by Clare Revell
Vianne’s eyes lit up. “You get paid hourly?”
“Grown-ups do. You get paid weekly in comics and coloring books.” Adeline said, then laughed.
“And colors. I get that pen set tomorrow with sixty-four colors in it.”
“Really?” Nate raised an eyebrow. “If that’s the one you’ve been hounding me for weeks, it’s not cheap.”
“You know how much a real assistant would cost me, Nate? Vianne’s having fun, she’s kept busy, and I’m quid’s in. It’s not hurting anyone. Besides, she’s learning she has to earn stuff.” The car stopped outside her house. “Thank you very much. I’ll see you both in the morning.”
“I’ll walk you to the door. Stay here, kiddo.”
“There’s no need.” She kissed his cheek. “Goodnight.”
****
Adeline spent the whole day anticipating dinner. She had a light breakfast and skipped lunch. Ten minutes before closing, Ben alerted her to the ringing phone. “Datura Doll Hospital.”
“Hey, it’s Nate. I’m really sorry, but I’m going to have to cancel. Something’s come up at work, and I’m going to be here a while yet.”
She hid the stab of regret. “No problem. Do you want me to take Vianne home with me?”
“Yes, please. Actually, could you take her to my place? I have no idea what time I’m going to finish tonight, so I cancelled the baby-sitter. Feel free to crash on the sofa or in the spare room if I’m not home by eleven.”
“OK.”
“I’m really, really sorry.”
“Me, too.” She hung up and looked at the phone. She closed her eyes, attempting to tamp down the disappointment. Let’s take this and turn it into a positive.
Ben tapped her leg, and Adeline opened her eyes to see Vianne standing the other side of the desk. “Hey.”
“Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. That was Uncle Nate on the phone. He’s been held up at work so he’s going to be really late tonight.”
The child’s face fell. “Again? But you were going out to dinner.”
“I know and I’m disappointed, but I was thinking. Why don’t instead of going out, you and I go home via the precinct and get some fish and chips and eat them out of the paper at your house. We could make a den under the dining table if you like.”
“Can we have salt and vinegar on the chips?”
“Is there any other way to have them?” Adeline reached for her bag. “Come on, let’s go.”
****
Trying to get Vianne out from the den at bedtime was a losing battle.
Adeline soon gave up and fetched duvet and pillows and let her fall asleep under the table. Just after eleven, she locked the front door and snuggled down on the couch under a blanket. She left the side table lamp on in case Vianne woke.
She opened her eyes, heart racing, as Ben jumped on her and licked her face.
“What’s up?”
He leapt down and ran to the door, pausing to look back at her.
“OK, I’m coming.”
Adeline rubbed her eyes and looked at the clock. Two AM. She must have fallen asleep, but who would it be at this time of night? And why hadn’t Nate gotten up?
Holding her breath, she peered through the spy hole. Nate. That would be why he hadn’t answered the door.
He slid inside as she opened the door. “Thanks. I thought I’d have to sleep in the car for a moment.”
“Did you lose your key?”
“No. You must have put the deadbolt across.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. It’s force of habit. Good thing Ben heard you.”
Nate nodded and petted Ben. “It was. No harm done. How’s Vianne?”
“She’s fast asleep in her den under the table. I saved you some dinner, but you look exhausted.”
“I am. I’m just going to go to bed.” He hugged and kissed her gently. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.”
Nate locked the front door and peeped into the lounge at Vianne, before heading up the stairs. He looked dead on his feet, and Adeline wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d curled up on the stairs and slept there.
She headed back into the lounge and lay under the blanket. She closed her eyes, a sudden burden of prayer for Nate coming over her.
When she finally did fall asleep, she dreamed she was running from something she couldn’t see. A storm surrounded her, and she was alone. Above her shone dark, slitted eyes, following her every move, and a stench of garlic oozed from the ground she stood on. She woke, drenched in sweat, gasping for breath. Why were the dreams back? He was locked up now, she and every other woman was safe. Weren’t they?
