CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
“Alex! I didn’t realize you were back.”
“Hello, Abigail.”
He walked over and kissed her, relieved that he’d caught her alone. With the wedding so close, the manor was filling up, and there were several discussions that had to be undertaken in private.
She was in the small dining room, eating what was for her a late breakfast. Usually, she was up at dawn and flitting around like a madwoman to ensure things were running perfectly.
She had retained such an excellent staff that it wasn’t necessary for her to work so hard, but he recognized what drove her. She’d been raised to manage a grand house, and she wanted to constantly prove that she deserved the chance she’d been given.
He was so in love with her though that, if she’d been a complete bungler, he wouldn’t have cared. She’d swept into his life quite by accident and had fixed what he’d ruined with his sloth, inattention, and licentious habits.
He eased onto the chair beside her, and she studied him. She was incredibly perceptive and understood him better than anyone ever had.
“You rode all night?” she asked.
“Most of it. I rested for a few hours.”
“For heaven’s sake, Alex, what possessed you? If I’d known, I’d have been in a total dither.”
“I needed to get home. I needed to be with you.”
She stared more intently. “You look distraught. What happened? Where is Christopher? Is he all right?”
“He’s fine. He should be here by this evening.”
“He didn’t return with you?”
“No. Is everyone up?”
“I think so. Why?”
“We have to have a family meeting.”
“Now?”
“Yes.”
There was a footman standing by the buffet, waiting to assist their guests, and Alex said to him, “Would you excuse us? And don’t let us be interrupted.”
“Of course, Mr. Wallace.”
The man stepped into the hall and shut the door.
“What is it?” she asked. “I’m terrified over what you’re about to confide.”
“It’s not terrifying. It’s fantastic and bizarre and extraordinary, but it’s not terrifying.”
“I’ll be the judge of that.”
He chuckled miserably. “I can’t decide where to start.”
“Is it Jasper? Is it Desdemona? Is it Middlebury? Has the manor burned down? Has there been a flood? What?”
“It’s Jasper and Desdemona, but it’s not them too. Did I show you the letter from Jasper?”
“No.”
“It was simply signed by Middlebury, so I assumed it was from him.”
“He can’t have successfully scolded you. Don’t tell me the wedding is off. You’ve been divorced once. I refuse to have you become divorced a second time.”
“I didn’t even talk to Jasper. He wasn’t there.” He glanced to the sideboard where the dishes were arrayed in a tidy row. “Is there any whiskey tucked behind the food?”
“No. I don’t allow that sort of nonsense anymore.” She reached out and caressed his arm. “What’s wrong, Alex? Just spit it out. You’re making this much worse than it has to be.”
He clasped her hands in his, and he searched her eyes, wondering how she’d weather the coming ordeal. She’d been so fond of her brother. She’d worshipped him. She’d doted on him—his sisters all had—but Hayden Henley wasn’t the charming boy he’d been a decade earlier.
What would she think of him? How would they interact? How would it impact Alex’s life? How about his marriage to Abigail? Henley was already demanding Alex given him Mary and Millie. What else might he demand?
“Abigail, your brother, Hayden, is alive, and he’s in England. He’s at Middlebury.”
She cocked her head as if he’d spoken in a foreign language she didn’t comprehend. “That’s not funny, Alex.”
She struggled to pull away, and he tightened his grip.
“Listen to me,” he calmly said. “I went to Middlebury, as the earl requested. I figured it would be a humorous lark, but Jasper wasn’t there. Hayden was. The earl who’d summoned me was your brother.”
“But…but…that’s not possible.”
“I saw him. I chatted with him. He’s there, and he’s taken over.”
She sank back in her chair. “You’re positive it was him?”
“No doubt.”
“Where has he been?”
“I didn’t delve into many details. Before I arrived, there had been an…incident.”
“What type of incident?”
“Desdemona stopped by and shot him.”
“No!”
“Yes! She wasn’t too keen on the notion of him showing up, but her aim was off, so she just wounded him. He seemed fine, a little rattled but fine.”
“How long has he been in England?”
“I have no idea.”
