Ghosts from the Past (Wiggons' School for Elegant Young Ladies)

by Charles, Jane

  She stood and faced him, a pile of leaves with clumps of dirty hanging from them, cradled in her arms. “I enjoy working in the garden. It is where I find peace and can think clearly.”

  “You didn’t do so in Sankt Peterburg,” he reminded her.

  “I wasn’t given much of an opportunity. There were few gardens where I lived. My father didn’t like me to do so and after he died, I no longer had the desire.”

  Natasha’s father had passed a few months after she returned to Russia, making Dimitri her guardian. Her mother had died when she was a child.

  “I enjoyed the botany classes when I was a student and have enjoyed working in the gardens since my return to England.”

  How had he not known this about her? “I am sure Atwood has many servants who can do this.”

  She simply smiled before walking down a path to a wheelbarrow. “He does, but this is something I enjoy.” She dumped the weeds onto an already wilted pile. “I also do this to thank him for his kindness of letting the students and teachers live here for nearly six months after the school was destroyed by a tempest. He saw to the rebuilding.”

  “Shouldn’t the students be seeing to this as well?”

  “They do. When we are in class at least.”

  Anton frowned. Even though she might enjoy this work, he did not like to see her toil. “Let me help you.”

  Natasha laughed. “I can do this on my own.” She swept past him and returned to the area she had been working in. When she settled onto the dirt and began pulling at weeds, he knelt beside her. “What do I do?”

  She straightened and looked at him. “Nothing.”

  “I wish to help,” he insisted.

  She gestured to the green growth before them. They were plants and few had flowers. “Can you tell what is or isn’t a weed?”

  They were all green, with different leaves. Some were larger than others. But no, he couldn’t tell the difference.

  “Let me see to this and you can…” She tilted her head. “Why are you here?”

  “I was out walking and when I emerged from the woods I saw you.”

  She pursed her lips.

  Anton put a hand over his heart. “It is the truth. I just walked and ended up here.” He looked into her eyes. “I don’t think it is possible to stay away from you.”

  Natasha shook her head and returned to her task of yanking innocent plants from the ground. “If you want to be of use, take that wheelbarrow and dump the weeds into the pile behind the orangery.”

  At least she hadn’t sent him off the estate.

  22

  Her heart beat with apprehensions, which reason could not justify.

  A Sicilian Romance

  Ann Radcliffe

  Natalie blew out a breath as soon as Anton disappeared behind the orangery. How was she to think with him about? The reason she had come outside to work in the garden was because it was silent. She needed to decide what to do. Yes, she loved Anton. That was without question. Could she trust him?

  It didn’t help that at every turn her heart softened. First Vanko, then Anton’s saving Eliza and now he wanted to help her in the garden. Why couldn’t he be like other gentlemen? They called at the residence and waited to be told if the person they sought was at home. She wasn’t even given the opportunity to not be at home.

  She reached forward and grasped the closest green leaves and yanked before she gasped. Anton now had her pulling plants instead of weeds. How could she determine what to do about him if he befuddled her enough that she couldn’t pay attention to what she was doing?

  He whistled as he returned, pushing the wheelbarrow before him. His cravat had been loosened, coat removed and his shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. Oh dear, he intended to work right alongside her. She would accomplish none of her intended goals.

  Anton grinned when he stopped and let the wheelbarrow rest. He bent, scooped up the debris and stopped at the bloom. “Even I know this is a tulip.” He studied the red flower. “Did it offend you somehow?”

  Natasha frowned and went back to pulling weeds. Perhaps if she ignored him he would go away.

  “Could I get you a cup of tea, or a glass of water?”

  She wasn’t really thirsty, but if it got Anton away from her, perhaps she could drink something. Not tea though. That would require sitting at the table on the terrace and he would wish to keep her company. “Water would be nice.”

  “Your wish is my command.” He bowed and turned toward the manor.

  Natalie yanked at the weeds quicker than before. Perhaps she could finish before he returned and then she would have an excuse to leave him because she needed to wash up. Of course, she could just ask him to go away, but did she really wish him to? She settled back on her heels and looked to the sky. “This is so frustrating.”

  There were three more beds to weed and she wouldn’t accomplish them all before night fall so there was no hope for finishing quickly.

  He wasn’t gone as long as she hoped. When he emerged from the back of the house, he carried a tray laden with a pitcher, two glasses and a plate of what appeared to be biscuits. Her stomach growled. She hadn’t eaten much of late and didn’t realize she had grown hungry.

  He paused by the table. “Shall I bring it to you or do you wish to rest in the shade?”

  She dearly wanted a biscuit. With a sigh she stood. “I will join you.”

  His grin widened. Of course it would. It was probably exactly what he hoped would happen.

  Anton placed the tray on the table, poured clear water into their glasses and was waiting by her chair when she arrived. He held it out for her and waited until she was settled before taking his own seat.

  “Thank you,” she murmured before sipping the drink. She was thirstier than she realized.

  “Atwood’s cook was just taking these out of the oven. They were originally meant for the students, but Lady Atwood insisted they were to receive none.” He grinned. “We are rewarded instead.”

