by Em Taylor
No one in the house had said anything and against church rules, Gideon’s father had been laid to rest in the family graveyard, next to the church on the estate. The fact they had lied to the vicar still pricked at Gideon’s conscience, but better that than upset Sophia any further.
He walked into the stable and dropped the planks of wood. He’d much rather have done this with the animals out in the fields but the weather this year had been awful. Cold, wet and damp. Everyone was reporting failed crops and the newspapers said that people in Wales were rioting as a result of food shortages. Some people were predicting the beginning of the prophecies from the Revelation of Saint John the Divine in the Holy Bible. He believed it was just a year of bad weather and suspected it had nothing to do with God or apocalyptic prophecies.
Fixing the stable was going to upset the animals if he was hammering away at the wood in their vicinity, but there was nothing else for it. The weather was too awful to put them outside and he couldn’t leave the stables in such disrepair any longer.
He picked up the hammer, a large nail and placed the wood over the large gap in the horse’s stall. Honestly, it was a miracle the beast hadn’t escaped yet.
As he started to hammer, Caesar, his black gelding started to neigh.
“Hush, Caesar. Tis fine,” Gideon crooned, hoping the animal would recognise his voice and be calmed. He took a second nail. Best to hammer each one in a little and get the plank on straight at first. He might not be used to doing manual labour, but as a boy, he’d watched the men around the estate and sometimes asked to help them. They had occasionally obliged when no one was looking. Gideon suspected it was more to get peace than because they liked the young baron.
As he hammered in the second nail, Caesar stamped his foot and snorted.
“Easy boy. It’s me. I’m just sorting your stall to stop the wind coming in. Don’t you want that? Must be cold in here at night.”
Everything that happened next seemed to happen so quickly that Gideon could not have prevented it, had he tried. Caesar whinnied and reared up, his hooves catching the back of Gideon’s head as he came back down. Gideon fell against the upright stake of the stall, his hand catching on a nail. He pulled it free and was aware of the upright post giving way and a creaking sound. Dirt and dust fell around him then pain like he had never experienced cracked his head. As the light faded he heard himself as if from a distance.
“’S fine, Caesar. Shh boy!”
Chapter 1
“I do not need to be chaperoned, Aunt. I shall be with Sophia and her brother is asleep. He is most likely dying. He won’t wake up. He has been like this for three weeks. She shall be my chaperone. She is a widow so she is quite respectable.”
Lady Emily Beresford, the sister of the Earl of Whitsnow was determined. She would not be remaining in her aunt’s townhouse in London one moment longer than was necessary. Her friend needed her. Her brother had insisted that once again she go to town in search of a husband, but honestly, it was pointless. No man wanted her. She knew what they said about her. The whispers behind her back. Oh, she was pretty enough, she supposed, and she had a good dowry. She’d had a few men showing interest in her first few seasons because of her large dowry but not now. Lady Clumsy—that’s the moniker they had given her because she trod on gentlemen’s toes when she danced. She also invariably spilt her drink on her gown. She almost never accepted drinks at balls now. How debasing having such a nickname.
Now she was three and twenty years old and she was almost officially on the shelf.
“You shall never find a husband at this rate, Emily.”
“I doubt I shall find a husband anyway, Aunt. No one is vying for my hand in marriage. No one is interested.”
“What about Cedric Onslow.”
“The illegitimate son of the Duke of Hartsmere?”
“You can’t afford to be fussy at your age, Emily.”
“I can afford to be fussier than Mr Onslow. He’s a dandy. He wears inexpressibles. You can see everything.”
“How would you know. You should not be looking at men below the waist.”
“It is hard not to, Aunt. It’s difficult to ignore.”
“Hmm, well, perhaps even I would draw the line at Mr Onslow, on reflection. Perhaps we should contact the Duke of Hartsmere and see if his legitimate son, the Earl of Cindermaine, wants a wife.”
“He is never seen in town because of his ill health. I doubt he would be interested.”
“No harm in asking.”
“Perhaps not.” Emily shook her head. “However, I am going to Herefordshire to see Lady Rutherford, and you cannot stop me. I shall take my maid and obviously, there will be a coachman and a stable boy. We shall be fine.”
“I forbid it, Emily.”
“I am three and twenty, Aunt. You cannot forbid it. Besides, I already wrote to tell her I shall visit. If you do not let me go, I shall take the mail coach.”
Of course, Emily would never consider taking the mail coach and Aunt Gertrude would never countenance such a thing but Aunt Gertrude believed Emily to be ‘a bit of a hoyden’, so Emily knew her Aunt would half expect her to do it.
“I shall summon Robert.”
