by Fimch, Fanny
Emma looked at Camilla with regretful eyes. “Yes, of course, Camilla.”
“Where do you wish to go? We are closest to Corning Manor.” The Duke of Lox helped Emma as she walked gently over the rocky road to him and looked up at the huge horse in front of her. “But if you do not wish to go there, I know somewhere we can go that will help resolve this situation quickly.”
The women and the Duke of Rabney looked at the Duke of Lox curiously.
“And where would that be?” the Duke of Rabney asked.
The Duke of Lox smiled at him. “I do not know about you, Christian, but I do not wish to walk any further than I have to. There is a small house near here where the ladies can clean themselves to the best of their ability and we will also be able to purchase the use of a hackney. It is my suggestion that from there, we go to Cooksey Castle, where I am sure both ladies will feel comfortable and will have clothes to change into.”
Emma looked up at the Duke of Lox, admiring him silently. He was so calm, so logical. Camilla was right. He had not judged her appearance or her behavior. He was still willing to help her.
When she reached up to pull herself into the saddle, sitting sideways, she felt his hands grip her waist for only a brief second, giving her momentum as she went up. It sent chills through her. She looked down at him.
“I know of the place you speak,” she said softly. “I have lived here all my life. You are talking about the servant’s cottage. I happen to know they have hackneys to rent.”
The Duke of Lox grinned.
“How did you know of the place?” she asked curiously.
“I will answer your questions when you answer mine,” the Duke of Lox replied in an amiable voice.
She blinked at him, a warm feeling sliding through her. “That is fair, my lord.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Emma and Camilla both knew where the house the Duke of Lox had mentioned was. As he walked beside the horse, his hand firmly holding the reins, she looked down at him curiously. She was unable to keep herself from asking him questions.
“Your grace, it is very surprising that you know of the place we are going. How did you happen to come across it?”
He looked up at her. “It was quite by chance, my lady,” he said. “I was simply on a ride through the countryside and stumbled across it. I did not see a house to which it might have been attached as a servant’s quarters but I do believe it was used for that purpose, now that you have mentioned it.”
Emma nodded. “The main house was on the hill behind it but burned to the ground nearly thirty years ago.”
The Duke of Lox raised his eyebrows. “Is that so?”
“Yes,” Emma nodded again. “The family that lived there and all the servants in the house perished.”
The duke frowned. “How tragic! I had not heard that story.”
“It is not surprising. It is such a terrible thing, it is rarely mentioned. It was a mother and father, the earl and his wife, with their six children. I believe there were many servants in the house, as it was quite large.”
“Did anyone escape the fire?” The Duke found himself intrigued by the story, his eyes steady on Emma. Her blue eyes were up, looking off into the distance as she remembered being told the story of the Hillshire family. When her eyes flitted back down to look at him, his heart jumped in his chest.
“Yes. One cook escaped the fire. I believe she is in charge of the house we are going to. Unless she herself has passed on. I do not believe she was a young woman thirty years ago. She would be quite elderly now.”
“That is a fascinating story.” The Duke of Lox moved his eyes away from her, looking down the road.
“Yes, it is.” Emma fell quiet.
After a pause, the Duke of Lox spoke without looking up at her. “Lady Wentworth, why did you leave your home? Surely, it was not because of the arrival of Lord Archibald. It seems you are afraid of him. Are you afraid of him?”
Emma pressed her lips together and took in a deep breath through her nose. She let it out slowly before responding to him. She wasn’t sure what to say. She was not afraid of Lord Archibald per se. She was afraid of what he might do to her reputation, how he might manipulate her father or the duchess and she would end up married to him. But she was not afraid of him physically.
“I am not afraid of him. I am afraid of what he will do.”
“What has caused you to feel this way about him?” The Duke of Lox could not help being curious. If he found out Lord Archibald had hurt Emma in any way, he would take action to make sure it did not happen again. The feeling that he needed to protect her was stronger now more than ever. When left to her own devices, she certainly did not seem to thrive.
In addition, she was very close to losing the man in her life who had always been there for her to turn to, look up to, love. He would not replace the Duke of Corning in his daughter’s heart, but he would fill it in another way. If given the chance.
“He has been nothing but a gentleman,” Emma said, sounding reluctant. “And I have no cause to feel the way I do other than to say… it is in my heart. It is a feeling in my stomach. I fear he will manipulate my family in some way.”
“Does he have that sort of reputation with the rest of the ton? His patroness, Lady Bonneville, seems quite fond of him. He must be more than fair and generous to her for her to speak so highly of him.”
“Lady Bonneville depends on Lord Archibald a great deal,” Emma agreed, nodding. She did not want to talk about Lord Archibald but somehow the conversation had turned to it. She thought it a shame that Camilla had been so forthcoming with the information, outright telling the dukes they had left because of the arrival of Lord Archibald and Emma’s desire to avoid him.
“That does not accurately answer my question, my lady,” the Duke of Lox’s voice had lost its stern tone. She finally returned his gaze. He could not read the look on her face, which annoyed him. He shook his head. “I see you do not wish to discuss Lord Archibald.”
