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‘You have a name. It’s Anne.’
‘Anne,’ she said. ‘It’s a pretty name. But it doesn’t somehow sound quite right.’
‘It will do for the moment,’ James said firmly.
‘There’s something else, Lord Aldhurst…’
‘What is it?’
‘You said…You told that doctor that he might be in danger if he took me in. What did you mean?’
‘I didn’t want an argument about where you should stay, that’s all.’
She shook her head. ‘Please be honest with me! What are these marks on my wrist? It wasn’t just a story to put Dr Liston off. I have been tied up, haven’t I?’
‘It looks like it.’
‘So there is danger…I knew it. I have this feeling…of some kind of threat…and…and something I have to do…But I don’t know what it is!’ She held her head in her hands. After a few moments she looked up again. ‘Why can’t I remember?’
James heard the beginning of panic in her voice and said, ‘Stop! Stop this at once. It won’t do you any good, Anne. And you can forget about danger. I told you last night—you’re perfectly safe here. Or…do you not trust me?’
‘Of course I trust you. I have to. There’s no one else.’
‘Exactly. So listen to me! You will remember who you are, and where you have come from quite soon. And if you don’t we shall set about finding out. But the first step is to get your strength back. Agreed?’
She nodded.
‘Then give me a smile.’ She smiled tremulously.
‘Brave girl! Not at all poor-spirited.’ He regarded her white face. ‘Now where is Mrs Gage? Liston said you were to have something to eat and then a rest, and that is what you shall do. Ah! I can hear her coming. But you’ll have to sit up straighter than that.’ He bent over and put his arms round her to lift her higher in the bed.
It wasn’t Mrs Gage who came in, but Mrs Culver. She gave a loud cough.
‘I believe the doctor ordered some food for the patient, my lord. The maid is just bringing up some soup for her.’
‘Ah, there you are, Mrs Culver,’ said James, completely unaffected by the look of shocked disapproval on her face. ‘Good. I’m sure Miss Anne is ready for it.’ He grinned at the housekeeper unrepentantly. ‘The pillows had slipped, Cully, and I was straightening them. That was all.’
Mrs Culver remained unappeased. ‘That wasn’t at all necessary, my lord. That is my job. It’s what I came in to do,’ she said austerely. She paused. ‘Am I to understand that the young lady has now remembered her name?’
‘No, but until she does we shall call her “Anne”.’
‘Very good, my lord.’ She took the tray from the maidservant who had followed her in and put it on the bed. ‘Now, Miss Anne, you must finish this all up, and then have a good rest. His lordship is a busy man, but he might find time to pay you a short visit this evening. Is that not so, my lord?’ She gave him a severe look. ‘A short visit.’
‘Of course! Whatever you say, Cully.’ James turned to the girl. ‘Try not to worry. Enjoy that soup if you can.
I remember it from my childhood. I wasn’t too fond of it then, and I don’t suppose it tastes any better now.’
‘It’s good, wholesome food and it didn’t do your lordship any harm,’ said Mrs Culver. ‘Nor your brother, either. Don’t listen to him, miss.’
After James had gone out, Anne took a sip of the soup. ‘What is his lordship thinking of? This is delicious!’ She finished the plateful eagerly, but refused an offer of more. Mrs Culver removed the tray and told the maid to take it out. Then, after she had tidied up and seen to Anne’s needs, she sat down on the chair by the bed. ‘I’ll just stay till you are ready to sleep, miss,’ she said.
Resting thankfully against the pillows Anne said, ‘Lord Aldhurst is very kind. Have you known him long, Mrs Culver?’
‘Ever since he was a little boy. His lordship and Master John lived here with their grandmother when the boys’ parents were off on their travels.’
‘Master John?’
‘His lordship’s younger brother.’ Mrs Culver sighed. ‘But he died, and now there are just the two of them left—Lady Aldhurst and his lordship.’
‘Lord Aldhurst is not married?’
‘Not yet.’ Mrs Culver gave Anne a look. ‘But I understand that he is as good as engaged. Before she left for London Lady Aldhurst was sure it was all settled.’
‘So he…he has someone in mind?’
