To Release an Earl

by Ilene Withers

  "There is. I had it placed in the drawing room."

  "Well, this explains the pounding and sawing on the front step," he said. "As soon as they have finished the ramp, Willa, you and I are going to the stables to visit Pirate."

  Chapter Six

  Willa lay awake much of the night worrying about her relationship with John. She loved him so much she ached and wanted nothing more than to marry him and provide him with children. They had talked about how they would enjoy teaching their children to ride and how they would gallop over the pastures as a family. The outdoors would be where they spent much of their time – hunting, walking, and overseeing the earl’s estate. And now she was crippled.

  She also knew her melancholia had disturbed John. It was obvious even to her, how much he tried to lift her spirits, to get her to be more independent. Everyone talked about hope and about how the tiny bit of feeling in her right foot meant there was a chance she would walk again. Willa didn’t believe it. In fact, she was confident she would be paralyzed for the rest of her life.

  As she lay there in the darkness with Fayre breathing evenly in the small bed they had moved into the room upon her insistence so Molly could have a good night’s sleep, Willa decided it was time she got on with her life. If she was to be paralyzed for her entire life, she needed to learn how to adapt.

  Consequently, upon Molly bringing in a tea tray for the two young women, Willa told her she would dress for the day. “Pick out something cheerful for me, will you Molly?”

  After Fayre had risen and both girls had enjoyed their morning tea, Molly and Fayre worked together to aid Willa in dressing. Molly selected a light woolen dress in a green the color of the moss in the forest. It had a higher neck than was strictly fashionable and long fitted sleeves which buttoned up to the elbow. The dress was a good color to bring out Willa’s complexion. When paired with a lightweight shawl in a deep orange embroidered with leaves the same moss color, it was particularly complimentary. This alone gave Willa a slight boost from her melancholy.

  As soon as she was dressed, Willa asked Molly to ring for a footman. She requested she be lifted into her upstairs Bath chair, wheeled to the stairway, and then carried downstairs to the Bath chair there. By mid-morning, she was settled into the drawing room with her cousin where they could look out the front windows at the men building her ramp. Much to her delight, Willa spied her fiancé there with the servants. He was in his shirt sleeves, pushing a saw through planks of wood. As though he sensed her gaze, he looked up at her. He smiled and lifted his hand in greeting before returning to his task.

  Fayre and Willa watched as the last board was nailed into place. John reached for his coat and shrugged into it before striding through the front door. He popped his head into the drawing room door.

  “You look beautiful today, Willa.” She enjoyed the warmth of his gaze on her. As if he suddenly realized she was not alone, he turned his head and smiled at Fayre. “And look at you, Miss Fayre, so pretty in pink.”

  Both young women blushed and John watched their reactions before saying, “I’m just going to go clean up a bit. Then I’ll be down to join you ladies and the viscount and viscountess for luncheon.”

  Willa sighed. He deserved so much more than a paralyzed wife.

  John reappeared not more than a quarter hour later and suggested he could wheel Willa into lunch and escort Fayre on his arm at the same time. The threesome made their way into the dining room just as the viscount and viscountess appeared from separate directions. A chair had been moved away from one side of the table, and John wheeled Willa into the space. However, it quickly became obvious it wasn’t going to be suitable for being close enough to the table. Instead, he backed the wheeled chair out and looked at the viscount. “I think we need the chair back, Yale.” The viscount had not had time to move before a footman hurried to slide the chair back up towards the table. John then scooped Willa up and placed her on the dining chair.

  Luncheon consisted of a chicken fricassee, cauliflower grown in the greenhouse, a loaf of fresh bread, and a sweet trifle for dessert. The family seemed to be excited Willa had joined them.

  “How do you like the Bath chairs, Willa?” her father asked.

  “It’s nice to be able to escape from my bed chamber,” she replied.

  “This afternoon we are going to visit Pirate in the stables as I promised,” John assured her.