****
The following day, Nate called to say he’d be late again.
Adeline closed the shop and took Vianne home. He’d looked drained that morning before he left for work. She’d wanted to discuss the dream with him, but the moment had come and gone so fast, she hadn’t.
Ben alerted her to the door, just as she put the shepherd’s pie in the oven. Opening it, she found a well-dressed woman, with two bags by her feet. Wondering what she was selling, Adeline plastered a smile on her face. “Can I help you?”
The woman’s face turned to stone as her gaze ran over Adeline’s apron and disheveled appearance. “Who are you? Where’s Nathaniel?”
Nathaniel? Did she mean Nate? “Nate isn’t back from work yet.”
Vianne pushed past her and hugged the lady.
“I’m fine, Vianne, sweetheart,” she replied, only confusing Adeline further. “How are you?”
Adeline couldn’t see the response until Vianne turned around. “This is Adeline. I work with her sometimes, and she’s Uncle Nate’s friend. This is my Nanny. Grandad’s just coming with the bags. Adeline can’t hear you unless you look at her. She’s deaf.”
“I see. Are you Nathaniel’s girlfriend?”
Adeline paused, not having put their relationship into those terms. Before she could answer, Nate’s mother pushed past her and into the house.
“Yes, dear.” The tall man, who followed her into the hall with another bag, bore a striking resemblance to Nate. He nodded to his wife and held out a hand to Adeline. “Jeremiah Holmes. It’s a pleasure to meet you—?”
“Adeline Monroe.” She shook his hand. His touch was cold, almost clinical.
“Have you known Nate long?”
“A while. We go to the same church.” She shut the door and looked at the bags. “He didn’t tell me you were coming.”
“He doesn’t know. Libby decided this morning, and he wasn’t answering his phone when we rang.”
“He’s really busy at work right now, but he does pick up his messages on his mobile.”
“His mobile?” Libby’s face filled with disgust. “We don’t use those. Landlines are quite sufficient.”
“Do you want me to make up the spare room for you?”
“I’ll do it.” Libby paused at the foot of the stairs and gave her a withering glance. “I trust I’m not pushing you out of your bed? I assume you are sleeping in the spare bed if you’re staying here?”
“I don’t live here. I have my own place.” Adeline’s face burned. Bile rose at the insinuation, and she swallowed hard. “I’m just looking after Vianne until Nate gets home.”
“Good.” She stuck out a hand. “Lady Elizabeth Holmes, I assume my husband already introduced himself, but he’s Lord Holmes.”
Shock followed hard on the heels of discomfort and humiliation. Lady Holmes? Why hadn’t Nate said he and his parents were titled? Do I have to curtsey?
She recovered quickly, not wanting to lose face any more than she already had. “Adeline Monroe. It’s nice to meet you.”
Vianne looked at Adeline and signed. “Uncle Nate is a Sir, but he hates it, and won’t use it. I guess I was a lady before Daddy died, but I’m glad I’m not. Ladies have to behave.”
Lady Holmes reached out and grasped Vianne’s hands. “Stop doing that, Vianne. It’s as rude as whi
spering. Well, Miss Monroe, we’re here now and won’t take up any more of your valuable time. I’m sure you have other things you’d much rather be doing. Say goodbye, Vianne.”
Vianne pulled free of her grandmother and hugged Adeline. “Bye, Adeline.” Dropping back into sign language she said, “I don’t want you to go.”
Adeline signed back, speaking aloud for the benefit of Nate’s parents. “It’s OK. I’ll see you tomorrow. You’re getting really good at signing.”
“I have a good teacher.” Vianne frowned as she stumbled over the signs.
“Well done. Say hi to Uncle Nate when he gets in.” Adeline signed slowly as she spoke so Vianne could follow.
“I will.” Vianne hugged her.
Adeline hugged her back. She clipped on Ben’s leash and straightened. “It’s nice to have met you both. There’s a shepherd’s pie in the oven and veggies cooking on the stove. It should be ready in about fifteen minutes.”
