Rosalind had no response to that, other than a wish to turn into a watering pot once again. But she had no time for an answer because someone was pounding on her front door and reality was intruding once again.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“Miss Rose! The church has collapsed!” The young girl at the door, one of Rosalind’s students, was frantic. “Come quick!”
But before Rosalind could ask the girl any questions, Liam ran past her on his way to the church. Rosalind lingered only long enough to put on her cloak and to grab Liam’s greatcoat before chasing after him, with the girl in tow.
When she reached the church, it seemed like the entire village was there helping out. Gabriel was asking whether anyone had been inside, even as he waded through the wreckage. While three walls were still standing, the roof had caved in. Support beams and other sections of wood were strewn about.
“Where’s Mayweather?” asked Gabriel.
“Here,” said the pastor, who had been in the small rectory when the collapse had occurred. “But I fear Mrs. Armstrong may be inside. This is her day to clean.”
One of the girls who’d gathered by the side of the road began to cry, while her ten-year-old brother ran toward the church. Rosalind caught him before he could put himself in harm’s way.
“Please Bobby,” she said. “Stay here with your sister.”
“But our ma!” The boy was close to tears, but valiantly trying to stave them off.
“Leave that to the others. Your sister needs you now.”
Rosalind held both the children to her, as she tried to keep the others out of the way. Gabriel was already picking his way through the wreckage on his way to the altar which looked to have a safe area large enough to protect someone.
“Is there a surgeon in the village?” Liam asked the group at large.
“Naught but the smithy and he’s already working to clear the path,” said Gabriel.
Liam addressed his coachman, who’d come running when he’d heard the collapse. “Paul, have someone take you to the nearest surgeon, then fetch him here.” His servant immediately set out to do so.
Liam continued giving orders. “We need something on which to transport Mrs. Armstrong safely once we reach her. Perhaps a door or two beams of wood on which to fasten a stretcher.” Several men began gathering the supplies. He turned to the women. “We’ll also need strips of cloth for bandages and hot water and soap to clean any wounds. If that is not available, whiskey will do.”
“But Mrs. Armstrong does not drink spirits!” said a very affronted Mrs. Milton.
“It is not for her to drink. It is to clean any wounds.”
“I have never heard of such a thing.”
“Trust me it, works,” said Liam, in a tone that declared the discussion was over. “Now bring those things immediately.” With that he joined the others in wading through the wreckage.
Gabriel eyed him warily. “You’re as like to hurt yourself as help Mrs. Armstrong, your grace.”
“I am more useful than I look. I believe that beam is the key to uncovering the altar,” he said, pointing to a beam sticking out a few yards ahead of them. “If you and I and…” Here he pointed to the smithy, “Taney lift, the others can crawl under to see if Mrs. Armstrong is inside.”
Gabriel and Taney got into position, then the three men lifted the beams, which allowed two others to crawl underneath.
“She’s here,” called out one of the men. “She’s alive, but says her leg is broken.” After a few more moments, he added. “She’s pinned and we can’t get her out.”
Gabriel motioned to two other men. “Come here and hold this. I’m going in.”
The men immediately obeyed and he slipped under the beams. They heard the sound of wood being moved. Then the first two men reappeared carrying Mrs. Armstrong, who was conscious, but in a great deal of pain. As soon as they’d cleared the wreckage, Rosalind let her children go to her.
“Ma!” cried the boy. “Are you all right?”
Mrs. Armstrong smiled at him, even as Taney examined her leg. After a moment, he looked up. “The leg is broken, but not crushed. I can set it and you’ll have good use of it again.”
There was a sigh of relief in the crowd. An amputation would have been particularly hard on her, and there was no guarantee she would not have died from either the operation or any subsequent infection. As a few of the men carried her to her home, the women followed, while some ran ahead to ready her house.
Rosalind approached Liam, who was talking to Gabriel and a few others. She lay Liam’s greatcoat on his shoulders. He smiled briefly at her, then turned back to the others.
“The wood from that church was rotted through,” he said. “It’s a miracle this didn’t happen sooner.”
“Aye,” said Gabriel. “We’ve replaced beams through the years, but couldn’t get to all of them. The only reason the area at the nave didn’t cave in is because it had the newest beams.”
“The entire church should have been rebuilt,” said Liam. “If this had happened on a Sunday, people would have been killed.”
“I agree. But we did what we could with what we had. You might not realize it, but it costs money to replace beams. Money that’s in short supply.”
One of the other men spoke up. “Gabriel already spent his own coin on what work as we done. The rest of us couldn’t pay for the wood.”
“But surely the earl would have supplied what was needed,” said Liam.
Rosalind noticed the disgust of the men at the mention of Lyman. Not only that, but they became wary of Liam, despite what he’d done for them only moments earlier.
“Your friend Lyman,” said Gabriel, “knew all about the state of the church. Just like he knows that Johnson there needs a new roof. And Flieber hasn’t been able to plow half of his property by the river ever since one of the earl’s house parties damaged the dike. He’s also aware of the all but impassable road two miles north and the runoff from the hill where he cut down the trees to improve his view. He knows everything but he hasn’t seen fit to do anything about it. The only time he concerns himself with the likes of us is when the rents are due.”
