Wednesday afternoon, Lord Kerridge called upon Louisa, as he’d promised he would. Louisa was in the drawing room with Mama when he arrived, so he was invited to join them there. Wednesday wasn’t one of Mama’s receiving days, so they’d had no previous callers all afternoon. It had been a blessedly quiet afternoon thus far, and Louisa had been grateful for it. Mama had done needlework while Louisa had read. They’d occasionally chatted but then had fallen into comfortable times of silence.
“Lord Kerridge, how kind of you to call,” Mama said. “What a welcome diversion you are! Louisa and I have been sitting around all day like a pair of lazy cats. Please have a seat and join us.”
“Thank you, Lady Ashworth. I would like nothing better.”
Lord Kerridge’s arrival was not a welcome diversion, as far as Louisa was concerned.
“How is Aylesham?” Mama asked him, setting her needlework aside. “I haven’t seen him about much this Season. Is he well?”
“Quite well, Lady Ashworth, considering his age. Great-Uncle Aylesham spends most of his time at the House of Lords during the Season, pestering everyone there to agree with him politically. When he’s at home, he’s pestering me—but only in the best of ways.” Lord Kerridge smiled at his little jest.
Mama chuckled. “I can envision him in just such a manner. What a dear man he is, the rogue; I always enjoy his company. You will be sure to tell him hello for me and that I look forward to seeing him again soon.”
“I certainly shall,” he said. He cleared his throat, and Louisa held her breath. “If your ladyship doesn’t mind, I wonder if I might be so bold as to invite Lady Louisa for a ride in my phaeton to Hyde Park. It would be a shame to waste such fine weather.”
“I do not mind at all; I am content to do my needlework, and Ashworth will be joining me shortly,” Mama said.
He stood and extended his hand to Louisa, intent on assisting her to her feet. He hadn’t even asked her if she wished to ride in his phaeton or go to Hyde Park where all and sundry would be out walking and riding and seeing and being seen. She wasn’t sure she wanted to be seen in Lord Kerridge’s company so soon after . . .
So soon after William had torn up the vowel and told her she was free.
Louisa didn’t feel particularly free at the moment.
She allowed him to assist her to her feet, all the same. “I think I should prefer to stay here, if you don’t mind, Lord Kerridge,” she said. “Perhaps a walk in the garden instead.” She didn’t ask him but intentionally phrased it as a statement.
“Very well.” He strode to the door and opened it for her. “Good afternoon, then, Lady Ashworth.”
Mama nodded her farewell to the earl and picked up her needlework.
When the two of them were in the corridor and alone, Lord Kerridge suggested once again that they go for a ride in his phaeton. “The ponies are quite new; handsome creatures, they are, and longing for a bit of exercise. They would relish a turn about the park. What do you say?”
“I say thank you, but I would prefer not to go to Hyde Park today.”
He looked puzzled. “If that is your wish. I must confess that I do not understand. Come, then; we will walk in the garden.”
They were silent until they reached the garden, and Louisa was sufficiently satisfied that no servants were nearby to eavesdrop. She had things she needed to say to Lord Kerridge, and they needed to be said in private.
Eventually, they ended up in the rose garden, near the bench where William had agreed to give her the three weeks needed to read banns rather than use the special license he’d procured.
He could have forced the issue. He could have demanded they marry using the special license. She would be a married woman by now if he had, and he would have his marriage settlements and the income they would have provided. But he had relented and given her those weeks. He’d known it was a risk to do so—she knew him well enough now to know that he understood wagering and the odds involved.
“You seem far away at the moment,” Lord Kerridge said.
She sat on the bench, and Lord Kerridge sat next to her. “Jane Purnell is not William’s mistress,” she said. She didn’t explain who Jane Purnell was; Lord Kerridge was intelligent enough to figure it out for himself.
“She’s not? I’m glad to hear it.”
“Are you?”
“Of course I am. It is one less thing to explain away when the dust settles. I am a fairly patient man, Lady Louisa, as I’m sure you’ve discovered by now. I have not pressed you for an answer to my proposal, you know. Most gentlemen of my rank and position would be more demanding.”
“Thank you, Lord Kerridge,” she said. “I believe I am prepared to answer you now.”
