CHAPTER THIRTEEN
It was a hard truth for Lily to accept that her mother was not getting better. Although Iris had experienced periods of melancholy before, none had been as bad as this.
The leaves had fallen from the trees, and Lily admired the beauty of late autumn as she walked through the estate at Penford. Her mother had secluded herself from the outside world, although Lily had tried to coax her to take walks. Her sister had promised to visit from Ireland soon, and perhaps that would lift Iris’s spirits.
In many ways, Lily rather wished she had Sebastian with her, for the dog had been a gentle presence in their lives. She still felt the ache of loss, though she knew he belonged with his owner. One day, she would get another dog of her own.
She shielded her eyes against the morning sunlight and saw a rider approaching. The sight of Matthew made her smile. True to his word, he had accompanied them to Yorkshire, and he was staying at the residence of his cousin Amelia Hartford, the Countess of Castledon.
Lily waved, and he dismounted, leading his horse by the reins. He wore a chestnut riding coat and a black silk hat. She found herself studying the horse, noting the animal’s health. She had mailed in the remainder of her assignments for the correspondence course under Matthew’s name, and the newest books involved the health and care of horses.
“You are looking beautiful today, Lady Lily,” Matthew greeted her. “Would you like to come riding with me?”
“In a little while,” she agreed. “But first, there is something I would like to show you.”
Matthew gave his horse over to the coachman, Nelson, and followed her. “I have been asked to bring you to Castledon for tea today. Amelia’s daughter Verity demanded it.”
“Is something the matter?” Lily asked.
“One of her pets is quite ill, and she would like you to take a look at it.” Though his tone was serious, Lily detected a note of amusement in Matthew’s bearing. “Iris is welcome to join you, of course.”
“We both know my mother is incapable of making such a journey now.”
He nodded. “I suspected as much, but the invitation stands. Bring your maid, Hattie, if you want.”
She led him toward the walled garden, wanting him to see it. “I suppose, but it is a long ride.”
“Amelia would be quite grateful if you could examine Verity’s. . .pet.”
Again, the odd smile on his face. She was instantly suspicious of it. “What is it you’re not telling me, Matthew?”
He shrugged. “You’ll find out for yourself soon enough. And I look forward to seeing your methods of helping the animal.”
“It’s not an ordinary pet, is it?” She suspected that whatever ailment the animal possessed would be one she was incapable of curing.
“Not precisely.”
Lily could have pressed the subject but decided not to. “All right. I will come for tea.” She led him inside the garden, pushing open the doorway. The grass had turned brown, and the rosebushes had been pruned down to bare canes. Still, the chrysanthemums and primroses offered color amid the dying plants.
A pool of water rested near a willow tree. Lily pulled her shawl across her shoulders and leaned down to dip her fingers into the water. “I wanted you to see my parents’ garden. It’s even more beautiful in spring.” She lifted her dripping fingertips from the water and smiled at him. “What do you think?”
Matthew barely looked at the garden, and instead, his attention was focused upon her. “It is beautiful, yes.” He moved closer to her and framed her face with his hands. “Just as you are.” He brushed a fallen lock of her hair back, leaning in to steal a kiss. “I want you to marry me, Lily.”
Her heart should have rejoiced at his words. Yet the shadows of the past were still there, and she could not forget the haunted man he had been.
“If you had asked me months ago when you returned from India, I would have said yes without hesitation.”
“But you can’t forget that I hurt you.” His mood turned grim, though he caressed her cheek. “And you won’t forgive me for it.”
“That’s not it.” She caught his hand and drew it down. “You became someone else that day. And it wasn’t only the opium—you were lost somehow.”
“I am stronger now,” he told her. “It won’t happen again.”
“But you still will not tell me what happened to you in India. I know it was terrible. But I don’t think you will get over these nightmares until you speak of it.”
He nipped at her mouth. “I know a better way to get over the nightmares.” His tongue slid against the seam of her lips, and the heat of his kiss brought a rise of sensation throughout her body. She held on to his shoulders, feeling her knees soften.
