“Maybe I can do some work for food,” she pondered aloud, but fear kept her standing against the tree.
Suddenly, she heard voices off in the distance, and spotted a red fox speeding past her. The yelps of hunting dogs could be heard and a gentleman’s voice.
“Lord Cromwell! He’s heading that way, not east!” the men laughed as a black horse skidded to a halt on the wet floor.
“Yes, have a laugh chaps, but I swore the creature headed this way.”
The voice sounded like thunder, and the horse saw her before his rider did. She froze in terror as the owner spotted her and she saw glinting green lock onto her eyes. “What the devil?”
His horse spun nervously breaking the connection. She darted toward the smell of food, easily bursting through the pathway like a bat out of hell. She did not hear hooves behind her, and assumed she was safe- at least for the moment. When she nearly rolled down a small hill she stopped; panting and hurting from what seemed every fiber of her being. She glanced up and exhaled; forgotten were all her worries at the beauty of the house before her.
Charlotte had seen plenty of homes through the trees as she followed the road from the woods and trees, but this one was the most beautiful home she had ever seen before.
Georgian remnants clung to the architecture in the neoclassical designs, with exposed sash boxes, and the gibbs surrounds, but it had been retouched with the new Regency architectural details as well. The fanlights were more elaborate and it looked like there were bay windows on the second floor.
The stairs into the estate, led up to the first floor of the house, and the ground floor had to be where the kitchen and pantry were, as there were only a couple easy to open windows on the very bottom floor. She looked up to see gothic windows on the fourth, which was meant for servants, and more regal curtains and windows on the second and the third had heavy curtains drawn. She wondered why.
It would have intrigued her to look at the house some more, but that enticing smell wafted against her nose again. Charlotte quickly scrambled up and limped to down the slope to the right side of the house, a Dutch door was open on the top and she sniffed again. Her stomach agreed loudly, that it would not hurt to ask for a piece of bread at least.
“What was that? Titan, easy…” Alexander spun his horse back around, but the apparition was gone. He had seen a young woman clothed in a torn white dress that barely kept her covered.
Her pale skin, almost visible beneath it showing a torn chemise that floated with a haunting air. He’d have sworn he'd seen a fairy, but fairies didn’t bleed. He gulped and shook his head; the eyes were unnatural, black. But all the other features he could not tell.
“What’s wrong My Lord? See a ghost?”
His dear friend Kade, who was the adopted son of the Duke of Lincoln, rode up alongside him along with the Marquess of Devon, the Duke of and Marquess Carlisle and Devon. It irritated him that Kade did not call him Alexander, but he knew that it was not proper unless with family who were also allowed to call him such.
The Gentlemen had all accompanied their daughters to meet the wealthy Lord Cromwell, who with being a unmarried man, their daughters would have to be protected. Alexander had brought them on a foxhunt, since the early spring had them out looking for food. He shook his head as they all laughed at him good-naturedly, and he chuckled
“My Lord, do come along, the fox shall be long gone by now!” Devon called, he turned his horse in a circle to calm the steed down and continued on his way.
Francesca and Sophie, the house cook were in the kitchens getting food ready for the Ladies’ afternoon tea. Sophie pounded away at the scone dough that had dried currants in it. She had lain out a couple loaves of bread on the open windowsill to cool, and was reflecting about the household. Nothing went on that she didn’t know about, having lived with the Cromwell’s for more than thirty years. She was not worried about her position in the house even with The Dragon.
Francesca bustled in from the first floor and sighed, “I swear those Ladies are dafter than a drunk in Bedlam at moments.” Sophie sighed and her friend chuckled.
As if remembering something, "Did you hear that they're moving it again?" Francesca said.
"Where'd you hear that from?"
"A donator apparently was talking about it, and Mrs. Jenkins heard her." she shrugged.
The cook tilted her head "The seamstress? Whatever would she know about that?" she seemed surprised at first. “Though now that I think of it…the staff members do know everything!”
Francesca nodded setting a tray down to put cups and plates upon it "Yes, apparently the building was crumbling and there aren't enough rooms for all the loons they have there...though I have to say not all are loons." They both shook their heads in sad agreement.
"When are they moving it?"
"Haven't the slightest clue, but I hope it's far away from here!" Francesca nodded affirming her hope.
Sophie laughed and went to shake the towel out that had flour still on it from wiping the cutting board off. As she shook the towel out the Dutch door, she started when she saw a face peeking out from behind the hedges of the kitchen garden.
“Oh!” Sophie cried putting a hand to her face. "Speaking of Bedlam, Good heavens Francesca, come quickly!"
“What is it?” Francesca rushed over.
“I don’t know. There is someone in the garden…Hello!” Sophie waved. “I think it is a girl,” she whispered.
