Grace: A Regency Romance (The Four Sisters' Series Book 3)

by Audrey Harrison

  “You do not appear shocked,” Rosalind said with the raise of a brow.

  “I suppose I’m not,” Eleanor acknowledged. “Father may have wanted us to all have titles, but the reality is Grace would never have been comfortable with such a position. Did you think she would?”

  “I suppose not, but I thought she might marry someone with more prospects than a gardener,” Rosalind said. “I had promoted Mr Workman, but that ended in disaster; I suppose it never stood a chance with Grace’s affections already being engaged.”

  “More prospects than a gardener? Be careful Rosalind; you are beginning to sound like a fully-fledged member of the ton! What is wrong with the man? He has reached the top of his profession; surely that is something to be applauded?” Eleanor noticed the uncomfortable expression crossing Rosalind’s face at her words. “What is it? What are you not telling me?”

  “We dismissed him when it became apparent there was something going on between them.”

  “Oh, Rosalind!” Eleanor said sadly.

  “I know!” Rosalind moaned. “And to top it all, it appears the staff have gossiped, and outsiders are finding out about the liaison, and so she will probably be ruined anyway!”

  “Oh, my goodness me,” Eleanor said. “The only alternative would be for her to marry Mr Wadeson, if he would have her in those circumstances. I haven’t met him, so I don’t know if he would be willing to marry her, but it wouldn’t make Grace happy.”

  Rosalind scowled. “I wanted none of you to be forced to marry him! I don’t know what father was thinking; one minute he’s saying we all won’t marry unless we marry a title, the next thing he’s saying is that one of you has to marry Mr Wadeson. It’s too much, even from father.”

  “Grace wrote to say that both Annabelle and herself were horrified that father was quite open with Mr Wadeson when he introduced them to him. He was virtually telling the man he could have the choice of either of them. Grace said Annabelle particularly took a dislike against him; she was convinced anyone married to him would not have a happy time of it. It was a serious enough worry for Annabelle to write to me warning me about returning home; she had a feeling he would be cruel, physically and mentally. It was a strange letter to receive, but Annabelle isn’t one for dramatics, so I chose to come here instead of going home, and I’m glad I did,” Eleanor said.

  “If Annabelle is correct, I wouldn’t want a cruel man for any of you; but Grace especially could not marry someone who would mistreat her,” Rosalind said with feeling.

  “You may not have an option,” Eleanor said gently. “If father hears what has happened….” She left the sentence hanging; they both knew Grace would immediately be taken home to be married. He would pay handsomely if he had to in addition to handing over his business.

  “Thank goodness I did not write to them,” Rosalind said. “What about you Eleanor? What escapades have you been getting up to in Bath?”

  “Oh, there’s nothing really to say about it; it wasn’t as pleasant an experience as I’d expected,” Eleanor said, obviously reluctant to speak about her trip.

  “What? Was it not a non-stop whirl of balls and assemblies?” Rosalind asked with a smile.

  Eleanor responded, trying to keep her tone light, but knowing if she did not sound completely happy it would be put down to her worry over Grace. “In some ways, yes, it was; but one can tire of anything if it is overused.” Rosalind wondered why Eleanor would say such an obscure thing. She was usually so direct. Eleanor changed the subject back to Grace. “What are you going to do about this Harry?”

  “There’s nothing I can do; I have no idea where he is,” Rosalind admitted.

  “I think you need to consider trying to find him. If Grace is not fighting her illness, perhaps hearing his voice will help,” Eleanor said.

  “I wouldn’t know where to start,” Rosalind said.

  They were interrupted by the entrance of Bryant. “Your Grace, I do apologise; I have informed Mrs Adams that you are not at home to visitors, but she insists I inform you of her presence. She wishes to enquire after Miss Johnson.”

  Rosalind smiled. “It’s fine, Bryant; please show her in. You’re in for a treat; this is my favourite lady in the area,” Rosalind said to Eleanor.

  Mrs Adams walked through the door; “You should know you haven’t got a butler here, but a lofty do-gooder,” she said nodding in Bryant’s direction.

