by Fanny Finch
Upon arrival at the Baron’s estate, he knocked at the door and was eager to enter. It took a few moments, but finally the maid opened the door, seeming as though she was looking around for the housekeeper who was meant to do that duty.
The Earl grinned, knowing that the housekeeper would never return and he now had something of the Baron’s. The small revenge was enough for him.
“I am here to see Lord Woldorf,” he announced, although there was little question of that. Certainly, he was not there to see anyone different.
“Just a moment, my lord. I’ll tell him you have arrived,” said the maid.
When the Earl entered the library where Lord Woldorf was busying himself, he was prepared for whatever might come.
“My lord, I did not know that you would be coming by today,” the Baron remarked, seeming slightly anxious and looking around as though he could not figure out a reason for the sudden appearance.
“Yes, well, it is certainly a day for surprises,” the Earl of Dulshire replied smugly.
“How so?” the Baron inquired, shifting in his chair to get more comfortable.
“I have learned a few things. I have learned much, actually. About you…” the Earl taunted, relishing this opportunity to take his time and strain the tension that was already beginning to fill the room. He would take his time. He would hold onto it and ride it out.
The Baron looked at him intently.
“Stories from a bitter governess, perhaps?” the Baron commented nonchalantly.
“Actually, no. Truths. Truths about your plans to destroy me. To ruin my name in any way possible. You wished to break apart the new love that I found. You tried to sabotage my health. And as irritated as I was by your insistence on helping with my accounts, I never would have imagined it was so that you could steal from me,” the Earl remarked.
The Baron gave a scoff of a laugh and reclined in his chair.
“And what if I did?” he asked haughtily. “What if I did all the things which you accuse me of? Have you even a shred of evidence to back it up? A fool, you are. You have nothing but the word of your governess. A woman who has already ruined her own reputation,” the Baron remarked.
“It was not her who told me all of this, Lord Woldorf. In fact, I have two under my employ who have informed me. I believe you know one of them. A young woman named Mrs. Hansfeld who, until this morning, was under your own house?” the Earl smirked.
The Baron’s face dropped for a moment and it seemed to twitch.
“The words of a housekeeper mean nothing. If she is now working for you than all will assume that you coerced her. That you paid her to speak against me,” the Baron defended.
“Oh, no. You’re right. How could I have been so foolish? I suppose my plan is ruined now,” the Earl stated sarcastically, mocking anxiety.
The Baron watched him, waiting. The Earl had made it evident that he had more arrows in his quiver, ready to send flying at the Baron.
“No, you see, as it happens, I do have further information. And that further information has evidence. In fact, there are not only papers, but qualified…physicians…who may testify against you,” the Earl threatened. This was the part he was most looking forward to. This was the threat that he knew would keep the Baron at bay forever. After this, there was no turning back.
After this, the Baron could not possibly try to continue in his efforts. He would have no choice. He would be stuck at the mercy of the Earl and nothing could happen to make him willing to attack the Earl’s family again.
“You cannot possibly know anything,” the Baron growled.
“Oh, I do, Lord Woldorf. I know where you were born. And I know that as a young boy, you were briefly made to return there until your father paid to get you out,” the Earl continued, a satisfied smile on his face.
The Baron seethed for a moment. He looked as though he might lose his temper and destroy the Earl at any moment. And yet, the Earl of Dulshire remained calm, knowing that the Baron had no choice of doing that.
“If you know this, then you will know that you ought not to threaten a man like me,” the Baron replied through gritted teeth.
“Quite the opposite, actually. You see, a man who was born to his mother in an asylum, a man who was then sent there later after a particularly violent outburst in which a housemaid died from injuries, I should think that such a man might wish to be careful. After all, continued violent behavior just might lead him back into such a place,” the Earl taunted once more.
“Or did you enjoy it there? Should you like very much to return?” he added. “You see, I have spoken with Doctor Kranz. He is aware of some of the recent behaviors you have exhibited. And should anything happen to my family, he and two others in his practice, have a written statement from me to be handed over to the constables. You will end up right back in that asylum.”
With those words, the reality struck the Baron. He had no choice. He was stuck. He could not possibly move forward in his attacks. And the Earl was well aware of it. He knew, confidently, that he had won the war that had been started by the Baron without his knowledge, without his consent.
Yes, this was the end. This was the final day of glory and the Earl could finish off his threats by completing the warnings against the Baron. After this, nothing could be said or done. It was over.
“Should you come near me or my family, including housemaids, chefs, and governesses, I shall make you regret it. You shall spend the rest of your days rotting in that facility,” the Earl remarked with finality.
