Chapter 26

It was quite late when Nathan returned much to Eleanor's chagrin. All she could do since the minute he had left was pace nervously in her room. Her parents had requested her presence at dinner but she had resolutely refused – it was not the time to eat. She had even worn a hole – no, several holes – in the carpet and her fingernails were uneven from nervous chewing. Although Nathan seemed sure, there were several things that could go wrong. Ram could refuse – mayhap his loyalty was to Gresham, gold coin notwithstanding. Maybe he would accept Nathan's gold and then return to Gresham the next chance he got.

And the worst – perhaps he'd kill him.

Eleanor knew she was being melodramatic. The odds of Nathan being shot were slim. But she could not help but worry.

When he finally returned, he did not come to her bedroom but went directly into his. Eleanor was alerted to his arrival by the footsteps resonating in the other room. She immediately rushed through the connecting door, anxious for news.

Nathan was removing his coat and cravat when she hurried in and closed the door behind her and locked it.

'Well? Were you successful?' she asked. Nathan looked her way and gave a heart-stopping smile. Eleanor couldn't help but return it. It was definitely alright then.

'Indeed, 'tis done,' he said, holding out a hand to her. Eleanor clasped it and he cocooned her in his arms, dropping a kiss on the top of her head – very easily done as he was so tall and she, so short.

'How did you manage to do it?'

'Well, Ram was ever-willing to return once I made him fully aware how destitute Gresham's condition was. When he realised, he was no longer going to receive payment, he willingly outed all of his movements and even handed me some circumstantial evidence.'

'Evidence! Of what?'

Nathan chuckled and placed a soft kiss on her lips. 'The daft fellow isn't merely a supplier to the Viceroy. He's embezzling money from the exchequer.'

Eleanor gasped. 'The exchequer! But – I don't understand how that's possible.'

'A few well-placed connections and anything is possible, really. It isn't direct embezzlement but a few funds allocated for the army have been – how do I say it – reallocated. I have the letters to prove it. In fact, I have arranged for the letters to be made public as soon as tomorrow. Of course, it shall take a while for the news to reach London.'

'That is great news!' Eleanor exclaimed, wrapping her arms around him. 'Especially if it provides us with credibility before he can release any evidence with regards to us.'

Nathan scoffed. 'He has no evidence. He was bluffing. The only way he could release any news was if Ram testified. He was willing but the courts would not believe the words of an Indian over mine, however a sorry state of affairs it is. And we can't let word of my involvement be public. There are a lot of public sympathisers but they get so little done due to open opposition and are in dire danger as well. Working in the shadows ensures matters run effectively.'

Eleanor nodded. 'I understand that. I do. And I am glad you are working in support; however shady the means are.' She frowned as another thought came to her. 'What about Ram? Surely he is not back in your employ?'

Nathan shook his head. 'He is now safely bound to the southern part of India to ensure he doesn't dupe anyone again. My men are transporting him. Needless to say, he will not be a problem anymore either.' His eyes softened then as he caressed her cheek. 'We are safe for now. That is all that matters – especially with our little addition.' His gaze drifted to her stomach as he gently placed his hand over it.

'Indeed, it is,' she agreed. 'But I really do think I should meet more people, like I said in the afternoon. It is imperative, I feel. This is where I'm from and you know more about them than I ever will.'

Nathan shook his head. 'I understand what you mean. But really, it isn't completely safe either. Not yet.'

Eleanor frowned in displeasure and opened her mouth to argue but Nathan cut her off before she could.

'But that doesn't condone my actions today afternoon,' he hurriedly said. 'I should not have dismissed you like that. It was highly incorrigible and despicable. Please forgive me.'

Eleanor sighed in his arms. 'I do not know why, but I forgave you the instant you said it.'

Nathan smiled cheekily. 'Maybe it is because you love me.'

'Possibly. Or maybe I am just ill in the head.'

'Or maybe because you would like me to bed you now – ouch! Why did you hit me?'

'Because your head could use a good thump,' Eleanor said in all seriousness. 'Heavens, you only seem to be thinking of the bed these days.'

He carried her then and deposited her on the bed before climbing on top of her, slowly beginning to remove his clothing, devilishly smiling all the while.

'All the better to ravish you, my love.'

**********

Nathan had done it. Gresham was thoroughly ruined.

