Taking his role as lord of the manor no longer filled him with dismay or displeasure. He would always leave a part of himself on the water, but he'd brought home from his island adventures two of the greatest treasures he could imagine, a daughter of his heart, if not his name, and a woman whom he hoped would take his name and his heart for herself. When you added that to his already bountiful blessings--his amazing good looks, his savoir faire, his skill with his blade and the disposal of most of his enemies, he had much to be thankful for. He'd lived his life prodigally, but his welcome back to his home was all he could have hoped for.
He realized the vicar had been speaking while he ruminated and brought his attention back to the man.
"Yes, Mr. Castle, you can expect to see me at church this Sunday."
There was a rattle of china from across the carpet as the governess righted her fumbled teacup, fortunately empty yet.
"You startled me, Captain."
"That's right, you were a sea captain until recently, were you not, Lord Huntley?"
"I've been at sea for most of my life, trading here and there, but when word reached me of my brother's passing I knew I had to return to Huntley and take up my responsibilities."
Lydia still looked as if she expected a bolt of lightning to shoot down from heaven and fry him where he sat, so he ignored her and focused on his visitors. The vicar looked pleased at his intention to come to church. With his livelihood tied to the manor and its lord it meant a great deal to have the baron sitting in the family pew.
"It will be good for the village to have you join us, my lord. The past years since your father's passing have been difficult. The economic situation and the bad harvests have affected all of us, and the situation here at Huntley--" His voice trailed off but the frown on his placid face filled in the rest.
"Miss Burke, do you have family in this area?"
"No, I have lived in the West Indies for some years now."
She neglected to add where her family was, but the Castles said nothing and the talk turned to the village, its needs, and Robert asked about some of his tenants and gathered information on their situations. He could see Lydia warmed to the Castles and he asked them to supper, with Nell, in two days' time. Lydia sent him a look of approval and his chest expanded at her glance. It was the most prosaic of actions, inviting the vicar and his family to dine, but like a hug, it was one of those things that a man could do to demonstrate that he wasn't the worst candidate for marriage to cross her bow.
The girls bounced in, grimy and grinning from their piratical adventures, a furry white bundle weaving in and out and yipping in excitement. A promise of cakes after clean hands were presented sent them scurrying. Mrs. Castle looked at Robert, and she wouldn't have been human if her eyes hadn't darted to Lydia, but Mattie's heritage was written on her skin.
"Your daughter does not share your name, my lord? Forgive me, but it will be bound to come up in conversation in the village."
"Mathilde was born in the islands," Robert said easily. "Her mother died, so my daughter came to England with me." And that's all anyone needs to know was the unspoken remainder of that sentence.
"She seems to have found a fellow pirate with our daughter," Susanna Castle said easily. "If you bring her into town, Nell will introduce Mattie to the other youngsters. We have a village school, ma'am, and I teach the young children there. Perhaps you could visit sometime and speak about life in the islands?"
"I would be delighted to," Lydia said as the girls ran in, marginally cleaner, but enough to pass muster and get cakes to take up to the nursery. When Joan entered with more hot water for tea, Mr. Castle rose and said, "I am loathe to end such a pleasant afternoon, but I have other calls to make before sunset."
"You are welcome to leave Nell with us so the girls can continue playing," Lydia offered, but Mrs. Castle shook her head.
"I am afraid not, not today, but if you bring Mattie to the vicarage tomorrow I know Nell would like to show off some of her dolls. She's been learning to sew their clothes."
"Oh dear," Lydia said, "I'm afraid our sewing lessons are sometimes neglected for more physical activities, but Mattie is learning."
"She is young yet, and full of energy," Martin Castle said. "I would have preferred climbing trees to studying Latin at her age, so I cannot blame her. In fact, I'd still rather climb trees--or play pirate--than write prosy sermons, but now I don't have that freedom. Let the children be children is my motto. Their innocent state does not last long."
