Chasing Eliza (Cavendish Mysteries 3)

Eliza turned to leave, only to find her wrist captured once again in his much firmer hold. She ignored the tiny thrill of awareness that swept through her and watched in consternation as he placed a gold coin into her palm.

Her eyes grew wide as she stared at it before lifting her eyes to meet his steady gaze with alarm.

“I need to find her-,” Edward scowled. “I don’t know your name.”

“Eliza.”

“Eliza. I need to find Jemima. I pose no threat to her; she needs help.” Edward watched as the girl paled and sat back down on the stool with a thump. She seemed to buckle inwards under his declaration and he briefly wondered if she was going to faint on him.

Eliza knew she should continue with her bravado and deny any knowledge of Jemima, but the worry and stress of the past few days drove her to seek his help.

“Do you know where she has gone?” Her voice trembled with emotion. She knew this was the wrong place to show feminine weakness but couldn’t stop the fear that had been steadily growing since Jemima had failed to show for their last weekly meeting. There had been no note of explanation, nothing.

Eliza had managed to get away for long enough to ask Jemima’s room-mate where she was, only for her fears to be fuelled when her room-mate informed her that Jemima had simply vanished. One night she had gone to bed; the next morning her bed was empty and it was evident it hadn’t been slept in. Nobody had seen or heard from her since.

“No. We know she was here until a few weeks ago but she has vanished. I need to find her.”

“Why?” Eliza stared at the gold coin in her hand before quickly tucking it away inside the collar of her dress, casting a furtive glance around the room in search of witnesses. “What do you want with her?”

“You do know of her.” His conviction rang absolute as he studied her. Leaning back against the hard chair, he let the silence settle about them. It had the response he was looking for when after a few tense moments, she began to shift uncomfortably on the stool.

Eliza looked into his dark eyes and took in unwavering determination in his face. He wasn’t going anywhere, and she considered neither would she until he had some answers. But Eliza had learnt from the past few months that life – people – could be cruel, and she had lost her faith in the goodness of human nature. Whatever the reasons he wanted to find Jemima, she had a sneaking suspicion it was for his own interests – not hers.

Ignoring the shiver of awareness, she returned his unwavering stare.

Edward mentally cursed as he looked at the determination squaring her chin. He had hoped that by making her uncomfortable she would tell all; however the girl – woman – was no fool and had clearly decided to play him at his own game. He mentally smiled, and wondered just how far he could push her. He didn’t hesitate to change his game plan and felt a thrill of anticipation sweep through him at the challenge.

“We think she has gotten herself into some trouble and needs help getting out of it. A friend of mine is looking for her to help her.” He smiled gently, relishing her resistance.

His smile made her nerves tingle. “Who?”

The man was an innate charmer who seemed to have seduction running through his veins. She tried not to allow her inward struggle to show, but she was having difficulty keeping up with the swift changes in him. He seemed to flicker from battle-hardened warrior, to silken seducer in a blink of an eye. She didn’t like feeling so off guard.

“I will tell you that another time. Now tell me what you know about her.” Edward sat forward, smiling slightly as she immediately eased backwards. He was fully aware she had been studying him. His entire body was locked on the slow glide of her curious gaze burning over him. It gave him an idea on how to get the information he needed from her, if only he could get her alone.

“I don’t know anything.” Eliza murmured with a quick glance backwards at a particularly loud burst of laughter from the far corner of the main tap room.

Her gaze was captured by Bernard’s glare as he stomped past her line of vision, and she knew she was about to be lambasted for fraternising with the customers who weren’t paying her for her services. She glanced at the new arrival warily.

“I don’t know where Jemima has disappeared to.” She replied honestly as she pushed to her feet. “I can’t help you. I’m sorry.”

Edward mentally cursed, wondering if he had left it too long. Whatever feminine interest she had in him she had clearly set aside because her face was now closed and distant as she made to leave him.

“Are you friends with Jemima?” Edward pushed watching as she paused, clearly reluctant to tell him too much.

“She is my sister.” Eliza replied quietly before quickly turning away and returning to work.

Edward cursed roundly. Of all of the replies he had expected it certainly hadn’t been that one. He didn’t think Peter knew Jemima had a sister. They had all spent several months looking for just Jemima - no sister. How could Peter not know she had one?

Everything within him froze as he stared in dawning horror at the woman who had returned to slapping tankards on tables.

Was she being honest? Or was she in fact Jemima?

Chapter Two

He should probably head straight over to Havistock Hall and send word to Peter, but something kept him in his seat. He had never been so captivated by a woman before, so ensnared in her feminine allure that he couldn’t tear himself away, and that was the crux of the problem. That’s what pushed him to take another drink of the watered down brandy and settle back to watch the woman who intrigued him.

She moved with a lithe grace that was poetry in motion to watch. She ducked and swayed past the groping hands, scowling occasionally when one got too close. He watched the interplay, wondering how long it would be before she finished for the night and he could make his move. Whether she was Jemima, or Eliza didn’t matter. Somehow he had to persuade her to go to Leicestershire with him. Given her earlier reluctance to trust him, he knew that was not going to be an easy task.