* * *
Five hours later, Ned stood on the roof with an enormous sense of satisfaction. He hadn’t worked this hard in years. The roof had been in terrible shape. But thanks to the hard work of Mr. and Mrs. Heldt on the ground, and Farrell, Rigg and Ned’s coachman and groom on the roof with him, they’d patched every hole. And just in time, if the dark clouds rolling in were any indication.
At first, Mr. Heldt had tried to join him on the roof. To take him away from the task, Ned had sent him to Barrington Manor with a message for Rigg. He’d written his valet to tell him he wouldn’t be back for several hours, and then been both surprised and relieved to see his own carriage pull up with Rigg and all his luggage. After sending Rigg into town to buy provisions for the household – over Jane’s objections, of course – his valet had joined him on the roof and been an invaluable help.
It didn’t hurt, of course, that the scullery maid at Barrington whom Rigg had had his eye on was the same one who’d been sacked and now worked in Jane’s kitchen.
Jane had wanted to join them on the roof and it had taken all of Ned’s self-control not to tie her to a tree to keep her out of danger. His Vi had kept them all entertained with the story of their trip to the village, then when that was finally exhausted, she’d regaled them with tales of Titania, Queen of the Mousers.
On a break where Jane had provided them cider, Ned pulled Rigg aside to ask about their decamping from Barrington Manor.
“I know I overstepped my bounds, my lord, but I believe a plan was afoot to entrap you into marriage.”
Once Ned had filled him in on the details of the night before, Rigg nodded solemnly.
“I heard tell, sir, that Miss Merriman’s inability to find her own bedchamber was going to pop up again and that this time Lady Barrington would be on her way to the kitchens for a midnight snack, even though none of the servants could recall any of the Merrimans ever venturing out to acquire their own sustenance. But word below stairs was that your informal understanding was going to be formalized with or without your consent.”
“Good God, Rigg, you saved me.”
“I like to think so, my lord.”
“And what excuse did you give them for my absence?”
“I didn’t. I simply said an urgent need had arisen and you’d asked me to express your most sincere regrets and that you would contact them again when able to do so.”
“How was that received?”
“Not well.”
“And how did you know to bring my trunks here instead of the inn?”
Rigg looked quite discomfited. Ned had never seen the man look so uncomfortable.
“Mr. Heldt’s arrival had been noted by Miss Merriman. I overheard her – the entire household and quite possibly the whole of Marston Vale overheard her – speaking to her mother about the occupants of Wetherby Farm. When I heard about the little girl, I asked the servants and they told me her age. I surmised the rest, then when I saw the beautiful girl with the remarkable eyes, I knew my instinct to bring your luggage here had been correct.”
“But we haven’t been asked to stay.”
The trusted valet smiled. “My lord, when has a Kellington ever waited to be asked to do anything?”
“Thank you, Rigg, for that timely reminder.”
* * *
What could the man be thinking by bringing his servants and luggage here, wondered Jane. Then to buy provisions in town. It simply wasn’t to be borne, although it was going to be quite lovely to have a roof again.
Jane had been unusually quiet for most of the day. The addition of Ned’s servants to the work party meant they could finish the repairs in a fraction of the time it would’ve taken her and Farrell alone. But she couldn’t possibly countenance having them stay there. They had the room, but she still had somewhat of a reputation to protect. And she couldn’t allow Vi to become any more attached to Ned than she already was.
They had few visitors at Wetherby Farm and not many of them took the time to answer Vi’s questions and listen to her stories, the way Ned was doing. She could tell Vi was enchanted. What girl between the ages of 6 and 60 wouldn’t be? He was too handsome to begin with. And the sweat of a hard day’s work made his shirt cling to him in ways that Jane wished she could ignore.
As the men were clearing the last of the supplies off the roof, she looked up at him.
“You’ll want to come down before the storm comes,” she said.
He returned her gaze, then flashed the smile she was all too susceptible to. “I’ll be down in a moment. And I’m touched by your concern for my safety.”
It was irritating how he could overturn her senses without being similarly affected. “I’d just hate to see you attract lightning to my newly patched roof.”
“You wound me, Jane. I should throw myself off the roof in despair.”
“Don’t do that!” said Vi, suddenly at her mother’s side. “You promised to have tea with us.”
“And I will, poppet,” he said as he joined them on the ground. “Just as soon as I wash up. Which bedchamber is mine?”
“You’re staying with us?” asked an excited Vi.
“He’s not staying with us,” said her mother.
“Why are my trunks here if I’m not staying with you?”
“That’s a question for your valet.”
“We had to leave Barrington Manor for reasons I cannot explain at this time.” He shot a quick glance at Vi. “The heavens are about to open at any moment. Surely you wouldn’t throw my men and me out, especially after we worked so hard on your roof.”
“Please don’t throw them out, Mama,” said Vi, tugging on Jane’s hand. “They worked so hard on the roof.”
“My reputation, sir, such as it is, would be irrevocably ruined if you were to stay.”
“Exceptions to society’s rules can be made in an emergency. And I’d say this storm qualifies as one.”
It was so tempting to give in, but that way lay disaster. “If you hurry, you might reach the inn before it starts to rain.”
But once again luck was not on her side, since rain began falling before she’d even finished her sentence. With a grin that melted her heart, Ned grabbed her hand then raced toward the house.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
An hour later and after the coldest bath he’d endured since returning to England, Ned surveyed his room. It was clean and had a quite pleasant view of the woods. But it, like every other part of the house he’d seen so far, was sparsely furnished. The linens were high quality but had obviously been purchased many years before and were faded with age. There were no footmen to bring his water up from the kitchen, so he and Rigg had each carried two buckets and made do with what they had.
