by Ella Edon
Arabella would not think about it. She didn’t need to deal with the memories. It had happened, and Arabella had suffered the consequences. She would not bring them back to slap her in the face.
She would not.
The rose bush wasn’t in a fighting mood that morning, the spring shower seeming to have softened it up. Arabella found it easier than normal to cut off the dead roses, dropping them into the basket she had left by the bush right before the rain started. This would be completed in no time, and then Arabella could get back to the stew before Jeffrey ruined it. Chances were he wouldn’t pay attention to it at all.
She was cutting off the last dead rose when there was the rattling of wheels further up the road. Arabella looked up and saw a carriage trundling down the hill towards the cottage. It wasn’t Anna - she had chosen to go for a walk - and they weren’t expecting visitors. At least none that Arabella knew of. If it was Viscount Harrison, he would have left a calling card in advance.
Then the carriage got closer, and Arabella recognized the man in charge of the reins, keeping the horses together. She groaned. What now? Didn’t the woman know when to give up? This was the fifth time in three weeks that she had come down to Anna’s cottage, uninvited, and each time had been sent away with a flea in her ear.
Arabella wondered if the woman was stubborn or stupid. Probably both, but Arabella was leaning towards the latter.
She reached the gate as the carriage stopped outside. A footman jumped down from the back and opened the door. A short, thin woman with gray hair wearing a pale blue dress that seemed to be close to falling off her alighted from the carriage and strode towards the gate. Arabella leaned on the gate, blocking the way as the Viscountess of Hartley approached her.
“Mrs. Day isn’t in at the moment, Lady Hartley,” she said in a clipped voice. “And you know you’re not welcome here.”
Lady Hartley snorted rudely, looking Arabella up and down with a sneer. “I don’t take orders from a maid. Out of my way, chit.”
She started to push Arabella out the way, but Arabella slapped her hand away. Even with her sudden weight loss over the years, Lady Hartley was still pretty strong. Arabella squared up to the older lady. There were very few people who raised her hackles easily, but Lady Hartley was one of them.
“I’d advise you not to touch me,” Arabella warned. “Servants do fight back.”
“And I’m sure Lord Derby would love to know that his servants abuse their visitors.”
“If he knew you were on his land, he would be throwing you out. You’re a trespasser, not a visitor.” Arabella folded her hands. “Mrs. Day told you everything that she needed to say, and you need to stop coming back here.”
“Oh?” Beatrice raised her eyebrows. “Mrs. Day wouldn’t be so disrespectful as to refuse me her hospitality. She was never this rude before.”
Arabella fought back the urge to laugh. This lady was delusional. She had to be to think that Mrs. Anna Day would entertain her.
“Don’t pretend the two of you were friends, Lady Hartley,” Arabella snapped. “You committed adultery with her first husband and then married him once she was able to obtain a divorce. Not to mention, you treated Mrs. Day’s daughter abysmally. And yet, you expect her to receive you with any form of decency? You were lucky that she received you the first time!” She shook her head. “What world do you live in where what you’re doing is acceptable?”
Lady Hartley thin face was going bright red. Her eyes flashed as she seethed. “I have never been spoken to like this by a servant,” she hissed. She pointed a finger in Arabella’s face. “You, young woman, have a nasty mouth.”
“Same could be said about you,” Arabella replied. She called out over her shoulder. “Jeffrey! I need you out here!”
“Calling lover-boy, are you?” Lady Hartley sneered. “Does he always do your manhandling?”
Arabella bared her teeth. There was no point getting angry, but Lady Hartley brought it out in everyone.
“There is no need to insult my brother or myself because you’re not getting your own way. I am perfectly capable of dealing with you, but as you’ve said before, ladies are not supposed to be part of violence. Although, you’ve broken that code many times haven’t you?”
Lady Hartley spluttered. She looked like she was about to explode. Arabella had no idea why she was here, and the fact that Beatrice kept coming back was getting past ridiculous. Was she trying to humiliate Mrs. Day in some way? If she was, it wasn’t working.
“Arabella?” Jeffrey was hurrying across the grass. Arabella stepped back, away from the furious viscountess.
“Lady Hartley seems to have got lost again, Jeffrey. Would you kindly direct her driver in the right direction of Swadlincote, please, where she can find her way home?”
“Gladly.” Jeffrey vaulted the gate and started to take Lady Hartley’s arm. She snarled and yanked her arm away, glaring up at Jeffrey.
“Don’t touch me, servant!” she growled. “Neither of you are worthy of touching me.”
Jeffrey shook his head and approached the driver, who was warily watching the interaction. As they spoke, Arabella opened the gate and stepped through. The lady could just not understand when she needed to leave.
“You make it sound like I want to touch you, Lady Hartley. And you are leaving right now.”
