The Reclusive Earl

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  Up to now, Opal hadn’t seriously considered choosing this particular lady for the job, but there was something about the way she described herself that reminded her of Landon. So many people overlooked Landon because he was shy and awkward. Imagine what she would have missed if he hadn’t come into her life.

  Miss Kesner might enrich her life just as Landon had. Who knew? They might even become friends. At the very least, she owed it to Miss Kesner to talk to Mrs. Tumilson. Meanwhile, she owed it to the other ladies who were applying for the job to interview them, too.

  “Thank you for coming,” Opal said as she rose to her feet.

  “It was a pleasure,” Miss Kesner replied.

  With a smile, Opal walked with Miss Kesner to the entryway. After wishing her a good day, Opal went to find Landon to spend some time with him before she had to interview the next lady.

  ***

  That night, Opal had a nightmare. It was the first time she had one since she’d come to London. And in this horrible dream, her mother was looming over.

  “What makes you think you can be a good mother?” her mother asked in the condescending tone she had reserved for those she didn’t have any respect for. “You will be awful. Just awful. Just like you were awful at everything else you ever did. When your child grows up, I wager that child will hate you as much as you hated me.” Then, a grin crossed her face, and she began to laugh.

  Opal woke up from her dream, not realizing she was crying until she felt the tears on her cheeks. She sat up in the bed and wiped them away with the back of her hand. Why now? After all this time, why was she suddenly dreaming of her mother?

  Landon stirred from his sleep, and upon noticing she was awake, he rose into a sitting position. “Opal, are you in pain?”

  She shook her head and wiped more tears from her eyes. “I had a bad dream.”

  He put his arm around her shoulders and drew her to his side. “What wath it about? I mean, what happened in it?”

  She wasn’t sure she wanted to tell him. She didn’t want him to know the details about her relationship with her mother. More than anything, she wanted to forget about her past. No good ever came from dwelling on things one couldn’t control.

  Finally, she settled for asking, “Do you think I’ll be a good mother?”

  With a smile, he brought his head to hers and gently wiped the rest of her tears away. “I do. You’re a wonderful wife, and you’re kind to your family. I can’t think of anyone who will be a better mother than you.”

  The certainty in his voice relaxed her. Though he was self-conscious about the way he spoke, he seemed to have the right words to say to make her feel better.

  “I hope so,” she whispered. “I want to be a good mother.”

  “Which will enable you to be one.”

  Perhaps he was right. Maybe she would be a good mother because it was something she desired. She never wanted to do anything to hurt their child. She wanted to give their child the safety and love she never felt while growing up.

  After a long moment, Landon encouraged her to lie back down, and she snuggled up to him, resting her head on his shoulder.

  “I’m glad we’re married,” she said.

  He rubbed her back. “You mention that often.”

  “Do I?” She hadn’t noticed. “I guess I do it because it’s true.”

  “I don’t mind. I like knowing you enjoy being with me.”

  “Are you happy about this child?” she asked.

  “I am very happy.” He gave her waist a playful squeeze. “I’m happy with you, too. And I don’t mind telling you that whenever you need to hear it.”

  Releasing her breath, she closed her eyes and eventually drifted off to sleep.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Are you sure you don’t want me to go with you?” Ava asked as the carriage pulled up to the townhouse.

  “No,” Opal said. “I’m only seeing Mrs. Tumilson because of the interview I had with Miss Kesner. I shouldn’t be more than a couple of minutes.”

  “All right,” Ava replied. “I’ll be waiting.”

  The footman opened the door, and Opal stepped out of the carriage. She took out the parchment Miss Kesner had given her then went to the front door. After she knocked, she waited.

  She had sent a missive requesting to speak with Mrs. Tumilson a few days ago, but she had not received a response. She wasn’t sure if she was overstepping her bounds by coming here unannounced, but if she was going to hire Miss Kesner, then she needed to make another effort to see Mrs. Tumilson.

  The door opened, and the footman greeted her.

  “Good afternoon,” she replied. “I was wondering if Mrs. Tumilson is available.”

  “Unfortunately, she is not. She just passed away.”

  “Oh, I’m terribly sorry,” she said.

  Miss Kesner had told her Mrs. Tumilson was ill, but she had no idea the lady was that sickly.

  “If you wish,” the footman began, “you may talk to her daughter.”

  Opal hesitated. She would feel much better about hiring Miss Kesner if she could talk to someone who’d met her. “Only if she feels up to talking to me,” she said.

  “I will ask if she’ll talk to you,” he replied.

  She nodded. “If she says no, I’ll understand.”

  He gestured for her to enter the house. Glancing over her shoulder, Opal saw Ava wave from the carriage. After she waved in return, she stepped into the entryway then followed the footman to the drawing room.

  “Would you like anything to eat or drink?” he asked.

  “No, thank you. I won’t be but a moment. Please assure Mrs. Tumilson’s daughter that I won’t take up too much of her time.”

  He nodded and left the room.

  After a moment, she decided to sit down. A quick scan of the room showed her that this family wasn’t one of significant means. Hopefully, though, the home had been a happy one. She’d like to think that, unlike her, Mrs. Tumilson’s daughter mourned the death of her mother.

