“Why do you need a place to sleep, Addington?” asked Mark.
“Percy threw me out and said I wouldn’t be welcomed back.”
“Ah, yes, the piss-soaked clothes.”
“How did you learn about that?”
“I live next to the laundry. Do you really think you won’t go back?” He wanted to make sure this wasn’t a trick. Lorton looked like he, too, was interested in the answer.
Addington considered the answer for a moment. “I admit I am uneasy about whatever punishment Percy has in mind for my disloyalty. And I certainly hope neither of you gets caught up in it. But I am sick of living with a dozen blokes whom I do not like all that much. I believe I would rather spend time with two lads who might just end up being my friends.”
“So, now the two of you will live here?” asked Mark.
“There is room enough for another if you would like to join us,” said Lorton.
“Even scholarship students get a room,” said Mark, a bit defensively. He did have his pride.
“I meant no offense,” said Lorton. “But there are four beds and desks and Addington and I will only be using two.”
The offer was more tempting than Mark could express. But as a child of the stews, he had learned to be suspicious of everyone and everything. “But why? We never even spoke before today.”
“I don’t know,” said Addington. “You only came to school this term and I guess we all had settled into our own groups before then. And I guess...I guess I just went along with Percy. I didn’t like it much. Though I suppose that doesn’t say much for me that I would go along with someone I knew was a right bastard.”
“No, it doesn’t say much for you,” said Jones.
Addington laughed. “You’re an honest one, I will say that. You’re also good with your fives, which could come in handy if Percy and his gang attack us again. I would like to learn that move you did which put both of them flat on their backs. I never learned anything like that and my brothers taught me everything they learned at Gentleman Jim’s boxing salon.”
“I didn’t learn to fight in any salon,” said Mark. “I grew up in the East End. I learned on the streets. I don’t belong in a place like this and we have nothing in common.”
“You belong here just as much as us,” said Robert. “And I think we do have something in common. We want to have real friends.”
Everyone was silent for a moment, since they were boys and boys most assuredly did not speak about friendship or emotions of any kind.
Addington finally broke the silence. “Are you going to have another biscuit, Jones? Or are you leaving them all to Lorton and me?”
Mark grinned. “I can’t very well do that, can I?”
The three boys ate the rest of the sweets, before clearing out Jones’s room in the dank basement so he could move into Lorton’s suite.
And that was how Mark’s life changed very much for the better.
CHAPTER THIRTY
For Mark, life after moving in with Lorton and Addington was very different than his existence up to that point. Parts of it were embarrassing. Before moving to the suite, no one had ever seen how tattered his small clothes were. But without word, he had found two clean sets tucked into his bureau. He had protested initially, but both Lorton and Addington had been adamant. While they understood and admired Mark’s self-sufficiency, there were some matters they insisted on helping with. The small clothes was one area. Supplying him with warm blankets was another. Mark wanted to press the point for the sake of his pride, but he had to admit it was much easier to sleep when he wasn’t shivering from the cold.
For his part, he taught his new mates the fighting moves he had learned. He was especially anxious that Lorton would be able to defend himself if cornered by Percy and his bullies. He admired Lorton’s determination and the physical pain he endured every day. Those Hoby boots of his were too small for one of his feet, but his bastard of a father wanted him to suffer.
If Mark were ever fortunate enough to have children, he would never even think of mistreating them so.
The three boys studied together as well, helping to fill in the gaps of Mark’s education. He was also able to help them in maths.
“Why do you study so much?” Addington asked one night, as the three of them were preparing for an exam. “You are already top of the class. Do you really need to do even better?”
“I have to make my way in the world,” said Mark, knowing neither of his friends could truly understand what he meant. “Getting top marks might mean the difference between getting a clerk’s position at a very good company or merely getting by at a smaller firm. I probably won’t be going on to university, so this could be my last chance at a formal education.”
It was but one of the differences among the three of them. Though as the months went on and they weathered exams, bad food and bullies together, Mark realized the ways in which they were alike – temperament, kindness and loyalty – far outweighed their differences.
Two years after becoming friends, Mark found himself in the most unusual position of being a guest of the Lord of Ridgeway. Wes had recently learned that he had a half-sister. He had written to her brother, Colin Emerson, asking if he might meet her. When the earl had come to collect Wes, he had invited Mark and Robert to accompany them.
The earl and his man, Mr. Stemple, had been most kind on their trip from Eton, even going so far as to secure new boots for Mark. But as they approached Lord Ridgeway’s country home, Mark was getting more and more nervous. He had grown used to being treated as an equal by his two friends, though he was still the subject of ridicule at school. He was not looking forward to spending the break with the family of an earl, which included not just another earl, but a duke as well. Mark did not have the clothes for it and would have little to add to discussions which would almost surely center on the latest ton gossip. But it was saving him from working in the stables at school. And he would be with his two best friends.
Mark had never been to a nobleman’s estate before. He had always imagined an army of servants, and furniture so expensive he would be afraid to sit on it. Mark was also acutely aware of how shabby his clothes were. One advantage of school was that his robe covered his one suit. But here, he would be expected to change clothes several times a day and he had few things to change into, though Lord Ridgeway had said he was certain they could find something.
