by Abigail Agar
“Do you want to see the creek?” Gwyn asked. She had saved the best for last, in her humble opinion. When Sergeant Chaves agreed with a nod, Gwyn led the way down through the slightly overgrown path towards the bridge.
Sergeant Chavers whistled when he saw the bridge before him. “That is lovely craftsmanship,” the man said in admiration. “Did your father make this?”
“With help from the Duke of Castleberry. I am sorry, we always just call him Lord Shelton, and it seems so bizarre to use his title,” Gwyn said with a chuckle. “You would understand if or when you meet the man.
Sergeant Chavers nodded. “I guess I will have to take your word for it,” the man said with a chuckle. “Is that Shelton Hall over there?” Sergeant Chavers waved his hand to encompass the large building across the fields.
With a nod, Gwyn said, “Yes.” She walked onto the bridge. “I grew up playing in this creek. We used to have mock pirate battles and adventures every day here. I really do hope that my own children can have the same experience.”
“I am certain that could be arranged,” Sergeant Chavers said with a smile. He asked curiously, “When you say the word “we” is that referring to friends of yours?” Gwyn saw the man’s eyes go over to Shelton Hall.
Gwyn said, “If you mean does that include Captain Shelton, then yes it did. We were children. We grew up side by side. We were bound to play together.”
“It does seem a logical thing,” Sergeant Chavers said in consideration. “Still, I know it might seem silly to you, but I get the impression that perhaps that was more than just regular friendship between you two. Mind you, I am not easily intimidated. I just do not want there to be any secrets.”
Gwyn could not hold that against him. She had been burned by secrets before, and she had no interest in keeping them away from the man she could very well marry. Gwyn said softly, “The truth is, Sergeant Chavers that Captain Shelton and I were once sweethearts. Everyone thought we would get married, including us. Things change, and that is one of the things that changed. It is in our past.” Gwyn watched the man’s face and hoped fervently that he believed her.
Finally, Sergeant Chavers nodded. “Then in the past, it will stay,” the man promised.
“In the past,” Gwyn whispered as she gave the man a smile.
Chapter 5
Gwyn stood outside Shelton Hall. She eyed the large wooden doors with considerable discomfort. She had not stepped inside Shelton Hall since before she had left for India years ago. The last time Gwyn had been on Shelton land had been more than enough to keep her away.
Still, she felt she should offer some measure of support. After all, the Shelton family had been their oldest and dearest allies and friends. Of course, Gwyn had not come alone. No, the Shelton family had no need for further rumours and scandals.
Lady Stanton gave Gwyn an encouraging, or what Gwyn assumed was supposed to be encouraging smile as they waited for the doorman to answer their knock. The heavy brass door knocker with its jarring face stared at Gwyn as if it too wanted to know why she was there. Gwyn crinkled her nose up at the thing.
Although only a few moments had passed since they had knocked, it still felt like an eternity when the door finally swung open. To Gwyn’s surprise, it was Henry Shelton and not the ageing doorman, Fredrick, who stood on the other side. Gwyn saw an echoing expression of surprise on Henry’s face before he quickly masked it.
Henry swept his arm in a grand gesture as he bowed. “I am so sorry to keep you ladies waiting. I am afraid that Fredrick is a bit under the weather this morning,” Henry said by way of explanation as he held the door open for the ladies to step through. Once they were inside, Henry shut the door gently and said, “I will go inform Mother that you are here. Please take a seat while I make sure she is not indisposed.”
“Thank you,” Lady Stanton said with a smile and a nod as she sank primly onto one of the stuffed benches that were in the foyer for guests. Henry was swiftly off to let Lady Shelton know that she had guests.
Gwyn sat down next to her mother and sighed. “Feels odd to be back inside Shelton Hall.”
“Nonsense. As much as you played here over the years, it should feel as much home as our manor,” Lady Stanton said as she took off the formal gloves she had pulled on before leaving their home. Gwyn thought it a waste of energy to put on the things only to take them right back off, but then again Gwyn’s mother was a stickler for certain outdated rules of society.
Gwyn cleared her throat. “Perhaps it is just the last time I visited that has left me feeling out of place here,” she said softly.
Lady Stanton eyed her daughter. “As you never shared the events of that visit, I can hardly comment,” she said quietly.
Before anything further could be said, Henry waltzed back into the room and said grandly, “Lady Shelton is awaiting you in her sitting room. If you follow me, I will take you there directly. Although, you ladies could probably find your own way there.” The man chuckled and waited for the ladies to rise.
Lady Stanton shook her head at Henry. “You should take your duties more seriously, Lord Shelton,” she said with a cluck of her tongue.
“I think he was just trying to be humorous, Mother,” Gwyn said with a smile.