  Anton did deserve a reward. He risked his own life to go after Eliza. The girl was a stronger swimmer, they all were, as a requirement of living close to the sea. If a student didn’t know how to swim when they arrived, Mrs. Wiggons made sure they were taught in short order. For Eliza to lose her footing and be unable to fight the waves meant the sea was treacherous today. “Thank you again, for saving Eliza. You could have been hurt or worse.”

  “I couldn’t have simply stood there, now could I?”

  She supposed he couldn’t.

  She must stop thinking about the kind things he has done, but instead of how he treated her before. She was no longer a young lady, caught up in the romance of being in love with a spy. Such foolishness had only lead to heartache.

  Anton polished off one biscuit before he spoke again. “This is the most delicious thing I have eaten in months.”

  “You cook a delicious porridge.”

  He grimaced. “I am dearly sick of porridge, but it is about all the skill I have in a kitchen.”

  Natalie couldn’t help herself and laughed. “Perhaps that explains why you have grown thin since Sankt Peterburg.”

  The smile left his lips. “I lost the weight in prison and have not yet gained it back.”

  She sobered. She didn’t want to think of Anton in prison and how he was tortured.

  He grasped her hand. “It is in the past. Let’s leave it there.”

  “We cannot.” It was what happened there that brought them to this juncture.

  “How many times must I apologize? What can I do to make up for the wrongs I have caused you?”

  Natalie studied him. She honestly did not know the answer. “I need time. Can you please allow me that?”

  He was more serious than she had seen him in some time. His eyes were clouded and she wasn’t sure if it was from pain or sadness. Perhaps both. She did not wish to hurt him but certainly he understood that after what he had done she couldn’t simply run back into his arms. Anton had changed. They both
had.

  After a moment he nodded, drained the contents from his glass and stood. “I will leave you to your thoughts and pray you can find it in your heart to forgive me.”

  Natalie offered him a sad smile. A part of her already had. She needed to learn to trust again. “Thank you.”

  With a wink, he scooped up three biscuits and meandered across the lawn and disappeared into the woods.

  “Isn’t it romantic?,” Rosemary sighed from Sophia’s open window overlooking the terrace.

  “Shush, she will hear you,” Eliza hissed. “You know we aren’t supposed to be together and I have no desire to be in further trouble.”

  Sophia flopped upon the bed. “Then perhaps the two of you should have remained in your own room instead of getting me into trouble again.”

  The two girls whipped around and stared at her in surprise.

  “We don’t make you do anything,” Eliza argued.

  In truth they didn’t, but had she not been with them today, Rosemary would have been pulled out into the sea with Eliza. Sophia had been lucky enough to only be in far enough for her ankles to become wet when the water knocked Rosemary from her feet. She had been able to grab her friend, but unable to haul her back when Eliza was swept away. There was only one time she had been more frightened, but she didn’t wish to think about that time, the night she was kidnapped not long ago because a madman wanted a piece of a map.

  “I just wish we would think matters through a bit more carefully from now on,” Sophia finally said.

  Rosemary rolled her eyes and plopped into a chair. “We would have no adventure.”

  “Yes, we would,” Eliza said quietly and settled into the opposite chair. “We have been careless.”

  Sophia sat up. She never thought to hear Eliza voice those words.

  “I honestly thought I would perish today. No matter how much I tried to fight, the current kept dragging me under and turning me this way and that. My skirts tangled in my legs and each time I went under I feared I wouldn’t resurface again.”

  As horrible as it was for Eliza to have experienced a near drowning, perhaps it was what she needed to be more thoughtful in the future.

  She turned to Sophia. “I vow to listen more carefully from now on.”

  At the moment, Eliza meant the words, but Sophia feared they would soon be forgotten as this day grew more distant. Or, perhaps it had changed her for good. She could only hope that were the case.

  “That is all well and good, but what about them?” Rosemary asked.

  “Them?” Sophia and Eliza asked in unison.

  “Miss Pritchard and Mr. Kazakov,” she implored. “They are in love, married and should be together. We need to somehow make matters right.”

  “I think we should not concern ourselves. Whatever is to happen is between the two of them,” Sophia insisted.

  “I don’t agree,” said Eliza. “We must help them.”

  So much for Eliza curbing her impulses.

  Anton poured himself a brandy and settled into a chair in his library. He must give her time. As much as he hated to wait, he needed to give Natasha what she wished for.

  But, how much time would she need? Days? Weeks? Months? Years? He dearly hoped it wasn’t more than days. He might not be able to remain sane.

  No matter how long, he would give her the time. He was not going anywhere and intended to live out his days in Creighton Manor, even if it meant he could only visit Natasha every day until he took his last breath.

  What was he to do in the meantime? He still hadn’t figured out the best way to court her, and if he was going to have limited time at her side, what was he to do to fill the rest of his day. He glanced around the room. The house did need to be redecorated and cleaned.

  He refused to redecorate without her, which meant this house might remain in this state for years.

  No, she would not need years. He would not allow it.

