His Saving Grace (Regency Refuge 1) (10 page)
Read His Saving Grace (Regency Refuge 1) Online
Authors: Heather Gray
Tags: #Historical Fiction, #Romance & Love Stories
June 1815
June passed into being with no more than the slightest warming of temperatures. Thomas had been gone now for three months, and his continued silence wore on everyone. She continued to tire easily, but Grace did not seem to suffer any of the other ill effects women sometimes report during pregnancy. She was, however, confined to the castle, having been told by the doctor not to venture out. This made her all the happier she'd completed her trip to Newcastle when she'd been able.
"What do you think of this one?" she asked Margaret.
"I think it's quite nice."
Preposterous!
Grace burst into laughter. "It's the most horrible pair of trousers you've ever seen in your life, and you know it. The legs aren't even the same length!" Whenever she was at the castle, Margaret spent most of her time with Grace, and the two had become almost like friends.
"Well, Your Grace," Margaret said, "if it's your desire to clothe a child whose legs are two different lengths, then I think you've done an admirable job."
Laughing, Grace hurled the pants into the pile at Margaret's feet. "I don't know why you allow me to help. I make far more work for you."
But I'm glad you do. The boredom would make me fit for Bedlam otherwise.
"Perhaps you would like to sew some kerchiefs or cravats for His Grace?"
I can sew a kerchief… fit for a man with two different-sized nostrils!
"You only want to keep me away from anything you're working on."
"I have no idea what you mean, Your Grace. Surely you couldn't have such a low opinion of me." Margaret's eyes twinkled and her face shone with humor.
Grace, who had embarked on a much more ambitious project than she'd imagined, took in the piles of clothes surrounding them in the sitting room and said, "Do you think we'll get it all done by the time the children are back for their next lesson?"
Margaret looked uncertain as she asked, "Do you think any of the others would like to help? I know Elsie's passable with a needle and thread. Mrs. Pembroke is probably pretty decent, as well."
"What about the housemaids? Sarah's here today. I could check with her and the others, too. If they have any skill, they can come up and help."
Blushing, Margaret said, "Not everyone will want to work with me. I don't have the best reputation in the village."
"Nonsense," Grace said. "If I ask them, they'll come, and if they spend some time with you, they'll see what a delightful person you are." When Margaret still seemed uncertain, she added, "We all make mistakes. Sometimes out of desperation, and sometimes because we don't know any better. Give them a chance to get to know you. You may find they turn out to be wonderful friends."
If you'd give yourself a chance, they just might give you one, too.
Grace called for Rupert and gave him instructions to send all the female servants in and to send the footman to speak with Dorothea and see if she could also come. Before long, all the female servants of Castle Felton were in the sitting room. Everyone except Grace was busy sewing what they could.
Since she couldn't sew a straight line to save her life, Grace was relegated to organizing the finished products. She wanted to give each of her students one brand new outfit. Many of the younger children had never owned anything new because their clothes had all been handed down to them from older siblings. While they were always clean and tidy when they arrived for their lessons, it was hard not to miss the threadbare nature of most of the children's clothing. Grace had cleaned three seamstress shops out of all their serviceable materials while in Newcastle in the hope of pulling together this special gift.
The children would be at the castle for lessons in two days' time, and Grace wanted to have this surprise for them. Margaret likely would have finished by now had it not been for Grace insisting she wanted to help. Watching the women speak to one another and slowly warm up to Margaret did Grace's heart good. Perhaps ruining half the clothes was the best thing Grace could have done for these women.
****
The big day arrived. The girls had all worked harder than a team of plow horses during planting season, and Grace wanted them to be able to participate in giving the gifts out. Each new outfit was wrapped in plain paper with the child's name written on it. They hid all the younger children's parcels around the great hall, while the older children's were outdoors in various places around the grounds.
