His Michaelmas Mistress (7 page)

“Apparently, we’re not that scary to small animals,” Felix muttered. “It’s only men that fear us, mostly, good for nothing men.” He chuckled.

Freddie crouched and reached out to pet the dog. The pup was small enough to tuck into a man’s coat, so it looked as if they had indeed found their bloody poachers. The man calling to the dog stopped and he started to whistle instead. The dog’s ears went back, but he remained with Freddie.

“I’m not going to like this next bit,” he muttered. “No, I’m not going to like it at all.”

Felix gave him a puzzled look, and Lucky sighed.

“Be prepared, they might have firearms. I’ll be satisfied once they are hauled before the magistrates. Maybe they’ll ship them off to Australia…or maybe they’ll be headed for the hangman’s noose,” Lucky said.

“As long as they are hauled off my lands, I don’t care if they go to the devil himself,” Freddie mumbled. “That’s not what I meant, mates. I think I know the poacher in question.”

Felix grunted. “You’re thinking he’s…”

“Thee mangy mutt yew get yahhr tail back ‘ere, awer else!”

Freddie sighed. Now, he knew it was the man he’d feared it would turn out to be. He grimaced, and briefly closed his eyes. He didn’t need this right now. He never thought that his father would leave London. He was mistaken.

Damnation.

“Alfie, yew little bugger, I’m gon’a tan yahrr ‘ide,” Enoch Smith raged.

As his father came into view, Freddie sighed. “Why don’t I tan your hide, Da?” he said calmly.

His father no longer intimidated him. The brutish good for nothing, looked nothing like Freddie. Short and squat, his nose had been broken plenty of times in the past, and he had small mean eyes, that were a little too closely set together. He wore clothing that had seen better days, and he looked as if he still abhorred any mention of a bath.

“Freddie!” He grinned widely. His yellowed teeth made Freddie look away from him. He wanted to put his hands on the man the way that his father used to do to him, but he was better than that now. “Hey, Madge! It’s Freddie, ‘e finally found us.”

“You’re poaching on my lands,” Freddie said, between clenched teeth.

“We ain’t really poaching, are we? Y’er da bloke in charge ‘ere, we can do wot’s we want. Lor’ love a duck! That’s wot we fink anyway. Use your loaf, boy!”   

Freddie winced at the sound of his father’s coarse voice. Fortunately, he wasn’t speaking with his true Cockney, or no one save for him, and possibly Tiny would know what the hell he was talking about. He’d forgotten just how far he’d come in the years apart from the dreadful man. Enoch Smith was the scum of the Earth. He was a poor excuse for a human being. He was a piece of shite, and didn’t deserve being treated any better than that. 

“What is he saying?” Lucky asked, out of the corner of his mouth.

Freddie snorted. He felt embarrassed, and yet, he had no reason to be. He had come a long way from his time spent in the London Slums. Enoch Smith, however, had not.

“He’s speaking a lot of tosh. He thinks he can steal from me because of our familial relationship, and that ain’t going to pass muster with me. Not anymore, it ain’t.”

“Wot you sayin?” his father looked confused. “Y’er not talkin right, boy. Thee is rich now, an’ yew owe us.”

“Felix, Lucky, please get rid of these buggers, for me. I don’t want to lay my eyes on my bitch of stepmother, but I want her the hell off my lands.”

“We’ll take them down to the New Bridewell,” Lucky said.

“Oi! I ain’t goin to no prison!” His father looked a little panicked, and before he knew it, he’d turned tail, and started running. “Get yaahr arse, movin, Ma!” he shouted.

Tiny and Lucky looked at him. “Suppose we get to be the ones who give chase, eh?” Tiny asked.

“I think if we let Freddie do it, they’ll never get down to the gaol alive, look at him,” Lucky said. “Freddie has blood in his eyes. I’ve never seen him filled with such rage before…well, not since our days fighting the Frogs.”

