Suddenly she stiffened as she watched Sir Walter striding across the lawn, snapping some instructions to one of the gardeners.
How dare he act as if he owned the place! She felt a shiver of real fear cross her mind. He was not the type of man who would go away just because she asked him. He was determined to marry her and, at present, she could not see a way of defeating him.
She had run away once and he had found her. But on reflection, her destination had been quite obvious.
The beginning of a new idea began to form – perhaps next time she would run somewhere he would never think of looking!
CHAPTER FOUR
Rosanna spent half an hour in the kitchens, discussing the day’s menus with Mrs. Bates, who was still worried about providing meals for so many at such short notice.
“I’m sure I hope we’ll cope, my Lady,” she said eventually. “Supplies are being sent from the town and we have plenty of our own fruit and vegetables, of course. It’s just the special things the guests ask for which might be difficult to provide. And, of course, Sir Leonard did not keep a very extensive cellar. Sir Walter and the other gentlemen have already drunk several bottles of wine and brandy.”
Rosanna tossed back her long blonde hair that kept escaping its bonds.
“Just do your best, Mrs. Bates. I ask for no more,” she said. “I am hoping that they will soon be on their way home to London!”
When she left the kitchen, she was crossing the hall when Sir Walter appeared.
“I hope you will be making plans to return to London soon, sir.”
Because she had been thinking it, the words seemed to slip from her lips. Then to her astonishment and distress, Sir Walter came very close and placed his hands on her shoulders.
“Now listen to me, my darling,” he said. “You are going to marry me and the sooner we do so, the better. I love you and I know you love me. I am thrilled with Donnington Hall and would suggest we live here, as I am sure we would be happier than in my own home which is more of a bachelor residence.”
He paused for breath before he hurried on to say,
“I can see us giving marvellous parties and together we will take our position as the leaders of Society in the county.”
As he finished speaking, he drew her closer to him and bent forward to kiss her.
His lips were seeking hers but somehow, in disgust, Rosanna managed to turn her head so that he kissed, not her lips, but her cheek.
She tried to pull away, but his big hands only held her tighter.
“Sir, please, your friends could be here at any second,” she gasped.
“I agree they are a nuisance,” Sir Walter answered. “But the girls are a necessity as chaperones. I will tell them to go back to London as soon as you and I can be married in the local church. I shall seek out the Vicar as soon as possible. Presumably there will be certain legal documents that need to be attended to, but most of these country clergy are very amenable to a few guineas in their pockets.”
He paused before he continued,
“We might travel over to Paris for a short honeymoon before we start training the best and the fastest of the horses in your stables on the Racecourse which your uncle built so brilliantly.”
Rosanna stared into his face. Suddenly his eyes were gleaming in a way they had not when he had been speaking about marriage and she could hear the enthusiasm in his voice when he discussed racing. He was obviously fanatical about the sport.
She had heard of men who gave their whole lives to racing horses and gambling and she realised that Sir Walter was just such a person.
Her spirits sank even lower. How could she fight against an obsession such as this? He would in some way force her to marry him so he could get his hands on not just her money and estate, but the Racecourse and the horses.
She held everything he wanted, and that was not herself, but what she possessed.
‘Help me, God. Please help me,’ she prayed.
At the same time, she was pushing Sir Walter away. But he only released her when there was the sound of approaching voices.
“I want to be alone with you,” he whispered, his lips hot and wet against her ear. “I want to tell you how happy we will be together and to plan our marriage.”
As Susan and Miranda descended the great stairway, Rosanna pulled away from Sir Walter and ran past them without speaking.
She could hear the odious man laughing and the words, “ – embarrassed by you seeing our love for each other.”
Oh, this was intolerable. She had to escape. She had no choice but to run away again.
The housemaids were working in her bedroom, so she hurried further along the corridor and up a flight of stairs to a small room Bates had shown her on her tour of the house.
It had been where the nurse had slept who had cared for the late Sir Leonard during the few short days of his final illness.
Rosanna recalled absentmindedly opening and shutting drawers in the dressing table and seeing a few objects left behind by mistake.
She had paid no particular notice at the time, but now – Yes! There they were. A nurse’s uniform – plain grey dress, long white apron, clean and pressed, a white cap, a notebook containing a list of her previous patients.
There was also a belt with a fancy buckle and a little bunch of scissors and measuring spoons, wrapped in soft leather. They were exactly what she wanted.
She remembered with a pang how carefully she had watched Nurse Evans who had cared for her dear mother during her last illness. They had spoken many times and Rosanna had often taken over some of the arduous tasks whilst the nurse was sleeping.
Nurse Evans had given her much information about her profession. If her plan was to work, she would need to remember everything in great detail.
Returning to her room, Rosanna hurriedly packed a small case with her plainest clothes and washing utensils. She only took a silver backed hair brush, but hopefully nobody would see it.
She pushed the case under her bed and slipped downstairs again. The house was very quiet. Obviously Sir Walter and the others had gone into the garden. Thank goodness. Luck was on her side at last.
