Chapter Two
Lina hesitated in her descent down the gently winding staircase as she caught sight of the butler closing the front door.
He remained by the door, studying the letter in his hand.
“I thought the post had already been delivered,” said Lina, as she stepped off the stairs.
He bowed his head. “Miss Lina. This is a personal delivery for Master Eliot.” A small frown crumpled his usually smooth brow.
“It must be about his training,” she said then pursed her lips. “Though anything about that is usually left for him at the Trade Building.”
The door to the morning room opened to reveal an older woman. “Who was at the door, Perrin? Ah, Lina, there you are.”
“Lady Marcelin.” Executing another quick bow, Perrin crossed the spacious entrance hall and held out the letter. “For Master Eliot, my lady, it was delivered personally.”
Marcelin’s dark gaze darted to the drawing room opposite, its door slightly ajar.
“Madam Climence is in the kitchen, my lady,” he said softly.
She graced him with a smile. “Thank you, Perrin.”
“Mama,” said Lina as Perrin walked away, “I’m going for a walk around the lake. Will you come?”
Already walking back into the room, Marcelin sounded distracted as she replied, “Yes, my dear, in a moment.”
Following her mother, Lina saw her turn the letter over and back again. “Do you know who the letter is from? I thought maybe it’s to do with Eliot’s training.”
Marcelin didn’t reply as she made her way to the desk at the far end by the open window. The late morning sun sparkling through the window highlighted the silvery strands in her dark hair.
Frowning at her mother’s silence, a thought occurred to Lina. “You don’t want Grandmother to know about the letter.”
Marcelin stared at her. “What makes you say that?”
Lina stood next to her mother. “When Perrin said she was in the kitchen, you looked relieved.”
“There are times, my girl, you are too clever for your own good.”
Hitching up her shoulders, Lina giggled. Her gaze lit on the letter, turned so the seal faced up. “Who is ‘H.L.’?”
Marcelin pressed the letter against her body and shook her head, saying nothing.
Suspecting her mother knew the answer, Lina opened her mouth to repeat the question then thought better of it. Instead, she asked, “Why don’t you want Grandmother to know? Is it because she’s always so hateful to Eliot?”
Closing her eyes, Marcelin breathed deep then nodded as she slipped the letter into her bodice.
“Oh, Mama.” She embraced her mother, wondering what it must be like to have a mother who despised her own daughter’s son.
Marcelin straightened her posture and cupped Lina’s face. “I need you to do something for me. I need you to promise you will not mention this letter to Eliot.”
Lina’s face crumpled. “But why–?”
“I would not ask if it wasn’t important. It won’t be forever, I promise, only until I tell him. But I need you to trust me when I say this secrecy is for his sake. Please, my love.”
Inwardly struggling with the opposing emotions of not keeping secrets from her brother and trusting her mother, finally Lina’s shoulders sagged. “I promise.”
Pulling her close, Marcelin kissed her on the forehead.
“Isn’t this a loving tableau?”
Mother and daughter jumped, startled by the sudden intrusion.
Lina frowned as her grandmother, Climence Anders, glided into the room.
The matriarch of Deverell, the estate left to her by her father, Climence always dressed as if she expected to receive the best company. Following the latest fashion, her separated silk emerald overskirt was looped and puffed to the sides and back to reveal the ivory underskirt, both colours complementing the paleness of her powdered complexion.
Although the dresses of mother and daughter were in the same style as Climence’s, the vibrancy of her outfit overshadowed Marcelin’s light blue dress and Lina’s pale pink floral one.
Strolling towards them, she moved her fan languidly, which, in turn, stirred the lace that foamed out of her elbow-length sleeves. “Please, don’t let me interrupt.” Her smile held no humour as the pair stepped away from one another.
“Shall we go for our walk now, Mama?” said Lina, annoyed that her grandmother had picked that moment to walk in on them.
Before Marcelin could answer, Climence said, “Perrin said a letter had been delivered. Where is it?” Her flinty gaze scanned the desk before fixing on her daughter.
“It’s for–” Belatedly, Lina clamped her mouth shut. As Climence turned, and Marcelin glared at her, she fumbled for a believable answer. “Mama. It’s for Mama.” And immediately regretted it as Marcelin shut her eyes.
Raising her brows, Climence said, “Indeed. And who would be writing to you?”
“Elisanna,” said Marcelin.
“That insufferable woman. What does she want?”
“She is not insufferable, she’s my dearest friend.”
Climence sniffed, her mouth turned down. “You haven’t answered me. Why has she written?”
“Grandmother. That’s Mama’s private business.”
Looking at Lina as if she’d forgotten her presence, Climence reached out to pat her cheek. “Sweet child, your mother has no private business that she keeps from me.”
“I don’t think it’s proper–”
Her grandmother’s tittering laugh interrupted her. “Oh, listen to the dear thing, telling me what she believes is proper.”
Frowning, Lina pulled away. “Stop treating me like a child, I’m already fourteen.”
“You’ll always be my darling baby, no matter how old you are. Now, as much as I dote on you, you’re starting to vex me. Off you go. This is a conversation I wish to have with your mother alone.”
Lina opened her mouth to argue, but Climence ushered her out. Finding herself on the other side of the closed door, Lina glared at it, wondering at her grandmother’s insistence on prying into Marcelin’s personal affairs.
About to leave, she hesitated, realising she could hear Climence speaking. Her hands against the warm wood of the door, Lina pressed her ear to it.
“Why are you being so secretive?” said Climence, her voice pitched angrily.
“I don’t understand why you want to know what Elisanna has written when you dislike her so much.”
Lina’s eyes widened at the impatience in Marcelin’s voice; she always maintained a reasonable tone when speaking to Climence.
“This behaviour is very unlike you, and I do not care for it.”
“I cannot tell you what is in the letter as I haven’t opened it yet.”
“Open it then.”
“I will, in my own time. Whatever Elisanna has written to me cannot possibly interest you.”
For the first time, it occurred to Lina what a controlling nature Climence had. And she wondered if she’d always been this way.
“I want to know if it’s anything to do with that boy.”
After a pause, Marcelin replied. “Just once, I wish you would call him by his name. Why would Elisanna write to me about Eliot?”
“Her husband may have told her to.”
“Bertran would have no reason to do that, he sees Eliot almost every day.”
“It may have nothing to do with his training. I wouldn’t put it past that man in.”
Lina frowned at Climence’s abrupt silence, quelling the urge to open the door even though her hand rested on the handle.
“What man?” said Marcelin.
“No matter. It serves my interests to be aware of anything out of the ordinary where that boy is concerned. I will not let the result of your distasteful union jeopardise me in any way.”
Lina grimaced at Climence’s hateful words.
“My marriage to Ruvane was a blessing–”
“I should have stood my ground and not allowed it to happen. But I didn’t know then what I discovered later. When it was too late.”
“That only mattered to you, not to me or anyone who knew him.”
Curiosity gnawed at Lina. What had Climence discovered that made her hate Eliot’s father so much?
“You need not worry about Eliot, Mother,” said Marcelin. “He’ll soon be at the next stage of his master-apprenticeship, then he’ll most likely be away from here, away from you. And you’re wrong. I do have private business which I keep from you. Don’t look at me like that. Your animosity towards Eliot leaves me no choice.”
“Where do you think you’re going? I haven’t finished with you.”
Realising her mother had moved closer to the door, Lina quickly stepped away from it, hurrying towards the staircase.
Marcelin opened the door as she replied, “This conversation is over, I’m going for a walk with my daughter.”