“How?” Her voice came out soft, filled with yearning she could not deny.
“By replacing them with better dreams.” He kissed her more deeply then, inviting her to fall beneath his spell. The autumn air was crisp, but she hardly felt the chill with his warm, hard body pressed to hers.
She was drowning in this man, feeling all her boundaries melt away until she could not stop the heart-pounding desire.
“I thought we were going to your cousin’s house for tea,” she murmured, trying to catch hold of her thoughts.
“We can be late.” He offered a wicked smile, moving his hands over her waist. She closed her eyes, feeling the rush of longing. But reality intruded, and she forced herself to step back.
“No. It will take an hour or so to ride there.” She rested her hands against his coat, but he tipped her chin up and stole one last kiss.
Then he slid his hand against her throat, touching the silver chain she wore. He gently tugged at the chain until he pulled the heavy gold signet ring from beneath her gown. The metal was warm from her bare flesh, and he held it for a moment. “Because you’re wearing this, I can only assume that you will think about my proposal.”
He was right. In spite of his demons, she did still love this man. But her feelings had reshaped into a deeper understanding of who he was. Matthew wasn’t the perfect man she’d believed him to be, but he knew her in a way no one else did. Her throat constricted with emotion, and she could only bring herself to nod.
“I will think upon it.”
“How is your mother, Lily?” Amelia asked, pouring a cup of tea. Matthew’s cousin, the Countess of Castledon, had a warm smile and mischief brewing in her eyes. Her blonde hair had streaks of gray, and the fine lines around her eyes spoke of a woman who had many reasons to smile.
“She had a setback in London.” Lily saw no reason to hide it, for likely Lady Castledon already knew of this. “We brought her to Penford to recover. My brother is staying with her now.”
“I am sorry to hear of it. I had sent an invitation asking James to attend the hunt, but he sent his apologies.”
“He wanted to look after our mother,” Lily explained. But it suddenly occurred to her that James had been declining many invitations, keeping to himself—just as Matthew had done.
She had not thought about what her brother had encountered in India. He might have more of the answers she was seeking. Lily sipped at her tea, letting her mind drift.
The countess offered them refreshments, and before long, a young girl stood at the doorway of the drawing room. She cleared her throat, and Lady Castledon brightened. “There you are, Verity. Come inside and meet our guests.”
The girl looked to be about twelve or thirteen, caught in the awkward stage between girlhood and adolescence. Her hair was pulled back in a long dark braid, and her blue eyes were clear and thoughtful. She gave a slight curtsy, and when she was introduced to Lily, her expression turned pleading. “Mother says that you are studying veterinary medicine.”
“I am,” Lily agreed. “I am mostly interested in dogs and cats, but I’ve studied a bit about horses.”
The girl’s face turned grave. “I hope you can help Mathilda. She’s been so sick. Papa tells me it’s no use, but I want to believe that she’ll get better. Will you look at her please?”
“I should be glad to.” Lily gave her a reassuring smile, though she wasn’t certain exactly what she was promising.
“Good. If she doesn’t improve, I fear the worst may happen. She may become luncheon.” A tightness clenched her cheeks. “I cannot endure it.”
Luncheon? She could only guess that Verity’s pet was a pig or perhaps a lamb.
Amelia lowered her gaze, but her attempt to hide her mirth did not go unnoticed. Verity glared at her mother. “It’s not a laughing matter! Mathilda is very dear to me and has been since she was little.”
Lily stood from her chair. “Shall we go and look at her now? I can make no promises, but I will try.” She considered which books might be of use. It was possible that the animal had consumed tainted food and had become sick.
She had brought a bag with her including a few instruments Matthew had purchased from the college. One of the newer devices was a Laennec stethoscope made of wood. She had found it quite useful in listening to Sebastian’s heart and lungs.
Verity appeared quite relieved. “Yes, of course. I will take you outside.”
