"I love her, Miss Stone," Raj confessed, still dazed to learn that his passion and his love were more than returned by Louisa. "And I give you my most solemn vow that I will do all that is within my power to keep her safe and happy."
Gazing into those stunning blue eyes Matty realized he was speaking the truth, and her heart overflowed with joy for the couple. "See that you do, sir," she scolded in a mock-ferocious voice, making no effort to wipe the tears from her cheeks. "Else you shall have me to contend with!"
"A threat guaranteed to keep me on the straight and narrow." Raj deposited another kiss on his fiancée's cheek before stepping back. "Now, if you will pardon me, my dearest, it is time I was bearding Joss in his study and asking his permission for your hand. A mere formality . . . I hope."
"Joss — Lord Kirkswood isn't in his study," Matty stammered, her voice almost betraying her. "You'll find him and Lady Sarah in the garden."
"Will I?" Raj's teeth flashed in a wicked grin. "Well, then, that is where I shall look. Who knows, perhaps if I am lucky he is also making a proposal, and will be more receptive to me."
After he'd gone there was an awkward silence, and then Louisa said, "I hope you truly wish me happy, Matty, for I do love Rajana so very much."
Discarding the relationship of employer to mistress, Matty rushed forward to embrace the marchioness. "I am ecstatic for you," she said, laughing and crying at the same time. "You have had so much unhappiness in your life, how could I help but be delighted for you now? You are a wonderful person, and I can think of no one more deserving of happiness."
Tears filled Louisa's eyes as she returned Matty's hug. "The same might be said of you, you know," she said, drawing back to smile at her companion. "And I want you to know that you shall always have a home with me. We probably won't remain in England, but you will be more than welcome to accompany us wherever we go."
The thought of being a witness to Lady Louisa and Mr. Fitzsimmon's happiness was almost as unbearable as remaining to watch Joss and Lady Sarah, and in that moment Matty knew she couldn't do it. "I'll think about it," she promised, not wishing to dampen the marchioness's joy. "Meanwhile, what about the ceremony? Will you be marrying here or in London?"
"Dearest Matty, I knew I could count upon you!" Lady Louisa's laugh was that of a delighted child. "You are the most sensible creature I have ever met in my life!"
Matty dredged up a shaky smile. "Yes, that is me," she said, fighting back the pain, "sensible to the core. Now, let us begin planning. You'll be wanting an engagement ball, of course . . ."
The news of Louisa and Raj's engagement both stunned and delighted the guests. After much excited talk it was decided to extend the house party another week, and to invite several other guests as well. Both Louisa's parents were dead, but her elder brother was alive, and a rider was sent to Surrey with a note inviting him and his wife to the festivities. Preparations for the engagement ball began at once, and in between arranging that and finalizing the originally planned ball, which was to be held in two days' time, Matty had little time to brood over the state of her own heart.
She welcomed the distraction, driving herself into a numbing stage of exhaustion. Instead of delegating the work to others she insisted upon doing everything herself, refusing help from everyone except Lady Louisa. She knew she was being foolish, but it was only when she was lost in the details of planning the balls that she was able to forget her own pain. It was a poor panacea at best, but it was the only one available, and she clung to it with desperate determination.
In addition to planning the balls she also had the work of the estate to keep her occupied. It was late May, and the farms about the manor house were already showing promise of a rich harvest. On the day of the first ball Matty was busy arranging rooms for the new guests who would be arriving within a few days, when the maid appeared with a message for her.
"From the Delvaynes', miss," the young maid said, handing her the note. "Her babe has come."
"How wonderful!" Matty exclaimed, tearing open the note and scanning the crudely written message the midwife had sent. One word in particular puzzled her, but she was finally able to decipher it. "Oh my heavens!" she cried, leaping to her feet. "She has had twins!"
"Twins!" The maid's homely face lit with glee. "Saints save us!"
"More like the saints save Mrs. Delvayne," Matty replied with a laugh, tucking the note in her pocket. "I shall have to ride out at once to visit her. Have Cook prepare a basket, and ask Mrs. Lawford for some blankets and the like. They will be needing a great deal of cloth, I'm thinking."
