The de Vere Inheritance

Chapter Ten - 1st August 1632

Playing cards made Elizabeth feel reckless. It was not that she gambled a lot of money away, but Eric had always prohibited her from any card games at all. He disliked women gambling away money, as he said it was not their place. Her father had been of the same opinion, and strangely Elizabeth had understood their logic. It felt good to do things that not even she had considered right before. Things Elizabeth had never thought she would have cause to enjoy were now shiny new toys in the playroom. Playing cards was one of them. Taking a lover who was not her husband was another.

Her lover was evidently not in Paris. She'd not seen him in four days but she had seen her husband. Eric had returned to the lodgings to fetch some of his things. It had been hard for Elizabeth to agree to let him in as she feared he would simply lock the door and claim squatter's rights. He might even have thrown her out onto the street and with her lover not in Paris, she really would not have anyone to turn to. The worst case scenario had not come to pass. Eric had packed up a few belongings and gloated all the while. His new apartments were lavish and pristine and he was making new friends by the day. Elizabeth couldn't help wondering if these new-found friends were perhaps a little unhinged; for who would want to be friends with her husband now that his behaviour and his past were well known. It was not until a few hours after Eric had left that Elizabeth realised he had stolen from her. Some of her jewellery was missing and some of her father's money that had been passed to her just that morning was gone. Her father had lent money to one of his friends in Paris and the man had had the good grace to return it to Elizabeth instead of taking it to a lawyer. It was a kind gesture as Elizabeth had not known of the debt. The man might have kept his money and said nothing on the subject at all. When he saw how plainly Elizabeth was living he expressed his apologies that he could not invite her to stay with him. If it were up to him alone he would have no qualms in making her such an offer but his wife and daughter had to be thought upon. He explained that Elizabeth herself was not thought of as a risk but Eric was. As such, the family were worried that taking Elizabeth into their care might attract Eric to their door.

Elizabeth expressed her gratitude to the man for this thoughtfulness but tried to make his plight easier by explaining that she could not have accepted such an offer. She was leaving Paris so soon that it seemed fruitless to begin such a move to another house. In her heart Elizabeth understood their reservations. If they had taken her in, Eric would have thrown off his shame and showed up upon their doorstep to demand some form of loan. He saw good people coming and used and tricked them. The man was glad to know the money he had presented to Elizabeth would go some way to improving her remaining stay in Paris but Elizabeth had moved quickly upon his departure to separate the money. She had placed small purses of it all around the apartment which she thought the safest way to even keep some of it for herself. Eric would surely come ahunting but as a woman Elizabeth had no way to place the money under the care of any society without her husband present to give permission. Thus Eric had found a great deal of the returned loan and spirited it away. No doubt it was already gambled away at the card table.

Elizabeth rose from her chair suddenly, her hands flying from the table as if she had been burnt. She had put very little money at all on the table but suddenly she saw everything that Eric had done to destroy her life staring back at her. She was repulsed by it all very quickly. She moved then, making a quiet apology and retreated to the back of the room where she found an alcove to place herself in. She had only just set her hat down on the table when she felt a presence behind her.

"Are you ill Madame?"

The musketeer was there. She had thought he would be gone for many more days. Elizabeth turned to face him slowly and found him extremely travel-worn. Wherever it was he had been, he had arrived and clearly come straight to her.