear. How terrible, My Lady,” Delphine exclaimed, and she put her arms around Eloise, who clung to her like a lost child.
But if her resolve had already been made, then the events of the morning had only served to strengthen it. Eloise was determined to do what she could to prevent a marriage to Lord Crawford, and even if she had to flee with nothing, then she would do so if it meant freedom from the terrible alternative that hung over her.
* * *
“Oh, My Lady. You can’t just leave,” Delphine said, watching as Eloise packed clothes into a bag.
It was early evening, and after her ordeal at the hands of her father that morning, Eloise had made up her mind to run away. It would not be a difficult thing to do, or so she reasoned. Alice had managed it easily enough. One moment she had been there, the next she had not. The precise details of Alice’s escape remained shrouded in mystery, but Eloise had determined she had left by the side door into the garden. It opened onto a path that ran the length of the wall and into the shrubbery where a gate led out onto another path at the back of the house. If Eloise could make her way there, then she would be free. What happened next was still to be decided, but at that moment, Eloise’s only thoughts were about getting far away from her father and all he had threatened her with.
“But I’ve got to, Delphine. What else can I do? I can’t stay here. I’m a prisoner in my own home. I’m going to be forced into a marriage that will make me a prisoner for life. I’ve got to leave,” Eloise stressed.
She knew nothing of where she would go, though she had a cousin in Bath on her mother’s side who might be sympathetic to her plight. How to get to Bath or what to do in the meantime following her escape was something she remained uncertain of. She had also thought of going to Jackson, but his uncle’s house would surely be the first place her father searched for her. Better to get as far away as possible and send word for him to join her.
“But My Lady… you can’t be out alone like that. You don’t know how dangerous it can be,” Delphine hissed.
“No more dangerous than being in the company of Lord Crawford, I can assure you. You could come with me if you wish,” Eloise proposed.
The maid’s eyes grew wide and fearful. She looked torn.
“I… but where would we go, My Lady? Two women unaccompanied. It’s not right,” She hesitated, as Eloise finished packing her bag.
She had not known what to take. Some stockings, a shawl, a plain dress, a bonnet and some candles had seemed to suffice. She had some money from her allowance, and she took her mother’s jewels from her jewelry box and slipped them into her pocket.
“We’ve got the jewelry, Delphine. We’ll pawn it or sell it. We’ll have enough to get to Bath, then we’ll send word for Jackson to come to us. He will do. I know he will.”
She knew she was putting a great deal of faith in a man she had known only a short while. But despite the briefness of their romance, there was no doubt in Eloise’s mind as to Jackson’s sincerity. She loved him and she knew he loved her, too. That was enough – it was all she needed to know and all she needed to rely on.
“But… you father… he’ll search for you,” Delphine said, as though trying her best to talk Eloise out of her plan.
“But by then, we’ll be married. We’ll marry quickly. You can be a witness. Once we’re married, my father can’t do anything to prevent us from being together. I can’t marry Lord Crawford if I’m already married to Jackson, can I?” Eloise rattled on.
Whilst her plan to run away was remarkable in its daring, the idea of marrying Jackson quickly was eminently reasonable. As a married woman, her father would have no rights over her, and Lord Crawford would have no claim on her promise. It was daring, it was risky, and so much could go wrong, but Eloise knew this was her only hope.
“Well… no, My Lady. That’s true,” Delphine acquiesced, and Eloise took a deep breath and glanced at herself in the mirror.
She was wearing a dark blue dress with a traveling cloak over it and a bonnet on her head. It being midsummer, the evening was bright, even though the hour was growing late. Eloise intended to take a carriage and find lodgings in a far corner of the city. A plan was forming in her mind, born of necessity rather than reason. She knew her cousin’s address in Bath and would send word of her arrival ahead. It was a fantastical plan, but one she was certain could work, if only she maintained her resolve.
“Come then. Come with me. We can send word to Jackson. It’ll be all right, Delphine. We’ve got one another, haven’t we?” she said, taking her maid by the hand.
Delphine still looked reluctant, but she nodded and smiled weakly at Eloise, who picked up her bag and took another deep breath. She opened her bedroom door cautiously. The house was quiet. Her father had already dined, and Eloise had refused to eat with him, taking her dinner upstairs with Delphine to serve her. The Viscount’s evening routine was set in stone. After dinner, he would retire to his study to read and smoke his pipe. Eloise could smell the tobacco smoke in the air – a sure sign her father was where he was meant to be.
“I have nothing with me, My Lady,” Delphine whispered.
“Don’t worry. We’ll share things. It’ll be an adventure,” Eloise whispered back, as they quietly made their way down the stairs.