Alfie still sat by him. He’d have to have a good bath before he let him into Wilton Park. He couldn’t give him back to his father, and he couldn’t leave him to fend for himself either. It looked as if he finally had another dog.

“Well, come on, rough and tough. Let’s go and get you scrubbed down.”

There was no two ways about it. The villages of Castleton and Maidstone would now know the sort of people he hailed from. It was a good thing that he and Julia hadn’t married, because his lowborn origins were about to be flapping out of everyone’s gums. She was going to think so ill of him. There was no point in trying to hide it, there was no way to hide such a terrible past. He’d never been polished, and now…now he felt rougher than sandpaper.

There was a reason why Freddie had used his mother’s maiden name when he’d enlisted in the army. He didn’t want anything to do with the piece of shite that was his Da. He was a good for nothing layabout, and if Freddie was lucky, he and Madge would be sent to Australia for their crimes. He couldn’t see Julia’s uncle sentencing them to hang, but exile was probably something he would think was befitting of their crime. 

“Don’t fret, mate,” Felix said, before he set off to follow Lucky who was already giving chase to his father and his stepmother. He could hear his stepmother screaming as if someone was murdering her. “No one will know about those two pieces of filth.”

“Oh, no…everyone will know. And you know what, Tiny? I don’t care. I’ve spent too long trying to be someone that I ain’t. I’m going back to being the man I’ve always been.”

“I never thought you had turned into someone else,” Tiny remarked. “Oh, hell, it looks like Lucky needs help. We’ll have to truss them up and then deliver them to the Parish Constables for them to take onward to New Bridewell.”

“Keep your eyes on the both of them. I think you should go with them to Devizes. I’ve seen the elected Parish Constables, and they will probably need help with me Da and Madge. They’re sneaky little devils.” He watched as Lucky narrowly avoided being hit over the head by a cast iron frying pan, wielded by his stepmother. His father was going for his musket.

“If you dare use that,” Freddie bellowed. “I shall shoot you dead. You may trust me on that one. You bloody bastard.” He stood up and aimed at his father with his own rifle. 

His father looked as scared as he’d ever seen him. His eyes widened, and despite his fear, his mouth slid into a sneer. Freddie smiled. If only he’d brought his axe, that might have made his father mess his drawers.

Slowly, his father put down his musket, and put his hands up. He could hear him muttering, “Ungrateful brat. If yew was younger an’ smaller I’d beat yew black an’ blue.”

Mayhap, he’d get lucky, and Edward Lovett would sentence the despicable man to hang after all. He daren’t think he’d get as lucky when it came to Madge, but hell, he could dream.  

“Oh, aye, Lucky is a lucky soul, but he needs help handling those two. They are quite frightful. You go back to the house. We don’t need your help, here, Mouse. Your help might include having that trusty firearm of yours accidentally go off.” Tiny nodded his head grimly, and set off.

Sighing, Freddie watched as Tiny and Lucky took his father and his stepmother in hand. He needed a good stiff drink, and possibly a nice hot bath. And yet, while he thought about those two things, he knew that there was only one woman in this world that could set his world to rights again, and she would want nothing to do with him when news of his father and his stepmother hit the gossipmongers. She would finally see sense, and she’d count her blessings that she’d never become leg-shackled to such a man as he.

“Come along, Alfie,” he said to the dog. The terrier wagged his tail and followed Freddie as he trudged back to the house. Life as he knew it, would be completely changed now. “Well, I was a born a bastard, and I suppose I will die a bastard, Baron or not, eh, boy?”

He might have everything now, and while he would never forget where he came from, he could have done without being reminded of it in such a cruel manner. No matter how long he lived, his heart would continue to desire one thing. Which, due to his own stupidity had become the forbidden fruit. He only yearned for Julia’s love, and that didn’t seem a possibility now.

The dog barked happily. Dogs accepted you no matter where you came from. Pity people weren’t the same.

Where was Julia right now? He needed to see her—even if only he saw her from afar.