He smiled, obviously fully expecting an answer in the affirmative.
“I am aware of the great honor you previously bestowed upon me and extended to me again,” she said, “and I thank you most sincerely for it—but I’m afraid I must respectfully refuse.”
His brows furrowed. “You refuse? I don’t understand. You were willing to marry me mere weeks ago—the solicitors met regularly, and we were set to announce the betrothal formally—until this . . . this . . . ne’er-do-well arrived on the scene with a vowel in his hand.”
“Lord Kerridge—” Louisa began.
“Aylesham is not as well as he pretends to be, and he is zealous in his pursuit of acquiring more heirs. I am encouraged rather vigorously to marry and marry quickly, you see, and to begin a dynasty of my own so the man may die in peace, knowing the dukedom will thrive. You are the perfect bride, and Aylesham thinks so too. He was willing to overlook what he referred to as your ‘peccadillos’ regarding Lord Farleigh because of my assurances to him that you would come to your senses. And you did return to London without Farleigh, and the final banns weren’t read. What am I not understanding? Why can we not simply announce our betrothal now and marry?”
“Because I love someone else,” she said.
“Love? When has love been a consideration?” he asked her as he stood and paced away from her. “Marriage amongst the highest nobility, as you well know, is about maintaining property, wealth, and power, not love. It is about the training one receives from birth that provides leadership and decorum in the home and for Society at large. Providing heirs is critical as well, so the noble lines will continue. Love is all fine and good—but not of paramount importance. There is too much at stake.” He crossed back to her and sat, taking her hand in his. “That being said, you would make a wonderful duchess, Lady Louisa, and give the Aylesham line strong sons and daughters. And I am genuinely fond of you, or I should not have been so patient. Tell me you’ve reconsidered your answer.”
Louisa’s heart was heavy. Lord Kerridge was not a bad man; he was a fine gentleman, and she truly was honored that he considered her a worthy mate. “Too much has happened in the past few weeks,” she said softly. “We cannot go back to the way things were.”
He dropped his gaze and released her hand. “I see. I am sorry to hear this and will not impose upon your time any longer.” He rose to his feet. “Farewell, Lady Louisa. I hope you find happiness in the choice you have made.” He made a stiff, formal bow and strode across the garden and out of sight.
Louisa waited awhile, pondering the words Lord Kerridge had spoken to her. He wasn’t entirely wrong in his opinions. Louisa had simply realized at some point that their priorities didn’t match. Especially when it came to love.
Lord Kerridge had offered her marriage out of duty to the Duke of Aylesham and Louisa’s own suitability as daughter of the Marquess of Ashworth. His pride had been stung by Louisa’s refusal, but he would recover in time, and Louisa had no doubt that he would find another suitable bride.
William had demanded marriage out of love for his home and his friends. But then he had torn up the vowel—he’d said—because the more he’d gotten to know her, the more he’d realized he couldn’t force her into marriage to him.
Louisa suspected—hoped—there was another reason he’d torn up the vowel, even if he hadn’t spoken the words.
By the time she returned to the house, she had made a decision. She only hoped her family wouldn’t think she was utterly mad when she told them what it was.
* * *
Today, rather than do manual labor—William had developed a great deal of respect for Matthew over the past several days—the two of them spent the morning going over the ledgers. It was dull, depressing work but had to be done. William had received several letters from Richard Heslop regarding the status of the mortgages and what the solicitor had learned by speaking to the creditors. “While it may appear upon first perusal that the news regarding the debts is grim, there was some willingness on the part of a few of the creditors to negotiate, surprised as they were to learn that they might see any reparations at all.”
Heslop must have spun quite a tale to them, for after the past fortnight of backbreaking work with Matthew, William had realized he’d undertaken a nearly impossible task. He needed more men to do the work if they were to make any real progress. Word had gotten out in the village what William was about, and while a few of the tenant farmers had returned, it was not nearly enough. But it was something, at least, and William would take any blessings that came his way.
After Matthew and he had gone over the ledgers, Mrs. Brill had fed them both, and then Matthew had gone into the village to check on Miss Purnell. It surprised no one that Matthew had taken a liking to the lady. William had been able to find her a job—not much of a job, but she’d been grateful nonetheless—assisting the teacher two days a week at the village school. Since Peter and Daisy both attended the school, it worked out well for everyone.
