Realm 05 - A Touch of Mercy

by Regina Jeffers

  Hill’s hand rested upon Aidan’s shoulder. “You made a grievous error when you did not realize the depth of Lady Susan’s despair until it all ended so abruptly. Yet, you were not to blame, my Lord. Your life is not empty: You possess friends and family.” Again, Hill gestured to the pair who had sprawled on the floor, playing with a pair of wooden horses. “Family, my Lord, who offer you genuine affection, not deceit. Cease thinking of your life in terms of things lost. Rather concentrate on things found. Only then will you know God’s blessings. Only then will you find a reason to celebrate.”

  Aidan glanced at the man, who had been father, brother, and friend for the past seven years. “And when did you become so wise?”

  “The day you rescued Lady Worthing and her maid from Bradley’s hunting box, I found happiness. I left behind my foolish ways. Before I met Hannah Tolliver, I had built myself a deep well of self-loathing and only with the lady’s love have I found my way back.”

  Aidan protested, “Miss Purefoy is my sister. I can never claim her as my love.”

  Hill cleared his throat as he eyed the girl. “There are all types of love, my Lord, and each has its means to heal a badly bruised heart. Enjoy what the lady offers and rediscover the man you wish the world to see.”

  “The boy is Andrew’s betrayal,” Aidan said as a final protest.

  “Why not think of the lad as the best part of Lady Susan?”

  With that last remark, Hill disappeared into the bowels of Lexington Arms. Aidan listened to his friend’s fading footsteps. Then with a deep steadying breath, he stepped into his future. “What goes on here?” he asked as he strode toward the pair.

  Miss Purefoy propped herself up on her elbows, and Aidan’s eyes fell on the swell of her breasts, which were readily exposed by the cut of her gown. Damn! He required a woman’s tender touch soon! This was not how he had hoped to begin this new phase in his life. “We are describing our favorite horses, my Lord.” She shoved a carved animal in his direction. “Master Aaron likes this one because it can stand on two legs like a monkey.”

  Aidan’s frown lines met. “A monkey? And what does my nephew know of monkeys?”

  “There are illustrations in a book of animals, which Miss Chadwick has chosen for Master Aaron from the library. My assistant seems to believe our Aaron quite intelligent,” the lady declared. “Perhaps this evening you might share the book with the young master.”

  Aidan swallowed his trepidation. Think of the lad as the best part of Lady Susan. He knelt beside the boy. Fingering the wooden model, Aidan said, “Perhaps.” He ruffled the boy’s hair. So like his father’s. The idea was an involuntary response, and Aidan worked hard to drive it from his mind.

  He sat on the floor beside Miss Purefoy. “Miss Chadwick tells me you no longer possess an excuse not to ride out with me. Your riding habit is complete. Together, we could show the boy the horses. I could take Aaron up with me.”

  “Do you not have the first of the interviews for a nurse later today?” She bit her bottom lip in hesitation.

  “Not for several hours. We shan’t be gone long.” He turned to the child. “Would you like to see my horses?”

  “Weal wons?” the child squealed in excitement.

  “Yes, real horses,” he assured. “So, what say you, Mary?” It was the first time he had used her Christian name, and Aidan enjoyed the intimacy of the moment.

  His sister glanced to where the child ran excited circles about them. “How could I disappoint Aaron? Look at him. I prefer his smile to the tears that often wake him.”

  “Has the boy kept you from your sleep, my Dear?” Aidan asked in concern.

  Miss Purefoy shrugged away his objections. “Master Aaron cries out for his mother,” she disclosed.

  Aidan’s eyebrow rose in disbelief. “I do not understand how that is so. His mother passed when Aaron was but two months of age. He can have no fresh memory of Lady Lexford. Could the boy have developed a strong affection for the nurse Rhodes employed to care for the child?”

  Miss Purefoy lowered her voice. “With my encouragement, Mr. Hill has sought information from the servant gossip line. From what your man has discovered, Mr. Rhodes employed no nurse for the child. His servants assumed the boy’s care.”

  Again, Aidan knew guilt. His nephew had not known the care he had supposed the Rhodeses would provide their only grandchild. And he wondered what Rhodes had done with the generous allowance Aidan had provided Susan’s parents to see to the child’s well being. He would ask Hill to make another discreet investigation into what had become of the money. To the lady he said, “I cannot speak my gratitude deeply enough for what you have brought to Lexington Arms. You have shown Aaron tenderness.” He intertwined his fingers with hers.

