The Regency Series Boxset One by Fenella J Miller

Author:Fenella J Miller [Miller, Fenella J]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Goodreads: 19092836
Published: 2013-06-16T14:00:00+00:00

‘You must go in now, my lady, it’s getting light. You’ve been too long in the saddle.’

‘No, John; I prefer to ride, Rufus will see I come to no harm.’ She leant down and knocked on the coach window. Mary lowered it, her face anxious. ‘We should be at Monk’s Hall in less than an hour, Mary. I’m riding ahead to warn them of our arrival’

Eleanor gave neither John nor Mary time to protest. She urged her mount forward into a canter and disappeared down the road. She knew the way from here; she had ridden this way often over the years. Rufus’s long raking stride ate up the miles until he could smell his stable. Without waiting for permission he broke into a gallop and she grabbed a handful of his flying mane to steady herself.

They raced down the drive and clattered to a halt outside the Hall. She dismounted with difficulty, finding her legs were unstable and for a moment she needed to hang on to the saddle to steady herself. ‘Stand, Rufus. Wait here. I’m going to knock.’

She hobbled up the marble steps and hammered on the door. She heard Brown’s footsteps as he headed in her direction. There followed the sound of the bolts being drawn.

The door swung slowly open. The butler’s mouth dropped. ‘My… my lady, we did not expect you.’

‘Of course you did not, Brown. Please get someone to take Rufus round and see to his needs. I require a hot bath prepared immediately and something to eat. I am sharp set for I have eaten nothing since supper yesterday.’ She gave her instructions briskly as she entered, allowing Brown no time to question her about Leo. ‘Mary and the luggage will be here shortly. See that there is someone to greet her and take care of things.’

‘Yes, my lady, at once.’

She paused on the stairs. ‘Have the tray sent up with the bath, oh, and send Smith to me.’ Aunt Prudence’s abigail was, since her mistress’s death, semi-retired but would no doubt enjoy the challenge of making Eleanor respectable.

The tray of coddled eggs and crispy fried ham with fresh bread and home churned butter arrived before her bath was ready. Eleanor wolfed it down. Every joint and muscle ached and groaned after her exertions and she sank into the hot bath with a sigh of pure pleasure.

For a few moments she relaxed and allowed the heat to seep into her weary bones, easing her stiffness and warming her chills. Her eyes flickered and closed and she began to drift into welcome oblivion.

‘My lady, you must not sleep in there, you could drown.’ Smith’s anxious voice jolted Eleanor from her dreams.

‘I’ll get out now, Smith; I’m so tired I can scarcely keep my eyes open.’

‘It is hardly surprising, my lady. I cannot believe you rode all the way from Rothmere.’ She enveloped Eleanor in a warm towel as she spoke. She was too fatigued to even dry herself unaided. Like a child she allowed herself to be draped in a warm flannel nightgown and led to her bed.

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