As the children came in and settled into their places on the floor, Grace said, "Thank you, boys and girls, for coming today. I am so pleased to see each of you. Today we have a special treat." A murmur of excitement rose among the children. Their curiosity showed in their widened eyes, tightly clasped hands, and broad smiles. "Before we get to the surprise, I need to give each of you an exam. You will be expected to spell your name."
A collective groan rose up from the assembled group. Grace waited for it to quiet down, then added, "I am not asking you to write it." The sigh of relief that rose up from the group brought a smile to Grace's face as she continued, "You simply need to tell me the letters that make your name. Once everyone is done, we can move on to the surprise."
As with numbers, writing their letters was a slow and tedious process for the children. Spelling out loud, and even reading, was proving a much easier skill to learn. Most of the children had memorized the letters of their names early on.
When Grace gave the command, the children lined up in a single-file line in front of her. One by one, they spelled their names for her. Almost every child had something else to say as well. "You look lovely today, Your Grace." "Are you wanting that
bairn
you're carryin' to be a boy or a girl?" "I hope ye have a boy. The duke'll be mighty proud to have a son." "My mum said to thank you for all the nice things you do for us."
Elsie's younger sister Fran was the last child in line. The little girl held the sides of her skirt spread wide and sank down into a regal curtsy. Her posture and glowing smile belied her drab dress. When she rose again, she said, "It's an honor to be in your presence today, Your Grace."
"It is a pleasure to see you, too, Fran. You've been practicing your curtsy, I see."
"Just like you taught me."
"You did it beautifully. Now, can you please spell your name for me?"
"My name is Fran. It's spelled F-R-A-N." Then, with a sparkling smile, she added, "Sometimes my da calls me Frannie, but I haven't learned how to spell that yet."
With a chuckle, Grace sent her back to the group. "Here is our game today, everyone. The younger children will stay inside with me, and the older children will go outdoors with Mr. Rupert. We are going to have a treasure hunt. An item with your name written on it has been hidden. You need to find the item that bears your name, bring it back here to the great hall, and have a seat."
"What if you find something with someone else's name on it?"
"Good question, Samuel. If you can read the name and know who it belongs to, you may give it to them. If you cannot read the name, then you need to put it back and continue looking for your own parcel."
"Is there something in the parcel? Do we get to keep it?"
"Indeed there is, Joshua. And you will be able to keep it, but I want all of you together when you open them, so please, once you find your parcel, bring it back in here and have a seat."
"Why do we have to be together when we open them?"
"If someone opens theirs first, it might spoil the surprise for everyone else, Katherine."
Once all the questions had been asked and answered, the children quickly divided into their respective groups and eagerly began their treasure hunt. Margaret, Sarah, and Mrs. Pembroke assisted Grace in the great hall while the other two housemaids, along with Rupert and the footman, helped with the children outdoors. Despite knowing what was in her package, Elsie participated with as much gusto as the other children.
It took much of the morning for all of the children to find their parcels and return to the great hall. The adults overseeing the indoor group rescued two busts from destruction during the search. She hadn't yet heard the tally on outdoor casualties but figured that at the rate they were going, Mr. Pembroke would have very little statuary to maintain in the garden. The months since the children had been coming to the castle had seen a great reduction in the number of breakable works of art on display, in some cases because the pieces were moved to safety and in others because they did not get moved to safety quickly enough. Grace had lost count of how many items had met an energetic demise.
The children were all excited and eager as they sat, each with their parcel held close. The chatter in the great hall echoed louder than hunting dogs baying at a cornered fox. Grace couldn't help but smile as she gave the word. As the children began opening their packages, some ripped at the paper with abandon while others carefully opened the parcel so the paper wouldn't be damaged and could be reused.
To the last one, every child was delighted with what he or she received. The girls were naturally more excited about their new dresses. Though not as exuberant, the boys were equally pleased to have something new to wear that was theirs and theirs alone.
"Look at them," Grace said to the ladies gathered around her, the ones who had worked so hard to make this possible. "You all did this. Cherish this moment and always remember what it feels like to do a kindness to another without any expectation of a return."