She appeared pole-axed, and she shook her head in confusion. “He didn’t try to find us…or notify us he was home…or…or…anything. Would we ever have heard from him?”
“I don’t think he knew where any of you were. The old servants are all gone, so I’m betting there was no one to tell him your current location. Somehow though, he learned about the wedding, and a few days ago, he snuck to Wallace Downs.”
“Why would he feel the need to sneak?”
“I can’t guess what he planned, but he ran into Millie out in the woods. It shocked him so thoroughly that he left without knocking on our door.”
“Shocked him…how?”
Gently, he explained, “He didn’t realize he was a father, Abigail. He’d been told Eugenia lost her baby, so he wasn’t aware he had one child, let alone twins. After he found out, he was flummoxed over how to approach us.”
“I can imagine.”
“He was fretting about it, so his housekeeper wrote to me, pretending to be the earl. That’s who penned the letter. She tricked me into coming, and if it had been up to Hayden, no visit would have been permitted.”
“The housekeeper wrote you? Why would she?”
“They’re overly friendly. He’d asked her opinion about how to contact us, and she devised her insane plot to lure me to Middlebury. She thought we should resolve some of our issues away from Wallace Downs.” He shrugged. “She was probably correct. I wouldn’t have wanted him to trot up the drive without our having some warning of what was about to occur.”
“When you met with him, did he know who you were?”
“Oh, yes. He wasn’t happy to have me in his home, and he was quite angry with the poor woman for interfering.”
“She must be very brave.”
“Or very deranged.”
They were staring, speechless, the information too riveting and too outlandish to absorb. He’d had an entire day to ponder it while she’d just been apprised. She was stunned and bewildered.
“My, my,” she ultimately murmured. “This doesn’t seem real to me. Shall I ride to Middlebury? Should I go see him? Tell me.”
“Well, here’s the good news. Or maybe it’s the bad news. I’m not sure which it is. He’s coming to Wallace Downs later today. Christopher is bringing him.”
She was agog. “He’s coming here?”
“Yes.”
“My brother is coming? My deceased brother? Why would it be bad news?”
“He’s not the boy he was, Abigail. He’s not the person you remember.”
“Who is he then?”
“He’s this tough, violent, rude stranger.”
“You didn’t quarrel with him, did you?”
“No, but Desdemona Henley had shot him, and he didn’t even notice. He sat in his front parlor, woozy and bleeding, and he wasn’t concerned—as if he’d been injured a thousand times prior and one more gunshot hardly mattered. It was the most peculiar spectacle I’ve ever witnessed.”
“But…he’ll be here.”
“If he’s not feverish, but I’m predicting no wound could lay him low. He was too…too…” He broke off. “You’ll see what I mean once he arrives.”
“We have to tell the twins,” she said. “We have to tell my sisters.”
“Yes, and Abigail? He wants custody of the twins. It was really the only comment he had for me about any of this. He wants them with him at Middlebury. Right now. He wants to take them with him when he heads home.”
“We don’t even know him!” she complained. “We don’t know where he’s been or what happened to him. We don’t know what kind of man he is.”
“Precisely, and I can’t let them become excited about the prospect of leaving with him. They live in their own little world. What if they beg to go? What then?”
“They’ve always been waiting for him,” Abigail said. “All these years, they watched and waited.”
“When I rode off to Middlebury, they were out by the road, hoping he’d pass by.”
“Why were they?”
“He talked to Millie in the woods.”
“The scamp didn’t mention it.”
“She wouldn’t. You know what she’s like.”
“She recognized him?”
“Yes, but she thought he was a ghost.”
“Oh, my,” Abigail mused. “This is already very complicated.”
“It is, so I’m placing the entire quagmire in your competent hands. You have to figure out how to tell them and what to tell them.”
“Where should I start?”
“It’s beyond me to offer suggestions. Just don’t dally too long. He and Christopher should be here for supper.”
“Gad, I better get moving.” She stood and patted him on the shoulder. “Have some breakfast, then why don’t you go upstairs and lie down for a bit?”
He raised a brow. “Will you come with me?”
“There’s no time, my dear husband. I have to muster my sisters, then I have to break the news to the twins.”
