The Highborn Housekeeper

by Sarah Mallory

  ‘Oh, Miss Nancy, you’ve spilled your coffee!’

  ‘Yes, how clumsy of me.’

  As Hester hurried over with a cloth to mop the table, Nancy threw a swift, indignant glance at Gabriel and was rewarded with a bland look that made her long to hit him.

  ‘Well, I suppose, by the time the men get back, there won’t be much daylight left,’ said Hester. ‘And since we have everything prepared for tonight’s dinner, perhaps we should have that, for heaven knows when we might get another good meal on the road.’

  Nancy agreed, trying to ignore her soaring spirits. There was no doubt that Gabriel wanted her to remain another day. Another night.

  * * *

  Nancy and Hester were alone in the kitchen when the two men returned from Markham. They came in laden with shopping and a waft of icy air.

  ‘The road to Markham has been cleared of drifts,’ said William, putting two sacks down on the table. ‘But there’s been no word of the York mail.’

  Thoresby added his bags to the table, then excused himself and went off to find his master. Hester and Nancy fell upon the shopping while William looked on, his hands wrapped about a tankard of mulled ale.

  ‘There wasn’t much at market today, madam, the weather having been so bad, but Mr Thoresby thought we should get what we could, whether you decide to stay or no. I managed to get turnips and potatoes, and some winter cabbage, too. And Mr Thoresby bought four dozen wax candles so you don’t have to use those rank-smelling tallow ones in the main rooms. We was fair loaded up by the time we rode away, I can tell you.’

  Nancy was quick to thank him for their efforts and, after helping to put away the fresh supplies, she left Hester and William peeling vegetables for the pot while she carried off a box of candles.

  The long hours of darkness had taken its toll on their stock of good candles and Nancy wanted to make sure there were beeswax candles in all the rooms in readiness for the evening. She started with the bedchambers, knowing everyone was downstairs, before proceeding to the lower floor, including the small room at the back of the house that Gabriel used as his study. The thought of finding him there, alone, brought on the now-familiar lightness inside and she scolded herself for behaving like a lovesick schoolgirl. She was merely performing the task she had set out to do and his writing room more than any other required good light.

  As she approached she heard the rumble of voices. Which was good, for that meant she would not be alone with Gabriel.

  Oh, don’t lie to yourself, madam. You know full well you would like to have him to yourself!

  She heard his deep voice as she opened the door, speaking most decidedly.

  ‘The key to this is Masserton Court. We need to—’

  Nancy stopped by the door and Gabriel broke off when he realised she had come in. Her thoughts had become jumbled as soon as she heard him mention Masserton. What was so important about the Court?

  ‘I beg your pardon.’ She swallowed, hard. ‘I did knock.’ She held out her basket. ‘I, um, have brought you fresh candles.’

  ‘Excellent.’ Gabriel came over to her, no sign in his manner that there was anything amiss. ‘Give me the ones for the wall sconces.’

  It was the work of a few minutes to change the candles and Nancy went out, leaving the men to talk. She closed the door behind her and waited for a moment, listening, but they were speaking more quietly now, and she could not make out a word. For a moment she stood, chewing her lip. Part of her wanted to go back into the room and demand to know what was afoot, but after a few moments she decided to carry on with her task. It wasn’t but an hour or so until dinner, she would talk to Gabriel then.

  * * *

  The morning room was warm and bathed in a cosy glow of candle and firelight when Gabriel joined Nancy there for dinner. He had spent most of the day thinking about her, about their night together. The way she responded to him, warm and yielding, making him feel like a giant among men. By heaven, it was years since lovemaking had been so satisfying. If ever.

  The smile grew inside him as soon as he saw her. She was sitting beside the fire dressed in a ruby-red gown, one of those he had seen strewn over her bed, discarded as too dashy for a poor widow. Clearly, she no longer considered it necessary to hide the fact she had such gowns in her possession.