Miss Purnell wasn’t ready to have a suitor after all she’d been through, William suspected, but she hadn’t rejected Matthew outright either.
William was feeling restless and out of sorts. There was plenty to do, but he couldn’t settle on any one task. He wandered back to the kitchen, where Mrs. Brill was washing the dishes after luncheon. “Where’s Mary?” he asked. “That’s her job, isn’t it?”
“Oh, she’s here and there,” Mrs. Brill said. “She’s not been feelin’ quite herself the past few—well, I’ve just let ’er have some time to herself, is all.”
William grunted in reply and stalked out into the herb garden, swatting at a few bees that buzzed about his head. He broke off a rosemary leaf and ran it through his fingers, inhaling the pungent scent. Perhaps he would ride into the village. He could go to the George and Dragon, get better acquainted with the people.
Except he’d have to go to the stable for a horse, and Samuel would lecture him again about going to see Louisa.
He wasn’t in the mood for a lecture. He saw Louisa everywhere as it was.
Blast it all, she was probably at an afternoon tea with Lord Kerridge at this very moment, he thought grumpily. Wearing the light-blue muslin that brought out her eyes. She would be smiling and flowing with words, like cool water through a parched desert . . .
He didn’t know what to do. Hard work hadn’t driven her from his mind. The image of Lord Kerridge at her side hadn’t deterred him. Perhaps he should write another letter to Heslop, telling the man to search for William’s legal heir, for if he didn’t get Louisa out of his head—and his heart—he would be doomed to remain a bachelor.
What a depressing thought.
He must exorcise her from his mind, so, fool that he was, he headed to the one place at Farleigh Manor that reminded him the most of her.
The oak tree.
* * *
It seemed only fitting that Louisa would find William at the oak tree. He sat, his back resting against the trunk, staring out at the pond.
He had been willing to stake his own future happiness on an unseen wife for the sake of those here at Farleigh Manor. Louisa understood this now.
A faithful old butler, a meticulous housekeeper. The aromas of favorite recipes coming from the kitchen. The devotion of a simpleminded girl.
And then there were William’s kisses, different from Lord Kerridge’s, enticing her, attracting her. Oh, yes, she found him attractive. He was a beautiful man.
A beautiful, honorable man.
She loved him.
“William,” she said softly, not wishing to startle him.
He turned at her voice and stared at her as if he were seeing a ghost. “Louisa, is that really you?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said, her heart full.
“But what of Lord Kerridge? I presumed—”
“You presumed wrong.” She walked closer.
“Wrong?” he repeated as if he couldn’t understand the word. “You’re really here, aren’t you? And your parents? They let you—”
“They are here too. And so are Alex and Anthony. We are all here, William.”
He shook his head as if to clear it. “Well, you may inform them that they may exact their pound of flesh from me. I deserve no less.”
“That is not why we are here, William.”
He turned to stare at the pond once more and said nothing in reply.
“I told them I was returning to Farleigh Manor to see you. And when I explained my reason to them, they agreed to accompany me. We have unfinished business between us, William, whether you acknowledge it or not.”
He remained silent for a while, and Louisa waited for him to speak, her heart in her throat. “I owe you an apology,” he said at length. “I have already apologized to you for the worst of my deeds and tried to make amends, although I doubt that will ever be possible. But I also promised to tell you about myself and I failed, and for that I am gravely sorry.”
“Hush, now,” she said. She walked to where he was sitting and offered him her hand, and he took it, lending her his strength as she sat next to him. To feel his hand around hers again was heaven. “You have no need to apologize. Not to me.”
He ignored her words of reassurance. Now that he’d begun to speak, it appeared he could not stop. “My earliest memories are of my mother,” he said. “She was a quiet, gentle woman and beautiful, at least to a small boy who adored her. But I wasn’t there for her when she needed me most.”
“You were a child. You weren’t responsible for her unhappiness,” Louisa said. “William, I know what happened to you as a boy. And while I hope you continue to tell me more, you don’t have to apologize. I want only for you to trust me. I want to not wonder why you can’t talk to me.”