Robert wondered how the good reverend would feel about the innocence of children if he saw Mattie's glee when she threw her knife square into the target's "heart." Lydia said that Mattie would be thrilled to visit, and if Mrs. Castle was good enough to watch the girls it would give her a chance to take care of some errands in the village.
"I will accompany you."
It came out more as a command than he'd intended, but he was firm on this point. After what he'd learned from Turnbull and Nash about Wilson, he wasn't about to let Lydia too far out of his reach until the threat was eliminated.
Lydia raised her brows at his tone, but said she'd be delighted to have his company.
"I have an idea," Susanna Castle said with look of pure innocence on her round face. "We could have an assembly in Ashwyn! It would be an opportunity for you to meet more of the people and it has been forever since we have had entertainment."
"You must forgive my wife," the vicar said with an indulgent chuckle. "She does love to dance, and the assembly rooms have been little used in the past years."
Robert knew he was expected to help fund the assembly rooms, especially if the village was in economic straits due to poor harvests and bad management. When he saw Lydia's face light up at the idea of dancing, and her animated discussion with her new friend, it was no hardship at all to say yes.
The ladies chatted together in the entryway while waiting for the gig to be brought around. It was misting again, and when Nell came down she was bundled into a coat with a scarf around her neck. She petted Jolly and listened to Mattie explain how she received the dog, and the two fathers watched fondly as the girls talked.
"It is good for Mattie to have friends her own age," Robert said. "I did not know how well she would settle here, but she and Nell seem to have found common ground."
"It is good for all of us to have you settled here, my lord. The land needs a steward who will preserve and care for it. When that happens, everyone prospers. Our proximity to the T&M makes us an area primed for growth, but the people still look to the local leaders for direction. One hears tales..." The vicar's voice trailed as he turned to Robert with a smile and said, "Your success as a sea captain precedes you, my lord. A little excitement in the village is a healthy tonic now and again. Just not too much excitement."
"I will do my best not to show up at church with a brace of pistols in my hands and a dagger clamped in my teeth," Robert said.
"The little boys will be sorely disappointed," Castle said as he put on his hat and helped his family into the cart.
"I will see you tomorrow, Nell!" Mattie called.
"Bring your cutlass, Mattie!"
"No," said four adult voices simultaneously, then with a laugh, Castle started his placid horse down the drive to their next visit.
Robert looked at Lydia and Mattie waving goodbye, just like a family. He liked that. It made a spot in his chest feel warm and safe, as if he was back in the parlor in front of the fire, not standing in a cold mizzle.
"Mattie, if you're not too worn out from playing, we still have time for knife practice."
"Out in the elements?"
"One must be prepared for all weather, Miss Burke. Danger does not always present itself in front of a cozy fire. However, even pirates might enjoy some hot drinks when they return."
"And ginger biscuits!" Mattie piped up.
"I will see to it," Lydia said. She no longer winced or made disapproving noises when they had weapons practice. Either the go
verness was becoming more piratical, or she'd resigned herself to accepting this as an appropriate father and daughter activity, which reminded Robert of something else he needed to do now that he was at Huntley.
"Do you ride, Miss Burke?"
"Of course, my lord. I was raised in the country."
"I need to get Mattie on horseback. If you did not order a riding habit in Liverpool, we need to have one made for you."
"My father taught me to ride," Lydia said with a soft smile of remembrance. "It is one of my favorite memories, the time we spent together."
"Mine also," Robert said in surprise. He'd forgotten those times with his father, good times. Alfred Huntley used to berate Ralph for being harsh with the horses, Nicholas for being skittish, but Robert he praised for his skilled hands on the reins. Riding brought father and son together, a period where they could forget Robert bore little resemblance to the rest of the Huntleys.
His childhood hadn't always consisted of canings in his father's study. He had land to roam, and Nicholas, and sometimes, the regard of his stern father. Would the late Lord Huntley be pleased to see Robert sitting in his seat? Robert knew what would have pleased his father--to see the estate properly managed again, its people cared for, a legacy restored for the next generation.
