“Who is the young man I have seen working in the stables these past few days?”
Benedict strolled across the room to where Beatrix stood looking out one of the windows in her sitting room.
She turned to him. “I do not remember seeing him here before.”
Because Jimmy had not been on the estate until Benedict brought him with him from London three days ago. As for Beatrix having observed the other man working in the stables… In the past two days, Jimmy had ignored all advice and had set about helping the grooms with some of the lighter work. He had at least kept the bandages strapped about his forearms as added support.
Benedict’s one attempt yesterday to tell the other man how reckless that behavior was had resulted in several angry words being exchanged between the two of them, and they’d had no conversation at all since then.
Chloe had also continued to keep to her bedchamber, and her meals were all delivered to her there.
It had allowed Benedict to continue to spend time with Beatrix, but he was unhappy with the circumstances that allowed him to do so.
“He came with me from London,” Benedict answered Beatrix.
She arched dark brows. “You brought a stable hand with you all the way from London when there are surely many local lads whose family would welcome the money from their employment here?”
He grimaced. “Jimmy is not a stable hand but one of my patients. I brought him because he is not yet healed from injuries he received. But now that he is here, he insists upon working in order to earn his board and lodgings.”
Beatrix turned back to once again look down toward the stables. “He seems vaguely familiar.”
Benedict’s interest sharpened. “He does?”
“Mm.” She nodded. “You said his name was Jimmy?”
“Jimmy Brown. But I have a feeling his first name is more likely to be James.” He was more convinced of that than ever. “And the Brown part is, in all probability, a complete fabrication.”
Beatrix chewed on her bottom lip. “As you know I had only a few weeks of a Season before…circumstances took that away from me. But this man James,” she continued firmly. “He has the look of an older gentleman I met during that time.”
“Which gentleman?”
“Let me think.” She frowned in concentration. “We were introduced.” Her brow cleared. “Ah, I believe his name was Adrian Metcalf, or something similar.”
Benedict tried to think if he knew anyone by that name. “Can you possibly mean Adrian Metford, the Earl of Ipswich?”
Beatrix’s expression brightened. “That’s the one!” She sobered. “I remember him because he was so much older than me but nevertheless, his hands wandered as we danced together.”
“You should have told me.” Benedict felt saddened that Beatrix eschewed any social interaction for many years, but he did not appreciate learning all these years after her last foray into that company that Ipswich had dared to touch her inappropriately.
She chuckled. “I might have been very young, but I still managed to put him in his place, never fear.”
Benedict could believe that. Beatrix might be slight of build, but she had always had a sharp tongue.
But was it possible Jimmy was somehow related to Ipswich? Jimmy was much younger, of course, Ipswich possibly aged in his fifties to Jimmy’s midtwenties, but…
Benedict studied Jimmy through new eyes. Dark and curly hair in need of a cut. Classical features, blue eyes, high cheekbones, a strong jaw. Jimmy was no longer wearing the finer clothes Benedict had given him, but now wore heavy corduroy trousers and a tweed jacket, along with a dark work shirt. But despite that, there was still that air of nobility about him. And yes, also a definite resemblance to Ipswich, now Beatrix had mentioned it.
From what Benedict recalled, Adrian Metford had inherited the title of earl from his brother ten years ago. They had both sat in the House for that same amount of time, but Benedict had never particularly liked him. The man was too brash and opinionated against those less wealthy and privileged than himself, and he made no effort to hide his disapproval of Benedict’s medical care of the poor. Lazy good for nothings was how the older man had once described those people who ended up incarcerated in the poorhouse or worse, with little or no hope for their future.
No, Benedict did not like Ipswich, but Beatrix’s comment might be helpful in identifying who Jimmy really was.
“I do not believe I have seen that young lady before either.”
Benedict frowned his puzzlement. “What young lady?”
“The one now in conversation with Mr. Brown.”
Benedict leveled his narrowed gaze to where he could now see Chloe down in the stable yard talking to Jimmy.
“Should you be doing that?” Chloe voiced her concern at seeing Jimmy wielding a pitchfork to pile clean straw into an open stall.
He straightened to lean his elbow on top of the handle of that implement. “Gossip is that Miss Chloe has kept to her room these past two days and nights,” he taunted.
Her mouth twisted. “Gossip is called that for a reason. That reason being because it is very often inaccurate.”
Jimmy grinned. “But not on this point?”
“No,” Chloe conceded with a sigh. “I believe the two of us are behaving as extremely rude and ungrateful guests after His Lordship was so kind as to remove us both from London and bring us here with him.”
Jimmy’s grin faded, and he shrugged. “I forgot my place for a brief time, is all.”
Chloe eyed him curiously. “And what is your place?”
He turned away to once again fork the straw through the door of the stall in the middle of the six he was obviously working on. “Manual laborer will do.”
“I doubt that very much.”
Chloe and Jimmy both turned sharply at the sound of Benedict’s voice. Chloe could not speak for Jimmy, but her own gaze was hungry for the sight of Benedict after the past two days of keeping to her bedchamber.
After the intimacies they had shared, and then the awkwardness over dinner that evening, Chloe had believed it was for the best if she made herself as inconspicuous as possible by remaining in her bedchamber. There was also the fact that Benedict had warned her he would want more answers from her very soon, but, she had reasoned, if she was not present, then he could not ask her those questions.
But after two days confined to her bedchamber, Chloe was now so bored with her own company, she had decided to take a walk about the estate so that she could breathe in some of the fresh country air. The last thing she expected was to step around to the back of the house and immediately spot Jimmy working in the stable yard.