“I will come with you,” Matthew said. Amelia did the same, rising from her chair.
After a footman brought their cloaks, Lily followed the young girl out of the house toward the barn. Outside, frost coated the ground, and her breath formed clouds in the air. A young pony was tethered nearby, but Verity walked past it and pushed open the barn door. “I had to keep her somewhere safe so the dogs wouldn’t try to eat her.”
Lily continued toward the stall that Verity opened. Inside, upon a nest of hay, she saw a reddish-brown hen.
“Is this. . .Mathilda?”
The young girl nodded. “She’s been sneezing and struggling to breathe for a few days now. My older brother, Edward, claims that she’s only fit for soup.” Tears welled up in her eyes. “He’s hateful. I’ve had Mathilda ever since she hatched as a chick. I would never cook her and eat her.”
Matthew was smirking. “What do you think, Lily? Can you cure this fowl disease?”
She wanted to groan, and he winked at her. Truth to tell, she knew very little about chickens—but she was not about to let this young girl cry over her pet. She knew how easy it was to form attachments, poultry or not. “I will try.”
Lily knelt beside the chicken. “Can you hold her and bring her out where there is more light?”
Verity nodded. “Yes, I will.” She lifted the hen into her arms, and the animal sneezed. The ailment was clearly lung related.
Verity brought the chicken out of the stall. Lily decided the best course of action was to give the animal clean water, good food, and to keep it isolated from the other animals.
When they reached the edge of the barn, Verity stopped and held up the chicken. “There. Do you want a closer look?”
Not exactly, Lily thought, but she didn’t say so. Still, she examined the hen closely, trying to determine if anything was out of the ordinary.
The hen’s feet were normal, and she saw nothing unusual about the feathers. There was a slight discharge from the chicken’s nostrils and it sneezed yet again. Rather like a cold, Lily thought.
But she knew that diseases in animals could spread rapidly, and there were no known cures for these ailments.
“How long has she been like this?” she asked Verity.
“About a week. She isn’t eating or drinking the way she should.” Verity appeared troubled. “I don’t know what to do.”
“I’ll need to do some reading. But in the meantime, be sure that she is kept away from other animals. Her drinking water should be completely pure, and she must be kept in a clean area.” Lily thought a moment about the chicken sneezing and added, “We can make a solution of salt water and wash her nostrils with it. It may help.”
“Thank you, Lady Lily.” Verity bobbed a curtsy. “I will do as you say.” She hurried back to the barn with the hen.
Once the young woman was gone, Matthew touched the small of Lily’s back. “That meant a great deal to her.”
“I don’t know anything about chickens.”
“Perhaps not. But you do know about kindness. And for her, it was enough.”
One week later
“Lily! She’s here!” Iris burst through the bedroom door, not even bothering to knock.
Lily was startled at her mother’s intrusion and asked, “Who is here?”
“It’s Rose and Iain.” The happiness glowed upon her mother’s face, and she seized Lily by the hand. “You must come and see them.”
Lily followed her mother down the stairs and was delighted to see that her mother was right. Her sister and her husband had written a few weeks ago of their plans to visit Penford, and they had just arrived. Calvert escorted them into the drawing room where her grandmother was waiting.
“Isn’t it wonderful?” Iris exclaimed. The joy on her face made it impossible not to smile. Lily hurried forward and embraced her sister. “It’s so good to see you, Rose.” Then she hugged her brother-in-law. “And you, Iain.”
He returned the embrace. “It’s good to see all of you again.” The Irishman was tall with striking dark hair and deep-blue eyes. “And Lady Wolcroft, you’re looking very fine indeed.”
“Just so.” Mildred nodded regally. “I am glad you have come to visit, though it must have been a long journey.”
Though Iain smiled warmly, there was a trace of worry on his face toward his wife. Rose leaned upon her cane as he helped her into a chair.