He looked at the woman walking beside him, her soft chestnut hair gleaming in the lamplight.
"Thank you," he said, the words popping out before he'd thought about them.
"For what?"
"For everything. For helping to make Huntley a home again. For taking such good care of Mattie."
He wanted to say more, but she watched him, evaluating his words, looking for hidden meanings, traps for unwary governesses. He wasn't certain himself what he meant. All he knew was that returning to Huntley, something he'd dreaded, had become a far different experience from what he'd feared and it was all due to the woman by his side.
Without Lydia, Huntley was simply a cold, worn pile of stones. With Lydia, it was a home. He had to ensure she would stay here, forever, with him and Mattie and their motley crew of pirates and puppies.
She left him to return to the nursery, and he watched her ascend the stairs, admiring her bottom, of course, but also thinking. The most successful and long-lived pirates don't get that way simply by being faster with a blade, one needed strategy as well.
It was time for Robert to hone his strategy beyond using his amazing handsomeness, bed skills and charm to win the lady. It still surprised him when he considered it, but that was no longer enough. Probably better that way. He wouldn't want her in his bed and his life only because he was so wonderfully attractive. After all, even the most accomplished of rakes and pirates eventually grow old and find themselves sucking in their guts or examining their thinning hair in the looking glass each morning. He needed to bind Lydia to his side for all time using more permanent methods.
Of course, his amazing handsomeness, bed skills and charm wouldn't hurt in the campaign and he'd enjoy his gifts while he still had them. He flashed the maidservant at the door a smile that had her dropping her feather duster.
Yes, it was good to know one still had all of one's skills.
Chapter 23
Robert didn't realize how smoothly he'd been steered until they entered their fifth shop on High Street. Mattie was enjoying herself with Nell, and so far he and Lydia had been to the draper's (pins), the grocer (tea), the tavern (ale for the manor), apothecary (headache powders) and now they were standing in front of the blacksmith's.
"You need an iron hinge?"
"You see it right here on my list, my lord: 'hinge for kitchen door.' Mrs. Farmer mentioned it to Braxton, and since I was coming to Ashwyn, I offered to drop by the blacksmith and let him know."
"Miss Burke, I know how to spot a ruse when it's in front of me. You intend to visit every shop in the village, don't you?"
"No," she said for his ears alone, "I intend for Lord Huntley to visit every shop in the village. Now, let's take care of that hinge."
So Robert followed her into the smithy, where they heard the clang of metal from the back. A young woman with a babe on her hip came out to the front of the shop and her eyes grew large at the sight of her visitors.
"My Lord Huntley!" she said and bobbled an awkward curtsey that made the babe crow and wave a fist in the air, clutching a pewter ring he then shoved in his mouth and began gnawing.
Robert removed his hat. "How did you know who I was, Mrs...?"
"Rostron, sir. Janet Rostron. There's my husband, George," she said with a toss of her head to the back, and she smiled, bringing the freckles on her nose and cheeks into prominence.
"And who else would you be, sir? A fine and handsome gentleman, newly arrived in our village. I also had tea with Mrs. Castle this morning," she added. "You must be Miss Burke."
"I am indeed," Lydia said. "That is a handsome boy you have there."
"Little George," Mrs. Rostron said with an indulgent glance at the drooling baby. "He's going to be big as his da someday."
Big George emerged from the back of the smithy, ducking so he wouldn't smack his head against the lintel. If the child was on his way to becoming large as his father, he had a ways to go. The massive smith looked capable of molding a hinge with his fingers alone.
Robert offered his hand and the blacksmith took it, and Robert appreciated having his hand back uncrushed.
"You have calluses, my lord," the blacksmith rumbled. "Not what I expect from the gentry."
"I was a sea captain long before I came into my title. Being Huntley is a new position for me as well."
