Mysterious Seduction

IV. Above and Below

Her estate was made in heaven if it was not heaven in itself, Ellie believed.

She adored it as much as she adored everything else she had built for herself.

Although she wanted to correct one thing: the well.

It did not sit well with her. It was too small for her grand taste and it ruined the look of the entire back garden. It may be old enough to take a place in a museum, but not in Ellie garden.

No! It had to be rid of!

And while the woman pondered by the well, planning for its destruction, belowground was a man clad in black. He was on a small boat, looking up at the tiny hole above him, squinting at the bright hint of small light.

He was the Lord of Glocheshire and he was smiling. He had found himself a passage.

-Above and Below

*****

"Good afternoon, Lady Alice," Sam jovially greeted, kissing Lady Alice's hand, and adding, "Mother sends her regards. She cannot wait to welcome you at the Theobald Ball."

"Rachel is always sweet and of course, I shall not miss the Theobald Ball for the world! Come, my boy, join us for tea." The dark-haired Everard matron gracefully gestured toward the settee opposite Emma. "Emma and I were just talking about—"

"The wedding—our wedding—" Emma interrupted wryly, "Arguing about it, as a matter of fact."

Samuel's brows rose in amusement for he knew whatever the two Everard women were to say next would entertain him.

"There was no such argument, dear," snapped Lady Alice.

"You wanted to set the date, Mother."

"Yes, but I did not insist upon it. No one is forcing you to set one soon, Emma, dear. I was merely stating that it would be very—"

"—Bad of us to make Sam wait for so long," Emma interrupted again, this time with a small smile at the corner of her lips. Samuel could not help but chuckle as the servant served his tea. "Sam is quite patient," Emma added with a wink toward her mother.

Lady Alice was clearly starting to lose her patience and it did not help when Emma laughed, stating thereafter, addressing Samuel, "I am certain she is considering talking you into taking me to Tiny Town gagged and bound."

Samuel assumed a mocking conspiratorial look and leaned closer to Lady Alice, "I am very much interested discussing such heinous crime, my lady."

Lady Alice shook her head, expression serious. "I did consider it. But will your mother ever forgive me for it?"

"I will not tell her. I will take full responsibility," Samuel promised, making certain Emma heard every word.

"Oh, stop it, the two of you," Emma said with a scoff. "You would not dare, Samuel Theobald," she pointedly reprimanded. "Tiny Town would never hear me say yes."

Samuel dramatically sighed in feign defeat. He sent his future mother-in-law a regretful smile. "Patience it is, my lady."

Lady Alice shook her head at Emma and said nothing further. In her mind, Emma believed her mother was seriously concocting a plan on how to urge her to announce the engagement so she and Lady Rachel could start planning for a grand wedding they had always both dreamed of.