“No, I’m not.” Lady Hartley folded her arms with a smug grin. “I’m not leaving until I see Mrs. Day.”
Arabella sighed. They were going to do this the hard way. She grabbed Lady Hartley’s wrist and tugged the lady off-balance before twisting her around. SHe cried out and flailed with her other arm, but Arabella frogmarched her towards the carriage, the lady’s arm twisted up behind her back.
“Let me go!” Lady Hartley shrieked. She began to wail. “You’re hurting me.”
“Spare me, Lady Hartley.” Arabella pushed her into the empty carriage, slamming the door behind her. Then she leaned in as Lady Hartley sat up on the seat, where she had been unceremoniously dumped. “And considering how many times you’ve hurt Lady Derby, I don’t think one in your direction is going to matter. From what I heard, you were incredibly lucky that Doctor Day didn’t kill you after what you did.”
Lady Hartley’s face went white.
“How dare you?” she hissed. “I was a victim!”
“You’ve never been a victim,” Arabella snorted. She pushed away from the carriage. “Driver, get her out of here, and don’t come back if you value your manhood.”
The driver didn’t need to be told twice. He snapped the reins, and the horses set off at a fast canter. Lady Hartley had been standing up, reaching for the door, and the sudden movement of the carriage knocked her off her feet and out of sight. She was up and leaning out of the window as the carriage carried on down the hill, shrieking back at them.
“You’ll pay for putting your hands on me, you little pest!”
Arabella rolled her eyes and turned away. She wasn’t interested in pathetic threats. Jeffrey joined her as she reached the gate.
“That last bit was a bit harsh.”
“Coming from the boy who’s got a harsher temper than I have?” Arabella shot back.
“It’s not the coachman’s fault. He was just following orders.”
“I know whose fault it is, and I’m sick and tired of her coming back.” Arabella opened the gate and strode through, kicking over the basket of dead roses. “It’s getting ridiculous. I don’t know what she plans to achieve by coming back, but it’s getting annoying.”
Jeffrey was watching her strangely. Arabella glared back at him. She wasn’t about to be judged by her little brother right now.
“Is that stew ready yet, or have you let it burn?”
Jeffrey looked like he was going to say something, but then he sighed and walked towards the house, shaking his head. Arabella turned away and kicked the basket across the grass. Any type of visit from Lady Hartley was enough to put anyone in a bad mood.
Chapter
Four
Arabella managed to get away from the house in time. The stew hadn’t been burnt, thankfully, and the potatoes were nearly ready. She just needed to wait for Anna to come home, which her mistress had done about half an hour after her unwanted visitor had left. She was looking healthier and happier than she had been in a while, and Arabella had to smile when she saw Anna enter her cottage singing to herself. The woman had dealt with an abusive husband and then a murderous one, all while trying to protect her only child. Now her daughter was married and had a family of her own, Anna was free to do as she chose. Lord Derby gave her a lot of freedom on the estate, and Anna had made the most of it with her many walks.
Arabella had joined her on a few, and was surprised that she could barely keep up with the older woman. She was incredibly strong, and incredibly fast-paced. Arabella had thought she was quite healthy until she went on a long walk with Anna Day. Never again. Unless Anna slowed down, and there was no sign of her slowing down anytime soon.
Anna didn’t seem too concerned about the tension between Arabella and Jeffrey, sitting down in the dining room for lunch. Arabella served her, Jeffrey standing by, and then Anna gave her leave. Nothing was mentioned about Jeffrey scowling at his sister and Arabella’s sullen expression. Then again, seeing as the two of them had been arguing a lot lately, Anna must have guessed they had had another argument.
It wasn’t professional. Arabella was embarrassed at letting her emotions get the better of her., but she was glad she didn’t have to explain herself. Anna Day was a lot more reasonable that any other employer.
Arabella headed out shortly after Anna gave her leave, and walked down the path, taking a shortcut that twirled and turned through a small copse of trees. It was a way that her mother didn’t approve of Arabella taking, especially when it was dark, but it was quick. And Arabella, was very eager to go to her parents’ home.
Her mother was out in the front garden, tying up some of the beanstalks to a makeshift cane. Sweat beaded her forehead, and her hair was starting to come out from the many pins Rosie Powell shoved into her head. Arabella waved as she came out of the trees.
“Mother.”
Rosie looked up.
“Arabella, dear.” She frowned as Arabella opened the gate. “What have I told you about going through those trees? It can be dangerous if you’re not careful.”
“Mother, I’m a grown woman, not a little girl.”
“Sometimes I wonder.”
Arabella rolled her eyes and looked around. “Where’s Katherine?”
“She’s in the back garden. She wanted to read under the tree out there.”
