Elizabeth Drake

Chapter Four

“That is perfect,” Anna said as Elizabeth stood in front of the mirror.

The gown was uncomfortable to her, yards of lace and satin wrapped around Elizabeth as if she were a mummified Egyptian. White and light pink rolls of fabric were pulled tightly, until it puffed-out on her backside. The front of the gown was form fitting on top, with plain white satin and a little pink rose in the center of her bodice. The skirt was straight down in front. Mainly white satin flowed down to her toes, but there were nearly a hundred light pink flowers that trailed down the length of the train with a little hint of red showing in the center of each flower.

Elizabeth was in mourning and she should have been wearing black, but the event and the plan did not have any room for her emotions or propriety. If she was going to sneak into Mr. Roshire’s fundraiser, without an escort or an invitation, Elizabeth had to look as inconspicuous as she could.

Anna had proven to be an angel as she trimmed and styled Elizabeth’s hair to match the dress and the fashion of the season. When Elizabeth saw the final product, she could hardly recognize herself.

“I would have never imagined…” Elizabeth began.

“Oh, I could,” Anna began, “With your light features and tall frame, I knew this was the dress for you.”

“Are you sure you don’t mind me borrowing it.” Elizabeth admired the satin and lace gloves as she looked down at the stunning ensemble. Anna placed her hand on Elizabeth’s glove and lifted her arm out to the side.

“It saves money! Besides, what on earth am I going to do with it? I bought it for a ball that I went to over in Hampstead,” Anna stated as Elizabeth admired her own appearance. “I will probably never wear it again.”

It seemed strange to Elizabeth that two people, as seemingly common as Anna and Lewis, could be so financially well off. They were accepted in all societies and had almost no employees. They were a self-sufficient couple that seemed to have the perfect life.

Elizabeth looked at her reflection and placed her hand over the gorgeous jeweled necklace that Anna had lent her. None of the gems were real, but the skill and patience that went into decorating the pink glass and crystal beads was phenomenal.

“I will be sure to return it as soon as I get back,” Elizabeth assured her.

“I know you will.” Anna twisted her finger around one of Elizabeth’s golden curls. “I trust you.”

Daniel had warned his daughter not to trust anyone. He had also told Elizabeth not to tell Vincent about the letter, but the woman in front of her was not like the immoral men that she had spent the last week with. Anna was helping Elizabeth for no reason at all.

“Now listen carefully.” Anna took her hands for a moment. “Lewis has agreed to take you over to the banquette. When you get there, tell them that you were running late and that your name was on Mrs. Colter’s invitation. She always arrives at these functions very early, and she has a horrible memory.” With a look of annoyance, Anna held her hand to her forehead. “She has been known to forget her own name at times.” Taking a large breath Anna sighed. “You will know her by the large red birth mark that covers most of her brow.”

Lifting a small pink bag off the bed, Elizabeth started to fill it with necessities for the evening. The letter was tucked safely within the petticoats of her gown, along with most of the money. Then she placed one handkerchief, an extra comb, and the rest of the money in the small draw-string sack.

“When you find her, introduce yourself as my friend. Tell her that we had tea together on Thursday last week.” Once Elizabeth turned to face the woman again, Anna took her hands. “You will be fine once you get to her. Her name is Vivian Colter.”

“Vivian Colter,” Elizabeth repeated as she nodded her head in understanding.

“From there, you are on your own.” Anna smiled as she admired the woman once more. “Do not walk back here no matter what you do. Take a carriage.” Elizabeth’s appreciation was immense as she squeezed Anna in a huge embrace.

“I will. Thank you so much. I will return the dress and the jewelry as soon as I get back.” Anna stepped away from her.

“You are going to be at a charity banquette. Eat, drink and have fun. You can return the dress in the morning.”

“Are you sure?” Elizabeth asked.

“Of course!” Anna hugged her once more before she took her out to the parlor. When the women entered the small room, Lewis placed his hand above his heart.

“Ah Miss Drake, you are a vision of loveliness,” he offered. “I think you will have a grand time this evening.”

Neither of the women had told Lewis exactly what was going on. As far as he knew, a friend invited Elizabeth to the fundraiser. He had no idea that his wife was in on the slight deception.

“Thank you, Lewis,” she replied.

“Your chariot awaits, my dear.” Giving a glorious smile, Lewis held out his hand and led Elizabeth out to the carriage.