“I’ll eat, but I should join you for both discussions. I’m sure they’ll have many questions.”
“Most likely.”
“After we’re finished, will you come upstairs with me then?”
“If I can work you into my busy schedule.”
She winked and strolled out.
He was too weary to dish up his own food, and she realized it. She sent the footman to assist him, and he relaxed and allowed himself to be pampered. He spent a few minutes enjoying the peace and quiet, for of a certainty, the serenity of his home was about to be shattered.
* * * *
Jasper sat on a sofa in the front parlor of his mother-in-law’s house. Luckily, Des had chased her off, so he didn’t have to put up with her annoying presence.
He was wondering, after Hayden calmed down, if he could convince his cousin to let him have the house. He’d toss out his mother-in-law and live in it himself. It was a fine residence that he’d purchased as they rose to prominence, but he’d swiftly been forced to admit that he didn’t understand much about money.
He’d never been taught about management or accounting ledgers. At the outset, it hadn’t been difficult. He’d been guided by the Middlebury employees who’d helped him keep things on an even keel, but gradually, he’d gotten rid of all of them.
He hadn’t liked to be told he was making mistakes or reaching bad decisions. Whenever a servant had tried to dissuade him from reckless conduct, he’d been fired. Jasper had wound up with no one around him who had had any sense at all. And of course, Des had been the absolute worst at retaining capable staff. He’d been reduced to relying on ingrates and fools.
For quite awhile, it hadn’t seemed dire. He’d been so rich, and the wealth had flowed in without his exerting much effort to accumulate it. But after it had begun to flow out again, there hadn’t been a way to stop it.
He was leafing through the London newspaper when he espied a legal notice. A strangling sound emerged from his throat.
All creditors should be advised that Hayden Henley, Viscount Henley, Earl of Middlebury, has assumed title and control of the estate referred to by all and sundry simply as Middlebury. Hayden Henley, Lord Middlebury will not pay and will not sanction any debts incurred—at any time or at any place—by persons known as Jasper or Desdemona Henley.
The dastardly announcement was humiliating and disconcerting, and he was seriously pondering whether he shouldn’t sneak out of the country. Even when he’d held the title, he’d been bedeviled by debt collectors, but with Hayden declaring his position revoked, the vultures would swoop in.
Where could he hide? The ends of the Earth probably wouldn’t be far enough, and he would have to continue borrowing. Otherwise, how would he support himself, let alone Desdemona?
She’d been away for several days, having traveled to London to gather friends to their cause. As to himself, he’d been writing frantic missives to every acquaintance, including various lawyers, but he hadn’t received a single response.
Des was planning a party for the following week, but suddenly, people were sending letters of regret to say they couldn’t attend. Prior to her having left for town, she’d ordered victuals from the local butcher, but no food had been delivered.
The cook had just strutted in to inform him that the larder was nearly empty, and his exasperation was extreme. He wasn’t in charge of the household, and Des had to get home and see to her duties. It was typical of her to abandon him when he needed her most.
His imagination wandered, and he contemplated the thrilling idea of fleeing the country, of sailing off to America or Jamaica or Egypt. He’d leave Des behind, would become a bachelor again and would have adventures a married man could never experience with a tedious spouse like her.
He was so wrapped up in his fantasy of an escape that, at first, he didn’t realize a carriage had rolled up outside. When he noted the Henley crest on the door, he hurried over to the window.
He didn’t recognize the driver, but Hayden was riding a horse behind the vehicle, and there was a second man with him who appeared to be Christopher Stanton. He watched them, curious as to who was in the carriage and if Hayden might give it to Jasper so he’d have transportation.
A spurt of optimism flared. Might Hayden intend to apologize for beating Jasper to a pulp? Might he rue their quarrel and want to make amends? They were family after all. They shouldn’t fight.
His mind was awhirl with happy prospects, so by the time Hayden dismounted, Jasper was on pins and needles. He rushed out to greet them, but when Hayden reached in the carriage and pulled out a filthy, disheveled Desdemona, he could have fainted from shock.