“How long will you stay with us before you have to return to Ireland?” Lily asked, pulling up a chair beside her sister. It was then that she noticed Rose’s pale complexion. Was it her imagination, or did her sister seem sickly? Iain rested his hands upon his wife’s shoulders, idly stroking a lock of her hair.
“I am not certain,” Rose said. “Perhaps a few weeks.” She exchanged a look with her husband, but Iain was having none of it.
“Possibly until the spring,” he contradicted. “I would prefer that Rose stays at Penford where she can rest and recover.”
“I am not ill, Iain.” She covered his hand with her own and then blushed. To all of them, she admitted, “You would think a woman had never had a baby before. Iain’s just a wee bit overprotective.”
Iris began to cry tears of joy, sobbing into her handkerchief and laughing as she went to hug her daughter. “Oh, Rose. I am so glad for both of you.”
Lily waited until her mother pulled back and then reached for her sister’s hand. “This is wonderful news. I wish you both all the happiness in the world.”
“Thank you. I wanted to tell you sooner, but Iain insisted that we come and share the news on our visit.” She narrowed her gaze at her husband. “I think he has the half-brained notion that I must be secluded for most of the year, tucked into bed where I must do naught but stare at the walls.”
“It would be safer than staying at Ashton,” he admitted. “Our tenants are surviving, but the rest of the country is still facing famine. I fear that they may try to steal the food we have. I won’t risk Rose’s safety.”
“I will not be separated from you,” she insisted. “It is my place to remain in Ireland, and we will stay there together.”
But Lily could see that her sister’s husband did not feel comfortable with the idea of Rose being in danger. “We will discuss it further when you feel better.”
Calvert brought in a tea tray with refreshments, and Iain took a sandwich for his wife. Rose sipped at her tea but only picked at the bread crust.
“The first few months are not easy,” her grandmother said. “I remember when I carried Iris. I was sick every day from dawn until I went to sleep at night. The doctor told me I would only be sick in the mornings. Bah! It was all day, every day for four months.” Mildred smiled at Iain. “A man could never endure what we women face.”
The Irishman’s expression tightened, and he appeared uneasy about Lady Wolcroft’s revelation.
“I cannot say I am enjoying it,” Rose admitted, “but when the baby comes, I am certain everything will be fine.” Iain did not seem to share her confidence, but he did take a chair on the opposite side of his wife.
“And what of you, Lily?” Rose asked. “Has Matthew’s health improved at all?”
She nodded. “He is better, yes. Though, as you can imagine, he is reluctant to venture back into society.”
Rose met her expression evenly, and Lily didn’t know what to think of that. Her sister seemed to read beneath her thoughts somehow. She glanced at their mother and then back again, silently conveying the reason for their retreat to Penford. Rose smiled and nodded her understanding.
They were about to go in to supper when Calvert announced, “Lady Wolcroft, your guest Lady Castledon has arrived for tea.”
“I didn’t realize she would be joining us,” Lily remarked.
Her grandmother shrugged. “I did not find it necessary to ask permission. If I want Amelia to be my companion at tea, I shall invite her.”
But Lily knew better than to imagine that the two women were innocent. She suspected they were plotting something. But what?
When Calvert returned with their guests, he gave Lily a letter. “Lady Lily, this arrived for you just now.” She thanked him and placed it in her pocket, intending to read it later.
The countess entered the room with her husband, Lord Castledon, and she greeted everyone with enthusiasm. “I was simply delighted to receive the invitation to tea today.” She sat beside Lady Wolcroft and said, “Mildred and I are having a disagreement. I say we should tell everyone and let them decide.”
Her grandmother rolled her eyes. “Amelia believes she is always right, as usual.”
“Indeed,” Lady Castledon agreed with a bright smile. “But I am certainly open to hearing other opinions. David thinks I intend to interfere in affairs that are none of my concern, but I told him it was nonsense.”
“Of course you will interfere. It’s what you do best, Amelia.” Her husband shook his head as if there was nothing to be done for it. And yet, he did not seem bothered by the notion.
