The Adopted Debutante

Inked Letters

When at last the evening called the visitors to return home, Eloise saw them to the door.

"It's always a pleasure to have you, Mr. Bylious," she said, extending her hand. He kissed it lightly.

"You'll have to join me at my home sometime," he answered.

"I should love it," Eloise smiled, as she offered her hand to Flintworth, who also kissed it. "But only if Mr. Flintworth will sing for us, if he likes."

Flintworth could only tip his hat with a fumbled reply. Bylious laughed and the pair went to mount the horses Sir Carroll let them borrow for the ride home. Jeremy kissed Eloise' hand and made to leave himself, but Eloise put her hand on his arm.

"Don't be upset by Mr. Bylious' regard," she said. "There's more than one way to be a man, Jeremy. I know that."

Jeremy seemed downcast. "But I am a coward, Eloise. I haven't got any of my father's strength at all. Sometimes I wonder how I am even his son."

"Jeremy!"

"It's true, Eloise," Jeremy insisted unhappily. "Have you ever known me to hold my own in any sort of brawl?"

"But there are so many different types of strength, Jeremy," Eloise told him. "Such as the strength Mr. Flintworth has. He never starts a brawl himself, but is able to calm Mr. Bylious so often."

"He's a better man than I am," Jeremy groaned. "I couldn't face Bylious alone."

Eloise sighed softly, and leaned against Jeremy. "You were a great source of strength to me when I was first adopted. I'm not sure where I would be now if it hadn't been for your support and kind attentions to me. I felt so alone..."

"So did I," Jeremy admitted quietly. "Being an only child, I never had anyone I could speak to or share my dreams with." 

They stepped out the door and began to walk slowly in front of the manor. 

"I suppose I felt you were the little sister I'd always wished I had," he said softly.

"No one but you has ever loved me as a true brother could, Jeremy," Eloise said.

"Not even your little brother Edward?" Jeremy asked.

Eloise smiled, but tears formed in her eyes. "Oh yes, he loved me very much, but he was so little when he died: a mere month from his tenth birthday."

"Were you never told clearly how he and your parents passed?" Jeremy asked.

"Not very. Grandfather Trellis invited us all to walk with him about his grounds. I was feeling tired so I remained at the manor with Libby, our nurse. An hour later, there was a great commotion and everyone was carried into the house." 

Eloise' voice trembled as she recalled the event. 

"Grandfather was the only one still alive. He was covered with blood and quickly fell unconscious. He tried later to explain...to tell me what happened, but...he was so ill that he—"

Her emotion kept her from finishing her account and leaning her head against Jeremy's shoulder, she wept. Jeremy took her hand in his own and rested his cheek on her hair.

"Does Sir Carroll speak very often of that day?" he asked quietly.

"No," Eloise replied. "We both have a silent agreement to leave it alone, I think. As executor of Grandfather's will, it fell to him to be my guardian until I was married or had reached the age of six-and-twenty. There was some articles to be disposed of, and also a strong box that Grandfather had given me the key to, but I gave the key to Sir Carroll."

"Did you never open the box?" Jeremy asked.

"No. I did not think it was my place to, as I was only fourteen years of age and a child."

"But he gave the key to you," Jeremy insisted. "He had servants and friends in the plenty, from what I gather, but he wanted you to open the box."

Eloise fell silent. That thought had never occurred to her. Perhaps Lord Trellis had wanted her to open the box, but she had been the only one in the room at the time. He was too weak to say much and could only point to the key and then to the box. Besides, Eloise had never seen the box afterwards.

"I think you should ask Sir Carroll about it," Jeremy said. His carriage was coming towards the manor, so he and Eloise turned back towards the house as well. "After all, he has no reason to be angry with you if you do."

"I suppose I could," Eloise said thoughtfully. 

They had reached the carriage and Jeremy kissed her hand once more.

"Thank you for the walk," he smiled. "It gave new life to me. Goodnight, my love."

He stepped into the carriage, the driver whipped the horses to a canter, and Eloise waited until the carriage was out of sight before she turned and entered the manor.

Leeds was waiting for her at the door.

