To Defy A Duke

Chapter 20

James takes hold of Dominic's wrist and feels for a pulse. His two index fingers rest upon the vain but no heartbeat is detected. Dominic's eyes are shut and his skin is of a white sickly parlour, his shirt is covered in scarlet blood that is intensely dark around his left lung, serving men stand behind James holding bowls of water and clothes. Eliza stands to the side with her hand covering her mouth, maids stand in a cluster, clutching at each other in sheer panic, they whisper and hug for comfort.

"He's dead," James announces solemnly to the room. The maids gasp dramatically and the youngest faints and her friend catches her before she hits the floor, Eliza closes her eyes and leans against the wall.

"What should we do sir?" One of the older and more sensible maids asks stepping forward.

"Send for the minister, we need to get the body to the church." He says standing up and rubbing his face.

"I'll do that now sir." She says and gathers the other maids together, the hysterical one is shaking, before returning to the kitchens. James taps his foot thinking, he leaves the room for a second and returns with a white bed sheet which he places over the body, covering the lifeless figure. The white sheet sticks in Eliza's mind even as she leaves James discussing arrangements with his men for when the minister arrives and takes a seat in the living room.

A week after Eliza survived tuberculosis she woke up and went to Eloise's room as per usual to find her unmoving and silent, she grabbed Eloise's hand and shook it violently, when there was no response Eliza began to scream and cry at the same time attracting her mothers and their servant's attention. They all ran into the room and Eliza's mother dragged her away from the bed, pushed her outside and locked the door in her face. The next time Eliza saw Eloise she was covered by a white sheet and carried from the bedroom, placed upon a wooden cart and sent away, she never even got to say goodbye. The funeral was closed casket so she never saw her sister's face again, laying a bunch of flowers on the coffin before it was buried was the only goodbye she was afforded.

"How are you?" James hesitantly enters the room, Eliza looks up and nods.

"Is it...?" She trails off, lost for words.

"All taken care of." He says, she sinks into the chair and tries to calm her beating heart.

"Can I ask why you came here?" James asks carefully.

"I...." She falls onto her knees. "I wanted you to give me Dominic's address, but now he's dead and I..." She takes a shuddering gasp, "I am a horrible person."

"No, you aren't." James runs over and hugs her to his chest. "You couldn't just sit still, you needed to take some action, I wanted to too but then he turned up and I couldn't."

Eliza seizes his jacket for support "I just wanted to do something while he's just lying upstairs possibly dying and then his mother and sister turned up and I couldn't stay in the house any longer."

"So you rode over in a thin dress and no shoes," James concludes amused, Eliza weakly chuckles and sniffs. She leans into his shoulder and wipes tears from her eyes.

"I think you should go back." He says, "Dominic is dead and Jasper needs you."

"You are right." She affirms.

"But let us get you some different clothes and some shoes."

"I'd be extremely grateful." She says,

"Then I'll be back in a minute." James walks away and returns with a pair of men's breeches, a large shirt and some boots.

"It's all I have." He says apologetically.

"Don't worry." She says as she accepts the clothes. "I'll just be a minute.

"Of course." James bows and exits.

Eliza pulls off the yellow and orange dress and slips on the breeches and shirt, the breaches have to be rolled up as they are a few inches too long and the shirt is too large but she tucks it into the trousers and slips her feet into the boots. She picks the discarded dress from the floor and folds it up. She walks to the hall to see that Dominic's body has been removed and James stands with a forest green jacket draped over his arm.

"Where is he?" Eliza asks.

"The men have put him in a room until the minster arrives, I will stay until he arrives but then I will head over to Chester Valley."

"I'll see you then."

"Here you might need this," He hands her the jacket and she pulls it on.

"Thank you, James." He opens the door.

Eliza walks through the open door and down the gravel to where Captain stands ready and waiting. She mounts swiftly and nudges him on.

About five o'clock Eliza arrives back at Chester Valley. She opens the door and slips inside, not bothering to reveal her presence to anyone, she tiptoes up the stairs and opens the door to Jasper's room. He lies on the bed unmoving with no company. She goes to the bed and sits on the side opposite his wound, she curls her legs up onto the bed and lays her head next to his shoulder. She shifts slowly as not to disturb him.

"Hey." She whispers to him, "Charlotte came by today and told me she might be pregnant, that means I might become an aunt. They have moved the wedding up so if you wake up before then we may be married sooner than you think." She pauses and watches his shallow breaths, "Please wake up." She takes hold of his cold hand and hugs it to her chest. She looks up at the cream ceiling, the sun outside is sinking low into the horizon.

"Do you remember when I was angry about your letter regarding wedding clothes and flowers, well in truth I imagined my wedding dress to be of pure ivory with a beaded bodice that flows into a long silk skirt, I'd quite like a lace collar too and a long lace train that glides along the floor."

Eliza sighs. "It all seems to frugal now,"

She closes her eyes and snuggles next to him. He smells of soap and clean linen along with spices.

"Lace and silk? I like the idea of that." A gruff voice seeps into Eliza's sleepy mind.

"What?" She raises her head to see Jasper's ice blue eyes open and wide, looking right back at her.