by Blythe Baker
My fingers fluttered nervously to the dent in my left cheek. So few people had addressed my injury outright that I could almost forget it was there. “Um, yes,” I stammered. “It is.”
Nicholas wrapped an arm around his grandmother’s shoulders. “I live with my grandmother full-time. Caring for her needs and keeping her company.”
“Full-time?” Alice asked. I knew at once we had the same thought about the situation. Why would anyone agree to that?
“I am growing old, but I am not yet ill enough to require constant care,” Aunt Augusta said sharply. “Though, I do appreciate the company. Especially after the break-in last month.”
I turned to Nicholas. “Someone broke into your house?”
“Well,” he started, shrugging as if he wasn’t sure how to explain it.
“Yes, they did,” Aunt Augusta said, interrupting Nicholas’ explanation. “The police are investigating the matter now, but the criminals will likely never be caught. These kinds of crimes are often neglected, especially when an old woman is the target.”
“There is no proof anyone was ever in the house, Grandmother. You didn’t actually see anyone, so the police don’t even have a description to work from.”
“Just because I did not see them doesn’t mean it didn’t happen,” she said. “Some of my finest silver was taken from a shelf in the dining room and a painting is missing from the attic. Of course, the most important thing stolen was my peace of mind.”
“I know,” Nicholas said like he’d heard the story retold many times. He rubbed his grandmother’s shoulders. “But we had been cleaning and reorganizing. Perhaps, those things were taken out with the trash by mistake.”
Aunt Augusta shook her head, dismissing the idea. “No. I know what happened. Someone came into my home and stole from me.”
She turned her gaze on me, narrowing her eyes as though I could have been the one to steal from her, and I realized Lady Ashton’s request would be more difficult to fulfill than I thought.
“Would you care for a walk around the grounds?” I asked. “It is a beautiful day.”
Nicholas smiled and nodded, but before he could say anything, Aunt Augusta curled her lip and shook her head. “I’d like to go up to my room. I’m chilled to my bones and would do much better with a blanket.”
Without hesitation, Nicholas bid us farewell and slowly walked his grandmother towards the house.
The moment they were out of earshot, Alice sighed. “I heard Aunt Augusta had a grandchild taking care of her, but it is unforgivable to keep someone that handsome locked away in her mansion.”
“Locked away?” I whispered. “What do you mean?”
“Aunt Augusta is almost a shut-in,” she said, narrowing her eyes. “How could you have never heard of her situation?”
“She isn’t technically my family.”
Alice shrugged. “I suppose she isn’t, but it is still surprising. She is by far the wealthiest person on our side of the family, but she rarely leaves her home. She keeps very few servants and has accused everyone she knows of stealing from her twice. Her accusations are unfounded, of course. Many believe the money has cost her sanity.”
“Perhaps, you are being too harsh on the old woman, Alice. She seems to trust Nicholas, and she left her home in London to come all the way to Somerset.”
Alice shook her head. “You’ll see. Ask anyone. No one likes her.”
We turned and walked down the path in the direction we’d come from, moving back towards the front of the house. “That doesn’t seem like appropriate party conversation. ‘Excuse me, do you think Aunt Augusta is a suspicious shut-in?’”
She laughed. “Maybe not, but I’ll save you the trouble. Yes, she is.”
When we got back to the front of the house, several more cars had parked in the circular driveway, and Lady Ashton was answering questions from the servants while greeting guests. Lord Ashton had taken up a conversation with several other men in the front corner of the garden, but it did little to ease my aunt’s burden. So, with Alice by my side, we welcomed people to the estate and ushered them up the long walkway to the front doors of the house. Alice had to remind me of everyone’s names, whispering them in my ear as they approached.
Finally, the deluge of guests began to wane, and Alice grabbed my arms and pulled me up the walkway towards the house.
“If we do not leave now, I’m afraid we’ll never be free,” she whispered. “I expected this time in the country to be relaxing, but how am I to relax if we are being treated as servants?”
“We are the hosts. It is expected that we should help make the guests comfortable.”
