Hiding from Love (11 page)

Was there just a hint of that expression that had so intrigued her?

She would never be sure, for at that very moment an unwelcome voice rang out in the stillness of the night.

“Mr. Chandos!”

Both Mr. Chandos and Leonora turned to see Mrs. Griddle approach, a ship's lantern in her fist.

“I've been looking for you all over, Mr. Chandos,” she puffed, throwing a suspicious glance at Leonora.

“For me?” questioned Mr. Chandos calmly.

“Yes.” Mrs. Griddle put her free hand on her breast as if to still its motion.  “I'd remarked on your displeasure at my giving Desirée a slap on the wrist.  I felt I should explain my action lest I appear too cruel a mother.”

She glanced again at Leonora before continuing,

“It's just that I don't wish Desirée to
brood
on the subject of love.  You see, in London she was involved with a penniless young man, quite undesirable in the opinion of her father and me.  We had someone far more suitable in mind, but our Desirée refused to even countenance him and continued to slip out to meet her young man.

“In the end we decided the only course open to us was to remove her entirely, and that is what we have done.  The sea is a mighty divider, as I'm sure you'd agree, Mr. Chandos!  And Desirée's heart will soon mend, particularly if we find her a more suitable match!”

She held the lantern high and peered meaningfully at Mr. Chandos, who rewarded her with the same silence he had maintained throughout.

Leonora, however, who had listened in mounting rage to Mrs Griddle's self-righteous soliloquy, could not contain herself.

“Surely you wouldn't force your daughter to marry a man she does not love against her will!” she exclaimed.

Mrs. Griddle's mouth dropped open at this outburst and the hand holding the lantern shook a little.

Mr. Chandos regarded Leonora coolly.

“You sound just as if you are speaking from bitter experience, Miss Cressy,” he commented softly.

Leonora reddened.

“I am.”

Their mutual gaze locked for a moment before Mrs. Griddle recovered her voice.

“I knew it, young lady.  You've run away from an arranged marriage.  Oh, how could you?  You must surely understand that in these matters
your parents know best
.”

Leonora swung round, stung.

“On this occasion my stepfather most decidedly does
not
know best!” she retorted hotly.  “All he is interested in is the fact that my proposed husband is rich.  He didn't care a jot that my suitor was as – as unattractive and unprincipled as himself!”

“My goodness!” exclaimed Mrs. Griddle, glancing at Mr. Chandos.  “What do you mean by ‘unprincipled'?”

“Just as I say,” replied Leonora defiantly.  “He was a man who had lived so long in some foreign country that he might simply
buy
himself a wife in England!”

“I presume you had some conversation with him,” remarked Mr. Chandos, still staring at the waves, “to have discovered him to be so without redeeming features?”

“I danced with him once, but we barely conversed.  It was only later that I realised his true nature.”

“
His true nature
?” repeated Mr. Chandos.

“
Yes
.  He – he frequented Clubs of ill-repute – and bartered for me over a game of cards.”

“Dearie me!” exclaimed Mrs Griddle.

“Yet it might have been better to actually meet him after he bid for your hand,” persisted Mr. Chandos, “before pronouncing so on his ill qualities.”

“I did not need to meet him – ” persisted Leonora defensively, wondering why he should be advocating on behalf of someone he had never met.

“The mere fact that my stepfather championed Lord Merton's suit was quite enough.”

She could have bit her tongue as she realised that she had revealed the name of her erstwhile suitor.

Mrs. Griddle's eyes widened.

“You turned down the proposal of a
Lord
?”

“She did,” came Finny's voice.

No one had noticed his approach.  He stood now at Leonora's elbow, shawl over his arm.

“She said she'd rather marry Lord Merton's horse, as it ain't so
old
and
grizzled
!”

“Oh, Finny,” Leonora murmured reprovingly.

It then struck her that Mr. Chandos might actually be acquainted with Lord Merton.

Mr. Chandos detached himself from the rail.

“You must please excuse me, ladies, from further participation in this enlightening conversation as I do have some work to complete in my cabin.”

