The Cross of Love (3 page)

"Yes. I don't look much like an Earl do I? More like a pot boy, I suppose."

"My name is Rena Colwell. My father was the vicar here until his death. He brought me to this house several times when the old Earl was still alive. It's such a beautiful place, and I've always loved it. Is something wrong?" For his face had fallen.

"Only that if you're the vicar's daughter it wouldn't be quite proper for me to let you light the fire."

"Oh never mind what's proper," she said at once. "Let's just do what we want." Then her hands flew to her mouth. "No - at least - what I meant was - "

"Don't," he begged. "Don't change it. I preferred the first version."

"Well, so did I," she admitted, "but it was the sort of thing Papa used to reprove me for saying. Now, let me do your fire. I shall need some paper - there should be some in one of the drawers of the table. Then I must have some small pieces of wood and matches with which to light the fire."

"I suppose it is what I should have known," the man answered ruefully. "But quite frankly I'm not used to making my own fire or cooking my own breakfast."

"I promise that you won't be hungry for very much longer."

She had to chase some beetles out of the range before she could do anything else. But at last she got the fire burning and the water in the saucepan was hot enough to cook some eggs. The Earl had some provisions, coffee, a little milk, half a loaf of bread and a large pat of butter.

"I have an uneasy feeling that politeness dictates that I should ask you to share my breakfast," he said. "But - forgive me, I'm too hungry to be polite."

"I'm not hungry. I ate my breakfast before I left home."

This was not quite true, because she had merely picked up some pieces of ham left over from her supper the night before. She was making her few remaining scraps of food last.

"I don't think you can be real," he said. "You're a fairy creature who came by magic to save me from starving to death. What is it? What did I say?" He'd seen a sudden change in her face.

"Nothing," she said hastily. His innocent remark had reminded her of the reality of her situation. "I just - thought of something. Go on with what you are saying."

He raised his coffee cup to her in salute. "To the fairy who saved me. I'm very lucky to have found you."

Rena smiled. "I thought actually I had found you. Whenever I've been here before the house has been completely empty, unless someone was thinking of becoming a tenant. Mind you, they always changed their mind as soon as they saw how much had to be done."

"And now you expect me to do it," the man remarked wryly. "But this place is too big and too expensive for me even to contemplate living in."

Rena sighed.

"Oh, must you say that? I have often thought it would be very exciting if the house came alive again and was not left as it is now gradually to crumble until there is nothing left of it, or its beautiful gardens."

"That's a beautiful hope," he said, "But there is one grave difficulty."

"What is that?"

"I can say it in one word. Money! Money to make the house habitable. Money to employ gardeners, farmers, money for horses to fill the stables."

"That would be wonderful!" she exclaimed. "I've always wanted to ride over your land, but as my father had a very small stipend, we could never afford a horse, much as we longed to have one."

"Yes, of course, you said your father was the parson."

"He was parson to the village and of course, this house, for over twenty years. Now when the bishop finds the right man another parson will prevail here and I will have to leave."

There was a note of pain in her voice which the young man heard.

After a moment he said: "If I can afford it, I would do all those things. I would ask you to help me make this house as beautiful as it used to be, when it was first built."

"Oh, how I would love that," Rena answered. "But you speak as if it's impossible!"

"It is. I've been abroad because I was serving in Her Majesty's Navy. When my ship returned to England I learnt, to my astonishment, that they had discovered, after hunting high and low, that I was the only living relative of the last Earl who reigned here. I'm not sure how long ago that was."

"He died ten years ago," Rena said. "I know the search for his relatives has continued ever since, but people had given up hope."

He sighed.

"At first it seemed part of a fairy story," he explained. "Then I realised that what I had inherited was the title itself, and this house and estate. But as for money - not even a pittance."

"You mean you have no money even though you are an Earl?" Rena asked. This was an entirely new idea to her.

"Not a penny. When I was told that this house came with the title, which had not been used for so long, I was, at first, thrilled at the thought of owning land and of course having a home of my own."

He gave a rueful smile. "I didn't think it was possible to be a poor Earl either. I know better now," he added with a touch of bitterness.

"Surely you can sell some of the land, if nothing else," Rena suggested.

"In this condition?"

"Can't you put it to rights?"

"It would take thousands of pounds, and I have nothing, except what I saved out of my salary as a sailor which needless to say, was very little.

"Besides, it's entailed. It has to go to the next Earl, who might be my son, but probably won't be, since I can't afford to marry. In fact, I can't afford to do anything. haven't a penny to my name."

"But you have," breathed Rena in sudden excitement. "That's what I came here to tell you!"

The Earl stared at Rena as though she had taken leave of her senses.

"What did you say?"

"You do have some money," she said excitedly. "That's why I'm here." As he continued to regard her with bewilderment she asked,. "Didn't you wonder what I'm doing here?"

"Well - "

"Do strange women pop up in your kitchen every day, cooking you breakfast with no questions asked?"

"I've never had a kitchen of my own before now," he observed mildly, "so I'm a little vague about the normal procedure. But now you mention it, I suppose it is a little strange."

"A little strange?" she squealed, indignant at his annoying composure.

"One of the advantages of being a sailor is that you become ready for the unexpected, what ever it may be. Hurricanes, mermaids, beautiful young women springing up through trapdoors - Her Majesty's Navy is ready for anything."

"I wish you would be serious," she said severely.

"You're right," he said, nodding. "There are no trapdoors here, and you could hardly have come up through the flagstones could you?"

"You - " her lips were twitching, and she hardly knew what to say.

"Yes?" He was suspiciously innocent.

"Nothing. When you can be serious I'll tell you what I have to say?"

