“I do. Thank you for your concern, my dear.”
“In that case…” Thea dug deep and found the courage she needed, then rose on the tips of her toes, placed a hand behind her husband’s head and pulled him down for a quick kiss on the lips.
She had not known what to expect from him. She had feared she might have shocked him to the very core of his soul. What she had not expected was his quick start of surprise and then his wide grin, followed by his wrapping his arms around her and gifting her with a kiss so deep and so lengthy that Thea felt her head begin to spin and her heart to pump heated blood through her veins. When he at last released her, his eyes sparkled with a light Thea had never seen in them before.
He ended the embrace slowly, then gave Thea a quick kiss on the tip of her nose. “Thank you, my dear wife. You’ve warmed my blood so much, I’ll not need this greatcoat for a least the first fifteen miles.”
Thea felt a hot blush coloring her face but she could not have been happier. If they could kiss with such obvious mutual enjoyment, surely they could soon become man and wife in every way. “Godspeed, my love,” she whispered and watched as Robert’s eyes widened.
“My love,” he repeated, then smiled widely. “I like the sound of that. And believe me, I’ll return to you as soon as possible.” He sighed, then turned and, without looking back, strode out the front door.
* * * * *
Robert rode away from Maulton Manor in a light drizzle that threatened to turn to snow. The head groom had suggested that Robert take the coach, but he’d felt he could make better time on horseback. Besides, he was warm enough in his greatcoat although the gray skies did nothing to lighten his mood. He had been delighted, of course, to discover that his wife appeared to be growing fond of him. After all, he had fallen deeply in love with her. He suspected now that he’d been half in love with her all these years, ever since that long-ago Christmas day when she’d been just thirteen years old, but it had taken getting to know her as an adult to bring that love to maturity.
Now, when he’d learned that she cared for him too, he was leaving her. It couldn’t be avoided of course. Just because he wanted more than anything else in the world to stay at Maulton Manor to be with Thea over the Christmas holidays didn’t mean that he could ignore his responsibilities. But somehow, he no longer felt quite so positive that his part of the world couldn’t get by without his constant attention.
He rode on, feeling more despondent by the moment. Then the rain turned to ice pellets and the wind picked up, blowing so hard that even when he ducked his head and pulled his chin into his chest, the sharp little pieces of sleet battered his face.
He would be in London soon and would spend the night at his town house. He hadn’t sent word ahead to the servants to expect him, so he doubted the fire would be lit in the library or in his bedchamber but at least he’d be out of the wind and sleet.
Forty-five long minutes later, Robert rode up to the stables behind the town house and thankfully handed his horse over to a yawning groom. Then he headed for the house to rouse the cook and housekeeper and see what sort of supper could be pulled together for him.
Although the servants were surprised to see him, they were, after all, well trained and in less than half an hour, Robert was ensconced in front of a fire in the library with a reasonably adequate supper on the table beside him. He wasn’t hungry so much as he was still chilled to the bone, so he merely sipped his warm tea while waiting for the fire to catch some of the larger logs and begin putting out more heat.
Then, sighing, he pulled from his inside pocket the letter he’d received from Jonathan Worth, his manager in Essex. Wearily, he unfolded the missive and read it over again, this time more slowly, paying closer attention to the words. To his astonishment, he discovered that the fire had taken place over two weeks prior to Worth’s having written the letter. Then Worth had explained that the injuries to the tenants had been minor and that the family had already moved into a vacant cottage.
Robert felt a frown pulling at his brow. What was wrong with him that he had assumed his presence was required when obviously Worth had everything under control? Did he have such a high opinion of himself that he assumed no one else was capable? He wasn’t sure now why he had thought it was a good idea to dash off to Essex but he no longer felt that way. In the morning he would write a letter to Worth complimenting him on his handling of the situation and telling him to use whatever assets from the estate that might be needed to care for the family and to replace their possessions.
