Nine Steps to Sara (14 page)

“Perhaps one more game, though I don’t know how much longer I can tarry.”

“We can always try chess if you’re tired of me beating you at draughts.”

“I fear my time grows short.  Do you remember what I told you, Jack?”

“I guess so, but I still don’t get why.”

“It’s dangerous for you to stay
here;
I don’t know how much longer I can protect you.”

“But I don’t want to leave, I like it here.  Why would anything happen to me?”

“Accidents happen every day.  Look to your mother’s friend; she met with a terrible spill in the woods, she could have easily broken her neck.  I urge you to take caution, young Jack, I dare not say more.”

Sara frowned over the conversation, not recognizing the woman’s voice.  Was someone harassing Jack about staying?  Straightening, she burst into the room, prepared to give whoever it was a piece of her mind,
only to find
there wasn’t anyone in there but Jack, who was setting up a checker board on the edge of the desk.

“Who was just in here?”

“Hey Mom, draughts is checkers!” he replied, eyes full of excitement, but Sara ignored him, looking behind the door. 

“Who were you talking to?”

“The lady.”

“What lady?”

“I dunno,” he shrugged, uninterested.  “Want to play some checkers?”

“What was that stuff she was telling you?  About it being dangerous for you to be here?”  It didn’t sit right with her, especially not in her own home. 

“Something about accidents, I wasn’t paying attention.”

“But it wasn’t Katie and it wasn’t Mrs. Poole?”

“No,” he gave her a look, like she’d said something stupid.  “Can we have lunch soon?  I’m really hungry.”

“Hold on, I want to get to the bottom of this first.  Mrs. Poole?” she called out the library door.  Realizing she’d never hear her, Sara rang the bell pull and Mrs. Poole appeared a few minutes later. 

“I’ve sent up some Epsom salts for Miss Wilson’s bath, I do hope she’s feeling better soon,” she clucked in sympathy.

“Thanks.  Listen, was anyone else in the house just now?  Any visitors?”

“Visitors?  No, my Lady, not to my knowledge.  Why, are you expecting someone?”

“No, but someone was in here talking to Jack
,
and I mean to find out who it was.”

Mrs. Poole
’s mouth fell open, turning
first from Sara to Jack and back again
before she snapped it shut
.  “I can’t imagine who it could have
been;
I’ll ask Thomas if anyone came to the door.”

“What’s the big deal?” Jack asked, after she’d gone.

“The big deal is someone waltzing into my own home and trying to warn you off is definitely not cool.  Are you sure you don’t know her name?”

“I don’t think she ever said it.”

“Ever?  You’ve talked to her before?”

“Sure, lots of times.”

“Where?  In town?”  They’d met so many
people;
maybe one of the villagers had taken a
n interest in
the boy?

“In my room or here in the library.  She says she likes to watch over me, that I remind her of her son.”

“Then why is she
telling
you to leave?”  It didn’t make sense.  If someone was truly concerned for Jack’s safety, why not come to her?

“She said it’s not safe here.”

“Did she say why?”

“No, not really, something about accidents.”

Not quite a threat…
  “If she ever shows up again I want you to come and get me, okay?”

“Yeah, okay.”

“I mean it, Jack.”  How could he be so unconcerned? 

“I don’t get why you’re so upset; you saw her yourself.”

“I did?” Sara blinked.  “When was that?”

“Just now, before she left.”

“Jack, there was no one in here when I got here.”  That was another strange thing; how had she left so quickly?  Had she gone out the window?

“Yes she was, but you scared her off.  She gets scared really easy.”

“I’m sorry to interrupt, my Lady,” Mrs. Poole appeared by the door, “but Thomas has informed me that there have been no visitors today apart from young Will.  No one has rung the main bell.”

Just what she was afraid of
.  “
T
hat means we have someone who’s walking into the house unannounced.  I want us to start locking the windows and doors during the day, do you understand?”

“If you say so, my Lady,” she replied dubiously.  “Though that will be difficult once we take on more staff.”

“I don’t care, I don’t want people sneaking in and threatening my son.  Once we figure out who it is and what to look for, then we can revisit the rule.”

“She didn’t threaten me, Mom.”

“She told you to leave or you’d get hurt, that sounds like a threat to me,” Sara snapped, immediately regretting the way he shrank away from her tone.  “I’m sorry, honey, I didn’t mean to bite your head off.  What does she look like?”

“I don’t know, like a lady,” he shrugged.

“What color hair does she have?”

“Sorta brown.”

“What color eyes?”

“I don’t remember.  Can I go wash up for lunch now?”

“Ye
s
, come right back here though.  We’ll eat what Mrs. Poole packed out on the terrace, okay?”

“Okay.”

“I can assure you,
Sir Jack
’s wellbeing is at least as important to us as it is to you,” Mrs. Poole smiled reassuringly.

