“Are we ready?” Roderick asked, stopping right in front of her with what seemed to be an amused grin on his face.
Unsure of what to make by his expression, she shrugged and mumbled, “Yes, Lord Roderick.” She nearly gagged on saying his name that way, but it was how a stableboy would refer to him, so what choice did she have? She reached the side of her horse and put her foot in the stirrup.
He stood by his horse and cleared his throat.
With a start, she turned her head in his direction.
“I require your assistance, Mister Henry,” Roderick said.
She scanned him up and down. “With what?”
The stable master grinned, but Roderick spoke up, pulling her attention back to him. “I need help getting on the horse.”
She frowned. “Haven’t you ridden a horse before?”
“Of course, I have, but nonetheless, I need your help,” he insisted, motioning to the stirrup.
Resisting the urge to sigh, she went over to him and inspected the stirrup. What could possibly be wrong with it? “It looks fine, my lord, unless you mean for me to wipe it clean for you?” Perhaps he needed everything to be perfectly clean before he went riding.
“Not that. I need you to help me up.”
“What?”
The stable master cleared his throat and headed off to who-knew-where. Was he laughing because she was inept at this job?
“Well?”
She turned her attention back to Roderick. “You’re an adult. Can’t you get yourself on the horse?”
“Are you or are you not acquainted with your duties?” Roderick asked.
It was on the tip of her tongue to argue that it was ridiculous someone of her smaller stature should help him onto a horse, but she was playing a part. “Very well. What do you want me to do?”
“Put my foot in the stirrup.”
She stopped herself from rolling her eyes and leaned forward so she could grab his foot. After she slipped it into the stirrup, she started walking to her horse when he cleared his throat again. Spinning around, she asked, “What now?”
“I require further assistance.”
Her jaw dropped. He couldn’t be serious! What would he want next? For her to carry him into the house?
“Mister Henry, I’d like to show you the property before dinner.”
Grumbling under her breath, she went back to him.
“Good. Give me the reins.”
She did as instructed and waited to see what else he might demand.
“Place my hands on the saddle,” he said.
“You can’t put your hands up there yourself?” she asked in disbelief.
“Sure, I can, but I’m an earl so I have no need to do this myself.”
She stared at him for a long moment, wondering if he was teasing or being serious. She thought she saw his lips curl up for a moment on his otherwise stoic face, but she couldn’t be sure.
“Mister Henry?” he pressed.
“All right, all right.” She took his hands and plopped them on the saddle. “There. Are we done yet?”
“No. Now you need to boost me.”
“Boost you?”
“Yes. Push me up by my rear end.”
“Your what?”
He turned away from her and jutted his rear end out. “Place your hands on my behind and push me up.”
She stood still, not able to move. She couldn’t imagine touching him—or anyone—in such a private area. Was this really something stableboys did for their employers?
“This position is rather awkward,” Roderick said. “Please hurry up.”
Face flushed, she stepped away from him and shook her head. “I cannot.”
“Why not? It is your job.”
“But…but…” She shook her head and hurried back to her horse. “I’m sorry, my lord, but I can’t do anything that makes me uncomfortable.”
He let out a disappointed sigh. “I’ll let this instance pass, but I suggest you get used to doing your job, regardless of the details involved in it.”
She watched as he got into the saddle with surprising ease. Why would he want help into the saddle when it was obvious he could do it himself? Were earls really that lazy?
“Can you get on the horse?” Roderick called out.
“Sure, I can. I’m a stableboy,” she replied, hoping she sounded appropriately offended that he’d even have to ask.
“Or so you would make it seem.”
She eyed him suspiciously. Did he suspect the truth?
“Come on, lad. Get on your horse.”
In the past, she’d always had help on a horse, and she’d always had a sidesaddle. She didn’t think it possible, but this was going to be far more awkward than almost having to touch Roderick’s read end. She grabbed the saddle, put a foot in the stirrup, and made an attempt to get in the saddle. Unfortunately, she failed and stumbled to find the ground with her free foot.
Ignoring Roderick as he laughed, she tried again. This time she made it on the saddle, though she had to wiggle her way into a good position. The horse snorted, as if mocking her efforts. She sighed. Granted, she looked ridiculous. She sure felt ridiculous! But she didn’t exactly appreciate the reminder.
“Good,” Roderick said, looking pleased. “Now we can be on our way.”
He nudged the horse in the sides with his feet and the animal headed out of the stable. She imitated his actions and was rewarded as her mare lurched after Roderick. She gripped the reins in her hands. Goodness but riding a horse with her legs indecently spread apart was proving to be a challenge! She adjusted her hips to balance her swaying body the best she could. Up ahead, Roderick stopped and waited for her. It took her longer to catch up to him than she preferred, but she didn’t dare go faster in case she slipped off the saddle.
“Good heavens, lad,” Roderick called out. “You’re in no hurry to do anything, are you?”
“I’m going as fast as I can,” she replied through gritted teeth.
“Mind your disposition.”
“I’m trying to keep my balance on this thing. I’m not snapping at you.”
“You’re trying to keep your balance? Aren’t you proficient on a horse?”