Then he would ride back to Maulton Manor and to Thea.
* * * * *
The weather the following day had turned colder and dark clouds hung low and heavy in the sky. Robert fortified himself with a hot breakfast, then recalled that Christmas was quickly approaching and that, had Thea been in residence here, she would have given the servants gifts of money. Although he felt rather awkward doing so, Robert retrieved a generous amount from his strongbox and bestowed it upon Dunworthy with instructions that he and the housekeeper were to divide it up as they saw fit among the servants on Boxing Day.
Dunworthy’s brows had shot upward. “And what shall I say the extra money is for, my lord?”
“It’s, eh…” Robert paused and tried to think of the words Thea had used. “It’s a Boxing Day gift, Dunworthy. Aren’t you familiar with the traditions that have been handed down for years?”
Dunworthy’s head tilted to one side. “Well, my lord, I remember Boxing Day gifts from when I was a lad but I’ve not heard them mentioned in all the years I’ve served you as butler.”
Robert squared his shoulders. “Well, you have heard the words mentioned now, Dunworthy. My wife is a strong believer in Christmas traditions and thus they will be practiced in my households from this day forward.”
A tiny smile appeared to tug at the corners of Dunworthy’s lips for just a second but his usual bland expression returned quickly. “I will follow your instructions carefully, my lord.”
“Very good,” Robert responded. “And now I must be off. I’ll be at Maulton Manor should you need me, Dunworthy.”
“Yes, my lord.” He paused. “And my lord?”
“Yes?”
“Please thank her ladyship and wish her a happy Christmas from all of us who serve here in the London residence.”
Robert nodded, then shrugged into his greatcoat and stepped outside where a groom was walking his horse. It was with a smile of pleasure and a strong feeling of anticipation that Robert pulled his hat down around his ears, ducked his head against the wind and began his ride back toward Maulton Manor and the woman he was proud to call his wife.
The trip was not pleasant but thankfully the roads were nearly devoid of other traffic, no doubt because the weather was so nasty. Fortunately, the threat of snow did not materialize and Robert made relatively good time. It was barely midafternoon when he turned off the road and onto the drive of Maulton Manor.
The pleasant sensation of having returned home brought a smile to Robert’s face and he was humming a Christmas carol when he rode up to the front of the house. He was accustomed to a groom running to meet him and when none appeared, his good mood slipped a little. Then he reminded himself that he was not expected, so he rode on around the house to the stables.
Even here, where grooms should be found at all hours of the day, no one stepped outside to take his mount. Irritation began to displace his earlier jovial mood as Robert dismounted and opened the door to the stable. “Is anyone here?” he called as he stepped inside.
A small boy, surely no older than eight or ten, stepped out of one of the empty stalls. His eyes widened when he realized his master had appeared in the stable and he bit his lip and stared.
Robert had no desire to frighten the child so he wiped the frown from his brow and forced a smile. “Good afternoon, young man. I’m in search of a groom to care for my horse. Where is everyone?”
The boy’s lip trembled. “Gone.”
“Gone where?”
The boy shook his head. “Don’t know. I can take care of yer horse.” After this pronouncement, the child stepped forward and reached for the reins. “Don’t ye worry, yer lordship. I may jest be a stable boy but I’ll take good care of yer horse.”
Robert sighed. He really had no choice but to trust the child or else take time to do the chore himself. “Very well. Rub him down and see that he’s fed and given water.”
“Aye, yer lordship.”
Robert let himself out of the stable and strode toward the house, oblivious to the cold. He could think of no good reason for his stables to be left in the hands of a child and he was beginning to worry. He took the front steps two at a time and let himself in.
When he stepped into the entrance hall, Mrs. Gilbert dashed from the hallway to meet him. “Thank the good Lord you are home, your lordship.”
Robert’s fears burgeoned. “What’s wrong, Mrs. Gilbert?”