“I’m not the one who decided to get married,” Alice argued. “Besides, Catherine and Charles are technically the hosts, so—”
Her voice cut away in an instant, and I turned to see what was the matter. Alice’s eyes were wide and staring straight ahead. I followed her gaze to see Nicholas Whitlock walking towards us. I made a mental note to remember Nicholas Whitlock was a sure way to make Alice quiet. There was a chance I would require that particular service over the course of the week.
I stepped forward, leaving Alice blushing and frozen behind me. “Is everything all right, Mr. Whitlock?”
“Please, call me Nicholas,” he insisted. Nicholas removed his derby hat and held it against his chest. “First, I would like to apologize for my grandmother’s impropriety earlier.”
“No, it is all right—” I started.
“It isn’t,” he said, shaking his head and looking up at me from beneath lowered brows. “She spends many of her days alone, and I’m afraid it makes it difficult for her to get along with others. I know I should push her to be more social, but she complains enough about travel that it is easier just to let her stay at home.”
“I understand. Truly. There is no apology needed. My feelings are not so tender as to be wounded by her pointing out my obvious scar.”
His mouth turned up in an attractive smile, and he shrugged. “It is not the most obvious thing about you, Miss Beckingham.”
I didn’t need to turn around to know Alice was glaring at me. I had no interest in Nicholas Whitlock, but even if I did, I would never pursue him at risk of breaking Alice’s heart forever.
“Nicholas Whitlock.” Lady Ashton mounted the stairs, threaded her arm through Alice’s, and dragged the stricken girl forward to stand next to me. “It has been too long since I’ve seen you. Where is Aunt Augusta?”
“Inside napping,” he said. “I thought I would take the opportunity to explore the grounds before she awakens.”
Lady Ashton frowned. “Did she not travel with any servants?”
“She does not keep many,” Nicholas said. “It is just the two of us.”
“That won’t do,” Lady Ashton said, pursing her lips and looking around. Her eyes widened when she saw Miss Brown walking close to the wall towards the front door. She called the woman over. “Miss Brown, would you kindly attend to the needs of Miss Augusta Whitlock for the duration of her stay here at Ridgewick Hall?”
“That really won’t be necessary,” Nicholas started to say. “I take care of her entirely—”
“It won’t be any trouble, ma’am,” Miss Brown said quickly, though her eyes were trained on Nicholas, her cheeks pink. It appeared no one was immune to his many charms. “I would be happy to.”
Nicholas still appeared uncertain, but Lady Ashton dismissed Miss Brown and then laid a hand on her nephew’s elbow. “Everyone knows Aunt Augusta can be quite demanding. I’m sure you need a break more than you realize. Enjoy your time here and relax. And if you are going to explore the grounds, take Alice with you. She has been exploring them since she could walk.”
Nicholas turned his attention to Alice, and she visibly shrunk under his gaze. “Would you mind? I wouldn’t want to impose upon you.”
She squeaked out an answer so quiet it was difficult to decipher, but when she crossed our small circle to stand next to Nicholas’ side, sn
eaking quick glances up at his face, her desires became clear enough. As they walked away, Lady Ashton laughed at her daughter’s crush.
“If we do not discourage her affection, Alice may change her mind about weddings yet.”
6
Despite Catherine’s daily insistence that everything was moments away from falling apart, the festivities carried on as planned. Additional tables and chairs were added to the back garden for the guests to enjoy, complete with fresh-cut flowers and a large white tent that took George and several of the other servants half a day to secure. The doors from the sitting room were thrown wide, allowing the guests to mill in and out of the house as they pleased, and Lady Ashton ensured the kitchen kept up a steady supply of pastries, finger foods, and tea. I even caught Aunt Augusta nodding in approval when she bit into a scone covered with clotted cream.