While the maid rushed off to do as she was asked, Matty went directly to Joss's study. He'd mentioned only yesterday that he was worried about Mrs. Delvayne, otherwise she would never have bothered him. She'd been doing her best to avoid him since realizing her love, and she felt a guilty pang of relief when there was no answer to her knock. The footman told her he and some of the other guests had ridden off for a picnic, and after asking him to inform the marquess of the blessed event she dashed up to change into her riding habit.
The food basket was waiting for her when she reached the stable, but when she asked for her Hippolyta she was shocked to learn that Juliana had ridden off with her. "She took my horse?" she demanded of the stablehand. "Good heavens, why? There must be at least five other horses available to her!"
"Not today, Miss Stone," the ostler said with an apologetic shrug. "What with that picnic 'n' all, ain't a beast with four hooves to be had. Except for the sheep, miss, an' I don't think ye'd be requiring them."
"The carriage horses are out, too?" she asked, frowning as her alternative plan collapsed about her.
"Yes, Miss Stone."
Matty reached a swift decision. "Well, there's no help for it, then, I shall simply have to walk," she said, bending down to pick up the basket. "I'll take the food out first, and the minute the carriage is back I want the rest sent to the Delvaynes."
The ostler pleaded with her to take a footman to carry the heavy basket, but Matty firmly refused. Not only could they not spare one from the house, but she preferred being alone. The long walk to the farm cottage would give her time to sort out her emotions, she decided, placing the basket over her arm as she struck out on foot.
The afternoon sun shone brightly in the sky, and all about her she could hear the sounds of nature drifting on the flower-scented breeze. Bees buzzed among the blossoming clover, the birds sang and chattered as they fed their young, and in the distance she could hear the baying of a dog as it chased a rabbit. How she would miss these sounds when she was gone, she thought, shifting the basket from one arm to another. They had grown as dear to her as the sweetest symphony, and she knew that no matter where she went, she would always remember Kirkswood when she heard a lark's song. As she would remember Joss, she added silently, her heart breaking quietly inside her.
News of the double birth was just now making the rounds, and Matty wasn't surprised to find the cottage full of excitedly chattering women when she arrived. She paused long enough to ooh and ah over the babies — both boys, the grandmother proudly informed her — and then she handed the basket to one of the other ladies to be put away. She also enjoined the midwife to make sure the exhausted mother wasn't exerting herself, and then quietly took her leave. With the ball being held that night there was still a great deal left to be done, and she was anxious to get started.
But because it was such a beautiful afternoon, she decided to strike out across the sheep pasture rather than taking the most direct route through the fields. She was enjoying the feel of the sun on her face and the wind tugging playfully at her hair, and wasn't paying particular attention to where she was going. But even if she had been, it was likely she still wouldn't have seen the badger hole in time.
"Oh!" She gave a startled cry as the ground gave way beneath her feet. She tried catching her step, only to groan as a sharp pain tore through her leg. Her hand flew out to protect her as she fell, but it was too late. Her hea
d struck the ground with a resounding smack, and even as she cried out again, the world went abruptly black.
"Please, my lord, will you kindly hold still!" the valet wailed, perspiration dotting his forehead as he struggled to tie the cravat about Joss's throat. "I cannot tie this properly if you persist in hopping about the room."
"Then hurry, blast it," Joss grumbled, hating the necessity of having a valet. He could hear the sounds of preparation drifting in from the hall, and his stomach clenched in nervous anticipation. Not in fear, he assured himself sternly. He was on edge, certainly, but he refused to admit that hosting his first ball at Kirkswood was enough to terrify him.
Thoughts of Kirkswood led automatically to Matty, and he wondered if she meant to attend the ball. She'd done an amazing job of avoiding him over the past several days, and he'd gone half-mad wondering what he might have said to upset her. He tried discussing the matter with Raj, but his usually sensible friend had descended into idiocy upon becoming engaged, and it was pointless attempting to have an intelligent conversation with him. He'd also sought out Valen, only to be frozen to the marrow for his pains. His old friend seemed to detest him these days, and Joss was beginning to grow frustrated. Had the entire world gone mad around him? he brooded with indignation.