“Do you have any kids, Mrs. Poole?”

“Thomas and I were never blessed with children, no.”

“I’m sorry,” Sara gave her a sad smile in return.  “I don’t know what I’d do without that boy.”  Having a child had changed her life, and there wasn’t one day that went by that she wasn’t grateful for how wonderful he’d turned out.  It was even worth her disastrous marriage to Peter.

“Forgive my impertinence, but did you never think of remarrying and ex
t
ending your family?”

Sara shook her head.  “I’m fresh out of a bad marriage; I’m not so sure I want to jump into a new relationship anytime soon.”  An image of Will’s smile rose unbidden, distracting her for a moment.  “Eventually maybe.  I mean, I’d like to have more children someday, give Jack a brother or sister.” 

“I daresay young Will would do a credible job of it,” Mrs. Poole winked so quickly, Sara thought she might have imagined it. 

“I kinda had the idea you wouldn’t approve of that sort of
thing, Mrs. P.”  Her being a L
ady (even if she was new at it) and him a lowly not-chauffeur.

“My dear, we’re not in Edwardian times,” Mrs. Poole chuckled.  “We’re living in the modern world, my Lady.  If he makes you happy, I say… convention can go hang.”

“Does that mean you’ll call me Sara?” she grinned, but Mrs. Poole shook her head.

“Let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater.”

Sara did enjoy Will’s company, even if he was a bit of a
flirt;
she liked to think she was a good judge of character.  Then again, she
’d
fallen for Peter, hook line and sinker…  On the other hand, Will was nothing like Peter, and he hadn’t fallen for Joanie’s act, so double points there. 

“Hey, do you know anything about a circle of stones on the property?” Sara remembered to ask before Mrs. Poole slipped away. 

“He took you as far as that?” she frowned, though Sara hadn’t thought it was all that far.  They hadn’t even reached the lake. 

“Ye
s
, have you been out there?”

“It’s been quite some time, but I have visited them before.”

“What are they?  Will said they had something to do with the Druids.”

“It’s certainly very possible; these lands are full of such holy places.  Probably best not to disturb it, my Lady.  Will you be wanting lemonade with your luncheon?”

“That sounds nice, thank you,” Sara nodded, forgetting about the stones as Jack came into view.  “Grab your checkerboard, kiddo.  I challenge you to a match over lunch,” she grinned, pushing the worries over his safety to the corner of her mind for the moment. 

* * *

There was no sign of Jack’s mystery woman for the rest of the afternoon, or of Joanie for that matter.  Katie was sent up with a tray for her at dinner time, and reported she was sleeping soundly, despite the early hour.  After eating, Sara holed up in the study, tending to neglected emails through the slow as molasses tether of her cell phone, planning to curl up with one of the many books as soon as she was done.

“Come round to the pub with me tonight.”

“What?” Sara looked up to find Will leaning against the doorframe, looking better than he had a right to in a soft, gray sweater and jeans.   

“Your friend is sleeping with the Christian Brothers tonight and Jack will be in bed soon.  Why not come out with me, get to know some of the locals and relax a bit?”

“You mean like a date?”

“Would that be a bad idea?”

Was it?
  After the conversation with Mrs. Poole, she felt a little less awkward about their social standing (not that she’d ever considered herself to be above him in any way), but that didn’t mean she was ready to jump into the deep end without testing the waters first.  “It’s just that I’m not really dating right now…”

“Forgive me, I should say, it’s definitely not a date,” he amended without skipping a beat.

“No?” the corner of her mouth tugged up into a smile.  “What is it then?”

“Two friends having a drink at the local pub
?
  Perhaps a game of
darts
?”  Will sauntered into the room to perch on the end of her desk.  “You could tell me more about your plans for the house and I could pretend to listen with rapt attention.”

“Pretend?” her brows drew together into a dark line.  “Will, if you’re not interested in my talking about the house, just say so.”

“It’s not the subject,
” he leaned forward, his voice dropping confidentially.  “It’s
only
that it’s so difficult to pay attention to
any
topic when I’m in your presence.”

“Me?  What did I do?”  Did she have a piece of food stuck between her teeth?  Was her hair mussed? 

“I find you distracting is all.” 

“You’re not the only one,” she murmured; he snuck into her waking thoughts all too easily. 

“You’ve been distracting men the world over?  Why am I not surprised?” he teased, leaning closer.

“No, I meant you’re distracting, yourself,” she pushed at his shoulder lightly and he caught her hand gently. 

“Come out with me tonight, Sara.  Let’s drive each other to distraction.”

“Well then, why bother to talk at all?”  The words spilled out without thinking, and operating on instinct, Sara leaned closer when Will’s head canted to one side, his eyes resting squarely on her lips.  He was going to kiss her, and Sara had just about decided she didn’t mind one bit, when Jack’s voice called from the doorway and she sprang apart from him guiltily.