Mrs Culver nodded and said cheerfully, ‘His lordship could have married any one of a number of young ladies, of course, but he and Lady Barbara have known each other since they were young. It would be a very suitable match.’ She paused. ‘And we’ll all be very pleased when he does marry. It’s time we had a new generation of Aldhursts running about the place.’ She got up from her chair. ‘But I can see it’s time you had a rest. I’ll get one of the maids to call in on you occasionally, but she won’t wake you. Sleep is the best cure for most maladies.’
But sleep would not come to the girl in the bed. She had found the news that James Aldhurst was about to be married dispiriting. He was her rock, her safe place in the uninhabited wilderness that was her world at the moment, and, however unjustified, the thought that he was about to marry someone else was most unwelcome.
She lay awake, thinking about her rescuer. He had been gentle enough with her, but she suspected he was not usually a patient man. He was an aristocrat to his fingertips, self-assured, his manner occasionally verging on the autocratic. But the servants seemed to like him. And there had been laughter in those grey eyes. Tall, athletic, dark haired, grey-eyed, with a sense of humour—James Aldhurst was a very attractive man…And, she told herself, he was a man who was about to marry. It was better to stop thinking how attractive he was!
She looked round the room for something to distract her and her eye was caught by a mirror on the dressing table opposite the bed. With a shock she realised that she had not the slightest idea of what she herself looked like. Was she beautiful? Or was she plain? What was the colour of her hair, her eyes? She pulled a strand of her hair forwards and saw that it was dark brown. But her eyes? Did she have a squint? Was her nose crooked? Were there gaps in her teeth? She stroked her nose. It felt reassuringly straight. And when she ran her tongue over her teeth they all seemed to be there. That left the question of her eyes, and that couldn’t be settled without looking in a mirror.
But the mirror lay tantalisingly out of reach. She sank back. Perhaps it would be better not to see herself at the moment…She would not be looking her best. A bandage was not an aid to beauty, and it was perfectly possible she had a black eye, too. She lay fretting about this for a full minute before she decided that it was no use—she had to get to that mirror!
When she first put her feet to the ground she was not so sure, but after a minute or two she managed to stand without too much difficulty. Taking one step at a time, she held on to the chair, the foot of the bed. So far, so good…She stretched out for the table…and suddenly her legs gave way and she lost her balance.
Rose heard the crash and came running in. When she saw her charge lying on the floor in a heap she ran out in a panic, calling frantically for Mrs Culver.
James had been out with the agent and had just come in. He was in the hall when he heard the maid’s cries, leapt up the stairs three at a time and was stunned when he got to the bedroom door to see Anne lying in a crumpled heap by the chest of drawers. But before he even reached her she was struggling to get up, uttering a cry of frustration as she collapsed again, her feet tangled in her nightgown. Without a word he swept her up and took her back to the bed. He stood for a moment holding her in his arms, looking into the face so close to his. ‘What happened?’ he asked grimly. ‘Who did this?’
Chapter Three
James’s touch was having a strange effect on Anne. She stammered, ‘I d-d-did.’
‘What do you mean, you did? Who left you lying on the floor?’
‘I fell. All by myself. No one else was here.’ ‘You fell? Why wasn’t someone with you?’ ‘They…they thought I was asleep in bed.’ ‘So you should have been! What on earth were you doing over there?’
She hesitated, then hung her head and said in a low voice, ‘I…I wanted to see what I looked like.’
‘See what you…’ James looked at the chest of drawers. ‘Oh! The mirror!’ He regarded her with astonishment. ‘You wanted to see yourself in the mirror? Do you realise that you’ve just given me the devil of a fright! I thought for a moment you’d been attacked!’ He started to laugh. ‘What does it matter what you look like at the moment? Or did you think your bump on the head had given you a black eye?’
‘It isn’t at all funny!’ she said, looking up indignantly. ‘It’s very natural to want to know what one looks like, and I have no idea.’ After a pause, she added, ‘A black eye wouldn’t really matter, it wouldn’t last. But…have I…have I a squint?’
This produced another laugh, but he quickly became serious and said, ‘I’m sorry—I hadn’t realised…No, there’s no sign of a squint.’ He studied her for a moment, then said slowly, ‘In fact, I think your eyes are the loveliest I have seen in a long time.’
She was startled. ‘What?’
He went on, still studying her intently. ‘They are large, the dark blue of lapis lazuli, and they are straight and deep and true. And there’s not even a hint of a black eye. Will that do?’
