Always Believe in Love (Emerson Book 4)

by Maureen Driscoll

  “Kate!” said Nick. “Have you hurt your back?”

  She shook her head and tried to rise.

  “Stay there,” he all but commanded.

  “Are you all right, miss?” asked a young voice from above.

  They all looked up to see a girl high above in the tree.

  “Anna!” said a man. “What are you doing all the way up there? You’ll fall.”

  “No I won’t, Papa,” she said.

  “Let me come get you,” said her father.

  “Then I’m afraid you’ll fall,” said the girl, as she nimbly climbed down as her father held out his strong arms to catch her.

  Even as Kate was fighting the pain of her own fall, she was touched by the obvious love of Lord James for his daughter.

  “Miss,” said the woman who had been carrying a basket of flowers. “I believe you had the breath knocked out of you. Do you think you can sit up?” She was smiling, but her concern was evident.

  “Yes,” rasped Kate, relieved to be able to speak once again.

  “Easy, love,” said Nick, as he helped her sit up.

  Kate saw the others look at each other at his use of the endearment. She wasn’t even certain if he knew he had done so. He was still running his hands over her to check for injuries.

  The poor girl was still crying.

  “Please don’t cry,” said Kate. “I am quite well.”

  “I am so sorry,” she sobbed. “I didn’t mean to fall on you.”

  Kate took her hand. “I know you didn’t, sweetheart. And we both would have been fine if I hadn’t tripped. So it is actually my fault.”

  “It was a foolhardy act,” said Nick. “I could have caught Letty.”

  “I was closer. I couldn’t just stand by and let her fall.”

  Nick scooped her into his arms and stood up as if she weighed nothing at all.

  “What are you doing?” she asked, slightly breathless from the fall, but mostly from being in his arms.

  “Taking you into the house. Mr. Stemple, might I ask you to heat some water for a bath?”

  It was only then that Kate realized she had fallen into mud. This was becoming more embarrassing by the moment.

  “Of course, my lord,” said the man, who had scars down the right side of his face. He and the woman he’d been walking with both hurried to the house.

  “I am perfectly capable of walking,” said Kate. “And you’re getting mud all over your clothes by carrying me.”

  “I don’t care about the mud,” he said through a clenched jaw. “I care that you were hurt.”

  “Only winded.”

  The man who Kate thought was the earl ran ahead to open the door. “Nick, you can take your guest either directly to the bathing room or we can ready a bedchamber upstairs. But somewhere along the line, you might introduce us to the lady who caught Letty at great risk to herself.” The man smiled at Kate. He was quite handsome and obviously a brother of Nick’s, with his black hair and dark brown eyes.

  Nick grunted. “I’ll see to my wife, first. Her name is Kate,” he grudgingly added.

  If Nick hadn’t been quite so intent on getting her to the bathing chamber, he would have registered his family’s shock. But the big ox of a man simply carried Kate into the house, oblivious to the looks and, if she heard correctly, gasps.

  The house was beautiful, at least what little she could see as it flew past her. Nick was walking quickly toward the back. But they passed through a foyer with a dining room on one side and what looked like, perhaps, a library and sitting room on the other.

  Then he turned to pass through the doors to the back of the house and entered the kitchen, where the butler and his wife were tending to several pots of water on the stove.

  “My lord, I was just about to pour the first few buckets into the tub,” said the man. “When the others are ready, Maude can bring them in.”

  “Thank you,” said Nick, who let the man precede him into a hallway off the kitchen. There was a small chamber at the end, which had two screens for privacy.

  Nick entered the room, just as the butler was pouring the second of the two buckets into a large tub. The butler let himself out with a bow, then Nick finally allowed Kate to stand, though he kept his hands on her.

  “Are you certain you can stand?” he asked.

  “Yes. Truly, I am quite well, other than terribly embarrassed that I would fall in front of your family.”

  “You saved Letty and that’s all they’ll talk about.”

  “That and the fact you introduced me as your wife.”

  He frowned just a bit. “You are my wife.”

