Make-Believe Wife (10 page)

‘Yes, I expect you are right. Though, whoever it was seemed a little furtive, as if he wanted to watch the house without being seen, but perhaps that was my
imagination.' She helped herself to a little scrambled egg and ham from the vast array of dishes under silver covers on the sideboard and carried her plate to the table. Luke was finishing his rare beef eaten with sauté potatoes and pickles.

‘I dare say he was being discreet rather than furtive. Grandfather would not want the keepers to be patrolling in full view of the house, but I think that is what you saw, Roxanne.' He pushed his plate aside and poured more coffee into a delicate porcelain bowl.

‘I am relieved to hear it. I wondered if Black Bob had followed us here, and then I thought that perhaps—you spoke of an enemy when we first met?'

‘An enemy?' Luke looked puzzled, then smiled ruefully. ‘In truth, I do not have an enemy, Roxanne. Are you anxious about this fellow who threatened you before?'

‘No. He would grab me if he saw me by chance, but I do not think he would take the trouble to follow us here. I am sure you are right. The man in the garden was merely a keeper on patrol. I shall not give it another thought.'

‘You are safe now, dearest,' Luke said and smiled across the table. ‘You have me to look after you—to say nothing of the earl's household.'

‘Yes, of course. I am not anxious for myself, but I thought I should tell you what I saw.'

‘I am glad you did. What are your plans for this morning, Roxanne?'

‘I have been invited to visit the earl at eleven o'clock.
Until then I think I shall try to make myself familiar with the house.'

Luke got to his feet, tossing his napkin on the table. ‘I would love to stay and show you round, but I have an appointment with Grandfather's agent and bailiff. Perhaps we can spend the afternoon together? Do not let Grandfather bully you, Roxanne.'

‘I have no intention of it. He is a peppery gentleman, but I rather like him.'

‘You do?' Luke arched his brow, a smile quirking at the corner of his mouth. ‘Well, I wish you luck. He is seldom at his best in the morning. Excuse me, I must go or I shall be late—finish your breakfast at your leisure. Had you wished, I am sure you could have had a tray in your room.'

‘I like to rise early. Please do not let me keep you from your appointment.'

After Luke had gone, Roxanne drank her coffee and then pushed back her chair. She examined the contents of the silver dishes and saw that most had not been touched. Leaving the room, she glanced at the maid hovering outside the door.

‘You may clear now, Maisie—it is Maisie, isn't it?'

‘Yes, Miss Peters.'

‘Please call me Miss Roxanne. Everyone does and I prefer it, as I have told Mrs Arlet.'

‘Yes, Miss Roxanne. Mrs Arlet said she was at your service if you should care for a tour of the house.'

‘I think I should like that very much.'

‘I'll tell her you're ready, miss, before I clear.'

‘How kind of you, Maisie, but I think I know where
her sitting room is; she told me where to find her yesterday.'

Maisie bobbed a curtsy and went into the breakfast room. Roxanne wandered through the hall to the back stairs and then went down to the area that was used exclusively by the servants. The housekeeper's sitting room was on a small landing just above a short flight of stairs, which led to the servants' hall and the kitchen. Pleased that she had remembered correctly, Roxanne knocked and was invited to enter.

‘Miss Roxanne,' the housekeeper said and looked surprised. ‘I would have come to you if you'd sent for me.'

‘I wanted to see if I could find my way here,' Roxanne said. ‘I should like to begin with the kitchen, if you please. I have no intention of interfering with the way you do things, Mrs Arlet, but I think I should know the layout and the way everyone works. It is a long trek for the servants to carry the food to the dining room. I find it hardly surprising that things get a little cool sometimes.'

‘Yes, miss, that is a fault. Cook has been asking if we couldn't have a serving hatch somewhere. It would save Mr Marshall going up and down those stairs so much—and the food would keep hotter.'

‘Would you like me to speak to the earl for you?'

‘If you think he is up to it, miss. When he was down a year or so back, his lordship did mention having a modern range put in and a tap in the scullery to save us fetching water from the well, but nothing happened.'

