The Truth about the Earl (Whispers of the Ton #1)

Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

N orah paced back and forth in her drawing room, one finger caught between her teeth as she worried. She had written to Lady Adlay earlier that morning but, as yet, had received no response. It was now the early afternoon and still, nothing had come. After what she had seen yesterday, Norah feared for her friend.

Her eyes closed as she put one hand on the mantlepiece, forcing herself to remain still. As much as she might tell herself that this was not her doing, her guilt rose to such a clamor that it was impossible to ignore. She had ignored the warning from whoever had written that first letter, demanding that she place something particular in the articles she wrote for the society pages. Lady Adlay had insisted that she do so and despite her fear, Norah had agreed. But now, she was quite certain that whatever had happened to her friend was entirely because of that one action.

She looked so very pale.

Her eyes squeezed harder closed, an ache beginning to build in her throat as hot tears burned. Drawing in a shaking breath, Norah let it out slowly and forced herself to open her eyes, pushing back the tears. She had not had an opportunity to discover what had happened to Lady Adlay, for despite managing to draw near to her friend, it had only been to grasp her hand for a few moments and then release it. Lady Adlay had been pale-faced, limping terribly and leaning heavily on a gentleman that Norah did not know. She had heard that Lord Adlay had practically raced from the card room the moment he had been informed and had immediately ordered his carriage so that he might bring her home. Norah could only pray that her dear friend was not grievously injured.

A knock at the door startled her and she let out an involuntary yelp of surprise, which the footman took to be his call to enter. Stepping inside, he walked toward her, a note on a silver tray.

“My lady.”

Norah stared at it for a moment before snatching it up, grasping it with eager fingers. Without looking, she broke the wax seal and unfolded the page, ready to read Lady Adlay’s response. The footman melted away, aware that his mistress was much too caught up with her letter to inform him to either remain or take his leave, and within a few seconds, Norah was quite alone again.

“Please say that you are to recover soon.”

Her eyes roved over the words on the page, hurrying over them in her haste to read Lady Adlay’s response. It was not until some moments later, however, that Norah began to realize that what she held was not, in fact, a letter from Lady Adlay. Instead, it was a note from the person who had written to her at first, stating that she write what they demanded. The words were cold, written by an icy hand and as she read the words with understanding, a chill stole over Norah’s, sending gooseflesh all over her skin.

She shivered, reading the note for the second time. It was direct confirmation that what had happened to Lady Adlay last evening had been a consequence of Norah’s direct inaction as directed in the previous letter.

‘ Furthermore,’ the letter read, ‘ you are to state in your next piece that Lord Yardley has been seen in the company of Miss Henstridge and that you have been informed that he was recently caught departing from her private quarters last evening after the performance. Any thought not to do so will bring further consequences – to Lady Adlay, Lord Adlay, Lord Yardley himself, or mayhap even to Lady Gillingham. I am aware she is returned to her estate but that does not mean that she cannot be injured most grievously. There are more ways than one to cause pain and suffering.’

She dropped her head and pressed her hands to her eyes as the letter fluttered to the floor. Her breathing was ragged, her mind whirling as she struggled with what had been asked of her.

Lord Yardley? I am to write ill of him?

She could not do it. Not when she felt so much for him, not when she knew that he was such a kind, amiable gentleman who did not deserve such censure.

A sudden thought flew into her head and she rose hurriedly, almost running across the room in her haste to ring the bell. Thereafter, she began to pace again as she waited for the footman to arrive.

He did so in only a matter of seconds.

“My lady?”

“You received a note.”

He nodded. “Yes, my lady.”

“Who brought it?”

The footman’s brows furrowed. “A street boy, my lady.”

Closing her eyes, Norah put out one hand to him. “And pray, did you remember to keep him in the house? I was certain that –”

“Yes, my lady.” The footman’s face flushed red as Norah looked at him sharply, perhaps embarrassed that he had interrupted her. “I beg your pardon. That is only to say that the boy is in the kitchens. I believe the cook is feeding him.”

Norah let out a long breath, one hand pressing lightly against her stomach as she took in what the footman had said. “Very good, very good,” she breathed, softly. “I will go to him at once.”

The footman’s eyes widened. “I am sure, my lady, that we can bring the boy here.”

There was no time to be wasted and Norah shook her head, marching past the astonished footman and hurrying toward the servant's stairs. She did not see the wide-eyed looks of the maids, nor hear the gasp of the housekeeper as she made her way past them, her mind and thoughts centered on only one thing.

Hurrying into the kitchen, she saw a small boy sitting at the table, stuffing food into his mouth with both hands. Her stomach dropped, compassion pouring into her heart for him despite her circumstances.

