Always Come Home (Emerson 1) (9 page)

“I cannot say, milord,” said Maude. “But one can hope.”

“Yes, Maude. One can hope.”

Twenty minutes later, the fire burned its last and
the four of them set off down the road. They were passed by two sleepy workers
sharing a horse, then a farmer driving a large cart. Unfortunately, they were
all going the opposite direction. But within the hour, they finally heard the
sound of horses behind them. Colin turned to see a farmer driving a cart
filled with what appeared to be hay.

He called out to the man. “Good sir, how are you
this morning?”

The man eyed them suspiciously. “Well enough.” He
looked Colin up and down, likely noting his lack of adequate winter clothing.

“I am Colin Emerson and we are trying to rent a
carriage so we can continue our journey,” said Colin, through chattering
teeth. And if he ever met the man who’d made his useless boots, he’d surely
kick him in the arse.

“If you want to do that, you’d best turn back,” said
the farmer. “The village is but two miles up the road. You could likely rent
a carriage at the inn.”

“Unfortunately, they had nothing for us.”

The man cocked his head. “Ah, you’ve got no blunt.”

“I have some, though not much.”

“Then why wouldn’t they rent you nothing? You’re a
toff, ain’t you?”

“The Earl of Ridgeway. But Lord Clayton and I had a
bit of a disagreement and the innkeeper chose to take his side.” Colin prayed
the man was not dependent on Clayton’s goodwill.

“Can’t say I know this Lord Clayton.”

“Lord Ridgeway is trying to return home for
Christmas,” said Ava. “His sisters are expecting him.”

“Your sisters, huh?” asked the farmer, softening
noticeably.

“Yes, sir. Quite frankly I’ve made a muddle of
things, but I would like to make it up to them. We are trying to get to Wilton
in Wiltshire. Is there any possibility we can get a ride at least part of the
way with you? I can pay you some coin.”

The man took a look at Colin and the others. He
must have noted their exhaustion, for he nodded. “No coin is necessary and my
name is Carl. I got sisters myself. And you must be desperate if a gentleman
like yourself is willing to ride in a farmer’s cart. You can hop in the back,
though it is a bit scratchy.”

“But I must pay you something,” said Colin.

“It’s Christmas,” said Carl. “It just seems like
the right thing to do.”

Colin could not believe the wave of gratitude that
swept over him. He would have kissed the man, though he feared that would get
them kicked off the cart before they’d even climbed in.

“There’s two tarps,” said Carl. “I put them back
there in case it rained. I reckon you could put one beneath you, then pull the
other over.”

“Thank you,” said Colin, as he walked to the back of
the cart. It was filled with straw and, fortunately, looked to be fairly
clean. Stemple was already laying out the tarp.

“We should place the ladies between us,” said Colin,
“to ensure they are warmest.”

Stemple helped Maude into the cart, then sat to the
right of her – probably to shield the scarred side of his face.

“Ava?” asked Colin as he held out his hand to help
her in. “I am afraid it is not the carriage I thought we would have.”

“But it will be much better than the alternative,”
she said with a smile, before placing her hand in his and climbing in next to
Maude.

Colin could only laugh at himself as he climbed in
next to her. He was an earl. From what his late father would have said, he
and his family were better than most, able to conquer the world with only a
look. Yet, so far that day he’d been saved by the ingenuity and kindness of a
kitchen maid, a governess, a valet and a farmer. It reinforced a belief he’d
held for quite some time; a person should be judged on his deeds and not his
birthright.

There was no real way to sit up in the mound, so all
four of them were in somewhat of a reclining position. He watched as the
others began covering themselves with straw.

“It will help to keep the heat in,” said Ava, as she
spread it out evenly.

“Yes,” said Colin. “It was a tactic we often
employed during the war. We rarely had the luxury of sleeping indoors. A
mound of hay was a welcome sight on a cold night.”

Ava nodded. “Plus, we have the added advantage that
no spiders are likely to surprise us in the frigid weather.”

“Don’t tell me you’re afraid of spiders,” said
Colin, as the cart resumed its journey with a jolt.

“Very much so,” she said, as she tried to get
comfortable.

“I would say that anyone who handled Clayton so
capably could hold her own against a spider.”

“And I would say both are distasteful.”

He opened his flagon of cider. “Would you like
some, Ava?”

She nodded and he watched as she delicately brought
the container to her mouth and took a sip. He was lucky the hay covered him
because his cock had completely disregarded the cold and was now pressing
against the buttons of his trousers. He accepted the cider back from her, took
a sip, then restoppered it.

He leaned back, trying to get comfortable. He
looked over to see Stemple and Maude already asleep. They had unconsciously
turned to each other. Maude’s head was pillowed on Stemple’s chest, while his
face nestled in her hair. They looked at peace with each other. He suspected
his valet was well on his way to falling in love with the kitchen maid and
hoped that Maude returned the sentiment. If so, he believed he’d acquired a
new cook’s assistant. And after eating her cooking, he thought that was a very
good thing, indeed.

The sleeping couple had also caught Ava’s attention,
for she was looking at them, as well.

“I do not think either got any sleep last night,”
she said. “Not that Maude was doing anything improper, of course. It had just
been a long time since she’d met anyone she could truly talk to. Not to
mention such a considerate gentleman.”

“Stemple truly is the best of men,” said Colin. “I
only wish I could do right by him.”

“And why do you think you are not?”

“I owe him a great deal in wages for one thing and I
do not know when I can make it up to him.”

“But I have no doubt you will make that right when
you are able.”

“I will.”

Ava struggled to get comfortable. Unlike the
others, she and Colin were not touching. And it appeared like she would like
to keep it that way.