“I haven’t ridden one in a while.”
And that wasn’t too far from the truth. She hadn’t ridden one in a year, and even then she’d been sitting side saddle and going at a leisurely pace. Roderick, it seemed, wanted to go into a full trot. When she caught up to him, she fully expected him to speed up, but to her surprise, he slowed his pace so he could stay beside her. They rode for a good ten minutes up a slight incline before he spoke to her.
“So,” Roderick began with a glance in her direction, “what brings you to Weston?”
“Employment.” Why else would a stableboy be in a stable?
“But why Weston? Why not Camden or Valentine?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. It just seemed like the right place to be.”
“So you picked this place at random? On a whim?”
“Yes. It seemed like a good idea,” she ventured, hoping he’d let the matter drop.
He pulled the reins on the horse to a stop, and she followed suit. “This is the best view of Weston you’ll find from anywhere on this property.”
Up to now, she hadn’t been paying attention to her surroundings. She’d been focused on keeping her balance on the horse. Now, however, she took the time to look around her and noted the lush green landscape dotted with trees. A pond was to her right and the manor was to her left, and there were flowers spread throughout the area. Her eyes went to the gazebo and path she walked almost every day. It was the one place where she felt at peace. From a distance, it was a lovely view.
“What do you think?” he asked.
“It’s beautiful,” she admitted.
“Unfortunately, my wife doesn’t like it.”
Her eyes wide, she looked at him, wondering why he’d be telling a stableboy something so personal. “My lord,
I don’t think it’s my place to know what Lady Roderick thinks.”
He shrugged. “If I can’t tell you, then who can I tell?”
“Do you make it a point to tell all of the servants about your wife?”
“No. Just you.”
“Why?”
“Why not?”
She inwardly groaned. It was irritating that he answered her question with another question.
“My wife wishes to return to London,” Roderick continued. “Up to this point, I’ve been telling her no, but I’m wondering if I should agree. I’m starting to think I’ve been too quick to judge her. I’ve ignored her ever since we got married. Well, there were a couple of times when we talked, but we spent that time arguing. It’s not the best way to start a marriage.”
Her cheeks grew warm. Why was he telling a stableboy all of this? “My lord, I must insist that you refrain from telling me anything else. What happens between you and your wife is none of my concern.”
“I think it concerns you very much.”
“No, it doesn’t. I’m just a stableboy.”
He shot her a pointed look. “You detest me so much that you’ll disguise yourself as a stableboy and risk endangering your life to travel to London alone?”
Her shoulders dropped. He knew. “I didn’t see any other way to go to London. I’m tired of being here all by myself without anyone to keep me company, and before you say it, though I love Marion dearly, it’s not the same thing as having my family around. Despite what you think, I’m not a cold-hearted lady whose sole pleasure in life is money. I want companionship. Companionship from someone who is my equal.”
His expression softening, he said, “I’m sorry, Claire. I should’ve been more attentive to you. I should have brought you out here sooner and showed you the estate and helped you adjust to being its mistress. I was just…”
She studied his expression and knew he was struggling to find the right words. Deciding to say it for him, she spoke up in a soft voice, “You assumed something about me that wasn’t true.”
He sighed, seeming to want to believe her but afraid to. “For the past couple of weeks, my attention was required elsewhere. You inquired about the urgent business I needed to tend to, but I wouldn’t disclose it. Well, I’ll do so now. It turns out the steward was embezzling funds. He didn’t do it while my father lived but for reasons he won’t disclose, he decided to start three years ago when my brother became the earl. I didn’t find out until I received a letter from Lord Hedwrett demanding the money owed him. I did some investigating and realized what was going on. It turned out the steward dug a substantial hole for me. I’ve been running all over the place to make sure people are happy and the finances are balanced.”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“It’s not what you thought you’d get yourself into when you married me. The problem is that even though a gentleman might have a title, it doesn’t mean he can spend money all the time. That’s certainly true for me now.”
He sighed and rubbed his eyes, and for the first time since they married, her heart went out to him. He hadn’t slept well, that much was evident by the bags under his eyes and his drooping shoulders. It must have been humbling to have to admit he didn’t have the funds she’d assumed he did.
“I have everything I need,” she softly told him. “You don’t have to worry I’ll spend anything.”
“I didn’t realize at the time we married what was going on, but if I had and told you, would you have married me?”
“I didn’t want to marry you regardless, so no, I wouldn’t have chosen to marry you. Even if your steward hadn’t left you with debts, I wouldn’t have chosen you. My father saw fit to make sure I had to marry you, so here we are.” She shrugged. “However, you don’t need to worry. Now that I know the situation, I’ll act accordingly.”
“Thank you.”
Unsure of what else to say, she nodded.
“I haven’t had a thing to eat since yesterday evening,” he finally said after a long silence passed between them. “Mind if we continue this discussion in the house?”
“No, I don’t mind.”
They headed back for the stable, and this time the silence that descended between them didn’t seem so awkward.
