by Denise Daye
Chapter 6
E mma woke up to noises in the hallway. It sounded like servants going about their business. Rolling over in her sumptuous bed, she went over the last of the previous evening in her head. She must have passed out right after taking a bath. Now, she was absolutely starving. A light snore alerted her that Lily was still sleeping next to her.
“Lily, wake up.”
“No refunds, you prick,” Lily said, half-asleep.
Emma got out of bed and looked out of one of the ridiculously tall windows. The sun hit the trees and grass like a golden paintbrush, soaking them in warm, glittering light. Evergreen Castle towered beneath a crystal-clear blue sky.
“Just a typical morning in a Victorian castle. Nothing unusual,” Emma mumbled sarcastically.
Lily got up and stretched herself. “I have not slept this well in years.”
Strangely enough, Emma had to agree with her. She had not slept well since…gosh, never, thanks to her father. Hearing her mother’s cries almost every night had resulted in an extremely light sleep pattern, as she had always had to be ready to comfort her. Lily helped Emma dress and put her hair up. She looked stunning in the green dress, even if it looked like it had been through a lot with Emma, which it kinda had.
“I shall go down to the kitchen and see if I can get breakfast there. You should go into the formal breakfast room and join the Evergreens. We shall meet up afterward. I have to do some chores that come with the job of a lady’s maid.” Lily opened the door for Emma with an energetic smile. Emma stopped at the door.
“I don’t feel comfortable with you doing this kind of work for me, Lily.”
“You truly are a big softy, aren’t you? Always worried about everybody else first.” Lily tucked one of Emma’s hair strands behind her ear and teased her with a slight bow. “After you, my lady.”
Emma teased her back with a deep curtsy of her own, but Lily stopped smiling and looked straight past Emma.
“Good morning, my lord.”
Emma jumped up from her curtsy. Lord Evergreen was standing right there in the hallway, watching the whole thing with a smile on his face.
“G-Good morning, Lord Evergreen,” Emma stuttered, embarrassed.
“Oh, please, call me John. ‘Lord Evergreen’ makes me sound so old.”
“Only if you call me Emma. ‘Mrs. Washington’ makes me sound so old,” Emma joked.
He laughed and walked over to her. “I do hope that I caught you on your way down for breakfast? May I accompany you?” He held his arm up.
“Yes, how very kind.” Emma grabbed his arm, thinking how incredibly cute his laugh was.
“I’m so glad to see you all better.”
“Yes. Thank you. I guess all I needed was a bit of rest.”
“I hope I did not intrude by having the servants prepare a hot bath for you yesterday.”
“Oh, God no! It was absolutely heavenly.” John looked at her as if she had just said something unusual. Was this conversation inappropriate?
“I’m sorry,” they said simultaneously.
Emma’s cheeks burned. “In America, we talk openly about taking baths.”
At the same time, John said, “I should not have started such a topic.”
Thankfully, Agnes scouted them from across the hallway, interrupting this awkward moment.
“Mrs. Washington! I am utterly thrilled to see you join us for breakfast!” She came running over and grabbed Emma by the arm. “You will have to tell us all about you and the wild, adventurous America!”
“Agnes, do not be so nosy.”
Emma smiled. "It’s okay. I would love to.”
Like every room in this house so far, the breakfast room was incredible. A cozy fire was crackling in the fireplace, and there was a big buffet on a table pushed against the wall.
“How wonderful! Mrs. Washington!” Lady Evergreen shouted, lighting up like a Christmas tree. She was dressed in an extremely colorful dress again, just like yesterday—too much to be considered elegant.
“I am delighted to be sitting next to you.” Agnes grabbed a plate, waiting in anticipation to see where Emma would be sitting down.
“Agnes, why not let Emma get her breakfast and sit down first?”
“Emma? Are we on a first-name basis already? How wonderful!” Agnes shouted.
“If you don’t mind,” Emma responded kindly.
“Absolutely not! I would love nothing more than for us to be friends,” Agnes said. Lady Evergreen smiled warmly at her daughter, sharing her happiness in her new friendship.