“Thank you. Goodbye.”
The door shut in her face, and Adeline stood there in a daze for a few seconds. Had she just been thrown out? It certainly seemed that way. How did someone as nice as Nate, have such an awful mother?
She looked down at Ben. “Come on. Let’s go home.”
Starting to walk, her mind in turmoil, she realized she‘d left her phone on the kitchen counter.
“Never mind. Perhaps Nate will see it and bring it to the doll hospital tomorrow when he drops Vianne off,” She told Ben. “If not, I’ll have to get it later.”
Nothing would come of the fledgling relationship with Nate. Titled lords didn’t date or marry the hoi polloi.
Especially not a deaf commoner like her. It wasn’t until she got home, she realized she no longer thought of herself as plump. At least one good thing had come from the short lived relationship with Nate.
13
Just after dusk, Nate pulled onto the drive, his heart sinking as he recognized his parents’ car. He checked his phone. No, he hadn’t missed a message saying they were coming. He loved them dearly, just wished they’d warn him before arriving on his doorstep. He could at least tidy the house that way. Not to mention steel himself for his mother’s inevitable comments on his parenting skills, or lack thereof.
She hadn’t been happy with Pete’s decision to make him Vianne’s legal guardian. But Pete had done it for a reason. And honestly, Nate didn’t blame him at all. Their childhood hadn’t been easy at the best of times. Pete got the worst of it as he was the eldest son. But since Pete’s death, he was the sole heir of his father’s title and the country estate, and the sole focus of his mother’s scorn. She had a set idea about how a Lord, or Lord-in-waiting, should behave. And a cop wasn’t it.
The front door opened as he reached it. The smell of roast venison wafted over him.
“Nanny and Grandad are here,” Vianne said. “They came to stay.”
“So I see.”
“She’s in the kitchen, redoing dinner. Adeline and I made you shepherd’s pie, but that’s…” she broke off and checked over her shoulder before finishing in a whisper, “…peasant food.”
He stifled his reaction. “Come here and give me a hug.”
“Adeline went home.” Vianne said as she stepped into his embrace. “Nanny didn’t want her here. She asked if she were pushing Adeline out of her bed, when she offered to make up the spare room, assuming she slept in there. But Adeline isn’t staying here at the moment and even when she did she had her own room, just like I do.”
Nate froze, his already taut body tightening even further. His mother had implied what? “I’m sorry?”
“Did I say something wrong?”
“No, sweetheart. You didn’t say anything wrong.”
“OK.”
“And you’re right. Adeline did have her own room. Just like you do.” And for that he was grateful. He looked concerned as his niece rubbed her stomach. “Are you OK?”
“I like shepherd’s pie,” she whispered. “Don’t like what Nanny’s making. And I’m hungry. My tummy hurts.”
“Haven’t you eaten yet?” He looked at his watch. It was almost seven forty-five.
“No.”
“I’ll sort it. Go watch TV while I talk to her.”
“OK.” She ran off.
Nate took a deep breath and pushed to his feet. He hung his coat on the rack and headed into the kitchen. “Hi.”
His mother turned. “Nathaniel, you’re late.”
He bristled, feeling the hair stand on end on the back of his neck. “I had a lot of work on today.” He kissed her cheek. “I didn’t realize you were coming.”
“Apparently, it’s a good thing we did. Vianne’s picked up all sorts of bad habits from that dreadful babysitter of yours. Including some strange hand waving and eating habits. Of all the people to leave my grandchild with you could have picked someone better. This woman can’t even hear her if something happens.”
“Adeline is not my babysitter. She’s a very good friend,” he said stiffly. “And as for her being deaf and using sign language, Vianne’s not the only one who uses it.” He looked at her, continuing in sign. “I do as well.”
“And like I told Vianne, that’s as rude as whispering.”
Nate turned to his father. “Hi, Dad.”
Dad shook his hand. “Nate. Sorry to drop in unannounced, but once your mother gets an idea in her head, it’s best to go with it.”
“How was the drive?”