  She rose as he came in, her dark hair glowing like polished mahogany, and she had coaxed a single curl to rest upon her bare shoulder, where it enhanced the creamy whiteness of her skin. He took her hand and bowed over it.

  ‘You look delightful, madam. That colour suits you. Quite ravishing.’

  She laughed, blushing adorably as she gently withdrew her fingers and preceded him to the table.

  ‘It is far too showy for a quiet country dinner. But I thought I might as well wear it as not. You have seen all the plainer ones.’

  ‘I have, indeed, and they are charming in their way.’ He held her chair and when she was seated he stooped to kiss her neck. ‘This one, however, makes me hope you plan to seduce me. Shall we forgo dinner and slip away upstairs?’

  She laughed at that. Gabriel sighed and took his seat opposite her.

  ‘Have you never learned, madam, that it is most unseductive to giggle when a man propositions you?’

  Her eyes gleamed, but she answered seriously, ‘I wish to talk to you.’

  ‘That sounds ominous.’

  He was not reassured by the slight frown creasing her brow, but John and Hester came in at that moment with trays of dishes and he could not ask her about it. When they were alone again, Nancy politely invited him to partake of the pork ragout and buttered turnips. She showed no wish to discuss anything other than the food and he followed her lead. Something was on her mind, but he would not rush her. After all, they had all night. Well, not all of it, he thought, glancing at the sofa he had moved closer to the fire. He very much hoped he and Nancy might find more pleasurable ways to finish the evening.

  Hester and John had just left another selection of dishes on the table when Nancy said suddenly, ‘This afternoon, when I came into your study, you and Mr Thoresby were talking of Masserton Court. Does whatever you are doing here concern the Earl?’

  He was spooning rice on to his plate, but paused to throw a warning glance at her.

  ‘I’d rather you did not ask about that, Nancy.’

  She toyed with the food on her own plate. ‘I know the family.’

  ‘But not well enough to break your journey with them?’

  She was avoiding his gaze, which intrigued him, but she answered lightly enough.

  ‘A humble cook cannot invite herself to stay wherever she pleases. But I am curious about your interest in the Court.’

  ‘To use your own words, madam, there is little point in you knowing that, since you will be leaving here soon. In fact,’ he added, when she opened her mouth to object, ‘it is safer if you remain in ignorance.’

  She gave a little hiss of exasperation. ‘How do I know you mean them no harm? Perhaps you are planning to rob them.’

  He laughed at that. ‘I promise you I am no housebreaker. Now, I know how hard you and Hester have worked to produce these excellent dishes, the least you can do is allow me to enjoy them.’

  She returned her attention to her food and after a few moments she introduced another totally innocent topic for conversation and later urged him to try the potato pudding or the dumplings Hester had made from the bottled damsons. He smiled to himself. She was too wily to tease him further. Yet. She probably hoped that when he had finished his meal and drunk a few glasses of wine, he might be more susceptible to her cajoling. It would not work, of course. He had withstood much more experienced interrogators than Nancy. More experienced seductresses, too.

  However, he was more than willing to enjoy her attempts to charm him. He wanted to be diverted. He and John had spent hours trying to think of a way out
of their current impasse, to no avail. He had hoped a solution might present itself during dinner but so far nothing had occurred to him. However, Nancy’s company made up for that. She had a quick wit and conversing with her gave his mind a rest from the problems that whirled round and round in his head. And there was always the possibility that she might allow him to take her to bed again. He wanted to do so, very much indeed, but not out of gratitude for sharing his secrets with her.

  * * *

  When the dishes were cleared away and the covers removed, they remained at the table. Gabriel pulled the dish of hazelnuts towards him and began cracking them between his fingers. Nancy seemed in no hurry to leave. She sipped her wine and watched him.

  ‘I wish you will tell me why you are here,’ she said at last. ‘I would like to know what your real purpose might be and why someone should wish to kill you.’

  He offered her a shelled nut and when she refused he popped it in his own mouth.