  “Yes, but you could have eased into the introduction. You are their beloved brother. I am quite certain they are shocked that you chose a poor country miss who cannot run a few feet without falling into mud.”

  “I hate to disagree with my new sister,” said the beautiful young woman who had been carrying the flowers and who’d just entered the bathing chamber with the other ladies. “But we couldn’t be more thrilled to meet you. Pray forgive us for interrupting, but we couldn’t wait another moment before making ourselves known.”

  “And to thank you for saving Letty,” said the countess. “I hope you are not terribly bruised.”

  Kate curtsied to the group of beautiful women who were about her age. “I hope she is well. It must have been terribly frightening for her. I am Katherine Chilcott, but everyone calls me Kate.”

  Nick introduced the countess, Ava, who had brown hair and a welcoming smile. Standing next to her was a lovely lady with fair hair and blue eyes, who was James’s wife Irene. Then there was Rose, who definitely looked like an Emerson with her dark hair and eyes.

  “Where is Winifred?” asked Nick.

  “I am here,” said another Emerson sister, who entered carrying a day gown. “I am so sorry to have missed your arrival. Alex and I were, uh…”

  Her blush unintentionally told everyone what she and her husband had been doing.

  Winifred cleared her throat. “Since you haven’t yet unpacked I thought I would bring a clean gown. I was just told I have a new sister. I couldn’t be more pleased.”

  Despite her lamentable fall, Kate couldn’t be more charmed by the genuine warmth of the Emerson ladies. She might not feel comfortable being a countess, but she had no worries about joining the Emerson family.

  “Let’s get you out of these clothes,” said Nick as he began to unbutton her.

  Kate hoped the mud on her face hid her blush. “You cannot do that! It isn’t proper!”

  “I can undress my own wife.”

  “We can leave, if you wish,” said Irene with a smile.

  “No,” said Nick reluctantly. “I will leave. Especially since I have a feeling my brothers are rather curious about our arrival.”

  “I am certain that’s a significant understatement,” said Rose with a grin. “And we want to get to know our sister.”

  “So you’re kicking me out?”

  “Yes,” said Rose, as she kissed him on the cheek. “But I am so happy you’re here.”

  “And that you brought such a wonderful wife,” said Win.

  Nick lightly kissed Kate. “Are you certain we shouldn’t send for a surgeon?”

  “Absolutely certain.”

  “We shall take excellent care of her,” said Irene.

  “And I’m certain you’ll all ask dozens of questions until you get the entire story.”

  “Hundreds, if need be,” said Rose. “Now, off you go. We want time with our new sister.”

  And with that, Nick obediently left the room, leaving Kate with four new sisters. Four new sisters who were smiling, helping her undress and stoking the fire so she wouldn’t be cold. For someone who’d spent her life wishing for a family, it appeared her wish had been granted many times over.

  “You should have seen Nick’s face when you fell,” said Rose. “I daresay it would almost be worth it to be hit by a falling Letty if it meant the man I love looked
at me like that.”

  “And who is the man you love, Rose?” asked Ava.

  Win quickly stepped in. “Your marriage must have happened quite suddenly.”

  “I am afraid your brother was forced into marrying me after the night we spent together.” All four of the women – and Mrs. Stemple, who’d entered with more water – looked surprised. “It isn’t as bad as it sounds,” Kate quickly added. “Well, we did spend the night in a hut by ourselves, but…oh, dear. If I had set out to make a terrible impression on all of you, I’m not certain I could have succeeded to this extent.”

  “Nonsense!” said Ava, as she introduced Kate to Maude Stemple, who the countess said was both servant and friend.

  Irene took Kate’s hand and helped her into the tub.

  “Which type of scent would you like?” asked Ava. “Lavender, rose or lemon?”

  “Any of them would be lovely,” said Kate. “I am not used to such luxuries.”

  “Neither are we,” said Ava with a grin. “Win was kind enough to bring her scented oils when she moved here. But I daresay you’ll soon have dozens to choose from as the Countess of Layton.”

