Joshua chuckled. “But I’m the man here. It is your duty.”
The women laughed. He stood up, picking up the plate and moving around the table to hover over the large pots boiling on top of the stone oven. “What’s in here? It smells wonderful.”
“You stay away from dinner, ya hear?” Cook came over and shushed him away from the pots with her hand. “You get some of those ham slices and bread. There’s some potato soup, too. You can have some of that.”
“I can’t put soup on a plate, Bett,” Joshua said in a regretful voice.
“Well, that’s why we ‘ave bowls, ain’t it?” Cook answered. She turned to one of the tall cabinets in the corner, opened the door, and pulled out a wooden bowl. “’ere, use this.”
“Thank you, Bett. You are a beautiful soul.” Joshua leaned down and kissed the woman’s plump cheek. She blushed and covered the area he had kissed with her hand.
“Oh you.” She turned away, a pleased look on her round face.
Joshua listened to their conversation while he spooned out some potato soup into the bowl and took a few slices of ham and bread for himself. He sat back down and placed a slice of ham on top of a piece of bread. He took a bite, looking up just in time to see Bess and Elena come down the stairs from the inside stairwell. Andrew followed behind them.
“It must be lunchtime,” Cook called out. “The entire staff is coming to eat.”
Joshua tried to chew and swallow quickly. “Bess,” he said, when the food was swallowed. “How is Miss Bella?”
Bess sat across from him, receiving a plate of ham and bread from Cook. “She is just the same, Joshua, though she is not feverish now. She is reading a book, still lying in bed.”
“Has she eaten?”
“She has but only in small doses. Some broth. Some brandy. Some tea.”
“I ‘ope she is feeling better soon,” Cook said, handing a plate of food to Andrew. “I don’t like to see ‘er ‘urting. She is a good girl.”
“I notice you are serving everyone a plate but me,” Joshua wanted to get the topic off of Bella, even though he was the one who had brought the girl up. “That is shameful of you, Bett. I thought you liked me.”
Cook came around the table and wrapped her short, fat arms around his shoulders, squeezing his head against her ample bosom. The others in the room looked on in amusement, trying not to burst out laughing at the look of amused alarm on Joshua’s face. “Oh you!” Cook was saying. “You knows I love ya! I was just teasin’ ya earlier, now wasn’t I?”
“I know, Bett. I know.” Joshua tried to pull out of her embrace without being too abrupt. “I’m hungry, now, let me eat. This food that I got myself.”
They all laughed. Cook rounded the table once more to make a plate for Elena, who hadn’t spoken a word since she came in. She was not able to sit next to Joshua because Patricia was sitting by his side and he was on the edge of the table. She sat across from him and to the side. She was looking at him directly but she did not speak. He shifted in his seat uncomfortably before deciding he was going to ride this out as calmly as possible. He didn’t want to offend Elena, but now was not the time for her shenanigans. He had given her no promises and was not obliged to cater to her desires.
He could tell by the look on her face that she expected more from him, but he was not willing to give in to her. The other servants didn’t notice the tension between them, and if they did, nothing was said. Elena stayed quiet, not getting involved in the conversations going on around her.
Inevitably, the topic turned back to the health of the mistress in the house.
“Miss Bella is so sick,” Bess shook her head. “I have not seen her like this ever before.”
“I’ve never seen anyone like that before,” Andrew said. “And I am an old man. I’ve been around for a long time.”
“What do you think it could possibly be?” Bess asked, speaking around a mouth stuffed with bread.
“Mind yer manners, Bess,” Cook said. “I don’t know what it is but…”
Patricia, Bess, Andrew, and Joshua said the following words along with her, “it wasn’t my cooking.”
“Yes, yes, we know it wasn’t your cooking, Bett.” Patricia said. “If it was, we would all be sick. His and her grace don’t blame you.”
“But ‘ow do you know? They could blame me without telling me, couldn’t they?”