“I couldn’t risk it. Don’t you see?” His eyes looked so desolate that Louisa grasped both of his hands, anything to give him support. He clutched them to his chest as if by doing so, he could contain all the emotions threatening to burst free. “I have been haunted by my father my entire life. The vowel was a sure bet, and the odds were too great if you discovered what marrying me would really mean.”
“William, my love,” she said gently, freeing a hand so she could lay her palm on his cheek. “I know what marrying you will mean. I have learned that you will do whatever is possible for those you love. I have seen it in Grimshaw’s loyalty to you, in the proud housekeeping of Mrs. Holly, in the cooking smells coming from Mrs. Brill’s kitchen, and in Matthew’s neatly kept front grounds. I have seen it in Samuel and Mary.
“They all love you, William, and have stayed at Farleigh Manor because they knew your time would come, and they intended to do their part in making sure you had something of value to return to. They do not depend on you; they are offering you their support.”
Her cheeks were wet, she knew, but she wanted to share everything in her heart with him. “Marriage to Lord Kerridge would have offered wealth and status but nothing more. Not love. Oh, William, you can give me a life he cannot—the one I want,” she said. “I am not afraid of challenge, William. And I am not afraid to marry a man who loves others as deeply as you do and is willing to sacrifice his own happiness for them. There is no gamble for me in that.”
His eyes, which had looked so anguished only moments ago, were now bright with unshed tears as they searched her face. He reached into his pocket for his handkerchief and dabbed at her cheeks. “This is what I love about you,” he said softly. “That you speak your feelings so openly and that I can read your every thought and emotion on your beautiful, expressive face. It is a relief, this transparency you have, after so many years of living with the opposite.”
He pulled her into his arms then, and she held him and held him, her face nestled snugly against his chest, his arms wrapped just as tightly around her. She breathed in the wonderful, warm scent that was William and listened to the solid beating of his heart. It felt natural and right for her to be there.
“You called me your love,” he whispered into her ear.
“I wasn’t sure you were paying attention,” she whispered back. It was a wonderfully intimate thing, to be held like this, secure and exciting both.
“I could hardly miss the words I’ve been longing to hear you speak.”
“You said you loved me too.” She nestled even closer, if that were possible.
“Did I?” He nuzzled her ear.
She drew back and glared at him. “You know you did!”
He chuckled, even as a tear finally escaped and ran down his cheek. William, the man who had seldom smiled until now, actually chuckled—at her, at a time like this. And then he threw his head back and laughed. “You are such a delight, my darling Louisa. I did say it, and I will say it again. I love you. I will even declare that it was love at first sight, for you were not at all what I expected when I walked into Ashworth House.”
“What did you expect?” she couldn’t help asking.
“Not you. I could never have expected to find someone as wonderful as you. Oh, my dear Louisa, my love, I have lived with famine my entire life, and you are a feast for my soul.” And then he lowered his mouth to hers, and they feasted together.
* * *
They were silent as they walked back to the house, but Louisa didn’t mind and simply allowed herself to enjoy the peacefulness. Their conversation heralded the end of misunderstandings and the dawning of a new life together, one of love and challenge and companionship. There was more that still needed to be said between them, but she was confident now that those conversations would happen. William might never be the sort who volunteered everything on his mind or in his heart, but she understood that heart and mind now and trusted him. Honest conversations were an important part of marriage, and she would help him learn to trust having those with her.
They were nearly back at the house when they spotted Alex heading in their direction.
“Ah, there you are,” Alex said when he reached their side. “And you’re together. Excellent. Once again, I have been assigned to summon you to our parents, Louisa. And you too, Farleigh.” He looked thoughtful. “I always liked to think that the title of earl would amount to more than being an errand boy, but alas.”
William actually laughed at Alex’s silly joke. For the second time in one afternoon, William laughed.
Alex shot him a look of mock disdain. “Well, what do you know. My baby sister discovered a human being behind that block of wood you call a face.”
“That she did,” William said, grinning, before planting a huge kiss on Louisa right in front of her eldest brother and making her face heat up. “What a magnificent woman she is.”
“She ought to be after the inordinate amount of time and money my parents spent to make her more than the veriest nitwit. It was all Anthony and I could do to tolerate her most of our lives. She only became interesting quite recently, in fact.”