“Are we understood?” he asked, firmly. The Earl sensed that his nostrils flared in stern, but satisfied anger. Yes, he was finally in the position he had hoped for. He was finally in a place of authority over this man who had tried to destroy him.
The Baron looked broken in his chair. He looked up at the Earl with weary eyes and nodded.
“Good. Then it is all settled. We have concluded our business with one another and shall never be in the same company again. You shall stay far away from me and my household. We shall never meet again,” the Earl said.
With that, he turned and walked out from the library and into the hall. He was out the door within minutes, relieved, satisfied, and overjoyed.
He had finished it all. The Baron was out of his way forever. And he could finally have the future that he wished for. It was over. The Earl had dealt with it all. Having that finality was all he needed.
The Earl remembered that Miss Amy had told him Miss Caulfield had gone to stay with her sister. That meant she was no longer in London and he would have to make the journey to Cambridge if he was going to find her and apologize for all that had happened. He would go and he would confess his mistakes to her. The Earl would make things right.
He truly missed her. He missed her smile and he missed her eyes, the way her voice would lilt when she spoke. And he would have her return. He could not be away from her any longer. It had already been a week and a half. He needed her back.
The more he considered the parting that had occurred between them, the more upset he got. After all, it had been his own fault.
No matter the mistakes that Miss Caulfield had made, he had been in error in sending her away. If only he had allowed her to explain, all might have been well. It was now up to him to remedy the problems.
He quickly informed the driver to prepare for a long journey ahead. The day had already gone on, but they would leave early the following morning. And upon their departure, there was much work to be done.
With that, the Earl went to his home. He chose an outfit that he felt would be appealing to Miss Caulfield. His goal now was to charm her. It was to woo her. He would have to be slow about it, take his time. But he also knew that he could not wait until they had returned to London. He would have to share his feelings with her there, get them out in the open so that she understood.
It was true that he needed to bring her back home. That had to remain his priority. He wished for her to return to her position as gov
erness for Grace.
And yet, he knew that he would be thrilled if perhaps she saw something in him that delighted her. He could not deny that he wished for her to eventually consider him as more than an employer. However, if she would not see him as such, then she would make a fine governess once more.
He hoped she would. He hoped that she would be swayed by him and moved by him. He hoped that Miss Caulfield might see it in herself to find a future with the Earl and see a possibility for more than what had been before.
And the following morning, all of his hopes would be tested.
Chapter 37
Delia grabbed the duster and started clearing the shelves. She wanted it to look perfect. Also, Edward had been sneezing a lot and she thought that perhaps the dust in the air could be contributing to it.
She had already finished organizing the book sewing supplies. Thea adored her sewing but was not so suited for putting it away when she was completing a project for the day. Delia arranged everything so that it was easy to find and would not take her sister any time at all to continue in her work. It would make her more efficient, Delia considered.
She had been working hard to earn her way at her sister’s home. The estate was pleasant and large, but she also knew that it meant a lot of work for the staff. Delia felt as though she could truly help matters by assisting in the work.
She had, at one point, overheard a comment about her doing too much and one of the maids felt like her job was at risk. This concerned Delia slightly, but she tried not to think about it too much. Thea would never release a staff member for such a reason and Delia felt confident that eventually the maids would be grateful for her help.
And yet, it had been frighteningly familiar. She had received poor treatment from the maids at the home of the Earl. What was it about her that seemed to make people frustrated? Why did they not care for her help?
Delia felt certain she must have been doing something wrong for them all to be so annoyed at her like this.
Indeed, Thea came in the room and gave her a frustrated sigh. She threw her hands up in the air as if not knowing what else she might do.
“Honestly, Delia, what are you doing?” she demanded.
“What? What have I done that is so offensive?” Delia asked.
“You have taken the duties of my actual staff. You have taken the duties all for yourself and there is very little for them to take care of. Do you not realize that I have paid employees for these purposes?” Thea asked.
“Of course I do, but…” Delia trailed off.
“But you think you must earn your keep in my home, that you are to be stuck as a cleaner and somehow make your way through that? You think you are less than my sister and ought to be treated as a housekeeper?” Thea challenged.
Delia saw that her sister was hurt in some ways. But she was as well and didn’t understand why she ought to be punished for wishing to help around the home.
“Well why shouldn’t it be so?” Delia replied, hurt and frustrated. “What more do I have to offer in this world? That is all I am, Thea. I am not fit to be a governess, so I must be a maid. Do you not see that?” she challenged her sister.