“They don’t.” Patricia shook her head. “I heard them talking when they came back with that strange herbs lady, the one who says she can cure all ailments with those plants of hers. They don’t know what it is, but they don’t think it was your cooking. They said no one else is sick and we’ve all eaten your food.”
“Well, I’m glad they realize that.” Cook finally sat down at the head of the table, which was her usual spot and pushed a piece of ham and bread into her small mouth.
“The herbal doctor is here?” Joshua asked, running his spoon around the bottom of the bowl to get the last of his soup together.
“Yes, they arrived hours ago with her.” Bess wasn’t looking at him when she responded but Elena was. He met her eyes and then looked away quickly. He could see her reaction in his peripheral vision. She looked disappointed and upset. She dropped her eyes to her own bowl and stirred the soup absentmindedly.
“I think they want you to go back up there and speak to her, Joshua,” Bess said. The other servants turned to look at him all at the same time. Except for Elena, who looked toward the far wall with anger on her slender face.
Joshua raised his eyebrows. “They do?”
“Yes. Why do they want you up there?”
The silence that followed the question was heavy. He shrugged, chewing on his lip. “I brought her home from Bainbridge yesterday. Perhaps they think I know something, I don’t know.”
“You don’t know what could have happened to her, do you?” Andrew asked. “As I said, I have not seen this type of thing before. Could she have been bitten by an insect?”
“Insects are a terrible thing,” Patricia picked up on the topic. She ladled the spoon in her soup, searching for a large piece of potato to eat. “They carry diseases, I just know it. They hurt when they bite.”
“They don’t all bite,” Tabitha finally spoke. “Some of them will sting you. Some of them suck out blood!”
“Tab!” Cook cried out. “What a subject to speak of at the table. No more talk of insects.”
“But they are fascinating, though, Bett,” Patricia protested. “They are so small and, well, I just think they are so interesting.”
“Then you go and read about them in the library upstairs sometime. I know ‘is and ‘er grace wouldn’t mind. But it is not something to speak of at the table. I will not ‘ave it.”
“Oh Bett, it isn’t troublesome. I will not speak of it if you insist. But what if that is the reason for Bella’s condition? That would be a terrible thing!”
“Do you think they will search for a bite or a sting?” Tabitha asked. She was the youngest of the group and prone to emotional outbursts. The look on her face told her companions she was about to go into one then.
“I don’t know, but it is not for us to decide.” Bett, always in charge of the conversation, said to her.
“What decision? I am just making a suggestion.” Tabitha lifted her nose and stuck out her lower lip. “His and her grace aren’t going to listen to me, even if I tried to bring the matter up to them.”
“I’m sure the herbal doctor they have up there will take care of Bella,” Joshua said, pushing the empty bowl away from him and breaking off a thick piece of bread. He pulled the bowl closer and sopped up the last of the potato soup with the bread. “Her grace had the idea and I think she’s right. Also, Bella will feel more comfortable with a woman taking care of her.”
“You two looked comfortable enough when you brought her back from town yesterday,” Elena said, finally speaking. The group turned to look at Joshua again. “You looked so very comfortable; I almost thought you wer
e his Lordship Jonathan Humbridge.”
Patricia and Tabitha both covered their open mouths, gasping and staring at Joshua with wide eyes.
Joshua couldn’t keep his cheeks from turning red. “There was no comfortable in that ride home, Elena,” he said. “She was very ill and needed to be held. I had to keep her from falling out of the carriage all the way home.”
“It looked very comfortable to me,” Elena slapped her cloth napkin down next to her soup bowl, which she had barely touched. She stood up, knocking her chair with the back of her knees so that she could move away from the table. She stomped up the stairs, leaving the group behind her to look from her retreating back to Joshua’s bewildered face with shock on their faces.
Joshua gave each one a pointed look. “What? As Bett said earlier, mind your manners. It isn’t polite to stare.”
“What in ‘eaven’s name is going on ‘ere?” Cook asked.