  For several minutes they remained in quiet companionship. Finally, she slipped her hand in the folds of her dress. “I must change if I am to take advantage of your offer to ride.” She stood and caught the boy as he skittered past her. “Come, Little One.” Miss Purefoy settled the child in her grasp. “We must dress for the weather if we are to ride with your Uncle Aidan.” She offered Aidan a quick curtsy. “The young master and I shall return in a half hour.”

  “I will send word to the stable for two gentle mounts. I do not suppose Valí will wish to carry a squirming child.” He caught her free hand and brought the back of it to his lips. “Thank you. I am in your debt.”

  “As I am in yours, my Lord.”

  *

  “Deland will assist you with adjusting the saddle,” Aidan announced when his sister and the child arrived at the stables. “You must know care. The saddle was made for the late Lady Lexford. With your permission, I will order one cut for you.”

  “That will not be necessary, my Lord.” She handed the child off to one of the lesser grooms. “However, before we ride again if you would ask your tatter or your saddler to shorten the leather skirt, I would appreciate it.” Aidan watched as his sister spent time in becoming acquainted with the horse. She fed the animal an apple core from the kitchen. “I shall treat you kindly, my Pretty One,” she cooed, and Aidan was a bit jealous of the animal for it knew the woman’s kindheartedness.

  “Are you prepared, my Dear?” Aidan asked as he caught her hand. Suddenly, it struck him how often he sought the opportunity to touch this woman. Even through his gloves, he could feel her comforting warmth.

  She came easily to his arms, and Aidan touched her waist for the first time. His hands nearly spanned her small waistline. He effortlessly lifted her to the saddle. “No heroics today,” he said as he slid her booted foot into the slipper stirrup. He had meant to permit Deland the privilege of completing these tasks, but Aidan would not deny himself more of the woman’s closeness. “I will be unable to assist you because of carrying the boy before me,” he warned.

  “I understand, my Lord,” she said sweetly.

  “Humor me,” Aidan said softly. “It is my nature to fret.” Leaving her to adjust her weight, Aidan swung up into the saddle of the gelding Deland had chosen for him. “Hand me the boy,” It was but the third time he had held his brother’s child since Rhodes had unceremoniously left the lad behind a week prior.

  Accepting the boy from the groom, he placed the child upon his lap. With a tight hand about his nephew’s middle, Aidan warned. “You must sit still and permit the horse to do the work. Just look how high you are from the ground. Neither of us wishes to fall.”

  Miss Purefoy edged her mare closer. “Be my big boy, Darling,” she said in encouragement, and the child nodded his head in agreement. How quickly the lady had formed a relationship with the boy was a comfort to Aidan’s guilty heart.

  They set out in a slow walk toward the open pasture. “It is beautiful, my Lord,” she said as she instinctively shifted her weight to the right to maintain her seat. Despite her earlier protest, he would order a saddle made to fit her. Susan had been taller and less curvy than was Miss Purefoy.

  “Of course, I am prejudiced, but I think it the
finest estate in Cheshire.”

  Miss Purefoy laughed at his posturing, and Aidan revisited the sound of tinkling bells. “I do not doubt it, my Lord,” she said with a wonderfully addictive smile.

  For the next hour, they circled several of the surrounding fields at a slow pace, which permitted them to maintain a conversation. They spoke of the weather, of which fields he would fallow in the spring, and of several of the natural geographic features. The child was surprisingly well behaved; the boy pointed to rocks and trees and streams, and Aidan had indulged him with the names of each. He had not known what to expect. The only child with whom he had ever spent time was Fowler’s daughter Sonali. He and his Realm associates had taken turns over the years to attend the girl. It was a shame he knew more of his friend’s daughter than he did his own nephew. Both children called him “Uncle Aidan,” but until the past week, he had held an allegiance to only one.

  The boy slumped against him in a deep sleep, and Aidan examined the child’s angelic countenance. He searched for Susan’s classic beauty, but the boy’s looks spoke loudly of the Kimbolt blood flowing through his veins.

  “The young master is quite precious,” Miss Purefoy said wistfully.