  ‘My dear, it is best that you do not know.’

  She folded her arms on the table and fixed her eyes upon him. ‘Have I not proved myself trustworthy?’

  ‘Eminently, but I would not risk your safety.’

  ‘Surely just being here with you is risk enough.’

  She was leaning forward, giving Gabriel a fine view of her full, rounded breasts curving above the low-cut bodice of her gown. He dragged his eyes to her face and grinned.

  ‘Aye, it is a risk, in more ways than one.’

  He saw the heat steal into her cheeks, but she smiled back at him.

  ‘Pray be serious, Gabriel. I saved your life. I think you owe me an explanation.’ She reached across and touched his hand where it rested on the table. ‘Won’t you tell me?’

  Even that gentle contact sent lustful thoughts slamming through him. He understood the impulse to get up and drag her into his arms. What surprised him, however, was his desire to tell her everything. That was unprecedented. He had known many beautiful, intelligent women, but he had never yet taken one into his confidence.

  Nancy was watching him, her dark eyes luminous in the candlelight and he suddenly thought, why not? She had told him she knew the family and she might be able to bring a new perspective to the problem that had been plaguing him all day.

  ‘You are right, I owe you some sort of explanation,’ he said at last. ‘And you might even be able to suggest how we go forward.’

  ‘Of course.’ Her sudden smile lit up the room and set his pulse jumping like a firecracker. ‘I will help you if I can.’

  He took his time refilling their glasses, giving his body a chance to calm. He needed to think rationally and not be influenced by his carnal desires. It would be safer for both of them if he told her only what was necessary.

  ‘I was sent here by certain...senior figures in the government to try to discover how secret documents are being smuggled out of the country and ending up in the Netherlands.’

  ‘The Netherlands?’ Her brows rose. ‘Not France? Napoleon was defeated this summer, but he still has some support in the country, does he not?’

  ‘Yes, he does, but they are not the problem this time. Or not directly.’ He pushed her glass across the table. ‘As you may know, the Congress of Vienna created a United Kingdom of the Netherlands under William I. It was thought that would provide some stability, a buffer against any future French incursion. There were always going to be those who opposed this new state and a new kingdom, in its infancy, is very vulnerable.

  ‘A few months ago, highly confidential documents disappeared from a cabinet office. They later turned up in the Netherlands, in the hands of those who want to see the new kingdom dismantled. And since then, more have gone missing.’

  ‘And that is why you are here, to find them?’

  ‘Yes, and to discover how they are leaving the country. There is now strong evidence that the papers are being smuggled out through a Lincolnshire port, via a halfway house in this area. I was due to meet an informer when I was attacked. John brought me word this week that the source of the leaks has been found—a junior cabinet minister with scandals he would rather not have made public. He was removed, but not before another vital document went missing, this one from the Home Office regarding our Navy working with the Netherlands in Africa. If King William’s opponents get hold of those plans not only could it endanger our fleet, it could cause a rift between the British government and the other countries in Europe that are looking to England to keep the peace. All we know is that the documents are no longer in London.’

  ‘But the plans could already be out of the country,’ argued Nancy. ‘How can you be so sure they are not?’

  ‘I am not working alone. The militia is over-wintering near Markham and I have a small party of men at my disposal. John is in regular touch with their captain. The snow has been even more severe in the east, nothing has been moving there. We know the plans can’t have reached the coast yet.’

  ‘You think the documents are at Masserton Court,’ she challenged him. ‘What proof have you?

  ‘Not much, admittedly, but I have spoken to a servant at the house. He hinted that his conscience would not allow him to shut his eyes any longer to what was happening.’

  ‘No.’ Nancy shook her head. ‘I cannot believe it. That might have been a tale made up to lure you into an ambush.’