A delicate rose coloured her cheeks. ‘I’d say it was more than enough, sir! Thank you.’ She gave him a small smile. But something about the way he was looking at her confused her. She looked away and said nervously, ‘Perhaps you’d better put me down before Mrs Culver comes in. She won’t approve of your being here.’
Laughing, he said, ‘Don’t you think I deserve something before I do?’ Then, when she looked up again, puzzled, he kissed her. The kiss was deliberately light and fleeting, nothing more than a casual caress, but her eyes widened and she stared at him in surprise. For a moment his grip tightened, but he put her carefully down on the bed almost immediately and said abruptly, ‘I…I’ll get the mirror for you. Then I’ll find Mrs Culver or Rose.’
He handed the mirror to her. ‘I think you’ll be satisfied,’ he said with a brief smile as he went out.
When Mrs Culver came in a few minutes later she found her patient lying on top of the bed, looking dazed. ‘I’m sorry I was so long—Rose took some time to find me,’ she said. ‘I see one of the others has put you back, but why didn’t they put you properly under the covers? I sometimes ask myself what those girls are thinking about, I really do! Let me straighten you up.’ She picked up the mirror.
‘What’s this?’
‘I wanted to see myself in the mirror.’
‘Now, Miss Anne, you mustn’t be worrying about that sort of thing. You’re not looking your best at the moment, it’s true. Your hair is dirty and it’s in a dreadful tangle, but a good wash will sort out the worst of it. And it’s only natural you should look a bit peaky…’
‘It isn’t that. It’s my memory—I didn’t know what I look like at all!’
Mrs Culver stared, then her face softened. ‘That’s a terrible thing, Miss Anne. I hadn’t thought…But don’t you worry. We’ll soon have you looking a lot prettier than what you see in that mirror at the moment. Now what do you want to do? Do you feel strong enough to sit in a chair while the maids change the bed?’
Meanwhile, James had left the house puzzled and feeling in need of fresh air. ‘Set your mind at rest,’ he had told Liston. ‘I do not make a habit of seducing helpless invalids.’ And when he had half-jokingly claimed a kiss as his reward, nothing had been further from his mind. Her wide-eyed shock had at first amused him, but when he looked into those dark blue eyes it had taken most of his considerable self-control to put her down calmly and gently—and leave her.
James Aldhurst rarely allowed his emotions to run away with him. Personable, rich and eligible, he had been the target of matchmaking mamas and bored sophisticates alike from the day he first entered society. As a result he had learned discretion at a very early age. The young ladies regularly presented to him by their hopeful mamas had left him unmoved, and, though he had conducted affairs with several more experienced beauties with varying degrees of passion, he had never been in any danger of losing his head or his heart. The polite world had learned that, charming though Lord Aldhurst was, he seldom failed to be in complete charge of himself and the situation.
But what had happened when he had held the girl in his arms was disturbingly new, and he was at a loss to explain it. Cully would say it was a case of pity for her situation, and indeed, when he had first come across her, that was exactly what he had felt. But the feeling aroused a short while ago had little to do with pity. It had been totally unexpected, coming quite suddenly out of nowhere, and he was not at all sure he liked the unsettling effect it had on him. It was not only new—it was dangerous. And until he had recovered his senses it would be better for everyone if he kept away from the girl!
So it was a relief to arrive at the stables and find a need for immediate action. The damage done by the storm two nights ago was already being cleared away by men from the estate, and any evidence about what had happened would soon be lost for ever. Accompanied by Sam Trott, he found without difficulty the spot where she had been lying, just where an ancient, rustic bridge crossed a small stream.
James pointed to the path, which ran beside the stream. ‘That path leads to the Portsmouth Road. Perhaps that was where she came from?’ They climbed down to look more closely.
‘You’re right, my lord! Look!’ Sam pointed to a large boulder that formed part of the support for the bridge. It had been loosened by the rain, and was sticking out over the path. ‘I’d say the young lady fell as she was climbing up the path and hit her head on this stone. And then she clambered—no, crawled—up to the drive before she collapsed.’
They looked at the marks made by a girl desperately scrabbling up the bank. ‘She’s a determined lass, that one, all right,’ Sam said. ‘How is she? Has she been able to tell you what happened to her?’
‘She can’t remember anything at all before we carried her into the house. But she was running away from someone. There are rope burns on her wrists where she has been tied up.’