The carriage finally came to a stop and while the house was even larger than Mark had imagined, nothing else fit the picture. There was no army of servants waiting outside to greet their master, no countess dripping in disdain and diamonds. When Lord Ridgeway had said that among him and his siblings there were a dozen children on the estate, Mark had assumed they would be in the nursery with governesses and nurses. But as Mark stepped out of the carriage, nothing was like he had predicted.
Several footmen had bowed to the earl and were now unloading the carriage, but there had been no line of them. They also seemed genuinely glad to see him, which meant he was a good master. There were several elegantly dressed ladies, but a conspicuous lack of jewels. They were laughing and chasing after children, all of whom were giggling and running about the place.
Out of the corner of his eye, Mark saw a young boy about three years of age run straight for the horses, out of sight of the grooms on the other side. Mark quickly intercepted the boy, who seemed to think it was all a grand game. The boy was giggling, though Mark’s heart had stopped for a moment to see the child in danger. An instant later, a fair-haired man picked up the boy.
“You will give me grey hair before my time,” he said to the little one, as he kissed the boy’s cheek. “And your mama certainly will not take kindly to my grey hair.” The man was dressed casually – for a lord in the country – but there was no doubt this man was a nobleman, despite his smile and friendly demeanor. He turned to Mark, “Thank you for your quick action. I am Bancroft.” He held out his hand.
Mark hesitated for a moment, then s
hook the man’s hand. He was not certain, but he thought this man was Lord Ridgeway’s brother-in-law, the duke.
“I am Mark Jones, Wes’s friend.”
“Welcome to Ridgeway Manor. I do not actually live here, but we spend enough time here that it is like a second home. I am sure my wife will thank you for your quick actions as soon as she…Elizabeth! Get out of that tree! Excuse me.” With that, the duke chased after a little girl, still holding his son. The little girl seemed to think it was great fun to have her father chase after her. She giggled as she climbed higher in the tree.
Lord Ridgeway introduced his sister Leticia to them, and there was no denying the girl with red hair and sapphire eyes was Wes’s sister. Mark could tell his friend was touched to meet the girl who was so very welcoming. Lady Leticia waved to two girls about her age to come join them. The tall fair-haired girl was Miss Violet Kellington, the daughter of family friends. The petite girl with darker skin was Miss Anna Emerson, Lady Leticia’s niece.
Both Miss Kellington and Miss Emerson looked very protective of Lady Leticia, which made Mark smile. The girls had nothing to fear from Wes, Robert or Mark, but he was glad the girls were vigilant on behalf of their friend. The world was filled with too many villains to take anyone’s good intentions on face value alone. He smiled at all three girls, but it was Miss Emerson’s expression which caught his attention. She was studying him with solemn, dark brown eyes and he wasn’t sure just what she was seeing.
* * *
Anna Emerson loved Letty as a sister and she was fiercely protective of her. Letty’s heart had always been open, despite the rejections of both her parents at a young age. When Anna had arrived at the Emerson estate from America when she was six years old, Letty had immediately taken her under her wing, asking her to share her room and including her in all her adventures. Letty had always been outgoing, when Anna had been shy. But Anna had always taken a slightly darker view of the world than Letty.
Anna was the result of an affair between her father and her nimaamaa, shortly after her father had arrived in America. He had left their village before he’d learned her nimaamaa, whose name was Alawa, was expecting. Fortunately, her father was an honorable man because when her nimaamaa became gravely ill, she was able to send a letter telling him she would soon die and Anna would be left on her own. Life had been hard enough to have mixed blood in her village. Without her mother’s protection, Anna’s life would have been not just sad, but dangerous.
Anna had never met the man who came to the village and said he was her father. He nursed Anna’s nimaamaa through her final weeks, then took Anna back to England with him, in hopes of regaining his land. Instead, he had found a beautiful British wife, whom Anna loved like a second mother.
She could not love her parents more, but it had been a shock to move to England and a part of her had never truly adjusted to life in the odd country. She dreaded trips to London. It was loud, dirty and filled with people who had no tolerance for anyone unlike them. She didn’t care for what little she knew of Society, though she loved Violet’s family. If she could spend all her time with only the Emersons and the Kellingtons, she would like England very much. Unfortunately, real life was not that accommodating.
She had been wary when Uncle Colin had told them about the letter from the boy who might be Letty’s half-brother. Anna worried it was some sort of trick. She knew Letty’s heart was so open that she wouldn’t dream of passing up the opportunity to possibly gain another brother, so she had asked Colin to invite the boy to stay.
Now that Lord Wesley was here, he seemed nice enough on a first impression, but she would still watch over Letty closely. However, she had been unprepared for the arrival of the other two boys. The one boy was a viscount and had a weak leg. He seemed to be embarrassed by it, though she could have told him no one in her family would make him feel awkward about it.