  ‘Possibly, but the old fellow appeared genuine. He was not one of my attackers, of that I am sure.’ He shrugged. ‘Perhaps he was warned off. I only wish to heaven he had confided everything to me at our first meeting, but there were other servants around and he was afraid to be seen too long with me. Whatever the case, my being set upon suggests I was getting too close to the truth.’

  An icy hand was squeezing Nancy’s heart. She stared at her wine glass, turning the stem around between her fingers.

  ‘And you think the Earl is a traitor.’

  ‘It is hard not to think it, if our suspicions are correct and the papers are being smuggled out via his principal seat.’

  ‘But what proof have you?’ she demanded again. ‘You cannot charge anyone, let alone a peer of the realm, if you have nothing more than suspicions.’

  ‘I know that, but it is common knowledge the Earl has squandered his fortune. He might be susceptible to bribes.’

  She gave a snort of derision. ‘If every penniless peer turned traitor to refill his coffers, the country would indeed be ruined.’

  ‘I agree, but although we have nothing positive, the evidence is compelling.’

  ‘But the minister involved,’ she said, ‘can he tell you nothing?’

  Gabriel frowned and ran a hand through his hair. ‘Unfortunately, he died before he could be questioned.’

  Nancy’s eyes widened in horror and she put a hand to her cheek. ‘I heard nothing about that when I was in London.’

  ‘It was all hushed up.’ His mouth twisted. ‘Passed off as a tragic accident. Which is what my attackers planned would be the verdict when my body was found.’

  ‘And they transported you five miles to keep suspicion away from Darlton.’

  ‘Yes, but they may have caught themselves out. John arranged to have a report of my death put in the local newspapers. Having dumped my body so far from Darlton, and with the snow cutting off the town, they have had no way of verifying those reports. When I do not reappear, I hope they will believe they have eradicated the threat.’

  ‘That is all very well, but you have not disappeared. What happens when they see you again?’

  ‘Ah, then they will not recognise me, I promise you. They attacked a hesitant, bespectacled country fellow with a thick northern accent. I shall reappear as something very different.’ He looked at her, the corners of his mouth quirking upwards. ‘What is the matter, Nancy, are you concerned for my safety?’

  ‘I do not like to think of you putting yourself in danger,’
she admitted, incurably honest.

  He was smiling at her and for a moment she felt like bursting into tears. She wished she had never stopped at the Black Bull and found Gabriel lying in the snow. She wished she had never asked him why he was here. The moment passed and she steadied herself. Crying would do no good. It was impossible to forget what she had learned. She needed to think clearly.

  She said, ‘You believe the key to all this is Masserton Court.’

  ‘Yes.’ He grew serious. ‘That is what John and I have been puzzling over all day. We believe the missing plans are in the Court and we need to get in and find them. The difficulty is how to do that without arousing suspicion. And time is running out. With the weather clearing they will be moving those papers any day now.’ He frowned. ‘John thought he might be able to find work there, but they are not recruiting anyone from this area. Rather they are turning local people off.’ He looked up suddenly, grinning. ‘Perhaps we should kidnap the Earl’s cook and you might replace him. One cannot do without a cook, after all!’ When she did not smile, he said quickly, ‘That was a poor jest, Nancy, I beg your pardon. Do not pay any heed to me. Perhaps by morning we will have hit upon something.’

  Nancy drew a breath and said slowly, ‘That will not be necessary. I can search Masserton Court for you.’

  ‘Really?’ He looked up, his brows raised. ‘You know it well?’

  ‘Very well indeed.’ She paused for a heartbeat. ‘I am the Earl of Masserton’s daughter.’

  Chapter Eight

  ‘You are what?’

  Gabriel was staring at her and Nancy flushed at the steely coldness of his eyes. Once again, he was all suspicion. However, she had started now. There was no going back.

  ‘I am Lady Ann Chartell, the Earl’s younger daughter.’

  ‘Really?’ He sat back and folded his arms. ‘When we first met you said you were a widow in straitened circumstances. Next you told me you were a cook. What is this latest fantasy?’