That had Arabella smiling. Katherine was young, and she had limited schooling, but her reading was extraordinary. Katherine loved reading. Even Lady Derby had encouraged her, giving Katherine books for her birthday and Christmas. Arabella’s heart had melted when she saw her daughter’s eyes light up at the pile of books on her bed.
Only seven years old and she was reading novels. Arabella had loved reading herself, but this was something else. She didn’t want to think about who her daughter might have gotten her ability to read from.
Leaving her mother to finish in the vegetable patch, Arabella headed around the back into the garden that stretched out behind the house. Her entire family had been stunned by the sight when they first arrived; it was a rare thing to get a garden in a dwelling like theirs, and certainly not one as big as this. Arabella and Jeffrey had loved it, Jeffrey the most. He would spend hours playing outside, running around and climbing trees. Then once she was able to walk, Katherine had joined in. She loved playing with her uncle.
Arabella swiped this memory away. Any memories of Katherine when she was little would have her thinking of Katherine’s father. Arabella didn’t want to do that.
Katherine was sitting under the biggest tree in the garden, a blanket spread out under her as she leaned against the trunk. A thick book was open in her lap, and her head was bent. Her black hair fell in long waves over her shoulders and down her back, which Katherine absently tucked behind her ear. Arabella felt a hard lump in her throat.
She looked so much like her father. It wouldn’t take much for Viscount Harrison to guess once he saw Katherine…
Katherine looked up as Arabella approached. Her face broke into a big smile and she jumped up, dropping the book to the ground.
“Mama!”
Arabella knelt down as her daughter leapt at her, wrapping her arms around Arabella’s neck. She almost knocked Arabella over, who just managed to catch herself. She hugged her daughter tightly before easing her back. She cupped Katherine’s face in her hands.
“You’re looking well today. That cold seems to have gone.”
“I did as you said and slept,” Katherine answered, her hazel eyes shining. “I felt better this morning, so Grandmama said I could come out here to read.”
“That’s good. What are you reading today?”
“Virtue Rewarded.”
Arabella remembered reading something like that when she was younger, but it had been a bit of a daunting read due to the thickness of the book.
“That’s a Samuel Richardson book, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” Katherine sighed dreamily. “It’s beautiful. Letters from a servant girl to her parents about her employer, about how she loves him but knows it can never happen.”
Arabella bit back her response about the employer attempting to rape the servant girl several times and treating her abysmally to begin with. She nudged Katherine towards the blanket and then lay down on her belly.
“Why don’t you read me a little bit? I want to see how your reading is getting on.”
“All right.”
Katherine picked up the book and lay down beside her mother. Then she began to read. She did stumble over her words a little bit, but her voice was clear, and she seemed to have a good understanding over what was going on. Arabella could only listen in awe. Anna had come by with Arabella once to see Rosie and had heard Katherine reading aloud. She had been just as surprised. Not all seven year olds, especially children who didn’t get an education as extensive as those from richer families, managed to read that well. Katherine was a fast learner, and she was so eager to learn.
Arabella didn’t think she could be more proud of her daughter.
They had gone through three pages when Arabella smelled the delicious aroma of her mother’s cooking. She looked up to see Rosie standing in the kitchen doorway, watching them. Arabella nudged Katherine.
“I think Grandmama has lunch ready.”
“Good. I’m hungry.” Katherine closed her book and put it aside. “Are you staying for lunch, Mama?”
“Of course I am.” Arabella sat up as Katherine jumped to her feet and ran towards the house. “Wash your hands first!”
Katherine shouted something over her shoulder and then disappeared into the house, almost barging into Rosie. Her grandmother darted out the way with a smile, and then she turned back to Arabella as her daughter approached. Arabella couldn’t help but beam at her mother.
“She’s coming along. I can’t believe how bright she is.”
“Much like her mother. You could read by the time you were four.”
“I couldn’t read like that. I don’t know where she gets it from.”
Rosie was silent for a moment. Her smile was fading a little, and she was beginning to wipe her hands on her apron; a sign she was about to talk about something awkward. Arabella didn’t need to guess what she was going to discuss.
“I’ve heard that Viscount Harrison is a guest at the main house again,” Rosie said, a little too brightly. “That’s the third time in six months.”
Arabella took a deep breath.
“He’s supposed to have arrived this morning.”
“I thought he was going to spend this month in Ireland? Normally, he refuses to leave the estate because it’s the month his wife died.”
“It’s been ten years since Lady Harrison passed,
Mother, and things change. He’s friends with Lord and Lady Derby, and his son is Lord Derby’s brother-in-law. They’re all family, essentially.”
“I suppose.” Rosie paused. “Your father heard mention of Viscount Harrison going to visit Mrs. Day again while he was here.”
“I know he is. He’s already seen her last night at the main house.”
“He’s certainly getting more confident about being around Mrs. Day without a chaperone.”
She was dancing around the topic. Arabella could tell. She folded her arms.