He gave a bow and strode off along the deck.

Her heart miserable, Leonora watched him go.

Mrs. Griddle also stared after him.

“What work can he need to do, I would wonder?  He brought nothing on board with him.”

“He didn't need to,” Finny then offered cheerfully, oblivious of his previous indiscretion.  “He has everything in his cabin already.  Books, writing desk, ink and paper.  He has clothes too – shirts, cravats and leather boots.”

“Indeed?” Mrs. Griddle looked thoughtful. “And I thought he had decided to travel at the last moment.  I am glad to say that I stand corrected.  A man of purpose is by far the more preferable suitor.”

Leonora heard her with a sinking heart.

There was no doubt that Mrs. Griddle had plans for Mr. Chandos and meanwhile she had no doubt blotted her copybook forever in his eyes!

“Finny, I think I shall retire.”

“I'll see you to your cabin,” suggested Finny.

Mrs. Griddle's eyes narrowed, as Finny then offered Leonora his arm.

She considered it quite improper for a cabin boy to take such liberties with a passenger and was astonished that Leonora did not reprimand the fellow.

‘I must mention all this to Mr. Griddle,' she said to herself.  ‘It may be that we should discourage intercourse between Miss Cressy and Desirée!  Miss Cressy seems far too ready to disregard Social distinctions.'

Leonora might have been amused if she had been privy to Mrs. Griddle's thoughts.

As it was, she received Finny's arm gratefully as she suddenly felt a little unwell and was glad of the support.

Finny led her proudly away.  Though he played the role of cabin boy well, he considered his true position on board to be that of guardian to Miss Leonora.

Leonora did not look back at Mrs. Griddle, but leaned heavily against Finny.

She knew that it was no use scolding him for his indiscretion in front of Mr. Chandos.

Her mother had once told Finny that he must learn to ‘bite his tongue' in company.  He had taken the caution literally and made his tongue bleed!  He had not thought like others since he fell out of a tree as a boy and landed on his head!

The ship gave a sudden lurch and Leonora clutched Finny more tightly.

“I don't feel – quite myself,” she confessed.

“I'll go bring you hot water and sugar.”

In her cabin Leonora sank gratefully onto her bed.  Finny knelt to remove her shoes and then tiptoed from the cabin as she lay back against her pillows.

“Thank you so much, Finny,” she mumbled as the cabin door closed behind him.

She thought of Mr. Chandos, working away in his cabin across the narrow corridor and she was glad that he could not see her now.  Her forehead was hot and she was sure her face was flushed.

She heard footsteps outside – it could not be Finny returning already with the hot drink he had promised.

The footsteps stopped outside her door.

The doorknob was turning, slowly and quietly.  She raised herself on an elbow, staring anxiously.

“W-who is there?” she called.

“A devoted admirer!” came the unexpected reply.

The door then opened and there to her astonishment stood Señor de Guarda, a tumbler of whisky in his hand.

Leonora stared at him in dismay.

“What do you want?” she asked in a low tone.

Señor de Guarda shrugged.

“Company.  It's lonely on deck.  I hate the sea and the sea knows it, for what does it do, but send a great wave crashing over me!”

Leonora closed her eyes for a moment as the ship gave a sudden plunge.

“Well, I am afraid I am not fit company for anyone at the moment,” she muttered truthfully.

Señor de Guarda swirled the whisky tumbler.

“I know.  I pass that boy on his way to fetch you a drink.”  He eyed her curiously.  “When I meet you at the dock, this – Finny is your servant.  Now he is a cabin boy.  How is this?”

Leonora felt her elbow grow weak.

“Someone found him the situation,” she answered.  “It was none of my doing.  Someone who obviously took an interest in him.”

“Or in you,” murmured Señor de Guarda.

Leonora felt very ill now.  Her elbow gave way and she slid down in the bed.

Señor de Guarda regarded her for a second and then came towards her.

Sitting on the bed, he put his free hand on her brow.  She shrank away from his touch, turning her head sideways on the pillow.