The very next day, the papers carried a copy of the letters Gresham had exchanged with a government official containing in them, in vast detail, the amount of money that had been embezzled and the means by which they had done it. Eleanor was confined to the house but the housekeeper and the maids brought news from the market that all of the English society in Bombay was abuzz with the news. It even seemed that Gresham had left the country altogether – he could not show his head in public for he was now one of the most wanted men!

And Eleanor? She had never been happier. She was on good terms with her mother who now had a grudging respect for her as the Duchess of Wolverhampton and her father and husband seemed to take turns in lavishing her with attention and cooing over the coming baby – of course, the latter was keener on the matter.

That was not to say that there didn't exist a palatable tension in the air. Her parents tensed whenever Nathan came into the room and her father pursed his lips in disapproval when Nathan whisked her away to the bedroom. It was odd, considering he was the one who gave her away in exchange for funds in the first place.

She did not let it bother her though. After all that they had been through recently, these moments were a godsend. And she wasn't about to let it go to waste.

A few nights later, Eleanor broached the topic of her seeing the women once more. Nathan was getting ready for bed while she had already dressed and sat on the bed, reading Othello.

'Nathan,' she started, lowering her book and staring at her husband's bare back. The muscles flexed as he shrugged on his nightshirt and tingles travelled down her spine. She couldn't seem to stop staring; she was mesmerised. And for a second, she almost forgot what it was that she was going to ask him.

'What is it, Eleanor?' he asked, interrupting her reverie. His shirt was on and he was sliding next to her in the bed and the wonderful view of his back was gone. She shook her head to collect her thoughts before proceeding.

'The women,' she said in way of explanation.

Nathan let out a groan. 'Why are you so persistent about meeting the women?'

'And why are you so persistent I should not?' she retorted.

Nathan hesitated. 'It is not that I am against it. I am merely asking you to wait until you have delivered.'

'Poppycock! Once he is out, you shall say that I am to stay at home to take care of him lest I get shot and leave my son motherless!' she huffed.

Nathan's eyes twinkled as he played with a lock of her hair. 'A son? Why do you think it will be a boy?'

Eleanor darted her eyes away. She hadn't meant to reveal it in case it wasn't true. 'Mother's intuition,' was all she muttered.

Nathan laughed and pulled her to him. 'A son it shall be then. Michael – that's a strong name. He shall have your black hair – '

'You have black hair as well,' she interrupted.

'True, but it shall be your shade of black. The black of the night sky at twilight – so dark you can't see anything at all but still so very beautiful.' He had twirled a lock of her hair around his fingers and kissed it. 'I should like for him to have my eyes though. I would like to contribute something.'

Eleanor smiled. 'A black-haired, blue-eyed boy sounds wonderful; and exactly like you.'

Nathan grinned. 'But his features would be exactly like yours, love. And for that, I shall love him all the more.'

Eleanor caressed his cheek in fondness. He was being especially sweet tonight – not that he was not usually but talk of how their son would look made her insides feel warm and long for more moments like these.

Even if Nathan had managed to thoroughly distract her from her original task, she suddenly realised, her hand still against his cheek.

She narrowed her eyes at him. 'Do not think you have escaped our conversation.'

He had the decency to look sheepish. 'It worked for a while though, did it not?'

Eleanor gave a frustrated huff. 'Please be serious. Nathan, you married me for a reason.'

He stiffened as a dark cloud passed his face. 'I did,' he said after a while, as if contemplating the question and the answer. 'But those reasons don't matter to me anymore. I do not stay with you now because of how you can contribute to the cause.'

'Nathan, for heavens' sake! You married me because you thought the sight of an Indian by your side would compel more people to trust an Englishman! A few days ago, you told me that people would resent me. Which is it?'

'Both!' he exploded, his face a mask of anguish. 'There is no doubt that your presence would help the cause. But the risk of resentment was also high. I just did not care about it when I proposed! I did not care about you!'

His words were akin to being slapped on the face. His words made sense to her – she had also known it. But it did not ease the pain.

She must have visibly flinched for the expression on his face softened and he grasped her hands. 'That doesn't mean I don't feel differently now. You know that. I love you so much, Eleanor. So much that my heart can't possibly hold all the love I feel for you. And I cannot bear to see you hurt, not even a little. And our son, if something were to happen, I would never forgive myself. You mean so much to me and I can't lose you too. I can't live without you, darling.' His voice broke at the end and Eleanor's heart constricted. His words, his voice; they were like balms that could soothe any ache. The tears that threatened to spill were proof of that.

