The Shoemaker

by Lisa Prysock

  It wasn’t easy being the fourth daughter of an underpaid vicar; always having to wear leftover garments; seldom having a new gown; rarely obtaining permission to attend a ball while waiting on three elder sisters to be married off. Her father would not hear of Catherine being “out” until her eldest sisters, were at least engaged. Hence, what little was left to spare in the household account was usually spent upon the needs of Caroline and Careen to improve their chances of obtaining husbands. At least on this occasion, all the garments she had brought with her and the fashionable, forest green suit she presently wore, were carefully selected under Mother’s watchful eyes.

  “These will serve you well,” Mother had said as they had carefully packed her trunk together, insisting she have the very best her sisters could offer. It had seemed so very odd to have Mother fuss over her this time. The travel suit-- comprised of an empire waist dress and coordinating pelisse, suited her golden brown, upswept hair well. The pelisse, trimmed in sage green cording, was an elegant yet perfectly understated complement to the dress that peeked out beneath, also trimmed at the wrists and neckline in sage green cording. Pearl earrings dangled beside long curls that framed her face. The rest of her hair was gathered attractively under a dark green, velvet, poke bonnet lined in sage green muslin. The bonnet tied with a green silk bow to one side of her jaw.

  The Duke took in her appearance at once. He studied her tailored garments. Warm, intelligent brown eyes peered confidently back at him. Her rose colored lips bore a cheerful smile on perfectly shaped lips. High cheekbones and a heart shaped face gave her a regal look. The afternoon sunlight streaming in through the windows danced on shiny, dark curls that framed a delightful, yet strong face. He set the paper down on the desk without taking his eyes away from hers.

  Forgive me,” he said in a pleasant but firm tone, raising an arm to indicate the chair behind her. “Please, won’t you be seated?”

  “Yes, thank you, my Lord,” she said, with a curtsey, lowering her eyes. She slowly sat down in the chair just behind her, trying to be graceful without turning her back to him as she did so. She kept her back straight and sat on the edge of the leather chair, trying to remember all she knew about being a lady.

  He sat down after she was seated and placed the letter back on the stack of documents. He drummed his fingers on the desk as if lost in a thought. “It would seem my mother has thought of everything,” he said when his fingers had stopped moving, appearing somewhat stunned.

  “Mothers have a way of doing that,” she replied.

  “Indeed,” he replied. Together, they laughed gently, releasing most of the tension in the room.

  “Will you be taking tea here in the library, my Lord?” Alton inquired from near the doors to the library, looking on as if to assure that all was well in hand. They both looked up at him in surprise, having forgotten his presence.

  “By the fire would be fine…”

  “Of course,” Alton nodded and opened both library doors wide to allow a rolling cart of tea inside, wheeled by a footman who had appeared as if on cue or strict regimen. Winnie was not sure which, though she guessed the efficient butler kept the household running like a clock. He was a large, tall fellow with a broad, husky chest, a deep voice, and up in years. Likely, the staff readily obeyed all of his commands if they wished to remain employed. The footman placed the cart near the fireplace and wordlessly disappeared. Alton poured two cups of steaming liquid, set a tea tray on the round table between the leather armchairs, and stoked the fire as the Duke led the way to the fireplace. When they were seated with their cups of tea and the butler disappeared as the footman had, their conversation resumed.

  “Something tells me you aren’t anything like others of the opposite sex.”

  “Before I agree or disagree with your statement, may I ask upon what you base this observation?”

  “You have a certain air of distinction about you… the way you carry yourself. Call it poise… and grace; attributes which all of the gold in England cannot purchase for a young lady; nay, not in any of the finest finishing schools the shires of this land may offer.”

  Winnie removed her gloves, sipped the refreshing hot tea, and disregarded the remark. After a pause, she said, “From what I have witnessed firsthand in the ten minutes in which I have been here, there are a vast number of fine and jovial ladies who currently adorn Hillbrook Hall. Why do you not seek a wife from among them?”