“It would have been a lot easier without your mother constantly complaining that we hadn’t let Jeeves drive us.”
“You know how much I dislike you driving,” Mum interrupted. “What’s the point of having a chauffeur if you don’t use him? The same goes for a cook. Perhaps we could send for Mrs. Jones. Have her cook for us while we’re here. Jeeves could bring her.”
“And they would sleep where?” Nate asked. “Did you want them to share a room? Or are you planning on kicking Vianne out of her room again?”
“It’s only right she make way for guests.”
“And speaking of guests, I asked Adeline to look after Vianne until I got back from work. Vianne said you sent her home.” He glanced around. “And that Adeline already made dinner.”
“That’s in the fridge cooling. Then it can go in the freezer. I’m doing you a proper dinner.”
“Please don’t throw my guests out again,” Nate said evenly. “Vianne doesn’t like venison.”
“She’ll eat what she’s given.”
Nate strode to the fridge and pulled out the dish of shepherd’s pie. He yanked open the drawer and grabbed a spoon. “She can have what Adeline made.”
“You spoil that child.” Mum’s tone was filled with venom. “She’d be better off with us.”
“Why’s that? So a nanny can look after her and a governess can teach her?”
“We’d find her a nice boarding school.”
Nate’s temper was rising despite his best intentions. He’d not even been in the same room with her ten minutes, and already his mother had riled him to almost the point of no return. “She’s ten years old.”
“You went to boarding school when you were five.”
“Don’t I know it,” Nate snapped. He shoved the plate into the microwave.
“You’re not really going to feed her that? It’s peasant food.”
“She likes it. It’s simply beef and potatoes cooked a different way.” He started reheating the food. “And no disrespect intended, Mum, but this is my house. Vianne is in my care and I’ll bring her up how I like.”
He could almost see the hackles rise as Mum drew herself up into what Pete had irreverently, but lovingly, referred to as ‘grumbly mummy’. “Oh, really?”
“Yes, really.”
“And does that include exposing her to a long string of unsuitable girlfriends? She said Adeline had been sleeping here.”
“Yes, Adeline stayed here while her place was being redecorated.”
“Didn’t she have family
she could stay with?”
“Not that I owe you an explanation, but someone was murdered in her home and the department decided she needed to be protected and not be with her family, in case there was another attempt on her life. Another police officer stayed here, not just when I was working, but overnight as well. We were already friends, so it seemed the best solution to everyone.”
“I thought you were different than Peter. He always fell for the wrong kind of girl. Did you know he only married that French woman because she was pregnant?”
“What?”
“Of course we insisted, I mean you can’t have the earl’s son born out of wedlock. When she left him, we weren’t surprised. We hoped he’d file for divorce and find someone more suitable. Of course, it didn’t happen, so now we have to pin our hopes on you. You need to make the right choice in a woman. Someone classy, with bearing, and their own money. Definitely not someone who’ll marry you for your title and because you’re rich.”
“So that rules Adeline out, I suppose?”
“Well she’s hardly pretty is she? She might be if she lost a few pounds, but her deafness really put’s paid to her usefulness.” Mum lowered her voice. “I mean, what would her children turn out like?”
Nate’s hands clenched into fists. “She wasn’t born deaf. She caught measles when she was five. Her hearing loss was a complication from being sick. And I’ll decide my choice of bride when the time comes.” Lord, God, help me here. I don’t want things to get any more uncomfortable than they are. I’m not going to tell her no one knows about the title… He broke off. Well I guess Adeline does now. He pulled the plate from the microwave and took it to the table. “Vianne, dinner,” he called.
Her answering call was accompanied by running footsteps.
“Wash your hands,” Mum told her.
Vianne turned on the taps, spraying water all over the draining board. “Can I have ketchup with it? Can you make it a cross face this time?”
Ignoring the hiss of disgust from his mother, Nate nodded. “Sure. So long as you eat all of it. Including the green stuff.”
Vianne dried her hands. “I already promised Adeline that.”
