Chapter 36

Lucian could barely concentrate during his meeting with his solicitor and didn’t even read the documents before he signed them. He was too anxious to return to Wyndhill Park. He hadn’t even gone to the tailor or the bootmaker as planned.

There was no reason for it other than he was on edge.

Of all the marriage proposals that had been made in history, his was the worst.

It was no wonder that Eliza had rejected him and insisted that she only wanted to be his lover and nothing else. Lover until it ended, which indicated that she anticipated that she would grow tired of him.

That had been his fear all along.

She wanted adventure and he was boring.

But how could he change so that she wanted to stay with him?

Was there anything he could do or was he only good enough as a lover until she was done and moved on to someone or something else that intrigued her?

Bloody hell!

His gut was twisted in knots and he had no idea how to undo them or what he could do so that Eliza would fall in love with him.

After he left his horse in the stable, Lucian marched into the manor and down the corridor and then stopped because he had no idea what he was going to say to her.

He certainly wasn’t going to apologize for wanting to marry her, but he should apologize for the manner in which he went about asking her.

Would that really change anything?

No, it would not.

So, until he had a better plan, or came up with the right words to say to her, he would avoid Eliza as she had avoided him earlier.

At least time was on his side because until that man was caught, she would be remaining at Wyndhill Park, and hopefully he would completely win her before she was ready to depart from his home.

With those thoughts, Lucian altered his route and marched into his library and took a seat behind the desk. Surely there was something here that needed his attention.

“The post has arrived,” a footman announced. “There is also a missive for Miss Weston.”

A chill snaked down his spine. “Bring it to me.”

The man produced the tray in which letters had been placed and Lucian lifted them and then shuffled the stack until he came to the one addressed to Eliza.

It was from him.

Lucian broke the seal on the back, not caring that it was not addressed to him, then unfolded the parchment to read the note.

It should be me, not him, that you share yourself with.

They had been seen.

Or had they been heard?

If someone had heard them, then it was someone in his house. If they had been seen, then that man had been outside of the cave they recently explored.

It was not possible that anyone had heard them. The only servants on the floor where they had chambers were her two servants, and they weren’t sending the letters. No servants should have been wandering the halls that late at night, which meant, that man had been on the estate and had watched them in the cave.

Why hadn’t anyone seen him?

He had footmen and gardeners posted everywhere, except not further from the house.

Blast! He would now make certain they stood around the borders of his property and not just protecting where Eliza might be.

Lucian rose from the desk and strode out of the library, taking the missive with him. Until he told her otherwise, Eliza would not even leave the house until this man was caught.

When he reached the parlor, he paused as she was not within and returned to the entry.

“Is Miss Weston in her set of rooms above?”

“No,” Stella answered, coming from the dining room. “She has taken two footmen with her to the last cave.”

Fear like he had not experienced before swept through Lucian.

“Here!” He shoved the letter at Stella. “I am going after her.”

He then hurried into the library and took his pistol from a drawer and checked to make certain it was primed and ready before he returned to the entry.

“Send footmen to the cave as a precaution—the one that has the fork in the paths inside.” He then rushed from the manor, heart and pulse pounding.

If that man had gotten close enough to watch them, how close was he to Eliza now?

The strange man lifted his own lantern so that she could see him more clearly and Eliza studied his light eyes and blond, curly hair and tried to recall where they may have met, or what his name might be. But Eliza could not place him, though he was very familiar to her. Had it been because she had noticed him while he followed but she had not thought that anything was out of the ordinary?

“I thought you would be happy to finally meet me.”

“I am surprised. That is all.”

He executed a proper bow. “Mr. Alfred Seeton. The third son of Baron Seeton,” he introduced himself.

Eliza knew that name. If she recalled correctly, he had been in school with her brother, Oliver, but the man had also approached her eldest brother, Isaac, during her first Season to beg for an introduction as he would like to court her. Isaac never arranged such, though he had spoken to Eliza of Seeton’s interest. Isaac said that he was reluctant to make such an introduction as there was something about Seeton that had never set right with him even though he could not give specific reasons or facts. As Eliza had not wanted a courtship, and her heart still longed for Lucian, she had declined because she also trusted her brother that if he thought there was something odd about Seeton, then she certainly would as well.

She’d only heard Seeton’s name occasionally after that, and she’d done her best to avoid courtships and concentrated on her future, free of commitments and pursuing her writing and sometimes searching for a mummy.

“I have waited years for this moment. I remember the first day that I saw you clearly. You and your brother had recently arrived at Wyndhill Park and he had taken you into town. There the two of you shopped and I wondered if you would ever settle on which ribbons you wished to wear. I had hoped that you chose the green because it would look beautiful in your hair, and you did. I did not know who you were then but followed until you returned here.”

A chance encounter in a town ten years ago had led to this. Eliza didn’t even recall looking at ribbons during that visit. In fact, she recalled very little except for her developing infatuation for Lucian and searching for the mummy, and of course, falling into the lake.

“I nearly called Garretson out,” he announced.

Eliza frowned. “Why would do you do that?”

“The way he held and kissed you after you fell into the lake. Then I reconsidered. How could I blame him for wanting you. Gentlemen are not immune to temptation. I know that I had been filled with desire when you rose from the lake, your pale gown nearly shear as it clung to your body. Had it been me, I would have made you mine that very day and would not have had to wait so long.”

“Do you live near Wyndhill Park?” she asked. Had Seeton only been visiting when he saw her or had he been close.