"There! Perfection, my lord, sheer perfection," Linton sighed, stepping back to admire his handiwork. "No! For heaven's sake, do not bend your head! You will wrinkle the cloth!"
"Oh, bloody hell, what good is a neckcloth if you can't move your neck?" Joss complained, although he was careful not to do so. He wasn't about to endure another hour standing in an awkward position while Linton fluttered about him muttering about lace and points.
When his jacket had been smoothed on to Linton's exacting requirements he went down to the drawing room, where he found Raj and Louisa waiting for him. "Don't tell me you two have been billing and cooing again," he grumbled, albeit with a twinkle in his eye. "You're worse than a pair of lovestruck adolescents."
"And you're worse than a gouty old uncle," Louisa replied, having long since lost her fear of her formidable brother-in-law. "No wonder Matty has been so irritated with you; you have been impossible these past few days."
"Self-preservation! Any confirmed bachelor grows impossible when he sees one of his brethren caught tight in the parson's mousetrap," Joss teased, his manner deliberately casual as he glanced about him. "Speaking of your companion, where is she? I've not caught so much as a glimpse of her all day."
"Neither have I," Louisa admitted with a slight frown. "Not since this morning, at any rate."
A frisson of alarm stole down Joss's back. "What of you?" he asked Raj. "Have you seen her?"
Raj shook his head. "I have been with Louisa, so it is only logical that if she hasn't seen her, neither have I. Why?" His eyes narrowed on Joss's face. "Is something wrong?"
"I'm not sure," Joss admitted, doing his best to suppress the cold feeling of worry creeping into him. "I only know I'll feel much better when I know where she is."
He rang for the valet and asked that a message be sent to Miss Stone's rooms requesting she come to the drawing room at once. The footman paused, his brow wrinkling in thought. "Don't know as she's here, my lord," he said slowly. "Her maid Polly was just belowstairs, and she was fretting because Miss Stone wasn't back and it was almost time for the ball."
"Back from where?" Joss demanded, forcing himself to remain calm. "Where did she go?"
"The Delvaynes', your lordship." The boy suddenly turned a bright red. "Mrs. Delvayne had twins, and Miss Stone went to see if she needed anything. I — I was to tell you about it when you got back from your picnic, but I — "
"What time was this?" Joss interrupted impatiently, deciding recriminations could wait until later.
"Just after lunch, sir."
Joss cast a frantic look at the clock on the mantel. It was approaching eight o'clock, which meant Matty had been missing for almost seven hours. He refused to think of what that could mean. Shoving aside his own fears, Joss concentrated on what needed to be done. The first order of business was to learn if her horse had returned, and he sent a message out to the stable. The return message, when it came, only increased his anxiety.
"What the devil do you mean, she walked?" he demanded of the hapless footman. "Where was her horse?"
"That . . . that Miss Mulroy had her, my lord," the footman replied, having taken the time to get the full story from the stable-hands. "Miss Stone didn't seem too pleased about it, and set out on foot for the Delvaynes'."
"Never mind that now." Raj gave Joss a warning look when he began cursing like the dockhand he once was. "I want you to gather up all the men and meet us out front. We'll start searching at once."
"What about the ball, sir?" the footman asked, torn between his anxiety for Miss Stone and his desire to be seen in his handsome new livery. "The guests will be here soon, and — "
"The devil with the ball, and the devil with the guests!" Joss snarled, tearing Linton's masterpiece from his throat with an impatient tug. "Matty is worth a dozen of them, and I shan't rest until she is safe!"
"Blast, damnation, hell!" Matty uttered the curses in a voice that was hoarse from shouting. She'd been lying in the damp grass fighting off inquisitive sheep for hours, and now it looked as if she'd be spending the night there as well. Wincing against the pain she raised her head and called out again, only to have the wind throw her feeble cries back in her face. She could smell rain in the cool breeze, and her frustration turned to unease. If she were to lie out in the rain all night . . . she couldn't complete the harrowing thought.
