The Dowager Countess (The Saga of Wolfbridge Manor Book 2)

by Sahara Kelly

  Giles entered, quietly walking to the women. “I see the reunion progress,” he said, glancing at the men. “Have they had enough chance to become reacquainted? Or should we give them a little longer before getting down to business?”

  Adalyn looked at him. “You have important matters to discuss, don’t you,” she observed. “You have that look on your face.”

  He chuckled. “As always, my Lady, you know me too well. Yes, I do have some important matters, but these times are precious, and I’d not rob the lads of their chance to be together.”

  “If it’s important, Mr Giles, should I leave?” Jane gathered her skirts in her hand.

  “No, Jane. You need to stay. You are every bit as involved as they are.” Giles looked at her, a kindly smile on his face. “You plan to wed Trick, I believe.”

  She lowered her head, blushing. “He has done me the honour of proposing, yes. Sent a letter to my mum and dad, asking for my hand. All’s been agreed upon and we’re to marry very soon.” She looked at Adalyn. “With your permission, of course, my Lady.”

  Adalyn’s eyes filled. “Oh Jane. I’m so happy for you. So very happy.” She reached out and squeezed the other woman’s hand. “He is a wonderful man, and I love him quite terribly. But seeing you two together…that is the greatest miracle.”

  Jane looked at her. “Are you sure it’s all right, Lady Adalyn?” She hesitated. “I…I know that Wolfbridge is…different when it comes to how you all…interact.” Finding the right words was clearly a struggle for her.

  Adalyn understood. “You’re quite correct. It is different and it took me some time to understand that. But since I’ve been here, I’ve learned about myself, about my gentlemen and about the special kinds of love that can grow unexpectedly.” She leaned toward Jane. “These men have taught me so much, Jane; they’ve loved me in all the wonderful ways you could imagine and given me more than I could ever repay. From them I learned that loving is entwined with giving, selflessly and without reservation. And I learned that my heart’s true desire was only for one of them.” She looked over at Daniel. “That was the most wonderfully enlightening lesson of all.”

  “I’m not sure I will ever understand the whole of Wolfbridge,” murmured Jane. “But I have only to look at you and Daniel to see the joy. Just as my heart near stops when I look at Trick. The wonder of him, the fact that he wants me…” she touched her scars and shook her head, unable to finish.

  “Jane, my dear. Trick is a noble, sensible and wonderful man. He sees you, loves you, the real you. Not the one I suspect you’re still seeing every time you pass a mirror.”

  Jane glanced up. “Do you think so?”

  “I do.” She nodded firmly. “I wish we could stay a little longer after both our weddings…especially with Christmas so near,” Adalyn sighed. “But Daniel has new responsibilities and must assume them without delay.”

  “And you must honeymoon as well,” urged Jane.

  “We will. On the way to his estate in the north.”

  “Such a long way away…”

  “We will write.” Adalyn reached out again. “Promise me, Jane. Write to me? Let me know what is happening to you and Trick and everyone here…”

  “I promise, Lady Adalyn. I promise.”

  And with that, Adalyn had to be content, since the gentlemen were walking toward them and allowing Giles to direct them to their seats.

  “Right,” he said, standing with his back to the window. “Now we’re all here…and it is good to welcome Jane as a part of our changing family…”

  She blushed and folded her hands in her lap.

  “There are matters to be discussed.” He looked at Adalyn. “As you all know, our Lady Adalyn and Daniel will wed shortly. They plan to leave right after, if the weather permits, because Daniel—as you may not know—has learned that he has inherited his family’s estate, Nordean Swale, in Staffordshire.”

  There were several congratulatory noises made by the others, since Daniel and Adalyn had not shared this information widely at Giles’s request.

  “I asked them to remain silent about it, since I wanted to make sure Trick would be here for the news, and because you all need to understand what these changes mean.” He looked around. “We will lose two of our number. That means I must act as soon as possible to replace both Trick and Daniel.”

  “I doubt you can,” sighed Jeremy.

  “I sympathise, lad, I really do.” Giles unbent for a moment, and let out his own sigh, a breath blown from between pursed lips.