  However, even if she wasn’t here, that didn’t mean it couldn’t be cleaned. With determination he came to his feet. He would go into town and take out an advertisement for cooks, maids, footmen and anyone else required. The stables needed to be rebuilt and perhaps more horses purchased, and a carriage. Yes, that is what he would do so when Natasha did return to make this a home, it would be clean and efficient and she could begin any transformation she desired immediately.

  He walked toward the window. The place could use some freshening as well. After being locked up for decades a musty scent hung in the air. Anton put a hand on the base and lifted. The window did not budge. “Bloody hell.” He had forgotten every window in the manor was nailed shut. They certainly could not remain this way, especially since Natasha would be living here and he wanted there to be no reminders of what he had done.

  Anton tossed back the remains of the brandy and went in search of his tools. Before he did anything else, he would remove every nail from every window, as well as any outside locks on interior doors.

  Once she was here to stay, Natasha would know only freedom and the comforts of home and how much he adored her.

  Vanko entered the foyer at the same time as Anton but from the opposite direction. “What are you urgent about?” He asked with concern.

  Anton quickly explained his plans.

  “Your wife come back?” he asked, a bit alarmed. Why would Vanko be concerned? It changed nothing.

  23

  Love, hatred, and jealousy, raged by turns in her heart, And defied all power of

  control. Subjected to their alternate violence, she experienced a misery more acute than

  any she had yet known.

  A Sicilian Romance

  Ann Radcliffe

  It took three days, but by the time Anton was finished, every nail had been removed from the windows, every door could only be locked from the inside and he hoped that Natasha, once in residence, didn’t use it to keep him out. Lastly, servants had been hired. The new staff would begin tomorrow, after they made their quarters habitable. The rebuilding of the stable was scheduled to begin the following week.

  He had not seen Natasha since he left her on the terrace. He had wanted to go to her several times but held back. She’d asked for time and he promised himself to give it to her.

  “Will you visit your wife today?” Vanko asked as he came into the library.

  “I am uncertain.” Was it too soon or had he waited too long?

  “You must!”

  Anton eyed his friend. Vanko had been behaving oddly. First, he was concerned that she and he had made amends, but now he pushed Anton to visit her. “I will when I think it is time.”

  “You give her much time,” Vanko insisted. “She could be hating not forgiving.”

  That had been a concern of his as well. But, he didn’t wish to push her away by not doing as she asked. It was a double-edged sword.

  “Go, now, before too late.”

  “Why is it so important to you?” Anton finally asked.

  Vanko sighed. “She is your heart. Your love. I cannot leave here until you have her back.”

  A smile pulled at Anton’s lips. “You do not have to remain on my account.”

  “Ah, but I do,” Vanko answered in all seriousness. “Without me, you muck up.” He dismissed Anton with a wave of his hand and marched out of the room.

  He could only laugh. Vanko was right, not that he would continue to muck it up without his friend, but he had given Natasha enough time. Besides, he couldn’t go another day without seeing her.

  After setting himself to rights and making sure his appearance was presentable, Anton started on the path through the woods to Atwood’s estate. He hoped it wasn’t too early. Those in England usually didn’t pay calls until later in the afternoon, but he couldn’t wait another moment.

  He could only pray Natasha would grant him an audience. It was a beautiful day and perhaps they could walk in the gardens, or along the beach. Maybe her heart had softened enough that she would grant him the liberties only a husband w
as allowed.

  A grin pulled at his lips and he stepped out into the sunlight before he was brought up short. The students were seated on a blanket beneath the trees, a book was open on Eliza’s lap and she read aloud to the others. He had thought they would still be locked in their rooms on a bread and water diet. If they were forgiven, perhaps he was as well.

  They glanced up as he moved across the lawn.

  “Mr. Kazakov! Eliza stood, the book falling from her lap and she walked forward. “I want to thank you for saving me.”

  “I am just glad I was able to.”

  The other two girls came to their feet and approached.

  “Because you saved us, we wish to help you,” Rosemary said.

  How could these three possibly be of assistance to him? The only challenge he faced was winning Natasha back, something he must do on his own. Besides, did he really wish for their help? The idea was rather frightening. They could do more harm than good. “That is thoughtful, but I don’t need assistance.”

  “Of course you do,” Eliza insisted. “And, we have already begun.”

  His gut tightened. Good Lord, what have they been up to?

  “It is nothing to be frightened of,” Sophia laughed. She must have read his mind. From what he had observed, she was the most level-headed of the three. “We have simply sung your praises whenever we are with Miss Pritchard.”

  He tilted his head in thought. Their words certainly couldn’t hurt, could they?

  “She has asked that we cease bringing your name up in every conversation,” Rosemary giggled.

  Eliza grinned and had a mischievous glint in her eye. “Of course, that didn’t stop us.”

  Anton took a deep breath. Perhaps their interference was doing more harm than good. “I thank you, but my relationship with your teacher is between us.”

  “That is what she said,” Eliza grumbled.

  He hitched an eyebrow. “Yet, that didn’t stop you.”

  “Not at all.” A grin burst across Eliza’s face. “You two are destined to be together.”