"This is Miss Burke, Lord Huntley's governess," Mrs. Rostron said, jouncing the baby on her hip. "There is a little girl?"
"My daughter," Robert said crisply, but neither Rostron appeared interested in Mathilde's origins.
"I hear there is to be an assembly soon." Janet grinned. "Mr. Clegg heard it from Mary who works at the vicarage. That would be the Mary who's sister to your Martha at the manor."
"For such a quiet spot, word travels fast."
"You are adding excitement to Ashwyn," Lydia said. "It's to be expected."
"I live to add excitement to peoples' lives."
Rostron said he'd come out to Huntley to have a look at the hinge, and Lydia said she'd have a list for him of other repairs for which they'd need his skilled services.
As they exited the smithy Robert turned to her and said, "You have a skill with people, Miss Burke."
"You do also, Captain."
"I certainly have enough charm to get my way most of the time--really, must you make that snorting noise?"
"I cannot help it."
"As I was saying, I can charm, but you are good at--" He thought about it, trying to phrase it properly. "You are good at people. I am always looking out for my own advantage, or my own safety, but you are skilled at understanding people in a different way. You are skilled at making people comfortable and at ease."
"What a lovely compliment," she said, a glow in her moss-green eyes lighting an answering glow in his chest, in the region of his heart. They returned to the vicarage to collect Mattie, and Mrs. Castle gave them the particulars of the upcoming assembly.
"There is much excitement among the younger set, and the older folk said they remember well when Huntley was the site of a festival each wakes week, my lord."
"I shall make it a goal for Huntley to once again host a festival next year, Mrs. Castle."
Mattie and Nell came running down the steps and while Nell still wore a pinafore, she had an eye patch and a wooden sword, as did Mattie.
"Look, Papa! Nell's papa had these packed away. He said he'd been saving them for when Nell has a little brother, but we explained how silly that was when there are two girls who could play with them now and he agreed. Then we tied up a doll and held her for ransom and we wanted to dress Nell's cat Snowball as a pirate, but Snowball ran off to the kitchen."
"Cats have a strong instinct for self-preservation,
" he said.
Lydia confirmed plans for the Castles to come to supper and they headed back to Huntley.
It was one of those perfect autumn days helping Robert see there were some attractions to living in England. The crisp air and the colors of the landscape were a change from the languid humidity and heat of the islands, heat that brought fevers raging through populations in that unhealthy climate. It was better for Mattie to be here, and each day he felt as if he was shedding a shell that formed around him when he turned his back on his native land. As a youth he only longed to be away, but as a man, as a father and a landholder, he saw his life here with a new eye, one that appreciated a life where excitement came in the form of village dances, not at the end of a blade.
It was a better life for Mattie, for him, and by all that was holy, he'd make it a better life for Lydia Burke as well.
Their carriage was well maintained, as Ralph had no doubt wanted to travel in style and comfort. The horses too were good stock and as they traveled the short distance back to the manor he breathed deep of the scents of a familiar place, a place he never knew he'd longed for until he returned.
He glanced at the woman at his side, the child snuggled against her for warmth. She looked at him from beneath her attractive cottage bonnet of lavender sarcenet, headgear finally enhancing her attractiveness rather than disguising it, and she smiled at him. It looked like a smile saying nothing more than, "I am glad I am here beside you at this moment," and he knew that might be the most important smile he'd ever seen.
* * * *
Lydia and Mattie were already dressed for church and eating breakfast when Robert joined them the next morning.
"Papa, I have not been to church in ever so long. Will it be like St. Martin with Father Jacques?"
"You will find some things familiar, some things different, child. I confess that I have not been to church in so long much of it will be new to me as well. We can learn together."
"I suspect it will gratify Mr. Castle--as well as the Almighty--to have you in All Saints, my lord. In these villages it means a great deal to have the baron in his pew at Sunday worship."
The Pirate's Secret Baby Page 29