  “We’ll do our best to support you, Giles, but it won’t be easy.” Evan added his quiet endorsement.

  “Thank you, Evan. I have confidence we will be able to put it all together, given enough time. It’s the order of things that is a complication. Two new men and the transition of the Lady of Wolfbridge, which is always tricky, but we’ve managed before and we shall do so again. Of that I have no doubt.”

  “Do you have another in mind? Is there another Wolfbridge out there somewhere?” Adalyn had to ask.

  “Wolfbridge will continue, my Lady,” answered Giles noncommittally. “You need not worry.”

  She nodded, understanding that once she wed, she was Mrs Daniel Fitzroy, and no longer the Lady of Wolfbridge Manor. There was pain at that thought, but it was offset by the warmth in Daniel’s eyes as he looked at her.

  “I shall, of course, find us new gentlemen. Or at least one to start with. We will need an estate manager, though one as good as you, Daniel, may be hard to find.”

  “I’m sure it will,” boasted Daniel with a chuckle.

  “As to Trick,” Giles strolled over to him, and put his hands on his shoulders from behind. “I’ve an idea I’d like to propose.”

  Trick, unused to Giles touching him at all, blinked and gulped. “Uh…should I be concerned?”

  “I don’t think so,” said Giles, moving away. “You all know that Fivetrees is to be put on the market?”

  Everyone nodded. This was a fairly recent development, but well-circulated around the area.

  “I’m going to ask if you Trick, and your future wife, would accept the position of caretakers for that house until it is sold?”

  Jane’s jaw dropped, and Trick was stunned into silence.

  “Uhh…” He managed a sound, but no words.

  “As you may know, I was formally appointed to be Judith Fairhurst’s guardian. The Fairhurst family has decided to wash their hands of both the estate and Miss Judith, considering neither to be worth their time, effort or money, given the scandalous manner of Fairhurst’s death and the low esteem in which they hold Miss Judith.” His eyes hardened. “I disagree with them on all counts, but they’ve left me free to handle these matters as I think best.”

  He rested his gaze on Trick. “You have the talent to manage the Fairhurst stables, without question. But I also believe you have the ability to run the estate and keep it running. I’m not expecting miracles, but you—and Jane here—care for the land here a great deal more than Sir Amery ever did. And Fivetrees has plenty of land that needs tending. As of now, there have been no offers for the property, but that may change, so take that fact into account.”

  Jane was pale. “I don’t…I can’t…Trick?” She looked at him.

  “Me neither. I’m…having a difficult time absorbing all this, Giles.”

  “Well, that’s where the situation stands. I have spoken to Miss Judith on this matter and she has agreed that it is a sensible course of action, to put people she trusts in charge of the property.”

  “How is she, Giles? Is she well?” Adalyn leaned forward.

  “She is, my Lady,” he smiled warmly. “I will have the honour of giving her hand in marriage to Sir Ragnor Withersby when I go up to London after your wedding.” He couldn’t help but laugh. “It seems that I am to be father of the bride to more than one young woman, and neither of them are related to me.”

  The others laughed too, accepting the unique absurdity of the strange and divers
e twists in the road of their lives.

  “You’ll hold Fivetrees for Miss Judith, Trick,” added Giles. “She’ll be Lady Withersby by then, but once it sells, we’ll have to revisit your situation.”

  Trick rose, walked over to Jane, and knelt by her chair. “What do you say, love? Shall we take up residence at Fivetrees and bring it back to life?”

  “’Tis a large place, Trick. A fine home for the Quality—surely not the likes of us…”

  “You’re every bit as entitled to a fine home as anyone, Jane.” Adalyn stood. “In fact, more entitled by virtue of your character than half the nobility I’ve run into. And I probably wouldn’t care much for the other half, either.” She nodded firmly to make her point.

  “Very well then.” Jane let Trick pull her to her feet. “We accept, Mr Giles.”

  The resounding cheer came from all throats, and for the rest of the morning, not a single bit of work got accomplished at Wolfbridge.

