Three Times the Scandal by Madelynne Ellis

Author:Madelynne Ellis [Ellis, Madelynne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781512113297
Amazon: 1512113298
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Published: 2015-05-27T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Alicia had barely slept a wink. She’d tossed and turned only to fall into horrid dreams in which she ran along the landing of Dovecote’s house, throwing open doors in search of her sister. Behind each she found Fortuna lewdly posed, or else entwined in the arms of a faceless man. Yet she would gladly have endured a thousand nightmares in exchange for one single reassurance that her sister was safe.

It was just shy of four o’ clock when the sounded of urgent banging jogged her nodding head upright. Alicia squinted at the small mantle clock in her room. It was still too early for even the servants to be abroad, and they were always unerringly quiet, whereas the current noise seemed to make the very floor vibrate.

Swathed in a billowing nightgown and Fortuna’s best shawl, with which she’d been sleeping, she scurried down the stairs. Her father’s valet stood yawning in the hall as he brushed the snow from a recently shrugged off coat. “Pearce?” she asked. He nodded towards the study, where a faint glow of light spilled from beneath the door.

Alicia knocked. “Father, may I come in?” Not waiting for a reply, she inched the door open, and peeked around the wood. Mr. Allenthorpe lay slumped face down before the hearth. With a yelp, Alicia threw the door wide and ran to him. “Father, Father, are you well?” On her knees beside him, she pressed a hand to his shoulder.

Mr. Allenthorpe groaned and slowly raised his head, before pushing himself onto his knees. His cheeks were florid and a vicious raised welt stretched across his brow over his left eye. “I stumbled, that’s all. The fire has gone out.”

“It’s late, father. Oughtn’t you to retire?” She leaned in closer to assess the extent of the hurt with her fingers, but the stench of spirits on his breath made her recoil.

“I’m not for bed yet.” He flapped an arm towards his favourite chair.

Alicia helped him to it.

“Thought it was worthless,” he mumbled. “Sarah’s always said it was.”

The mention of her mother by her Christian name turned Alicia’s head, used as she was to hearing her addressed as Mrs. Allenthorpe, or your mama. “What have you lost, Father?”

“Been a fool…Fortuna…It’s my fault.” He waggled his head in an ungainly nod. “It’s real, you see. Didn’t know it until too late…should have realized Hector’s interest was suspicious.”

Alicia squeezed his clammy palm. The reassurance did nothing to ease the tension in his limbs, nor did it help focus his rheumy gaze. “I don’t understand, Father.”

He nodded sagely, as if that were only to be expected. “A worthless bauble I could have negotiated a price for, but not for that ghastly thing... It’s more than I could ever raise—a king’s ransom. Though I doubt ol' Georgie has the funds for it either. Stupid doddering old…” He continued to sway his head, as he muttered further self-remonstrations. “Can’t even hand it over to the irksome bugger to be free of him. Just like James to add a whole deal of nonsense to the terms.

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