“My family has a small estate not far from here,” he answered as he took a step forward. “I do want to apologize. I acted impulsively when I left flowers in your bedchamber and it drove you straight into his arms.”

“Was it impulsiveness that caused you to stand by my bed while I slept?” She had hoped that he had just wanted to scare her with that note, but that he really hadn’t done so.

“So beautiful in slumber.” He placed a hand over his heart. “I wanted to join you, but as we had not courted, it would have not been honorable.” He then smiled. “That is no longer a hindrance as we are now acquainted and can begin to truly share our lives.”

Seeton reached out for her and Eliza stepped back. She did not want him touching her or to come any closer than he already was.

Oh, where was Lucian? Had he returned from town? Did he know that she had come to the caves? Would he assume all was well and simply await her return because she had brought footmen with her?

“What have you done to the footmen who were outside of the cave?”

“They are sleeping,” Seeton answered.

Did she want to ask if it was a permanent sleep or were they simply unconscious? If they had been killed, then it was her fault. She was the one who had not wanted to wait and insisted on coming to the last cave.

“I wanted to kill him, you know.”

Eliza blinked at Seeton. “Who?”

“Garretson!” he answered with a growl. “I was coming to your rescue when he arrived and like before, he took you in his arms and kissed you when he had nearly been the cause of your death because the bridge had not been maintained.”

Had Seeton been watching her every time she left the manor?

“Garretson is not for you. I am the one who loves you. I am the one who will cherish you. He knows nothing about love.”

Unfortunately, Eliza feared that Seeton was right on that one point. Had Lucian mentioned love during his proposal…She couldn’t think about that now. She needed to find a way out of this situation.

“I cannot tell you how much it was a delight to read your novels and your serial stories. I enjoyed them when they were first published but when I realized that you were the author, I went back and reread each one. That is when I also realized that you cared for me too.”

“How did you come to that conclusion?”

“The hero,” he answered. “It is obvious that the hero in each one of your stories is me. It is then that I realized that you long for me as much as I long for you.” He took another step toward her and Eliza moved back and wondered if she could get past him.

“So many people have stood in our way. But not any longer, Eliza, you’re mine and we are going to be so happy together. I have the home prepared and will take you there now.”

Alarm shot through her. “What home? Where is it?”

“It is not far.” He held out his hand, which she would definitely not take. She would leave the cave with him but would not allow him to hold on to her hand because she needed to run, as fast as she could, as soon as they were out of here.

Scream! Yes, she would scream and hope that one of the gardeners heard her and would come to her rescue.

“I cannot go with you until I have my things,” she offered as an excuse as she started to edge around him to the entrance of the cave.

“I will buy you new clothing. New dresses and shoes. Anything you desire.”

“I need my manuscripts and the stories that I am writing.”

Seeton shook his head and smiled at her as if she were a foolish child, which irritated her further.

“You do not need to do that anymore,” he insisted. “I know that they were about me because you long for me. We will now be together and there is no need for you to ever have to write another word. I heard you and I understand.”

“I write because it is something I enjoy. I cannot give it up.”

“But you must. You will no longer have time to devote to your hobby.”

Eliza’s eyebrows rose. Did he call her career a hobby, as in something one did when they had time free of obligation, like embroidering a handkerchief?

“We will be wed and then there will be children and you will be my wife and we will live happily in the country house.”

“What of travel?” she asked.

“You no longer need to travel as you no longer need to write. I have everything that you will ever need. You will have me and our children to fill your days and evenings and be happy to never leave our home again.”

He wanted to keep her prisoner just like the heroines in her novel, but his actions were that of the villain.

“You will have a place that you belong, Eliza. A place you have never had before.”

“What of my family? I would like to tell them where I will be.”

“Why?” he asked. “They never cared for you. In fact, most of the time they have forgotten you exist.” He shook his head. “I am sorry for that, but you no longer need to concern yourself with them because you now have me.”

How did he know so much about her and how her parents had forgotten her? Even if they didn’t notice that she had gone missing, Isaac would…because Lucian would be the one to tell him.

It was painful to realize that she would likely not be missed for many weeks or months by her parents or siblings. The only one who could be forgiven for such a slight was Oliver, but that was only because he lived in America.

“I still will not go with you without my manuscripts,” she insisted. “It is my one enjoyment and I shall not be without it.”

“It is not an enjoyment,” Seeton insisted with a tisk. “You only found it necessary to pen such stories as it was your only way to communicate with me darling. It is no longer necessary.”

“Writing is the most important thing I have. If someone tried to take that from me I would more likely resent them than care for them,” she insisted. Eliza could not let go of the argument of needing her manuscript. It was the one item that was in the manor, where there were also servants and hopefully Lucian. And the longer she kept him here, the better chance she had of being discovered or coming up with a plan to escape him.

Her declaration seemed to take him aback for a moment before he smiled. “I will purchase all the parchment you need and pencils and quills with ink. But you will soon learn, darling, that none of that is necessary any longer.”

“I need to finish the book I have been writing. I am close to the end and it must be completed.”

“You can write another one,” he ground out becoming impatient.

“I have been working on this for ten years.” It had been nearly ten years since she was here last so hopefully Seeton would think that it was about him.

“Ten years?”

“Yes. Do you not want to know how it ends?”

“I know how it ends, darling. Now, come along. You do not want to miss the surprises that I have planned for you.”

She stared at his outstretched hand, heart pounding in fear. Eliza then glanced toward the entrance. Would she be able to make it to the opening and all the way to the manor before he caught her?