  The Duke nearly spit out his tea. Recovering quickly, “What …and subject myself to a lifetime sentence of endless, mindless nonsense, silliness, and chatter enough to drive one to prefer a room at the Tower of London?”

  She could not help but chuckle lightly with amusement dancing in her eyes. “I concede you may have a point of considerable merit.”

  “Yes, well, now you have a sense of my predicament... only add to that a very fast paced, ticking, clock-- one that could forever change the course of our lives!” He placed his cup and saucer on the table between them. “Then there are my silly sisters to contend with…”

  “T’would appear Providence desires for you to laugh and be merry the rest of your days,” she replied with a coy grin.

  “In sending you my way, Providence has made me to smile; as for the others, my head to ache unceasingly.” Straightening in his chair, he turned the conversation in another direction. “So my mother (God rest her dear soul), in prayerfully obtained wisdom, corresponded with you last Spring, before her passing in regard to the position of companion… to my unruly, giddy, careless, foolish, immature, delightful, beloved, younger sisters?”

  She nodded, laughing. “Yes, we corresponded upon recommendation by a mutual friend of my dear mother, a Countess Sarah Fletcher.”

  Nodding, the Duke responded, “The Countess, Lady Fletcher is… was a dear friend of my mother. She remains a loyal and cherished friend to our family. We expect her to visit during the Christmas season, if the weather is permissible, of course.”

  “My mother holds her in great esteem, as well,” she said, sipping her tea. “We all do!”

  “How is your mother’s health?” he inquired.

  “Very well, thank you.”

  “I did locate your letter to Mother announcing your estimated arrival, weather pending, received last week. Somehow, in the busy affairs of life I mislaid it. My apologies. I have been preoccupied of late. Was the journey from Essex to Northampton taxing?”

  “Pleasant and uneventful,” she responded. “I enjoyed the view enormously as the coach entered the land of ‘spires and squires,’ as some refer to this remarkable area. There is a certain charm to the countryside and quaint boroughs and parishes west of Chelmsford where I hale; but the stately homes and villas, along with the pure and wholesome air here in all the shire of Northampton is refreshing and beautiful. The snow covered meadows were pure joy to behold. We hardly ever have much snow being so far south.”

  “I am glad to hear of it,” he said warmly, surprised at the depth of her description of the journey.

  “Would you like me to pour for you?” Winnie asked, noticing his cup was nearly empty.

  “Thank you, yes!” He slid his cup toward her side of the tray on the table between them as the fire crackled and popped. “My mother always said I had no skill whatsoever after the manner of household custom of any sort.”

  “Neither has my father,” she replied amicably, turning in her seat to pour carefully from the pale blue and pink china teapot.

  “A vicar, Mother noted in her letter,” he commented. “You have a brother and three sisters, all elder, and yet, you are regarded the most mature and refined of the family, my mother wrote.”

  “The result of being confined to the library where I have read a great many more books than one probably should, restricted to sewing and tea by the parlor fire, allowed to participate in attending church services, permitted to attend to the business of walks in the garden and countryside, and the occasional escape for a short ride on horseback, a few coun
try dances…”

  “Admirable and worthy pursuits,” he remarked.

  “I did come to fall in love with my parameters, eventually,” she admitted.

  “You were not able to come to Hillbrook Hall sooner?” he inquired.

  “Mother insisted I wait for Brent’s wedding to pass, along with the hopes and dreams of my eldest sister to be dashed upon another rock.”

  “Brent would be…?”

  “My brother, who married Miss Tillie Farmington this October past…” She placed her cup in the saucer and closed her eyes, trying to escape the memory of Tillie’s sharp tongue. “May God help him!”

  “I see,” he said, laughing, unable to contain the amusement in his voice. It became readily apparent that it was his turn to be amused by her situation. “What of the rocks, you say?”

