The Heart's Companion

"There you are!" Millicent said as Jane and Lady Elsbeth opened the heavy oak door that led from the old family apartments.

"Did you wish something, cousin?" Jane asked mildly, closing the door after herself.

"You know I do! I want you to release my mother. How dare you lock her up!"

"I beg your pardon," Lady Elsbeth intervened, "but it was not your cousin who ordered Serena confined. It was me." She linked arms with Jane and walked calmly toward the parlor.

Millicent sniffed and followed behind. "Only because you know which side your bread’s buttered. You’d tell a different tale if you knew of Great Aunt Arbuthnot’s will."

"Oh, come now, Millicent," Jane said as Jeremy opened the door to the parlor for them. Royce, ensconced on a sofa with his foot propped up on cushions, struggled to rise to his feet. He smiled welcomingly at her. A flush of warmth swept through Jane at his regard. Hurriedly she dropped her eyes from his and returned her attention to Millicent. "What can Agatha Arbuthnot’s will possibly have to do with Elsbeth? Or for that matter, your mother’s insane behavior."

"My mother is not insane!" Millicent denied hotly. Then she drew a deep breath. "Is it bad for her to consider another’s welfare before her own?" Her words were tight, lacking conviction. Sulking, she followed Jane and Lady Elsbeth into the parlor.

"Oh, please, Millicent, not that old chestnut. I heard that tale when I was young! I am not so naive today. Never has she done anything to benefit my welfare."

"But don’t you understand? That is just it! You have so much that anything she took from you would not be missed," her cousin exclaimed.

Taken back, Jane blinked, dumbfounded. "That—that is absurd! What do you think she is? A latter day Robin Hood? More like greedy King John," she said waspishly, refusing to acknowledge Millicent’s contention.

"Ladies! Ladies—please! Can we not discuss this matter with a modicum of decorum, rather than screaming at each other like Billingsgate fish wives?" the earl asked, laughing.

"Furthermore, as I seem to have somehow aggravated my ankle, I should appreciate it if you would all come in and sit down so I may do so again," he drawled, his eyelids drooping over his dark, unfathomable eyes while a crooked smile kicked up one corner of his finely chiseled lips.

Jane’s heart turned over when she looked up at him. He met her glance with a private one of his own that sent her pulses racing. Quickly she sat down, as near to him as she dared without being obvious. Conisbrough—treating Lady Elsbeth like fragile Venetian glass—led her to another chair. Staring out the window, Sir Helmsdon ignored them. It was left for Millicent to take a seat opposite the earl and Jane.

"Jeremy, please invite Lady Tipton to join us," Royce said. The footman looked questioningly at Jane. She nodded in agreement.

"Now, Mrs. Hedgeworth, I pray you continue," Royce invited silkily.

Millicent preened and shot Jane a superior glance. She felt confident the earl would see things her way. "Mama said that Lady Elsbeth’s life with Jane was no better than that of a drudge. But, owing to Aunt Elsbeth’s misguided notions of responsibility, she would not leave Jane until she was wed. "

"I see, so she took it upon herself to supply Miss Grantley with a husband. "

"Me," said Sir Helmsdon, coming away from the window where he’d stood looking out over the park. "But why? And why me? Why not Royce, here, or Conisbrough?"

Millicent shrugged her slender shoulders, a little pout thrusting out her lower lip. "You were convenient, and you seemed to desire her."

"And you did not want him," Jane added dryly.

Millicent pointedly ignored her. "And we could not envision the legendary Ice Witch with either the Devil’s Disciple or Black Jack! La! That is too comical for words!" she said, inviting them to join in her humor.

When none of the gentleman so much as cracked a smile, she began to fidget. "I don’t know what all the fuss is about. She’s nearly on the shelf. She should be thankful Mama thought to speed matters along, else she’d be forever knowing what’s good for her," Millicent said pettishly. She looked from one stone face to another, searching for a dram of understanding. "No harm came to her," she continued anxiously, her voice rising, "and none was intended. And—and I won’t pretend to mourn for that man. He was contemptuous!"

"He was a human being," snapped Jane.

Millicent’s mouth worked for a moment, then her face crumbled. Tears streamed down her cheeks. "No one understands. No one wants to understand. It’s always been for you. I’ve never had a chance with you around, not even with a lousy fortune hunter," she bit out, her head jerking up to cast a scathing look in Sir Helmsdon’s direction.

"Oh, Millicent, I do wish you’d stop that caterwauling," said Lady Serena from the door. She came in the room on Mr. Burry’s arm as casually as if she were returning from a walk in the park. "If you’d made the slightest push, you could have had Helmsdon. But you didn’t. You set your sights higher. Now you must live with those consequences."

"But Mama! You said—"

"Dry your tears. Your face is splotching. You shall have to learn to do for yourself. I cannot be expected to arrange everything for you all the time," she said severely, then turned her back on her daughter, dismissing her from her thoughts. "I apologize for taking so long to join you. I took the liberty of stopping by my room for my reticule." She walked toward Lady Elsbeth, a warm smile on her face. "Dear, dear Elsbeth," she said, extending her hands.

Lady Elsbeth kept her hands in her lap.

Lady Serena faltered, then laughed shrilly. "Oh, come now, baby sister, surely you don’t hold it against me to try to see you unencumbered?"

"I do not, and have never thought myself to be encumbered," Lady Elsbeth said softly.

"Well, naturally not. Yours is too much a warm heart," Serena placated. "Poor dear, you cannot see how you are being used. But never mind. I see now I miscalculated with Helmsdon. But when Jane is married to Lord Royce, all will be well."

"Mama!" cried Millicent. "You promised me I could have Lord Royce!"

