The Mysteries of A Lady's Heart: A Clean & Sweet Regency Historical Romance Collection

by Abby Ayles

  The snow was falling fairly heavy now and between the blurring vision, the dark clouds, and the loss of the little light there was from the setting sun, Grimshaw only hoped that someone else had happened upon Hannah and helped her along her way.

  It was a short ride into Concordshire, five miles at the most, and any other day he wouldn’t have cared that Hannah had gone on foot.

  As the steed beneath him started to slow after the first mile fighting against the thick snow, his worry increased. He didn’t think he would make it this far without coming upon her.

  What had started at a breakneck speed had now dwindled down to a struggling trot for the black stallion.

  “Come on boy, we can make it,” Grimshaw said encouragingly to the horse.

  Grimshaw strained his eyes as far as he could see. It wasn’t much in the darkening whiteout. The steam that wafted from every breath he or the horse took only seemed to obscure his sight more.

  Finally, he leaned forward, sure he had caught sight of billowing fabric.

  “Hannah,” he called out against the wind.

  He was sure that the fabric shifted again between the flurry of snow. Calling to the stallion he urged him forward as fast as the horse would go.

  It was only a few short minutes between spotting Hannah and finally coming up to her, but to Grimshaw, it seemed an eternity. She had her head bent against the blowing snow with a shawl wrapped tight around her head and body.

  “Are you mad, woman?” Grimshaw rebuked her, bringing the horse next to Hannah.

  She looked up in surprise. Perhaps she had merely thought him another traveler in this awful weather.

  “Lord Grimshaw,” she said with surprise and then jutted out her chin defiantly, though he was sure he could see a quivering to her lips. “I told you, I must see Joanna is safe and taken care of.”

  “And you freezing halfway to her cottage will help the woman how? You are walking in snow halfway up your skirt. Did you actually think you could make it the whole way like this?”

  “Yes,” she retorted stubbornly.

  Grimshaw reached down a hand to her and she looked at it, puzzled.

  “I will not go with you, sir. I am determined. You cannot sway me.”

  “Woman, you either give me your hand and seat yourself astride this horse or I will be forced to pick you up and put you on the beast myself,” Grimshaw said with a stern tone.

  She hesitated only a moment before reaching out and handing him a gloved hand.

  He scoffed at it. It was the thin cotton white gloves she would wear to a Sunday service. No doubt the only ones she had. He was sure the tips of her fingers must be blue.

  Holding her firmly, she placed one foot in the stirrup and he helped her to sit on the steed in front of him.

  He reached forward and put the reins between his teeth while he removed his own gloves.

  “Put these on before you lose a finger,” he said.

  “But your hands will freeze,” Hannah countered.

  He wrapped one arm tight around her waist and gripped the reins with the other. He was satisfied to feel that at least her center was relatively warm.

  “It is a short trip to Widow McCarthy’s from here. I am sure my hands will be fine till then,” he said against her ear.

  He felt her lean back more into his arms and he relished the feel of her against his chest. It didn’t escape his notice that she was, in fact, shivering and soaked from her skirts down.

  “You are going to take me the rest of the way?” she asked with a little chatter to it.

  “Of course I am. I promised you I would have the widow checked on. Why could you not just wait?”

  “What if she is freezing to death in there? I had no idea when you would get around to it. You were very occupied with your guests,” she countered as the horse started its trot.

  “I am a man of my word,” he said gravely.

  “I know you are,” she reassured him. “I just didn’t know how long it would take. My conscience couldn’t wait another moment.”

  “Clearly,” Grimshaw said with a scoff. “I believe you are by far the most stubborn woman I have ever met.”

  “I am sure you mean that as an insult, but I thank you for it. I am fairly certain it was my stubborn nature that saw me through Hendrick’s Preparatory.”

  “I actually meant it as a compliment,” Grimshaw replied against her ear.

  They made the rest of the journey in relative silence. Hannah was relieved to have his warmth at her back. In all honesty, she had been cursing herself for being such a fool to think she could walk to the cottage.

  She saw no hope for moving forward or turning back when the black heaving steed came to her side. She would have to remember to find a way to truly thank Lord Grimshaw for coming to her aid.

  Right now, however, she was quite content relishing in the feel of his chest against her back and his strong hand spread against her waist. He kept a sure grip on her.

  She would never admit to Lord Grimshaw that she was an inexperienced rider, having never had the chance to do much in her life. Add the fact that she could no longer feel her fingers or toes and was sharing the horse with another rider and the whole matter became that much more dubious.

  Luckily Lord Grimshaw seemed to know the stallion well. He maneuvered and spoke to the animal and surprisingly to Hannah the horse would obey his spoken orders.

  Hannah could scarcely keep herself from shivering right off her seat when the cottage finally came into view.