  Chapter Three

  The marriage of Trevallyn Jones and Jane Barnsley took place on a sunny but cold morning at the Church of St. Polycarp, not far from Wolfbridge Manor. Both bride and groom were happy to keep the event a private one, so only the families attended. It was a wonderfully simple ceremony, and both Jane and Trick smiled throughout.

  Mrs Barnsley was heard to say that she’d always known Trick for a smart lad, and Lady Adalyn was observed wiping a tear away at the “I do’s”.

  The following week, St. Polycarp’s was filled to bursting as everyone in the area gathered to witness the marriage of Lady Adalyn of Wolfbridge to Mr Daniel Fitzroy of Nordean Swale. This time around, the pews were crowded, not only with Barnsleys and the Wolfbridge residents but also the neighbours, villagers, farmers and others who had come to know her Ladyship, and especially Daniel. His years at Wolfbridge had gained him many friends, each of whom expressed both joy at his nuptials and sadness at his upcoming departure.

  It was a time of great delight, gatherings, parties and celebrations, and coming right before Christmas, there seemed to be an extra festive glow over everything.

  Adalyn sighed as she and Daniel bid the revellers good night, amidst jests, insinuations and a fair number of crude comments about their night to come.

  “It’s only to be expected,” she laughed, and waved from the landing to those in the hall.

  “Yes, but honestly, my love. I refuse to name our first child after Farmer Dowling’s prize bull.”

  “Oh no, really?” She raised her eyebrows. “And I was just thinking Arbuthnot would be a perfect name for our firstborn.”

  Daniel’s gaze lingered on her low-cut gown. “We have to create that child first. Let’s get to it.” He swept her off her feet, to the cheers of the crowd below.

  “We are of the same mind, I see,” she chuckled as he carried her to her room. “However, ’tis fitting you should carry me over the threshold, husband.”

  He caught his breath. “My wife. I may need to take a moment to absorb the enormity of it all.”

  He set her down and kissed her, a lingering loving caress involving lips, tongue and hands.

  She drew back and looked down at his breeches. “I think it’ll take me more than a moment to absorb that enormity…”

  He laughed. “Then we must waste no time.” He shrugged out of his coat and unbuttoned his waistcoat as Adalyn removed the pins and flowers from her hair and loosened her cuffs. “Let me help, love.”

  He stood behind her and unlaced her gown, easing it from her shoulders and letting it slide to the floor. “It was chilly in the church. Were you warm enough?” His words sounded casual but his touch—ah, his touch lit fires within her, even though they were gentle and merely brushing the bare skin he revealed.

  She unfastened the tie of her chemise and felt him push that from her shoulders as well, leaving her naked but for an extra petticoat that had kept her legs warm.

  He’d asked a question, but she’d lost track of the conversation when he’d bared her skin.

  “Ah, Adalyn,” his breath dusted her spine as he tugged off his clothing. She heard his boots hit the floor and then saw his breeches fly across the room.

  His hands were hot, like fire against her breasts as he reached around her and cupped them, rubbing his thumbs over her nipples in the way he knew she favoured.

  She let the petticoat fall to the ground and leaned back, seeking his body, doing her own share of caresses as she rubbed her buttocks against his hardness. “Take me, Daniel. Any way you want. I’m yours now. Truly yours. Use me as you would a wife…”

  She turned to see the blaze of the fire reflected in his eyes, dazzling her.

  He seized her and tumbled them both onto the large bed. “I can’t use you, Adalyn, wife or no. All I can do is love you with everything I am.”

  “That’s all I ask…” She stretched beneath him, parting her thighs, offering her body, an invitation he would never refuse.

  The look on his face was pure, delightful wickedness. “Arbuthnot…get ready…”

  *~~*~~*

  “Tired?” Trick kept his arm around his wife’s waist as they walked to the horse tethered in the Wolfbridge stable.

  “A little,” replied Jane, leaning her head on his shoulder. “It was lovely to see how happy Lady Adalyn was, though, wasn’t it?”

