Part 44 (2/2)

Elizabeth managed a smile and she quickly handed a dozen tulips to a housemaid. ”Please set these in a vase and put them in my room,” she murmured. Why on earth was Devlin's new mistress here?

She had yet to recover from his rejection, or worse, his using her so baldly to abduct her husband's niece. If she did not hate William so, she would demand to know what it all signified. If she had not been a faithless wife, she would have asked the same of Eastleigh. But she could approach neither man.

Yet Elizabeth was no fool. She had been O'Neill's mistress. Now her husband's niece had that dubious distinction, and Devlin had purchased Waverly Hall from the family some years back. Elizabeth began to sense that some terrible plan was afoot.

”Bring refreshments, Walden,” she said, a decision made. Her curiosity won and she removed her ap.r.o.n, washed her hands and left the kitchen.

Virginia stood in the yellow salon, a pretty room quite large in size with a half a dozen seating areas, the furniture obviously tired and worn, and two large chandeliers hanging from the pink, gold and white ceiling. She wore a pale lavender dress with long sleeves and a black pelisse, her dark hair tightly coiled to the back of her head. Her posture was stiff and erect, indicating extreme tension, but Elizabeth had only to look at her strained little face, devoid of all coloring, and then into her large eyes, to realize with shock that she was heartbroken.

Her own heart lurched and the awkward urge to comfort the girl came. ”Miss Hughes?” She smiled more naturally now as she stepped into the salon.

Virginia tried to smile back, but it appeared to be more of a grimace. ”I am sorry if I am disturbing you, my lady,” she said, her tone low and hoa.r.s.e.

”You are not disturbing me,” Elizabeth said, gesturing at a seat. ”Although I will confess, I am quite surprised by your call.”

Virginia smiled sadly and sat down, perching on the edge of a faded bronze satin chair.

Elizabeth also sat, and thought, She really is terribly pretty, and I think I begin to see why Devlin would wish to have her. But she is so young... Elizabeth refused to recall her own age, but her husband's niece was almost twenty years her junior. ”Are you in residence at Wideacre?” she asked politely.

Virginia shook her head. She smoothed down her skirts, gazing at her lap.

A silence fell. Elizabeth felt terribly sorry for her, as she appeared so lost and so miserable. At least I am a married woman, she thought, a woman of experience, one capable of bearing the brunt of real hurt. Surely Devlin had been Virginia's first lover. No wonder she was crushed. Had he rejected her now, too? ”It is such an exceedingly pleasant day for this late in the year,” she said. ”Although I have heard that there will be rain before the week is out.”

Virginia looked up, biting her lip. ”I must beg your help, my lady,” she whispered.

Elizabeth could not stand it. She reached out and took Virginia's hands in her own. ”My dear, you know we are family. Given the circ.u.mstances, I had not really thought about it, but now, seeing you so saddened, it comes back to me. Of course I will help you if I can.”

Virginia looked close to tears. ”I must get home to Virginia,” she said. ”And I have no money for the fare. If you could but lend it to me, I promise I would pay you back.”

Elizabeth did wish to help, but lending her any spare coin, when her funds were so strained, was out of the question. ”What has happened, child?”

Virginia shook her head as if she could not speak. ”I must go home.”

Elizabeth hesitated, choosing her words with care. ”And Devlin will not let you go? For he certainly can spare the fare for your pa.s.sage.”

Her face tightened. ”I have run away, my lady, I have run away from him, and I must leave the country immediately, before he can possibly find me.”

Her brows lifted and she was seized with rabid interest. ”But did you not love him?”

She held herself proudly. ”Yes.”

”Has he abused you in some way?”

Her eyes widened. ”Is it not abuse to be flaunted about the world as his wh.o.r.e?” she cried.

Her language took Elizabeth aback. ”I have never understood his behavior,” she said carefully.

Virginia stood. For one moment she stared. ”It is not my place to explain to you his motivations-I refuse to get between your family and him. I only beg you to spare me the fare to return to America. I cannot go on this way!”

Elizabeth also stood. Clearly Virginia remained fond of Devlin, otherwise she would have no inhibitions about speaking of him and his aims. ”So you still love him,” she said.

Virginia shook her head in denial. ”No. My heart is broken for the last time. There is only pain.”

For one moment Elizabeth was so moved that she could not speak. She clasped Virginia's cheek. ”Why? Why has he treated you so miserably?”

”When I am gone, you may surely ask him,” Virginia said stubbornly.

”First myself and then you. And he lives at Waverly Hall. He almost killed Thomas. I would almost suspect he has a grudge against my family.” She laughed a little then.

Virginia stared.

Her eyes widened in incredulity. ”Is that the case?” she cried.

”You must ask him,” Virginia said firmly. ”Have you anything to spare me for my escape?”

”I so wish I could help you,” Elizabeth said softly, still reeling from the possibility that all of Devlin's actions were the part of some vast grudge. In that case, his sharing her bed for six long years had nothing to do with love or desire, but with something else entirely. ”But, my dear, we have nothing to spare.”

Virginia seemed dismayed. ”Would you at least send me back to London in a coach? I used the few s.h.i.+llings I had to get here.”

That she could do. ”Of course. So you will return to him after all?”

Virginia flinched. ”Never!” she said.

”My lady?” The butler appeared with a tea cart.

As he wheeled it in, Elizabeth was almost relieved by the interruption. ”Shall we have some tea?” She smiled. ”Our chef also makes wonderful scones.”

”I am afraid I must return to town immediately,” Virginia said, making no move to sit.

Elizabeth decided that a hasty departure would be for the best. ”Walden? Have my coach brought around and tell Jeffries that he will take Miss Hughes to London.”

”Yes, my lady,” Walden said, quickly leaving.

Elizabeth poured a cup of tea. ”Are you certain you do not wish some tea before you leave?”

Virginia shook her head, moving to the window. She stared outside.

Elizabeth remarked her poor manners, sipping the tea herself. Yes, she was very fetching, but surely that was not why Devlin had made her his mistress. No, it had something to do with some kind of vendetta he held against her family. There was no other explanation.

Ten minutes later, Virginia was in the countess's coach. Wrapped in a cashmere shawl, Elizabeth waved as the coach rolled down the drive. Then she ceased smiling and hurried inside. ”Walden, where is the earl?”

”He has taken a walk with the hounds,” Walden replied.

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