  Before long, footsteps came down the hallway, and Opal rose to her feet.

  The lady who came into the room wore all black, and Opal could tell she had been crying because the lady’s eyes were red and her cheeks were puffy. So the lady had loved her mother. That was good. It meant Mrs. Tumilson must have been a nice lady.

  “I’m so sorry for interrupting you,” Opal began. “I know you have more important things to worry about than talking to me, but I do appreciate the fact that you’re giving me a moment of your time.”

  The lady smiled. “My mother was a wonderful person. I will miss her greatly, but I take great comfort in knowing that I was there when she needed me. They say when a person dies, they never truly leave. They are right here.” She touched her heart. “I will always have my memories.”

  “That’s lovely,” Opal replied, her voice soft. Then, realizing she hadn’t introduced herself, she added, “Forgive me. I’m Lady Farewell.”

  “I’m Miss Tumilson.”

  Miss Tumilson? Opal thought for sure the lady was married, given her age. She must be in her late twenties, possibly early thirties.

  Recalling why she’d come, Opal showed her the paper. “I am in the process of interviewing ladies who wish to be my lady’s maid. Miss Kesner had recommended your mother as a reference. She said she was your mother’s lady’s maid before she took ill. What can you tell me about her?”

  Miss Tumilson read the paper. “I saw her on several occasions. Mother often came over here to see me and my brother. I didn’t go over to Mother’s townhouse much. To be honest, I don’t know much about Miss Kesner. She seemed fine to me.” She shrugged. “Mother never voiced a complaint about her.” She handed the paper back to Opal. “When I did see Miss Kesner, she just seemed to be there in the room, like a book on the shelf. She didn’t say much or do anything unless Mother asked her to. I’m afraid I can’t be any more help than that.”

  “Miss Kesner described herself as shy and awkward a
round people she’s not familiar with.”

  Miss Tumilson nodded. “Yes, I think those words describe her perfectly. She was shy and awkward.”

  “That was my impression of her, too,” Opal replied. “Thank you. I appreciate you taking the time to talk with me.”

  “I hope something I said helped you make your decision. I felt bad for letting Miss Kesner go, but I wanted to take care of Mother.”

  “I understand. I won’t take up any more of your time.”

  After thanking her again, Opal left the townhouse, feeling much better about the prospect of hiring Miss Kesner. She went back into the carriage and sat next to her friend.

  “How did things go?” Ava asked.

  “It went well,” Opal replied. “I’ve decided to hire Miss Kesner.”

  “Good.” Ava chuckled. “I’m glad you’re done agonizing over whether or not to hire her.”

  “It was a hard decision to make. All of the applicants were good.”

  “So what made you pick Miss Kesner?”

  “When she said that she felt awkward and shy, it reminded me of Landon.”

  Ava shook her head in amusement as the carriage pulled forward. “What a silly reason.”

  “It probably is silly, but I keep thinking if I don’t hire her, who else would?”

  “You can’t help but care about people. That’s one of the things I admire most about you. Now, let’s go celebrate your decision by doing some shopping.”

  Smiling at her friend, Opal turned her attention to enjoying the rest of the afternoon.

  ***

  “You are a very beautiful lady,” Miss Kesner said as she ran the brush through Opal’s hair a week later.

  “Thank you,” Opal said.

  This was Miss Kesner’s third day of being her lady’s maid and Opal was still getting used to having her around. She had expected it to take a while for her to be completely comfortable with the lady, but she was beginning to think it was going to take her a lot more time before she felt at ease when she was in the room.

  The lady was nice, respectful, and courteous. She did everything Opal wanted right away without a single complaint. In fact, she was even complimentary. But unlike Landon, who Opal had warmed up to right away, she didn’t have the same experience with Miss Kesner.

  As the lady decorated her hair, Opal chanced a glance at the lady’s reflection in the vanity mirror. Miss Kesner still wore her hair back in a bun, and though the lady’s clothes varied from day to day, they were all gray in color. Opal wanted to ask the lady if she ever wore any other colors, but she didn’t dare. For one, she didn’t know if the lady would appreciate the question. And two, it really wasn’t her business. Perhaps if Miss Kesner would share something about her life, Opal would feel like she could have an actual conversation with her. But Miss Kesner was extremely shy, so she didn’t, and because of that, Opal had a difficult time knowing what to say around her.

  “I’m finished, my lady,” Miss Kesner said, making her slightly jump. Miss Kesner’s gaze went to her in concern. “Did I frighten you?”

  “Only a little,” Opal replied, feeling embarrassed.

  “I’m sorry. I will endeavor to avoid doing it again in the future.”

  “It wasn’t your fault,” she hurried to assure the lady as she rose to her feet. “My thoughts were elsewhere. I wasn’t paying much attention to what was going on around me.”

  “There’s no need to explain. We all have our moments.” With a polite smile, she gestured to the mirror. “What does my lady think?”