It took all her willpower to not sob, managing to speak without fear of tears. 'And I love you too, Nathan. So much. But this is just something I have to do. I can feel it. Please, Nathan.'

It was true. Some part of her seemed to scream at her to forget everything and go see them. She did not know why. Honestly, she did not even know how she could help them or if the women would confide in her – how could they even do so willingly when she couldn't even speak their language?

But the part of her telling her it was futile was not overpowered by the part of her telling her it was what she should do.

Nathan was quiet for a long time before he finally conceded. 'Alright. We shall go see them together.'

Eleanor broke into an enormous smile and tackled her husband with a big hug. 'You won't regret this,' she said into his chest. 'I have a really good feeling about it.'

Nathan's voice held a melancholy sigh as he whispered, 'I hope so.'

**********

'Michael, get back here!' she shouted from the gazebo at the boy running in circles around the muddy garden. The rains were pouring with a vengeance and the winds squealing in rage but that didn't hinder the boy in the slightest. He laughed gleefully as he kicked at the puddles and covered himself with mud.

'Michael!' she screamed some more but the child continued to ignore her. With a sigh of frustration, she turned to her husband with a scowl on her face. 'For the life of me, I cannot fathom why you would let your son play around in the rain and simply watch on. He could catch a dreadful cold!'

Her husband laughed from his seat and looked back jovially at Michael. 'He is in his element, Eleanor dear. He is joyous; I do not want to be the one to take that away from him. That is your job. Besides,' he added, turning to face the toddler in the basket next to him. 'Look how happy watching him makes Sera.'

Eleanor looked at her daughter. Indeed, she was laughing gaily as her brother slid in the mud and fell splat on his face. Watching them made Eleanor smile as well. Maybe one day of fun would not hurt. Seeing the loves of her life happy made everything else insignificant.

'Fine, I shall cease and desist today,' she said. 'But tomorrow I shall return to my –' She could not complete her sentence. Her throat had suddenly closed up, and she felt a weight on her face and against her throat, restricting air flow. She could not breathe.

Nathan noticed her distress and shot up from his seat. 'Eleanor, love, what is it?' he asked hurriedly. 'Tell me what has happened, darling.'

She tried to speak but no words came out, and she clawed at her throat, begging the air to flow back in; for her lungs to draw breath. She sank to the ground as her legs gave away beneath her and Nathan screamed inaudibly. She could only see him rush to her, gesturing to someone somewhere else but it was all inaudible and she found that sleep seemed to be pulling her closer and closer –

Eleanor's eyes flew open to the sight of a huge, burly man standing over her in the dark, his face twisted in a snarl as his hands continued to hold down her throat and cover her mouth. She tried to scream but his hands only tightened more and movement was futile. Her legs seemed to be held down by more pairs of hands. She could hear someone screaming in the background and her thoughts went to Nathan. She turned her head to find he wasn't next to her and finally, the panic began to set in.

They were in grave, terrible danger.

Dear God, let Nathan be okay.

The sudden tightening of the man's hands around her throat re-alerted her to the fact that she would pass out in a few more minutes if she did not do something soon. In a feeble attempt, she bit down hard on the hand covering her mouth and drew back as she tasted the metallic tinge of blood mixed with what she could only assume were traces of grime and gunpowder. The man gave a sharp yelp and staggered back and Eleanor shot up, drinking in mouthfuls of air, just in time to see the man topple on top of another who, presumably, had been holding down her legs.

She glanced around wildly and her heart jumped to her throat at the site. Nathan was being bound to a chair, his head drooping down, putting up no fight. The gash on his head indicated he had been knocked clean out, probably in his sleep. Muffling a sob, she dashed for her nightstand and pulled out her revolver from the false bottom. Loading it, she aimed it in front of her.

'Get back!' she screamed in anguish. 'Get back, all of you or I shall shoot!'

'That would be unwise,' a voice said at the door. Eleanor shot her head in the direction of the speaker and froze. Gresham – no, a shabby man that greatly resembled Gresham – was walking towards Nathan, a long and wicked looking dagger in his hand. He placed it right below Nathan's throat and Eleanor choked back a sob.

'What will it be, duchess,' he spat out, snarling. 'Put down the gun or I shall slit his throat.'

