The Lady's Maid (19 page)

She stood up, reaching for the bandbox containing her purchases and her basket. ‘Yes, I’ve been away too long as it is. They’ll be starting to worry about me.’

It had stopped raining by the time they reached Damerell Manor and the sun had forced its way through a bank of clouds to send fitful rays onto the wet grass. Harry helped Josie down from the cabriolet and she stood for a moment staring up at the house,
which
seemed oddly silent. Someone should have noticed their approach. On a normal day the front door would be flung open with a footman standing to attention, and a groom would come running in order to take the equipage to the stables.

She had a sick feeling in her stomach as she raced up the steps to hammer on the door. Something was terribly wrong. She pounded the solid oak with her fists until she heard the sound of footsteps and it was Toop himself who opened the door. His set expression seemed to wilt before her eyes and his bottom lip trembled.

‘Toop, what’s happened? What’s wrong?’

Chapter Eleven

NEWS OF SIR
Hector’s stroke had travelled round the village long before it was announced during matins on the following Sunday, and therefore it came as no surprise to the concerned villagers. Kate had called at the manor house as soon as she heard about the squire’s condition, but Hickson had sent her away with the proverbial flea in her ear. She had written a note to Josie but had no way of knowing whether or not it had been received. This, together with the fact that plans for her father’s wedding were already in hand, had made her feel extremely low. Sam and Molly had sympathised and tried to comfort her, but the end result was inevitable.

Robert and Honoria were married by Parson Daleymount in the parish church of Kingston Damerell at the beginning of December. The squire gave the bride away as she had no living relatives, and he had also generously provided the wedding breakfast which was laid out in one of the barns at the home farm. Kate had had little to do with the arrangements, except for hanging the rafters with swags of evergreen. The squire had sent everything else, including the crockery and cutlery from the Grange, and his servants had set the tables and laid out the food.

Sir Hector was not well enough to attend the service, and Lady Damerell declined to come without him, but Josie was there, sitting in the family pew, and to Kate’s surprise Harry Challenor was at her side. As Kate walked up the aisle behind Honoria and the squire, Josie looked up and winked at her, and the coolness that had existed between them was dispelled in a moment. Kate sighed with relief. She stole a sideways glance at Harry, but he was giving his full attention to Josie, who was whispering something in his ear that made him smile. They seemed to be such an established couple that Kate felt her heart sink down to her satin slippers. So Josie had caught her man after all. She ought to have been happy for her, but the sight of them together left a bitter taste in her mouth which she could not explain. As if it were not bad enough to witness her father exchanging marriage vows with Honoria, she had to watch her lifelong friend entering a loveless marriage which would almost inevitably bring unhappiness to both parties.

Outside the church in the fitful December sunshine, Robert threw a handful of copper coins at the feet of the village children, who scrambled and fought over the pennies, halfpennies and farthings. Sam had decked the farm cart with ribbons and laurel, and was waiting to drive them the short distance to the barn. Robert was about to hand Honoria onto the driver’s seat when Harry stepped forward. ‘My dear sir, might I offer you and your bride the use of my carriage for the journey to the wedding breakfast?’

Robert’s cheeks flushed dark red above his starched shirt collar. ‘Thank you, sir. I wouldn’t want to put you to so much trouble.’

‘It is no trouble at all.’ Harry signalled to his coachman.

Honoria beamed at him. ‘How very kind of you, sir.’

‘Thank you, Mr Challenor,’ Robert said stiffly. ‘But my cart is good enough for me and for my wife too.’

Kate recognised the martial spark in her father’s eyes and she could see that he was mortally offended, but before she could say anything Honoria had turned on her new husband, bristling like a turkeycock. ‘This behaviour won’t do, Robert. You must not turn down such a generous offer.’ With her foot already on the step and her hand on the coachman’s arm, she flashed a smile at Harry. ‘You’re very kind, sir. We will be delighted to accept your offer.’

‘There you are, Coggins. Your lady wife has made the decision for you.’ Harry’s lips twitched as though he wanted to laugh, and mischievous glints danced in his eyes even though his tone was serious.

Kate saw her father’s shoulders stiffen and he gave Harry a curt nod. Poor Pa, she thought, as she watched him climb up into the carriage. He’s been married barely half an hour and Honoria is already showing her true colours. She knew then for certain that life at home would never be the same again. She looked up and met Harry’s amused gaze. So he was just entertaining himself at the expense of the peasants, was he? She would have liked to give him a piece of her mind, but she did not want to make a scene.