She went to find her butler.
“Bates, I need to go out,” she said. “I want to go alone and not be bothered by any of my guests. While I change my clothes, will you fetch one of the horses and prevent anyone from coming with me?”
“That will be a difficult task, my Lady,” Bates said frowning.
“I know,” Rosanna replied. “But hopefully you can manage it, dear Bates.”
“Will you ride the mare Taffy, my Lady?”
Rosanna sighed. Even in the short time she had been at Donnington Hall, she had grown to love the beautiful mare, but knew it was not the type of mount she needed at this moment.
“No, not this time. I noticed a rather plain, plump grey pony in the stables. I believe his name is Smudger. If he could be saddled and left at the end of the little lane leading out across the fields, that would be extremely helpful.
“Then I need you to find Henry, my coachman, and tell him to take the carriage and drive back to the London house immediately.”
Bates looked anxious.
“May I ask where you are heading, my Lady? Although this is a gentle area, there are always ruffians around.”
“There is more danger for me here, Bates,” Rosanna responded solemnly. “I do not need to tell you what. I am sure it is obvious. I want to get rid of them, but you know it is very difficult for me. You are being so kind and understanding that I can only say how grateful I am both to you and to your wife for your support.”
“We’ve had worse things than this to conquer,” Bates said with a grim smile.
“What you must tell my guests, including Sir Walter, is that I have a friend in the North of the country who is extremely ill and likely to die. I have therefore gone to see her as quickly as I could.”
She smiled at him as she added,
“You can say that I h
ave suggested that they all go back to London.”
There was silence for a moment before Bates said,
“I expect Sir Walter will ask me details about your friend.”
“You can tell him the truth,” Rosanna answered. “You can say you only know that she lives somewhere in the North, Yorkshire perhaps, and as I was in such a hurry I did not give you the address. Hopefully he will see that the carriage has gone and think it is carrying me northwards.”
“I will do my best, my Lady, but you know what Sir Walter is like. He goes on and on until he gets what he wants, as far as I can see.”
“I know that,” Rosanna replied. “That is why I need to go away. And quickly. I dare not stop here. I cannot fight him at present. He is too strong.”
“How will your Ladyship know when to return if I cannot contact you?”
Rosanna frowned as an idea came to her.
“On the roof there are several flags, Bates. I saw them when I was exploring. When the visitors have finally left, fly a flag from the flagpole and I will know my home is my own again.”
“So you will not be going far, my Lady?”
Rosanna just smiled.
“Well, if your Ladyship doesn’t want them to know where you are going, I will have the pony ready for you in a quarter of an hour.”
“Thank you! Thank you!” Rosanna cried.
Bates nodded gravely and watched as the slim figure sped back up the stairway. He sighed and went to give orders to Henry about the carriage and to the groom to saddle the pony.
He led the animal down the little back lane to where the fields began and tethered him to a post.
Slipping behind some thick bushes, he watched in amazement as a few minutes later what appeared to be a young nurse wearing a severe dress in grey and a dark cloak, hurried down the path, fastened her case to the pony’s saddle, mounted and trotted away across the fields.
Once she was out in the open country, Rosanna gave the pony its head and rode as quickly as she could.
It was some distance to the Earl of Melton’s Castle, but she knew exactly where it was from her earlier ride.
She stopped at a little stream and let Smudger take a drink. She patted his warm neck. It seemed strange to be riding a pony after the lovely Taffy, but an ordinary nurse would not have access to a thoroughbred mare.
Twenty minutes later, Rosanna walked the pony out of a field through a gate into a road lined on either side with great chestnut trees.
She slipped off the pony and led it under the bright green shade to the Castle gates.
To her surprise they were not closed and there was no sign of the gatekeeper.
‘Oh, no,’ Rosanna murmured. ‘This is an obvious indication that their master is sick and not in control of his affairs. I am sure that such slackness would not have happened if he had been in good health.’
She pushed the gates wider, led Smudger through, then sprang into the saddle and trotted up the long drive towards the Castle.
Rosanna reined the pony to a halt and let it crop some grass while she studied the magnificent building before her. Much older than Donnington Hall, it was a perfect small Castle, right down to the battlements and the drawbridge across the moat that lead under an ancient gateway into the forecourt.
But for all its beauty, it had a forlorn look. There was thick green slime on the surface of the moat and the windows looked dingy.
‘Please God this will be my chance to escape,’ she thought. ‘It is the only ruse I can think of. It must succeed!’
Rosanna walked across the bridge into the Castle grounds and ignoring the heavy studded front door, she took her mount to the stable yard. A man who was cleaning a carriage, looked around at her in surprise.
“Good morning, I have come to see his Lordship,” she announced, stepping forward gingerly over the puddles on the cobblestones, “and I think it would be best for me to leave my pony with you rather than outside the front door.”
“It’ll certainly be safer,” the man replied with a grin.
“That is what I thought,” Rosanna replied. “He is very good and perhaps you would be kind enough to give him a drink and a rub down as it is very hot and we have ridden a long way.”