“Who precisely is this nitwit you are speaking of, brother?” Louisa asked, arching an eyebrow at him. “The one who constantly outshone you at mathematics and spoke such excellent Latin that you begged the tutor to make me leave? The one who shot the bull’s-eye during a country archery tournament? The one who—”
“Enough! I surrender,” Alex said, raising both hands in defeat. “You see what Tony and I have had to put up with all these years, Farleigh. I don’t envy you a bit.”
William laughed again, and Louisa thought her heart might escape the confines of her body and soar heavenward with joy.
Grimshaw opened the door when they arrived back at the house. “Lord and Lady Ashworth and Lord Anthony are in the sitting room,” he informed them. “They are expecting you.”
“Excellent,” William said.
Grimshaw shot him a puzzled look as he opened the door to the sitting room.
William strode into the room. “Lord and Lady Ashworth, Lord Anthony, welcome back to Farleigh Manor, such as it is. You are my welcome guests, and we will endeavor to make your stay as comfortable as possible—even if that means securing lodging in the village at the George and Dragon.” He smiled.
Louisa watched with glee the shocked looks that came over her parents’ faces.
Her father recovered his senses first. “Lord Farleigh,” he said, “I apologize for my progeny, who recently imposed upon your hospitality without permission and intentionally intruded on your privacy. I beg your pardon.”
“No apology is needed, your lordship,” William said. “I am glad they came. I should have invited Louisa here sooner. You see, Lord Ashworth, Lady Ashworth, it is I who owe you an apology, not the other way around,” William said. “I put you all through the strain of a forced betrothal for the sake of my own interests, after all.”
“He makes himself sound so selfish, Papa, when the opposite is the truth. He would sacrifice his own happiness for the people of Farleigh Manor.”
“It is turning sickly sweet in here,” Alex drawled, wandering over to the window.
William ignored him. “I love your daughter with my whole being,” he said. “I cannot imagine a life without her. Lord Ashworth, Lady Ashworth, may I have your permission—your blessing—to make Louisa my wife? I am acutely aware that I have little to offer her other than my heart and my promise to do all in my power to make her life a happy one.” He reached into his breast pocket and withdrew a folded paper.
“Stop!” Louisa cried, panicking. “If that is the special license you told me you’d obtained, don’t tear it up! Mama, I don’t want to wait to marry William. And there is a family chapel here, a lovely little place; William’s parents are buried next to it. I should like to be married there. Is that all right with you, William? I know it’s not a large London wedding, and I am your only daughter, Mama, but I don’t need that, truly. I would rather be married here since all of you are already here and Mrs. Holly and Grimshaw and Mrs. Brill and Mary and Matthew and Samuel and—oh, everyone—is already here.”
Mama turned to Papa. “It is a good thing I instructed your valet and my maid to pack for an extended stay after all, Ashworth. It appears we are going to be here for a few days.”
“I daresay you are correct, my dear. However, we have some marriage settlements to finish discussing first, Farleigh—unless you’d rather wait for your solicitor to be present.”
“Not at all, your lordship. And if you have any concerns about Farleigh Manor, I expect your eldest son has gathered all the information you will need.”
“You are undoubtedly right,” Papa said. “And if he hasn’t, then I’ll be doubly ashamed of him.”
William laughed. Oh, how Louisa loved seeing him freed to do something so simple as laugh! And then, in front of her entire family, he dropped to one knee and took Louisa’s hand in his. “My beautiful Louisa,” he began. “Here, with your parents as my witnesses, I declare my love for you. If my father did only one thing right in his life, it was to wager and win against your grandfather and require he sign a vowel; otherwise I would not have met you. Will you consent of your own will to be my wife?”
“Yes!” Tears spilled from her eyes, but she didn’t care, because tears were welling up in his too. Her William was a man of intense emotion, something she never would have guessed on their first introduction.
Her William.
He rose to his feet, and right there in front of her parents, he kissed her.
Papa cleared his throat. “Enough of that, now,” he said. “You’re scandalizing Lady Ashworth.”
“Nonsense,” Mama said. She was smiling and, perhaps, shedding a tear or two herself.