  True to his word, as soon as the meal was over, John placed Willa gently back into her wheeled chair and then made sure her shawl was wrapped securely around her. Without inviting anyone to go with them, he steered her out the front door and down the ramp. He set a brisk pace on their walk to the stables, causing Willa to laugh.

  “You’re laughing,” John pointed out.

  “Oh, I am, aren’t I?” She laughed a bit more.

  “It’s a beautiful sound. I was beginning to fear I would never hear it again.”

  “I have been rather melancholy, haven’t I?”

  “It’s understandable,” he told her in a forgiving voice. “I’m sure if the same thing happened to me, I would be devastated.” He stopped to open the gate into the stable yards. “I’m glad to see you are back to more of your usual self. I missed you.” A loud whinny came from within the stable. John burst out laughing. “Pirate missed you as well.”

  Willa had snuck both a sugar cube and an apple from the lunch table into her lap. Now, as her beloved horse put his head over the stall gate, tossed it up and down, and greeted her enthusiastically, she could not help the tears of joy streaming down her face.

  “Pirate,” she cried as she greeted him. The chair John maneuvered parallel to the gate caused her to sit high enough she could stroke the velvety soft nose. She giggled when the horse reached over to nuzzle her cheek. As she held up the sugar cube, she relished in the feel of his soft lips nibbling at the cube. When the horse finished, he tried to reach for the apple in her lap. “You greedy beast,” she laughingly reprimanded him. “I have to find a way to cut it up first.”

  John held out his pocket knife, the blade carefully pointing away from her. “He wants you to hurry,” he said as the horse reached farther to push at her hands and try to steal the whole apple. “It is obvious Pirate has little to no patience.”

  Willa took the knife and sliced the apple into quarters which she proceeded to feed one at a time to her horse. “Have you ridden him?” she asked John.

  “Just yesterday, as a matter of fact. We took an energetic gallop down the road to. . .” he trailed off. “Just down the road a short distance,” he finished.

  ****

  As soon as he said it, John wondered why he hadn't mentioned his trip to Townsend Park and how he had met Miss Marty. Somehow it hadn't felt right, and so he had changed his mind about what he was going to say. It did give him great pleasure to watch Willa and Pirate interact. While they stood there, some of the grooms and the tack boys, along with Ward, came by to greet Willa. Each of them told her they had been thinking about her and hoping for a complete recovery. As he turned Willa's chair and pushed her back toward the house, John thought perhaps he should make note of who hadn’t stopped to talk to her.

  "Do you want to go inside or would you rather stay out for a while longer?" he asked his fiancée.

  "Definitely outside," came her reply. Then she twisted her head and looked back at him. She had not worn a bonnet and the sun glinted off her rich brown hair. It was arranged casually, loose around her shoulders, tempting a man to run his fingers through it. "Let us go to the West garden," she suggested.

  "That is a good idea," John replied knowing it would be protected from the slight breeze while catching the strong afternoon sun. As he wheeled her there, he thought about what to say, how much he should tell Willa about the suspected attempt on her life. He did not want to upset her with the suspicions that someone might have wanted to injure her. Instead, he wanted to protect her from the information.

  Settled in a sheltered, sunny area surrounded by br
ightly colored autumn flowers, John sat on a wrought iron bench next to the chair Willa occupied. He reached over with his hand and entwined his fingers with hers.

  "It seemed everyone in the stables wanted to wish you well," he started.

  "Yes, well at least my favorites."

  "Who are?"

  She looked at him. "Brooks, of course. I understand after the accident he rushed for help."

  "Yes, he did. I don't believe his horse could have run any faster, and Brooks was yelling for help long before he reached the house. He had laid his jacket over you to keep you warm and was concerned about you. Who else are your favorites?"

  "Jem is rather adorable, don't you think?"

  "What is he, about fourteen?"

  "Yes, he turned that this past summer. His father left his mother and Jem is working to help support his younger siblings. They live in the village so he can go home each night and he has Sundays off to go to church with his family. I worry he should be going to school, but I guess it is not possible."