  She had a moment of relief at seeing the safety of shelter but it was quickly overshadowed. In the time it took them to finish the journey the sun had properly set and other than the little light reflecting off the snow there was none to be seen. A single candle alone shone in one window but no glow of a fire, or smoke protruding from the chimney.

  The snow had settled down to a light falling and the wind had finely died down, giving Hannah a better view than when she had tried to walk herself.

  “Grimshaw, look, she had no fire. I do hope Grannie is alright,” Hannah worried and willed the horse to progress through the drifts faster.

  She barely waited till she got to the gate before slipping off the animal. Grimshaw luckily was aware enough of her desires to use his hand to steady her on the way down.

  Hannah took a sharp breath in as she sunk back into the snow. It hadn’t seemed that long ago but her body had already forgotten the feeling of dragging through it.

  She made the final steps up through Grannie’s small garden and to the front door.

  She knocked on the door, praying that Grannie wasn’t there. Perhaps Mr. McCarthy had been considerate of his mother and come and taken her back to his home to wait out the snow.

  The sound of Grannie’s voice inside told her otherwise.

  “Oh, my dear. I’m afraid I can’t open the door,” she called.

  “Don’t worry, Grannie. We’ll get you out,” she called back.

  With her hands, she began to dig at the drift that had piled up against the cottage door. Grisham had only taken the time to tie up the horse before he too came to join her work. With his large bare hands scooping away at the snow the job was done in no time and the door was pulled open by the earl.

  “Oh, my dear,” Grannie said again all in a fuss, “you shouldn’t ‘ave come. Look at you frozen to the bone. Come in, come in. I have no fire to warm you by, but we will find a way.”

  “Do you have wood outside?” Lord Grimshaw asked.

  Grannie looked up as if she had noticed the earl’s presence for the first time.

  “Why yes, m’lord. It’s out back against the shed where the two goats are waiting out the storm. There’s a door to the back of the cottage too, but I’m afraid it’s stuck.”

  “I’ll see to the wood and the door,” Grimshaw said and nodded to Hannah, “You go inside now and at least remove what you can of your wet things.”

  “Wait,” Hannah called as he turned to leave. “Take these
back then,” she said, removing his large fur-lined gloves from her hands.

  He took them thankfully and put them on before retrieving the horse again and making his way to the back of the cottage.

  Hannah came into the darkened house and her heart sank as low as her icy feet. Though they had shelter from the wind it was still ice cold in the cottage. Hannah watched her breath puff out in little clouds as Grannie moved her into the main room to remove shoes and stockings.

  It didn’t take the earl long to unstick the other door and begin his journey in and out of the house with the wood. Hannah made quick work of starting a fire with the fuel he provided.

  For the first little bit all worked quietly, not saying a word to the other. The tasks took too much effort to add conversation to it.

  But once the fire was going strong, more wood than could be burned in a week was stacked by the hearth and all parties were inside with wet outer clothing removed to dry, Hannah found her tongue again.

  “How long have you been like this?” she asked Grannie.

  “Oh, just yesterday and today,” the old woman waved off.

  “Why didn’t Matthew come and help you?” Grimshaw asked abruptly.

  “Oh, my Matty,” Grannie waved off in her usual way. “He is a busy boy. I was sure he would be by soon.”

  “You would have frozen before he came,” Hannah told her.

  “I’m tough, I can assure you that,” she said with her round face smiling. “Oh, the kettle is ready,” she added, getting up from her seat.

  Just as she reached it over the fire it started to sound its whistle. Grimshaw looked to Hannah, surprised that Grannie would know before it sounded.

  Hannah just smiled at him. She was sure that soon he would get to know Grannie as she did, including all her little idiosyncrasies like that.

  “Now warm yourself inside and out,” Grannie said, pouring them each a cup of tea.

  Hannah took it gratefully and gulped it, not caring that it burned on its way down. Grimshaw watched her over his own teacup with a wary eye.

  Grannie went to fussing around more to produce some kind of meal for them to eat, despite Hannah’s insistence that she needn’t bother.

  When Hannah set her cup down, Grimshaw did the same and reached forward to take Hannah’s hands in his. She was surprised by how warm they were. Hers were still ice cold.

  He turned them over in the glow of the firelight and inspected each and every finger.

  “What are you doing?” Hannah asked barely above a whisper.

  “I am inspecting you for frostbite,” Grimshaw said with a smile on his lips. “Lucky for you, I don’t see any blue fingers.”

  Leaning forward, he pulled the hand he held up to his lips and kissed the tips of her fingers gently. She was mesmerized by the action.

  “Shall I check your toes now?” Grimshaw said with his smiling lips still brushing her fingertips.

  She flushed and pulled away, “You most certainly may not.”

  She pretended offense but knew she couldn’t hide the blush his teasing had produced.