  Opal turned her attention back to the mirror and inspected her hair. Despite the awkwardness between them, Opal had to admit she’d done an excellent job of decorating her hair with the shiny pins. She had a way of knowing how to make Opal look her best at all times. There was no doubt Miss Kesner was qualified for the job.

  There was a knock on the door separating her bedchamber from Landon’s. Opal called out for Landon to enter, and he stepped into the room, stopping when he saw Miss Kesner.

  “I didn’t know you were…” He paused, probably trying to figure out a way to continue speaking without lisping.

  “It’s all right,” Opal assured him. “We just finished.” She glanced at Miss Kesner. “You did a lovely job.”

  Miss Kesner offered her a nod then left the room.

  Landon went over to Opal and gave her a kiss. “I hope I didn’t come in at the wrong time.”

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. “No. Your timing was perfect. We were done.”

  “What do you think of her?” he asked, slipping his arms around her waist.

  “I think she’s all right.”

  “Just all right?”

  “I miss my other lady’s maid. She was more of a friend than a servant.”

  He smiled. “I think you’re a friend to everyone.”

  She shrugged. Maybe. But maybe not. She would like to be Miss Kesner’s friend, but she supposed it was going take some time before that happened. If it happened at all.

  “I can’t get over how pretty you are,” Landon told her.

  Pleased, she felt a blush rise up in her cheeks. “I want to be pretty for you.” Then she gave him another kiss, this one longer than the one before. When the kiss ended, she asked, “Are you ready to go for a walk?”

  He nodded and took her hand. On the way out of the room, she stopped him and hurried over to her dresser to pick up the new inkwell that was in the shape of a horse.

  “I almost forgot to give you this,” she told him as she returned to his side. “I bought you this the other day when I was shopping with Ava. Do you like it?”

  “I do,” he said as he accepted it.

  “When I saw it, I thought of the first horse ride we took together. It was a nice sunny day, and we had such an enjoyable time. I was hoping when you use that, you’ll think of me.”

  “I will think of you every time,” he promised. “I’ll put it in the den. It will go well with that painting of the three,” he paused but then finished with, “hortheth.”

  Touched he had been willing to lisp in front of her without wincing, she kissed him again. It was a sign he was getting more comfortable with her, and she liked that. “I agree. It will go well with that painting.”

  She slipped her arm through his, and they went down to the den. After he put the new inkwell on the desk, he took the one Lady Chadwick had left and put it on the window ledge.

  “I’ll decide what to do with that later,” he said.

  “Maybe Lady Chadwick would like to have it back.”

  “Maybe.”

  Her attention went back to the new inkwell on the desk. It did look good there, and it complemented the painting of the three horses very well. He had a good eye for knowing what items went well together.

  “The inkwell looks rather lonely without paper, don’t you think?” she asked him.

  He chuckled. “I can lay the parchment out.”

  “No, that’s not necessary. I know the paper is in the desk. You can use it when you’re ready to write something.”

  He returned to her side. “I’m lucky to have you in my life.”

  She smiled at his compliment. No matter how often he said it, she would never tire of hearing it. “Being with you is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

  Well, besides getting out of the country, but she didn’t want to spoil the moment by telling him that. She had yet to tell him about her mother and her brother. Though her brother, Byron, hadn’t been a saint, he had been nicer to her than her mother had been. She forced the memories back into the recesses of her mind.

  Someday she would tell him everything. For now, she’d rather focus on the present. Maybe it was selfish on her part, but she was enjoying this brief time in her life where no shadows were touching her. For the moment, she felt as if she were in a wonderful dream, and she wanted that dream to last as long as possible.

  He gave her another kiss. Then they headed
out for Hyde Park.

  Chapter Fourteen

  The next day, while Opal was in the drawing room writing a message to Miss Tumilson to thank her for seeing her the other day, the butler came into the room and handed her a neatly folded parchment.

  Right away, Opal could tell it was from Iris. Iris always used the same stationary and used the same elaborate script whenever she extended someone an invitation to her dinner party. Opal thanked him and waited for him to leave before she opened it.

  Warren and I would love to have you and Landon over for a dinner party. We are inviting Landon’s brother and sister-in-law, too, Iris had written. We are hoping Landon will feel more comfortable with them there.

  Opal smiled. It was sweet of Iris to do that. She rose up from the chair and went to the den, surprised when she realized Landon wasn’t there. He had said he was going to sort through some of the books in here to see which he’d like to keep and which he’d like to put in the attic. But from what she could tell, he hadn’t even started yet.

  She was about to turn and leave the room when she realized the inkwell she had given him wasn’t on the desk. Instead she saw the old inkwell that Lady Chadwick had left here. Frowning, she went over to the desk and picked it up. Her gaze went around the room, and she saw the new inkwell on the window ledge.

  Why would he change them around? Was he afraid to tell her that he didn’t want the one she’d given him, so he had put it on the desk while she was in the room to make her happy? Then, when she wasn’t there, he switched them around?

  She set Lord Chadwick’s inkwell back on the desk. She would need to ask him about this. If he wasn’t happy with the one she’d given him, she would have understood. He shouldn’t keep something just because he didn’t want to hurt her feelings.

  She left the room and searched the lower level of the townhouse for him.