  "How long has he worked here?"

  "A little over a year." Willa was quiet for a few moments, tipping her head back to take advantage of the sun. "He does read. I asked him once and he told me his mother makes him read aloud to the younger ones each evening so she can be sure he is literate."

  "He also cares about you a lot. I saw him almost in tears the day after the accident," John told her.

  "I do like Ward, too," Willa told him. "I like all of them except. . ."

  John encouraged her to go on. "Except?"

  "Well, Jenkins is just so new I haven't had a chance to get to know him."

  "When did he start?"

  "Hmm," she thought before answering, "about three months ago perhaps."

  "And you don't care for him?"

  "It's not that, John. I just don't know him well, and I've picked up a bit of an attitude from him."

  "What type of attitude?" John probed.

  "I feel like he doesn't think a woman belongs in the stables, or he thinks I shouldn't enjoy riding so much. There’s just something there," she trailed off.

  "Perhaps he used to work for someone where the women only rode on horses that plodded along through the park," John suggested.

  "It's possible," she said before changing the subject. "Where did you and Pirate ride yesterday afternoon?"

  John shifted uncomfortably on the bench, hesitant again to tell her the truth. "West down the road. I wanted a good run and it didn't seem like the best choice to go toward the village."

  "No, I don't suppose it would be."

  ****

  Willa had noticed John seemed uncomfortable when she asked about where he had ridden Pirate. She wondered why. What harm was there in her knowing? Trying to shrug it off, she made up her mind to enjoy the rest of their excursion. The accident had kept her restricted to her room, causing her world to become quite small. Even the once small act of getting outside had improved her mindset immensely.

  The two of them had sat in the garden for a bit longer, enjoying the fall weather and watching the birds flit from branch to branch. Two squirrels, their red coats getting thicker as winter approached, emerged to play in the yellowing grass. Both Willa and John laughed as they watched the creatures’ antics. Going up and down the trees, hiding under bushes, twitching their plush tails playfully to attract their mates.

  All too soon, Fayre located them. "Aunt Blythe sent me to fetch the two of you and warn you it was nearing dinner time," she said.

  John rose and stepped behind the chair. "I suppose we should go in," he said with a regretful tone to his voice.

  "Yes," Willa replied. "Perhaps we could do this again tomorrow?"

  John was quiet and didn't reply until prompted with "Could we?"

  "I'm afraid I have an appointment for much of the day tomorrow," he replied at last.

  "Do you?" Willa wondered what type of appointment John could have in their neighborhood. "You aren't leaving are you?"

  "Just for a few hours."

  "It must not be too far away then."

  "No," he replied, still not offering any more information.

  He grew quiet as he walked them around the house and pushed her up the ramp. Fayre filled the silence.

  "If John is busy, I will be happy to take you for a walk outside," she said. "If the chair is too difficult for me to push over the uneven ground, we will have a footman accompany us. I'm sure Abbott would spare one for us."

  "Yes, I'm sure he will," Willa agreed.

  Finally John spoke again. "I do wish you would stay out of the stables unless I or your father is with you."

  "Why?" Willa was curious. She had always had free run of the estate.

  "I am requesting it, that is all," he said.

  "Fayre and I will enjoy the East garden in the morning, and the West in the afternoon, then," Willa assured him, again wondering about his odd behavior.

  "That is a good idea," he replied. "After so many days indoors, it will be nice for you to enjoy the weather while it holds."

  Seated at the dining table as the footmen served them, Willa looked up as her mother spoke. "I have an announcement," the viscountess declared. When she had everyone's attention she spoke again. "We have hired a nurse for you, Willa. Poor Molly and Luvina have been stretched to the limit, and now they will both be able to return to their own duties."

  "And what will the nurse do?" Willa asked, not liking the sound of needing a nurse.

  "She will help with your bathing and personal care, be available to help you stay mobile in your new Bath chairs, and make sure you are in good health.”