“Have you sent a representative to speak to him? Perhaps his steward hasn’t passed this information on to him.”
“I am the representative. I saw the earl and all I got for my troubles was a speech on how much the taxes are costing him and that we must make do on our own. So that’s what we’ve done, especially since we didn’t have a choice to do otherwise. Is there anything else you want to know, your grace? Or can we set to clearing this lumber?”
* * *
If Liam didn’t hit Gabriel Mills, he had a feeling the man would try to lay him out before long. And there was a good chance he’d succeed. He didn’t particularly like feeling the brunt of the villagers’ frustration, but if things had been as neglected as they seemed – and there was no reason to doubt it, given what he’d already witnessed – he couldn’t blame their anger.
So Liam grabbed his riding gloves out of the pocket of his greatcoat, handed the garment back to Rosalind and began working alongside the men. It was cold, but he had a feeling the labor would warm him soon enough.
Rosalind was gathering the remaining children and calming the younger ones who had been frightened by the collapse. She kept the older ones occupied by helping to clear the bits of rubble that would be safe to handle. She had a real affinity for working with children, keeping them calm, making them feel safe. She would be an excellent mother, if he could only convince her to marry him.
He soon lost track of time. Most of the men were farmers and were used to the back-breaking work. He’d always favored physical activity, but knew he was using muscles that would be sore the next day. It felt good to work like this. And it helped him work out the frustration he felt with Rosalind. He kept an eye on the cottage to ensure she didn’t bolt when he wasn’t looking.
They were soon interrupted by the distribution of ale from the tavern, as
supervised by Olivia Morrison.
“Thank you,” said Liam, with a nod to the tavern owner, who helped distribute the drinks to the workers.
“You paid for it,” said Olivia. “I reckoned you would want to win them over, since you’re taking their teacher from them.” She moved past him and personally handed a glass of ale to Gabriel, who looked pleased to see her. Good, thought Liam. Let the two of them torment each other, though Olivia had been invaluable in so many ways, and Gabriel had proved himself well in the salvage effort, and also in his dealings with Lyman.
Liam turned to see Rosalind walking toward him. “Where are the children?” he asked.
“Olivia arranged for them to have a cup of chocolate at the tavern, then it will be time for them to return home. She is very thoughtful. But I am nonetheless surprised to find her in your employ. Shouldn’t you be travelling with a valet?”
“I wasn’t in the mood for company when I left London and didn’t feel right in subjecting the man to my foul temper. I acquired Olivia’s services at Lyman’s house party when Lady Elling was going to have the girl sacked.”
“Lady Elling,” Rosalind nodded, and the color seemed to drain from her face.
“She is in the past, my dear,” he said, as if reading her mind. “And something that never would have happened, had I not been heartsick over you.”
“Liam, we mustn’t speak here.”
“We can discuss it at your cottage, but I fear there are a few more hours of work to be done.” He handed her his glass. “I should get back to work. But I shall see you for dinner. Though I will surely be in need of a bath before then.”
As Rosalind’s face flooded with color, he looked forward to his bath more than he would have once thought possible. She cradled his glass to her bosom – lucky glass – then hurried away.
“I think you’re making progress,” said Olivia, once again by his side. “I have some hope for you after all.”
“Thank you, Olivia,” said Liam with a sigh, wondering how soon he could see Rosalind again.
“I mean, if you’d asked me earlier if I thought you’d come out this well, I would’ve been doubtful.”
“Perhaps, I should have made myself more clear. Thank you, Olivia. That will be all.”
* * *
Dinner didn’t turn out exactly as Liam had expected. First, the salvage efforts at the church took longer than anticipated. Then several of the men started telling him about the conditions in the village. The church was far from the only building that needed repairs. Liam was appalled by what he was hearing from the men. This was beyond the damage done by a neglectful landowner. Some of it verged on being criminal.
As the last of the men returned to their homes, Liam was relieved to see Rosalind arrive.
“It is past time when the two of you should be eating,” she told him and Gabriel.
“I couldn’t agree more,” said Liam, though upon seeing Rosalind, food was the least of his needs.
“Olivia has organized a dinner at Gabriel’s and was kind enough to invite us. Tommy and Daisy are most anxious for us to arrive.”
Liam was about to tell her that Tommy and Daisy could go hang. But he was hungry and while Rosalind was the lady he longed to spend the rest of his days with, she was less than an accomplished cook, if those scones had been any indication. After several hours of physical labor, perhaps a real meal was called for. As long as they could leave immediately upon its completion.
He stopped back at Rose Cottage only long enough to quickly wash and change into clean clothes, then he and Rosalind walked to Gabriel’s house. The aroma which greeted them upon arrival made Liam realize he’d made the right decision. They would be well fed, then he’d whisk Rosalind back home.
They were greeted upon arrival by the young man who’d been so protective of Rosalind at the school. The lad, Tommy, looked him up and down.
“Are you going to take Miss Rose…Miss Rosalind away, your grace?”
Liam couldn’t blame the lad for being attached to Rosalind. “Yes, I am,” he said, while at the same time Rosalind said “That remains to be decided.”