Sam was shocked. ‘Can’t she tell you who kept her or how she escaped?’
‘Not yet. She could still be in danger. Pass the word on—I want to know if any strangers appear in the neighbourhood asking questions.’
‘I’ll do that.’ Sam looked at the marks on the ground. ‘She’s a brave lass, whoever she is.’
They were so deep in thought as they walked back up the drive that they said little to each other. But as they neared the house Sam suddenly said, ‘That young lady can’t have come more than a few miles without being noticed. It was a bad night, but I’d be surprised if someone or other didn’t see her. I’ll ask Mr Norris and one or two of the farmers, shall I?’
‘That’s a good idea, Sam. There’s very little Norris doesn’t hear about sooner or later. Though there won’t have been many travellers on the road that evening. It was a terrible night!’
‘Indeed it was,’ said Sam with some feeling. ‘I heard Mr Norris telling someone only madmen would go out in that storm when they could stay safely indoors.’
James grinned at this, but then said seriously, ‘If I hadn’t decided to carry on to Hatherton that night, your brave young lady would probably have died, Sam.’
‘Aye, and that would have been a pity. Right, I’ll be off to Norris and the rest, my lord.’
On his way back to the house James decided that he had exaggerated the effect the girl had had on him. He had promised her she would be safe, and the sight of her lying on the floor of the bedroom after apparently being attacked had thrown him off balance, that was all. Was it likely that a sad waif, who couldn’t even remember her own name, would touch him when so many accredited beauties had failed? No, he hardly needed to avoid her. Indeed, it would be cruel and unnecessary. She trusted him. She would expect him. By the time James entered the house he had made up his mind to keep his promise and visit her that evening—in spite of Mrs Culver’s certain disapproval.
When Anne next woke up it was late afternoon. A fire was burning brightly in the fireplace, and for a while she watched its light flickering over the room. Then Mrs Culver came in, followed by Rose, who was carrying a tray. ‘There you are!’ she said, lighting a lamp. ‘I was thinking I would have to wake you. Eat this up and then we’ll put you in a chair by the fire for a while.’ She disappeared while Anne was eating, but came back shortly, carrying a blue dressing robe. ‘Your own clothes will be ready for you tomorrow, but meanwhile I’ve taken the liberty of borrowing this old robe of Lady Aldhurst’s for you.’
In a short while Anne was sitting in front of the fire, trying not to wince as Rose did her best to bring her hair into some order. But the maid was skilled, and after some painful moments Anne’s hair was brushed and tied back tidily with a ribbon.
‘There, miss,’ said Rose. ‘You look ever so much better. His lordship will be surprised to see you looking so much more the thing.’
‘That will do, Rose,’ Mrs Culver was severe. ‘I doubt his lordship will see anything of the sort! He has spent most of the day trying to find out where Miss Anne came from, so it’s most unlikely he’ll visit her again today. He has better things to do with his time.’
Mrs Culver was wrong. When James came in he saw her in the hall and immediately asked how Anne was.
‘She is doing very well, my lord. She is awake, and has eaten a good nourishing meal.’
‘I’ll see her, then.’
‘Rose is with her at the moment. It really isn’t convenient. Besides, I’m afraid I gave orders to serve your dinner in an hour.’ She looked expressively at the mud on James’s coat and breeches. ‘I expect you will wish to change.’
‘Oh, very well, Cully. I’ll see Miss Anne after dinner.’
‘I expect she will be asleep, my lord.’ The housekeeper’s tone was discouraging.
James had been about to go to his room, but now he stopped and looked at her. Then, taking her by the arm, he led her into the small parlour off the hall. ‘Cully, I have no wish to challenge your authority in this house, but I shall see Miss Anne sometime tonight. That girl is feeling completely lost at the moment and I intend to keep my promise to see her.’
Mrs Culver shook her head. She said, ‘You always did go your own way, Master James. But I wish you’d be more careful.’ She paused, then added with a touch of temper, ‘The sooner that girl is out of the house the better!’
‘Why are you so eager to get rid of her, Cully? It isn’t like you to be inhospitable.’
