Eloisa's Adventure Read Online Free PDF Page A

didn’t need to see
through the dark to know that the carriage had left her
behind.
    “Come
back,” Eloisa gasped, only to find that her lungs wouldn’t work as
well as they used to. To her disgust, she turned her head in time
to watch the carriage take another corner at the end of the road,
and disappear from sight without slowing its pace. It was several
moments before her mind registered the fact that there was no
footman on the seat at the rear of the carriage. Indignation warred
with disbelief that any driver could be stupid enough to lose two
of his passengers and not know it. There was nothing she could do
about it now though. She had more important matters to deal with,
like how to find her way home.
    In spite
of her trembling limbs, the sharp prick of hedge in the back of her
arms and legs forced her to move. She wriggled and writhed and
eventually managed to fight her way free of the prickly thorns.
However, by the time she stood at the side of the road, her legs
trembled so fiercely that she thought she was going to keel over.
She had to lock her knees to remain upright.
    When her
breathing had settled into its normal rhythm, she studied her
surroundings and took stock of her situation. Apart from hedgerows
and fields, the landscape was completely devoid of life. Her cry
was loud when it became evident that she could ostensibly be the
only person for miles around. To add to her horror, the one
building that was still visible was the rather haunting
castle.
    “You are
not going there,” she assured herself darkly, and quickly turned
her back.
    She
looked down at her soiled dress and blinked away the salty sting of
tears. She didn’t need much in the way of light to know that it was
ruined beyond repair. The water stains would be impossible to get
out, even if the voluminous skirts hadn’t been liberally splattered
with mud, thorns and twigs.
    Snivelling miserably, she flicked a sodden curl out of her
face and stared down at her soft soled shoes. Although they were
perfect for dancing, they were useless for a walk through the
countryside. They were already soaked, leaving her toes frozen and
her feet numb.
    “Clumsy
great oaf,” she snorted in disgust as she threw a dour glare after
the carriage. “If he comes back, I will give that useless buffoon a
piece of my mind that he won’t forget.”
    Although
she didn’t know much about weather, she was aware that it was
incredibly dangerous to be out in the middle of a storm as
ferocious as this. She had to find shelter if she didn’t wish to be
struck by lightning, or drowned. Desperate to avoid the castle at
all costs, she turned in a wide circle while she tried to decide
what to do. If she knew where she was she might have a chance of
trying to get herself to safety. Unfortunately, she was thoroughly
lost.
    A
looming shadow hovered in the background of her thoughts but she
quashed it. Instead she turned her attention to deciding whether
she should stay where she was and hope someone would come to look
for her. After all, the coachman would realise he had lost his
passengers when he got to his destination – wouldn’t he? Would he
even bother to try to find her? Unfortunately, there was nothing to
say that the carriage’s owner knew that the carriage was being used
to take her to the ball. Maybe the owner would object to his
conveyance being taken out again in search of a guest who shouldn’t
even be there.
    She
sighed when another rumble of thunder sounded overhead. She knew
that she would be struck by lightning if she didn’t move soon.
Which way should she go?
    Once
more, a dark shape teased the periphery of her vision. She closed
her eyes and willed it to go away but it remained in the forefront
of her mind, just waiting for her to acknowledge it.
    The huge
gothic castle was shrouded in the darkest of secrets, of that she
had no doubt. Although it was the only building she had seen since
leaving the village, she was not going to knock on its doors