Lady Stanton did not look amused. “It is a good thing that his livelihood does not require that he be a good doorman, then,” Lady Stanton observed as she walked past Henry who looked as baffled by the woman as Gwyn felt most of the time.
“I do apologize,” Gwyn said quietly as she passed Henry.
Henry shrugged. “No worries. My mother says the same thing about me.”
“That you should not be a doorman?” Gwyn asked in amusement as the man fell into step beside her.
They followed Lady Stanton through the halls, and Henry agreed, “Yes. She is also dubious that I shall make a good Duke. At this rate, I might end up having to be the town drunk.”
“Well, that certainly sounds daunting,” Gwyn said with a shake of her head at the man’s foolishness.
They fell silent for a moment. Gwyn watched her mother’s dress swishing as they passed through the corridors and noted that Henry had slowed a bit. She gave the man a curious look. Henry said conversationally, but low enough that his voice would not carry to Lady Stanton ahead of them, “I must say that I am surprised to see you here. After how you and Jack left things, I figured that we had seen the last of you.”
“Well, there is no point in putting our families’ futures at stake over something that happened years ago,” Gwyn said trying to channel her mother’s calmness.
Henry nodded. “You sound remarkably like Jack,” Henry noted. “Truth be told, we could use friends, but I have no desire to see Jack hurt again by some flight of fancy of yours.”
Gwyn felt as if she had been slapped. “Excuse me?” Gwyn could not stop herself before she said the words in a whispered exclamation. “I respect that you wish to protect your brother, but I am not here about Jack in a personal sense. I am here with my mother to show support for your family during this scandal, a scandal that I had nothing to do with and do not even need to be associated with.”
If Henry should have looked chastised, he did not. If anything, the man looked emboldened by Gwyn’s show of emotion. “I am glad to see that you are not interested in my brother. He will overcome this scandal. After all, if anyone’s reputation can see him through, it will be Jack’s.”
Gwyn thought about Miss Rayburne and about that night four years ago. Again, guilt stung Gwyn. If it turned out that Miss Rayburne’s story was true, then it was Gwyn’s fault that the young woman had been put into that position. She should have said something. Gwyn’s eyes went to Jack’s older brother.
“Yes, let us hope that Jack’s reputation pulls him through this,” Gwyn said without conviction. Her heart was warring with her head. Part of her believed that Jack had to be guilty, but part of her defended him still. Gwyn sighed softly. Would she never be free of this horrible affliction that s
he held for Jack?
Henry gave her a smile that made Gwyn wonder for a moment if he knew about that night so long ago. Perhaps, he had seen something, or Jack had seen her and told Henry of it. Surely, if Jack had known she was there, then he would have said something. Gwyn tried not to think of all the reasons Jack could have kept his peace instead of trying to explain.
“Here we are,” Henry said as he stood to the side to let Gwyn follow her mother through the door into the sitting room. Lady Shelton was waiting with a tray of tea and sweet cakes. Gwyn ducked through the door and avoided looking at Henry.
Lady Shelton welcomed Lady Stanton and Gwyn in with a warm smile that Gwyn could find no fault or shadow in. Gwyn relaxed considerably knowing that Henry was gone. He would not interrupt ladies in their sitting room, after all. The man had at least that much consideration.
“I do appreciate your visit, Clarisse,” Lady Shelton said with the familiarity of an old friend to Gwyn’s mother.
Lady Stanton reached over and put her hand on top of Lady Shelton’s hands that lay in the woman’s lap. “I would have come sooner, but I did not know if it would be welcomed with everything going on, Lydia.”
“I would have you over more often,” Lady Shelton insisted. “I do so miss the old times when we were all family. However, this is a stressing time. I have sent a messenger to the Rayburne household and expect an answer later today.”
Lady Stanton frowned. “Poor Jack must be beside himself. Coming home from war then being faced with this,” she said with more sympathy than Gwyn could remember the woman using towards Jack in a very long time.
“It has caught him low. There are days when I can barely get him to eat. I fear that he wishes he had not come home at all now,” Lady Shelton said. She shook her head sadly and dabbed the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief woven with her initials.
Gwyn felt a twinge of pain in her heart. Hearing Jack’s plight made her hurt for the boy she had known. Even with everything he had done to her, she still did not want him to suffer so. “I am so sorry that this has happened,” Gwyn said softly.
“You always were such a kind child,” Lady Shelton said with a gentle smile at Gwyn. Gwyn could see no covered anger or negativity towards her, yet Gwyn knew the woman had to blame Gwyn for what had happened all those years ago between her and Jack. “You really should come around more often, Gwyneth. I have missed our talks all these years. Things happen, and just because you and Jack are not to be wed, does not mean that we still cannot be friends, now does it?”
