To Defy A Duke

Chapter 37

The lights of a village life seep through Eliza's closed eyelids and she slowly wakes from a light slumber, she stretches out like a waking cat. The pain in her back from the awkward position she slept in eases as she sits up straight and leans against the carriage wall. From the lack of light in the sky, it is apparent she has been sleeping for a considerable while as the sky is a dark grey and the moon is peeking out between the dense clouds. She remembers closing her eyes for a second or two just outside of Chesham but now it appears that they are on the outskirts of Oxford. Her bad temper from being thrown into a carriage on short notice still remains however she can hear the rain pounding on the roof which suggests that her darling husband must be suffering from the elements.

The carriage makes a considerable jolt and Eliza is thrown like a catapult onto the opposite side, her strangled yell is cut short as her chest hits the seat cutting off her air supply. Eliza regains her balance on the floor, she sits in a crumpled pile, her hair, a wild mess and her dress crumpled and ragged. The road under the wheels of the carriage seems to get more and more uneven, the bumps and potholes make sitting on a seat an impossible task so she reverts to sitting on the floor. She drums her fingers on the floor, her head lolls to the side and she lets out a few sighs.

After what seems like half an hour of painful jolting and swaying the carriage slows to a stop. The door of the carriage swings open and Jasper is revealed, he holds his hand out and reluctantly Eliza accepts his help. The rain pours heavily and she is instantly soaked, he pulls her to the front door of the house, there is little cover by the house and Eliza's dress and hair are becoming saturated with rain, Jasper is rummaging around in one of his coat pockets, trying to find the correct key. He pulls out several and tries them in the lock but none work. He grumbles as he tries to force them into the lock. Eliza scans the muddy ground and a glint of silver catches her eye. She crouches and picks the small key out of the dirt.

"It must have fallen out of your pocket when you were looking for it." She says as she slides the metal key into the lock and turns it with a click. The door swings open into a dark and dingy hallway, they rush inside. Jasper goes to shut the door.

"The trunks," Eliza explains as throws her arm in front of it, she dashes out back into the rain and begins to unstrap the buckles holding many trunks in place. Her fingers work quickly and soon all the trunks are free, Jasper picks up two of the trunks and carries them inside, Eliza drags the remaining trunks through the mud towards the shelter of the house. Jasper returns and lifts two of her trunks inside, she drags the last one up the steps and into the hallway, cursing whoever packed them. Jasper shuts the door on the rain.

"Are you alright?" Jasper asks leaning against the wall.

"Yes." Eliza gasps catching her breath, shivering slightly, she looks deeper into the house but cannot see further than a few meters ahead. The dark coats the house in a thick layer, despite the eerie darkness and silence there is no dust or dirt present on the chests and paintings.

"Where is everyone?" She asks, "It is kept but deserted."

"They must be in the village," Jasper answers finding a lamp, he looks for matches but finds none, "I am going to look for matches in the kitchen, stay here."

He heads into the darkness, Eliza squints her eyes following him until he is gone. She pulls the trunks into the corner of the hallway. She steps slowly down the corridor into the blackness, once her eyes adjust to the lack of light she can see the outline of furniture and a long staircase straight up the middle. Her hand skims the bannister and her foot hovers above the first step, she glances backwards but there is no sign of Jasper's return. She climbs the stairs, careful not to slip in the darkness. A long corridor stretches around the house and doors lead into mystery. Her feet tread softly on the carpet, she eyes the doors as she passes them until one catches her eye. A white door that is rotting around the edges, she tries the knob but it does not yield. She places her body against the wood and this time it swings open causing her to fall forward into the room. She lands on cold wood and something in the room falls onto the ground. She shrieks as something flies into the air and zooms towards her, she covers her head with her arms. The grumpy bat flaps around the room a few times before leaving her on her own. Eliza laughs to herself having been terrified of one bat. From the stream of light coming from a small circular window on the far wall, she can see that white sheets are covering many things in the dark. She gets to her feet and surveys the room, she reaches to lift a sheet but a heavy clunking sound makes her jump and she turns around to see Jasper bursting through the doorway.

"Are you alright?" He says quickly looking around for her attacker.

"I am perfectly fine." She replies, hand on her hip, "You frightened me."

"I heard you yell, I thought you were hurt." He says annoyed, "Why didn't you stay in the hall?"

"You left me on my own," Eliza says, "I didn't want to stay in that creepy hallway."

"I was going to fetch matches."

"I thought I should look for them as well." She lies.

"Upstairs?" Jasper shakes his head in disbelief, he glances around the room and a deep frown comes over his face. It increases as he takes in the covered up furniture and boxes.

"What is it?" She asks him.

"This room should be locked." He says to himself, he looks down at her, "How did you open this door?"

"It just opened." Eliza answers, "Why?"

Jasper doesn't reply but he takes her hand and pulls her out from the room, he shuts the door with a click.

"That room contains what remains of my father's things." He says, "It hasn't been opened in many years."