In that moment Grace felt like she could take on the world, including the
ton
. Confidence filled her, lightening her step and emboldening her smile. No matter where life took her and Thomas, she would, with the strength and wisdom granted by her creator, be able to touch the lives of those around her in a positive way.
Fran jumped up from where she sat and ran to Grace, hurling herself into the duchess's arms. "Thank you oh so much, Your Grace! I love you!" Several of the other girls followed Fran's example, thanking the women who had done the sewing. Most of the boys held back, but Grace didn't mind. If she knew her pupils well, they'd each be saying a "thank you" upon their leave-taking. They weren't perfect, and they did their share of bickering, but she'd not found a truly selfish child in the bunch
.
I wish Thomas could be here to see this.
****
Later in the afternoon, after the last of the children left, Grace asked, "Still no word from Thomas?"
Rupert shook his head and said, "I've sent an official inquiry to London. I don't know it will do any good, but I thought it couldn't hurt, especially if it will give you some peace of mind."
"I can't imagine the officials in London would know where he is without his being able to write to us." She saw the slightest shadow pass across Rupert's face and asked, "Can you?"
"If Thomas is injured somewhere and unable to write, the War Office might know his location and status."
I hadn't thought of that. It's not quite the reassurance I was hoping for.
Not happy with the implication, Grace asked, "What prompted Thomas to rush to Wellington's aid? I don't think I'd realized he knew the duke or had any military experience."
"Thomas did some work with Wellington before Napoleon was last captured. He learned of Napoleon's escape from Elba two days before he found himself betrothed to you and decided to volunteer his services."
Ruefully, Grace said, "Perfect timing for a man who wished to escape from a wife he'd felt trapped into marrying." After a moment, she asked, "You can't tell me what his role is in Wellington's army?" When Rupert shook his head, Grace frowned but didn't press him. Thomas would be home one day, and he would answer the many questions she had, she was sure of it.
I don't actually care if he answers any of them as long as he comes home.
When she lingered, Rupert asked, "Was there anything else?"
Grace winced and pulled her lower lip between her teeth for a moment before saying, "Sometimes I think I've heard his voice, but when I look, no one is there."
Rupert's eyes were thoughtful, his voice soothing as he said, "It's good that you miss him."
"Is something wrong with me?"
Her words were met with a confident shake of the head. "I've seen it before, but usually with the men serving far from home. I've never stopped to wonder if the family left behind has similar issues. It just means you love and miss him, that you wish he were here. I wouldn't worry about it if I were you."
Grace blinked several times to fight the sudden pressure of tears. She quickly said, "Thank you," and turned away from Rupert, intent on finding a few minutes to herself.
I'm glad I spoke up. No reason to be needlessly overwrought about it. Besides, I already have enough to worry about.
Lord, please keep Thomas safe…
Less than a week later, the vicar arrived at Castle Felton winded and exuberant. "We've won! We've won!"
While waiting for the man to catch his breath so he could continue, Grace snatched the newspaper he was waving around in the air. "We've won," she said to the gathering crowd of household staff.
"Won what, Your Grace?" Mr. Pembroke asked.
"According to the June twenty-second issue of the London Gazette, Wellington defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo on the nineteenth. Napoleon will be sent into exile again, but at a more secure location. It appears the war is over."
Exuberant cheers filled the foyer of Castle Felton. "A rider brought the newspaper into town to share the news. I came as soon as I read it," Vicar Renner finally got out.
Grace cast a worried glance at Rupert.
Why haven't we heard from Thomas?
Her concern for her husband had steadily increased. Whether it was the pregnancy or the isolation of Northumberland playing tricks on her mind, she continued to hear his voice at times, usually as she was drifting off to sleep. Positive Thomas had spoken to her, she would sit up to find she was alone in her chamber. She hadn't told anyone but Rupert of her imaginings.