“Her ladyship is missing. Everyone’s out searching for her, including her father and her brothers and all the servants but so far no one has come back to say she’s been found.”
“Good God. How long has she been missing?”
“Since about midmorning, your lordship. She told me she was going to ride over to visit her sisters who were wanting her to help them rehearse for a play that they’re planning for the holidays and I urged her to take the coach, what with the weather being so cold and the clouds looking like snow but she just laughed and said she wasn’t so frail as to let a little winter weather keep her cooped up inside a coach. So she had her horse saddled and rode off. As your lordship knows, it’s naught but a twenty-minute ride so I knew something was wrong when Mr. Sheldon rode over at noon to see why her ladyship hadn’t visited her sisters as planned.”
Robert’s mouth had gone dry but his voice remained steady. “What did Sheldon do then?”
“He rode back to Presnell Place going slow and looking around and calling his sister’s name but he got no response. As soon as he got back home and told the men what had happened, they all saddled up and rode out. Mr. Samuel came here to tell me what they were doing and to ask the grooms and other male servants to start searching on foot, every inch of land between here and Presnell Place, which they’ve been doing these past four hours. Us women are preparing some hot stew and bread to give the searchers when they come back here.”
Robert was well accustomed to taking charge in times of trouble but in this case, it appeared his brothers-in-law had done everything they could do. If Thea’s horse had bolted and then thrown her so that she lay injured and helpless somewhere, which was the only situation that occurred to Robert, then surely someone would have found her by now.
But what could Robert do? His feeling of helplessness was compounded by the knowledge that he was the reason she was missing. If he hadn’t hared off yesterday on a futile errand, Thea would not have ridden out alone this morning. Or even if she had, surely he would have missed her long before noon.
A suffocating sense of failure inundated Robert. Now he understood why his father had changed so much following the death of his dearly beloved wife. No doubt he had blamed himself for not being able to save her and he had tried to make up for his failure by keeping a meticulous guard over everything that could even remotely be considered his responsibility.
But, Robert reminded himself, he was not his father and thus far he had not lost Thea. He racked his brain, trying to think of where she might be. Perhaps she had decided on a side trip while on her way to Presnell Place and hadn’t told anyone.
But what could have been so important to her? No doubt it would have been something to do with Christmas. But what? She’d told him just last week that the Christmas Candle was ready and that all the food for their Christmas dinner was on hand. The only other Christmas-related need she had mentioned during their evening conversations was that she was short some clothing for the Boxing Day packages and thus had ordered a half-dozen additional knit caps. They were due to arrive in the village on Tuesday, she had said.
And today was Tuesday.
Thea might well have decided to ride to the village to pick up those caps before going on to visit with her sisters. And the village was in the opposite direction from Presnell Place. Robert doubted that any of the searchers would have gone toward the village.
He drew a deep breath and addressed Mrs. Gilbert. “I’m going out searching too, Mrs. Gilbert but I’m going to check out the trail toward the village. If any of the men return, whether they be on horseback or on foot, ask them to follow my lead.”
A frown of confusion furrowed Mrs. Gilbert’s brow but she didn’t question his decision. “Yes, my lord.”
Ten minutes later, Robert was again mounted on his horse, riding slowly down the trail leading to the village and watching for signs of unusual breakage in the vegetation lining the sides of the road. He was halfway to the village when he saw what he had been searching for, a spot where the dead weeds were flattened and a small shrub was crumpled.
“Thea,” he called, then paused and listened. His ear detected only silence.
He called out a second time. “Thea, my love.” This time he thought he might have detected a weak response but he feared the sound had originated in his head as a result of his wishful thinking.
Still, to be on the safe side, he faced the forest and yelled at the top of his lungs, “Hold fast, my darling. I’m on my way.”
He guided his mount into the woodland, going slowly and watching carefully for indications that Thea’s horse might have come this way earlier in the day. Fortunately, the signs were very clear because, due to yesterday’s rain, the ground was soft enough to show signs of the horse’s passage.