Her dress was torn, her hair tangled with strands of straw crushed into it as if she’d been sleeping in a barn. Her eyes had been blackened as if she’d been punched very hard, and most surprising of all, she was shackled from head to toe.
“Desdemona, what have you done?” he asked.
She was gagged too, so she couldn’t reply. Hayden picked her up and carried her over to Jasper, and he set her down in front of him.
“Hello, Jasper.”
“Hello, Hayden.” Hayden’s companion hadn’t bothered to dismount, and Jasper glanced up at him. “Aren’t you Christopher Stanton? Aren’t you Andrew’s brother? I met him at my clubs in town.”
“I am Mr. Stanton. Hello, Mr. Henley.”
On being called Mr. Henley, Jasper was startled. It was potent evidence of how low he’d fallen. He’d loved being Lord Middlebury, and it was another offense in a long line of them that he would never be able to abide.
“I’ve dragged your wife home,” Hayden said.
“Where has she been?”
“At Middlebury.”
“What?” Jasper yanked his focus to Des. “You told me you were going to London.”
She glared at him as if she hated him. Why would she hate him? He hadn’t brought Hayden back from the dead. He hadn’t ruined anything. Blame Fate. Blame God. Blame anyone but Jasper. He was an innocent bystander.
“She tried to murder me,” Hayden bluntly declared.
Jasper couldn’t stop a smile from popping out. “Really? I wouldn’t have guessed she had it in her.”
“Wipe that grin off your face,” Hayden firmly commanded, “or I will wipe it off for you.”
“Sorry, sorry,” Jasper hastily muttered. “You were saying?”
“She snuck onto my property and shot at me.”
“Desdemona! For shame!” he scolded, but in reality, he was quite impressed. He wished he’d had the courage to attempt it.
“She wounded me,” Hayden went on, “so I’ve personally conveyed her to you so I can deliver this message.”
“What message?” Jasper asked, his spirits sinking.
“My arrival in England has left you in a terrible bind.”
“It absolutely has.”
“So I’m willing to provide you with a financial settlement, but if I ever lay eyes on your wife again, if she ever comes within ten miles of me, I will rescind my offer, and you will receive nothing.”
“I understand.”
Hayden stepped in so he and Jasper were toe to toe. He was a large fellow, and he towered over Jasper in a menacing way.
“Let me add this,” Hayden warned. “In light of how you mismanaged Middlebury, I probably shouldn’t give you a penny. In fact, my partner, Mr. Stone, worked vehemently to talk me out of it.”
“It’s only fair that you aid me,” Jasper insisted.
“Yes, I believe it is, so if I ever see your wife in the future, I won’t kill her.”
“Well…good. You shouldn’t traipse around the country killing people.”
“I won’t kill her, because I’ll kill you.”
Jasper gasped. “You’d slay me for her misbehavior?”
“Yes,” Hayden coldly responded, “and I’d enjoy it too. Get control of her, Jasper. Don’t be stupid.”
He pushed Des at Jasper, and Jasper had to steady her or—with her ankles fettered—she’d have collapsed to the cobbles.
Hayden motioned to the carriage driver, and he raced away. Then Hayden climbed onto his horse, but he didn’t trot off. He stared at the house, studying it in a disturbing manner.
“I suppose you bought this place with my money,” Hayden said.
“What else would we have used?”
“What else indeed?” Hayden glowered. “You shouldn’t plan to keep it. I’ll be serving an eviction notice shortly.”
Des began to rage behind her gag, and Jasper said, “We purchased it for Des’s mother, but with our situation reduced, this is where we intend to live. If you take it from us, where will we go?”
“Perhaps you should have considered that before your wife showed up at Middlebury.”
“She didn’t mean any harm.” Jasper scowled at Des. “Tell him you didn’t mean any harm!”
Des spat an epithet, and Hayden rolled his eyes with exasperation. “She’s like a venomous snake, Jasper, and I should cut off her head. It would definitely prevent her from striking again.”
“Hayden!” Jasper chided. “I hate to have you so angry with me. How can I make it up to you?”
“You can’t,” Hayden amiably said.
“I’ve written to my lawyer. You’ll be hearing from him soon.”
At the threat, Hayden laughed. “I’m trembling in my boots.”