Julia looked over at Ruby as they raced toward Avondale Abbey.

They were ahead of Simon now, and she wondered if the young man was letting her win. Unless his horse was tired, he should have been ahead of them.

“Are…how much farther do we have to go?” Ruby said, her voice almost lost on the wind.

“Not far now. You look a little peaky, Ruby. I hope you will be up for the ride back to Lark Hall.”

“I don’t have much choice, do I?” she said, laughing nervously.

Julia smiled at her. “I suppose not,” she returned. She wished that Ruby could stand in her stead. She didn’t exactly look forward to meeting up with Charles again.

They traveled down the road that led to Avondale Abbey. The Abbey had seen better days. In its prime it had probably been magnificent, but time and lack of money had eroded its beauty to become a shadow of its former majesty. If Avondale married an heiress, he could probably restore it…or have it torn down and build something new.

“It looks as if it is haunted,” Ruby breathed, her green eyes wide.

“It probably is,” Julia agreed.

She’d been there a lot when she was a girl. Richard and he had been the best of mates back then, and to a certain extent they still were. Through Richard and Tobias, she had met Charles.

Charles.

Her hands shook, and Ruby cast her eyes down to them.

“If you’re that nervous, mayhap, we should turn around and go back to Lark Hall.” Ruby looked a little too hopeful.

“No…if I do that Mama might kill me,” Julia laughed. “No, I shall forge ahead.”

“You sound like a soldier going off to war,” Ruby mused. They drew up to Avondale Abbey, and she jumped down from her curricle, as grooms dashed toward them.

Ruby remained seated. “I…I am not entirely certain I can alight on my own, Julia.”

Simon dismounted, and rushed over to the curricle, and stepped in front of a groom who was about to assist Ruby. “Come on, Ruby, it won’t be that hard,” he said encouragingly. She took his hand, and with deliberate care, she stepped down from the conveyance.

“Now, then, shall we go and see if they are home? We should have gone in a carriage so we could have had a footman deliver our calling card to us, but Avondale doesn’t stand on propriety, not with me and Richard anyway.”

Simon lifted the large wolf’s head doorknocker and moments later Avondale’s butler answered the door.

“Lady Julia,” he exclaimed. His eyes darted to Ruby and Simon.

“We would like to see the Duke, Mr. Barnaby,” Julia said.

“I…well, he’s out riding with Lord Charles, but he’s expected back at any minute,” Barnaby said.

“We have come all this way, would it be possible for us to come in and wait?”

“Oh, for a family friend such as you, of course, Lady Julia. The Duke would be most vexed if I were to turn you away.” He ushered them inside of the house, and Ruby reached quickly for her handkerchief right before she sneezed. Julia smiled. The old place was rather dusty, and smelled a little of age.

Castleton Court and Lark Hall lacked this particularly strange smell.

“Prepare yourself, Ruby,” Simon said, as they were led toward the Great Hall, where they would wait for the Duke and Charles. The butler left and hurried away. She sighed. She had wanted a refreshment, but she supposed since they had more or less invited themselves in that they weren’t going to receive such hospitality.

The Great Hall was beautiful, and was one of the rare rooms in the house that didn’t look too decayed.

The Minstrels Gallery above had been used back when Tobias’s mother was alive, and the musicians would sit up there and play while they all danced. It was a shame that the Abbey was in such utter shambles. If it could be fixed up, the house would once again resume its former glory. It didn’t require much. Nothing that a few thousand pounds couldn’t improve.

“It is lovely,” Ruby breathed. Her eyes had gone to the Romanesque arches, and the vaulted ceilings that gave the Great Hall a sweeping grandeur. “This place must have such history, and it was a grand old place once, wasn’t it?”