Miss Brown’s duties quickly shifted from overseeing the household servants to overseeing solely Aunt Augusta. The poor woman was constantly running inside to fetch a fresh glass of water for the old woman or grab her a blanket. Then, when she inevitably became too warm several minutes later, the blanket had to be returned inside only to be retrieved later when a gust of wind hit her just right and gave her a chill. At meal times, Miss Brown spooned food onto Aunt Augusta’s plate and cut her meat for her. Everyone watched the pair curiously, floored by the old woman’s demands. Everyone except for Nicholas Whitlock.
“Are any of you gentlemen up for a bit of shooting this afternoon?” he asked with an easy smile as Miss Brown leaned across him to lift Aunt Augusta’s drinking glass to her mouth.
For the first time since seeing Nicholas, Alice couldn’t seem to decide whether to stare open-mouthed at him or the spectacle just to his right.
“I had no idea the woman would be so demanding,” Lady Ashton said to Miss Brown as she was helping the kitchen staff clear away the plates. “I thought she would only require help climbing the stairs and getting changed for supper. I cannot decide if she simply refuses to help herself or if she is more ill than I thought.”
Alice and I were still at the table even though the rest of the guests had left to retire to their rooms or walk off the meal. Nicholas was on the terrace talking with Lord Ashton and although Alice claimed she was simply too full to move, the dining room offered the most unobstructed view of the two men’s conversation.
“I do not mind,” Miss Brown assured my aunt. “I’m just happy to help you and Miss Catherine in any way I can.”
“Maybe I can talk to her,” Lady Ashton said. “I’m sure if she understood the strain she is putting on you, she wouldn’t—”
“It is no strain, and I wouldn’t want you to damage your relationship with family when I only need to endure for a few days.”
“You are a good woman, Miss Brown.”
Alice narrowed her eyes and leaned toward the doors that led to the terrace, hoping to overhear what had set Nicholas to laughing.
“You might be able to hear the conversation better if you walked out and joined it,” I whispered.
She sat straight in her chair. “I’m not sure what you are talking about.”
I couldn’t help it. I laughed. “Alice, he is your cousin. Your handsome cousin, to be sure, but that does not change the situation.”
She turned to me, eyes narrowed dangerously. “You will have to make yourself clear, cousin, because I do not understand a word you are saying.”
Lady Ashton sighed. “Alice, I have enough going on in this house without having to worry about whether you’ll disturb Mr. Whitlock by following him around the estate like a lost duckling.”
Alice’s cheeks flared a vibrant pink, and she turned towards the terrace to be sure Nicholas hadn’t overheard our conversation. Meanwhile, Lady Ashton returned to encouraging Miss Brown.
“Aunt Augusta has not been seen in public for years, so I’m sure she is nervous about the ceremony and the large number of people. That does not excuse her behavior,” she said, shaking her head. “But it is a possible explanation.”
In the middle of Miss Brown insisting yet again that she did not mind the task, Catherine came sprinting into the room from the kitchen, her face flushed and eyes wide.
Lady Ashton yelped in surprise and pressed a hand to her chest. “Catherine, what is it?”
“More guests.” Catherine spoke as though a horde of ravenous wolves were descending upon the house.
Lady Ashton shook her head. “Everyone has already arrived. We aren’t expecting more people until the picnic tomorrow.”
“A car pulled into the drive just now,” Catherine insisted. “The driver is removing luggage. Bags upon bags. Where ever are we going to put it all?”
“We will take care of this. I’ll go sort it out right now,” Lady Ashton said, laying a hand on her daughter’s shoulder and hurrying out the door.
Catherine followed quickly behind. Miss Brown lingered at the table as maid servants came in and began gathering the remaining dishes from the table, and then Alice got up and left, as well. The small hunting party made up of Nicholas, Lord Ashton, and another cousin I had yet to meet were heading out to the land at the back of the estate. So, with nothing more pressing to do, I followed the women through the front doors and down the wide path to the driveway where, just as Catherine said, a car was parked.
Rolling cases and trunks were piled next to the car, and Catherine mumbled under her breath the entire walk. Just as our group reached the shallow stairs that led down to the driveway, a man slid out of the back seat of the car and then turned to assist someone. I recognized his narrow frame and sloping shoulders at once.