Charlotte huddled behind the hedges and spooked when the woman called her. She timidly poked her head out again, and realized there was more than one. Will they chase me way? She saw both women’s faces go through a strange range of emotions. First they were startled, and then confused, and then it was something she couldn’t place. "Do you think she's insane?" Francesca whispered.
Sophie playfully swatted her, "No, I think she's lost...look at her, the poor little thing."
“Are you hungry, sweetheart?” the other woman asked, the one without the towel.
She was shorter and slim, as where the opposite with the towel was taller and a bit round, but they both looked friendly enough though, at least friendlier than the people Charlotte had met on her journey there. She crept out careful to stay on the grass to ease her feet. The rounder one pointed behind her and she glanced down at the ground seeing red patches where her feet had stepped. Charlotte gulped softly, and limped a tiny bit closer. Hunger won out over self-preservation, and she hoped with more than she had dared before, that perhaps she might get some food.
Her journey had been harsh, when she had awakened in the woods, she had been dizzy and in pain. Grime had caked to her body, the mud in the ditch where she had landed was not only slippery but for some reason it stuck to every part of her skin she couldn’t wash- and when attempting to leap into a cool spring river, she instantly found that too cold and distasteful.
She found she could remember things like what a road was, clothing, the simple things, but who she was, where she was, it all seemed to be completely gone. That was what startled her more than anything. The woman who had the apron on was staring at her again.
“Francesca go get some of that Brie we bought today. There will be plenty left over. Those girls don’t eat more than a bird with those corsets strung so tightly.”
Sophie laughed softly; and kept an eye on the girl as well. “Francesca, are you seeing this too? Or is she a ghost?”
“No, I see her Sophie, poor thing looks half starved; she’s so small!”
Francesca was getting one of the loaves and took the rind off the cheese she cut from the large wheel. “I don’t want her to eat the rind, poor dear may not like it…” Sophie looked at the bread and smiled.
“We have plenty of dough to make more.” Francesca nodded eagerly.
The women chuckled to themselves and opened the door, but the girl darted slightly backwards and fell to a sitting position with a yelp.
“No, no child it’s alright!” Sophie reassured with a cooing ton
e she had to use to get Alexander to eat vegetables when he had been little.
The girl’s panicked expression changed slightly.
“Easy, there now.” Sophie moved a bit closer holding the bread and cheese out. “Here…”
Charlotte winced as her body screamed in protest to jostling about. “Is that for me?” The voice that came from her was tiny and soft, wistful, rough from lack of water.
The woman named Sophie nodded and came close enough to hand it to her. “Here, why don’t we get you inside?”
Francesca came and inspected her as well. “Hello dear,” Charlotte glanced up at both of them, still frightened as Francesca came and picked her up.
“Yes, it’s as I thought. Not an ounce of fat on her…She has soft skin though; and look at this running around in a night rail and chemise! Lord, what have you been through?” Sophie asked.
The women exchanged very concerned looks as they guided her in, the girl leaning on Francesca so her feet were not so burdened. They sat her down on an old stool and gave her the bread and cheese. She sniffed them and her mouth watered at the prospect of food, and greedily began wolfing it down. They had luckily drawn water from a well and she gulped down a glass but favored the food with more relish than the water.
“Well, she has an appetite!” Sophie chuckled heartily and saw the butler come in. “James, look at the little bird that we caught!”
Francesca laughed and James’s old eyes focused on Charlotte, she felt like a spectacle as she stuffed chunks of cheese and bread in her mouth.
“More like a hamster than a bird!” James laughed softly and glanced at the women. “The Dragon won’t like her very much.”
What is a Dragon…and who is that? And what is a hamster?
James winked at her as if reading her thoughts. "It's a rodent that stuffs it face and their cheeks go like so…" he puffed his face out slightly and Charlotte giggled. The man looked very and calm but his heart was warm as he patted her head gently "As I said, Giselle won't be happy."
“Oh tosh what Giselle thinks, she can be of help around here, I will ask Alexander." Francesca waved her hands as if not to think anything of it.
Sophie had ripped some old linen up and began wrapping Charlotte’s feet “Your feet are torn up bad, dear. What happened? How far have you been walking?”
She gulped a few chunks of food before answering, “Three sunsets…I don’t know where I came from, and I just picked a road and followed it.” She nipped her fingers by accident, and slowed down. “I slept under trees and in a barn when I found it, but I got caught by this horrid lady…she wasn’t nice like you. ” Francesca’s face grimaced as she listened.
“So I ran, but I had to stay away from people, because they did not seem very kind.” She wriggled her feet looking at the bandaging, obviously pleased that the pain had lessened. “Thank you…for the food, and my feet…” she got up and looked around and started picking stuff up with her free hand.