  Aidan spoke honestly, “I had no idea how it would feel to know this child.”

  Miss Purefoy adjusted her seat as the mare danced a prissy step. “Young Aaron has a quick mind.”

  Aidan watched her carefully. The horse had begun this outing very docilely. Now, it pranced and bucked as if it wished to run briskly across the open field. “Yes,” Aidan said distractedly. “The lad has many questions.” He shifted the boy in his grasp so he might catch Miss Purefoy’s reins if the mare broke form. “Perhaps we should turn back.”

  Miss Purefoy executed another countermove to bring her horse in line again. She was truly an excellent horsewoman, one far superior to any female of his acquaintance. “I agree,” she said with obvious concern. “I have never seen a horse so skittish.”

  “If you wish to run her,” he suggested, “just do so where I might keep you in sight.” He knew enough of the animal to know the mare loved to run. Aidan regretted having brought the boy. He could not ask Miss Purefoy to carry the child on such an unreliable horse. Nor could he leave Aaron in order to tend the lady.

  “Would you mind, my Lord?” she asked as the mare turned in a tight circle.

  Aidan did mind; yet, no other alternative presented itself. “Take care, my Dear.”

  When Miss Purefoy tapped the mare’s right side with the riding cane Deland had provided her, the mare bolted forward in a frantic bid to unseat its rider.

  Immediately, Aidan’s heart lurched. Despite recognizing the lady’s expertise with horses, he knew riding sidesaddle held dangers beyond an ill-bred horse. He fastened his jacket about the boy to hold Aaron more securely before he kicked his horse’s flanks to give chase.

  *

  At first, Mercy had enjoyed the crisp wind, which stung her eyes and throat, but it was not long before she realized she was in trouble. The mare did not simply race toward what appeared to be a deep riverbed, but the animal did its best to dislodge her. She adjusted her seat again, but Mercy could not release her foot from the slipper stirrup. Her boot had caught on the metal. If she attempted to jump from the animal’s back, she would likely be dragged along beside the animal; however, knowing the danger and avoiding it were two different scenarios. Seconds later, when the mare kicked out from under her, Mercy prayed aloud, “Dear God…”

  *

  Aidan watched in horror as Miss Purefoy bounced in the seat. He held the boy to him with one hand and his horse’s reins with the other. Why had he not thought to bring a groom with him? Because you enjoy the lady’s company and did not wish to share Miss Purefoy’s attentions with others. The realization of what such thoughts could mean nearly brought him up short, but Aidan had no time to analyze his motives. Miss Purefoy was in trouble.

  “Hold tight, Boy,” he said over the thunder of the gelding’s hoofs. Aaron whimpered when jarred by the animal’s gait, but the child did not put up a fuss, and for that, Aidan was thankful.

  Ahead of him, the unthinkable happened. The mare skidded to a halt to kick up its back legs. Miss Purefoy’s hold had loosened on the reins, and the lady went flying over the mare’s head. At the last second, her foot pulled free of the stirrups, and she landed heavily in a clump of dried vegetation.

  Aidan reined in the gelding. Clutching the boy to him, he was on the ground and running to where she laid curled in a ball. As he reached her, he unbuttoned his coat to release the child. “It is well,” he said as calmly as he could. Frightening the child would serve no purpose. “Allow me to see to the lady,” he said as he kissed the boy’s forehead. Thankfully, Aaron obediently stood near while Aidan gently rolled Miss Purefoy to her back.

  Although a bit labored, the woman’s breath caused her shoulders to rise and fall. “Easy,” he cautioned, as he said a quick pray of gratitude. Aidan slid his hands up and down her legs and arms to check for broken bones. He wished he had time to enjoy the sensation of touching Miss Purefoy so intimately. He brushed the dirt from her cheek. God! She was so beautiful! Why should such a perfect woman be his sister? “Do not move,” Aidan warned as her eyes fluttered open and closed.

  “My…my Lord?” The lady’s lips formed the words, but no sound escaped.

  “I have you.” Aidan removed her bonnet and touched her hair’s silken strands. It was heaven. She groaned, and he placed his desires aside. “I must see you safely to the house.”