Emma grabbed a plate and chose a bit of everything. Fruit, bacon, eggs, toast…she was starving. She had literally not had food since that old, dry piece of bread at Lily’s apartment. And prior to that, they’d often skipped breakfast and lunch.
A servant leaned over her shoulder and poured her coffee.
“Thank you,” she said to the servant and started on her colossal plate. She tried to eat slowly and elegantly despite wanting to just swallow the whole thing, including the darn plate. It was awfully quiet around the table, and Emma noticed that the Evergreens were staring at her.
John came to her rescue. “I tried to send food up yesterday, but you were already asleep. You must be starving.”
Emma slowed down even more.
“How considerate. Thank you.” Emma felt as if she was saying “thank you” non-stop. This family was so kind to her. Why couldn’t Lord Evergreen be some womanizer like Blackwell? She could just marry him and start her studies right here out of Evergreen Castle. The Evergreen ladies would be wonderful in-laws. Sure, they liked to gossip and could be a bit annoying at times, but they were kind and non-judgmental, traits Emma judged people by, rather than their looks or sense of fashion.
“Mrs. Washington, oh please, do tell us…what brought you to our old, boring England?” Agnes asked, holding a cup of tea between her hands.
“Well, I was looking into relocating here. A change of scenery.”
“Are you married, Mrs. Washington?”
“Mother…please,” John growled at her, appearing slightly annoyed.
Emma smiled. “It’s okay. I’m widowed.” Of course, that wasn't the truth, but Lily had recommended this white lie to work around the whole virgin-before-marriage issue—something Emma was definitely not.
Lady Evergreen seemed to have gotten the information she wanted, as she winked at John in such a blatant manner she might as well have blown a trumpet at him.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake…” John rolled his eyes next to a giggling Agnes. Emma watched the whole interaction with a warm feeling around her heart. What a lovely family. Everything she had ever wanted. Nothing she had ever had.
“Well, fear not, Mrs. Washington, we shall assist you in any way possible. Even in the matters of the heart.” Lady Evergreen now winked at Emma in the same visible fashion she had at John moments ago.
John shook his head in embarrassment. “I do not even know what to say anymore…”
Emma thought about Lady Evergreen’s intention to help her get married. They must believe that she was some rich heiress hunting for an Englishman. It was a common thing in these times. Women were expected to make marriage their priority. Technically speaking, marriage was pretty much all there was for a woman at this time. That might actually help Emma in her quest to get married to Blackwell.
“But, first of all, we shall take you shopping. No eligible woman under my roof will have to endure with only one evening dress, even if she looks as agreeable in it as you do,” Lady Evergreen announced.
Emma’s eyes grew wide and her cheeks warm. That was too much generosity, and she didn’t want to accept this offer. “That is too kind of you, but—”
“No ‘but,’” John stepped in. “My mother is right—no lady under this roof has ever spared the Evergreen wallet when it comes to dresses, and we shan't start now.” He smiled with that devilishly handsome face of his.
There was no way Emma could say no to t
hat, so she agreed hesitantly. Both Evergreen ladies got up from their chairs and rushed out of the breakfast room in pure excitement.
“Penley!” Lady Evergreen shouted on her way out. “Peeeennnnleeeyyyy!” she screamed again from further away.
“I am so sorry. Let me tell them that you did not mean right now.” John stood up, but Emma grabbed his hand to stop him. He froze and looked at her hand holding his. Their eyes met for a second, releasing those butterflies in Emma’s stomach again. She instantly let go of his hand.
“Please don’t. I would love to go with them.”
“Of course. Thank you,” John said in a soft, gentle voice.
Just then, Agnes came running in. “Are we going to Evergreen or London?”
“Evergreen. London is too far for Emma; she still should rest,” John replied. Agnes turned around and was gone as fast as she had appeared.
“Evergreen?” Emma asked.
“It is a small town not far from here. My family has been here for a long time, so the town is called after us. But really, it is barely a village. It is nothing to show off with.”