“Robert is in Cumberland, Aunt. You know he cannot get here in time to stop me. I leave early tomorrow morning. I do hope you will wish me well.”
“I shall do no such thing. Have you seen the rain? You shall drown in the mud no doubt.”
Emily blanched. It was a concern. She had heard so much of the terrible weather conditions and the poor state of the roads. She may very well end up in trouble, but Sophia seemed so lost in the pages of her letter and Emily knew she had to get to her friend and comfort her.
She left the room but as she went she turned to her aunt. “I must go. I would want someone with me if Robert was dying.”
Emily walked down to breakfast the next morning, determined not to argue with her aunt. There was no point. She would simply smile and wish her a cheerful goodbye and thank her for her concern. There was nothing else for it.
When she walked into the breakfast room, Aunt Gertrude was sitting eating toast and raspberry jam. What caught Emily’s attention, however, was what Aunt Gertrude was wearing. She wore her green carriage dress.
“Good morning, Aunt.”
“There is not much good about this morning, Emily. It is still raining.”
Emily glanced through the French doors and grimaced. “It has been raining every day since March I think.”
“We had a few nice days in May I believe.”
“Oh yes. I do recall. You appear to have put on your carriage dress this morning, Aunt.”
“That is what one usually wears when one is going on a long carriage ride, is it not, Emily?”
“It is. Are you going somewhere nice?”
“I have no idea. Is the Beattie estate nice?”
“You are coming with me?” Emily nearly dropped the teapot she had just picked up.
“Don’t be ridiculous dear. I cannot have you wandering about the countryside on your own. Robert would never forgive me.”
“But you’ll miss the entertainments of the Season.”
Aunt Gertrude rolled her eyes.
“Emily, my dear, the Season is completely washed out this year. No one is feeling frivolous and happy. No one cares about the gossip and the jolly japes. No one is getting up to any jolly japes for that matter. Everyone just wants to sit at home by the fireside and read or write letters. It really is rather miserable. I would rather be with you, and, as you said yesterday, you would wish someone would be there for you if Robert was ill and perhaps dying.”
Emily nodded. “Yes, I would. I appreciate the offer but please do not feel you ought. I can go on my own.”
“It would be a pleasure. You are a true friend to this young lady. What is her name?”
“Sophia. She is Lady Rutherford. Her brother is Viscount Beattie. She is the widow of the late Lord Rutherford who died just five months ago.”
&nb
sp; “Ah, I see. Perhaps he is not at death’s door. We shall see when we get there.”
Emily hurried to the sideboard to fill a plate of food for breakfast. Aunt Gertrude was not a bad old stick really. In fact, she had a heart of gold. She was just a little strict and had rather old-fashioned views about how young ladies should behave. But Emily felt a warm glow and, she had to admit to herself, a little less apprehensive about this trip now that she would have company. She had been a little scared to venture out on her own, albeit with a maid and a coachman to look after her.
With Aunt Gertrude snoring away beside her all the way to Herefordshire, Emily knew she wouldn’t feel lonely until she met her friend again.
Other Books by
Em Taylor
The Contrary Fairy Tales
Sleeping Lord Beattie - http://a-fwd.com/asin=B075NKLTRS
The Cinder Earl’s Christmas Deception -http://a-fwd.com/asin=B076DK7LGG
Lord Whitsnow and the Seven Orphans -March 2018
Lord Greatall’s Gingerly Escape – April 2018
The Eversley Siblings Series
Saved by a Rake - http://a-fwd.com/asin=B00GTA9WS6
Restoring Lady Anna - http://a-fwd.com/asin=B01FPUO55K
Saved by a Rake/ Restoring Lady Anna (together) - http://a-fwd.com/asin=B013NO6LLG
Individual books
Seven Rogues for Christmas - (Anthology) – (The St Nicholas Day Wager) - http://a-fwd.com/asin=B0753XJ987
The St Nicholas Day Wager - http://a-fwd.com/asin=B00Q8V1VOO
Lady Harriet’s Unusual Reward - http://a-fwd.com/asin=B00TXZYCK2
A Desperate Wager - http://a-fwd.com/asin=B00N29FRR2
A Love Remembered - http://a-fwd.com/asin=B01LWDHVY4
About the Author
Em was born and brought up in the Central Belt of Scotland and still lives there. She was told as a child she had an overactive imagination—as if that is a bad thing. She’s traded her dreams of owning her own island, just like George in the Famous Five to hoping to meet her own Mr Darcy one day. But her imagination remains the same.
Em’s Stalking Links
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Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7326970.Em_Taylor
Webpage: - http://www.emtaylor.co.uk
Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/EmTaylor/e/B00GVEG83M
https://www.amazon.co.uk/EmTaylor/e/B00GVEG83M