‘I dare say he might have forgotten,' Roxanne said.
‘Gentlemen have such a lot to think of, do they not? They tend to leave the house to us.'

‘Well, Miss Roxanne, it is a treat to have a sensible young woman in the house. We've servants enough, it's true, but life could be a bit easier for us all and there's no mistake. A house like this needs constant attention to keep it right.'

‘I am certain it does,' Roxanne said. ‘We shall begin with a tour of the house this morning, then, when I know my way about, we shall discuss menus. Cook is providing a huge choice of food in the morning. That is as it should be when we have guests, but we hardly need so much for the family.'

‘The master eats like a bird, miss. I think Cook likes to show what she can do when his lordship is down.'

‘Yes, of course. Well, we are to have guests very soon now and she will have plenty of chance to show off her skills.'

Roxanne noticed a glimmer of respect in the housekeeper's face. She suspected that too much waste had gone on for years with no one to keep a check on things and Cook probably sent leftovers to the village or the servants took it home with them. Since there was no need for strict economy, Roxanne would not interfere—providing the neglect was not actually abuse of the earl's laxity. She felt it did no harm to let the servants see she intended to keep an eye on such things.

Where had she learned about these things? Roxanne frowned. She did not know why, but her instincts were guiding her.

‘Did you say something, miss?' the housekeeper asked, looking at her curiously.

‘No, nothing at all,' Roxanne said and smiled. The memory had been so clear for a moment but she did not wish to think of it now. ‘Shall we go down to the kitchen?'

 

‘So, Miss Roxanne, you have been inspecting the kitchens,' the earl said when she bent to kiss his cheek. ‘Discovered they are cheating me, have you?'

‘I think too much waste has been going on,' Roxanne said. ‘I am not sure you have been cheated, sir. Waste food is usually passed on to the poor or beggars, is it not?'

‘I can't be bothered with that business,' he said. ‘It will be your place to see we are not being abused now—and to sort out any problems. Do not bring them to me. There is an allowance for repairs and maintenance below stairs. Ask Clarendon if you must, but, otherwise, deal with it.'

‘In that case, I shall authorise a serving hatch, a new sink in the kitchen and taps, also a larger, more modern cooking range—but I shall not trouble you other than to ask who has charge of the allowance for repairs.'

‘Tonkins, of course. Clarendon is with him this morning.'

‘Your agent, I imagine. Very well, sir, this is the last you shall hear of it.'

‘Good.' He glared at her. ‘What do you make of the rest of it—think it an old wreck of a place? Clarendon
does. He'll tear it down and build new when I'm gone, I dare say.'

‘Oh, I do not think it, sir. I have no idea what it costs to run a house like this, but I imagine it is a great deal. Perhaps if you were to pull down the tower and the wing you never use, you might build a more modern section there—and keep the rest of this lovely house as it is.'

‘Humph. Think you're the first to come up with the idea? Clarendon's mother wanted me to do it years ago. She always hated the tower—said it was haunted.'

‘Is it?'

‘Don't believe in that rubbish, do you? The roof has gone in parts and rooks nest there. The sounds people hear are wind and birds or rats in the eaves.'

‘Yes, I expect you are right,' Roxanne said. ‘At night it is easy to imagine all kinds of things.'

‘You are a woman of sense,' the earl said, his gaze narrowing. ‘Is it all an act, Miss Roxanne? The ruby Clarendon showed me—it doesn't fit with the rest. What are you keeping from me, miss—and does Clarendon know it all?'

‘The ruby is my inheritance. I wasn't sure it was valuable, but Luke says it is and I believe him.'

‘He told me he has to return to London tomorrow. He will be gone for a few days and then he intends to stay until after the ball. What do you think of that, miss?'

‘I expect he has some business in town. There is little he can do here, really. I am sure he will have sorted any estate business this morning.'

‘Don't mind him running out on you, then? What if
he decides not to bother about coming back until the day before the ball?'

‘I should miss him, but I believe he will keep his word.'

‘You have a deal more faith than I, Miss Roxanne. He usually stays two days at the most and then I don't see him for months.'

‘Things are different now, sir.'

