His Obsession (14 page)

“I’m afraid you’re not going anywhere at the
moment, Lady Overton. As you can see, you’re still much too weak,”
the physician directed. “Now then, are you going to stay in bed or
do I have to tie you to the mattress until you recover?”

The small, pale woman lying on the bed
appeared suitably chastised and tears began to well in the corners
of her beautiful green eyes. Brookington shuffled his feet
uncomfortably. He never had been able to abide a woman’s tears.

“There. There now. You just rest, my lady,”
Dr. Brookington advised. “I’ll have the housekeeper send up some
soup and see whether the butler can tell us when his lordship might
be returning. All right?”

Kate nodded and swiped at her eyes. The
doctor rapidly departed, leaving Kate alone with her troubled
thoughts.

The visions Kate’s mind conjured up were too
horrible to contemplate. In her mind’s eye, she saw Edgar Overton
being led away in heavy iron chains while her mother and Helen
stood helplessly by, weeping tragically. She saw Frederick, too,
standing beside her sister, stiff lipped and stoic as the officer
pushed Overton into a wagon with bars on the sides and barked the
command for them to depart.

Kate also envisioned a dozen kitchen mishaps
as Helen and Penelope struggled to cook. Precious supplies were
dropped carelessly onto the stone floor and eggs were broken before
they even reached the bowl. Acrid burned toast and coffee vied with
meat that was charred black on the outside and raw in the middle.
Kate fancied that she could smell the stench of burned toast on the
air even now and her nose wrinkled in distaste.

Hard on the heels of that scene came another,
showing the sheriff and several grim faced men standing watch at
their front door while the family departed one by one. Apparently
only allowed one bag each, the ladies wept openly for the host of
gowns they’d been forced to leave behind. With a stiff upper lip,
Lord Winslow handed Helen and her mother into a hired coach, then
clambered inside himself. Moments later, the carriage rolled away
from the mansion, with the women wailing in anguish.

Kate was completely helpless here. She’d come
to save her family, but had instead sealed their fates. If the earl
did not return from his travels soon to hear her acceptance of his
offer, all would be lost.

At length, there was a gentle knock on her
door and Kate bid the visitor enter. The portal swung wide to
reveal a thin woman of medium height with salt and pepper gray hair
and dark piercing eyes. She was dressed in a modest gray gown that
effectively shrouded her from head to toe. The firm set of her jaw
told Kate that the woman brooked no nonsense and probably hadn’t
laughed in years.

A younger woman followed behind her, carrying
a tray. The maid was about Kate’s age, but a trifle taller. She
hunched her shoulders a little in deference to her betters. Stiff,
straight brown hair poked out from beneath the girl’s mob cap, but
Kate was grateful to see the kindness reflected in the woman’s
light blue eyes.

At last, the older woman in the gray dress
stopped just in front of the foot of Kate’s bed. Her assessing gaze
swept over Kate before she finally spoke.

“I am Mrs. Collins, the earl’s housekeeper,”
the woman declared.

“How do you do?” Kate asked.

“Tolerably well, thank you,” Mrs. Collins
acknowledged. “Dr. Brookington has informed us that your health is
improving. Until a suitable lady’s maid may be found, Ellen here
will see to your needs.”

Ellen bobbed Kate an awkward curtsy and gave
her a weak smile. Ellen opened her mouth to give a greeting, but
Mrs. Collins’ glare quickly squelched anything that the younger
woman might have said.

“If Ellen offends you in any way, you must
tell me immediately,” Mrs. Collins firmly advised. “She has
recently joined the household and lacks experience.”

Kate nodded in understanding. “I’m sure
she’ll be fine.”

Mrs. Collins inclined her head and strode to
the fireplace. With practiced ease, she swept her index finger
along the top of the mantel, checking for dust.

“Dr. Brookington has ordered some soup for
you and plenty of rest,” Mrs. Collins told her.

“Yes, thank you. Can you tell me, please,
when the earl – when his lordship might be returning?” Kate
asked.

“I don’t know, Lady Overton,” Mrs. Collins
informed her. “The earl typically does not make the staff privy to
his personal affairs.”

“Of course.”

Wonderful! Kate didn’t know anything more now
than when the women had walked into the room. Still, there might be
ways around the dragon lady housekeeper. If she didn’t miss her
guess, Ellen appeared to be the talkative type. Perhaps if Kate
gained the maid’s confidence, she might fill Kate in on what was
really going on below stairs.

