An Unlikely Countess (41 page)

The girls set to willingly enough, and soon Prudence could leave with a basket of amusements. She’d like to be a loving aunt, but doubted she’d be allowed the chance.

P
rudence delivered the basket, satisfied to have the door opened by the maid set to attending Hetty. All the guests were asleep, the girl whispered, seeming pleased with her new duties.

Prudence realized she was hungry now, but she had no intention of trying to join the table if dinner was still being served. She sent Karen to find Cate and discover whether he’d eaten. The maid returned with an invitation for Prudence to join him in his library, where she found him already dining.

“I’ve had a place laid for you,” he said, “but as you were busy, I didn’t wait. I was hungry,” he confessed.

Prudence had never been in this room before. It seemed rather more like her boudoir than she’d expected, and as she sat, she said so.

“It used to be paneled and manly.”

As she served herself soup, she considered his tone. “Your brother changed it, as he changed the hall.”

“And I can’t change it back without seeming unfeeling, or even antipathetic. The paintings are ones Roe collected on his Tour.”

“Perhaps Artemis might like them?” Prudence suggested, helping herself to soup.

“Wondrous lady! And the furniture too, if she’ll take it. Thank you.”

Prudence smiled at him. “I’ve already hoped that she’ll take everything from the boudoir too. I don’t mean that in a bad way, only that it’s her room, not mine, and imbued with her bitterness.”

He sighed. “Here, I’m constantly aware that Roe must be gnashing his teeth in the grave.”

“He’s in heaven,” she reminded him. “I’m sure truths are known in heaven.”

“In some cases, that’s an alarming thought!”

She shook her head at him, and told him about the arrangements for Hetty. Then she confessed to wanting to keep her friend at Keynings. “Will it create a great deal of trouble?”

He grimaced. “That probably depends. If Hetty and her husband are willing, however, we’ll attempt it. Would you like some chicken?” As he served roast chicken, he said, “If it creates discord, I can provide for them elsewhere. Perhaps with an inn of their own.”

She smiled at him. “You’re very generous.”

He poured her wine and refilled his own glass. “To give a little when I have so much hardly deserves praise. I know you’d like her here, however.”

“But not if she’s unhappy. I know all too well how we can be unsuited to our place. Now, tell me what you plan for Draydale.”

“I went over what we know about Draydale’s misdoings and set people to compiling it in usable form. Nothing outright illegal as yet, unfortunately, but plenty to shame him. I’d like to act now, but too many people would object to mayhem on the Lord’s day. I’ve dispatched people to Northallerton to look after Will Larn, however. To pay for comforts in the jail, and make it clear to the authorities there that someone of importance is taking an interest. Tomorrow they’ll retain a lawyer for his case.”

“If the complainant realizes the Earl of Malzard is on Will’s side, he’ll probably flee the area.”

“Which will suit in one sense, but my men are instructed not to let that out unless absolutely necessary. An indulgence, but I hope to startle Draydale with that detail. I also hope the complainant doesn’t disappear, because it might be possible to persuade him to give witness to Draydale’s hand in the matter.”

His tone made her shudder slightly, but she did want Draydale punished.

“Then there’s the attack on your old home, and on the coach. That fire could have cost lives, as could the tampered wheel. My men will look for those involved. I doubt any of this will be enough to get Draydale transported, never mind sent to the gibbet, but it should shrivel his powers, which will be a start.”

“As you said, poor and powerless will be hell for him.”

“But I’d still like to strike a more telling blow.” He sipped his wine. “My being a very new earl weakens me. People have been given no reason to dread my power.”

“They would have dreaded your brother’s?” she asked. “That seems almost medieval.”

“There’s a great deal of the past lingering in the north, and the nobility up here wield more overt power. I’m sure Roe showed the equivalent of the mailed fist when called for. My father certainly did.”

She frowned. “I could be a problem there, couldn’t I? Aaron Youlgrave’s sister, who created such a scandal at the altar, hardly fits with long lineage and established power.”