  Willa didn't reply. She did not want to be dependent on anyone, but realized she was. It was Fayre who asked the nurse's name.

  "Her name is Nancy," the viscountess replied.

  "When does she start?" her husband asked her.

  "That is the wonderful part. She is starting at once. It is a stroke of luck she walked into the employment agency just yesterday and came for an interview on the mail coach today."

  "Does she have prior nursing experience?" John asked.

  "She does. She has several years of experience and excellent references." Lady Amhearst continued. "I interviewed her myself and she gave all the correct answers. I am confident she is an excellent choice and had Mrs. Bailey show her to her room immediately. Except for her night off, she will sleep in Willa’s dressing room on a cot so Fayre can move into her own room next door to Willa. If Willa has a bell within reach, she will be able to call the nurse whenever she needs to. I suggested Nancy settle in a bit and this evening, Molly will introduce her to you, Willa."

  "I'm not sure I need a nurse," she replied to her mother meekly.

  "I do realize you would rather not, but think of it as an assistant for Molly. Why the poor girl has been spending every waking minute seeing to your needs and spending far too little time sleeping. I do swear she has dark circles under her eyes."

  Willa thought about it and decided her mother was correct. As much as she hated to admit it, even with Fayre there, Molly was working far too hard. And Fayre couldn't stay forever. Why, next spring the Duke and Duchess of Lamberton would sponsor Fayre’s own come out. "You are right, Mother," Willa admitted.

  ****

  After an evening of listening to Fayre play the pianoforte while the rest of them played whist, John carried Willa upstairs to her room where he sat her on the bed with Fayre in tow. Molly brought in the new nurse and introduced her to John, Willa, and Fayre. There was something about her eyes he could not warm up to, but John tried to brush it aside and bade his fiancée and her cousin a good night before retiring to his own room.

  Martin was preparing for the night as well as the next day when John entered his bed chamber. The fire had heated the room to a perfect temperature and a small tumbler of cognac sat on the table next to a comfortable chair. His dressing gown was draped across the bottom of the bed on which the covers had been pulled down.

  "Good e
vening, my lord," the valet greeted him cheerfully. "I hope you have had a most pleasant evening."

  "Thank you, Martin. I finally trounced the viscount in whist. The man is a good player and I believe he thoroughly enjoys beating me. In fact, the last time we played, he laid down the winning hand and said, 'Take that, you young pup.'"

  Martin chuckled. "It does sound as if he enjoys winning." He walked over and assisted John out of his jacket. "Do you know what I should prepare for tomorrow?"

  "Yes, riding clothes. I am to visit a neighboring farm and look over the livestock and the establishment, so I will want to wear my best riding boots. Perhaps the brown corduroy jacket?"

  "An excellent choice," Martin agreed. As he walked away, John spoke to him.

  "Have you met the new nurse, Martin?"

  The valet stopped and turned around. "Yes, she dined in the servant's hall with us."

  "What did you think of her?"

  "I barely had a chance to meet her, my lord. Her name is Nancy, but she sat at the other end of the table from me."

  "I met her tonight when I carried Willa upstairs to her room. There was something about her eyes I could not like. They seemed shifty."

  "I did not have a chance to notice."

  "Do me a favor, will you, Martin?"

  "Anything, my lord."

  "Keep your eyes and ears open and report anything suspicious to me, I have to get to the bottom of what is going on and who might be trying to harm my fiancée. And why – I must know why."

  Martin smiled. "I will, my lord. In fact, tomorrow I will make it a point to get to know her, and I'll be discreet about it."

  Chapter Seven

  Matilda Robinson, better known as Miss Marty in the neighborhood, was looking forward to the day. John Herne, the Earl of Roydon, had a reputation far and wide as being an astute estate proprietor and a compassionate animal owner. Marty was proud of the herd of Angus doddies, and she did not get to show them off as much as she wished. A man like the earl visiting was something to be excited about, indeed.