The other boy was a mystery. He was tall, with dark hair and eyes and was strikingly handsome. He did not have the stiff posture of a nobleman, though he had to be well-connected if he went to Eton. He was embarrassed about his clothes, which appeared to be a bit worn. She could have reassured this boy as well that no one in her family cared about something so superficial. She would also be surprised if the men of the family didn’t make certain he had new clothes to return to school in.
The first thing this boy had done when getting out of the carriage was to catch little Edmond, who loved horses. Mr. Jones had come so close to the horses that one might easily have kicked him, but he’d chased after Edmond without a care for his own safety. That said something about this young man.
This very handsome young man.
Anna was awakened from her reverie by Uncle Colin’s introduction of the three boys.
“You cannot know how much more we shall enjoy the holiday because of this kindness,” said Mr. Jones.
His voice was surprisingly deep for a boy who had not quite grown to be a man. Anna liked it very much.
But all too soon, the boys were ushered into the house to find their bedchamber.
“Your brother seems quite nice,” Violet told Letty.
“They all do,” murmured Anna. She still felt Mr. Jones’s presence though he was no longer standing there.
“I believe it was a good decision to invite them here,” said Letty. “Though I am glad the two of you will be by my side.”
“We will not leave you,” said Violet. “We will always be there for you.”
“Yes, we will,” said Anna. Letty would always be her priority, but she somehow knew that Mr. Jones had already made an impression on her heart.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
As Mark and his friends were escorted through the manor house to their bedchambers, he tried not to stare in awe at the enormous house filled with paintings and furnishing of unimaginable wealth. He had never entered a peer’s house and truth be told, he would have imagined this was how a king lived. But neither Wes nor Robert paid their surroundings any mind, making Mark think that while Lord Ridgeway was obviously a man of some wealth, it was nothing out of the ordinary.
Their bedchambers were in the guest wing and each room was enormous. Despite Lord Ridgeway’s assurances to the contrary, Mark knew his one suit of clothing would never allow him to blend in with the others. He wondered whether he might take his meals in the kitchen. However, just before the dinner gong, Mark had a visitor intent on helping him.
“I am Alex Lewis,” said the man who was married to Lord Ridgeway’s eldest sister Winifred. “I hope you do not mind, but I brought some of my clothes since I am closest to your size.” He then laid out three suits which were obviously expensive. “We do not wear evening clothes for dinner, other than on special occasions. The children eat with us, so you might imagine how impractical it is to wear finery when there will almost certainly be a moment when food is thrown or a glass knocked over.” He said it with a laugh, making Mark realize Mr. Lewis did not mind when it happened.
He continued. “I thought you might like to try these suits to see if any fit. And it is not because we would not approve of the clothes you brought. It is because I believe you might be ill at ease wearing them.” He added quietly, “I am the son of a housekeeper and an unknown father. My mother’s employer paid for me to attend school. It was not a very pleasant experience. The boys did everything they could to make me feel inferior, but, fortunately, my mother had raised me to be proud of who I was. So I worked hard and applied myself. But there were times where I felt too visible when it came to my clothes. I hope you will accept these suits, not just for your time here, but to take back with you.”
Mark couldn’t believe this man understood exactly what he had experienced. “Thank you, sir. But I cannot…”
“Cannot take charity? Colin warned me you might say something like that. Do not think of it as such. Think of it as a deed you might someday repay to another fellow who might benefit from a helping hand. From what Colin told us, you are loyal and stand up for others. Ju
st think of this as a way you will be able to help others in the future. We are also trying to locate suitable riding clothes for you.”
“Thank you, sir, but I do not ride.”
“Then I am certain you will have at least one lesson while you are here. The family is mad about horses. And I learned early on that an Emerson determined to do something is difficult to thwart. I look forward to seeing you at dinner,” said Mr. Lewis, before leaving Mark to stare at his three new suits
Dinner was yet another eye-opening experience. Never in Mark’s life had he seen so many dishes of such variety. Lady Ridgeway had said this was an informal dinner. If that were true, Mark could not even imagine what a formal meal would entail.
Mr. and Mrs. Stemple were there, as well as Lord Edward Kellington’s servants, Mr. and Mrs. Rigg. But everyone was treated as family. Other than the babies, all of the children were seated at the table. The conversation was lively and jovial, punctuated by the occasional sibling squabble.
Wes was the center of much of the conversation as Lady Leticia and her family asked him about his life. Mark was seated across from Anna Emerson, who seemed to be a favorite among the children. Mark had not quite figured out which children belonged to which Emerson, but he watched as Anna patiently answered any question put forth to her. She was obviously a very sweet girl.
“Can you help me?”
Mark’s attention turned to the little boy beside him, who had tugged his sleeve.
“Of course I will help you,” said Mark. “What do you need?”
“My meat is too big, but they will not allow me to cut it with a knife.”
That seemed to be a wise policy, since the boy looked to be but five years of age. “Let me help you,” said Mark, as he cut the venison into smaller bites.
“Do you really go to school?” asked the boy, whose name Mark believed to be Graham.
Never and Always (Emerson Book 6) Page 18