Emma didn’t even have a cobblestone named after her, so yeah, it was a big deal.
“Well, I better get Lily.” Emma stood. She was finished anyway.
“You can always take one of our servants, too. We have also arranged a room for Lily in the wing with the other servants.”
Emma didn’t want Lily to be too far from her. She needed her for so many things. Without Lily, her reputation would already have been ruined, as she would have taken Blackwell’s offer and stayed with him at his castle, not knowing the consequences. But above all, Lily was her friend.
“If you don’t mind, I would like to keep Lily close. She comforts me so, and I trust her.”
John nodded without hesitation. “That makes sense. I shall let the servants know to put up a bed for her in your room.”
This man was by far the kindest she had ever encountered. And to her, he looked his part. His beautiful brown eyes had a warm shine to them that made Emma feel a little tingle every time he looked at her with that genuine smile of his. He came a little closer and reached to her head but stopped before touching it.
“Do you mind if I take a quick look at your wound?”
“No, I appreciate it.”
John gently tilted her chin to the side with one hand and examined the wound with his other. Emma looked at his face. It was so close now, she could actually smell him. He smelled of aftershave. Emma couldn’t believe how much his scent aroused her.
“It is healing rather nicely. I do not think you will need to endure another round of Ackley’s rubbing alcohol on it. It burns like hell if you ask me.” He now turned to her and smiled again. Their faces were far too close, but neither of them moved away. Emma looked at his lips. They looked so soft. She wondered what kind of a kisser he was. Was he gentle? Emma’s cheeks started to burn. John carefully lifted her chin toward his, looking deep into her eyes. His lips parted slightly. Was that desire she saw in his gaze? Emma was on fire. She moved her head in a little bit, to welcome his lips on hers.
“Lord Blackwell!” his mother suddenly shouted from the hallway.
John jumped back a few steps, which left Emma feeling as though he had been torn from her…
Before she could think too hard about that, Agnes swung the door to the breakfast room open as if she was part of Blackwell’s cavalry. “It is Lord Blackwell for Emma!” she shouted.
“Yes, we heard it the first time, when mother shouted like a newspaper boy in the streets of London. Thank you, Agnes,” John said sarcastically but in the voice of a perfect gentleman.
For some reason, Emma felt annoyed by Lord Blackwell coming here. She honestly couldn’t think of anything worse right now than having to spend time with him.
Emma and John joined his mother and Lord Blackwell in the tearoom. Like every other room in this house, it was a beautifully decorated room that looked like a scene out of Downton Abbey.
Blackwell looked stunning, Emma had to give him that. Like John, he was wearing a black day suit with a stand collar, bow tie, and waistcoat, but his was shiny and left the impression that it was made from the finest materials found on this earth. His black hair complemented that face of his, far too good-looking for any human being. His icy blue eyes now locked in on her.
“Ms. Washington!” He walked over and gave her that famous slight-bow-hand-kiss combo. “I am so glad to see you in good health. I hope I am not intruding.”
Emma was worried for a short moment that John would reply, “Yes, you were intruding,” but just like yesterday, John studied Blackwell silently with those cold eagle eyes. Was there something the matter between the two of them?
“Thank you for checking in on me and for helping me yesterday.”
“Of course. I spent hours yesterday trying to find those thieves, but to no avail. I have hired an investigator who will not rest until those cowards are found and brought to justice. The police, I dare say, are rather incompetent when it comes to these matters.”
Suddenly, Emma thought of poor Skip. By God, had anybody gone back to help him get the horse back and fix the carriage he had borrowed from his friend? “What about the driver? Skip? He is alright, I hope?”
Blackwell turned down the corners of his mouth slightly, as if he wanted to ask her why in the name of God she would waste her time worrying about some carriage driver.
“I sent men back yesterday to help him fix the carriage and find the other horse,” John told Emma in that caring tone he always used with her.