Emma was impressed with the fact that the Duke of Lox had noticed that so easily. She could not help smiling. It widened when he looked surprised by her smile. A warm feeling spread through her when he grinned back at her.
“No, I do not care to speak of him. It is not that he is not a handsome man, nor is he the kind of man who would harm someone else for his own sake. I would not believe it to be true, anyway. However, his interest in me… unnerves me. It is a bit… intense… if I may be so bold. I am left feeling uncomfortable.”
The Duke of Lox nodded, looking back out over the road, his eyes straining for the outline of the house. His feet were beginning to ache already. He had done enough walking for the time being. In addition, the sun was lowering in the sky and it would soon be dark. They needed a hackney and to get to Cooksey Castle. He was certain the Duke of Cooksey would allow him and the Duke of Rabney to occupy two of his rooms for the night.
“I understand what you are saying, Lady Wentworth.” The Duke of Lox did understand. When he thought of Lord Archibald, it made him uncomfortable, too. He wanted to point out the fact they had in common but didn’t. He wasn’t sure how the lady would take such an observation. “I must say, you must think very little of him if you are willing to leave your home when your father is so ill.”
The thought of her father made a chill run through Emma. She suddenly remembered their conversation and when she had pointed out how it appeared the Duke of Lox might be betrothed or close to betrothal with Lady Christian. A flood of emotion passed through her and she stiffened in the saddle.
She kept her eyes locked ahead of them on the road, watching for the house to appear in the distance. It was off the road some but she knew where to look for the chimneys that were a dead giveaway to its location.
The Duke of Lox glanced over his shoulder at the lady on his horse. Her face had changed from the smile he had seen just moments before. Now she looked upset, cold, distant.
He frowned, running through their last words i
n conversation to see if he had said something wrong. Was she so ashamed that she had left the house and her father behind that she was angry with him for pointing it out?
He did not know what to think or how to feel. Should he feel guilty for asking the question? Should he be ashamed for prying into her business?
He looked out over the road when Emma’s eyes focused on something in the distance. From his walking height, he could not see the chimneys or the outline of the house. But atop the horse, Emma could. He knew they were close and was happy about it.
Once again, the lovely woman had left him confused. He had said something wrong inadvertently and she was cold to him again.
He sighed. This was going to be a conversation between himself and the Duke of Rabney later. Christian did seem to have some insight into the minds of women. Perhaps he could help his friend decipher this enigma of a woman.
They turned left at a hidden path, the Duke of Lox leading his horse with Emma in the saddle down the narrow footpath and the Duke of Rabney following up with Camilla and the horse behind him.
“Is there a reason why this house remains so hidden to everyone else?” The Duke of Rabney looked up at Camilla when he asked the question. “Do they not want business?”
“The hackneys they have for rent are not well known to the city,” Camilla responded. “I am not sure the family wishes to advertise. They only wish to rent to those they already know and trust.”
“Why is that?” the Duke of Rabney asked.
Camilla moved her eyes to look at the approaching house, which was three stories high and had been recently reinforced with new walls and pillars holding up the wide front porch roof. “The circumstances behind the mansion burning down were very suspicious. The cook was accused of starting the fire because she was the only one who survived. She moved her family into the servant’s house after the fire. No one ever proved or disproved her guilt. The family has always felt… left out of society.” She sounded as though she was not sure if she were saying the right words. The Duke of Rabney looked up at her, nodding.
“I understand. They do not feel accepted by the ton.”
“Oh yes, that is exactly what I mean, my lord.” Camilla nodded back at him. “They have no status in society to speak of and therefore, do not feel accepted. But family mansions like Cooksey Castle and Corning Mansion are neighbors and friends with the family that runs the house.”
The Duke of Lox was listening to the conversation behind him, wishing he could talk with Emma the same way. They had been but now she had closed up like a clam. He wondered what it would take to pry her back open.
They came out of the woods and into a long clearing. To one side, a wide path that allowed the passage of carriages and buggies went toward the city of London. A second path on the other side of the house would take the traveler away from London and deeper into the countryside. There were four hackneys lined up in front of the house.
The Duke of Lox felt relief flood through him. The sun would be setting soon and they would need to light lanterns to find their way home, even in a hackney.
It was apparent Emma and Camilla were familiar with this family. Although he knew of the house, he had not stopped. He had only seen it from a distance. If there were other young ladies at the house, they might have gowns the women could borrow and boots so their feet would not be injured walking without shoes.
A hundred questions ran through his mind but he did not speak any of them. Emma was casting a cold cloud over him. He felt frozen out. One moment, he was certain she was warming up to him. The next, she was cold, avoiding his gaze.
How long would he be able to withstand her hot and cold nature? He was beginning to wonder if it was worth the aggravation.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The Duke of Rabney and the Duke of Lox allowed the ladies to go up the steps in front of them, having gently helped both down from the horses. They both held up their skirts as they went up. Emma clutched her shoes in one hand and the fabric of her dirty dress with the other.