“No, Delia. I do not see that. What I see is that you are punishing yourself when others do not require it of you. Will you please just stop already? Will you please cease to hurt yourself when you have the opportunity to move on from it all?” Thea asked.
Delia sighed in irritation.
“I do not think I can,” she confessed.
“Then you are a fool. Because I have welcomed you into my home as my sister, not as my servant. And you are far from the society of London that mocks you and that speaks so poorly of you. You are here in Cambridge where you may begin anew. If you wish to be a housekeeper or a maid, then by all means, go and find work as one. But you shall not be one in my home,” Thea said sternly.
Delia knew that her sister was right. She knew that she was being ungrateful by insisting that she work. She was not accepting the selfless care that her sister had given her. Instead, she was trying all she could to do it on her own.
“I’m sorry, Thea. It’s just difficult. I am in quite a different position from any you have experienced. It has become my nature to work, you see. And without that work, I have little else,” Delia told her.
“Well I do believe that it is time you stopped, Delia. It is time that you stop trying to make your ends meet by working yourself to death when you have been handed an opportunity that most have not.
“Mother and father have been unfair to us both. We cannot deny that. But I have had the fortune of marrying my husband. You have not. And if you are not to receive help from those parents who brought you into this world, then please accept it from me,” Thea said, decidedly.
“I shall,” Delia replied, humbled and relenting.
The sisters sat and spoke of other things for a time, not wishing to dwell on all the troubles facing Delia. There was more to spend their time considering than simply focusing on the difficulties and challenges.
One of the maids knocked on the door and Thea called for her to enter. She brought a letter over to the Duchess, who read it carefully, slowly. She looked up at Delia with hesitant eyes.
“Now, that is something. I am anxious to mention it to you because I think part of it should delight you and another part shall make you less than thrilled,” Thea then began.
“Oh dear…” Delia said, taking in a deep breath as she waited for whatever her sister was going to announce to her.
“I have been invited into town. By mother. Georgette and Margaret shall also be there,” Thea told her.
Delia felt her heart pound a little. The idea of seeing Margaret, and even Georgette, was lovely. But seeing their mother who had so changed would be difficult. She didn’t know how she might easily handle it.
“It would be so good of you to join us. And it should give you an opportunity to spend time with women who are important to you,” Thea said, trying to remain positive.
Delia nodded, wrapping her mind around it. What would she say? How could she explain her situation?
“I know what you’re thinking, Delia. And we shall not tell them anything at all. You are here on a break from work. Your employer had sent you a few weeks ago, but as you had to return so rapidly, he has allowed you an extended period to return and stay with me. It is an ideal time as his daughter is studying music with an Italian master,” Thea said, spinning the lie.
“My goodness…” Delia said with a laugh. “I never knew how fantastical your stories could be.”
“Yes, well, as it happens, lies can be very useful at times, although I should never condone one to tell them,” Thea smiled.
With that, they agreed that Delia would join her sister to meet with Mrs. Caulfield, Georgette, and Margaret.
They left for town just an hour after that and Delia was feeling a blend of excitement and nervousness. She had her lies straight, but how could she handle seeing her mother and younger sister? The two were hardly the same people they had once been.
But by the time they reached town and were making their way through the main streets of Cambridge, Delia was feeling more at ease. She would see Margaret. She would stand tall and proud before her mother. She already knew that she was not half as foolish as Georgette which was enough to bring her peace.
“Ah, here it is,” Thea remarked as they came to a stop before a grand hotel.
“My goodness, do you really mean we shall be eating here?” Delia inquired.
“Oh yes. It is a most fashionable place. And you shall fit in perfectly. Look at your gown, Delia. You are perfection,” Thea noted.
Delia did feel rather exquisite in the gown she had borrowed from Thea. The deep crimson looked rich and stately on her. She felt entirely confident wearing something so grand.
When they entered the building, she saw that they were surrounded by women of status. Women who had married Dukes like her sister had, or who were wealthy in their own
right from their upbringings.
“Now, do not be anxious. We are here to see our family,” Thea said as she made her way to the host.
“Your Grace,” the host greeted, recognizing the Duchess of Sandon immediately.
Once he had bowed and greeted her properly, he rushed to get her seated at the very best available table.
Delia saw the sparkle in Thea’s eye. She was not a woman prone to arrogance. But she did have her pride and she was rather enjoying this little display of power. It seemed to amuse her even as she noted the foolishness of it.
Delia just shook her head in amusement of her own. It seemed that Thea was beyond even the high station she inhabited.