Eloping with the Princess (Brotherhood of the Sword #3)(4)
“Miss Isabel, you are a genteel lady, but more so than that, you are my guest. Sending you to the servants’ quarters is completely out of the question.”
She eyed the room again, taking in everything before her. A massive four-poster bed, carved ornately with cherubs and flowers, sat in the center of the room. Luxurious sheets and coverlets in soft shades of powdery blue piled atop it, beckoned her with softness and warmth. A huge armoire in matching carved mahogany sat in the corner and was flanked by a dressing table and a small writing desk. Near the fireplace, an upholstered chair promised a perfect place to curl up with a book. The entire wall opposite her boasted near floor-to-ceiling windows that likely offered a brilliant view of either the viscount’s gardens or the city, depending on what the morning light would reveal. She was far more accustomed to her own small bed in the room she shared with three other girls at St. Bart’s.
“Certainly when you visited your uncle, he did not require you to sleep in the servants’ wing,” Viscount Ellis said, his voice reminding her that she was not standing here alone.
“What?”
“When you visited your aunt and uncle, your room?”
She shook her head. “No. I never…that is to say, I stayed at St. Bartholomew’s.”
“What about holidays and end of term?” he asked.
Yes, she was familiar with this sentiment. She’d experienced it often at school, when all the other students would return to their families’ homes and she’d stay at St. Bart’s. They’d all pitied her. Even the ones who weren’t treated all that well by their relations, even they had looked upon her with sadness. Poor Isabel. Unwanted Isabel. She saw the same thing reflected in Viscount Ellis’s eyes. She turned her gaze back to the large windows even though it was too dark for her to see anything. At least she didn’t have to indulge his pity.
“Uncle Thornton was a busy man. At least that is what he told me.” She’d made so many excuses for that man that she’d forgotten half of them. Why did she even bother? He’d been a wretched uncle, doing little more than paying for her schooling. “He was not overly affectionate. It was best for me to stay at the school, and I preferred it that way.” There, he couldn’t pity that. He might not understand it, but he couldn’t feel sorry for her if she had chosen the isolation.
He leaned casually against the wall. “Did the other students stay at the school, too?”
“No, not often. Occasionally one of them would, but for the most part, it was just me.”
“Did you not get lonely?” he asked, pushing himself off the wall.
“I am rather accustomed to my own company.” She smiled. “In truth, I often prefer the silence of my own thoughts. And there were a couple of alley cats that would allow me a scratch behind their ears every now and again.”
The viscount rocked back on his heels. “I see. Well then, consider this a little holiday.”
She glanced at the room and all the open space. She could positively dance in the area near the windows, it was so large. She offered him a frown. “You do not have a smaller room?”
“Might I give you a piece of advice?” he asked.
“Of course, my lord.”
“When someone offers you something”—he leaned a little closer as if they were conspiring in some secret plan— “such as a nice room to stay in, it is customary to simply say thank you.” Then he smiled at her, and the warmth in that grin radiated through her.
“Yes, of course. I did not mean to be so rude. Truly, I meant no offense.”
“Isabel, relax. And enjoy yourself. Ring that bell over there”—he pointed to the long rope hanging beside the bed—“if you need anything at all.” He turned to go, then paused. “And please call me Jason. Lord Ellis seems so formal.”
“Lord…er, Jason, thank you. It is a lovely room.”
He chuckled and stepped out.
Now that she was alone, she again scanned the room. Yes, she could most certainly enjoy herself in here. It was luxurious, but she knew that her future did not hold such grandeur. Although perhaps wherever she found employment, the family would give her a lovely little room in which to stay. So she would allow herself one day to revel in the luxury, but she couldn’t afford to get used to this.
…
Jason found Lynford back in his study just as Lilith was leaving the room. Jason nodded to her as she passed the threshold.
“What the devil are you doing, Lynford?” he asked.
“Running the investigation on Thornton.”
“Precisely what Potterfield told you not to do,” Jason said. “I’d expect this from Somersby, but not you.”
Lynford, known as Gabe to friends who knew him before he assumed his title, shrugged. “Yes, I do tend to follow the rules and instructions, but I know I’m right about this, damnation, and I shall not allow Potterfield’s error in judgment to prevent me from bringing a would-be assassin to justice.”
Along with several other peers of the realm, they were part of the secret organization known as the Brotherhood of the Sword. The Brotherhood used their positions as aristocrats to stay close to the monarch and keep the royal family safe, above all things. Jason had been recruiting Brotherhood members since he’d been a student because of his unparalleled riding ability. He’d gone on to train new members in the arts of tracking and riding without leaving a trail. It was a skill set he knew he could offer the Brotherhood that no one else could provide, and it kept him from feeling completely like an imposter despite the secret of the illegitimacy of his birth.