“I will inform Mrs. Holly and the rest of the staff that our wedding will take place day after tomorrow,” William said softly, kissing each of Louisa’s hands while gazing into her eyes. “If that meets with your approval, my love.”
“Yes,” Louisa said. “Oh yes, my dear William, it does.”
* * *
William sought out Mrs. Holly and asked her to gather the staff. She scurried off, and before he could almost blink, the entire staff had joined them in the sitting room, standing at attention. Obviously, they’d all known something was up and had already collected in the kitchen, curious to find out what was going on at the soonest possible moment.
Lord and Lady Ashworth sat together on the aged sofa, Halford leaned his shoulder against the fireplace mantel, and Lord Anthony rested his hip on one of the shabby tables in the room. William led Louisa to the better of the two chairs, and she sat, and then he took his place in front of the staff.
“There are no words to express what I am feeling right now,” he began—and then he laughed. “I’m so inexperienced with words that I doubt I could find the right ones anyway, but I shall try.” He paused and looked at each person in the room, and then he knew what to say. “I owe you each a debt of gratitude for safeguarding my inheritance for me. Farleigh Manor is my home, as it is your home too. It took me far too long to understand this, and I hope you will forgive me.”
“No forgiveness needed,” Grimshaw said.
“Indeed not,” Mrs. Holly echoed.
William smiled, suspecting that Louisa’s parents might be somewhat appalled by the informality of his staff. He doubted Gibbs would have spoken up in such a way. “Nonetheless, I want the words said,” William said. “My fondest memories of Farleigh Manor involve all of you—even you, Sally and Jim. You remind me of how young Mrs. Holly and Matthew were when I was a boy and how loyal they have remained. You remind me that Farleigh Manor has new life and a new future in store.”
“They don’t remind you of me though, do they?” Grimshaw said. “I was born old.”
William chuckled. “You undoubtedly were, Grimshaw, my good man. Let us say that you lend the estate gravitas.”
Grimshaw nodded, pleased.
William took Louisa’s hand and assisted her from her chair so she could stand with him. “Now, it is with great pleasure that I announce that Lord and Lady Ashworth have given their permission for Lady Louisa and me to marry, and furthermore, she and I have decided to marry posthaste. I possess a special license, which I have kept safely in my pocket, and with your help, we wish to wed here, at Farleigh Manor, in two days’ time.”
“It goes without saying that everyone involved will be pulling off a miracle to be ready in time,” Lord Ashworth said. “I hope your staff is up to the challenge, Farleigh.”
“I believe they are, your lordship,” William said.
Mary suddenly made an odd sound, and everyone turned to look at her. She was flapping her hands wildly.
“Mary, hush now,” Mrs. Brill said in a low voice, trying to calm her. “Isn’t it lovely? There’s to be a wedding, right here, at Farleigh Manor. And you and I, we’re going to make the cake, and it will be a nice gift for our Will and his new viscountess from the two of us. There, now.” She tried to put her arms around Mary, but Mary fought her off, her hands still flapping about.
William was dumbfounded by Mary’s reaction. She knew of his intentions toward Lady Louisa, and he’d been relatively certain she’d understood what he’d been saying and had even been happy about it. He cleared his throat to regain everyone’s attention. “Well, that’s enough for now. I’m sure my bride and her mother will wish to consult with you on the particulars, Mrs. Holly, and you too, Mrs. Brill. Thank you all.”
“Congratulations, me boy,” Samuel said, pumping William’s hand vigorously before shrugging and wrapping him in a bear hug. “Ye know I can’t be more thrilled than I am for ye.”
“Thank you, Samuel,” William said.
“But I might not let ye soon forget t’was the girl who came after ye and not t’other way ’round.”
William laughed. “I should have listened to you.”
“I been tellin’ ye that yer whole life boy.” He hugged William again. “Ye were a lad set upon by troubles ye didn’t deserve, but ye grew into a fine man. I’m that proud of ye, son. My felicitations to ye and yer bride.”
Grimshaw came forward next and, surprisingly enough, patted William energetically on the shoulder. “Many congratulations,” he said.
“Truly, sir, best wishes,” Matthew echoed, taking the next opportunity to shake William’s hand.
The three men offered their congratulations to Louisa, too, as did Jim and Sally.