Chapter Sixteen
Claire brushed her hair after she put on a purple dress, her anxious strokes revealing her apprehension. It wasn’t that Roderick had been mean to her just now, but since she hadn’t talked to him—really talked to him, she couldn’t fight back the butterflies fluttering wildly in her stomach.
Marion hurried into the room. “My lady, let me do that.”
She didn’t realize her hands were trembling until she handed Marion the brush. She sat in front of the mirror and tried to relax, but her nervousness prevented her from doing so. She had a good chance to finally get through to Roderick, and as long as she was careful, she wouldn’t ruin it.
Glancing at her reflection in the mirror, she watched as Marion’s skilled fingers pinned her hair up in an attractive style. If she wasn’t so nervous, she’d engage in a conversation with the older lady. But she couldn’t focus on anything except what she was going to tell Roderick.
“All done,” Marion said as she took out Claire’s favorite necklace. “Would you like to wear this today?”
Claire figured she might as well so she nodded and waited for her to clasp the sapphire necklace around her neck.
“Everything will be fine, my lady,” Marion whispered and patted her shoulder in a reassuring manner. “Sometimes a kind word can work wonders.”
Claire watched as she left the room. She wondered how much Marion knew about what was going on. It wasn’t Marion’s way to pry, but she did observe things from a distance. No doubt she had to suspect Claire did something to mess up her hair after she’d pinned it up that morning before breakfast. But to her credit, she kept quiet and wasn’t the type to gossip, something Claire was grateful for, especially today.
Now, however, it wasn’t time to think of what Marion might or might not know about her dressing up as a stableboy. She needed to talk to Roderick. Taking a deep breath, she stood up and lumbered out of the room and down the steps. She wasn’t sure what to expect from talking to him, but as long as she could see her family, then that’s what mattered. When she reached the drawing room, she saw that he was at her desk, studying the papers she’d been drawing on. She rushed over to stop him, but he was too quick for her.
“What are these?” he asked with an amused smile.
She couldn’t tell if he was amused that she was trying to get the papers back or if he was amused at her drawings. Since she couldn’t reach high enough to get the papers from him, she forced her hands at her sides and groaned. “They’re to pass the time.”
“Time?” He sorted through the papers. “These don’t look like clocks to me.”
“I said they’re to ‘pass the time’, not pictures of ‘time’. They aren’t clocks. They’re flowers.”
His eyebrows furrowed and he studied them. “Flowers?”
“Yes. These are the petals, these are the stems, and these are the leaves.” She pointed to the items as she listed them off and noticed the way he squinted, as if he was having trouble picking them out. With a sigh, she added, “I didn’t say they were well-drawn flowers. They’re just the flowers I saw while walking to the gazebo.”
“Is that why you spent so much time studying them?”
“You’ve seen me on my walks?” she asked, surprised.
He shrugged. “I happened to notice you while riding my horse.”
Unexpectedly pleased he had, indeed, noticed her, she cleared her throat. “I happen to enjoy drawing, even if I’m no good at it.”
He handed the papers back to her. “I’m sure you can draw other things well.”
“No, I can’t. My best work involves flowers.”
She noted the slight curl at the corner of his lips and knew he was struggling to hold in his laughter fo
r her sake. “I know I’m not good at drawing.”
“I didn’t say you weren’t good at it.”
“There’s no need to lie to me. I can handle the truth.”
The butler came in and set the tray on the table by the settee and chairs. Glad for the reprieve from discussing her artistic ability, or rather a lack thereof, she motioned to the settee. After he left her desk, she put the papers in the drawer, retrieved her sister’s letter, and followed him, not surprised he chose to stand by the chair instead of standing next to the settee.
“You wish to discuss that letter?” Roderick asked her.
Forcing her mind back to him, she handed the letter to him and sat down. He eased into the chair and opened it.
“Yes. It’s from my sister,” she began as she poured tea into their cups. “We’ve been invited to London.”
He read through the letter and grimaced. “Tell me she doesn’t really want to marry Lord Hedwrett.”
“Why? What else is there to know besides the fact that your steward owes him money?”
He sighed and handed it back to her. “You don’t want to know. Such things aren’t suitable for a lady’s ears.”
She glanced at the paper in her hands and wondered what Lord Hedwrett could possibly be like. From the grim tone in Roderick’s voice, she wondered how worried she should be about her sister.
Roderick picked up his cup and sipped it. “I don’t feel comfortable discussing certain things about Hedwrett, but suffice it to say your sister shouldn’t marry him. Try to talk her out of it if you can, but if she does marry him, I can’t let you visit her without me. There’s no telling what he’d do.”
She swallowed the sweet tea and nodded. “You’ve told me enough to know he’s not the best gentleman for her. Mister Morris asked her to marry him, but,” she shrugged, “to be honest, she didn’t want him because he didn’t have a title or enough money. So yes, she values such things more than I do, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love her. I’d like to see her again.”
He finished drinking his tea and held onto the cup while studying her. “You will. I promise.”
She took another sip of her tea. As long as he was willing to work with her, she figured she might as well ask other things that were troubling her. “When will I get to see you for more than minutes at a time?”
The Earl's Inconvenient Wife (Marriage By Scandal Book 1) Page 14