Which didn’t help Liam’s mood at all.
Suddenly the little girl was in front of him. “Then you’re a very mean duke!”
“Daisy!” said the girl’s father, who chose that moment to enter the room. “You mustn’t speak that way to a guest.”
Liam was a little surprised to be in Gabriel’s good graces, but he supposed there was nothing like a few hours of shared back-breaking labor to broker a peace between two men.
The girl looked mutinous, then Rosalind knelt in front of her. “Daisy, I like you and Tommy very much. But I am afraid I cannot stay here any longer and it has little to do with the duke.” She heard Liam emit a humph. “And he is a very nice man. I am certain you do not wish him to think you do not have good manners. Can you not try to make friends with his grace?”
Daisy looked up at Liam with such an accusatory glare that he hoped the girl did not have access to weaponry.
She turned back to Rosalind, then hugged her fiercely. “I’m going to miss you.”
“I shall miss you very much, as well. And I hope, if your papa allows, that you and I might continue to be friends. And Tommy, too. I shall write letters and I hope you will tell me the news from the village.”
Daisy nodded. “I would like to have a letter. I’ve never had one before. Nor has Tommy.”
“Is that right?” Rosalind asked the boy.
“No, miss. Our grandparents send a letter to father and pass on their regards. But no one has ever written to us before.”
“Then I shall be honored to be the first.”
“That would be very kind, indeed,” said Gabriel. “The dinner is on the table and I’m sure his grace must be hungry from his work this afternoon.”
“I take it he acquitted himself well?” asked Rosalind as she took the hand Daisy offered and followed her to the dining room.
“Passably,” said Gabriel, though it seemed he was more lighthearted about it than Rosalind would have thought possible considering he and Liam had come to blows earlier in the day. Perhaps the two men had come to some sort of truce.
“But where’s Miss Olivia to sit?” asked Tommy, regarding the table that was only set for five.
“That’s a good question,” said Gabriel, even as he walked toward the kitchen in search of her.
He found her seated at the table eating her dinner.
“What are you doing in here?” he asked.
“Eating my dinner, Mr. Mills,” she said. “You have an excellent cook.”
“I can see what you’re doing. What I meant was why are you doing it in here instead of in the dining room?”
“Because I am a servant.”
“Not here, you’re not. And I owe you my thanks for organizing the drinks for the lads at the church, as well as looking after things here while I was gone. Come join us in the dining room.”
It looked like she was tempted. “Servants don’t eat with dukes.”
“This isn’t the duke’s house. If he doesn’t like it, he can leave.”
“Is there any point in arguing further?”
“Not a one,” he said with a smile. “Now come be my guest.”
He held out his hand and helped her rise from the table.
They both held on just a bit longer than necessary.
* * *
Dinner was an unusual affair, mused Rosalind some time later. If Liam had thought it odd to share his meal with a servant, he gave no indication. He was also adept at talking to the children, who, despite their initial distrust of him, eventually treated him respectfully and even with a little liking.
Daisy, of course, quizzed him about any animals he owned. She was excited to learn he had a niece who was about her age and even more excited to learn Violet had a cat named Titania.
“Do you have a cat, your grace?”
“No, Daisy, I do not.”
�
��I could get you one, if you’d like. Mr. Taney’s cat just had kittens. Would you like a kitten, your grace?”
“I think not, Daisy, but thank you just the same.”
Rosalind learned more about Olivia Morrison once Tommy and Daisy had gone to bed and the adults had retired to the small sitting room. While most servants would have been distraught to have been turned out without a reference, Olivia was taking it all quite well. She appreciated Liam’s offer of a position, but wasn’t sure if she was going to take it.
“Truth is, Miss Carson, I’m not sure I’m cut out to take orders,”
“I cannot imagine why you would think that,” said Liam dryly.
“Well, Miss Morrison, you’ve done me an incredible kindness in bringing his grace to me,” replied Rosalind. “If there’s anything I can do to assist you, I am in your debt.”
“Think nothing of it,” said Olivia. “I couldn’t let that Lady Elling get away with tricking the duke. I must say, my time in service didn’t give me too good of an impression of toffs – excepting you, of course.” Then she quickly added, “And his grace.”
“Thank you,” said Liam. “I am ever so relieved to hear it.”
“Until this afternoon, I hadn’t much use for them, either,” admitted Gabriel. “But the duke here is a good man to have in a crisis. And he did more work than most men. I have to confess my surprise – and give you my thanks.”
“Thank you,” said Liam. “But I only did what any other man would do. Though I confess my body is already feeling the effects of our labor. What I want to know is how you plan to proceed from here.”
“Much as I have up to this point. Tomorrow I’ll see what materials we can salvage for repairs to the church. Then I’ll see what I can buy in Oadby. The village can’t survive without a church. We must make it work.”
“Are you going to the steward?”
“Won’t do any good. If he did give us the money for the supplies, all he’d do is raise the rents to make it up – and then some.”
Liam looked particularly displeased. “Then I shall go to Lyman.”
“’Tis not your fight, your grace.”
Never Deny Your Heart (Kellington Book Five) Page 13