One Enchanted Winter

by Victoria Oliveri

  “Good morning,” Arabella’s comforting and cheerful voice came from the door as she entered with a tray. “How are you feeling, my lord?”

  “Well,” he said. “Much better than yesterday.”

  Yesterday had been a horrible day. He’d slept most of the first day thanks to the tea she had given him. He’d woken in the middle of the night out of a dead sleep sweating and frantic, unaware of where he was. The rest of the next two days he’d chased a fever and lay shivering no matter how many blankets she piled upon him. This morning, thankfully, he woke healthy and clear-headed and could not wait to leave his bed.

  “I got one of the stable boys to come into the main house to help you, so you shall soon receive a much-needed bathing and a clean nightshirt,” Arabella offered as she set the tray on the bedside table.

  “That is a relief,” Lord Dederick said, then pulled himself from beneath the blankets in an attempt to sit up.

  Arabella jumped to help him, pulling and plumping pillows behind him to make him more comfortable. She then began rearranging the sheets and blankets at his lap. Smirking, he brushed her off.

  “I’ve only hurt my foot, I can do this,” he said, then folded the bed linens into place around his lap.

  “You were very ill, my lord. You should save your strength until you are fully well.”

  “I am well and eager to get out of this bed,” he said. “If I must lie here for one more day, I shall go mad.”

  “Once you’ve broken your fast for the day, I shall have the stable boy help you, perhaps see if you can put weight on your foot. I need to re-wrap it. Then I will determine if you might move to the salon to take some sun.”

  “If I have to crawl there, I shall,” he said with a grumble as he rearranged his blankets about him.

  “I could bring you the morning papers to read, or a book if you prefer,” she said.

  “No, my head still aches a bit. Reading would not do,” he said, eyeing the plate of food she’d brought for him. “I don’t suppose you’ve laced my kippers with laudanum?”

  Arabella giggled at his suggestion and shook her head.

  “No, I have not, but I can get some if you feel you need it. Your mother has a very nice medicine box that I have been using to help you.”

  Lord Dederick ran a hand through his disheveled hair but shook his head.

  “I shall be fine but thank you. How is Mr. Tinley faring?”

  “He is fine. Has a bit of a cold, but he’ll manage. Unlike you, I do not confine him to his bed, and he has been working with a group of men trying to get your carriage returned so they can repair it.”

  “Has it stopped snowing?” he asked, leaning where he sat to glance out the window.

  “Unfortunately, no, it has not,” Arabella said, setting a small tray across his lap. “And we are veritably locked into the house at this point. The groundskeepers have done what they can to move snow away from doors and make room for passage to the animal pens to feed them, but like us, the animals aren’t willing to go out into the cold either. It may be days or weeks before anyone can retrieve your coach.”

  “I care less about the coach and more that everyone is comfortable here. Where have you been staying?” Lord Dederick asked as Arabella continued sorting things on his tray.

  “I’m sleeping in one of the empty servant's rooms upstairs, my lord,” she said and receive an angry look for it.

  “And what of Mr. Tinley?”

  “He is in his room above the mews,” she said hesitantly.

  “That is fine, but you,” he said pointedly. “Move your things down immediately and stay in one of the guest rooms on this floor. Your sister as well.”

  “But my lord,” Arabella began, but he cut her off.

  “I cannot have you traipsing up and down the back staircase while you nurse me back to health. No, move immediately.”

  “As you wish, my lord,” she said with a curtsy. “I thank you for that.”

  “It is the least I can do for all you’ve done for me. You have gone above and beyond. You deserve some rest for yourself.”

  “There shall be no rest,” she said with a shrug. “Not while you are confined. But it is fine, I do not mind at all.”

  “Then take the room adjoining this one. You can rest and be at hand for me if that is what you demand be done.”

  “My lord?”

  “That room,” he said, pointing to a door across the room. “Use it.”

  “But my lord,” she started, but he waggled a finger at her.

  “No, if you demand I stay here, then I demand you stay there.”

  Arabella glowered at him and he nearly laughed. Not only was she smart and capable of so much, but she was charming when she was perturbed. Her cheeks pinked and her eyes darted towards him, but she took a breath and gave him a curt nod.

  “If you insist, I will move into the room next to you, but only until you can walk.”

  “Agreed,” he said with a chuckle. “Besides, it’s not as if I could chase you in my state, so you have nothing to worry about.”

  She gave him an appalled look, took the empty tray, and left the room in a huff.

  Yes, she was damned pretty when she was angry.

  Chapter Four

  Lord Dederick sat with his legs hanging off the edge of his bed. The weight of his leg made his ankle ache, but he could not stay abed any longer. He’d pulled on his breeches without too much pain, though he could only manage one slipper. The other would not fit over the wrapped and swollen foot he now stared at.

  “Traitor,” he murmured, then slowly slid off the edge of the bed until he was on his feet. Sharp pain instantly radiated up his leg, making his knee buckle, and he gripped onto the bedside table to steady himself. Bloody hell, how long did it take for a sprain to heal? It had been five days now that he’d been stuck in bed and he’d shown no sign of fever the day before, yet Arabella was not convinced that he was ready to walk. Grinding his teeth against the jabs of pain, he begrudgingly thought she may be right.