She could feel her palms becoming moist as she rode through the city. Her heart was pounding in her chest. Elizabeth prayed for strength as she watched the buildings pass by. The carriage was not nearly as grand as Mr. Hawke’s, but she was grateful that she did not have to pay for a cab to take her to the benefit.

The streets became busy after a few stressful minutes. When she first laid her eyes on the grand building at the end of the street, Elizabeth nearly panicked. It seemed to be as large as a castle. With glorious white pillars that extended to the top of the roof, the manor was far more magnificent than she could have imagined.

Elizabeth held her breath as Lewis opened the door in front of a crowd of people. To Elizabeth’s delight, with the beautiful gown and accessories, she blended in quite nicely.

“Here you are, Miss.” Lewis said as he helped her down out of the carriage. “Will you be alright from here?”

“Yes, thank you.” Elizabeth cautiously hid her fear. In her mind, she had contemplated the worst possible scenario. If she went to the door and was not allowed in without an invitation, she would simply take a carriage back to the Inn. No harm would be done. She would then have to find another way to see Mr. Roshire.

“You look very nervous.” Lewis leaned a little closer. “You will find your friend and have a wonderful evening. You will see.” Elizabeth smiled through her fear.

“I am sure that I will.” With a nod, Lewis watched Elizabeth as she swayed up the steps to the large house.

The sound was nearly deafening. At least fifty people were talking at the same time, and that was only on the steps of the house. Elizabeth remained silent as she waited for the people to file inside. Admiring the beautiful gowns and suites of the group around her, kept her occupied while she figured out exactly what to say to the man at the door.

“Invitation please,” the man held out his hand to Elizabeth. With a gracious smile, she tilted her head to the side and gazed up at the man.

“I’m sorry, Sir. My companion has already gone inside,” she whispered.

 “Who are you with?” The tall skinny doorman asked very impolitely. Elizabeth looked behind her as the people began to take notice.

“Mrs. Vivian Colter,” she answered with a shake in her voice. The man appeared to be as thin as a stick and as tall as a tree, but he did not seem interested in her plight. When Elizabeth thought he was going to refuse her from entering, she tried to convince him with all the charm that she could find. “Oh please, Sir,” Elizabeth began. “I was running late this evening. You can imagine how long it takes to get ready for an event like this.” When she seemed to have his attention, her voice softened sweetly. “If you won’t let me go and find her, please see if someone could bring her to collect me.”

She was simply irresistible with her large blue eyes and her quiet voice. The doorman looked behind her and saw that the guests were becoming impatient with the delay. The stunning combination of attire and natural beauty on the lady before him was impossible to refuse.

“Go on in,” he said in a whisper. “Thank you, Invitation please,” he went on to the next guest.

Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief as she stepped through the door and into the grand entryway. Two marble staircases extended around the outside of the entryway and led up to a glorious ballroom above them. Her eyes glanced around the room toward all the elderly ladies. Although she could see a few facial markings on some of the women, none of them had a large birthmark across their forehead.

Conversations formed around her. Most of them were about the ideas for the blind school, but some ranged all the way from politics to plumbing. However, Elizabeth only listened for hints about Oswald Roshire. She had picked up some details about his health and his family, but she did not hear anything that would help her figure out how to find him in the huge crowd.

At the top of the stairs, she peered into the large room that held the benefit. The walls were painted in a bright red color with chandeliers that covered the view of the ceiling. The chairs that lined the wall were upholstered in beige and gold with gold colored trim on the legs and the arms.

A large string orchestra played a melancholy tune from the front of the room as couples took to the open space to dance. Elizabeth excused herself as she accidentally bumped into a man that was leaning heavily on his cane.

“That’s alright dear. It is nearly too crowded to walk in here this evening.” The man leaned down to her ear and spoke clearly.

“Quite right,” an older lady agreed as she turned to face him. “I don’t know how in the world we are supposed to be comfortable in such close accommodations.”

Elizabeth was surprised that the woman would consider the room small, but she was even more surprised at the large red birthmark that spanned the length of her forehead.

“Mrs. Colter,” Elizabeth began. “How are you?”

“I’m fine dear, just fine, though I cannot seem to find my spectacles.” The woman searched her handbag for a moment before Elizabeth stepped forward.

“They are around your neck,” she offered in a whisper.