Lady Ashton groaned softly to herself. “Lady Harwood.”
“Were we expecting her?” Catherine asked. “I don’t recall inviting her.”
“We had to invite her,” Lady Ashton whispered. “She lives less than a mile away and has been a friend of the family for years. I just didn’t believe she would actually come.”
“You said the same thing about Aunt Augusta,” Catherine reminded her. “And yet, she has come, too. Perhaps, we should only invite people we actually wish to attend and not hope they decide to stay home.”
Lady Ashton gave her daughter a warning look, but there was no time to continue arguing as Lady Harwood and her personal physician were slowly mounting the stairs and walking towards us. Lady Harwood grunted as she made it up the last stair, wiping her forehead.
Lady Ashton held her arms wide, welcoming the pair. “Lady Harwood. Dr. Shaw. What a surprise it is to see you both here.”
“I hope we have not inconvenienced you by arriving a few days early,” Lady Harwood said.
“Of course, not,” Lady Ashton said. Catherine’s eyes went wide as she stared at her mother.
“There are no more rooms,” Alice whispered to me, smiling as though she was enjoying the excitement. “Aunt Ruth and her daughters took up the last two when they arrived yesterday afternoon.”
“I wanted to arrive early to allow Dr. Shaw to clean the room to my specifications and make sure I was comfortable before the ceremony.”
“The ceremony isn’t for several more days,” Catherine said, teeth gritted.
If Lady Harwood noticed Catherine’s annoyance, she did not respond to it. “Yes, and I’m sure you have plenty to do to prepare. So, if someone could kindly show me to my room, I will stay out of everyone’s way.”
There was a panicked moment of silence as everyone debated how to tell Lady Harwood there was no room for her because no one had expected her to stay at the estate at all. Catherine looked to Lady Ashton, who was staring blankly forward, lost in thought. Then, all at once, she spun around, pointed at Alice, and announced that Alice would take Lady Harwood up to her room.
Alice shook her head gently. “But there is no—”
“We intended for Alice to move her things out of her room and into her cousin Rose’s room before you arrived just prior to the ceremony, so you will have to give her a few minutes to make
the switch now that you are here,” Lady Ashton said.
Alice’s mouth fell open.
“Surely, there will be fresh bedding available?” Lady Harwood asked. “After travelling, I always like to lie down for a nap.”
“Yes, someone will change the bedding.” Lady Ashton spun around, looking for Miss Brown, no doubt, and then turned back to Lady Harwood. “I will go inside with you and ensure everything is taken care of.”
I could practically see the burdens piling on Lady Ashton’s shoulders as she took Lady Harwood’s arm and escorted her towards the house. Dr. Shaw followed behind, looking as weary as I’d ever seen him.
“We are sharing rooms like children now,” Alice grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest much like a child would have. I wanted to point this out to her, but didn’t think she would take kindly to the likeness.
“It will only be for a few days,” I said, trying to comfort her. Though, I was the one who needed comforting. Alice’s personality had been overbearing since the wedding planning had started in earnest, and I worried how I would feel at the end of a long week with no quiet place to rest and recover from the day.
“Catherine isn’t sharing a room with anyone,” she said sourly.
“That is because Catherine is the bride.”
“Exactly. She should be the one who is inconvenienced.” Her voice was loud enough that Dr. Shaw turned and looked over his shoulder, but when his eyes met mine, he turned back around and hastened after his employer.
The last time I’d seen the man, he’d been kneeling over the dead body of my cousin Edward. The last weekend we’d all been in this place together had been stressful, and I could see that those memories were fresh in Dr. Shaw’s mind, as well.
“Is living with me going to be so horrible, Alice?” I asked, hoping to guilt Alice into complying.
She turned to me, eyes narrowed. “Don’t pretend you are pleased about this, Rose. I know you’d prefer to share a room with Catherine over me.”
Before I could lie and tell Alice her accusation wasn’t remotely true, she ran ahead down the walkway to stand next to her mother, probably whispering about the injustice of it all.