  Rosalind smiled; to Bryant’s credit, only one eyebrow was raised as any outward reaction to Mrs Adams’s words. “Good afternoon Mrs Adams; I am glad you’re here. I’d like to introduce my youngest sister Eleanor to you.”

  Mrs Adams came and stood before Eleanor just as she had done with Grace and Rosalind before her. “Mmm, another one, eh? This one looks as deep as the ocean. There’s a lot going on in that pretty head of yours, isn’t there?” Mrs Adams said before sitting down.

  “You didn’t say you were associating with mind readers, Rosalind,” Eleanor responded.

  Mrs Adams chuckled with laughter, “Fiery, eh? I shall have to spend more time with you; you would not believe how many dreary people you come into contact with by the time you are my age,” she said with feeling, settling herself more comfortably.

  “I hope I’m not included in that comment,” Rosalind said archly.

  “Now why would I reassure you on that?” Mrs Adams responded. “If I do, you become complacent and I get bored, but if I don’t it keeps you on your toes, and I continue to enjoy my visits here.”

  “She has a good point, Rosalind,” Eleanor said with a smile.

  “Don’t you start!” Rosalind said with a humph. “Or I will suddenly remember why I was glad to see you leave for Bath!”

  “Bath, eh? Too full of doddery fools, was it? Not sure it’s the place for a pretty young thing; it’s not fashionable enough anymore and hasn’t been for years. What possessed you to go to that backwater?” Mrs Adams chipped in.

  “It wasn’t too bad,” Eleanor responded, her smile faltering.

  “That isn’t much of a recommendation, but I will probe more another time,” Mrs Adams said ominously. “I’ve come to ask about Grace. How is she?”

  “Not as good as we’d hoped by now. Even the doctor is bemused at her lack of progress,” Rosalind answered, all sense of amusement gone once more.

  “The gossip has reached my home,” Mrs Adams said gently.

  Rosalind moaned, “Has it really? That means every house within at least a two-mile radius knows of Grace’s folly.”

  “Don’t be so hard on her,” Eleanor said defensively. “Just because she fell in love with someone who you and father don’t consider appropriate, doesn’t mean that he is inappropriate.”

  “Well said,” Mrs Adams said approvingly.

  “You aren’t shocked?” Rosalind asked Mrs Adams in surprise. “I expect everyone else will be.”

  “Since when has anyone else’s opinion mattered?” Mrs Adams said. “You care for and protect Annie in a way that does you credit. How many of our locality consider her a freak?”

  “She is nothing of the kind!” Rosalind said, flaring immediately.

  Mrs Adams smiled. “Of course, she isn’t; she’s one of the most loving people I know, and I love her dearly, but we both know the reaction of others. Have you forgotten Lady Joan’s outburst?”

  “No,” Rosalind said. How could she forget the way Lady Joan had physically withdrawn from Annie, not wishing to be touched by her while at the same time screeching for her to get away? It had been the first time Rosalind had seen Peter lose his temper.

  “Well, thankfully, my dear, we are not all the same, and if Grace would be happy as the wife of a Head Gardener, what does it matter? Would your parents agree to the match?”

  “Never!” Eleanor said with feeling. “They would rather see her married to a horrible man she has met only once rather than someone who cares for her. I presume he does?”

  “I suppose he did,” Rosalind said with a shrug. Too much was g
oing through her mind; she had already started to question if dismissing Harry had been the correct thing to do, but with the spread of gossip and Grace’s obvious attachment, she was really confused.

  “He does,” Mrs Adams said quietly, waiting for her words to sink in. When Rosalind looked at her in surprise, she nodded. “Yes, I know where he is.”

  “How?” Rosalind asked.

  “Grace hinted to me there was someone special in her life on the day of the picnic,” Mrs Adams explained. “She also said he was the only person who understood her. That to me sounded like she was feeling a little lost; we both knew she hated morning visits and the few entertainments she had attended, so I began to wonder why she wasn’t happy. I had resolved to speak to you afterwards, but unfortunately events took a turn for the worse.”

  “I will never forget the look in her eyes as she struggled to breathe,” Rosalind said with a shudder.