Lady Castledon laughed and winked at her husband. “I am quite good at meddling. I won your heart, didn’t I?”
“You had your sights set elsewhere at first.” David gave a slight smile. “But yes, you did. Even if you did accuse me of having the personality of a handkerchief.”
At that, Amelia stood, crossed over to her husband, and touched his cheek. “I met my match, indeed. As for Lily here, I think we could move things along for her. That is the subject of my disagreement with Mildred. She believes Lily should find another man, whilst I believe Matthew Larkspur is exactly what she needs.”
“I beg your pardon?” Lily gaped at Lady Castledon, wondering exactly what the woman was plotting.
But Amelia only smiled and turned toward Lady Wolcroft as if Lily had not spoken. “Yorkshire can be quite romantic in the autumn. And I believe Cousin Matthew is very much in love with Lily here.”
Lily flushed at her words, uncertain of whether she wanted to be the subject of Lady Castledon’s matchmaking. She sent a silent plea for help to her grandmother.
Mildred only shrugged. “Lord Arnsbury already made a mess of things. He may not be worth it. I say she should reconsider Lord Davonshire. He is a future marquess after all.” “I disagree,” Lady Castledon said. “Matthew suffered through an ordeal, and he needs the love of a good woman to see him through it.”
The pair of women were discussing her as if she were not there. Lily turned to her sister. “Have I suddenly become invisible, Rose?”
“Oh, do let them go on. It amuses them to meddle. In the end, you are the one who will decide what’s best.” Rose shared a smile with Iain. “And I can highly recommend the state of matrimony. It is quite wonderful.”
A pang caught at her heart when she saw the love between the two of them. Iain rested his hand upon the small of his wife’s back. His concern for Rose warmed her, and Lily could not deny her own sense of envy that they were happily married with a child on the way. Rose was happier than Lily had ever seen her.
“Come to our estate in the morning, Lily,” Lady Castledon urged. “David is going fox hunting with some of our neighbors, but Matthew does not wish to attend the hunt. He will be wanting company, and I thought you could stroll through the grounds.”
“Ha. If Amelia had her way, she would have you strolling through dark corridors with no chaperone,” Lady Wolcroft sniffed.
“There is no need for a chaperone in the gardens,” Lady Castledon said. “Anyone could see them from the windows. You, yourself, could watch over them from the comfort of your chair.”
“Amelia, I think she could do better than Lord Arnsbury. Why not introduce her to some of your neighbors? Surely one of them might make a better husband. Have you invited them to the hunt?”
“I am still here,” Lily reminded them, but neither seemed to notice. “And I am capable of making my own decisions.”
“Pish tosh,” her grandmother said. “Look where that got you the last time.”
Lady Castledon narrowed her gaze, as if she knew what had happened. Clearing her throat, she said, “Lily, please do come to my house tomorrow. I am certain Cousin Matthew would be quite glad to see you. Rest assured, I do not intend to go out riding in pursuit of a poor, helpless fox.” She reached out and patted Lily’s hand. “Just come and enjoy our company.”
“As long as you aren’t fawning over Lord Arnsbury,” Lady Wolcroft added. “You should choose another gentleman instead. Perhaps a duke, if you can find one.”
“The only duke of my acquaintance is married to my sister,” Amelia said. “And I don’t think Victoria would appreciate anyone casting eyes at Jonathan.”
Lily was quite finished with their discussion. “I am busy enough with my studies.” She raised her chin and regarded them with a firm this-matter-is-closed look.
“Do you want to place a wager, Mildred?” Amelia said. “Fifty pounds if she weds Lord Arnsbury. I’ll give you the same if she does not.”
Lily gaped at the venture, appalled they would suggest such a thing.
“Prepare to lose, Amelia,” Lady Wolcroft said. “For I intend to give every last penny of your wager to Lily.”
“We shall see about that,” Lady Castledon answered with a smile.