Her door was still open and as she looked, the door of the cabin opposite opened and Mr. Chandos stepped out.

As if in a dream she saw his gaze settling on the scene before him – Señor de Guarda bending over her, as she lay prostrate.

Mr. Chandos's eyes rested coldly on Leonora's face for an instant and then he was gone.

Leonora gave a moan of despair.

“There, there,” mumbled the Señor.

She struggled up.

“Go away.  You should not – have come in here.”

He threw up a hand and rose.

“Forgive me, lovely lady.  I was just thinking you needed some comfort.  Another time, eh?”

Winking, he then blundered out of the cabin.

Leonora fell back, tears coursing down her cheeks.

Mr. Chandos could not but misinterpret all he had seen.  She was utterly compromised in his eyes now!  He must think her an utter fool.  To set herself up as a girl who rejected the suit of a Lord only to encourage the advances of a trader in whalebone!

Not that it would matter what Señor de Guarda was if she
loved
him, she told herself.

Hearing Finny approaching, she hurriedly dried her eyes on the edge of the sheet.

“Here you are now, miss.  Hot water and sugar with a dash of lemon.  That'll settle you for the night.”

He held Leonora's head while she drank.

“Better, now?” he asked.

“A little,” she lied.

She did not feel better at all.  Her stomach churned, her limbs ached and her heart felt heavy as lead, so she lay back and Finny drew the cover over her.

“Don't go yet,” Leonora pleaded.  “Talk to me.”

“I can't stay long, miss.  I've got to turn down the beds in the other cabins.”

“Will you be preparing Mr. Chandos's bed next?”

Finny nodded.

“His sheets are all silk, miss.  And he has a velvet counterpane.  
And
embroidery on his slippers.”

Leonora pricked up her ears.

“Embroidery?  What does it look like?”

“It looks like those things on carriage doors – ”

Leonora drew in her breath.

An insignia!  So Mr. Chandos
was
connected to the aristocracy.  In which case he must know of Lord Merton's family, if not personally acquainted with him.

How could she have been so silly as to divulge the details of her story to all and sundry?

“Do you like Mr. Chandos?” she asked Finny.

Finny looked strangely furtive.

“I likes his boots and he gave me sixpence when I brought him tea.”

“But – would you consider him a man of honour?”

Finny turned the question over in his head.

“He's important,” he said at last.  “Otherwise how could he have done what he did for me?”

Leonora gave a start.

“What
has
he done for you, Finny?”

Finny's eyes grew large with sudden alarm.

“Why, I didn't mean – he made me swear – it just slipped out – I didn't mean to say it at all.”

Witnessing his confusion, she understood at once.

“It was – Mr. Chandos you met at the docks, wasn't it?  It was he who found you this work on board!”

Finny, eyes darting to all corners, rose to his feet.

“I have to go, Miss Leonora – my duties.”

“Finny!” called out Leonora sharply.  “Sit down.”

“I mustn't – I mustn't – ”

Without a backward glance, Finny flew to the door, opened it and was gone.

Leonora placed her hand over her eyes.

So it was indeed Mr. Chandos who had taken pity on Finny when the trap had almost lost a wheel.

Mr. Chandos, who had heard Finny's tale and found a solution to his unwillingness to return to Schilling House.

It was Mr. Chandos, who was responsible for the fact that she had the company of Finny on this voyage!

In which case, she realised, Mr. Chandos probably knew her story right from the start, for Finny would have told him the reasons why she was leaving England.

One thing she was sure about was that he would not have mentioned that she had taken Mr. Schilling's money.

She knew Finny well enough to know he would not disclose information that might make his Mistress appear in an unfavourable light.

Why Mr. Chandos wished his act of charity to be kept a secret, she could not imagine, unless he wished the extent of his influence on board the ship to go unnoticed.

Perhaps, she thought with a sudden thrill, he has his own sad story to relate.

Perhaps he too is fleeing an unhappy experience of love.  He had after all talked about her reminding him of ‘someone very dear'.

Her next thought plunged her into dismay.