“And I’m the shabby gentleman who assisted her.” He toasted her. “We’re warriors, at least, and people will have seen that. Are you finished? I want to show you my bath.”

“Your bath?”

“Fit for a warrior. Come and see.”

She did, and gaped at the monstrous thing on its dais. “A person could almost swim in that!”

“Not quite,” he said, “but there could be other games.” She saw a wicked smile, but all he added was, “We could swim in the lake.”

“Swim? Women don’t, do they?”

“You can if you want. I’ll teach you.”

Prudence was very uncertain about that, and about the bath. “It must take buckets and buckets of water.”

“Employing servants is a good deed. It spreads our wealth.”

“I feel I should be able to contest that argument. . . .”

“Don’t try. Instead, employ. Use this bath whenever you want.”

“It must be wonderful. And I have only a very small one.” She looked around at the walls. “This is such a lovely room, as well. Are the paintings copies of Roman ones?”

“Some artist’s vision of Olympus. You should have a dressing and bathing room as grand as this. Come.”

He hurried her to her rooms and inspected the bedchamber beyond. “This. You can design every detail to suit.”

“But we’ll lose a bedchamber.”

“We’re not short of them, but if necessary, we’ll build another wing.”

She laughed, but already such an attitude didn’t feel beyond reason.

 

Prudence woke on Monday to a note from Cate saying that Will Larn was as comfortable as possible in jail and had a lawyer ready to attend to his case.

She dressed in her dyed blue dress and went to tell Hetty the good news. She found her and the children in clean clothes, all thrilled to have had proper baths, with clean water for each of them. The children, who had books and playthings, seemed to be enjoying their new situation without a care. Hetty still seemed anxious, clearly worrying that they’d soil or damage something.

“You mustn’t worry about a thing,” Prudence said.

“How can I not?” Hetty said. “It’d be a sin to mar such lovely things.”

“The children are careful, but why not take them outside so they and Toby can run around?”

“Will that be all right?”

“Yes, certainly.”

Prudence took them all into the grounds, where gardeners and groundsmen were busily working. She showed them the swing, and the children took turns, laughing with delight. A swing was a simple thing. Why wasn’t there one in a place like White Rose Yard?

She wanted her breakfast, and the practice of eating breakfast with Cate was so fixed now that she couldn’t imagine it any other way.

“I have to return to the house,” she told Hetty. “Enjoy the gardens.” She suddenly remembered Draydale. The morning was so peaceful it was hard to imagine danger, but she said, “Don’t go out of sight of the house for now.”

Hetty’s eyes widened, and she nodded.

“Can we go to the lake, Mam?” Willie asked.

“Not yet,” Hetty said.

Prudence hurried inside, irritated that Draydale was causing problems here. The sooner he was done for, the better.

She found Cate already eating breakfast in her boudoir, but he rose to kiss her. “Fully dressed and in full vigor?”

“I went to tell Hetty the good news. They’re used to rising early, so they’re outside now.” As she sat down, she added, “I warned them not to go far from the house.”

“Good. I’ve ordered all available men to make themselves busy outside, to keep an eye out for danger.”

“How thorough you are.”

“Long practice trying to keep my men alive. I’ve always disliked waste. Another thing that put me at odds with some in the army. I won’t permit Draydale to harm anyone here.”

“Would he really try?”

“He won’t put himself in danger of prosecution for murder, but if he can maim or kill in an apparent accident, he’ll arrange it. Especially now. He has to be hearing something of what I’ve set in motion in Darlington.”

“Lord, we’ve increased the danger.”

“You’d rather have left Will Larn unaided?”

“No, but I hate all this. Why can’t we put an end to him now?”

“Impatient as always,” he said with a smile. “As am I. But more information is coming in. Another day might bring us bigger nails for his coffin. Only one day, however. I’m going to Darlington tomorrow to cook his goose. Do you want to come?”

The idea startled her, but she said, “Yes. Especially if I can witness his fall into hell.”

“I’ll do my best. I promise. At the moment, so many people are vulnerable. He’s striking anyone connected to you, even the new tenants in your old house.”