  “Please don’t remind me of my title,” said Kate. From the disappointed looks of the ladies, she’d clearly said the wrong thing. “That is to say, I love being Mrs. Chilcott, but am quite unprepared to be the countess. My father was an officer in the East India Company.” She told them about going to live in Weymouth and how utterly unprepared for Society life she was.

  “I am sorry to hear about the loss of your parents,” said Ava. “But I cannot see how your birth has anything to do with your suitability to be a countess.”

  Win poured some lavender oil into the bath. “My husband isn’t from the ton and I couldn’t love him more.”

  “I am also not of the ton,” said Ava. “Of course, I’m also not a very good countess, but I don’t believe Colin cares.”

  “She’s a wonderful countess!” said Rose, as Irene and Win both chimed in to agree.

  “They are being very kind,” said Ava. “But the truth is I have no idea how to organize a ball. Given our circumstances, I doubt I’ll have the need to do so any time soon, which suits me just fine. But if I did have to do something like that, I’m certain Colin wouldn’t expect me to have all the answers, any more than Nick will expect you to. I could ask the Kellington ladies for advice and I am certain I’d muddle through. Just as I’m certain you’ll be able to rise to the occasion when needed. After all, you did manage to catch Letty.”

  Rose helped wash Kate’s hair. “Now, what was that about a night spent together?”

  Kate sighed. There would be no hiding the truth from these ladies, though they seemed more good-naturedly curious than judgmental. She then explained how Nick had been attacked on the road and she’d gone to fetch him. The ladies were as worried as she expected. It was obvious they loved Nick very much, despite the fact he wasn’t an official Emerson.

  “That was very brave of you to set out in the middle of the storm,” said Ava. “You likely saved his life.”

  “We find ourselves more and more indebted to you,” said Irene.

  “I feel bad that he was forced into the handfasting,” said Kate.

  “I do not believe Nick was forced into anything,” said Rose. “Pray continue.”

  Kate told them about the attack after the ceremony. They were as outraged as she expected.

  “Any woman who can fight off two villains can certainly plan a ball,” said Ava. “I only wish I could be that ingenious. My father taught me ways to defend myself since we travelled while I was growing up. But I am quite in awe of our newest sister’s abilities.”

  “There is more to the story,” said Kate, carefully. “But I believe Nick should tell you about it.”

  “I certainly hope there were no more attacks,” said Win. “I believe we’ve had quite enough of that in this family for a lifetime.”

  There was a knock at the door. “It’s Maude with more hot water,” said the woman on the other side. “And I brought two girls who are very worried.”

  “May they come in?” Irene asked Kate.

  “Of course.”

  Maude entered with the water, followed by the two girls, whom Ava introduced.

  The two curtsied and Kate grinned at them. “Please excuse me for not making a proper curtsey,” she said from the tub. “But it is wonderful to meet you.”

  “I am so sorry I fell on you,” said Letty. “Are you hurt very badly?”

  “Not at all. Are you injured? I’m certain you must have scratched yourself on branches as you came down.”

  “Well, I did scratch my arm a bit,” she said as she held it up.

  “My love, you didn’t show me,” said Ava, as she went to Letty’s side. She kissed the top of the girl’s head, then took her to a basin to wash the arm.

  Anna leaned into Irene’s skirts. Nick had mentioned that Anna’s birth was the result of a relationship James had had in America with an Algonquin Indian. The little girl had come to live with her father after her mother’s death. She was six years old and beautiful. “Hello, Aunt Kate,” she said with a shy smile.

  Aunt Kate. She hadn’t been expecting to hear that. But it was wonderful. She smiled at the girl. “Hello, Anna. I’m very glad to meet you. Perhaps you can show me the grounds tomorrow. Though I don’t think I’ll be so brave as to climb trees.”

  “I don’t think anyone should be climbing trees,” said Irene, as she squeezed Anna to her.