‘You may be sure I’ll see that she is comfortable while she is here. But, I don’t like mysteries, and there are too many about this girl you’ve brought into your grandmother’s house. She may have been wearing a beggar woman’s dress and boots when you found her, but the rest of her clothes are best quality, and you can tell by the way she treats Rose and the others that she’s used to dealing with servants. And, for someone who was at death’s door a night or two ago, she has recovered remarkably quickly…’ Mrs Culver took a breath. ‘I don’t suppose you’ve learned anything more about her this afternoon?’
‘It looks as if she came from the Portsmouth Road, though it’s quite a distance to walk. Sam Trott is going to ask Norris and others if they have heard of anything. But she will stay here until I am sure she is safe.’ When he saw the housekeeper’s expression he added sternly, ‘You and I are old friends, Cully, but we shall fall out if the girl comes to any harm through anything you do or say. I’d be obliged if you would keep these suspicions of yours to yourself.’
Mrs Culver drew a deep breath and said stiffly, ‘My lord, I am surprised at you. In any matter involving the Aldhurst family my discretion has never been called into question. Your lordship may rely on it. Completely.’
‘Good!’
‘I will see that your lordship’s dinner is ready when you are,’ said Mrs Culver majestically. She curtsied and went out.
James shook his head ruefully. In deciding to come to Hatherton he had looked for time and peace to consider his future. Instead, he had been plunged into a mystery that threatened to wreck his relationship with one of his oldest allies in the house, as well as offending one of his grandmother’s most trusted servants. Cully might be right, after all—the girl was an unsettling influence and ought to go as soon as possible. If she regained her memory in the next day or two, he would see her safely delivered to her own people. If it looked as if it was going to take much longer than that, he would have to see that she went somewhere where she would be looked after in comfort. He and everyone else at Hatherton could then forget her.
When he entered the green bedroom later that evening, James found Anne dozing in a chair by the fire. The blue robe she was wearing was his grandmother’s—he remembered it from his childhood. Her hair had been tied back, revealing an ugly bruise, vulnerable hollows under her cheekbones and dark shadows under her eyes. He came forwards and sat down quietly in a chair near to her. The bandages had been removed from her wrists, and he could see that they were healing. But the sight of cruel red lines still encircling her delicate bones angered him. She must have been in considerable pain.
When he looked up again he saw that her eyes were open and she was staring at him blankly. ‘I thought I was safe,’ she said quite clearly. ‘I thought he hadn’t seen me…’
‘Who, Anne?’
The deep blue eyes were still wide. With a small frown she said, ‘Why are you calling me Anne? That isn’t my name.’
‘At last! You’ve remembered. What is it?’ But the urgency in his voice had disturbed her.
Now wide awake, she said, ‘Of course I remember! It’s An…’ She paused, wrinkling her brow in desperate concentration. ‘It’s…’ But after a moment she put her hand over her eyes, and said with a sob, ‘I almost had it! It was there! But it’s gone again.’
James cursed himself for an insensitive fool at the despair in her voice. He took her hand away from her eyes. ‘I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pressed you. Were you dreaming?’
‘I think I must have been. I was passing an open door. The room inside was full of smoke…’ She shook her head in angry frustration. ‘I can see just the corner of that room—what use is that?’
‘It will come in its own good time. Don’t try to force it.’
‘But I must! You have no idea what it is like—’ She stopped, and almost visibly pulled herself together. ‘I know you want to help. Mrs Culver said you were out today looking for clues—about me.’ Her eyes searched his face, and then she gave a sigh and looked away. ‘You didn’t find any,’ she said despondently.
‘It’s true that we didn’t find many,’ he said, ‘But we found a few and we’re working on them. You mustn’t be unhappy. You’re making wonderful progress. Who got you up? Mrs Culver?’ She nodded, and he went on,
‘My grandmother used to wear that robe when I was a child. The blue suits you.’
‘Would Lady Aldhurst mind my wearing it?’
‘She would be delighted. Anne—’ He stopped. ‘May I call you Anne, until we know better? I hope so—I have something for you.’ She nodded and he produced a book from his pocket. ‘This too is my grandmother’s. I gave it to her when it was first published, and I think it is now one of her favourites. You might enjoy it. It’s about a girl called Anne. It might amuse you while you have to stay indoors.’
Anne took the book. ‘Persuasion, by Miss Jane Austen.’ She turned the pages cautiously then looked up with a tremulous smile. ‘What a relief! I can read! I was afraid for a moment that I might have forgotten that, too.’