He tugged on the reins and galloped off, Mr. Stanton following him. Jasper stood, watching them disappear and yearning to accompany them, to be anywhere but trapped with his battered, grubby wife.
Once it was quiet, he turned to her. “What were you thinking, Desdemona? Hayden is willing to give us a settlement. You could have wrecked it.”
He spun and stomped inside, leaving her to manage on her own, to hop herself in with her ankles shackled. She’d gotten herself into the jam. She could bloody well get herself out of it.
The humiliations were piling up. How could he escape them? The notion of fleeing England was sounding better and better.
* * * *
“You’re either joking or you’re playing the cruelest trick ever.”
“I’m not joking.”
“He’s alive?”
“Very much so.”
Mary and Millie were hovered in the grass under a parlor window. They were eavesdropping on their aunts and uncles who’d locked themselves in for an important family meeting. Mildred was there too, but no one had thought to include them.
Alex had ridden in a bit earlier, and from his expression, they’d immediately guessed that trouble was brewing. They never liked disasters to arise. They’d suffered through too many of them and never trusted that an ill wind might not blow in when they least expected it.
“What about our parents?” Aunt Catherine asked. “Might they be alive too? Were they with him?”
“I didn’t question him about them,” Alex said. “I was so stunned that the prospect never occurred to me, but I doubt they’re with him. He’s declared himself to be the earl. If your father was there, he couldn’t have.”
“Did you inquire as to where he’s been?” Sarah asked.
“No. Again, I was too astonished to delve into the details.”
“Hayden Henley, back from the dead,” Mildred murmured. “If I hadn’t heard it with my own ears, I wouldn’t have believed it.”
Mary and Millie were so thrilled they clapped palms over their mouths to tamp down any squeals of surprise, but they weren’t really surprised, and they grinned. He wasn’t a ghost after all.
“What’s he like?” Catherine asked Alex.
“First off, you have to remember that he’s a decade older, but it’s more than that. He’s very changed, very different from the young man you recall. I think he’s had some difficult experiences.”
Millie had their locket. She pulled it out, and they assessed their father’s picture.
He’s not different. Millie spoke to Mary in her head. He’s exactly the same.
“Here’s the big news for now,” Aunt Abigail said. “He’s coming to visit us later today. Christopher is escorting him from Middlebury.”
There were shrieks of amazement, then there was a myriad of jumbled queries posed all at once: “When will they arrive?” and “How long will he stay?” and “What should I wear?” and simply “Oh, my goodness, my goodness.”
Sarah and Catherine had burst into tears.
“Don’t cry, you two,” Abigail said. “If you start in, you’ll get me going, and we’ll all be blubbering like babies.”
There was sniffling and mumbling, then the room quieted, and Alex said, “This is the main thing I have to mention to all of you.”
Uncle Nicholas scoffed. “You mean besides the fact that Hayden Henley is prancing about at Middlebury.”
“Yes, besides that,” Alex snidely stated. “He stopped by Wallace Downs a few days ago, and he talked to Millie out in the woods.”
There were collective gasps, then Alex kept on. “She thought he was a ghost, and he was so flummoxed by running into her that he didn’t tarry. He didn’t realize he was a father, especially a father of twins.”
“That can’t be right,” Mildred said. “Wasn’t his behavior with their mother the cause of your quarrel with him?”
“Yes, but when he was in Italy with his parents, they were told Eugenia lost her baby, that no child was born.”
“All these years, he didn’t know about them?”
“No, but he knows now, and he wants custody.”
There were more gasps, then a lengthy silence where they supposed people were casting shocked glances back and forth. Mary and Millie were quite overwhelmed too.
“Will you let him have them?” Mildred asked.
“We haven’t decided,” Aunt Abigail said. “We’ll have to debate it with him. Alex is concerned about what kind of man he is now and whether he’s in any condition to care for them.”
“I for one,” Catherine said, “won’t have them dumped into another bad situation.”
“We can’t assume that it will be bad,” Alex insisted. “We can’t assume anything. That’s the problem.”
“As soon as we wrap up this discussion,” Aunt Abigail said, “we’re telling the twins.”
