Page 109 of A Single Obsession

Mounted on his powerful black stallion, Jet, he rode out across the estate. How he wished he had known his father. His life might have turned out so differently. He would not have had to fight to keep his horses. He would not have been forced to consider marriage to save them.

But then, he might never have fallen in love with Eliza. And he could not regret that, even though it was torture.

Beau was riding through the woods on his return to the house when he heard the gentle thud of hoofbeats on the bridle path behind him. How strange. What would bring an estate worker out this way? He couldn’t guess, but that was no surprise. There was so much he didn’t know.

He thought nothing of it until the rider following him whistled, as if to gain his attention.

As Beau turned to see who hailed him, something slammed into the back of his head.

He slumped in the saddle as everything went black.

Chapter 48

Beau had been gone for almost a week, and Eliza had heard nothing. She was so desperate for news of him she would have plucked up the courage to ask his mother if the opportunity had arisen, but her ladyship kept her distance, as if she had finally accepted it was all over between them. The realisation depressed Eliza’s spirits even more.

While the family was still at breakfast, a footman brought in a note for Georgiana. She broke open the seal and read the contents with a growing frown. “It’s from Lady Harting.”

Eliza flinched at hearing Beau’s mother’s name. It was hard not to blame the woman for her current misery.

“She has invited Charlotte and me—nay, commanded us—to attend a meeting of the Hampshire Ladies’ Charity this afternoon. They are planning a musical benefit, and she wants to consult our opinion on various matters. I think we should go. Our aunt is an influential woman, and it would damage the charity greatly if she withdrew her support. Would you mind very much if we went, Eliza?”

“Of course not,” she said, relieved her attendance wasn’t required.

After her sisters had left for Harting House, Eliza sat in the drawing room alone, flicking over the pages of the latest issue of La Belle Assemblée, trying to find something of interest to read.

Unable to concentrate on anything, she was not sorry when a footman disturbed her. “Please excuse me, madam, but there is someone to see you.”

Eliza was not used to receiving visitors on her own, but she welcomed the interruption. “Did they send up a card?”

“No, madam. Lady Castleford rarely invites persons of her class into her drawing room, so I’ve shown the female into the book room. She claims to be Lady Harting’s personal maid.”

Eliza screwed up her forehead in bewilderment. Reed was here—to see her? An unwelcome thought flew into her mind. Georgiana had gone to visit their aunt. Had there been an accident?

“I’ll come at once.”

She hurried to the book room where the servant waited. The maid looked white in the face and was twisting a handkerchief around in her fingers, as if she couldn’t keep her hands still.

Eliza’s heart pounded. “What’s happened? Tell me at once.”

“If you please, miss,” the woman said, bobbing a curtsey. “Lady Harting asks that you come with me immediately. Lord Beaumont has had an accident. No one knows if he’ll survive, but he keeps asking for you, so that he might make his peace with you before it’s too late.”

Eliza sat down heavily in the nearest chair, not trusting her legs to support her.

“Lord Beaumont is injured? How? Where?”

“There is no time to explain. You must come with me. We don’t know how long he’s got.”

Eliza’s head was in a whirl. Beau could not be dying. He just could not. The thought was unbearable.

A sob slipped out, but she choked it away. What a fool she’d been, refusing to see him—to forgive him—but there was no point in ruing her mistakes now. She must concentrate on the present. As long as he lived, there was a chance to be reconciled. And if she was too late, she would regret it for the rest of her life.

Eliza prayed like never before, begging forgiveness for her stubbornness and pleading with God to let Beau live so she could tell him she forgave him. That she loved him.

Tears filled her eyes, but she blinked them away. “I’ll fetch my pelisse and hat and come immediately.”

She rushed upstairs to her bedroom, but there was no sign of her maid. Bother. Where was the woman? She rang the bell for her, but by the time Eliza had dashed off a brief note to her sister, explaining what had happened, Sarah had still not appeared.

She grabbed her things and hurried back to the book room.