The door opened before the ladies got to it and a young woman rushed out, her brown eyes wide with alarm. “Oh dear!” she cried. “What has happened? Are you all right, my ladies?”
Camilla stepped forward but did not embrace the woman. “Rose. We need to clean ourselves. Can you help us?”
“And we will need to rent a hackney,” Emma added, coming up beside her cousin.
Rose looked both women up and down, her arms spread out as if she wanted to take them both in a huge hug but also did not want to do that. “You are not injured?”
Camilla shook her head. “No, Rose. We are perfectly fine. But we do need to clean ourselves and perhaps purchase some clothes from you. My father will pay whatever price you set, I am certain.”
Rose nodded. “I understand, Lady Fielding. I…”
The dukes came up behind the women. Rose lifted her eyes to take them in. Emma saw the look on her face change to one of awe and admiration. Rose lowered her head to the men.
“My lords,” she said. “I am at your service.”
Emma turned and looked up at the Duke of Lox. His handsome face sported a half-grin and when he spoke, it was with a charming voice. “Our needs are secondary compared to the need for these fine ladies to clean themselves. Please accommodate them immediately.”
“Yes, my lord,” Rose didn’t look up at him when she responded. She turned on her heel, glancing at both Emma and Camilla. “Please follow me. I will take you to the wash room. My lords, if you will come inside and make yourselves comfortable, I will send Jacob to speak to you about the hackneys.”
“That will be fine,” the Duke of Lox nodded. He could not help glancing at Emma, who had turned to look at him. He wanted to meet her eyes, assess what he saw behind them. Would they be warm again? Or had they remained cold?
What he saw made him even more confused. It looked almost like jealousy. But there could be no way Emma would be jealous of his treatment of a servant. He was kind to everyone unless they gave him a reason not to be. He had learned in his travels that people were the same all over the world and most of them were good people with no ill intentions. It mattered not what station they held in life. If they were kind to him, he would be kind to them.
“Please follow me,” Rose repeated, turning back to go in the house. The group followed her. Once inside, she turned around again and gestured to the ladies. “Come this way, I will take you to the wash room. My lords, if you would please wait here and I will send Jacob immediately.”
The Duke of Lox nodded at her and watched as Emma and Camilla followed her down a hallway to the back of the house. When they disappeared from sight through a door at the end of the hallway, he turned to the Duke of Rabney.
“I must say I did not expect the day to turn out like this,” he said, shaking his head.
The Duke of Rabney nodded. “Nor I. It is a pleasant turn of events.”
The Duke of Lox smirked. “You did not need another opportunity to capture the heart of Lady Fielding.”
“Perhaps not. But it has afforded you another opportunity to speak with Lady Wentworth.”
The Duke of Lox looked down the hallway even though the women were gone. “I fear I have said something yet again to offend her.”
“I saw you two were speaking as we walked here. She smiled.”
“Yes. She was smiling. I mentioned her father and she became quiet.”
The Duke of Rabney shook his head. “It seems the two of you continually misunderstand one another. Shall I speak to Lady Fielding about it?”
The Duke of Lox grunted. “I may need an act of God to decipher the odd Lady Wentworth.”
“Yet it is worth the effort, is it not?” The Duke of Rabney grinned at him. “It is no longer the inheritance that you seek. You have finally found the other reason for courtship and marriage.”
“I believe you were as wayward as I in that matter.”
The Duke of Rabney chuckled. “I concur. How
ever, I am not having a difficult time with my choice for a bride.”
“You tease me, Christian.”
Both men laughed.
“To be serious, Baldwin,” the Duke of Rabney said. “I will speak to Lady Fielding this evening, as I expect we will be arriving at Cooksey Castle just as dinner is served and we will be invited to stay. I do not know that you should avoid the topic of the Duke of Corning, as it will be pertinent to Lady Wentworth’s life for some time.”
“I wish to meet with him and speak to him. I am not sure I will be given the chance to do so.”
The Duke of Rabney nodded. “Yes, I recall that is why we were going back to Corning Manor. Since we are going to Cooksey Castle instead, perhaps you can speak with the Duke of Cooksey about it. They are related and he may have some good advice.”
The Duke of Lox raised his eyebrows. “That is a good idea, Christian. I will do that.”
“Do you think it could have been anything else you discussed that made her change her behavior?”
The Duke of Lox thought about it for a moment. He shook his head. “I cannot think of anything. I mentioned her father. I asked her how she could leave the house with her father in that condition. I asked how it could be that Lord Archibald bothered her so much she would leave abruptly, without preparation. It seems so unlikely… Lady Fielding is a logical woman, yet she went along with Lady Wentworth.” He shook his head. “The woman never ceases to amaze me.”
“It is true that Lady Fielding seems more logical than most.” The Duke of Rabney said the words with pride in his voice, making the Duke of Lox smirk.
A door on the other side of the house opened and an older man with flashing dark blue eyes and a thick beard and mustache came through. He spotted them and raised one hand. “My lords!” He approached them and bowed at the waist. “I am Jacob. You wish to rent a hackney?”
“We do.”
“Where is your destination?”
“We are going to Cooksey Castle.”