“They’ll be so excited…”
It was the last they heard of the adults’ conversation. They tiptoed away and dashed to their secret spot out in the garden. They sat on the bench and gazed at their father’s picture.
“I knew it was him,” Millie said. “The minute I saw him I knew.”
“And I knew he’d come for us,” Mary said.
“You always thought so.”
“Will he like how we turned out?”
Millie nodded. “I think he will.”
“He wants us to live with him at Middlebury.”
They clasped hands and squeezed their fingers as Millie said, “We’d have to leave Wallace Downs though. We’d have to leave Alex and Aunt Abigail.”
They pondered, then Mary said, “Maybe we could live both places. We could stay with Father for a bit, then we could travel to Wallace Downs and stay with Alex and Abigail.”
“We could—if they permit it.”
“Do you imagine they might?”
“Who can guess? You know how grownups are.”
They stared at their father’s picture some more, then Millie tucked it away and said, “We need to get ready so everything is perfect when he arrives.”
“Yes.”
“Let’s hurry to our bedchamber. We’ll put on our prettiest dress, the white one with the blue pinafore. It’s my favorite.”
“Yes,” Mary agreed, “and we’ll have Aunt Sarah braid our hair.”
“She can weave flowers in the braids.”
“That’s the best idea ever! We should pick some right now, then we’ll change our clothes.”
They strolled into the garden to pick as many flowers as they could carry.
* * * *
“Where were you hiding?”
“Upstairs.”
“We were worried.”
Helen glared at her father, at her sister, and she coolly replied, “Were you?”
“Yes,” Simon told her. “We were actually quite alarmed.”
Becky chimed in with, “Hayden departed with Mr. Stanton, and you didn’t even say good-bye.”
Helen glowered at her for an eternity, until her sister blushed and looked away. The last time they’d spoken, Becky had been locked in her torrid embrace with Will Stone. Helen had scolded her, and for her efforts, she’d been insulted and mocked.
She was trying not to be hurt by Becky’s disregard, but with her low mood and broken heart, her sister’s words seemed particularly cutting. For once, she couldn’t pretend they hadn’t been voiced.
It was late in the afternoon, and they were in the front parlor having tea. She was seated on a chair, and Simon and Becky were on the sofa across from her. They kept peeking at each other and wondering what had happened.
Lord Middlebury had left, so the house was silent as a tomb, and Helen was grateful for the peace and quiet. Without him as a distraction, she’d been able to think rationally, and she’d reached all sorts of important decisions.
She shifted her focus to her father. “Has Becky talked to you about the incident I witnessed?”
Simon smiled a cheery smile. “She’s been talking to me all day, and I can’t get her to pipe down. What topic is vexing you?”
Helen was fairly sure Becky wouldn’t have confessed the episode, and Helen couldn’t deduce why she, herself, should fuss about it. Yet Becky was her sister, and Helen would hate for her to land herself in a jam.
“Becky is sweet on Will Stone,” Helen said.
“Helen!”
Becky flashed a warning glance, but her father waved away the comment. “If she’s sweet on him, I’m not surprised. He’s a handsome boy who spurned her, so that makes him a challenge.”
“It’s more involved than that,” Helen insisted.
“How involved?” he asked.
He was hardly interested, so Helen couldn’t force herself to be interested either. “Never mind. I shouldn’t have mentioned it. If it blows up into a huge mess, you can deal with it then. You should be aware that Mr. Stone will never agree to a marriage between them.”
“Of course he won’t,” Simon replied. “Becky realizes that.”
“Does she?”
“Yes. We’ve discussed it at length.”
Helen shook her head. “I’m certain she’s listened to your wise advice, and she’ll heed you in the future.
She didn’t care how it resolved. Oddly, she didn’t care about much of anything. With how cruel Lord Middlebury had been, she felt as if he’d turned her to stone. Or perhaps he’d altered the blood in her veins. She was completely frozen on the inside.
“I was curious about one other situation,” she said.
“What is it, dear?” her father asked.
“Have you conferred with Lord Middlebury about me?”
On noting how she referred to the earl, they scowled and sat up straighter.
