Page 38 of A Duke to Save Her


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They finished their supper, and with darkness now having fallen, they retired to bed. The room was snug, the blankets soft, and the bed comfortable that Eloise soon fell asleep. But her dreams were vivid, and at one point, she awoke with a start, imagining her father to be bursting through the door.

“My Lady, Are you all right?” Delphine exclaimed, as Eloise sat bolt upright in bed.

For a moment, Eloise believed her nightmare to be real, and she clung to Delphine in fear, gasping for breath as she realized her foolishness.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Delphine. I had the most horrible dream. My father burst through the door. He was going to take me back. I suppose it’s natural to be fearful under such circumstances. I’ll be all right. I’ll pour myself a cup of water,” Eloise said. She pulled back the blankets and made her way cautiously across the room, feeling her way in the darkness until she found the table, on which sat a jug of water and two cups.

The table was next to the window, and Eloise pulled back the curtain to peer out over the stable yard below. It was still dark, but the first glow of dawn was appearing on the horizon. All was quiet, and she breathed a sigh of relief – there was no need to fear. Her father had probably not even realized she and Delphine were gone. They would soon be on their way to Bath, and all would be well.

“Won’t you come back to bed, My Lady? Try to get some rest. I’ll wake you in a few hours,” Delphine urged, but Eloise was too wide awake to return to bed.

“I’m going to write a letter to Jackson. I’ll entrust it to the landlord to send, or perhaps with the mail coach itself,” Eloise muttered.

She struck a light from the tinder box by the fire and lit a candle, which she placed on the table. The thought of what to write to Jackson had been much on her mind since she and Delphine had fled. She would tell him they were making for Bath and plead with him to join her there as soon as possible. She could not know what he was thinking, or what his feelings were as to what she had done. But she felt certain he loved her, and when he received the letter, he would make up his mind to come to her, and they would be married.

“Very good, My Lady. Would you mind if I slept a little longer? I’m ever so tired,” Delphine yawned, as she laid back down to sleep.

Eloise had brought parchment, quill and ink for the express purpose of writing the letter. But whilst she knew what she wanted to say, she now found it difficult to translate her thoughts into words. She wanted to tell him how much she loved him and beg him to come to her. She wanted to tell him how sorry she was for what had happened, and how cruel fate had torn them apart. It took several attempts to begin the letter before she wrote not with the voice of reason, but with the passion of the heart.

Jackson, I love you… I desire only to be with you… no longer a ruse, but the truth… my heart aches to be without you… my first and last thought of each day… forever yours…

The letter was sealed, and now the first rays of dawn broke through the curtains. Eloise yawned, but there was no time for further sleep. They had to be ready to catch the mail coach at the appointed time. She roused Delphine, and the two women dressed and readied themselves for their journey.

CHAPTER18

“Porridge, Miss? Or eggs and bacon? Will you have a pot of tea and some bread?” the landlord asked when Eloise and Delphine came down for breakfast a short while later.

“All of that, I think,” Eloise replied, for she did not know when next they would eat or be able to stop for refreshment.

The landlord nodded, and soon a hearty breakfast was served to them in a snug just off the main tap room. From there, the window offered a sweeping view of the road back to London, along which carriages and horses were now passing in a steady stream, this being the main road west to Bath.

“I’ve never been to Bath, My Lady. I’ve never left London if truth be told,” Delphine said, as she and Eloise finished the last of the bread and butter.

“It’s a beautiful city, an ancient place to take the waters. Hence the name, I suppose.”

She had visited her cousin, along with her mother and Alice, when they were children. But it had been many years since she had been in that beautiful city, and she knew much would have changed – not least the possible whereabouts of the cousin she was relying on.

“I’m looking forward to seeing it. But I’m still anxious, My Lady.” Delphine glanced nervously out of the window.

“No one knows we’re here, Delphine. It’ll be all right.” Eloise tried to reassure her.

Delphine nodded and gave a weak smile. They finished the pot of tea, and Eloise paid the landlord for his trouble. The kitchen boy had been sent outside to wait for the mail coach, and now Eloise and Delphine put on their traveling cloaks and made ready to depart.

“I hope you find your aunt in better health than you fear,” the landlord said, as he saw them to the door.

“I hope so, too. I wonder, might you see this letter posted? It’s to my… brother. He couldn’t come with us, but I promised to write to him at every stage of my journey. I have a shilling for your trouble.” Eloise handed the letter to the landlord, who smiled and nodded.

“I’ll see it gets posted, Miss.” He nodded to them, as they stepped out into the sunshine.

“I can see the mail coach, Miss. It’s coming up now,” the kitchen boy called, and he pointed in the direction of London.

Eloise could see the coach approaching. It was laden with boxes, strapped onto each side, and the driver sat high on a buckboard, lashing at the horses with a whip. The kitchen boy stepped out to hail him, and the driver reined in the horses, calling out to a man riding on the backboard, who jumped down to help Eloise and Delphine with their bag.

“Going to Bath, are you?” he asked, and Eloise nodded.

“Yes, that’s right. If you’ll take us.”

The man nodded. But at that moment, another carriage came into view, charging at such a speed its wheels and horse’s hooves brought up a great cloud of dust around it. There was sure to be a crash, and the astonished driver of the mail coach struck his own horses with his whip, causing them to charge forward, narrowly avoiding a collision. Eloise and Delphine leaped back out of the way, as the carriage shuddered to a halt.

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