Finally, he spoke. “I’ve never understood how the toffs could treat their kin so ill. Forcing you to marry some old blighter just to pay your family’s creditors. It isn’t right.”
Rosalind smiled sadly. “But it is, I fear, a common enough experience. I am more sorry than you can possibly know to have lied to you and the children. You have been kindness itself and I repaid you with dishonesty.”
But Gabriel would hear nothing of it. “You did what you had to in order to make your way in the world. And it’s not like you were trying to deceive us. I’m glad you hid your trail as well as you did. We wouldn’t want anyone to find you.”
“Unfortunately, I have already been found. One of the earl’s visitors recognized me today. I made her promise not to tell anyone, but I cannot count on that lasting long. By the time she gets back to London, I am certain she will tell everyone. She may have done so already. I am afraid I must move on.”
“But you can’t, Rose…I mean Miss Rosalind. The children of the village have taken to you and I daresay Tommy and Daisy would be very disappointed to see you leave. As would I,” he added softly. “We can protect you. If someone comes to steal you away, we’ll keep you from harm. I promise.”
She smiled, so close to tears. “Oh, Gabriel…Mr. Mills. I fear I have lost the privilege of calling you by your Christian name.”
“Nonsense. We may be from different worlds, but we are friends. At least I hope so.”
“Yes, we are. Well, Gabriel, your offer touches me, but I am afraid my family could exert pressure on the earl to have me turned off his land. And I’ll not have you risk everything by defying him.”
“But some things are worth fighting for. Your freedom for one.”
“I cannot have you do that. I could not bear to be the cause of harm to Tommy and Daisy. No, I must move on from here, continue onward to Scotland to see about teaching in a convent school. I promise that if I am ever able, I will send a teacher here to continue what we started. But for now, I must leave this place that is so dear to me.”
When Gabriel took his leave after another half hour, Rosalind felt worse than she had when she’d begun this journey. She’d actually found a home. A village with kind people and a means of earning her keep. She had a sense of doing something useful and a measure of self-reliance. Now she would have to start over and there was always the chance that she would be found out yet again. As soon as her brother heard that she’d been in Kibworth, he would send someone. She only had a few days to put as many miles between her and the village as possible.
* * *
When Lyman finally emerged from his bedchamber shortly before the dinner gong, Liam wasted no time in capturing him. He marched the earl into his study and started a conversation about the estate. He’d spent the afternoon poring over ledgers, unable to comprehend much other than the fact that the earl’s bookkeeping skills were as poor as his land stewardship.
While his family’s primary estate was in Surrey and entailed, Lyman was free to do what he wished with this one. And apparently, he’d wished to run it into the ground to the detriment of everyone on it. It was a pity, not just for the many families who depended on it to survive, but also because of how productive the estate might be if managed correctly. A great deal of capital would have to be invested into it, repairing farmhouses and investing in better crops. But with time, effort and patience, it would turn a profit.
Lyman confessed he had little regard for the property. The hunting was only fair to middling and the tenants too demanding by half. He’d sell it all in an instant if he could but find a buyer willing to take it off him.
Liam asked why, if that was the case, Lyman has asked him to come appraise the land. The question seemed to take Lyman off guard. He tried lying his way out of it, but the man was as good of a liar as he was a bookkeeper. Finally, he confessed the truth.
“I did it as a favor,” he said, shrugging.
“For whom?” asked Liam.
“A lady. More I will not say.”
Liam had his suspicions, but he wanted them verified. “Which lady?”
“A gentleman would never tell.”
“Give me her name, Lyman, or I’ll tell your wife you want nothing more than for her to accompany you on your next house party.”
At the mention of his long-absent wife, Lyman shivered. “Valencia Elling. She said she wanted to see you and who was I to gainsay her? She can be most….persuasive. I daresay you know that as much as I. Why just the other night, she did the most peculiar thing to me…”
“I thought you were a gentleman, Lyman.”