  “It was obvious to me Harry was the one,” Mrs Adams continued. “He’s admitted to me he was watching Grace through the archway. He was very much the jealous beau, but as a result he was able to act immediately.”

  “I wondered how he reached her so quickly,” Rosalind admitted.

  “When Peter was ushering us away, I whispered to him that, when the time came, he was not to disappear to goodness knows where, but to come to me for a roof and food,” Mrs Adams continued.

  “He is with you?” Eleanor said, a smile spreading across her face.

  “He is, and I must say, my garden is looking all the better for it. He’s outside from early morning until he loses the light,” Mrs Adams said with a smile.

  “That’s perfect! You must send him here!” Eleanor said.

  “Wait!” Rosalind interrupted. “I’m not sure it would be such a good idea.”

  “Grace is asking for him,” Eleanor said with a frown at her sister.

  “Is she?” Mrs Adams asked. “That will reassure Harry; he was convinced she would have been forced to accept someone you had chosen for her, although we know it was not going to be Mr Workman. It was hard to convince him otherwise; only your still not being open to receiving visitors has given me hope that such a scheme hasn’t been settled on.”

  “No, I’ve not been in touch with my parents; so as yet, no one is being considered as such. I had wanted her to make a match of it with Mr Workman, but he departed as soon as he could after the picnic,” Rosalind said with derision. “He was obviously not one who would stay around when life became tricky, as it so often does.”

  “Luckily, Grace already met a man who will protect her, even if it means he loses everything,” Mrs Adams pointed out. She smiled when Rosalind looked at her in surprise. “Yes, he knew full well what would happen.”

  “He was quite insulting about my relationship with Grace. He said I didn’t listen to what she wanted,” Rosalind said defensively. She still stung when she thought of what Harry had said to her.

  “Yes, but was any of it true?” Mrs Adams asked.

  “Whose side are you on?” Rosalind asked, a little hurt by Mrs Adams’s presumptions.

  “I’m on the side of whoever gets this sorted out the quickest. I asked you a question; your actions are suggesting the accusations Harry made have some validity. If Grace is not recovering but is calling out for Harry, I suggest you let Harry visit her and see if it helps. What harm can it do? The gossips are already talking,” Mrs Adams said firmly.

  Rosalind looked as if she were going to speak, but Eleanor interrupted her. “By allowing him to visit, you will be showing him you do listen to Grace,” she said gently. “She wants him, Rosalind; let him come.”

  Rosalind nodded slowly. “I’m not sure it’s the right thing to do, but it’s the only thing that might help. Will you send him round?”

  “He’s waiting in my carriage,” Mrs Adams said with a sparkle in her eyes.

  Rosalind’s “What?” was drowned out by Eleanor’s laughter.

  “Oh, Rosalind, now I really do see why she is your favourite person in the area!” Eleanor laughed.

  “Did you say that? You dear child!” Mrs Adams said, grinning from ear to ear at her hostess.

  “I think I’ve just revised my opinion,” Rosalind said through gritted teeth.

  Chapter 16

  Harry had been persuaded to accompany Mrs Adams against his better judgement. After he had been told he was going to Sudworth Hall no matter what his opinion in the matter was, he presumed the Duke and Duchess would refuse him entry anyway. So, he resigned himself to having a trip out in a carriage, which although old, was better than any other carriage he had been in before. It was yet another reminder he was from a different class and should never have forgotten his place in society.

  The last few days had been the hardest of his life, but thankfully Mrs Adams had offered support and a roof over his head, albeit temporary. It was not uncertainty about his future that haunted him though; he was a good gardener and would find work; he was sure of it. It was his concern over Grace that was making his life unbearable.

  Mrs Adams gave him what information she knew, which was little. She was concerned that the Duchess was not receiving visitors, a sure sign things were amiss. She had sprung her plan on him only that morning, presuming correctly that, if he had been told the previous evening, he would probably have left her house to avoid being dragged into her scheme.

  He smiled to himself; she was a wily old bird. There was no other way of describing her. When she thought something needed doing, she did it: no hanging around for her. She had berated him that morning. “Do you love the girl or not?” Mrs Adams had asked bluntly.