She doubted Benedict was happy with his patient’s blatant disregard for his instruction, Jimmy having been told to refrain from using his arms as much as possible.
Benedict was probably just as irritated by her deliberate avoidance of his company these past two days. But it was through embarrassment, mainly. She could only guess at what Benedict now thought of her after she had behaved the wanton in his arms the evening of their arrival here.
The scowl on Benedict’s face encompassed both of them as a reflection of his disapproval. “I hope you have not come out here with the intention of riding.” He pinned his gaze on Chloe.
Her smile was rueful. “I doubt I am well enough to sit in a saddle as yet.”
“But you do ride?”
“Not for some time, but yes.”
Benedict wondered if that length of time coincided with when she had gone to live with Henry Gordon. “I do not believe either of you is well enough to be engaging in your current pursuit.” His gaze included the younger man.
A ruddy hue colored Jimmy’s cheeks. “I believe we have already discussed that matter in regard to myself.”
Benedict’s nostrils flared. “There is every possibility that the bruising to your arms will take much longer to heal the way you are swinging that pitchfork about. But no doubt you are in enough pain for me not to need to tell you that.” He turned his dark gaze upon Chloe. “You should have waited for my permission before venturing out and about.”
“Your permission?” Chloe echoed incredulously. “I do not need anyone’s permission to take a walk.”
Benedict had deliberately used that word to provoke this response from her. He was very angry with Chloe right now for having avoided his company these past two days. Truth be told, he had missed her company.
Beneath the warmth of her cloak, Chloe was wearing another of the gowns Benedict had purchased for her in London, and which the seamstress already had made up and could alter to fit Chloe’s slender figure. The deep green silk perfectly complemented her ivory complexion.
Yes, Chloe appeared beautiful today, if no less fragile.
Fragile or otherwise, Benedict’s cock had instantly hardened in arousal the moment he looked down upon her from Beatrix’s rooms. An arousal which now seemed to be his cock’s usual reaction to Benedict’s having merely looked at Chloe.
“I believe you do,” he once again deliberately provoked her. “As physician to both of you, you should have waited for my approval before thinking of endangering your health for a second time by engaging in unsuitable pursuits.”
“You—”
“I believe His Lordship’s intention right now is to annoy both of us,” Jimmy drawled knowingly.
“Then, in my case, he is succeeding!” she snapped.
Jimmy chuckled. “By all means, annoy me all you please,” he told Benedict. “But Chloe obviously has little or none of the social sophistication necessary to retaliate.”
She frowned at him. “If that insult was your best effort in defending me, then I advise you not to attempt it a second time!”
Jimmy raised his eyes heavenward before his attention sharpened on the top of the house. “Who was that?”
Benedict’s chest tightened. “Who was who?”
Jimmy continued to stare up at the house. “I saw a woman in one of the windows of the east wing.”
“What do you mean, you saw her?” Benedict prompted, sincerely hoping it was the past tense.
The woman in the window could be none other than Beatrix, no doubt still interested in the newcomers to the estate. But she would not welcome either Jimmy or Chloe becoming curious about her presence.
Jimmy nodded. “She’s gone now.” But he continued to stare up at the window as if waiting for the woman to reappear.
Benedict was certain Beatrix would not do that. Not willingly, at least.
“It was probably one of the maids cleaning,” he dismissed, deliberately not turning to look toward the house himself. “The wings of the house are unoccupied, but I like to keep them free of dust and the possibility of an invasion of rodents.”
Chloe gave a shiver at the mention of the latter.
Jimmy still looked less than convinced at that explanation. “The lady I saw did not look in the least like a maid.”
Benedict arched arrogant brows. “Oh, and what does a maid look like?”
The younger man glared his frustration. “Unlike the elegantly dressed and coiffured lady I saw in that window,” he maintained stubbornly.
Benedict did now turn toward the house. He could almost—almost—imagine the twitch of a curtain as Beatrix stood behind it, allowing her to see but not be seen. He turned back to Jimmy. “I doubt you could see a lady’s elegance of dress and hair from this distance.”
“You—”
“If you gentlemen will excuse me? I believe I shall continue with my walk.” Chloe had, quite frankly, listened to enough of this toing and froing between the two men which, to her, sounded like nothing more than two male egos vying with each other.
Benedict, quite rightly, in Chloe’s opinion, was obviously cross with Jimmy for doing manual labor when his arms were still bruised, and Jimmy obviously did not care for the other man’s high-handed attitude. Even if Benedict’s concern was genuine.
“By all means, you have my permission to continue with your walk.” Benedict arched one arrogant brow as Chloe narrowed her gaze on him. “But I expect you both to join me for dinner this evening. Suitably dressed,” Benedict added to Jimmy.
“But—”
“You—”
“Do not argue with me—either of you.” He gave them both a sweeping and challenging glare. “You are staying here as my guests, but have chosen not to dine with me these past two days. That stops now.”
The younger man gave a mocking smile. “If you’re that desperate for our company…”
“I would not have used the word desperate,” Benedict drawled.
“Sounded like desperation to me,” Jimmy taunted. “But as ya arsked sa nicely,” he added in a broad Cockney accent.
“Chloe?”
She had been so focused on the conversation between the two men, she was taken by surprise when Benedict’s focus turned to her. One glance at his glittering dark eyes was enough to warn her against arguing with him on the subject.
She forced a falsely bright smile. “What woman could possibly wish to refuse the opportunity to dine with two such handsome gentlemen!”
At least Jimmy’s presence would ensure Benedict did not ask her any more awkward questions she would rather not answer.
She could have no idea how wrong she was to believe that.