  “My Lord!” the shrill cry coming from his door startled him and he found Miss Carolina, Arabella’s sister, rushing in. “You should not be trying to walk without aid.”

  Grimacing, he waved her off as she approached and tried to help him back into bed.

  “I refuse. For God’s sake, sit me in my chair so I may feel less like an invalid and more like a human being,” he said, pointing to a large chair near the fire.

  Carolina was younger and smaller than Arabella. Where Arabella had spent her time chasing after children and helping her father with patients, Carolina had spent the last few years sitting with her sewing. The difference in their bearing was obvious and Carolina had some difficulty helping him the few feet to the chair.

  “Would you like a blanket for your lap, my lord,” she asked, and he struggled to keep the disapproval from his face. They were coddling him, and he felt more than helpless, but he could not begrudge her need to aid him in his condition.

  “No, but I thank you,” he said and winced as she delicately lifted his wrapped ankle and set it on a small footstool. “Where is your sister? I have not seen her yet this morning.”

  “She’s helping Mrs. Gendy in the kitchen. Without a full staff on hand we’re having to help where we are needed.”

  “I see,” he said, then looked over his shoulder. “How is the weather, has it turned yet?”

  “It’s just starting to,” Carolina offered. “The groundskeeper shoveled a path halfway down the drive, but it will take some time before they clear the road enough for passage. We have seen no traffic on the road yet, so I am sure everyone is waiting as we are.”

  Lord Dederick nodded absently then turned his attention back to the fire where Carolina had stooped to add more wood.

  “I’d like to send a message to my family, I am sure they are worried, but there is no point if the roads are impassable.”

  “Well,” she said, straightening and brushing off her skirt. “With the limit
ed staff we have, we have sent no one out to collect the post yet. We probably should.”

  “I am sure your family is worried as well. They were expecting you days ago.”

  “I’m sure they are, though my father knows we were here last and hopefully knows we were wise enough to stay put,” she said.

  “For his sake, I hope that as well,” Lord Dederick said with a smile. “And thank you for helping here. I know it is not your place to do so, but I will make sure you are compensated.”

  “No need, my lord, I am just happy we are all safe and warm.”

  She bobbed a quick curtsy and left the room, whereupon his mind drifted back to the fire and to her sister.

  Miss Arabella had become a fixture in his life the past few days and he was more than appreciative of her efforts. He was not, however, appreciative of the fact that he could not leave his room at all. The walls were becoming confining, and he wished to amble about even though he knew he could not physically do so.

  He hated being at the mercy of someone else’s time and attention. Being the third son of an Earl guaranteed little attention was paid to him and he could not only do as he pleased most times, but he got away with so much more than his elder brothers. Because of that, he was very unused to being helped, by anyone. To where it aggravated him now that they put him in this position.

  He was also feeling as though, being the only family member in the house, he needed to act as such. Being held captive in his room for a week, he did not know what the staff was up to. There was little concern that they were lazing about, emptying the larder or the wine cellar without his prying eyes, but he felt they needed to see him in a position of authority to keep things in order. And so, he rang the bell and waited for Arabella to arrive. She did so, several minutes later.

  “Is everything--” she stopped just inside the door when she found him out of bed. “How did you get there? You should not be out of bed.”

  “Your sister helped me, and I am fine. Not only fine, but I need to do my duty now that I am fine.”

  “Your… duty?”

  “Yes. I am the head of the household while I am here and I need to make sure everything is running smoothly,” he offered, and she gave him a queer look.

  “There is really nothing for you to check on, my lord. The house is fairly closed off and the normal activities are not taking place. Mrs. Gendy has stayed behind to make sure those that are here are fed and my sister and I have been tidying up where needs be, but otherwise, there is no other activity taking place.”

  “The animals?”

  “They are fine. The grounds staff is making sure they are taken care of. Mr. Tinley is on his feet now and has been attempting to retrieve your coach and have it repaired.”

  “Your sister tells me there has been no post since the snow started,” he stated, looking to her for confirmation.

  “No, there has not been.”

  “I would like to get word to my family, and I am sure you would like to get word to yours. I hear the snow is slowing, so perhaps once it stops, we can get some notes together and have one of the stable boys ride out to the post to get them delivered.”

  “That is a good idea,” Arabella said. “I am sure our parents are worried about all of us.”

  “If you could, please fetch me my writing desk so I may pen a letter to my family. I urge you to do the same. Then we can send someone out perhaps on the morrow.”

  Arabella gave him a firm nod then moved across the room to gather his writing desk for him. She set it on a small table then pulled it up next to him.

  “I need to go back and finish helping Mrs. Gendy, but I’ll be back in a short while to collect your letters. If you need anything else, you know to ring the bell,” she said with a smirk and left the room.

  As he watched her leave, he noted how utterly empty his room felt when she departed it. As if someone had sucked all the air and light out of the space. It was dull and quiet save the random crackles and pops from the fire and he found it suddenly unbearable.