“Child, what are you doing?” Francesca chortled taking the bowl from her and setting it back down.
“You gave me food…I’m working?” She was confused.
“No, no dear that was a gift! Sit, rest you must be so tired.” “I…sort of am,” she nodded and sat back down. James had quietly been waiting to be called for the gentlemen coming home.
“Who are you waiting for?” Her curiosity made him crack a small smile. His slicked back hair and spectacles made him look astute and very aware.
“I am waiting for my Lord to return with his guests.”
“Who is he?” She looked around and saw Francesca making a tiny sachet.
“It looks like you're bleeding from your head…” her face was pinched in worry.
“He’s the master of this house.” James answered her question.
Charlotte nodded understanding slightly. Maybe I can work here…then I can find out who and where I am. But I have to keep moving…
She was listening to the chatter “Poor thing, something must have given you an awful fright to run away for a few days, let along to get help, and to lose your memory…” Sophie said softly.
Don’t be found! I cannot be found! Run!
A memory whispered along her mind as Francesca dabbed a cloth to her scalp. The sachet was placed firmly in her hand with the piece of bread she was saving for later inside and some mint. She exhaled sharply as a stab of pain hit her temples and she dropped the sachet.
Francesca was at her side murmuring, but they sounded so far away. “Sophie, go get the smelling salts, she looks about to faint!”
At that exact moment a strange thin woman burst into the kitchen “Which one of you did it?” Her tone was nasty and cruel.
Francesca put the sachet with her chunk of bread back into her hand after it dropped. “Did what Giselle?” Sophie sounded exasperated as she looked for something else.
“A Lady’s reticule has had coins stolen, and you lot were the only ones on that floor. The magistrates are here to search your items.”
Charlotte blurrily saw grey eyes sharpen on her. The woman was of slight stature, not too short, but not too tall, very slender with a neck like a swan's, but the vile look was far from beautiful. Her dress consisted of lovely fabric and she looked very regal in her gold and cream colors.
“Who, are you?” the grey eyed woman demanded.
Charlotte had an inkling her welcome was long done and she flinched as she stood up.
The woman’s eyes went to the sachet, “You girl, stay there.”
But when the woman summoned the magistrates who were in the hallway, the moment she saw the men Charlotte bolted and leapt over the Dutch door being pushed purely by fear and desperation alone.
She could hear Sophie and James as she rolled across the garden landing hard, “She’s just a hungry girl Madame leave her be!” Sophie’s words were all but volatile.
“Madame, she’s been in here the whole time.” James was soothing and contrite.
Francesca was leaning out the door attempting to stop her. “Wait!”
But she was already going around the house and darting to the side, past the magistrate’s carriages, one with bars around it and a lock on the doors. Her eyes rounded and her breath came short "No, No…No I cannot!” She was frantic and she had to think quickly.
Alexander trotted Titan down the road. They had lost the fox but it had been a relatively decent ride. The weather would not permit anymore though. He sighed remembering the apparition, which had popped up into his woods.
"Who the blazes was that woman,” he muttered to himself as Kade rode on behind him.
"What is it Alexander?" his friend murmured to him quietly. "I still swear I saw a woman in the woods."
"Well, do you want us to go and start a search party?" Kade looked concerned and Alexander smiled at his close friend.
"No, Kade…it will be fine, I am sure I just had a bit of a hangover left."
"Ah! Don't get too many of those, they’re a nag when it comes to work" Kade chuckled deep in his chest and Alexander felt like punching the Scot in the arm. Kade had been his closest friend in the world since the Lincoln family had taken him in other than Leroy.
Titan snorted and bucked slightly "Titan?" the horse whinnied in a ghostly shriek and the great black beast reared pawing at what seemed to be nothing.
Alexander tried to grab the reins and get him under control.
Her brain had calculated where to go and the front seemed the best bet. As she rounded the corner though, she faced a large Andalusian stallion; its feathered hooves thrashed the air. She heard more men’s shouts and the other horses behind panicked.
“Confounded animal, what has been your problem!”
The voice…she recognized it. As the magistrates caught her on either side and her heart beat even faster.
Inside her body screamed in defiance. She had to get out somehow, but there was no way around the giant black horse. It bucked and swerved to each side as she tried to dart around it.
Dancing with the animal was frustrating. The men were still trying to get a good grip on her arms. Exhausted she stopped, and panted in overexertion. She was terrified and had she not been so tired, she might have burst into tears.
She was trapped!
CHAPTER 02
Alexander’s horse whinnied and thrashed again at the air. He wanted to clobber Titan in the head with a whip. “Titan you great idiot!”
The Rake and The Rose (A Rake's Mistake) Page 2