“Oh dear,” Mrs. Colter lifted the glasses by the delicate chain. “Sometimes I wonder how I get anything done.”

“It’s lovely to see you again,” Elizabeth said as she swallowed hard. When the woman looked at her with an indifferent expression, Elizabeth went on with the lie. “I met you last Thursday. We had tea with Anna Flourtier.” Her pronunciation of the name was nearly exact to how Anna said it.

“Oh yes, how is dear Anna?” It was obvious that the woman could not remember a thing, but her personality was as gentle as a lamb.

“She is wonderful,” Elizabeth added as she looked to the man with the cane. The ride to the benefit gave her sufficient time to consider the use of her real name. It could have been dangerous to say the name Drake. However, she was at Mr. Roshire’s house. Although there was no way to know who was after her, the idea that they would be at the benefit seemed ludicrous. “My name is Elizabeth Drake.” The man looked impressed by her.

“Miss Drake, you look absolutely stunning this evening. I am Mr. Terrington,” he offered.

“He is out to find his third wife dear,” Mrs. Colter whispered to Elizabeth. “If you are unwed, I would stay far away.” Mr. Terrington seemed humorously annoyed by the comment.

“I am not about to wed a woman that is a third my age,” he added loudly. When he turned his eyes back to the lovely Elizabeth, he smiled politely. “I do have to admit, that I would be honored to consider the fact. Though, I would not presume that you would be just as honored.”

“I am flattered all the same.” Elizabeth smiled as she glanced behind him. Oswald Roshire had to be there somewhere. She was not sure how to go about finding him. “Where is our host for the evening?”

“Where is Mr. Roshire?” Mr. Terrington asked as he glanced around the room. Vivian Colter waved her hand in front of her.

“He is here somewhere. Young Andrew Roshire is right over there.”

As Elizabeth glanced in the direction that the woman was looking, she seemed eagerly interested. Andrew Roshire stood next to a beautiful woman in a bright yellow gown. Elizabeth assumed, by the way that Vivian referred to him, Andrew was obviously Oswald’s son.

The man was not as young as she would have expected. He had to be at least near his thirties, much taller and larger than most of the men in the room. Elizabeth wondered if she should introduce herself. It would be easier to meet his father, if Andrew would point him out, but for some reason she stayed where she was and continued to watch the other guests.

“Excuse me Miss,” a well-dressed man in a blue jacket came next to her.

“Miss Elizabeth Drake.” Mr. Terrington introduced her, causing her to cringe at the ease in which her name was given out.

“Miss Drake, would you care to dance?” With a confidant attitude, the man held out his hand.

 “I’m sorry. I am not dancing this evening.” A slight blush rose to her cheek as Elizabeth smiled shyly.

“You cannot tell me that you have come here to give all your money away without enjoying yourself,” he persisted. Before she refused him again, Elizabeth considered the slight smell of alcohol and the sway to his stance.

“Of course not, I am enjoying myself immensely. I am just not free to dance.” He was not a handsome man by any means, but she could not exactly determine exactly why.

“Well, my name is Mr. Fening,” he smiled as he looked at another woman behind Elizabeth. “If you should change your mind,” he spoke as he walked away.

“Now, why are you not dancing?” Vivian Colter removed her glasses as she looked around at all the finely dressed young men. The old woman did not know if Elizabeth was married or not, but it was still no reason not to enjoy the music. Elizabeth continued to search the room where Andrew Roshire stood.

“I am enjoying our conversation,” she stated simply. Mr. Terrington gently tapped his cane on the floor.

“Do you see, Mrs. Colter? Here is a fine specimen of the younger generation. Polite, considerate, and she honestly believes that we are still valuable in our old age.”

“Poppycock,” Mrs. Colter added. “I bet if she found the right man to ask her, she would leave us in a heartbeat.” Elizabeth tried to silently deny the accusation, but Vivian looked past the young woman too quickly. “See here,” she pointed to a gentleman behind Elizabeth. “That young man there,” she added. “Excuse me?” Vivian called to the man that had his back to their small group. “Mr. Hawke,” she called. Every muscle in Elizabeth’s back tensed up as she heard the name. “Mr. Hawke, will you please do me a service?” Ryan slowly turned around at the elderly woman’s request. “Will you please dance with our young Miss Drake here? She seems to be in the habit of refusing young men.” Coming to stand next to Elizabeth, Ryan did not look nearly as surprised as she did. “Be sure that you return her to me,” Vivian demanded. “She is quite delightful, and I do not wish to forget where I put her.”