  “I suppose we will have to stay the night,” Grimshaw said with a rush of air as he looked about the small accommodations.

  “We will?” Hannah said, surprised.

  “Well, I have no desire to ride back home in the dark, with wolves around,” he added for good measure.

  “Wolves?” Hannah asked as if the thought had never occurred to her.

  He nodded.

  “Oh, don’t mind the wolves,” Grannie said, coming into the room with a plate full of cold meat pies. “They don’t bother you as long as you don’t bother them.”

  Grannie was always the optimist, Hannah decided.

  “You are welcome to stay the night, however. The clothes will need the time to dry anyway. I wouldn’t be sendin’ your lordship back out in wet things.”

  “I’m grateful for your hospitality,” Grimshaw said sincerely as he took up a slice of pie.

  “There is only one room upstairs, though. Hannah and I can take the pallet here just like when sweet Lady Caroline came to visit me,” Grannie said and Hannah nodded her agreement.

  “Nonsense. I will not deprive a widow of her bed. You and Hannah can have the room,” he said, looking up to the stairs that led to a single loft room. “I am quite able to sleep on a pallet for one night. I dare say I will have the better of the deal anyway with the fire right at my side to keep me warm.”

  Chapter 31

  Sebastian did sleep soundly next to the fire. He may have been the Earl of Grimshaw but he was not averse to hard work or less than pristine conditions.

  Twice he got up during the night to add to the fire. He wanted to make sure the heat was able to carry through the whole house.

  Grimshaw was woken by a sight he had not seen for some time, the sun shining through the window. At last, it seemed the blizzard had passed.

  He was relieved to know that they wouldn’t be making the journey home in the storm. With the breaking of the clouds, he hoped the snow would start to quickly melt as well, making the journey all the better.

  Shortly after he woke, he heard the rustling of the ladies upstairs as well as in the kitchen. Joanna McCarthy must have been an early riser as she seemed to have gotten to the kitchen before he even stirred.

  Hannah came down the stairs shortly after Grimshaw woke and seemed a little timid at the closeness of a small cottage with Grimshaw’s presence. She barely spoke a good morning before heading to the kitchen to see if Mrs. McCarthy could use an extra hand.

  Grimshaw saw to the ashes in the hearth and put away the pallet. With nothing else to do, he made his way to the kitchen.

  “You can’t stay here all alone, Grannie. He stopped at the threshold to hear the conversation between Hannah and the widow.

  “I don’t mind it, dear,” Grannie said as she stirred a pot of porridge.

  “Won’t you at least go to Mr. McCarthy’s? I am sure he would be happy for your presence over the Yuletide.”

  “Oh, Matty will be far too busy for me. After a storm, the shop is twice as crowded. I would just be in the way. I am fine here in my little cottage.”

  “What if there is another blizzard?”

  Mrs. McCarthy was silent for a few moments. To be sure, if Grimshaw and Hannah hadn’t come to her aid she would be in a sorry situation.

  “Perhaps I could ask Lord Grimshaw if you could stay with us, just until the worst of the winter weather is over?” Hannah asked when there was no answer.

  “Oh, I would not dream of putting that burden on Lord Grimshaw,” Mrs. McCarty replied.

  They worked in silence again for a few moments. Grimshaw guessed Hannah, ever the stubborn creature, was working her mind in a plan to see the widow safe through the cold season.

  “Oh,” the widow said suddenly, “I almost forgot.”

  She set aside her spoon stirring the breakfast and hurried to a cupboard. She pulled out three brown paper packages.

  “I got something little for Lady Caroline and Lady Rebecca for the season. I do hope they will like it. I didn’t think I would be seeing you till after our Lord’s birth but providence brought you just in time to give them their gifts for the day.”

  “And this one is for you,” Mrs. McCarthy said, handing over the three boxes and pointing to the one on top.

  “How on earth did you manage this?” Hannah said with surprise.

  “Oh, I used the money you gave me.”

  “Grannie, that was for you. You were meant to pay for the school supplies with it, as well as payment for your tutoring,” Hannah scolded.

  “Oh, pish posh. I had plenty of the supplies already on hand.”

  “Then you should have kept it for yourself.”

  “I don’t need anything. Oh, it will bring me joy to know those little girls have some small gifts from me.”

  “You are far too kind, Grannie,” Hannah said, giving the woman a loving embrace.

  Grimshaw cleared
his throat to announce his presence.

  “Oh, good, your lordship is awake. Just in time for some breakfast,” Mrs. McCarthy said, spooning the porridge into some bowls. “Be a dear and grab the kettle, it’s going.”

  A half a second after her words were spoken the kettle began to sound its noise. The earl laughed to himself at the old woman’s keen senses as he walked over and poured the tea into the ceramic teapot.