Unfortunately.

“Why else do you think you have failed him?” she
asked.

“The same way I have failed my family. By not
making up for the mistakes of my father and grandfather. My entire family
lives in poverty because I haven’t been able to find a solution.”

“You place a great deal of importance on financial
matters, my lord.”

“It is Colin, remember? And money is important.”

“I have never had much of it, yet I have not missed
it. Though when my father was dying, I wish I would have been able to make his
life easier.”

“He had you with him, Ava. I suspect that eased his
suffering more than anything else.”

“That is one of the kindest things anyone has ever
said to me, Colin.” She was slowing sinking into a hole in her efforts to
become comfortable.

“Ava, why do you not do as Maude has done and rest
your head on my chest? It would lessen your chances of the hay scratching your
eyes and you might avoid that large hole which seems to be devouring you.”

“I could not lay my head on your chest, my lord. It
would be most improper.”

“Ava, if you think I’m trying to seduce you, you’re
either underestimating my gentlemanly honor or overestimating the ability of my
body to withstand the cold.” Though, he had a feeling that if the lady were
willing, his body could overcome the cold quite well. “I promise you will
always be safe with me. But if we huddle together like Stemple and Maude, we shall
be warmer and more comfortable.”

She still looked unconvinced.

“I give you leave to incapacitate me the way you did
Clayton, if that helps.”

She smiled, then carefully placed her head on his
chest. Without thinking, he wrapped her in his arms. It felt like the most
natural movement in the world. He had to stop himself from kissing the top of
her head.

“I shall not hold it against you that you appear all
too eager to get the chance to knee me in the private area,” he said, warmed
through and through.

“A lady does not get such an invitation often,
Colin.”

“I daresay the image of Clayton, post-kneeing, is
one I shall cherish until I am old and infirm. Indeed, if I am heard laughing
in my rocking chair it shall no doubt be at the remembrance.”

Given how aroused he was, and how cold he’d been
just a few minutes earlier, it seemed impossible that he would be tired enough
to sleep. Perhaps it was the rhythmic swaying of the cart. Or the sheer
exhaustion of their early morning trek. Or mayhap, it was the feeling of
having Ava in his arms snuggled up to him, but Colin drifted off to sleep.
Content for once. Almost happy.

But still worried.

*

Ava could not believe that Colin was falling
asleep. Perhaps it was commonplace for him to have a woman rest her head on
his chest while he held her in his strong arms. It probably was. This was
probably how the man always travelled, though in a carriage, of course, and
with not quite as much hay.

He was asleep, yet all of Ava’s senses were working
feverishly. She breathed in the scent of him. Shaving soap and leather. She
was warmed by his heat. She wanted to explore the chest that so neatly
pillowed her head, though no pillow she’d ever used had been this warm or
inviting. She’d nearly burrowed to the bottom of the cart in her effort to
create some distance between them. She’d never touched a man this intimately
and it stole her breath away.

Maude and Stemple were asleep in each other’s arms.
That was significant since Maude trusted few people and she suspected the valet
was also cautious when meeting others. But they were as at ease with each
other as couples who’d been married for decades.

Ava wondered what the earl’s future wife would think
of him curled up thusly with a governess. Former governess. She hadn’t had
much time to think of how greatly her life had changed in the past several
hours. She had lost the only position she’d ever had. She had to find a new
one and that would not be easy. She did believe that Colin – Lord Ridgeway,
she reminded herself – would help her. But she wasn’t sure how many families
he might know in need of a governess. She also hoped that Lord Clayton would
follow through on his promise to send her the wages he owed. Without them, she
wouldn’t be able to travel to a new position, assuming she could find one.

But despite her rather precarious circumstances, she
was glad to be out of Clayton’s house. And she would not miss the twins.
Hopefully, her next charges would be better behaved.

Colin shifted, pulling her closer to him.
Good
Lord
, how was she supposed to lie there with him? Her body was now so warm
she would have kicked off the tarp if it wouldn’t have disturbed the others.
But it wasn’t just the warmth. Her skin felt tight. Her nipples were hard and
there seemed to be moisture between her legs. All from being next to a man who
had fallen asleep so easily.

It was rather insulting, really.

She snuggled closer to him and his unconscious
response was to erase the last remaining space between them.

She’d long ago resigned herself to never marrying.
She had no dowry and it would be inappropriate in the extreme for a governess
to hunt for a husband. But for the moment, she imagined what it would be like
to lie with the man she loved. Ideally, it wouldn’t be in the back of a bumpy
cart filled with scratchy hay. But with the right man none of it would
matter. She suspected she could endure much in order to be with the man she
loved.

He would not be the earl, of course. Even if they
weren’t from different classes, he’d made it known he had to marry an heiress.
She hoped he would find love as well as a fortune.

On that thought, sleep did find her. She drifted
off, with Colin’s pleasant scent and warmth to comfort her.

*

Colin was jolted from sleep by what felt like his
arse hitting a stone floor after being dropped from the turret of a castle.
While he tried to shake the sleep from him, he became aware of two things. One
was that a soft female was lying so close to him she might as well be on top of
him. It was a pity she wasn’t. She smelled of lemons and her soft brown hair
cradled his cheek. He realized it was Ava and thought what a shame it was that
they would never be in this position again.

The other fact he was made aware of was that the
cart was slowing to a halt. He couldn’t see much from his vantage point and did
not want to wake Ava by sitting up. He looked over to see that Maude was still
asleep, but Stemple was also looking around as best he could. They caught each
other’s eye. It was a bit embarrassing for both men to be used as human
mattresses, but there was nothing for it but to nod and never speak of it again.