  “Well, you see, sometime before, during, and after Brent’s wedding to Matilda,” she explained, “we expected an engagement to be forthcoming for Caroline’s hand in marriage. We endured many months of a long and tedious courtship with a possible suitor, a clergyman from a distant parish in our locale, a Reverend Bailey Abbot. Father is very choosy, you see, as to who may marry his daughters. Mother insisted I remain in Essex until there was either a wedding, or no possibility of a reconciliation remaining between Caroline and Bailey.”

  “I see that as you are here… and the hopes having been aforementioned as dashed, there is then no possibility remaining of reconciliation,” he said, smothering an empathetic laugh with a sip of the tea.

  “Sadly, at least not at the present,” she replied, returning her cup to the saucer, a trace of despair lingering in her voice as she stared at the fireplace with her head bent slightly down to one side in lament. “Mother finally acquiesced and gave her consent that I might pursue this avenue of relief from the quips, jibs, and jabs of Matilda Lyndon. I sometimes privately refer to her as ‘Tillie the Hun,’ but pray, please take no offense in my so doing. She has taken to proffering marriage advice upon my sisters and parents where Caroline, Careen, and Corabelle are concerned. I consider myself blessed forevermore to have made my escape.”

  He laughed again, a long laugh. When he recovered, his expression grew somber when he realized she was not laughing. “I’m sorry. Four daughters and all to be married… it must seem a daunting prospect to be the fourth of them.”

  “Oh, I shall never marry,” she said emphatically. “’Tis my sisters for whom I lament, for they wish to marry and I do not.”

  “That’s a great pity,” he said in a playful and light tone of voice, “for it would solve my problems and very clearly, keep you forever safe from the sharp tongue of Tillie!”

  Winnie laughed, but as she did, she could not help but look at the Duke a little sideways. Surely he was not serious! When he cracked a broad smile and joined in her laughter, she supposed he was not. He was more than attractive, had more wealth than most would ever see in ten lifetimes, and yet, she barely knew him. No, if she ever married, it would be for love… not to a perfect stranger! When the laughter subsided she heard herself say, “Surely one of the ladies you know will be most happy to marry you, kind Sir.”

  “Most happily marry indeed, though not on my part!” He rolled his eyes and shook his head, adding, “Call me Kingston.”

  Considering his rank, title, wealth, the sprawling estate and all that he owned, she realized he was having difficulty in trusting any of them to marry him for love. “Ah, I do suddenly see the problem you must be having in finding a… trustworthy bride… without ulterior motives.”

  He nodded, with exasperation, rising from his seat. She could not tell if he was exasperated with her speed of perception or if his manner was further expression of his predicament. His long legs took no time at all to reach the fireplace mantle. He raked his hand through his hair again and paced near one side of the fireplace, his hands clenching into fists. She studied him closely, realizing it had been the latter. He was aggravated by far more than anything she could have done or not done.

  “I shall help you!” she said in a frail voice, looking into her teacup.

  “You could only help by accepting my proposal… which would forever secure you from ‘Tillie the Hun,’ of course.” He was smiling again when she looked up, staring at her, his fists relaxed.

  “As tempting as that may sound, no, I cannot marry you,” she said flatly, her eyes dancing in amusement as she set her teacup in the saucer. “However, there must be someone in your circle who you know, love, and trust. I shall be your eyes and ears. I shall try to determine, discreetly of course, which of these within your sphere are the most trustworthy.”

  “None of these in my sphere can be trusted! I will not have any among them!” he declared, waving his arm about. He was pacing again.

  “We shall see!” she responded, surprised that he had brought up marriage to her again. Surely he was out of his mind! He could hardly expect her to take him seriously when she had only just arrived moments ago. He was not himself and still very much in mourning she decided. Obviously, the contents of the will placed much on his mind. She studied him a little longer, silently watching him pace. In fourteen days, some change would take place. She wasn’t sure exactly what the reference to the will had meant, but clearly, there were high stakes involved.