“Helen, my pet,” Simon murmured, “what’s wrong? It’s obvious you’re incredibly sad. You must confide in me at once.”
“Did you speak to him?” she repeated more sternly, and his cheeks flushed with chagrin.
“Well, yes.”
“You didn’t bother to tell me.”
“Oh, Helen, it would only have upset you. I thought it better to ignore the whole thing. The longer we remain, the more indispensible you become. He may change his mind.”
“You really believe that? You believe he’ll change his mind?”
“I refuse to not believe it.”
“Was he malicious in his response? He laughed in your face? He guffawed and slapped his knee? What?”
Her father dithered, then kindly admitted, “He cut me off before I could finish my sentence.”
“I see.”
“He asked me to not continue, that it would embarrass both of us. I let the matter drop.”
“Is that all you could manage for me? You declined to finish your sentence?” She snorted with disgust. “I have no idea why I put up with either of you.”
“Helen!” her sister scolded. “That’s the most derogatory remark you’ve ever uttered. What’s come over you?”
They might have tumbled into a quarrel, which would have been unusual for them, but over in the doorway, a woman cleared her throat. They gaped over at her.
She was in her fifties or even her sixties, plump and cordial looking, tidy in her appearance, her gray hair pulled into a neat bun.
“I apologize for barging in,” she said, “but I dawdled in the foyer forever and there was no one to greet me.”
Helen stood and forced a smile. “At the moment, we’re short-handed.
“It’s the rumor in the village. I am Mrs. Jenkins.”
“Hello, Mrs. Jenkins. I am Helen Barnes, and this is my father, Simon, and my sister, Becky.”
“You’re related to Desdemona Henley.”
“Yes. We’re her cousins.”
“I was told Viscount Henley has returned.”
“Yes, Hayden Henley is here, but he’s Lord Middlebury now.”
“So the rumors are true,” Mrs. Jenkins breathed.
“Yes.”
“Ah…I hope I’m not being too forward, but I was housekeeper here for many years. Gossip has it that Viscount Henley—I mean Lord Middlebury—is hiring some of the prior servants.”
“He is,” Helen said. “I’ve been interviewing for him. He’s been too busy to reflect on any of the people I’ve recommended, but I’m sure he will.”
“I was wondering about my position. I would love to work for him. I always loved the family—the old family—and I realize the property has fallen apart recently. I’d like to pitch in and help get it in shape.”
Helen didn’t hesitate, didn’t blink. “You’re hired.”
Simon and Becky gasped, as Mrs. Jenkins said, “I am?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t you have to…ah…check with Lord Middlebury?”
“No. When can you start?”
“How about tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow will be splendid,” Helen said.
“What time should I arrive?”
“What time is convenient for you?”
“I can be here first thing.”
“Terrific. Did you live in the manor before? Or did you live in the village?”
“I lived in the manor. There’s an apartment behind the kitchen. It was mine.”
“I know it well. I’ve been staying in it myself, but I’ll be out in the morning. It can be yours again. You can move in immediately.”
“Ah…ah…thank you. That’s very kind.”
“I wouldn’t call it kind. Lord Middlebury is anxious for estate affairs to revert to how they used to be. He’ll be delighted to have you.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow then.”
“Yes. Tomorrow.”
“I’ll just…show myself out.”
She nodded to them, then left. They tarried, listening to her footsteps echoing as she marched across the foyer.
Helen sat again, and she picked up her teacup and drank as if naught had happened. Becky and Simon gawked at her as if she’d suddenly grown a second head.
“Helen, what’s wrong?” her father inquired. “I’ve been polite enough to let you refuse to answer, but I can’t be polite any longer. Explain yourself.”
“Lord Middlebury has advised me that my job as housekeeper is ending.”
“What?” they cried together.
“He wanted me to wait until he returned so he could find me another post, but I’ve found one on my own. I already wrote to accept.”
Becky looked alarmed. “Have you tipped off your rocker?”
“No. Lord Middlebury asked me to depart—”
“He wouldn’t have!” Becky huffed.