“No,” she said very clearly with a quick shake of her head. “I have no intention of dancing.”

“Don’t be so old at your age. Have a little fun.” Mr. Terrington chuckled. “Mr. Hawke, please. We insist.” When the kind man raised Elizabeth’s hand and handed it to Ryan, she did not have a choice.

“Of course, Miss Drake is almost like a sister to me.” Ryan smiled as he held on to her fingers.

Fury burned within Elizabeth as she was led away from the couple and taken to the dance floor. Ryan placed his palm against hers while Elizabeth gently lifted the train of her gown. Without even realizing it, she avoided eye contact at all costs. However, when the music started and Ryan’s hand went to her side, her eyes shot up at him.

“So, you have still not taken it out of your clothing?” Ryan asked as his deep dark eyes stared into hers.

There was no way for him to know that his hand was directly above the letter. She had so many pieces of clothing on that she could hardly tell it was there herself. Elizabeth wanted to retaliate, but she could not think of anything to say.

“Relax.” Ryan could feel the stiffness in her back. “I am not going to bite.” The comment did not make her feel any more secure. In fact, Elizabeth found herself wanting to close her eyes to ignore the situation.

“I was not expecting to see you here,” she said as she watched the room around her while Ryan led her through the steps.

“That is understandable.” His tone was sharp and annoying. “Just like you, I am not supposed to be here.” Ryan waited for her to look at him. When Elizabeth finally raised her eyes to his, she saw the same annoying smile on his face. “So, how did you get here?” He asked.  Ryan could not get over her appearance. She was absolutely stunning in the white and pink gown. With the long golden curls and the subtle hint of jewelry, she looked far more beautiful than any other woman in the room.

Elizabeth avoided his emotionless stare as she glanced over toward Andrew Roshire once more. The first gentleman that has asked her to dance, Mr. Fening, was motioning toward her and Andrew looked her way. Elizabeth tried to seem interested in Ryan at that moment, but it was obvious that Andrew Roshire was questioning Mr. Fening on who she was.

 “What happened to your eye, Mr. Hawke?” Elizabeth found herself interested in Ryan’s wound while she avoided any eye contact.

“Does it make me less attractive? I tried to hide it, but I just don’t wear powder as well as you do.” His sense of humor was not appreciated. “It is nothing, just a scratch.” Instead of informing him that she did not wear powder, Elizabeth turned the conversation back to him.

“I can see that it is nothing,” she said without compassion. “I was simply wondering how it happened.”

“Banking can be a very dangerous business.” Ryan readjusted his hand closer to the middle of her back. The movement brought them closer. Elizabeth looked toward his arm before looking up at him.

“Of course,” she responded. “I did not realize how you and my brother place yourselves in harm’s way every day.”

“You did not answer me.”

 “I don’t recall a question.” Elizabeth looked up at him and tilted her head slightly.

“I asked you how you got here.” Ryan leaned closer to her ear and noticed her pull away.

“The same way you did. I took a carriage.” Knowing that it was impossible to ignore his intimidating smile and the powerful embrace, she chose to outsmart him.

When she looked toward Andrew Roshire, Elizabeth noticed him staring at her. A cold shiver ran down her back as Andrew’s eyes met hers. A few more men had gathered around Andrew as he continued to hold his stare on Elizabeth.

“What is it?” Ryan asked as he sensed her uneasiness.

Andrew turned slightly and faced away from her for a moment. The long brown hair that hung down the back of Andrew’s neck held Elizabeth’s attention. She knew that she had seen him before. Even when an older man walked toward him, Elizabeth could not tear her eyes away from Andrew’s hair. As she watched his large form lead the older man away, Elizabeth knew Andrew was the rider that came to her house.

“That’s him,” she whispered as she stopped moving to the music.

“Yes, that is Oswald.” Ryan looked behind him.

“No!” She shook her head and noticed the older gentleman for the first time. “The younger one… that is one of the men that came for my father.” Elizabeth was frozen with fear.

“Are you sure?” Ryan asked as he turned to face her. “You can’t just accuse a man like Andrew Roshire.” Elizabeth looked up at Ryan with an unwavering stare.