“Oh, yes, indeed. It is steeped in history,” Julia said, settling herself onto a sofa. “It survived much upheaval. King Henry VIII awarded these lands and the Abbey that stood on it, to Avondale’s family during the Dissolution of the Monasteries. They were awarded the title of earl back then, and they continued to climb up the social ladders in the ensuing centuries. The Abbey was largely rebuilt in 1744, back when the family still had money to sink into its upkeep. They kept the Great Hall, though, and of course, the Minstrels Gallery. I always thought it was the best thing about this place, and I believe this is the original flagstone floor.”

“So they are an old noble family.”

“Aye, as old as the Lovetts anyway,” Julia sighed. “Unfortunately, Tobias’s father wasn’t exactly great at managing his monies. He liked to gamble, you see. By the time he upped and died, Tobias found out that he had inherited an almost bankrupted estate. The poor man must marry for money, or else…”

Ruby sighed. “I suppose he’d want someone like you then, Julia.”

“If he does, he shan’t have me,” she laughed. “Mind you, it would vex Freddie. Oh, I shouldn’t worry, Tobias will find an heiress eventually. Her Papa will want to buy a title for his daughter.” They both laughed, and Simon finally came to join them.

“Where were you?” Ruby asked.

“I was wandering around The Library, but the place is dustier than it is in here. I haven’t sneezed so much in my life. Mama would have a blistering fit.”

“I suppose he can’t keep the Staff required for this kind of a residence,” Julia lamented. “It is a crying shame. This place could be so lovely if treated properly.”

“The old butler didn’t happen to bring around some drinks, did he? I’m awful thirsty,” Simon said. “You know, I think I have less dust on me from the road, then, this room has on the furniture.” He curled his lip, and looked for a clean place to sit.

“Oh, Simon. It isn’t that bad.”

“It jolly well is. Compared to Castleton Court and Lark Hall…”

“It is rather dull compared to our family homes, I grant you that much. You are spoiled my darling boy,” Julia said.

They heard the sound of men stomping through the house. One of the men sounded none too happy.

“Didn’t you offer them any refreshments, man?” The vexed party was Tobias. Julia smiled. “You are making me look like a stingy bugger. Fetch some lemonade, perry, cordial water, and some tea. Off with you, now!”

Tobias’s tone and visage altered, as he walked toward them. Julia stood up, as did Ruby, and they quickly curtsied whilst Simon bowed. Tobias smiled at them and nodded his head. “This is my cousin, Master Simon Lovett, you should remember him, Tobias, I believe the two of you have met before,” Julia said.

“Aye, we have. Though I think you’ve grown an inch or two since I saw you last.”

“I might have done, Your Grace,” Simon grinned, in his carefree way.

“And this is Simon’s cousin through his mother, Miss Ruby Massey. She is the daughter of Thomas Somersby’s sister.”

“Ah, delighted to meet you, Miss Massey,” Tobias said.

“You look quite fetching today, Julia,” he said, coming toward her, and taking a seat across from where she sat. Tobias knew how to charm her. He’d been telling her she was lovely since before she met Charles. Mayhap, she should have married him long ago. Tobias looked behind him. “Dash it all. I seem to have lost Charles. I suppose he’s hiding from you. That man can move infernally fast when he’s motivated.”

“Why ever would he hide from me, Tobias?”

“I haven’t a ruddy clue. He was rather put off by the icy reception you all gave him back at St. Michaels.”

“Well, it was my wedding day, Tobias.”

“Indeed,” Tobias cleared his throat. “Bad timing on his part, but it couldn’t really be helped, could it? He only sought to stop your nuptials.”

“And he succeeded,” she said, sighing heavily.

Simon sat in a chair near Julia. He looked over at her with concern shimmering in his eyes. He didn’t seem too fond of the direction the conversation had taken, but as Tobias was a duke, he would keep quiet.

“Where does he usually scurry off to, Tobias?” she asked tiredly.

“Oh, I expect he’s absconded to the Library.”

“I probably just missed him,” Simon mused thoughtfully.

“Beg your pardon?” Tobias asked.

“Simon went to explore your library while we patiently waited here for the two of you to come back.”