“Cook should have the soup ready shortly,”
Mrs. Collins advised. “If there is anything else that you require,
my lady, please let me know.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Collins. I shall,” Kate
acknowledged.

The housekeeper nodded again. Her gaze raked
over Ellen’s thin frame for a few moments and the maid shrank from
the force of her glare. Mercifully, the encounter was brief and the
housekeeper departed at last.

“Goodness!” Kate sighed in relief. “That
woman gives me the chills.”

Ellen giggled at Kate’s comment, then thought
better of her actions and swiftly set to work. The room showed the
signs of having been a sick room for some time. There were basins
and bowls that needed to be collected and taken away. Cups and
plates had to be returned to the kitchen, too.

Ellen also wasted no time in pushing the
curtains wide, flooding the room with light. Soon, another maid
brought Kate’s soup and collected some of the debris before
returning to the kitchens.

“Would you like some soup, my lady?” Ellen
inquired.

“I would. Thank you.”

Drawing up a chair beside the bed, Ellen
seated herself and dipped the spoon into the chicken broth.
Unfortunately, Ellen’s hand shook so much on the way to Kate’s
mouth that a trail of greasy yellow liquid soon covered the front
of Kate’s nightgown and the sheets as well. Immediately, the maid
set the bowl down and began dabbing at the stains with a cloth.

“Oh, my lady! Forgive me!” Ellen gasped.

“It’s all right, Ellen. I’m still as weak as
a newborn kitten. If I tried to feed myself now, I’d probably spill
the entire bowl in my lap.”

Ellen chuckled worriedly.

“Be at ease, Ellen,” Kate kindly told her. “I
won’t bite.”

“Oh, I didn’t think that you would, my lady.
I mean ladies like you certainly don’t – I mean you would probably
never even think about – oh, dear. I don’t know what I’m saying,”
Ellen wailed.

Gently, Kate covered one of the maid’s hands
with her own. Ellen’s skin was red and rough to the touch. No doubt
Mrs. Collins and the cook saw to it that Ellen did her fair share
of the more difficult tasks, working her fingers raw scrubbing
floors and cleaning the heavy cooking pots.

“I’d like for us to be friends, if that’s all
right with you?” Kate softly offered. “And, if you like, you can
stay on as my maid.”

Immediately, Ellen’s face lit up. “Do you
mean it, my lady? Cor! I can’t believe it.”

“Would you like that?”

“Like it?” Ellen gasped. “It’s always been my
dream!”

“Good. Then it’s settled.”

“Oh, my lady! Thank you,” Ellen cried. “Thank
you so much.”

“When the earl returns, I’m sure we’ll have
the opportunity to discuss the upcoming arrangements,” Kate
supposed.

“Then you won’t have long to wait, my lady.
He’ll be back later today.”

“Today?” Kate gasped, her eyes widening.

“That is, if everything goes according to
plan. His lordship left yesterday morning, riding like the Grim
Reaper himself was nipping at his heels. Jeffries – that’s the
butler -- said he should be back this afternoon.”

“Yes, I see. That’s – that’s wonderful,” Kate
weakly acknowledged, her thoughts far away.

Ellen returned to the task of feeding Kate a
few more mouthfuls of soup. The soup was a little too salty and
Kate could have done without quite so much fat in the mixture, but
she had to admit that the broth gave her strength.

“I – I wonder what could have been so
important to make the earl leave so abruptly?” Kate mused
aloud.

“’Twas a matter of life and death. No less!”
Ellen declared with importance.

“Really?”

In between ladling soup, Ellen told Kate a
tale tragically similar to her horrible visions. Kate’s worst fears
had apparently been realized. Edgar Overton had been taken away in
chains, leaving her mother, Helen and Lord Winslow to their own
devices. With the man of the house no longer in residence, the
creditors began hounding the remaining inhabitants for money. They
demanded that if a suitable sum was not immediately forthcoming,
the Overton estate should be sold.

Suddenly, the Earl of Devonshire had
appeared. Like a large avenging angel, Richard Warwick had charged
into the throng on his massive black stallion, sending the
bloodthirsty creditors scampering. He’d even retrieved Edgar
Overton from the county goal himself.

“The man’s a saint, and that’s for sure, my
lady,” Ellen proudly declared.