Eleanor shook her head, the tears flowing freely. Damn the baby making her emotions fly. 'I shall shoot you before you can do that.'

Gresham chuckled darkly. 'You and I both know that your aim, while passable, is hardly a cause for celebration when the blade of my dagger kisses his throat. The injury you caused my manservant back in the woods so many weeks ago was luck and nothing else. Tell me, do you want to take your chances?'

She could not. He was completely right. There was no way she could guarantee the bullet would aim true. Defeatedly, she lowered the gun and tossed it aside. There was no other way.

'Glad to see you have some brains in you,' he scoffed and motioned to an adjoining chair. 'Now sit down before I change my mind about slitting his throat.'

Eleanor complied, silent tears streaming down her cheeks. She did not fight back either as they bound her body tightly to the chair. The indents and carvings of the chair back dug into her skin through her thin night dress but she did not even have the energy to whimper. Gresham's dagger ensured her compliance.

'Now then,' Gresham remarked, sheathing the dagger. 'Let's wake him up, shall we?' He thumped Nathan soundly on the head and bellowed, 'Wake up!'

The soundly placed hit did its job as Nathan groaned and slowly came to his senses. When he finally realised his inability to move, his head whipped around as if searching and stopped as he found her. Eleanor, on her part, could only nod her head at the silent question his eyes conveyed, 'Are you okay?'

'Where are the letters, Wolverhampton?' Gresham cut in, now coming to stand behind Eleanor. She felt the cold steel of the blade now touch her throat.

'No!' Nathan screamed, struggling against his bonds. 'You keep her out of this you son of a bitch,' he snarled. The next instant, men gathered around him – again, a mix of English and Indian – and Eleanor wondered how all these men (she counted five) worked for Gresham when he could not even seem to keep up himself if his torn clothes, grime covered face and oily hair were any indication.

'You're in no position to give orders,' Gresham snarled from behind her. 'Tell me where the letters are or I shall cut her pretty throat.'

'They aren't with me! I handed them over to the officers and the papers days ago!'

Gresham barked a laugh. 'I wasn't talking about the letters Ram stole from me. I need your correspondence.'

Nathan seemed taken aback. 'My correspondence? What do you hope to achieve with that?'

'Your ruination!' Gresham shouted and Eleanor flinched at the pure loathing that coated every word. 'Sympathisers are not looked upon kindly by society. You shall tell me where all the letters giving proof of your participation in the Indian revolt are or you can say goodbye to your beloved mistress and bastard.'

'Mistress?' Eleanor gasped out loud. She had maintained her silence until now but now, she only felt a raging anger now. Maybe it was that she was tired of being looked down upon by everyone that they even reduced her to a common harlot, completely overlooking the legal bonds that bound the two of them.

'You may think me beneath you, Gresham,' she bit out angrily. 'But do not reduce me to a whore. I am still his wife.'

Gresham barked a laugh. 'Surely you jest. You cannot possibly keep calling yourself that even after the truth has been laid bare in front of the ton. I was not even the catalyst of that grand revelation.'

'Grand revelation?' Eleanor asked incredulously. 'What on earth are you blabbering about?'

'Do not tell me you do not know,' Gresham remarked before pausing. 'Dear God, she really does not know, does she, Wolverhampton? She really believes what she said.' There was gleeful wonder in his voice.

Perplexed, Eleanor looked – really looked – at Nathan who seemed to be turning white as a sheet in the dim light provided by the few burning candle stubs. He was looking at her but his face was awash with terror. 'Nathan. What is he Talking about? What do I believe? What are you not telling me?'

'Go on and tell her, Wolverhampton!' Gresham laughed maniacally. 'Go on and tell her!'

Nathan continued to stare at her, his mouth sealed shut. Eleanor suddenly felt a pang of pain at the base of her throat and she gasped. Gresham had pressed the blade enough to draw blood.

'Don't!' Nathan screamed as he saw the trickle of blood gently gathering at the tops of her breasts.

'If you don't want her killed, then I suggest you tell her now,' was Gresham's low response.

Eleanor looked at Nathan and gave him a pleading look.

Tell me. Whatever it is, tell me. I shan't be mad, I shan't scream. Just tell me.

But nothing could really prepare her for her husband's words.

'We were never married.'

**********

I shall just calmly leave while you all revel in that bomb I just dropped.

On the bright side, I updated, right on schedule, just as I said! The next chapter shall be published tomorrow so see you then!