“What a kind heart you have to worry about such things,” Lord Blackwell pitched in, sounding totally fake. “Anyway…I hope it is not asking too much of Mrs. Washington to accept this little care package from my family and me.” Lord Blackwell signaled Penley to bring something in, but Penley waited for a few seconds to see if John was okay with this, then opened the door to the tearoom to let in several servants carrying boxes of all shapes and forms. Emma hated to admit it, but she was curious about these different-colored and -shaped boxes. Agnes ran over to one of the bigger boxes and opened it. She pulled out a beautiful, light-blue silk dress.
“Emma, look at this! It is magnificent!” Agnes squeaked, then opened a round box right next to the one she had just opened to pull out a fancy hat and gloves in the same color. Lady Evergreen came over to Agnes to look at the items as well.
“Look at this stitch work. Is that from—”
Blackwell smiled smugly. “Wilsons. Of course. My family only frequents at the grandest of dressmakers.”
Agnes and Lady Evergreen went through box after box like children unwrapping presents on Christmas morning. Emma didn’t mind them having fun opening her boxes, and Lord Blackwell surely enjoyed the big fuss his gifts were getting. Emma glanced at John, who was leaning against the wall watching all of this silently. It was hard to read his face. Was he jealous? As much as it displeased her, she had to thank Blackwell, nonetheless.
“Lord Blackwell…I don’t know what to say,” Emma said honestly. She really didn’t know what to say. She hadn’t received a present since she was twelve. Her father had drunk away every cent that ever rolled through their door, and her mother had no money on her own, living off food stamps and housing allowance, unable to ever overcome the trauma Emma’s father had inflicted on her.
“Does that mean we shall not get to take Emma shopping now?” Agnes sounded disappointed, lowering a purple hat with feathers that she had been holding up against her head.
Emma looked at the sad faces of Lady Evergreen and Agnes, who didn’t make any effort to hide their emotions.
“Well, maybe we could try the dresses together. I’m in need of guidance when it comes to the latest British fashion.” Their faces went from rain to sunshine in a matter of seconds, and they both started giggling.
“Well, I am known for my good taste.” Lady Evergreen puffed her chest, grinning proudly. “Penley! Where are you?�
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Penley walked quietly up to Lady Evergreen like an abused animal. Did he mind hearing his name yelled day in and day out?
“Have these boxes carried to Emma’s room immediately!”
Penley did a little courtesy bow and went to go about his duty, but Lady Evergreen grabbed him by his arm, pulling him back abruptly. Penley didn’t even flinch and kept the stoic expression that was the mark of a faithful butler fixed on his face.
“And have tea and pastries brought up. Who knows how long this will take,” Lady Evergreen babbled in excitement.
Emma turned to Blackwell. “Lord Blackwell, I cannot thank you enough.”
“Oh, please. It is the least I can do to help. I wrote to my mother and sister the moment I arrived back at my estate, and they insisted on returning to Blackwell Castle at once.” Everybody knew exactly what that meant, between the lines. Emma would now be able to visit and even stay at Blackwell’s, and although he didn’t have to clarify the meaning of their return from London, he still did. “They would be delighted to host you at Blackwell Castle.”
This was it. Technically, Emma could pack her bags right then and leave with Blackwell to pursue what she had come here to accomplish. But…then why did she try to convince herself it would be better to stay at Evergreen for a little bit longer?
“How kind of you. Maybe a bit later? The doctor recommended rest for a few more days.” What are you doing? Emma scolded herself inside her head. You are here on a mission, not a vacation! Fix it! Fix it now! “But I would be delighted to thank Lady Blackwell and your sister in person as soon as I can, if that would work for you?”
Blackwell glanced over at John with a smile that had provocation written all over it.
“They would love to make your acquaintance. We are planning a small gathering this Saturday. It would be a true delight to my family and me to have you attend as our guest of honor,” Blackwell stated, gesturing a servant to bring his coat and hat.
Emma hesitated.
“You and the Evergreens, of course,” Blackwell added.
“Oh, we would not miss it for anything in the world, right, Emma?” Agnes jumped up and down.