"Oh, good," he breathed as he closed the door behind her. "I wondered if you'd stay or spend the evening with the Delends."

"Would it have been wrong for me to accept the invitation if they had invited me?" Eloise asked apologetically.

"No, no, it's not that," Leeds said hastily. He paused a moment, then cleared his throat and said, "It's just that—well, Sir Carroll seems a bit down tonight. He never says so, but I heard him humming..."

"Oh! Yes, I shall go to him," Eloise replied promptly. "Thank you, Leeds." 

Sir Carroll always hummed when he was lonely. The sadder the ditty, the greater the loneliness. Eloise quickly made her way up the stairs. She knocked gently on the door to Sir Carroll's chambers.

"Come in," his voice answered. He turned as she pushed the door open, and his face brightened when he saw her. "Oh, good evening, my dear. Have they all been seen safely off?" He was referring to the guests.

"Yes. Mr. Bylious wants me to visit him and his household sometime," Eloise said.

"Not alone, my child," Sir Carroll said, bending over his correspondence. "He can learn to be a better guest before he plays the part of host. Flintworth knows that better than I, poor fellow."

Eloise stepped nearer and placed her hand on the older man's shoulder. Sir Carroll sighed and sat back in his chair. After a few moments, he gave a sad chuckle and lifted up a few of the letters.

"A few of our neighbors wish to know when the engagement is to take place," he said. "I suppose we've kept our secret well. Mrs. Anandale hasn't caught wind of the date yet, or else these letters would not be necessary."

"We haven't kept it completely, Uncle Carroll," Eloise said sadly. "Mr. Faulke knows when it will happen."

Sir Carroll grunted. "I didn't think that Dr. Newson was a gabber. He's the only person I've told, other than Jeremy's parents, of course. I felt it was necessary for the procedure to be...official, I suppose."

"Well, even if Dr. Newson hadn't told, Libby...sort of told." She admitted slowly.

"Never mind," Sir Carroll said. "Next time that Faulke fellow prowls about, I'll inform him that such information is not for public knowledge." 

He replaced the letters on the table.

"We'll make the news known in our own good time. Too many look up to the name of Trellis. The last thing we need is inquirers into our private affairs."

Eloise stood thoughtfully for a moment. "Do you think Grandfather would have approved of the marriage, Uncle Carroll?"

"Oh yes," Sir Carroll smiled. "He and Lord Delend were fast friends from bygone days, and Jeremy—ah, he was like another son to the dear old soul."

"Another son?" Eloise asked. "Did Grandfather have a son? I thought he was childless, and that was why he was adopting my father and our family."

A fractional silence followed as Sir Carroll made to replace the quill in the inkwell. Suddenly the pen slipped and the bottle tumbled onto its side.

"Mind your dress!" Sir Carroll warned as he backed away and ink splattered over the desk, staining the letters and dripping to the floor. "Gracious, what a mess! Polly! Polly, at once!"

The young maid flustered into the room. Sir Carroll called for a towel quickly, then looked sadly at the widening pool.

"Look what I've done; the letters are spoiled and I must bear the humiliation of explaining the accident to their senders." He grinned at Eloise. "Well, at least such a clumsy act came at such a providential time. By the time they write again, the engagement will have been announced. Now run along to bed, my dear. Polly can help me undo this catastrophe."

He gently took her face in his hands and kissed her forehead.

"Uncle Carroll, may I ask—"

"Ah, Polly, thank you. That will do nicely." Sir Carroll went and retrieved the towel from the maid. "Now, a pail and mop will finish the task on the floor, if you could. Thank you. To bed, Eloise, there's a good girl."

Without another word, he leaned over the desk and wiped the black liquid off of his papers. Eloise sighed and departed for her room. She did not notice Sir Carroll glance sadly in her direction before continuing his task. She could only wonder what he meant while she dressed in her nightgown.

" 'Another son...' " she murmured as she brushed her dark hair. "He must have meant Father." 

She looked out of her window, staring at the bright moon. 

"But if he meant Father, he would have said 'your father'—at least, I think he would have. Oh, I don't know..."