“My lady!” The cook’s eyes widened and she stepped back from the pot she had been stirring, but Norah smiled somewhat tightly and waved one hand toward her, encouraging her back to her work.

“I thought to come and speak to this child,” she said softly, as the cook remained where she was despite Norah’s encouragement. “Thank you for feeding him.”

The cook’s eyes drifted toward the small boy, who was still eating as though nothing had changed, having no interest in Norah’s presence. “I do not think I have seen one so thin,” she murmured, as Norah closed her eyes for a moment. “Half-starved, that one.”

“Then I will keep him here with us,” Norah said, firmly, making her way to sit down at the table opposite the small boy. “Should you like that?” The boy looked back at her, his eyes seeming too large for his small face. “Would you like to stay here? You will have hot food and a warm bed and while you will have errands to run and the like, you will not need to go searching for food any longer.”

The boy’s eyes widened all the more. “Do you mean it?”

“I do.” Norah was not quite certain that her monies, such as they were, would accommodate another servant but she supposed that he was quite small and would not cost a great deal to keep. “If you wish to stay?”

The boy nodded fervently before picking up another piece of bread and shoving it into his mouth. Norah gave him a small smile, glancing up at the cook so that she would not whisper to the boy to behave with more propriety.

“And what is your name?”

Swallowing hard, the boy spoke out of the side of his mouth. “Joseph, miss.”

“Well, Joseph, I shall have the butler look after you although you must promise to do as he says.”

Again, the boy nodded and Norah smiled.

“You took a note for me today, I think,” she continued, trying to keep her tone calm and steady. “That might be one of your duties here if you can do it well?”

“I can, yes, I can!”

“That is good. Tell me, who gave you that note?”

Joseph nodded again. “It was a lady.”

“A lady?”

“She wasn’t the one to give me the note, though. She just stood a little bit away and made sure that I got given it by one of her men.”

A little confused, Norah frowned. “I do not understand.”

The boy picked up a bit of cheese. “A man came out and gave me the note and told me to take it to his house. I got a coin and everything!” He grinned at her and Norah tried to smile, her mind taking in everything that Joseph was saying. “But when I looked back, I saw the man make his way back to this big carriage and in the window was a lady watching me.”

“And you think this lady sent the note?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Because she was watching you so carefully?”

Joseph frowned, biting his lip. “She was watching me very carefully. I think she wanted to make sure I would come back.”

“You’re to go back?”

“Meant to get my second coin, ain’t I? But I won’t go back. Sometimes when you go to get your second coin, there’s nothing there for you. They just want to make sure that you’ve done what they asked. And she looked like the sort of lady who wouldn’t have that second coin.” His lips pulled tight and he scowled, making Norah nod in understanding.

“I see. And can you tell me what the lady looked like?”

Joseph shook his head. “She was just like one of them posh ladies. Like you.”

Norah’s stomach twisted. “I see.”

“I know she had a big carriage but she was wearing a bonnet and sitting behind the window, wasn’t she? So I didn’t see her very well. But I know that note was from her.”

Norah wanted to put her head in her hands and let out a scream of frustration but instead, she forced a smile, rose, and stood by the table.

“Thank you, Joseph, you’ve been very helpful. I am sure you will do very well here.”

He grinned at her and the delight in his smile made Norah’s heart lift. At least, in all of this, she had been able to bring a little happiness and relief to Joseph. “Thank you, miss.”

“ My lady, ” the cook hissed, and Joseph’s eyes widened.

“Thank you, my lady,” he said and Norah smiled, turning back toward the cook.

“I will speak to the butler about the boy and he will make all the arrangements.” The cook nodded and Norah turned quickly, making her way back upstairs without a further word to anyone. When she returned to the drawing room, Norah rang the bell in the hope that the butler would appear but, as she waited for him, the strength went from her limbs and she was forced into a chair, her legs trembling with fright as she thought about what she must now do.

“My lady?”

Norah looked up, seeing the butler framed in the doorway.

“Tea, if you please.” She closed her eyes, trying to push away the fright that seemed now to wrap around each of her limbs, pulling her tightly into herself. “And Joseph is to be looked after. He will work as an errand boy or whatever it is that you think would be of most benefit.”

“Joseph, my lady?”

Her eyes opened. “The small boy in the kitchen,” she said, by way of explanation. “And pray, has there been any word from Lady Adlay? Anything at all?”

The butler hesitated, then shook his head. “I am sorry, my lady, there has been none.”

Norah nodded, dropped her head, and waited until she heard the soft click of the door as it closed. Only once was she entirely alone that she dropped her head into her hands and let out a small, muffled sob that soon gave way to a good many others. Tears ran down her face, her shoulders shook and her chest grew tight and painful as she thought of what she must do next.

It seemed she had no other choice.