“Oh. Quite. Do you think she might be available tonight? Or will you be availing yourself of….where are you going Lynwood?”
“To pack,” said Lynwood, leaving. “I’ll be off at first light.”
The next morning, after having to bolt his door shut the night before, Liam was breaking his fast as his carriage was prepared. He was alone at the table, which suited him well. He’d taken his dinner in his room the previous evening because he hadn’t been of a mind to converse with anyone. And the morning had not made him any more hospitable.
He returned to his room to gather the last of his belongings, only to find Valencia waiting for him. He gritted his teeth. It was her fault he’d wasted the last several days when he could have been in London waiting for word of Rosalind. But bringing up the matter would only delay his departure and he most assuredly was anxious to be gone.
“Darling, tell me it isn’t true,” purred Valencia where she lay on his bed in her dressing gown. “You’re not really leaving, are you?”
“I have business back in town,” he said. “I hope you enjoy the remainder of your stay.” He looked about the room to make sure he’d left nothing behind.
“Sometimes I don’t understand you, Liam,” she said petulantly. “I offer you what most men would gladly take, yet you walk away. Sometimes I wonder if you even like women.”
Liam did not give her the courtesy of a reply. She was hurt and he regretted it. But he could not carry on an affair just to spare her feelings. Not when he still had to find Rosalind. He would try one more time to make her understand.
“Lady Elling. Valenica. You are a woman of passion and wit. You have always been a great beauty and age will do nothing to lessen it.” Here her eyes narrowed just a fraction and Liam realized he may have said something wrong. “Any man would be fortunate to build a life with you. But that man shall not be me.”
She gave no response, but her nostrils widened just a fraction as she inhaled. “Well, I guess there is nothing for it but to wish you a speedy trip back to London where you shall, no doubt, continue your search for your dear Rosalind. But I cannot imagine what you will do if you find her. She is not exactly the duchess type.”
Liam’s demeanor became ice cold. “On the contrary, Lady Elling, I believe Miss Carson would make an excellent duchess. Ah, Olivia, you have come to help me pack. You have arrived at a fortuitous moment.”
The maid entered the room and moved to take his valise.
And Lady Elling could not let the matter rest. “I am sure Rosalind will make an excellent duchess. For the Duke of Fallmoor. Imagine that old roué bedding your little viscount’s daughter. Imagine how often he’ll take her, all the while hoping to get an heir off her when everyone knows all his legitimate children are girls. How many times do you think she’ll have to spread her….”
“Enough!” Liam roared. He could count on one hand the number of times he’d ever yelled at a woman. At least one who wasn’t related to him. But he could stand it no longer. “Miss Carson is a better woman than you could ever hope to be. She has been sold into a despicable marriage and I will do everything in my power to ensure she does not have to go through with it. If she does not wish to marry me, that is one thing. But I will move heaven and earth and use all of my considerable power to ensure she does not have to marry anyone against her will. And you will not speak one more word against her.”
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Lady Elling simply stared at him. “You will never find her, you know. And you’ll regret turning me away.”
Liam picked up his own valise and strode toward the door.
“I know where she is.”
The voice was so quiet, Liam almost hadn’t heard it. He turned to face the maid and it was hard to believe the brash woman could speak that softly. But she said it again.
“I know where she is, your grace. At least I think so.”
“Shut up, you stupid girl,” said Valenica, who’d risen from the bed and was advancing on her.
But now that she was speaking, Olivia became more bold. “It’s Miss Carson, you’re looking for, isn’t it, your grace?”
“Say one more word and I’ll have you thrown out of here,” said Lady Elling.
“Ignore her, Olivia,” said Liam. “Please, if you know anything, you must tell me.”
“She’s in Kibworth.”
Lady Elling slapped Olivia so hard Liam could clearly see her handprint on the girl’s face. He was livid to think a lady would strike a servant and was about to tell Lady Elling exactly what he thought of her.