Prudence froze, a piece of buttered bun halfway to her mouth. “The Stonehouses! Might Draydale know about them?”

“Damnation, yes, from Tallbridge’s groom.” He rose and dropped a quick kiss on her lips. “I must send people there—to warn them and keep them safe. Anyone else you can think of?”

Prudence thought hard. “If Aaron and Susan are safe, no, I don’t think so. I wasn’t close to anyone in White Rose Yard other than Hetty.”

He left, and Prudence found her appetite gone. Suddenly anxious about Hetty, she went back outside, but she saw them all safely near the house. The children were playing with a ball, with assistance from Toby. Hetty was sitting on a bench beneath a tree. Prudence wondered if she was enjoying the rest or twitchy for something to do.

She heard children in the other direction and saw Artemis’s daughters over near the lake. She’d like to see all the children playing together, but that was reaching too far.

Flavia and Julia ran onto the little Chinese bridge that went over the stream that fed the lake, and Prudence suddenly felt nervous. Water was an obvious danger, and in Draydale’s warped, vengeful mind anyone at Keynings might be a target.

There were a remarkable number of men working outside, however, including some clearing bulrushes at the lake’s edge. Cate definitely did care, perhaps too much and for too many, but she couldn’t fault it.

She couldn’t hover, however, seeking danger everywhere. She had duties to perform. She returned to the house, but then, despite feeling a little foolish, she put her old knife in her pocket, and the bodice dagger down her stays.

 

Everyone in the family turned up for dinner that day. Apart from saying, “Your friends do not dine with us, Prudence?” the dowager created no problems, and Artemis was silent. Mr. Goode seemed to honestly see Prudence as an old acquaintance.

The Catesby sisters were enlivened by the children. “Such a sad case,” Miss Catesby said. “Such cruel treatment.”

Mr. Coates shared, at length, his opinions on vagrancy laws, and Cate put in some opinions, creating a conversation until the dowager said, “I hope those children will behave themselves. They can’t be accustomed to such surroundings.”

“They’re very well behaved,” said Miss Cecily bravely. “We hardly hear a sound, do we, sister? The little dog too. No barking.”

“No breeding,” said the dowager.

Prudence chose to believe that she meant the dog.

The brittle mood continued over tea, but no outright war was declared and no one seemed inclined to linger. Prudence was surprised to realize that she simply didn’t care anymore. The dowager and Artemis could stew in their own bitter juices. She herself had better things to do.

In the immediate, she wanted to see if it would be safe for Willie and Sarah to go out on the lake. Boldly, she invaded Cate’s estate offices to ask him, hardly sparing a glance at the clerks in the outer room—though she noticed that they did all stand, and that it was ridiculous. In the inner one, she found Cate alone, reading through some papers.

They kissed as if that were as natural as breathing.

“Is it safe? I’m sure it would be a great treat.”

“I had the boats and bridge checked this morning, and men have been working near there ever since, so no one should have been able to damage them. I’ll come with you to arrange it.”

She eyed his desk. “Don’t you have much to attend to, my lord?”

“Nailing me to my duty, my lady? I plan to play truant again. Last time was very rewarding.”

Smiling, they kissed again, and went in search of their guests.

They found Hetty and the children back in their rooms, but at mention of a boat, Will was raring to go. Sarah was a little less sure, but she consented to walking to the lake. The boats were kept in a boathouse, and Cate instructed a man to check one again and then take Hetty and the children out.

Prudence watched their pleasure and excitement. “I do hope they stay.”

“This is an example of the problems,” Cate warned. “At the moment, they’re guests, but if Will Larn is working here, the family can’t have privileges denied to other servants. However, I don’t see any reason not to make the boats available to all now and then. The men are already allowed to fish in the lake when they have time off. No, that’s not my doing. It was my father’s.”

“He was as kind as you, then.”

“Say, rather, pragmatic. He wasn’t an angler, so he didn’t care about the fish in the lake. When he had guests who liked to fish, the servants knew to stay away. Would you like to go out in a boat?” When she hesitated, he teased, “Do you have less courage than Hetty’s children?”