  Lord Dederick was a social creature and always had been. Not so much the life of the party, but he’d never been one to turn down an invitation, of which there were many. Now to find himself stranded and alone was insufferable.

  He quickly penned a letter to his father letting him know everything that transpired and that he would stay at the manor until they returned to the country in a month’s time. He saw no need to go into London now, not with the weather so unpredictable. He could not risk another accident. The second letter he wrote was for his eldest brother, telling him the same information, but also alluding to the fact that Miss Arabella had been nursing him back to health and he was concerned about the feelings that were arising. He was not sure she felt anything for him, but the more time he spent with her, the more fond of her he became, which confounded him. Unlike his brothers he was not held to the same unyielding standards of marriage. He was not in line for his father’s titles and therefore had little need to rush into producing heirs, which made him desperately aware of the choices he could make that would change the course of his future, and possible hers.

  He did not expect to receive a response from his brother and said as much in his letter. He just needed to get his thoughts and feelings out to clarify the things tumbling around his mind the last few days. Feelings for Miss Arabella that he wasn’t sure were the product of true intentions or because she’d been the only person he’d talked to for a week.

  After folding the letter and sealing it, he sat back, his gaze drifting again to the fire to allow his thoughts to meander. It was easy to see how wonderful Arabella was, and how caring. She’d done nothing but ease his pain since the moment they brought him to the house. And she was by his side every moment, making sure his fever abated and the swelling in his foot had gone down. He argued with himself that all her care was because her father was a physician and in working alongside him, she was used to caring for people in this manner. Empathy was the calling card of any great doctor. Admittedly, they had spent little time together where they were not discussing his health, so perhaps he was jumping to conclusions where his feelings were concerned. Or was he?

  When she was tending him, he watched her, how gracefully she moved and how intentional her actions were. She was a confident and intelligent woman and those traits alone were enough to make her attractive. Add to that her natural beauty and her willingness to put up with him, and that made her irresistible. Whether she found him at all palatable was another story, and one he planned to understand quickly for his need to be with her in more than a nurse/patient capacity was becoming intolerable. His fingers itched to touch her every time she was near and when she left the room, her scent lingered there, tempting him, making him desire her more and more. Just the thought of her was waking parts of him in ways no other woman had in recent memory.

  Taking a few deep breaths and adjusting the sudden tightness in his breeches, he rang the bell once again. Moments later, Arabella appeared at the door with a tray and a smile.

  “You rang just as I was headed in your direction,” she said with a soft laugh as she set the tray on a chair next to him. In short order she had collected his letters, tucked them into the pockets of her apron, and removed the writing desk so that his tray could be set before him.

  “Mrs. Gendy said you had a penchant for pea porridge and ham, so she made a large pot of it for you. There is some toasted bread as well.”

  That made Lord Dederick grin.

  “I love pea porridge,” he said. “I have no idea why, I just find it very soothing. As a child I asked for it constantly, which cook found odd because most children dislike eating greens.”

  “This is definitely green,” Arabella said with a giggle as she set a bowl before him then turned toward the door.

  “You’re leaving?” he asked as he laid his napkin in his lap.

  “I must eat as well,” she said with a tilt of her head.

  Lord Dederick paused for only a moment, hi
s pulse beating like a hummingbird.

  “Would you dine with me here?” he asked. “I feel I have been so isolated, and I would love to have someone to talk with. Please, join me.”

  Arabella’s eyes searched his face, and she hesitated.

  “Of course, my lord,” she said with a curtsy. “I should have known you felt alone here. My apologies.”

  “No need to apologize,” he said with a smile. “Just hurry back.”

  And she did. After a few moments, she returned to his room with her own tray of food and Mrs. Gendy followed close behind with a tea tray and a dish of sweets.

  “I made them this morning,” Mrs. Gendy offered, pointing to the delicate pastries. “I know how you enjoy your sweets.”

  “You are pampering me,” Lord Dederick said with a teasing chuckle. “Won’t you join us for dinner as well?”

  Mrs. Gendy looked between them then turned back to the door.

  “I have to finish up in the kitchen but thank you for the offer. Perhaps another day.” And she was gone, closing the door behind her.

  Chapter Five

  For the first several minutes, Lord Dederick and Arabella sat in silence enjoying their meals, but the urge to hear her speak was driving him mad.

  “Has there been any news from the outside world?” he asked as he buttered a bit of bread.

  “No,” she said as she took a spoonful of the porridge. “But once we can gather the post, perhaps there will be something. I will ask whoever goes out to pick up newspapers as well so they can update us with what is going on.”

  “In the meantime, we could read. Our library here has many wonderful books to browse through,” he offered, noting her blush.

  “I must admit I have already been delving into your library,” she said with a shrug, then pulled a small tome from her pocket.

  “What do you have there?” he asked, reaching for the small book in her hand. She handed it to him, her blush deepening, and he thumbed through its well-worn pages. “Les Liaisons Dangereuses. Interesting choice.”