“That’s enough of that, you cow,” said Olivia with the spirit Liam had come to expect from her. “Go ahead and turn me out. If this Miss Carson is being forced to marry some old blighter she deserves her freedom. I’ll find another position, even if I have to go back to the farm.”
“I’ll have you arrested for theft,” threatened Lady Elling.
“I didn’t steal nothing and you know it. You only said that to keep me quiet and even the earl wouldn’t have me arrested.”
“You shan’t be arrested, Olivia, because I will protect you,” said Liam.
“Oi!” said the servant. “I don’t like the sound of that ‘protecting.’ I know what toffs mean when they ‘protect’ a girl like me. And I’ve got my morals, unlike some.” Here she shot a disapproving look at Lady Elling, apparently having decided she might as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb.
“I don’t mean ‘protect’ like that, Olivia. I meant that I will keep you from being arrested and I shall give you employment if you are discharged.”
“Oh, she will be,” said Lady Elling, who looked like she wanted to hit her again.
“Very well. Olivia, you shall come with me. If you do not wish to enter into service at one of my homes, I have a sister and an aunt for whom you could work.”
“As if the Countess of Crenshaw would take a farmer’s daughter into service,” said Lady Elling.
“I was referring to my other aunt and you are no longer welcome in this conversation, Lady Elling. Olivia, how long will it take to gather your things? I am most anxious to find Miss Carson.”
* * *
Olivia Morrison was able to pack her belongings quickly. She had few qualms about leaving her old employer, although she was nervous to move to London, since she’d never been and the stories she’d heard had not been good ones. But as the Duke of Lynwood explained as he quickly ushered her to his carriage, she could have her pick of estates at which to work.
So, as Lyman Hall grew more distant, Olivia Morrison looked forward to her new life. It wasn’t the first time she’d started over. And there was something about this duke who was obviously besotted with his Miss Carson that made her trust him.
There was a time she would have liked to have been in love. She was old enough now to realize it would likely never happen. But that was the thing about new beginnings. You never knew where they would lead.
CHAPTER NINE
Rosalind’s first instinct had been to be gone at first light, but Gabriel had convinced her to stay at least one day to say good-bye to the children at school. So it was with a heavy heart that she addressed her pupils that morning, knowing it was the last time she would see them.
“Miss,” said twelve-year-old Milton Grey. “I read to my little sister last night. She liked it very much. Then my grandmother asked me to read to her.”
“That is wonderful,” said Rosalind. “You should be very proud of yourself.”
The boy beamed from her praise. Rosalind just prayed they’d find another teacher for the school soon. There was so much more for them to learn.
Mary Taney, the smithy’s daughter, raised her hand. “Miss, do you have any pictures of gowns? I would dearly like to see some.”
“Unfortunately, I do not. But I shall send some to you.”
“Why would you send some? Can’t you just show them to us?”
Rosalind swallowed. This was going to be even harder than she’d imagined. “I am leaving the village.”
“For how long?” asked Daisy.
So, Gabriel hadn’t told Tommy and Daisy. That only made her task harder. “I shall be moving away for good.”
There was silence in the room, as all the children looked at her.
“But why?” asked Daisy.
“I must move away.”
“But why?” the little girl asked again.
“It was never my intention to remain here forever. Now I find I must continue my journey.” She could barely keep from crying.
“But why?” asked Daisy yet again.
“Daisy, hush,” said her brother. “Miss Rose, have we done something to upset you?”
“Of course not, Tommy. I have enjoyed each and every one of you.”
“Is it because I can never remember my sums?” asked Milton.
“Goodness, no. This has nothing to do with any of you. I must be on my way, but I shall miss you all. Very much.”
“Father won’t want you to go,” said Daisy. “He likes having you here. We all do.”
The other children started speaking up, telling her they wanted her to stay, as well. In another moment, Rosalind would be in tears. “I am so sorry it has to be this way. But Mr. Mills and I are committed to finding you another teacher. I’m sure you will like her every bit as much.”
