Chapter 7

Chapter 7

 

Madeline stared with wide purple eyes at the delicate bouquet of deep violet anemones. Her gaze flicked between the flowers and the small silver edged card she held. She read it a third time.

‘No flowers could ever do your eyes justice but these came the closest. Dexter.’

What kind of trick was this? Placing the small posy gently in a vase in her room Madeline wondered what his purpose for sending her flowers was. She had already decided he did not think like any normal man she had met before but here he was acting like the everyday gentleman of the ton trying to woe her affections. She decidedly did not like it. Trapping the little silver card under the vase, Maddie picked up her book and wandered out to the garden to read. Perhaps it would take her mind off the mysterious inner workings of Lord Ellis Dexter.

~

Ellis paced frustrated around his office, carefully avoiding the shards of broken glass near the door way. He was in a black mood. Scott had been unable to unearth any real evidence of William's cruel nature or of his father’s. Instead he had returned with a list of his favourite haunts and women. Ellis’s patience had snapped and he roared for Scott to get out, flinging his tumbler after him. He was now impatiently waiting for a maid to clean up his mess but he knew they always dallied when he was angry wishing to avoid him. Madeline’s sweet, innocent face marred by the ugly bruise popped into his mind. The idea of seeing her both calmed him and angered him, knowing it would remind him of how unsafe she was. But now he had thought of it the idea would not leave him. It wasn’t even the proper time to go visiting he deterred himself. The skittish maid finally knocked timidly at his door and he scowled at her the whole time she worked trying to tamp down on the need to see Maddie.

~

Ellis paced on the marble doorstep, rapping his silver topped walking cane against the door yet again. Why was no-one answering? He rapped again, hard, loud and demanding. Surely the house had servants; it was not exactly large certainly not as large as his own house but it was big enough to warrant staff. So why was no-one answering? He switched his tactics and hammered his large fist against the wood. Still no-one came.

Dismounting the steps he circled the perimeter of the house. A large wrought iron fence separated the front from the back. It stood at roughly six foot tall; almost the same height as him and Ellis was a desperate man. He glanced around him alert for any watchful passerby. But there were few people out and about and the section of fence Ellis had chosen was cornered up to a wall in fairly deep shadow. He stripped off his jacket and threw it over the potentially dangerous spikes. Gracefully and silently he pulled himself up and over, landing on the other side with out injury or observation. Pushing his way threw some thick shrubbery that blocked anyone’s view of the garden through the fence, Ellis found himself on a small stone path that led through a riotous mass of colour. There were flowers everywhere. It was completely unconventional; against all the harsh lines and orders so popular in most gardens of the ton. It was beautiful. Just like his mothers old flower and kitchen garden she had loved so much thought Ellis absently. He wound his way through bed after bed of rainbow colours listing off names of plants in his head feeling more relaxed just knowing he was in the presence of a part of Maddie’s life. He came across a set of double French doors and looked in. It was a brightly lit but slightly shabby parlour and there was a tea tray on the table. Ellis frowned, someone must have been there recently but what had happened to them? Was Maddie alright or was she in danger? He rattled the handle but the door refused to open. If only he had thought to bring picks with him but if he had know he would need the tools of his conspicuous trade with him he’d have doubted his sanity. But there was no time for what ifs. Swiftly and brutally Ellis used his walking cane to break through one of the glass panes so he could unlatch the door. There was no latch inside, just another key hole. Ellis cursed profusely.

He had no other choice. Taking a few steps back, he squared his broad frame and charged the door. He hit the joins between the tow doors dead on, centring the force of his momentum through his shoulder and hip so they hit above and below the lock, splintering the soft wood. A hard shove with his hands and the door parted ways from its counterpart leaving the lock mechanism behind. He was in. the door back wildly and knocked a vase off a table situated just behind it. Ellis winced at the loud crash it made when it shattered on the wooden parquet flooring. He barrelled onwards determined not to stop for anything especially a vase. Or the fact that he was getting extremely clumsy and lazy at what used to be his job.

