A Time for Honour

Chapter 5

As Ellington sat in the carriage next to Cassie on the way to Highfields, he felt very happy at how the afternoon's events had played out. He had thought that it had almost been far too easy to persuade her to come with him. When he had first visited Highfields, three weeks ago, his cousin had encouraged him to bring Cassie to London. Not as his mistress, as he had first intended, but as a courtesan that he could hire out to selected clients at one of Melrose's infamous establishments. All he had to do now, was convince her to come willingly with him and begin her new life.

When Ellington had first seen her, on that stormy night of the accident, he had immediately recognised in her a mixture of innocence and naivety. He knew, from past experience, that they were a potent combination, and, with careful planning, he could manipulate them to his own advantage. Over the past three weeks, Ellington had both charmed and frightened her in equal measure. He had used his years of experience to convince her that she loved him more than even her own life. She had said she would do anything for him, and he was about to put her to the ultimate test.

An incident that occurred on the previous night had resulted in their plans, for Cassie, to be brought forward by a couple of weeks. Earlier that morning, just before dawn, Lord Melrose had been furious. Ellington had seen him uncharacteristically lose a game of cards. Melrose had been angry with Ellington because his cousin had lost to the guest he had brought with him, Major Mitford. It was not just the lost game that angered Melrose, it was also the fact that he had lost a very important wager.

Lord Melrose had spent the last month trying to snare Cassie's older sister, Verity, to take overall responsibility for the debt of her father, Sir Reginald Stanford. According to Melrose's philosophy, a debt was a debt and had to be paid back in full. Only that afternoon, after weeks of careful planning, he had managed to persuade the elder Miss Stanford that she was indeed accountable for her father's extensive debts. He had coerced her into signing a contract that would require her to join one of his more exclusive establishments.

However, Major Mitford had somehow found out about the contract and had challenged Melrose to a game of piquet. During their final partie, earlier that morning, Mitford had managed to win a wager that included that precious contract. Once Mitford had left, along with his winnings, Melrose stood in the middle of his study glowering at his cousin. He was in no doubt who he blamed for the loss of such a valuable asset. Ellington, who had remained cool despite his cousin's antagonism towards him, stood up slowly, walked over to the sideboard and poured two very large glasses of whisky. 'Come, sit down and stop pacing. I have poured you another drink.'

'I do not need a damn drink,' he said, rage still evident in his voice.

'I think you do,' his cousin replied, holding out to him a glass of whisky, 'drink it and tell me why you are so angry. You did not lose a great deal of money and Hadlands is hardly worth the bother.'

Melrose took the drink and sat down. 'It is not the money, and it is certainly not the loss of that run-down pile of rubble that has upset me,' he said as he drained his glass, 'it was the contract with Verity Stanford that I did not want to lose. I have spent weeks trying to find her weakness. And the moment I have her trapped, he comes along and ruins everything. No doubt she put him up to it.'

'Probably,' Ellington answered, 'Mitford was always one for gallantry.'

'Well, now I have lost her.' Melrose said bitterly, 'just when I had promised her to my guests. I will lose thousands over this as well as my reputation.' He looked at his cousin. 'You will have to tell them, after all, you share some of the responsibility for bringing him into the house in the first place.'