Lord Royce’s eyebrows shot up. "I beg your pardon, ladies, but I do not believe I belong to, nor stand in immediate danger of belonging to, any woman," he said harshly. "I am not to be bought nor bartered for."

Millicent wailed loudly. Lady Serena turned toward her daughter and slapped her cheeks. Then she turned back to face Royce, all smiles. Shaking his head, Sir Helmsdon led a shattered Millicent from the room.

Jane hardly noticed what had transpired; her thoughts were on Royce’s words, which knifed through her heart. She had dared hope his pursuit of her had meant something. She was foolish. Royce was forever Royce: poison bottled by Vivian Montrechet and lacking an antidote.

A lump formed in her throat, but she tried to swallow it. Tears welled up. She blinked and took deep breaths, angrily willing the gnawing pain to lessen, willing her pride restored. Strange, she thought dispassionately, she had not realized until that moment, that she loved Royce. The infamous Ice Witch thaws, leaving only a puddle of water!

"So you say, so you say," Lady Serena was responding blithely to Royce’s statement. "Men are always ready with a denial," she told her sister, smiling conspiratorially.

Lady Elsbeth looked at her pityingly. It was obvious her sister was no longer right in her mind. "Serena—" she began.

But Lady Serena wasn’t looking at her. She was looking at the Marquis of Conisbrough.

"What are you doing here? I thought I got rid of you years ago. Well, no matter. You were easy to dispense with before. I foresee no problems now. After all, I can always do to you what I did to Simon and Hedgeworth."

Jane and Lady Elsbeth exchanged surprised glances. What did she do to Simon? Simon, Lady Serena’s twin, was killed in a fall from a horse—as was David Hedgeworth!

"Serena, what did you do to Simon and Mr. Hedgeworth?" Lady Elsbeth asked carefully.

"I led them to their deaths, of course. It was ridiculously easy, they were both indifferent horsemen. I taunted Simon that he could not ride Blue Lightning. You remember that stallion of Papa’s, don’t you Elsbeth? He was a skittish, foul-tempered creature."

Her sister nodded. "I remember Papa had him put down after Simon’s death."

Serena laughed. "The silly fool took the dare. We rode out by the cliffs. When he was near the edge, I fired my small pistol in the air. As I planned, Blue Lightning took exception to the loud noise. He bucked and reared until my dear twin flew off."

"He was later found at the bottom of the cliff, his neck broken," Lady Elsbeth said for the benefit of the others. "And what of Mr. Hedgeworth?"

"David the dullard? A burr under his saddle along with a loosened girth did the trick nicely. "

Lady Elsbeth nodded. "And I am to be next?"

"Oh, no dear," Lady Serena continued conversationally, "I should rather wait until dear Aunt Agatha dies and leaves you all her money—which, of course, you shall leave to me. "

"Aunt Serena," Jane said. "Why do you need more money?"

Her aunt turned a dazzling smile on her. "I don’t! But you see, Elsbeth was always the pampered baby of the family, just like Simon was the favored twin. It was so unfair! No one ever thought of me. So I thought of myself. I married the best, and I wasn’t about to let Elsbeth do better. I really can’t let anyone do better, you know. Not even Millicent. But she’s so featherbrained, she’d not have anything if it weren’t for me. And so you see, that is why you must get married, so Elsbeth will come to live with me. You have to. Or else I should be forced to kill you."

The bald words stunned the company. Conisbrough laid a comforting hand on Lady Elsbeth’s shoulder. She reached up to cover it with her own. Lady Serena’s eyes flared and she snarled. "No!" she screamed. "You shall not have her!" She lunged toward her sister.

Jane threw herself between them, knocking Lady Serena aside. Her aunt shifted her attack upon her, her fingers raking her face. Jane was able to hold her aunt’s hands back until they slipped away and Serena’s fingers closed upon the heavy chain about her neck. With a cry of glee she twisted it cruelly. Jane started to choke.

As she pulled on the chain with one hand, Lady Serena’s other hand dove deep into her reticule. When her hand emerged, her fingers were closed around a small pocket pistol, which she pointed at Jane’s head. "Back!" she snarled to the converging gentlemen. "I can pull this trigger faster than you can jump me," she said with relish. "Maybe I should, anyway. "

She pulled Jane back against her. Jane struggled to breathe, to stay conscious.

"Serena, my dear, my angel," cajoled Mr. Burry, sweat standing out on his brow. He licked his upper lip. "Let the chit go."

Serena’s grip tightened as she dragged Jane backward toward the large Gothic window. "No, you fat, pompous baby. "

"Angel!" protested Mr. Burry.

Serena snarled and edged farther away. Conisbrough and Royce, moving slowly, tracked her from either side of the room.

"Serena!" pleaded Lady Elsbeth. There was a flurry of movement from outside. Lady Elsbeth blinked in surprise, then quickly recovered, her attention back on her sister. "Serena, let Jane go. It is me you want not her."

"I’ll see you all in hell, in the unloved hell I live in."

"Serena, I love you. I have always loved you," cried Lady Elsbeth. "You’re my sister!"

On the other side of the window, right behind Serena, stood Jeremy and Sir Helmsdon. They drew their arms back, poised to throw large rocks through the glass.

"I say, what?" protested Burry, seeing them behind Serena.

"Burry!" screamed Elsbeth.

But Serena had already been warned. She spun around, dragging Jane with her as the first rock came. Her hand flew up to protect her face, letting go of Jane, who collapsed on the floor. It was all the opening Royce needed. He dove for Serena’s gun hand, slamming it above her head. His momentum carried them backward, through the jagged edges of the shattered window. They landed in the grass amid a welter of broken glass.