  “The boy?” she whispered. Aidan looked up to see his nephew playing with a small stick in the dirt. He frowned. He could not expect Miss Purefoy to hold Aaron while he carried them both to the manor. More than anyone, Aidan understood the ramifications of a severe injury.

  “Aaron is safe,” he said. “But I cannot say the same for you.” He glanced to where the gelding waited. The mare had skittered away, likely returning to the stables. “I cannot leave Aaron behind.” Aidan did not take well to abandoning her, but, by nature, he was a practical man. “The cold ground may not be comfortable, but I do not want you to move,” he told her. “I will not be more than a half hour.” Unable to resist, he caught her hand. “Do you trust me?” he asked softly.

  “With my life,” she said honestly, and Aidan’s heart clutched tightly in his chest. When he had asked, she had affirmed what he already knew. Implicitly, he was aware of their unspoken bond. How long had it been since anyone had given himself over so completely to Aidan’s protection. Never, he thought. The lady’s devotion was a heady experience.

  “I will never fail you,” he promised. Without thinking, he brushed his lips across hers and then lingered just a brief moment to feel the warmth spread through him. “Rest,” he said upon a rasp. Pulling away from her was one of the most difficult things he had ever done. He stood to look for his nephew. “Come, Boy,” he called. “We must play the lady’s heroes.”

  Immediately, Aaron scampered to where Aidan stood. Whoever had tended the child had taught him to respond quickly. Aidan paced away to catch up the gelding’s reins. Walking the horse toward where Miss Purefoy rested upon the ground, he said, “You will ride with me again,” he told his nephew.

  “Kiss,” the child said plainly.

  “We have no time for kisses,” Aidan said as the child moved from his reach. “Come along, Aaron.” He motioned the child to him. He had no time to chase the boy in a game, and he could not leave Aaron with the lady while he sought assistance.

  The child looked up in bewilderment, but he stubbornly said, “Kiss.” Then Aaron bent over Miss Purefoy to plant a wet kiss on the lady’s cheek. Aidan had never seen anything like it.

  “Thank you, Darling,” she said lovingly. Aidan recognized how Miss Purefoy wished desperately to sit up and take the child in her embrace, but she resisted doing so because he looked on. She caressed the boy’s hand. “Now assist your Uncle Aidan by bringing me another horse. Later, we s
hall have lemon tarts.”

  “Yes, Ma’am.” And just like that, the child returned to Aidan’s arms.

  As he lifted the boy to him, Aidan declared, “I mean for you to rest, Miss Purefoy. No cheating.”

  Chapter 9

  He had kissed her. Well, not really a kiss. A brush of his lips against hers, but Aidan had wanted more. He had wanted a long, heated sampling of her lips. Wanted to see her mouth swollen from his kisses. To taste her lips fully. To kiss Miss Purefoy until she clung to him and begged for more. Your misplaced desires had you lingering longer than appropriate, his rattled senses warned. He had wanted to drape himself across her. To stretch out beside her and drive the madness away. To know her naked beneath him. “Find a medium,” he growled as he turned the gelding toward the stables. Aidan prayed he had not frightened the lady away. Prayed she would not consider leaving simply because his masculine impulses had ruled his brain.

  “Kiss,” his nephew said with a smacking sound. “Kiss.” Smack. “Kiss.”

  “Do not remind me, Boy,” Aidan groaned. “I was a fool.” He could not imagine what the girl thought of him. If her story held true, Miss Purefoy was his sister. Much to his chagrin, his lust held no sense of propriety. Yet, what if the lady proved to be false? How could he treat her with kindness if she had shown her deception? In such a scenario, Aidan would be forced to drive her from his home and his life. He would lose either way. The truth was the woman had him in knots.

  “Pool,” Aaron chanted his new word. “Pool.”

  Despite chastising himself for his actions, Aidan could not stifle his chuckle. “No sense announcing my shortcomings to the world,” he said as he clutched the boy to him. Before Miss Purefoy, he would never have accepted Rhodes’s returning Aaron to Lexington Arms. Instead, he would have utilized every legal trickery his purse could employ.

  Aidan brought the horse to a halt inside the circle before the stable. Several grooms ran to do his bidding. He handed Aaron to the youngest. “Carry Master Aaron to Miss Chadwick. Bid the lady to tend the child, and tell Mr. Payne to send for the physician. Miss Purefoy has been thrown from her horse.”