“Oh, Master William, our dear, dear boy,” Mrs. Holly said, hugging him too. William couldn’t remember receiving so many hugs before. “What a happy day this is! I couldn’t be more thrilled.”
Beyond her shoulder, William could see Mrs. Brill take a mumbling Mary firmly by the hand and leading her out of the room. William started toward them, but Louisa put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.
“Let them be,” Louisa said. “I’m sure her mother will take care of her.”
“Lady Louisa is right,” Mrs. Holly said. “No need to worry. This is a time for celebration.”
“I’ve never seen Mary like that,” he murmured. “And the wedding is not a surprise to her—only the fact that it will be here and sooner than expected.” He really ought to check on her. He couldn’t think of what he’d said in his speech that would cause such a reaction from her.
The staff eventually dispersed and went about their duties, and Louisa and her mother began discussing plans for the wedding while her father and brothers talked about the estate and what Halford had learned during his stay here. William tried to take part in the men’s conversation but found himself distracted by Mary’s reaction.
“And what do you think about that, Farleigh?”
“Er, what?” William said. He wasn’t sure who’d asked the question.
Halford rolled his eyes.
“Halford suggested turning some of the farmland into additional pastureland for grazing and bringing in more milkers,” Lord Ashworth replied.
“Oh. Good. Yes, more milkers.” Good heavens, he’d not even realized it was his soon-to-be father-in-law, Lord Ashworth, who had spoken to him. That was imprudent on his part, especially if he wished to stay on his lordship’s good side. Had Mary been distressed by the formal announcement? Perhaps she’d been overly excited about the prospect of a wedding at Farleigh Manor. Perhaps that was it. Perhaps Mary didn’t know how to express—
“Go and take care of the matter, Farleigh,” Lord Ashworth said with a sigh. “You’re going to be worthless in any discussion we have until you are assured that the girl is all right. Halford mentioned that the two of you grew up together and have a special bond, that she’s like a sister to you. Go on, then. Be off with you.”
“Thank you, Lord Ashworth.” He took his leave of the men, went to Louisa’s side to bid her and Lady Ashworth adieu, and made his way swiftly to the kitchen.
William found Mrs. Brill alone sweeping the kitchen floor. “Where is Mary?” he asked.
“That foolish girl,” Mrs. Brill said, shaking her head as she continued to sweep. “I says, ‘Mary, what’s got into you, luv?’ And she says, ‘I got him,’ over and over again—don’t have a clue what she meant by that—and then she rushes out of here as if there was fire at her heels.” Mrs. Brill brushed the dirt into the dustpan and emptied it into the bin. “She’ll be back when she’s good and ready though, like she always does. Don’t you worry.”
Louisa approached him after he’d concluded his search of the main floor. “You haven’t found her?” she asked, a look of genuine concern on her face. “Have you checked her room?”
Blast him for a fool. “Let’s go see, shall we?” He took Louisa’s hand in his, comforted to have her with him, and they went upstairs to the servants’ quarters, knocking on each door and calling Mary’s name. Again, there was no response.
With few options left to consider, he ascended the narrow stairs that led to the attic, Louisa following closely behind, and opened the attic door, holding up the lantern so he could see the shapes and shadows. “Mary,” he called. “Mary, Louisa and I are looking for you. Are you here? Please answer me!”
Nothing.
He went inside and lifted the dust covers to peer underneath them and searched behind boxes. “Mary! Where are you?” He waited, listening intently. Still nothing.
Discouraged, he closed the door, and they turned to leave.
Louisa suddenly stopped. “Shh,” she whispered. “I thought I heard something.”
He froze in place.
“When Mrs. Holly showed me the attic before, I thought I heard scuffling sounds,” Louisa whispered. “I assumed it was a mouse hiding in the wall, and I didn’t think any more about it. Do you think what I heard was Mary? Are there any other rooms up here?”
“Not that I know of . . . but perhaps . . .” He handed the lantern to Louisa and began feeling the wall of the corridor opposite the attic door, looking for anything that might indicate a hidden cubby or small room that had been forgotten over the years. It was possible, he supposed. There had been a faint sound when he’d inspected the attic upon returning too.