  He stood back from pacing, leaning on the fireplace mantle, contemplating all that had passed between them. “Please, forgive me. I should have had Alton show you to your rooms a while ago. I will be most thankful for your help with my sisters while you are here, though it would certainly please me if you would accept my proposal of marriage. My sisters need taken in hand, regardless of whether you decide to accept me or not. They are so silly… you will see for yourself that all I tell you is true. Here I am being a terrible employer, going on about things that will surely work themselves out. I apologize that we have met under these circumstances, for I am under duress and have forgotten my manners. Let us lay this matter aside while I personally escort you to your rooms. I will honor the agreement you have previously made with my mother. Obviously, you are the perfect choice for a companion if you come highly recommended by the Countess. I will in fact advance you a month’s salary and… I shall double the amount mentioned in the letter. I will not behave without manners, for it would mar the memory and good name of my parents.”

  Dazed, Catherine tried to digest all that he said. Surely he wasn’t thinking clearly. They were not from the same class and had known each other for little more than an hour. Kingston reached for a bell pull a few feet away from the fireplace and continued. “I’ll ring for a parlor maid and footman to help us see that you are settled properly. You must be exhausted from the journey. We will talk more this evening about your duties as their companion, after dinner, when you’ve had some rest.” Then a happy grin spread across his handsome face, his eyes lighting up at she supposed, the prospect of speaking with her again. “Come along and I will escort you to your room.” She rose and followed him out into the hall.

  As they walked, he spoke without reserve. “I will yet win your hand, Miss Catherine Edwina Lyndon. You are the only eligible lady I have met with any bit of sense under this roof… or in all of England for that matter… in many, many years. I fear you have taken me captive with your beauty, sensibility, grace, wit, and many charms; though something tells me you underestimate both your value and my intentions.”

  I Chronicles 16:34, KJV

  O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good; for His mercy endureth forever.

  Chapter 2

  Bertha

  Winnie could hardly make heads or tails of all that had transpired in the library as she rested that afternoon. She found she was too tired to sort it out and thankful she hadn’t been turned away under the change in circumstances. A maid named Beatrice turned down the coverlet and sheets in her room, built a warm fire in the fireplace, and even unpacked her gowns and personal items from the trunk and portmanteau.

  Catherine took in the su
rroundings of the room the Duke had escorted her to. A perfect gentleman, he’d left her at the door in the hands of three capable servants bearing her trunk, portmanteau, and a pitcher of fresh water to be placed at the basin table near the dressing table. They called this room the Rose Bedroom. It was three times as large as the one she shared at home with Corabelle. A sitting area before the fireplace with two arm chairs, two round end tables, and a Corinthian sofa, the upholstered arms of which curled in scrolls on each end, looked inviting; each piece in a shade of rose fabric with peach accents. The cheerful fabric contrasted nicely on elegant legs of Walnut. A dressing table, the basin table, a five drawer rounded bureau, and a large wardrobe, all pieces in Walnut polished to a fine gleam, occupied one corner of the room opposite the four poster canopy bed and night stands. The rose patterned canopy skirting both above and below the bed coordinated with the peach coverlet. Silk and linen pillows in shades of rose, peach, and jade green adorned the bed. Rose curtains flowed out from each corner of the bed, draping the bed with plenty of luxuriously thick and elegant fabric to keep out keep out winter drafts.

  A writing desk in an exotic wood finish was placed before a window on one side of the fireplace; an elegant, but sturdy chair with a velvet cushion in a shade of pale jade green beside a square embroidery frame, the height of a table, stood before the other window. An oriental rug the size of most of the room, in a shade slightly darker than the jade green chair cushion with peach and gold accents, gave the room depth and warmth. The curtains at the two windows which billowed in piles of peach and rose on the floor were trimmed at the top and bottom in more pale jade green. Elegant tasseled cords of the same green pulled the curtains back to reveal cream linen panels at the center.