“How little you know, Becky. With Mrs. Jenkins eager to have my spot, it’s an easy choice. She’ll be much better at supervising this monstrosity than I ever could be. She’ll assist Lord Middlebury in all the ways I couldn’t.”
“Helen,” her father said, “were you bickering? Is that it? Was he awful to you? He wouldn’t have meant his comments. He has so many demons, and he lashes out, but he always calms down.”
“No, Simon, I’m certain he meant them, and they weren’t awful. He simply reminded me of my place, which I definitely needed to hear. I’ve been fond of him, so I forgot who and where I am, but it’s been a benefit for me to readjust my thinking.”
“Your thinking?” Becky chided. “Your place? You’ve arranged a new position for yourself, but how could you? Everything here is perfect. You’re insane to give it up without a fight.”
“Actually, I’m more lucid than I’ve been in ages. I was hired to teach at Miss Peabody’s. I went to school there years ago. A friend of mine owns it.”
“Lady Run?”
“Yes, she offered me a job, and I start right away.”
“But…what about us?” Becky asked.
“I’m sorry, Becky, but I can’t worry about you anymore. I have to worry about myself for a change. Lord Middlebury will probably allow you to remain—if you don’t aggravate him too much.”
“If you flee Middlebury,” Simon said, “you’ll likely never see him again.”
“It’s my plan exactly,” Helen told him.
“You’re not serious.”
“I absolutely am. I’m finished acting like a dunce. Lord Middlebury bluntly informed me that I’m just the housekeeper, and I can never be more than that. And as we’ve discovered from Mrs. Jenkins’s arrival, housekeepers are a penny a dozen.”
“Hayden wouldn’t want you to go.”
“Hayden has demanded it. He and I are simply confused on the timing. He was hoping it would be in a few weeks, but I’ve decided it should occur more rapidly.”
“When he gets back, he might have his daughters with him,” her father said. “Wouldn’t you like to meet them?”
“I’d just as soon not.”
“You have lost your mind,” Becky sneered. “I’m convinced of it.”
Helen set her empty teacup on the tray. “Now then, you’ll have to excuse me, but I have to pack. I won’t be joining you for supper.”
“You have to join us!” Becky complained. “You can’t refuse.”
“I’m catching the mail coach at eight when it passes through the village. If you’d like to bid me farewell, you’ll have to rise early, but if you’d rather sleep in, that’s fine. We can avoid any tearful goodbyes.”
She walked out, feeling free, as if she could finally breathe.
* * * *
“We can’t let her leave,” Becky said to her father.
“No. It’s my intent that we stay at Middlebury forever, with Hayden Henley as my son-in-law. Despite what Helen supposes, if she’s not here, we won’t be permitted to stay. It’s not as if you and I have any options besides Middlebury.”
“Would he really have ordered her to depart?”
“I’m sure of it, but he’d have merely been grouchy and raging.” Her father scoffed. “Honestly, Becky, you’ve observed them together. Hayden is so besotted his affection practically oozes out of him.”
“He doesn’t realize how fond he is?”
“No, he doesn’t. His temper flared, and he was a beast to her, but he’ll regret it. He’ll stroll in shortly, laden down with flowers and candy and apologies. She needs to tarry so, eventually, he can show her how sorry he is.”
Becky would have liked to agree, but she knew how the world worked. An aristocrat didn’t marry the penniless daughter of a defrocked vicar. Nor would he marry his housekeeper. It simply didn’t happen.
Then again, Hayden’s and Helen’s relationship hadn’t wound down an ordinary path. Their union seemed destined to transpire, and if they tried to separate, it might send the entire universe spinning out of control.
“What should we do?” she asked.
“I’ll write to Hayden to explain the situation. In the morning, we’ll have Will race to Wallace Downs with my letter. I’m betting—after Hayden learns what she’s planned—he’ll rush home to stop her.”
“And if he doesn’t?”
“It’s not as if she’s about to vanish. She’ll be at Miss Peabody’s school.”
“What if he doesn’t come to his senses? What if he doesn’t rush home to stop her?”
“You and I will continue to scheme on him until he admits the error of his ways.” He nodded with resolve. “Fetch me some paper and a quill. I’ve already figured out what to say.”