“Ah, I see. Yes, we have a few good tomes there, but nothing like Maidstone Manor or even Castleton Court. My ancestors rather liked spending the family fortune on other amusements.”

“Ah, yes, like gambling,” she said with a cheeky smile.

“Right you are, Julia,” he said, chuckling. “Fortunately, I haven’t seemed to have inherited that particular vice, thank God.”

The butler came in, carrying a tray heaped with refreshments.

“What would you like, Julia?” Tobias asked.

“Hmm…I think I shall have some perry. I haven’t had any in an awfully long time,” she said. Gratefully, she accepted her glass of pear cider, and once she’d washed the dryness out of her throat, she stood up. “I suppose I had best do what needs to be done,” she sighed.

“You look as if you’re going off to face a firing squad,” Tobias mused.

“I am off to face my past. Almost the same thing, I should think,” she sighed. “Wish me luck.”

Julia dashed through the Abbey, and found herself at the library doors far quicker than she’d wanted to. She couldn’t put off the inevitable any longer. Creaking open the door, she reflected on the conspicuous absence of footmen.

Had Tobias dismissed them all?

Julia found Charles sitting on a sofa, reading a book. When he heard the door opening, he stood up, dropped his book, and sighed. “You…you finally came. I wasn’t certain you wanted to see me.”

“I see that Tobias has welcomed you back as if you’d never been away.”

“We Eton lads always stick together,” he said nervously. “Richard has been here a few times as well.”

“I am not surprised. Richard was always rather fond of you, Charles. When you came into St. Michaels, you could have knocked me down with a feather,” she remarked.

“You did fall down, if you recall.”

She nodded her head, and hesitantly took another step into The Library. “I shan’t think that Simon will leave me for long. He is supposed to be playing the part of chaperone.”

“Simon? Well, he must be...”

“He is all grown up, Charles, as is his twin. A lot of time has passed, if you recall. He is not the cute little boy you remember. Iris is married to Lord Cary, and Simon has a bright future ahead of him. He is set to go to Oxford soon.”

“Simon always was a bright lad,” he said. “Even when he was a mischievous boy attempting to pull pranks on the two of us.”

“Oh, aye. He could be quite the handful,” she sighed.

“Your Uncle Edward was quite nice to me when everyone else gave me the evil eye, back in the church.”

“Uncle Edward is nice to everyone. It is just his nature. But I suppose he saw the side of the story that some of us missed. You weren’t really to blame…you didn’t know what kind of destruction you would leave in your wake. You had no way of knowing that I loved Freddie—that I was completely devoted to him.”

Julia kept a good distance between them. Unlike when she was with Freddie, she didn’t have the overwhelming urge to throw herself into his embrace.

“So…you truly do love that giant you were going to marry?”

“If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have promised to marry him. Charles. I…I love him deeply.”

“So…my return has done nothing to shake the foundation of that love?”

“I am sorry to say it, Charles…but no. I clung to your memory for so many years, and remained true to the love we shared…but there was a time when I had to put you to rest…when I had to move on. Don’t you understand that?”

“You let him into your heart,” he whispered, his face losing all of its colour.

“I did, Charles. I…I suppose we shared a love that wasn’t as unshakable as I believed. I made you into an angel, and as I supposed that you were removed from this world, I could no longer hold onto you. I shall always be fond of you, Charles, but I don’t think we are meant for each other. We are meant to be friends—and nothing more.”

“And…” He came toward her, his voice had turned fervent. “There isn’t anything I can do to change your mind…or rather your heart?”

She looked at him. He was the same man she remembered and then, he wasn’t. There was something altered about him that she couldn’t put her finger on. One moment, he was the same man she recalled, and the next moment, a stranger’s eyes stared back at her. It was most disconcerting, and she wished that Simon would appear and take some of the tenseness out of the air.

“Julia, you are not much altered, but I look like an old man compared to your youthful countenance.”