‘What’s wrong, Miss Coggins? Have I managed to offend you yet again?’

‘Why would you think that, Mr Challenor? Why should I mind if you use your wealth to undermine my father’s standing in the eyes of his bride? I’m sure he is honoured to be humiliated by a man such as you.’

‘You humble me, Miss Coggins.’

‘I didn’t think that would be possible.’

Josie had stopped in the church porch and was speaking to Parson Daleymount, but she broke off and came hurrying to Harry’s side. ‘What’s this? You two look very serious and it is supposed to be a happy day.’

‘Miss Coggins is cross with me, Josie. I’m afraid my good intentions have gone awry.’

Josie slipped her hand through his arm, but the smile froze on her face as Sam brought the farm cart to a halt in front of them. She eyed him with a stony stare. ‘It’s very easy to bruise the pride of stiff-necked country folk.’

‘Then perhaps you should not have lowered yourself to come among us, miss.’ Sam’s expression was hostile as he leapt from the driver’s seat.

Josie clenched her gloved hands into fists, and Kate felt the tension between them crackle and spit like green wood on a fire. She laid her hand on Sam’s arm. ‘Pa and Honoria will be halfway there by now. We should follow them.’

‘Go on then,’ Josie said, tossing her head. ‘I’m not sure that I want to attend a bucolic romp, and I’m afraid that you will find it utterly boring, Harry.’

‘On the contrary, my dear. I’m looking forward to it enormously.’

Sam thrust the reins into Harry’s hands. ‘There you are then, sir. Since you gave your carriage to the happy couple, perhaps you would like to ride country style.’

Kate held her breath, waiting for Harry’s response. She thought he was about to cut Sam down to size, but he turned to Josie with a lazy smile. ‘What do you say, Josie? Shall we accept the fellow’s offer?’

‘Why not? And I shall take the reins. I’m a competent whip, Harry. As you will soon discover.’ She eyed Sam with a contemptuous curl of her lips. ‘You may help me up, fellow.’

Without saying a word, Sam lifted her in his arms and tossed her onto the driver’s seat. The startled horse whinnied and reared in the shafts. Harry caught hold of his bridle and stroked the frightened animal’s muzzle. ‘That was a damn fool thing to do, Loveday.’

Sam touched his forelock. ‘What do you expect from a simple country lad, sir?’

Kate stepped in between them. ‘Enough of this. Josie, if you run my dear old horse into the ground I’ll never speak to you again. And you, Sam! For shame on you speaking to Mr Challenor like that. It makes you almost as bad as he is.’ She marched off with her head held high, but she was struggling to control a maelstrom of emotions from anger to humiliation and perhaps a tinge of jealousy. Josie held men’s hearts in the palm of her hand, and yet it did not seem to occur to her that she was creating havoc in their lives. Kate could not be certain but she
guessed
that Josie had given Sam some encouragement, and now he was tormented by a hopeless passion. By her own admission, Josie had set out to make Harry fall in love with her. Had she succeeded? Kate felt tears stinging her eyes as she walked on as fast as her long skirts would allow. Harry Challenor was not her concern – he could take care of himself. He had no doubt left a string of broken hearts in his wake. It would serve him right if he did fall in love with Josie.

She turned her head as the trap drew up beside her. Josie leaned down and held out her hand. Her eyes sparkled with mischief. ‘Jump up beside me, Kate. I’ve left the silly men to take shanks’s pony.’

Kate hesitated, but she could not resist Josie’s wicked grin. She hitched up her skirts and climbed up beside her.

Josie flicked the whip. ‘Giddy-up, old chap. Let’s show them you’re not yet ready for the knacker’s yard.’

‘Don’t drive him too hard,’ Kate said, holding onto the sides of the trap.

‘Look at him go. I’m sure the poor nag is dying to get the wind under his tail and show you what he can do.’ Josie flicked the whip above the horse’s ears and he responded by breaking into a canter. They arrived shortly after the happy couple, and were just in time to see Robert help his new wife alight from the carriage. They took their place in front of the barn doors to greet their guests. Honoria gave Kate a triumphant smile as she walked past her, but Robert caught
her
in his arms and gave her a smacking kiss on both cheeks. ‘You are still my best girl, Kate. And I hope that you will grow to love Honoria as I do.’