“No, we won’t!” said Daisy. “She’ll be horrible.”
“But you do not even know her, dear.”
“I don’t want to.” Daisy’s lower lip began trembling. “Please stay, Miss Rose. Don’t go away.”
Daisy ran to Rosalind and threw her arms around her.
“Trust me, Daisy, I do not wish to leave you.”
“But I am afraid you must.”
Rosalind looked up with a start to see the man who’d just spoken. The Duke of Lynwood was standing in the doorway, looking for all the world like an escapee from the Norman conquest. Rosalind could not speak. She could barely breathe. Lady Elling must have broken her word. She should have known. She should have left the moment the carriages had departed the previous day.
But then she wouldn’t have seen him. The man she both missed so terribly and wished she’d never have to see again.
“Who are you?” asked Tommy, rising from his seat and facing their visitor.
“Tommy,” said Rosalind, gently. “That is not a polite way to greet a guest.”
“I don’t care,” said Tommy. “I’ve never seen him before and now he’s looking at you like he wants to hurt you.”
Rosalind smiled to herself. Liam looked like he wanted to do something to her, but she was sure he didn’t have violence on his mind.
Liam tore his eyes away from her to look at the boy. “I assure you I would never do any woman harm, especially not Miss Carson.”
“Who’s Miss Carson?” asked Tommy, now even more suspicious of the interloper.
Liam looked at Rosalind, unsure of what to say.
“Your grace,” Rosalind said, as she curtsied, “may I present my class to you? I have had the honor of teaching these children these past few weeks.”
Daisy, still holding on to Rosalind’s waist, tugged on her gown. “Who’s Grace?”
“Not Grace,” said Rosalind with a smile. “He is a duke. And one addresses a duke as ‘your grace.’”
Daisy looked at him, then narrowed her eyes. “I don’t like him.”
“Neither do
I,” said Tommy. “And I can’t imagine father would want him hanging about.”
Liam cleared his throat. “Miss Carson, I take it you do not teach deportment.”
Rosalind glared at him. It was outside of enough, really, for him to come barging in here looking that handsome and that determined only then to insult the children. She looked Liam in the eye. “The children are perfectly civil to adults who behave in a civilized manner.”
“Well, perhaps it is fitting. Because I assure you that I do not feel civilized in the least.”
Oh, dear.
They were then interrupted by another visitor: Gabriel Mills.
“Your grace,” he said, nodding his head. “May I ask to what we owe the pleasure of your visit?’ Except he didn’t sound like it was a pleasure.
“I have come to see Miss Carson.”
“Who is Miss Carson?” asked Tommy.
Yet another visitor came into the room. She was a fair-haired woman whom Rosalind had never seen before. She was neatly dressed, though not in the first stare of fashion.
Liam turned to the woman. “Yes, Olivia?”
“You left and didn’t come back. I thought you might be in a spot of trouble.”
“I assure you I can handle this,” replied Liam.
“I’m not so sure you can. That sprig,” she said, motioning to Tommy, “looks like he’d like nothing more than to plant you a facer, though I do like your chances if he tries it. And that one,” she said, motioning to Gabriel “looks like he’d like to lay you out flat, regardless of you being a duke and all. Quite frankly, he looks strong as an ox. You shouldn’t risk it.”
Liam clenched his jaw. “That will be all, Olivia.”
“Is that your Miss Carson?” she asked as she motioned to Rosalind.
He sighed impatiently. “Yes.”
Olivia nodded to her approvingly, then turned back to Liam. “You might want to dismiss the young ‘uns. I can look after them outside while you either court your Miss Carson or get laid out by the farmer.”
Gabriel had been watching the exchange with interest. “How do you know I’m a farmer?”
Olivia shrugged. “You don’t get muscles like that by sitting on your ar….uh, your bottom. You’re no toff.”
Never Deny Your Heart (Kellington Book Five) Page 10