Unfortunately, as the forest deepened and the skies continued to darken, the available light grew less and Robert began to fear the signs would soon become impossible for him to see.
He continued to call Thea’s name every few seconds but he didn’t want to pause to listen because he feared losing the light. Thus, even though he occasionally thought he detected a response, he couldn’t be positive.
And then his heart leapt in his breast. He was positive he heard her, just ahead and to his right. “Hold on, love,” he called. “I’ll be there in just moments.”
When he found her, she was sitting on the ground with her back propped up against a large oak. Her riding habit was muddied and torn at the shoulder and her lips were blue from the cold but her eyes were as clear and bright as always.
Robert jumped from his horse and pulled off his greatcoat, dropping to his knees to wrap it around his wife. “My poor darling,” he murmured, tucking the fabric around her as best he could. “My dearest girl. Where are you hurt?”
Robert fought back tears when she grabbed his hand and cuddled it against her cheek, which was cold and damp. “I dreamed you would come, my dear husband but I knew you couldn’t because you were gone. How is it that you’re here now, my love?”
“I’ll relate that story later, sweet Thea. First I must get you home and warm. How are you hurt?”
“My left ankle. I can’t tell whether it’s a bad sprain or if I’ve broken it. Oh Robert, my horse bolted. Something, a rabbit perhaps, frightened Marsie and I couldn’t control her. I hung on as best I could but I finally fell and Marsie went on. I’m concerned for her.”
“Don’t worry about your horse, my dear,” Robert murmured. “We’ll find her. First I must see about your injury.” He pushed his greatcoat away from her left foot and ankle. Her boot was short, so he was able to gently run his fingers along the bones. “I don’t feel a break but I’m no expert. If I lift you onto my saddle, can you ride astride until I get you home?”
“I believe so,” Thea said. “Oh look, it’s starting to snow. Isn’t it pretty?”
Pretty was not the word Robert would have used to describe the snow at that moment but it did serve as a distraction for Thea as he helped her stand on her good leg so he could lift her on
to his horse. He would have walked and led the horse but she suggested he ride behind her if he felt his horse would bear both their weights.
Considering how little Thea weighed, Robert had no fear for the horse and he knew he could get her home more quickly that way, so he pulled himself up behind her and again wrapped his greatcoat around her to protect her as much as possible from the rapidly increasing snowfall.
Fifteen minutes later, when he rode up to the front of Maulton Manor, he was relieved to see three of Thea’s brothers riding in from the opposite direction. When they drew close enough to see that Thea was with Robert, they all shouted at the same time and galloped the rest of the way up the drive.
Sheldon threw himself off his horse and dashed to Robert’s side. “What happened?”
Robert quickly filled him in. “We need to get her inside and summon the local physician. Will you help her down?”
By this time, both Gerald and Samuel had dismounted and between the three brothers, they gently lifted Thea off the horse. Sheldon carried her toward the house with Gerald running ahead to open doors. Then Samuel announced that he would get word to the other searchers that Thea had been found and within minutes, Robert was left standing alone outside with the horses. He wasn’t displeased. After all, for the first time in his life, he had family members who were willing and able to share his burdens.
And he had found and saved his wife. He would not need to spend the rest of his days feeling as though he had failed her. He raised his face toward the skies, allowing the large flakes of snow to land on his cheeks and his nose and his forehead and to melt there while he gave thanks for his darling Thea’s safe return to Maulton Manor.
* * * * *
By Christmas Eve, Thea could move about on her sprained ankle with the aid of a cane, which was fortunate because she still had much to do. The men had ridden out early that morning, which had dawned cold but clear and they had returned by ten o’clock with a wagonload of lovely holly and ivy and mistletoe. By evening, every drawing room in Maulton Manor smelled like the forest and the mantels and tables all boasted centerpieces of fresh greenery.
A Cotillion Country Christmas Page 10