“I’ll do that, don’t you worry, miss,” the man said.
He did not seem curious as to why she was at the Castle, which gave Rosanna hope. Obviously nurses were an expected sight these days, so none of the staff would be likely to gossip about her in the village.
Rosanna hesitated as she left the stable yard. She was not at all sure if she should go round to the main door of the Castle, but decided that it would be more diplomatic to knock at the staff entrance and enquire.
There was quite a pause before the door was opened by a footman, who asked her to come inside and went to summon the butler. An elderly man with white hair finally appeared.
“Can I help you, miss?”
“I wonder if I might see his Lordship,” Rosanna asked. “My name is Nurse – Nurse Robinson.”
She stumbled over the name, giving her maid, Edie’s, surname as it was the only one that came readily to her mind.
“I understand the Earl is very anxious to hire a nurse and as I am staying in the neighbourhood, I thought I might come and enquire.”
The elderly man stared at her.
“So you are a nurse?” he asked.
“I have been for a number of years,” Rosanna told him, “and have done very well. But I am bored with working in towns and would like to live in the country.”
“Most people who come here say the opposite,” the butler replied. “But I am sure his Lordship will be pleased to see you.”
“That is what I hoped,” Rosanna responded with a smile.
“Then please come this way,” the butler said.
She followed him down a long stone passage into the main part of the Castle. A huge marble floored hall lay before her, where ancestral flags hung from poles and sumptuous heavy tapestries covered the walls.
Deep copper bowls of flowers sat on heavy oak chests, highlighted in ruby and emerald by the rays of sunlight that flooded down through the stained glass in the side windows.
But Rosanna noticed that most of the flowers had faded and the water needed changing in the bowls.
The butler led her up a steep flight of stairs that curved round and round until they reached the first landing.
“If you would care to wait a moment, miss, I will check that it is convenient for his Lordship to see you.”
Rosanna nodded and grasped her bag nervously between her hands. The nurse’s uniform felt stiff and strange to her, but in some way it seemed easier to act this part wearing a costume.
The door opened and the butler said,
“Will you come in, miss. His Lordship will be pleased to see you.”
Rosanna walked into what she thought could have been a very attractive apartment. It was high-ceilinged with good proportions, but the deep windows at one side were shut and curtained, making the room dark and gloomy.
The air was oppressive and far too warm. In the centre of the room stood a large four-poster bed draped with blue silk curtains that were heavily embroidered in gold thread with the Melton coat of arms.
The same coat of arms was embroidered above the untidy pile of pillows. Sitting up in bed was the owner, William, the Earl of Melton.
Rosanna stared at him.
Yes, this was the invalid she had seen at the inn the other day. As she remembered, he was a handsome man, not a day over thirty, but his face was pale and ravaged by pain, his thick dark hair unbrushed and lying unruly over his forehead. He badly needed a shave and his hands were restless on top of the sheets.
“Good morning, nurse,” he said wearily. “I understand you wish to see me.”
He held out his hand and Rosanna walked to the side of the bed and shook it.
She was aware of long fingers that clasped hers weakly and then fell away. She sat on a chair which had obviousl
y been arranged for her.
“I asked to see your Lordship,” Rosanna began, “because I have been told you have need of a live-in nurse. In fact, I was told you do not have one here in the house at present, which would be convenient, but that you have to send to the hospital every day for one to come to you.”
“That is true,” the Earl answered, “and they never stop telling me what a nuisance I am.”
He laughed a little bitterly as he spoke.
“It must be upsetting for you as well as for them,” Rosanna said. “Well, as I am a nurse and like the countryside, I thought I might be useful to you.”
“Are you really a nurse?” the Earl asked. “It is dark in here and you sound very young.”
“I have been a nurse for several years,” she told him. “I have my qualifications and references, but as I am on holiday, I am afraid they are in London and it will take a little time to bring them to you.”
“If you are free now and are prepared to give up your time,” the Earl enquired, “could you come to me at once?”
“That is what I would like,” Rosanna responded, “because where I am staying is overcrowded and I am quite certain I would find your house restful. I promise you that I can bandage your leg as well as any local nurse would be able to do.”
“That is the best news I have heard for years,” the Earl said. “When they can spare a nurse from the hospital one arrives, but they never fail to point out that I am preventing them attending to people who are far worse than I am.”
He tossed restlessly in the bed.
“And, of course, they are right. This stupid injury and fever will not improve. Sometimes – ” he shot a glance at Rosanna through thickly lashed eyes – “I doubt if I will ever recover.”
Rosanna stood up and began to straighten the bedclothes.
“That, if you will pardon my saying so, my Lord, is just the fever speaking. With a little rest and care, I am sure you will be up and about in no time.”
“I envy you your confidence, Nurse Robinson. I only wish I shared it. Well, Digby will show you your room,” the Earl said lying back, exhausted. “I must try to sleep.”
Love Rescues Rosanna Page 5