Well, if help wouldn't come to her, then she would simply have to save herself, she decided grimly, ignoring the fact that she'd already spent several hours attempting to do just that. Her ankle was clearly sprained, and her head spun sickeningly every time she raised it, but she would simply have to bear it. She wasn't about to lie here and die.
It took several uncomfortable minutes, but she finally managed to push herself to her knees. She couldn't see much beyond the grass and the sheep, which, for reasons known only to them, had decided to flock about her, but as she recalled the estate lay some quarter mile over the ridge. She could crawl a quarter mile if need be, she told herself — but before she could even begin, the sheep nearest her began bleating nervously.
The sound reverberated painfully in her head, and in an anguished voice she implored the sheep to be still. Instead of obeying, it uttered an even louder bleat and bounded off, causing its companions to follow suit. Matty ducked and covered her head with her arms, praying she would be spared the humiliation of being trampled to death by a flock of sheep. She was lying like that when she felt the earth shake beneath her, and even as she recognized the sensation as the hoofbeats of an approaching horse she could hear a voice calling out her name. Seconds later she felt gentle hands turning her over.
"Matty? Oh God, Matty, are you all right?"
The anguished voice sounded vaguely familiar to Matty, but she couldn't quite place the owner. Her heavy lashes fluttered open, and she found herself gazing into a pair of green eyes laced with silver. Her brows gathered in a frown. "What kept you?" she asked crossly, and then knew no more, as unconsciousness claimed her for a second time.
"And see that you stay there, young lady," the doctor said in a jovial voice, giving Matty's hand a condescending pat. "A blow to the head is nothing to fool with, and of course that ankle is going to require some time before it's mended."
"Nonsense, doctor," Matty denied, glowering up at him from her nest of pillows. "I am perfectly fine, and I should be up and about within a day. I have a wedding to plan; I can't be lolling about in bed!"
"Patients." The doctor shook his grizzled head. "Never met one yet who didn't argue, regardless of what I tell them. I can't tie you down, miss, but I'd heed my warning was I you. Only get one set of brains, you know, and you just did your best to dash 'em out."
Matty winced at his bluntness. Wh
en she fell she'd struck her head on a rock, and the blow had left her badly concussed. It had also bled a great deal, and she was feeling decidedly weak. Not that she intended admitting as much, of course, she decided, turning her face toward the wall.
"Miss Stone will do as you suggest, Doctor." Lady Louisa spoke from the doorway, her arms folded beneath her breasts as she frowned at Matty. "You have my word on it."
"Good, good." The old man gave a warm chuckle as he pushed himself to his feet. "I'll just be on my way, then. And mind you drink that tonic I prescribed for you," he added, waggling an admonishing finger beneath Matty's nose. "Your blood wants building up." And he slipped from the room, grumbling to himself about stubborn females.
Louisa watched him go, and then her eyes flashed back to Matty's face. "He's right, you know," she said sternly. "You have been unforgivably stubborn from the moment Joss carried you into the house."
Matty's pale cheeks grew rosy as she recalled the embarrassing scene. She'd come to during the ride back to Kirkswood to find Joss's arms locked about her. Her breathless reassurances that she was all right had gone unheeded, as had her demands that he put her down. He'd ridden Leipzig right up to the front steps of the house, ignoring the gasps and stares of the guests as he carried her through the crowd and up the grand staircase. She'd caught a quick glimpse of one or two familiar faces, and decided it was probably just as well she'd decided to leave Kirkswood. After tonight her reputation would be well and truly shredded.
"I am sorry for ruining your ball," she said instead, deciding the less said about those moments in Joss's arms, the better. "I hope the guests weren't ignored."
"I can't say whether they were, as I have spent the better part of the evening up here, trying to keep you alive and Joss from killing that brattish cousin of yours," Louisa snapped, more than a little disenchanted with Matty.
"Juliana?"
Louisa gave a terse nod at Matty's question. "When he learned she'd taken your mare without your permission he rang a peal over her head, saying your being injured was her fault, and ordering her to stay away from the stables. She became hysterical and dashed upstairs, and I had to leave it to Lady Sarah to pour oil on the troubled waters. I only hope some of us have a reputation left when all this is over."
A Matchmaking Miss Page 15
