Support from Miss Judith was so unexpected that I could only blink at her. But her face was set and I could suddenly see the unhappiness in her eyes where before I had only seen malice.
Lord Rutherford seemed startled at her unexpected defection. He looked around at us all in sudden bewilderment, as though he had forgotten we were all standing in his dining room. ‘Well, there is time to discuss this,’ he admitted. ‘Lawyers will look over all the papers tomorrow. If I can find some I can trust! Please forgive me if I retire now. I am tired!’
Lawrence stepped forward and assisted him in rising from his chair. ‘You had all better take a seat and have a glass of wine,’ Rutherford said once he was on his feet. ‘Benson, are those felons safely under lock and key?’ he demanded of his butler.
‘They are, my lord. The constable has sent for men to escort them to gaol and is questioning them now.’
‘Good. Can you please have bedchambers made up for our visitors?’ He waved at Robert and myself.
‘I have already done so, my lord,’ replied the butler, with a respectful bow.
‘Benson, is there enough food for all our guests? Send a message to the kitchen, will you?’
Miss Judith rose and took her grandfather’s arm. ‘I’ll accompany Grandpapa,’ she said to Lawrence.
On his way out of the room, Lord Rutherford paused by my brother Robert and looked him over once more. ‘Very like your father,’ he murmured. He shook my brother cordially by the hand. ‘You are still single, I hope?’ he added.
‘Why yes, my lord!’ My brother had some colour in his face and a small twinkle back in his eyes.
‘No one unsuitable in mind?’
‘No one in mind at all, my lord. Please feel free to match-make for me. Happy to consider all candidates!’
‘I’m very pleased to hear it,’ said Rutherford before leaving.
Robert winked at me and I smiled. But I had one more thing to ask his lordship. ‘One last question, my lord,’ I said. ‘Do I have your promise that if I bring Belle to the stables, she will not be harmed?’
‘Belle?’ asked Rutherford, all at sea.
‘My … your horse that was Miss Judith’s,’ I said. ‘You were going to have her shot.’ I looked at Miss Judith as I spoke.
‘Oh.’ Rutherford rubbed a hand wearily over his face. ‘Yes, very well. What is a horse among such revelations as we’ve had today? You have my word, as long as she doesn’t savage anyone.’
‘She won’t.’ I turned to Miss Judith, raising my brows in a mute question.
‘Oh, very well,’ snapped Miss Judith. ‘I don’t want the stupid nag. I have Autumn Gold now.’
‘I’ll bid you good night,’ Rutherford said to Robert and me. ‘We’ll meet again at the breakfast table, I daresay.’
I dropped him a small curtsey. ‘Of course,’ I said.
‘Good night, my lord,’ said Robert.
Lord Rutherford left the room leaning on Miss Judith’s arm and everyone fell quiet for a moment. Then Mrs Saunders came to embrace us both. ‘Welcome to Deerhurst, Robert,’ she said to my brother, kissing his cheek. Henry clapped us both on the back. ‘We did it, Miss Charlotte!’ he said, his eyes suspiciously moist. ‘Your father would be happy to know it.’ He turned to Robert. ‘He loved this estate. He wanted you to know it and to inherit it one day. It meant a lot to him.’
Robert shook him by the hand, looking distressed as he thought of our father. Henry clasped his hand tightly.
‘Come,’ said Lawrence with his usual calm good sense. ‘Sit down, everyone; eat something!’ He signed to the butler to fill everyone’s glasses. ‘It’s been quite a day. I imagine you are all in need of sustenance.’
After dinner, we said farewell to all our friends, both old and new, and Lawrence took Robert and me down to the stable yard so that I could see Belle.
‘I sent Ben up to fetch her during dinner,’ he told me, as I stroked her soft brown nose and leaned my cheek against hers. ‘I knew you wouldn’t be able to relax until you’d seen her comfortably bestowed.’
‘That’s true,’ I admitted. Belle looked very happy to be back in familiar surroundings, and blew contentedly in my hair.
‘I hope you will be able to accustom yourself to sleeping in a bed, rather than in her stable?’ added Lawrence with a smile.
My brother shook his head in horror and uttered a strangled yelp of disapproval.
‘What?’ I demanded. ‘There are worse places to sleep!’
‘I imagine you’d appreciate a bath before retiring?’ Lawrence asked Robert.
‘That would be welcome,’ admitted my brother running a hand ruefully through his dishevelled hair.
‘You can borrow anything you need from me,’ said Lawrence.
‘Thank you! You’re very good,’ said Robert. ‘So … you two know each other well then?’ He was looking from me to Lawrence with his eyebrows raised.
‘I should tell you your sister has agreed to marry me,’ John told my brother. ‘I hope you are not unhappy with that?’
‘Lord! I’m very happy. Congratulations!’ Robert wrung John’s hand and kissed my cheek. ‘It’s the old man you’re going to have trouble with.’
‘I know,’ I sighed. Lawrence looked serious.
‘Oh, never fear! He’ll come round,’ said Robert optimistically. ‘I’ll keep him busy looking out for a bride for me! I’ll willingly make up to every rich, high-born, squinty-eyed heiress, to keep him happy. That’ll take his mind off you two. What more could a brother do for his sister?’
‘Nothing more!’ I said, kissing his cheek with a grin. ‘You’re a wonderful brother! I suspect you’ll enjoy yourself very much and in the end will marry exactly whom you please!’
‘I will! But as you say, it will be fun. And what is life without a few larks?’
Marie-Louise Jensen was born in Henley-on-Thames of an English father and a Danish mother. Her early years were plagued by teachers telling her to stop reading and stop writing stories and do long division instead. Marie-Louise studied Scandinavian and German with Literature at the UEA and has lived in both Denmark and Germany. After teaching English at a German university for four years, Marie-Louise returned to England to care for her children full-time. She completed an MA in Writing for Young People at Bath Spa University in 2005.
Her books have been shortlisted for many awards including the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize and the Branford Boase Award.
Marie-Louise lives in Bath.
www.marie-louisejensen.co.uk
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CONTENTS
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
Chapter Twenty-two
Chapter Twenty-three
Chapter Twenty-four
Chapter Twenty-five
Chapter Twenty-six
Chapter Twenty-seven
Chapter Twenty-eight
Chapter Twenty-nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-one
Chapter Thirty-two
Chapter Thirty-three
Chapter Thirty-four
About the Author
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