  “Let’s help Kate get ready,” said Rose. “I want to hear the rest of the story. Then we’d like to ask you to help us in our efforts to see Nick more often. He doesn’t come to visit nearly as often as we’d like.”

  “We really would like to see him much more often,” said Win.

  “I know Colin misses him a great deal when he’s not here, but men can be so odd when it comes to showing emotion,” said Ava. “So, really, Kate, we would very much appreciate anything you can do to bring everyone together more often.”

  As Kate looked at the ladies around her, she realized that she hadn’t just gained a husband. She’d found a family.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Nick’s thoughts were on Kate as he made his way to the library where he knew his brothers would be waiting for him, including his new brother-in-law, Alex. His heart had stopped when he’d seen Kate lying motionless on the ground. He knew she was in good hands with Ava and the other ladies, but he wished he could be the one to help her bathe. Though, if he were perfectly honest with himself, his reasons for wanting to see her naked in the tub had less to do with checking for injuries than kissing every inch of her.

  He was about to turn back and kick the ladies out of the bathing chamber, when he was hailed by his brothers in the library. He entered to find Colin, James and Alex grinning at him.

  “How is Lady Layton?” asked Colin. “I do hope she wasn’t injured in the fall. And it was very good of her to catch Letty.”

  “She has a habit of charging in first and thinking later,” said Nick.

  “Our family is filled with ladies like that, so she’ll fit right in,” said Colin. “Would you like to tell us how you went to Weymouth to learn about old Layton and came back with a wife?”

  “May I get a drink before I begin?” asked Nick. “It is quite a story.”

  James handed him a glass of the old earl’s best brandy. Then Nick set about telling the story of his arrival in town, his adventures on the beach with the fishermen – though he skipped over most of the embarrassing parts – his attack on the road, Kate’s rescue of him, his subsequent proposal, then the second attack.

  “I cannot believe someone attacked you twice,” said James. “Are you and your wife truly unharmed?”

  “Yes. I thank God she escaped without injury.”

  “As do we,” said Colin. “Now, let us revisit the attack on the night of your handfasting. How many assailants were there?”

  “Two.”


  “And how many of them did the countess dispatch? Because earlier, I could have sworn you said she felled both of them. Were you somehow incapacitated when you were attacked?”

  Nick knew Colin was trying to lighten the mood, but he had a feeling he’d never hear the end of this. “No,” he ground out. “I was a bit pre-occupied with ensuring she wouldn’t be hurt, but I wasn’t incapacitated.”

  James nodded. “So, while you were worried about your wife, she drove off one attacker while laying the other out flat. Extraordinary. Did she have to defend you from anyone else on the journey here?”

  “Please say she did,” said Colin. “In case you had any doubt, we shall ask you to re-tell this story well into our dotage.”

  Alex spoke up. “Win has demonstrated her bravery on numerous occasions, so I do admire a courageous woman. They also make excellent wives.”

  “To excellent wives,” said Colin, as he raised his glass. His brothers did likewise.

  “Are you legally wed?” asked James.

  Nick stilled. Just the thought that he could still lose Kate at this point chilled him. If she had any sense, she would leave him. But he couldn’t stand the thought of it. He turned to Alex, who’d been one of the Crown’s top barristers before marrying Win.

  “I am afraid it isn’t clear,” said Alex. “Their marriage hasn’t been recorded, so there is doubt about whether they’re legally wed. But considering an entire village witnessed the ceremony, a case can be made that this is binding.”

  Nick’s sense of relief was profound, though he’d insist on a formal wedding in the near future, especially if a child was on the way.

  A child. Nick hadn’t given much thought to being a father. But with Kate as the mother, he could see them living happily as a family. It was also added incentive to retain his title.

  “Your mind seems to be elsewhere,” said Colin. “Can it be drifting toward the bathing chamber?”

  “There will be no talk of my wife in the bathing chamber!” said Nick. Which, of course, only made his brothers laugh. He was clearly besotted. But at least it was a condition they all shared. “She is a bit worried about being a countess because she didn’t grow up within the ton.”