His fingers searched, starting at the top of the wall near the ceiling and working downward and back and forth. He could feel nothing that stood out beyond the normal irregularities in the wood and plaster. He crouched down, searching farther . . .
That was when he spied it—the tiniest thread of light escaping where the floor met the wall. It was so slight, it was difficult to see and would be easily missed.
Louisa crouched beside him and held the lantern close while William painstakingly ran his fingers over the wall once more. It took several minutes, but he eventually found what he was looking for—a small notch cleverly hidden behind the joining of two wallboards, which he’d missed the first time, that connected to a lever of some sort.
He locked eyes with Louisa, and she nodded back in acknowledgment. “Well, Louisa,” he said in a carrying tone, still looking at her. “I don’t think Mary is up here after all. We’d better check the rooms on the next floor.”
“I think you’re right, William,” Louisa replied, matching his volume.
Then William put his finger to his lips . . . and they waited.
They didn’t have to wait long before they heard it again—the scuffling noise Louisa had described. The sound was definitely coming from behind the wall, and seemed to be getting closer. As it did, William pushed on the notch in the wall . . . and a portion of the wall shifted out toward them. William immediately slid it to their left.
On the other side of the door was a guilty-looking Mary, her eyes huge in the dim light.
“Well, what do you know, Louisa? Here’s our missing Mary,” William said. “I never knew about this place. I didn’t have the foggiest idea Farleigh Manor had a priest hole.”
“Don’t be angry, Will,” Mary said. “They said everything was to be yours when he was gone, and we was to save it for you. I saved what I could, but it got trickier and trickier. And now he’s gone and you’re here finally. I hate him.”
“Oh, Mary,” William said. He made his way through the little door—he had to crouch down to do so, and once he was through the threshold, Louisa watched him wrap his arms around the girl. “Mary, what have you done?”
It was then that Louisa got her first real look inside the room, beyond Mary and William. She gasped, her hand flying to her throat.
The tiny room—priest hole or whatever it had originally been intended to be—was filled to the rafters with urns, paintings, small sculptures, decorative tables, and other items. Farleigh Manor had been stripped of her finest adornments, but it appeared that a good share of them had made their way into this room. Thanks to Mary.
“He was taking this and that, Will, and we couldn’t stop him. But I got him. I got him in the end. And that other his lordship can’t have them. I won’t let him.”
“What do you mean, ‘that other his lordship’?” William asked her gently.
Louisa’s heart was full as she watched William talk to the obviously distressed girl. He was so kind and patient. What a good father he would be.
“You know. His lordship.” Mary’s voice went pompous sounding.
William laughed. “Do you mean Louisa’s father?”
Mary nodded and then ducked her head.
“He’s a very reasonable gentleman, Mary. You don’t need to have any concerns about him.”
“He won’t take things?”
“No, he won’t take things. In fact, he’s going to help us make Farleigh Manor the lovely place it used to be. Isn’t that grand?”
“But he won’t take things? They’re your things, Will. Not his.”
“No one is going to take anything else,” William reassured Mary. “We can return all these lovely items you protected for me to their places in the house. You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”
She nodded.
“That’s good, then. We’ll leave them safely in here for tonight and go downstairs to join the others.”
“Everyone was concerned about you when you got upset.” Louisa said, speaking for the first time. She took Mary’s hands in her own. “Mary, I am so glad William had such a good friend as you when he was a boy and that you are friends still. For, you see, I love William.”
“I love Will too,” Mary said. “But not in the married way, like he explained to me. You can marry him, and I will be his friend.”
“I hope you and I can be friends too, Mary,” Louisa said. “I should like that above all things.”
“If you love Will and take care of him and don’t sell his things, we can be friends,” Mary said.
Louisa couldn’t help herself. She laughed and pulled Mary in for a big hug. “Oh, Mary, I vow to you that I won’t sell anything that belongs to him unless he has given me permission to do so. Is that sufficient?” She pulled back, smiling, and looked closely at Mary’s face.
“Yes,” Mary replied seriously.
“I’m glad you approve. And in two days’ time, when William and I get married, I shall vow before God to love him always.”
“And then there will be babies!” Mary exclaimed.
Louisa choked, but William broke out in the biggest laugh Louisa had ever heard escape his lips.
It was a glorious sound.