  “Yes, it was. She had a difficult life, I know. And coming here…well it gave her chance to be the person she should have been from the start.”

  They were silent for a little while, the light fall of snow cushioning the ordinary night sounds. It had stopped, but the half inch or so covered the ground and the tree limbs in an ethereal coating of softness.

  “Trick,” said Jane, “are you…” she paused. “Are you disappointed?”

  “In what?” He glanced at her as he pulled her closer. “What could possibly disappoint me at this moment?”

  Jane swallowed. “That Lady Adalyn didn’t choose you?”

  They reached the stable and Trick walked inside, bringing their horse back out toward her. He closed the door behind him, then they both approached, standing beside a mounting block.

  “Jane,” he sighed. “You’re my wife and the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with. I love you. You know that.”

  “But?”

  “Adalyn was—is—an amazing lady. We all loved her dearly. She gave each of us a piece of her heart in return. But although we shared some special moments, I believe I knew she would not be for me. Am I sad? No, not at all. Am I happy she’s with Daniel? Yes of course. And I’ll tell you something else…I’m relieved.”

  He mounted the horse and held out his hand so she could jump up behind him. Settling her skirts, she put her arms around his waist and leaned against his powerful back. “Why?”

  “Because Daniel is just what Adalyn needs. He’s very bright, strong enough to say no when it’s absolutely necessary, and he’d die for her.”

  She was silent, digesting his words.

  “Jane,” he added. “I hope I am strong enough to say no when I need to. And you know I’d die for you, love.”

  Her sigh echoed over the soft shushing of the horse’s hooves as they rode off in the snow toward Fivetrees.

  “You’re smart too,” she whispered.

  His laugh rang out. “You’re smarter.”

  “I know,” she giggled. “I wed you. That was the smartest thing I’ve ever done.”

  “We’ll make it all work, cariad.”

  She smiled at his words; the Welsh endearment slipped so naturally from his lips. “Yes, Trick. We will.”

  “Now if you settle yourself early when we get there, perhaps you and I can start working on a new project.”

  “We’ve barely moved in,” she answered, confusion in her voice. “And it’s night. Not much we can do until the morrow…”

  “Jane, darling Jane. There’s a lot we can do in the darkness. One of the things might well involve creating a brand-new member of the family…”

  Hi
s voice had turned low and smooth, and Jane wriggled behind him, sliding a hand down from his waist to where his body met the saddle.

  “You think we might do that?”

  “Keep that up and we might have to stop here on the road and start right now. In the snow.”

  “Trick,” she laughed. “I’d freeze my arse.”

  “I’ll make sure I keep it warm, sweetheart, never fear.”

  But it was an idle threat, for Mr and Mrs Jones did, in fact, make it back to Fivetrees, where they acted as if they were the newlyweds, which—for all intents and purposes—they were.

  *~~*~~*

  As the house quietened, Giles walked through the now-empty rooms to the rear where his study was tucked away from the normal ebb and flow of life at Wolfbridge.

  He had some important duties ahead of him, and although he deplored the fact that he must leave so soon after the weddings, there could be no delay in his mission.

  He lit a few candles and took his seat at his desk, reaching down into the large bottom drawer for a box which he placed in front of him. Opening it, he pushed the lid back and stared at the papers within. There were more than a few, neatly stacked in a pile, each with a name on top.

  He pulled them all out and moved the box aside.

  “Now,” he mumbled to himself. “Let’s find the right one…”

  He moved a candle closer and began to work his way through the pile, reading the name and the notes beneath with great attention, then sighing and putting it to one side.

  Occasionally he would nod, or purse his lips in thought, then add one to a different pile, a much smaller one.

  After about an hour or more, he’d finished; both piles were tidied and there were no more. It was growing cold, so he lit the fire in the fireplace, knowing he’d probably sleep here tonight. There was a large sofa and several soft blankets—he’d often spent the night after staying up much too late reading or working. It was his pied-à-terre and he relished the fact that nobody ever questioned it.

  Kicking off his boots, he took the smaller pile of papers with him and settled comfortably in the corner of the sofa with the blanket and a couple of candles.