"I am immediately serious," he declared, although the gleam in his eyes belied it. "Please tell me how you came to be in my house? Did you break in? Should I send for the law? No, no, I'm sorry - " for she had risen in exasperation.

"Please sit down. I promise to behave like a sensible man."

"You shouldn't promise the impossible."

"Oh dear! Dashed! I'm afraid you understand me all too well, Miss Colwell."

She pressed her lips together.

"Please tell me what you wish to say," he said meekly.

"I came because I'd heard somebody was here," Rena said, "to tell you that I found something on your estate which it's only right for me to give to you."

She took out the three coins she had taken from under the thistle, and put them down on the table. The sunshine coming through the window seemed to make them sparkle.

The Earl looked at her in astonishment. Then he lifted the coins and turned them between his fingers.

"These are ancient," he said. "Several hundred years probably. Where did you find them?"

"Underneath a thistle in your grounds. And I brought them to their owner, which is apparently you."

He looked at her curiously. "Did you not think of keeping them for yourself?"

"I told you, my father was the parson here. One thing he never expected me to do was take possession of anything which did not belong to me!"

"My apologies. It's very kind of you to bring me these coins. I'm sure they're valuable. But you know, they won't go very far. What we really need is a few thousand of them!"

"They may be there for all I know," Rena told him. "That's why I came at once to tell you. You should search as soon as possible, in case anyone does what I tried to do."

"What you tried to do?"

"I was visiting the cross."

"What cross?"

"It stands on your land. It was found years ago. They cleaned it up and Papa deciphered the words carved on it. They are an invitation to prayer, so people sometimes go there instead of the church. I found a thistle growing at the foot, spoiling the beauty of the kingcups, so I pulled it out. These were underneath."

"Just these? No more?" "I don't know, I didn't look further. But there might be, and that would solve all your problems."

He was silently staring down at the three gold coins.

"Will you take me to where you found these? I can hardly wait to know what's really there."

"I don't think you should hope for too much," she said gently. "I have a feeling that the coins were placed there in gratitude by someone whose prayers had been answered."

"Is that why you were there?"

Rena shook her head. "No, I went there to ask for something. Like you I am penniless because my father is dead and I have to find some way of making money," she explained.

He stared. "You're as poor as that? And you weren't even tempted to keep them?"

"Oh yes," she said quietly. "I was tempted." She rose, to silence further discussion of this fact. "Shall we go now?"

He was about to make a light hearted comment, but something about her pale face silenced him.

"If you will be kind enough to show me the way," he said, "I would be grateful."

They left the house and climbed down to the woods and the stream, across a rough wooden bridge, grown somewhat precarious with age.

"Why is the cross on my land rather than in the cemetery?" the Earl enquired.

"Because this is where it was found, and Papa thought it should stay there. Look, there it is."

Just ahead of them stood the cross looking strong, dark and impressive amongst the trees.

She walked quickly ahead, and when she reached the cross she knelt down and said a private prayer thanking God for letting her find the money, with all the good it might do for the man who owned it, for the villagers, and perhaps to her too, although she could not, for the moment, see how.

The Earl stood still, watching her in silent respect, wondering what was happening to him and to his whole world.

Only when she had finished praying did the Earl move forward. She lifted the thistle, which he took from her and flung away. Then he bent down and started to pull up the ground round the cross. It crossed Rena's mind that perhaps he would find nothing. As the Earl pushed his hand lower and lower, she closed her eyes and held her breath.

Then she heard him make a sudden sound which was almost a yell of delight.

She opened her eyes. He was looking towards her, his hand outstretched. In it she saw a large lump of soil. Something in it was shining in the sunshine coming through the trees above them.

More coins. For a moment she thought she was dreaming.

"Your prayers have been answered," he said jubilantly. "And there are probably more if we dig deeper."

"It is true, it is really true!" Rena said almost beneath her breath.

The Earl lowered his voice. "Let's get back to the house. No one must know what we've found or that we've been here. The rest need to be brought up by experts who know how to treat them so that they won't be damaged."

As he spoke he put the soil he was holding into the pocket of his coat. Then, putting his arm round Rena, he took her back the way they had come. Only when they reached the house and went in through the front door, did the Earl speak.

"You've saved me," he said. "At least for the moment, you've saved me from feeling nothing but despair for this house and all it contains." Then he shook his head like a man in a dream. "I don't know how to thank you."

"It's Papa you should thank," Rena said. "Do you really think there will be enough money for you to restore The Grange?"

"I cannot believe our luck is as good as that," the Earl answered. "But even a little money is a tremendous help. It gives me a chance to think. But this must remain our secret."

"Of course," Rena promised. "Once word gets out and you'll have the whole village digging up your land."

"And the only person I want to share it with is you."

Smiling, she shook her head. "It belongs to you."

"Miss Colwell, please tell me something. When you first went to that place this morning, what were you praying for?"

"For a job," she said simply. "I've 'eaten the bread of idleness for the past two months,' and frankly it's beginning to taste rancid."

"Then let me offer you a job, as my housekeeper."

She stopped and stared at him. "You mean that?"

"It's not much of a job. You've seen the place as it is. It would take a brave spirit even to contemplate taking it on? And indeed you are a brave spirit."

"Am I?"

"Everything you've done today - I'm filled with admiration. You could take that huge task on, and defeat it. Oh, wait!"

"What is it?" she asked anxiously, seeing her lovely new job vanishing before her eyes.

"Perhaps your family wouldn't care for you to take such a post. They might think it beneath you."

"Mama's family probably would. They were Sunninghills, and very proud of it."

"You're a Sunninghill? There's an Admiral Sunninghill."

"My third cousin. Or fourth. Or fifth maybe."

"He might object."

She stopped and faced him. "My lord, are you still in the Navy?"