‘Are they?' The earl's eyes seemed to pierce her with their intensity. ‘I thought this was just a masquerade to keep me sweet—are you telling me that you are really going to marry him?'

Roxanne looked at him in silence for a long moment, then smiled. ‘We have to wait for three months—but if you give your blessing and Luke still wants to marry me, yes, I shall.'

‘I haven't made up my mind about you yet, miss. There's something you're both hiding—but I'll get it out of you or him. Wait and see if I don't.'

Roxanne hesitated, then, ‘Tell me, sir—what is it that you want most in the world?'

‘To see my great-grandson and know there will be someone to carry on here when I've gone. Clarendon will never settle here—but you might. Is that the idea? You'll give me what I want and he gets to live in town as he pleases? You won't like that much, girl, and you're a fool if you settle for it.'

‘Please, do not think so ill of him, sir,' Roxanne pleaded. ‘I know things have not always been right between you—but will you not give Luke a chance to
make this work? He is genuine in his desire to mend fences.'

The earl's gaze narrowed, his mouth pursed. ‘Hmmm, we shall see.'

 

‘I hope Grandfather did not bully you too much?' Luke said when they met for nuncheon later. Roxanne shook her head and he nodded in satisfaction, looking so much like his grandfather that she had to hide her laughter. ‘Well, what would you like to do this afternoon? I know you can manage a horse—have you done much riding? Proper riding, I mean, not as part of a circus show.'

‘All kinds,' Roxanne replied. ‘Barebacked, astride, but I have not much experience of riding sidesaddle. I can drive a caravan. I dare say I could learn to ride like a lady easily enough.'

‘I am sure you could and I will arrange a suitable mount for you when I return from town. For this afternoon I think perhaps we should drive round the estate, just to give you an idea of its size and where it is pleasant to walk when you are alone. When I was out with Tonkins this morning everyone was asking about you. Since it is a pleasant afternoon we can use the curricle and allow the curious to see my fiancée. It is only necessary to wave and smile at this juncture.'

‘I think that would be very pleasant. Did you have a good morning with your grandfather's agent?'

‘Yes. Why do you ask?'

‘I understand the monies for minor repairs to the kitchens are lodged with him. Mrs Arlet has spoken
to me about various needs and your grandfather has told me it is up to me to sort out domestic problems in future.'

‘Has he, indeed? Clearly he trusts you more than me, Roxanne. I spoke to him about a serving hatch some months back and he sent me about my business, told me he didn't need help with arranging his household.'

‘Well, perhaps things have changed. I have been told not to bother him with trivial domestic affairs and I shan't—but the hatch would improve the quality of the food for us and make less work for others. I think it would repay the cost many times over.'

‘I can see the future of this place is in safe hands, at least for the moment.' Luke frowned and stood up. ‘I shall arrange for the curricle to be brought round. It is warm, but there may be a breeze so you will want your bonnet and a pelisse.'

‘I shall fetch them,' Roxanne said.

She was thoughtful as she walked upstairs. Luke had not seemed particularly pleased with the news that the earl had placed domestic affairs in her hands. Perhaps he was beginning to regret bringing her here? His idea of a temporary engagement seemed to be getting out of hand.

 

Had Roxanne been able to read Luke's mind she would have discovered that he had mixed feelings and was in something of a turmoil regarding the situation between them. It was surely a good thing that the earl should feel able to place his domestic affairs in Roxanne's hands. He was uncertain of her true feelings
regarding the situation. She had been quite adamant that there would be no wedding, just a fake engagement for a few months, but she seemed to have changed her mind since their arrival at Hartingdon.

She had been running from a man who was determined to make her his mistress when they met, her future dubious to say the least. It would be tempting for any woman in such difficulty to be seduced by the house and the obvious wealth here. Yet if the ruby truly belonged to Roxanne she had money of her own. Luke did not know exactly how much it would fetch, but he was sure it would be more than a few hundred—perhaps as much as two thousand pounds or more to the right person? With such a sum she could set up her own establishment and live comfortably for the rest of her life or until she found work or married. She did not need to live here at the mercy of a cantankerous old man—or to marry a man she did not love.