Joshua shook his head. “It is nothing. I’m going back to the garden, where I belong.”
Bess caught his arm as he stood up. “You are wanted upstairs first. I was told to tell you if I saw you.”
Joshua nodded and instead of leaving by the outside stairs, he went up the indoor ones, his heart beating anxiously in his chest.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
ELENA OPENS UP
ELENA OPENS UP
Joshua didn’t make it all the way up to Bella’s room. He hadn’t expected to. He knew that somewhere along the way, Elena would be waiting for him.
She came out of the hallway behind the curved stairs that led up to the second floor just as he was about to take his first step up. He stopped, knowing that if he didn’t speak to her, there would be a scene and it was the last thing he needed.
“Joshua,” she reached out and grabbed his arm. He stepped back down and walked with her to stand next to a large beautifully decorated vase. The vase was extremely valuable and stood to a height just above his waist. He looked down at it, running one finger along its rim, not wanting to look Elena in the eye.
“Elena,” he said. “What is it? It looks like you are upset.”
“I am upset. You spent almost the whole night in Miss Bella’s room. What were you doing in there?”
Joshua frowned. “I was talking to her. I was asked to stay by her brothers. I had no choice.”
“You didn’t need to be given a choice. I could see it’s where you wanted to be. I was in the garden when you came home with her yesterday. I thought you would be right back out and I waited out there for over an hour.”
“That is not my fault, Elena. I had to make sure Miss Bella was comfortable in her bed.”
“You did not take her up to her bed, did you?” Elena sounded shocked.
“No. Nick took her up.”
“Where were you?”
Joshua was annoyed by the questions. It was not Elena’s place to ask him. He was not married to her. He had no obligation to her. He wanted to put his responses delicately but he knew the firmness in his voice would give away his irritation. “Elena, I was asked to stay by the Cornwall brothers. I stayed until I was not needed.”
“You were not needed from the time you took Miss Bella into the house. Her family can care for her.”
Joshua shook his head, looking up at Elena. “What is your point, Elena? Why are you questioning me this way? We are not married. We are not betrothed. We are not courting. What I do is none of your concern.”
“It is my concern, Joshua, we… we…” Elena looked very hurt. Joshua felt bad for her and put his hand on her arm.
“Elena, I have to take care of Miss Bella, too. She is my friend. I played with her when she was a little girl; I protected her as she got older. She is my friend.”
“She has four brothers to take care of her and protect her,” Elena responded, her jealousy written on the lines of her plain face. She pressed back her dark hair, which she had put up in a bun, and closed her eyes for a moment. He could see she was trying to gain control of her emotions. He was proud of her for that, but it didn’t make him desire her. “You should leave it up to them. Other people need you, too.”
He knew she meant herself. “I know, Elena. I know you want to spend more time with me. However, right now, Miss Bella is the main concern for everyone. She needs to be taken care of.”
Elena made a disgusted sound, her face crumpling into an unattractive frown. “But not by you!”
“They have asked for me, Elena. I don’t have a choice.”
“This is not fair!” Elena cried out. “You shouldn’t be taking care of her. That’s not… that’s not the way it should be! It’s not proper!”
“Elena, lower your voice!” Joshua hissed. “You are causing a scene. His and her grace don’t need that right now. Stop. Bring yourself under control right now!”
Elena covered her face with her hands. “Oh, Joshua, this is not how it is supposed to be!”
Joshua frowned, grasping her arms in his hands. “What do you mean? What is going on with you?”
“It’s not right! This isn’t how it’s supposed to be! You are supposed to be out in the garden. I’m supposed to be out there with you. We should be talking and laughing.”
Joshua was confused. Her rambling made no sense to him. He shook his head. “I don’t understand you, Elena. In addition, I need to be getting upstairs. I still have a lot of work to do because I didn’t start on the garden until later than usual today. And still I must go upstairs to see to Miss Bella before I…”
“No!” Elena shook her head back and forth. “She has four brothers! Why are they not caring for her! Bess can go up there to her!”