“Indeed,” Kate replied, barely suppressing a
yawn.

“Oh, I’m sorry, my lady. You must be tired
now. Perhaps you’d better rest a while.”

“Yes,” Kate agreed. “Maybe I will.”

Ellen let herself out and Kate was at last
alone with her thoughts. However, her first hour of wakefulness had
been exhausting. With her stomach full at last and the room
pleasantly warm, it wasn’t long before Kate gratefully closed her
eyes.

She awakened many hours later, just before
dinner time. Ellen appeared shortly thereafter to help Kate use the
chamber pot and wash a little. The chattering little maid dressed
her in a clean nightgown and robe and Kate had to admit, she did
feel much more herself.

Kate’s hair, however, was another matter. The
bright copper strands curled with wild abandon, creating a thick
waterfall of hair that cascaded down Kate’s back.

“Cor, my lady!” Ellen cried in exasperation.
“This is so tangled, it’s like a rat’s nest!”

Kate giggled at the maid’s
faux pas
and Ellen blanched.

“Oh, I’m sorry, my lady! I didn’t mean to say
that your hair was – was --”

“No, Ellen. You’re right. My hair is rather
like a rat’s nest,” Kate readily agreed. “Sometimes, I think I’d
like to chop it all off.”

Ellen was horrified. “What a shame that would
be! It’s such a lovely color and naturally curly, too. What I
wouldn’t give to have fine curls like these.”

“Let’s see. Take your cap off a moment.”

Ellen carefully laid the hairbrush on the
table and glanced around her to be certain they were quite alone.
Reaching up, Ellen swept the starched white cap from her head. A
few tendrils of brown hair stuck straight out from her head,
extending in a series of wisps that formed a halo of sorts before
being pulled severely into a tight bun at the nape of her neck.

“You see, my lady?” Ellen declared. “Straight
as a poker, my hair is. It’s hopeless.”

“I don’t know about that. My sister, Helen,
has straight hair like yours. Somehow, she manages to create a
pretty style. Perhaps, if we used a curling iron on the strands
near your face, that might help?”

Reaching up, Kate curled a few of the strands
around her fingers, softening the harsh edges and framing the
maid’s face.

“There. You see?” Kate asked. “It’s better
already.”

“I don’t think I’d have the time to do that
every day, but maybe for special occasions or a party,” Ellen
suggested.

The maid returned to the task at hand,
brushing Kate’s long burnished curls until they crackled and shone
like a new copper penny. Presently, two menservants knocked on
Kate’s door and Ellen quickly let them in. The men brought in a
small table and a second chair. Moving swiftly, they covered the
table with a white linen cloth and set two place settings of the
finest silver.

“What is all this?” Kate asked one of the
men. “Surely, this isn’t for Ellen and me?”

“No, my lady,” one of the men replied.
“You’re to dine with his lordship tonight.”

“But I thought that -- ”

“It was his lordship’s special request upon
his return.”

“I see,” Kate softly replied. “Very well
then.”

Ellen helped the two men lay out an enticing
fare of baked ham, boiled potatoes with parsley, green beans,
fruit, cheeses, red wine and a thick yellow custard for dessert.
Just looking at the repast made Kate’s mouth water. She hadn’t had
a decent meal like this in some time.

As quickly as they’d come, the men were soon
gone. Ellen followed them, easing the door closed behind her.

Being seated on the side of her bed in her
blue robe with her hair hanging loose around her shoulders seemed
incredibly intimate to Kate. With grim determination, Kate pushed
herself to her feet.

For a moment, she felt a little lightheaded
and swayed dizzily. Kate caught herself on one of the bedposts, her
pale fingers desperately clinging to the carved surface until her
senses cleared a little. At last, Kate turned toward the table and
sighed. The small surface was covered with dishes of food, fine
porcelain plates, silver utensils and sparkling crystal goblets.
She could hardly brace herself on that.

The fireplace mantel would be sturdy enough
to support her, but it seemed to be miles away. Kate could hear the
blood roaring in her ears and the room swayed dizzily around her as
she valiantly reached for the nearest chair.

That was how Richard Warwick found Kate,
poised between the bed and the chair, one hand held out in silent
supplication. He reached her side in a matter of seconds, drawing
her slender body against his tall solid frame. His size dwarfed
Kate, making her seem rather like a child. Richard smelled of
horses, leather and a sweet spicy scent that suited him.