He could not have said anything worse, and although she knew it was well meant, Kate’s eyes brimmed with tears.

‘There, now. I’ve made you cry, my dear. I never meant to.’

He looked so crestfallen that she swallowed hard and forced her lips into a semblance of a smile. ‘I just want you to be happy, Pa.’ She turned to Honoria. ‘And I wish you well too, ma’am. I’m sure I’ll try to be a dutiful daughter to you.’

Honoria bared her teeth, but her eyes were cold. ‘You’d better,’ she whispered. ‘There isn’t room for two mistresses in the house, if you get my meaning.’

Biting back an angry retort, Kate moved away quickly.

‘What on earth did she say to you?’ Josie demanded anxiously. ‘You look as though you’ve seen a ghost.’

‘She’s just declared war. Well, if that’s the way she wants it – that is what she will get.’

‘Oh, Lord,’ Josie said with feeling. ‘The sooner I hook Harry the better, then I can get you away from all this, and we can both live happily ever after in Copperstone Castle.’

Kate saw her gaze wander to the doorway where Harry had entered, followed closely by Sam. Josie’s expression was guarded, but Kate saw a haunting sadness in her eyes as she watched Sam walk across the barn to speak to Molly. Josie might pretend to be
hard
, but Kate sensed that it was not only Sam’s heart that was breaking.

‘Miss Coggins.’

Kate turned with a start. ‘Mr Challenor?’

‘I apologise for any offence that I may have caused you.’

‘Really? You don’t look very sorry to me.’

‘Come now, Kate,’ Josie said with a forced laugh. ‘Harry doesn’t very often apologise for his behaviour. Let’s not spoil your father’s special day.’

Kate frowned. She was not going to let Josie get off so lightly. ‘I think you should tell Sam you’re sorry for the way you treated him.’

‘If it will make you happy, I’ll go down on my bended knees and beg his forgiveness.’ Josie cast an arch glance in Harry’s direction.

‘Go on then,’ Kate said, unimpressed. ‘I want to see it.’

Josie took Harry’s hand and linked it with Kate’s. ‘I will make my peace with Loveday, if you two will shake hands and agree to be friends.’ She reached up to kiss his cheek. ‘Be a good boy, Harry. And I will reward you.’ Without waiting for his answer, Josie danced across the barn towards Sam.

Kate tried to pull her hand away but Harry held it in a warm grasp. ‘Am I forgiven?’

‘I’m sure that what I think matters very little to a man like you.’

‘You’re quite wrong. I make it a firm rule that everyone I meet has to like me.’

‘Now you are laughing at me.’

‘Not at all. I’m laughing at our ridiculous social customs that make us say what we do not think or mean. And I respect you for speaking the truth even though it is not always palatable.’

If she was not careful, she might actually begin to like him. Kate attempted to withdraw her hand, but he raised it to his lips and brushed it with a whisper of a kiss. ‘As you haven’t slapped my face, I take it I am forgiven. So will you do me the honour of dancing with me, Miss Coggins?’

It was impossible to refuse when he put it so charmingly, and inexplicably she wanted nothing more than to be held in his arms, although she was uncomfortably aware that there were many curious eyes watching them. It would be all round the village by teatime that Kate Coggins had danced with the owner of Copperstone Castle, and that he had chosen her to partner him rather than Miss Damerell. The fiddlers struck up a lively polka and before she had a chance to refuse, Harry had whirled her into the dance. Breathless and wishing that she had not made Molly tighten her corsets so that her waist was little more than a hand’s span, Kate had to concentrate hard in order to keep up with Harry. It would be so humiliating if she were to tread on his feet or to miss a step that she forgot all about remaining aloof, and found herself actually enjoying the feeling of being twirled round in strong arms so that it was almost like flying. Her hooped skirts swung like a bell and her satin slippers barely touched the packed earth floor. When the dance
finally
came to an end, Harry still held her. ‘There, that wasn’t so bad, was it?’

She was breathless from the exertion and exhilaration had made her pulses race. She shook her head. ‘No, not at all.’

‘Admit it, Miss Coggins, you enjoyed dancing with me.’

His smile would have melted a stone. Kate struggled to recall why she disliked him so much, and failed. ‘You are a good dancer, Mr Challenor,’ she murmured reluctantly.