“You heard Bess say his and her grace want me up there. I don’t know why. Perhaps to make Bella more comfortable.”
“Oh! No!” Elena was still covering her face with her hands. She pulled her arms out of Joshua’s grasp, spun on her heel and ran down the hallway away from him. He watched her for a moment, a confused frown on his face.
Shaking his head, he turned to go up the stairs to Bella’s room. He was anxious to see her again. From what Bess had said, she was not faring a lot better. He wanted to see her for himself. She’d been so pale when he left that morning. He hoped some of the color had come back to her cheeks.
He stopped just outside her door, hesitating to knock. He had never been in a position like this before. He was in uncharted territory, a situation he was not used to nor familiar with. Finally, he put his hand up and knocked lightly.
The door was almost immediately opened by the Duke. Joshua bowed at the waist.
“Your grace,” he said. “I was told to come up here.”
“Yes, Joshua, please come in.” The Duke stepped back so he could pass in front of him.
The room was dark. The drapes were drawn and a fire was going in the big stone fireplace. There were lanterns lit all around the room, but they were set so that the light they gave off was very dim. He could see the Duchess sitting on the side of the bed nearest to the window, while another woman he didn’t recognize, but assumed to be the herbal medicine doctor, was seated on the other side of the bed. Bella was lying in the middle under the covers. He could see her petite body stretched out straight. She was not moving.
His heart leapt in his chest and he kept himself from running to her side.
“How is she?” he asked the Duke, hoping he was not overstepping his bounds.
The Duke looked at the bed where his daughter was lying. “She is still not well.”
“May I ask why you wanted me to come up here?”
“She has been asking for you.” The Duke looked at him pointedly. He raised his eyebrows.
“She has?”
“Yes. You stayed with her last night until early hours this morning. She finds comfort in your presence.” He didn’t sound like he was upset about that fact. Joshua felt a bit of relief but his confusion was still palpable. He tried not to look too worried but knew he was probably doing a poor job of it.
“I�
� I am sorry, your grace.”
The Duke looked at him again. When he replied, his voice was low, giving Joshua the indication he didn’t want the women to hear him. “That my daughter is sick? Or that she is in love with you?”
Joshua was grateful for the dim light in the room. The Duke would not be able to see his burning cheeks.
“I…”
“Do not respond,” the Duke kept his voice down. “You are not to be blamed. You have been a good friend to our children, both Bella and the boys. They speak highly of you.”
Joshua wondered just how much the Duke knew. He kept his lips closed, clenching his jaw in anticipation. He fully expected the Duke to tell him that he could stay on until Bella was better and then he would have to move on and find another place of employment.
“I would like it if you would stay with Bella for a few hours. Constance has given her some herbal medicine that she says will absorb the virus. Bella is most comfortable with you.”
“Would not Bess be more appropriate to stay with Bella, your grace?” Joshua asked. “Not to question anyone’s judgment, but how would it look for a betrothed girl to be in the company of a man who is naught but a commoner? I am not a doctor.”
“You are not a doctor, 'tis true. But you are a friend. We care not what the judgment of others might be. We care only that our daughter is happy and will recover from her illness. Constance insists that Bella be made comfortable as she goes through her recovery. Bella has asked that you stay with her.” Joshua met the Duke’s eyes. “She says you tell her good stories.”
Joshua couldn’t help smiling. “I am glad she likes my stories.”
“Her uncle Albert used to tell her stories when she was a lass. A very young lass. Now you can entertain her. Keep her mind off her troubles and her pain.”
“Yes, your grace. I will. Thank you for bestowing this honor on me. I am grateful.”
The Duke nodded, moving his eyes back to the still figure on the bed. The two men stood there until Constance and the Duchess stood up, leaving the bed and approaching them together.
The Lady’s Dangerous Love Page 10