  Harry was not used to expressing feelings, never mind to someone like Mrs Adams, who might be small in stature, but could still intimidate a man of six feet two inches. “Yes,” he had answered, flushing with embarrassment.

  “Well, we need to do something about it. There is obviously something amiss; she would have followed you here if she could have, so we must go to her,” came the practical response.

  “I’ve been dismissed from the Hall,” Harry said, a mixture of hope and fear swirling in his insides.

  “Which means you can gain entrance through the front door this time. Leave it to me; all will be well,” she assured him, but it did nothing to ease the tension he had experienced on the way to Sudworth Hall.

  If nothing else, he pondered, at least Mrs Adams would find out how well Grace was. She should have recovered by now. He hoped she was spending time in the garden, thinking of the times they had shared there. If he was not a selfish man, he would hope she had forgotten about him and be looking to marry someone who was her equal, but he could not. He still wanted her with his every fibre, and deep in his soul he hoped she still felt the same way.

  His thoughts were disturbed by the door opening and Mr Bryant leaning into the carriage. “Harry, good to see you. It appears they want to speak to you,” the butler said, his calm expression betraying nothing of the strangeness of the events over the last few days.

  Harry looked in shock at the butler. “Me?” he asked stupidly.

  Bryant smiled slightly. “Yes, you. Come, they don’t want all the staff seeing what is going on; there is no-one in the hallway; you are required in the morning room initially.”

  Harry followed Bryant into the morning room. No other staff were present in the hall or in the room itself. The only people present were Mrs Adams, Rosalind and a young lady whom he did not recognise. The fact that Grace was not present did not bode well.

  “I told you the direct approach would sort everything out,” Mrs Adams said smugly.

  “One step at a time,” Rosalind said firmly to her friend. “Harry, I hope you are well?”

  “Yes, Your Grace,” Harry replied warily.

  “Mrs Adams has put forward a convincing case that we should look to you for help, but I would understand if you chose not to after what has happened,” Rosalind said seriously.

  “I will do what I can, Your Grace,” Har
ry said.

  Rosalind nodded her approval and continued, “Harry, Grace is not well.” For the first time Harry looked her fully in the face, his eyes alarmed. “I will not hide from you the fact we are very worried about her.”

  “The poison?” Harry asked, his mind whirling. They had told him she was recovering; he had no idea what could have caused her to still be suffering.

  “No, but her weakened state after that incident is not helping her,” Rosalind acknowledged. “She became chilled; I don’t mean just a mild chill: she became so extremely cold she almost died. She has been unconscious for a few days and,although she has a few moments of consciousness, there’s no sign of her recovering.” Harry’s sharp intake of breath and the way the colour drained from his face went some way to reassure Rosalind he had feelings for Grace; he was not just using her.

  “What can I do?” Harry asked, looking as if he were ready to storm through the door to seek out Grace.

  “She keeps asking for you,” the stranger spoke to Harry. “We have not been introduced; I’m Eleanor, Grace’s younger sister. I’m pleased to meet you.” Eleanor stood, deciding Rosalind was explaining too much, and Harry should already be with Grace. “Rosalind, if you relieve Mrs Dawlish, I shall bring Harry to Grace’s chamber in a moment or two.”

  “Harry has not agreed to help,” Rosalind said.

  “Of course, he will help; he loves her: anyone can see that,” Eleanor said with a shrug.

  Rosalind looked a mixture of annoyance and resignation, but she left the room.

  “I like your style,” Mrs Adams said approvingly to Eleanor.

  Eleanor smiled, “Why dilly-dally when Grace is lying sick? My eldest sister has a good heart, but sometimes she can ponder too much.”

  Eleanor turned to Harry. “I am pleased to meet you, especially if you can help Grace. My sister is one who would not attach herself to you unless you were worthy of it; she is a lovely creature: one of the nicest people any of us will ever meet.”

  “She is, Miss,” Harry said.

  “Please, use my given name; I have every hope that somehow Grace will recover and will get the chance to be happy with you. How it is managed is not important at this point, but Grace is,” Eleanor said with a small smile.