Gwyn shook her head in wonderment. “No. I suppose it does not have to mean that at all,” she said with genuine surprise that the woman would still want to have Gwyn in her home. Of course, Henry might have something to say about that.
Lady Stanton smiled at her daughter. She looked over at Lady Shelton and said with gratitude, “You are so kind to us, Lydia. I wish that there was something we could do to help you during this time.”
There was a pause, and then Lady Shelton said, “Perhaps there is.” Gwyn and her mother eyed Lady Shelton with interest before the woman continued, “My Jack is suffering dearly under this accusation. The rumours and scandal never bothered Henry much, but Jack is a different sort altogether. The damage to his honour and pride may be too severe. If the young lady persists, I have no doubt that Jack will do the honourable thing and wed her even if I have serious doubts about her honesty in the matter.”
“What can we do to help?” Lady Stanton asked with that measured caution that Gwyn had always admired in her mother. Gwyn had not yet quite managed to obtain her mother’s ability to feel out situations.
Lady Shelton cleared her throat. “I know that Gwyn and Jack are not as close as they were, but we have had no luck, even Henry, in getting through to Jack. If Gwyn could merely speak with him …”
“Gwyn is being courted,” Lady Stanton reminded Lydia. “It would be most inappropriate for her to speak with Jack alone while she is being courted by another man.”
Lady Shelton nodded. “I understand that. I know that Sergeant Chavers and Gwyn are courting, and I would do nothing to interfere. I just want to save my son from himself. Surely, you would do whatever you could, if it were your child, Clarisse. We can have a chaperone with them, of course.”
“It is worth a try, Mother,” Gwyn said before she could rethink the matter. Jack had helped her through many things as children. Although he had betrayed her, she did not need to prove herself the same as him by returning the favour and ignoring his plight. “I will do what I can,” Gwyn assured Lady Shelton.
Lady Stanton eyed her daughter thoughtfully before she nodded. “If Gwyn thinks it best, then I will give my consent, so long as they are not left unattended.”
“I assure you that they will not be. You can even accompany Gwyn if you like,” Lady Shelton said with a brisk nod. “I am most grateful that you would try to help, Gwyn,” Lady Shelton said with a smile to Gwyn.
Gwyn nodded. “It is the least I can do for all the years of friendship between Jack and me. Where will I find him?”
“He is in the garden. I finally coaxed him out of his room, and he is outside somewhere. I am sure Henry can show you where. He will do for a fine chaperone. Will you accompany her outside, Clarisse?” Lady Shelton turned towards Gwyn’s mother.
Lady Stanton shook her head. “No. I think Gwyn will be fine in Henry’s company.”
With a nod, Lady Shelton rang a bell that usually summoned a servant, but Henry popped his head through the door a few moments later. “Henry, please escort Gwyn outside to where Jack is. She has agreed to try and talk him out of any foolish endeavours he might be considering. Stay and chaperone them, Henry.” Lady Shelton gave Henry a look that Gwyn could not read, but Henry clearly got the message as he bobbed his head up and down eagerly.
“Of course, Mother,” Henry said. He looked over at Gwyn and motioned with his arm for her to accompany him. “Right this way, Miss Stanton.”
Gwyn was not fond of the idea of being under Henry’s protection as it were. She had heard the rumours about why the Shelton household could not keep female staff, and Gwyn did not think him an appropriate chaperone in the least. However, she followed the man silently as she could not naysay Lady Shelton in the woman’s own home, after all.
Henry led her through the doors that opened onto the balcony and Gwyn’s mind immediately returned to that dreary, rainy evening so many years ago. Gwyn put her mind on anything else. It would not do to dredge up old feelings when she was about to see Jack. She could hardly help the man if she fostered such hurt.
“He was on the south patio,” Henry said conversationally as they took the steps down and followed the stone path through the gardens towards the rear of the house. “Kind of you to put yourself in such a position just to help out an old friend,” Henry said with thorns in his words.
Gwyn sighed. She had no need or eagerness for an argument with the older Shelton brother, yet here he was asking her to defend herself again. Gwyn said simply, “One does not forsake friends, and Lady Shelton has always been a good friend.”
“And Jack?” Henry asked pointedly as he clasped his hands behind his back as they walked.
Gwyn tilted her head forward to concede. “Yes, Jack is my friend as well. We have had our differences, but that should not stop me from helping if I can.”
“If you can, indeed,” Henry said quietly. He continued a bit louder, “I do not know why Mother thinks that he would listen to you after all you have done. Jack would be within his rights not to speak to you again.”
Gwyn was more in shock than anything else. Jack would be well within his rights not to speak to her? What about what Jack had done? Henry must not know, or if he did the man probably approved with the way that Henry was with women.
Henry chuckled. “Guess you do feel a bit of shame for leaving my brother in the lurch,” the man said as he eyed Gwyn.