“That is the man that I saw at my home and at my neighbor’s farm.” Looking back over his shoulder, Ryan noticed the young Mr. Roshire return to the room and begin to walk toward them.

“Damn,” he said.

It was very possible that Andrew could know something about Daniel Drake. In fact, it did not surprise Ryan at all. Andrew was not as pure hearted as his father. The expression in Elizabeth’s eyes was legitimate. She believed that she was in danger. Looking up once more, Andrew’s expression seemed to confirm Elizabeth’s theory, and he did not appear to be in a patient mood.

“This is about to get more interesting than I had originally intended,” Ryan spoke quietly. Before he had a chance to warn her to stay still, Elizabeth tried to break away from his grasp.

“I have to go.”

 “If he wants you dead, you are only safe as long as you are in this room.” Holding her with a firm arm, Ryan looked down at her. Elizabeth wanted desperately to run.

“Let go of me,” she whispered.

“Miss Drake, I don’t like you any more than you like me.” Ryan kept his voice soft as he tried to explain. “But I swear to you, if you leave right now, he will hunt you down and you will be dead by morning.” The vicious depth of his eyes seemed to soften slightly as he spoke in a quiet voice. Although Elizabeth hated Ryan, he seemed to know what he was talking about.

“He is coming,” Elizabeth whispered as she closed her eyes and forced herself not to run. “I have to get to Oswald.”

“Not tonight,” Ryan did not look over his shoulder. Making a path through the couples that were dancing, Ryan calmly made his way to the far side of the room. “I think it is a little late to use the front door.” Elizabeth managed to pull her hand out of his.

“I am not leaving here without seeing the man intended for my father’s letter!”

When Ryan turned around, Andrew was looking across the room, but he had not seen them. Two of his henchmen came up to him and Andrew held a deadly stare as he spoke to them briefly. Then, as quickly as they came to his side, the two men left in separate directions. Both were searching the crowd. While he kept his eye on Andrew, Ryan searched for Oswald.

“He is over there,” he nodded toward the opposite side of the room. However, as soon as Elizabeth looked toward him, her eyes met Andrew’s once more. “Can we go now?”

“I thought you said, the only way I was safe was if I stayed here?” She asked as the huge longhaired man began to walk toward her again. Ryan knew the look on Andrew’s face. There was nowhere that Elizabeth was safe at that moment.

“I lied,” he said as he pulled her along the edge of the room to the nearest doorway. Elizabeth looked terrified, but Ryan knew that by avoiding eye contact, moving at a calm speed, and smiling nearly all the time, Andrew might have no idea that he was looking for an escape for Elizabeth.

“Where are we going?” She asked as she wondered which devil was less evil. Ryan Hawke was the cruelest person that she had ever met, but there was no doubt in her mind that Andrew Roshire killed her father.

Ryan continued to search the faces of the crowd as he weaved his way through the room. Having nothing but his broad back to look at, Elizabeth concentrated on the long black swallowtail suit that he wore. He was a very muscular man. It was impossible to ignore, and Elizabeth wondered how someone that sat behind a desk the whole day could get into such a solid shape. However, the thought was brief as she almost smacked up against his back. Ryan had stopped suddenly in front of a middle-aged man and a very uptight looking woman.

“How is your evening so far?” Ryan asked the man. A look of surprise came over the gentleman.

“What are you doing here?” The man asked with a stutter.

“I was worried about you,” Ryan answered as he walked around to the side of the man. “You missed our appointment today.”

“Was that today?” The man sounded surprised as he slowly stepped away from his wife. Glancing behind him for an idea of how far away Andrew Roshire was, Ryan walked with the man by his side.

“It is strange that I would find you at a charity fundraiser when you have still not paid your debt to me,” Ryan noted.

Elizabeth did not like the menacing tone of Ryan’s voice and began to slow her step. Beads of perspiration began to form on the man’s brow when he turned to speak, and Elizabeth knew that he was more than a little nervous.

“This is not what it looks like,” the gentleman offered nervously. “I am simply making an appearance, and then I was going to leave.” He hurried his step to get away from his wife as Ryan continued to stay by his side. “I was not going to donate anything.”

“I know that Ed,” Ryan answered as he placed his hand on the man’s shoulder. Elizabeth looked at Ryan’s hand. Wrinkles had started to form in the man’s jacket as Ryan applied a firm amount of pressure. “I knew you weren’t going to give my money away.”