~

Maddie looked up from her book startled. What on earth was all that noise? She stood abruptly, abandoning her book on the bench and hurried back through the garden to the house. Slipping a hand into her pocket she pulled out the key to the French doors ready. But when she reached them she discovered something startling. Someone had broken into the house. In broad daylight! As she surveyed the damage she realised she wouldn’t need the key anymore and pocketed it again. Maddie went cautiously into the parlour treading carefully to avoid broken glass and shards of pottery. There was no-one there. Her delicate brow furrowed in confusion. She went to the open door to the hall way and looked up and down. Nora the scullery maid stood in the entrance to the dining room looking stunned. When she spotted Madeline she squealed and started to cry.

“Oh Miss East, Miss East!” she sobbed, “There was a man, a terrifying giant of a man he went up stairs. Oh my Miss East what are we going to do? I couldn’t stop him I’m sorry. Oh Miss East!”

“Madeline!” she looked up the stairs at the sound of her name being exclaimed and there stood Lord Ellis Dexter in all his black splendour. Although he was coatless she noted absently. He sounded relieved to see her. Her brow furrowed more in confusion. Was he the thief? And when had she given him permission to be free with his use of her Christian name? well she supposed it was of no consequence now, he was in her home and the things he had done to her; well they had done, she had to admit it wasn’t like she had stopped him, meant it could be classed that they were on intimate terms. She blushed at the memories.

“Lord Dexter, what a surprise. No-one informed me you had arrived but we are rather short staffed at the moment. And I’m sorry to say you haven’t called at the most convenient time. We seem to have an intruder in the house. Thank you for your flowers by the way they were lovely.”

“It was my pleasure Miss East,” he replied resuming formalities but before he could say another word Nora spoke up apprehensively.

“It’s him Miss East the intruder, right in front of you. It’s him!”

“What ever do you mean Nora there is no one here except you, myself and Lord Dexter.”

The maid opened her mouth to reply, face flaming with embarrassment when Ellis jumped in.

“I’m rather afraid she does mean me, I found I rather had to let myself in. My apologies for my unorthodox methods I did not mean to alarm any of you.”

“My Lord why on earth would you do such a thing?” Maddie asked shocked.

“I feared for your safety when there was no answer at your front door and wanted to check you were alright.” He did not elaborate that this wasn’t until he was desperate enough to climb over the garden fence to see her, had wandered through the garden and seen her abandoned tea tray. As he thought it through he realised just how foolish his actions has been but he could not help but be protective over her.

“I see…” Madeline said slowly, “but I was just in the garden and we only have a few servants and even fewer visitors, so I am not surprised there was no-one to answer your knock.”

“Knocks.” Ellis stated calmly. “I will repair any damage to your parlour; it will be no trouble, so do not worry on that front. Expect my men to call on the morrow.”

“Thank you my Lord. Shall we retire there now? Since you have gone to such trouble for me,” Maddie blushed, “the least I can do is offer you tea.”

“That would be pleasant thank you.” Silence fell then and Ellis was grateful for it, for he had grown tired of polite conversation. At least they were yet to start talking about the weather he thought drolly.

Maddie was glad for the silence too for she was embarrassed and greatly surprised, although pleasantly so. Her first real suitor! A slightly alarming one but he was gradually and stealthily endearing himself to her. And she doubted he was even aware of it. She wished they could have the chance to actually have a real convocation. Somewhere private so no-one could gossip about their association, for her family had been food for enough gossip in the past. But not so private that he had the chance to make her lose her senses so she lost all sense of right and wrong. In fact she forgot everything when he kissed her, every worry, every scare and every stare and just remembered every hope she had started to develop for the future.

“What are you thinking about?” Ellis asked startling Madeline out of her wistful thoughts. She had been so wrapped up in her own mind she hadn’t even noticed they had arrived at the salon and Ellis had guided her to a small settee. He however had stopped his menial contemplation of conversation and had started studying her instead. Much more interesting. Such a range of emotions flitted across her expressive face as she thought. She was so free with her emotions Ellis thought with a slight pang of jealousy; completely unafraid of what she felt or of showing it to others. Unlike himself, bottling it all up, drinking it until he felt numb, isolating him self from others. How different they were from each other; the sinner and the innocent, the hater and the lover, quite simply put the man and the woman. And Ellis was fascinated by it.

Author's Note

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