He’d seen no other servants besides the ones he’d already met. His daughter – he was still adjusting to that – had a room down the hall, like her mother. Ned didn’t even know if there was a nursery, or if there was, how well it was stocked. He was sure Jane had been educating Vi better than any governess could have and he didn’t doubt her dedication as a mother in the least. He had a feeling Jane had probably sacrificed a great deal personally over the years in order to give more to their daughter. That was all going to change for the better.
He found Jane in the study, engrossed in a ledger. He entered the room and shut the door behind him.
She didn’t look up, but somehow knew it was him. “Please leave the door open. It’s not proper for us to be alone together.”
“Jane, I believe we stopped being proper quite some time ago. Besides, I don’t think you want anyone else to hear what I have to say.”
That was certainly true, thought Jane. There were any number of things he could say that would best be kept private. The only problem was the temptation he presented when no one else was around.
“Will you come out from behind that desk and join me in front of the fire?”
“No.” Too many things could happen if she got up from the desk. Too many wonderful, sensuous thi
ngs which were altogether bad for her.
“I’d much rather talk to you from these chairs,” he said.
“I’d much rather stay where I am.”
“Very well.” He walked around the desk, then stood inches away, towering over her. “When can we be married?”
“What?!?” From her seated position, Jane had to crane her neck upward to see if he was joking or drunk. The latter would be particularly alarming considering how much of the day he’d spent on the roof.
“Do you want to wait for the banns to be called or shall I ride to town to procure a special license? Would you prefer to be wed in Marston Vale or allow my elder brother to dictate every moment and marry in London? In case you couldn’t tell from the phrasing of my question, I would prefer a wedding here in the village.”
“Are you daft?” Jane moved away to put some space between them.
He closed the distance, like a panther with prey.
“At the risk of sounding conceited, I could ask you the same question. Most women in your position would immediately accept such an offer, not question the sanity of the man who’d made it.”
“First of all, you didn’t offer anything. You informed me we were getting married. The only choices you offered were how quickly and in what location. Second, as a woman ‘in my position,’ as you so charmingly put it, I’m doing quite fine, thank you. Third, the last offer you made was to make me your mistress. I can’t help but wonder what’s responsible for the upgrade. Knowing I bore your daughter? Or that I’m the granddaughter of an earl and not the innkeeper widow you once thought.”
“None of that is relevant.”
“I think it is. Would you be asking me, excuse me, ‘telling’ me to marry you if it weren’t for Vi? Because I don’t recall you asking in the days you were here before you knew of the connection.”
Damn. The woman had a point.
“There’s no use in discussing hypotheticals. I know about her now and I’m doing what’s right.”
“Thank you, but no.” She moved to put more distance between them. He followed.
“You need my help. And before you tell me again how good of a job you’ve done in my absence, I’ll beat you to it. You’ve done an excellent job. An admirable job. I don’t know of anyone who could’ve done better.”
Jane clutched the folds of her dress. Anything to keep from reaching for him. “Flattery will not help your case.”
“Hush, madam. You’ve done an exceptionable job, but that doesn’t mean you couldn’t use additional help, like when the roof leaks.”
“But now the roof won’t leak because you did such a fine job fixing it, which I sincerely thank you for. Now, if you’ll excuse me…”
She was on her way to the door, when Ned grabbed her. He needed a way to keep her in the room and to stop her from talking just for a moment, so he could try to make up for his pitiful, botched proposal. So he drew her to him and kissed her. Not a polite kiss, or even a slightly probing, exploratory kiss. This one laid claim to her lips and body.
As his tongue explored her mouth, his hands reacquainted themselves with her body. As one hand pulled the round globes of her bottom toward him, his other hand cupped her breast. The kiss quickly escalated. His rock hard cock was pressed to her stomach. There was no hiding his need from her. He didn’t want to hide it from her. All he could think about was being inside her again. To feel her wet heat. To see her naked again. To press against her without any barriers.
When he’d said this house was a home, he’d been right in many ways.
* * *
Despite her better judgment, Jane completely lost herself in his kiss. From the moment his lips touched hers, all she could think about was getting closer to him. Picking up where they’d left off in Belgium. Reigniting the passion in her life that she’d barely had the chance to experience. And if she married him, she could have this all the time.
If she married him. What was she thinking? He didn’t want to marry her. He’d asked – or, rather, told her they’d be married – only because he’d felt he had to. An obligation similar to the one he’d fulfilled in his service to king and country. If he married her because he felt obliged to do so, it was only a matter of time before he’d regret it, then move on to another woman like so many of his peers did within their marriages. It was one thing for Jane to be alone. It was quite another to be alone within a marriage. She knew she’d be miserable.
She pulled back from him a few inches.
“Ned, stop,” she said. Then she became aware of a breeze at her back. “Did you undo my laces?”
He mumbled something against her neck that might have been an admission of guilt. She placed both her hands on his chest and pushed. After a moment’s hesitation, he stepped back. Not because she’d been able to push him away, but because he’d allowed it.
“Re-lace me this instant,” she said as she gave him her back. That proved to be a mistake because he started kissing the nape of her neck. “I’m serious. I’m sure Vi is searching the house for you. It’s only a matter of time before she finds us here.”
He reluctantly began lacing her dress very slowly, taking every opportunity to brush his fingers against her bare skin. “Maybe we should tell Vi the truth about me and let her decide.”
“You cannot tell her about you.”
“She’s going to learn at some point. I won’t allow my daughter to grow up without knowing me.”
“That’s a question for another day. Until we decide how to proceed, I ask you to please keep the situation between ourselves.”
Ned finished with the laces, then turned her to him. All trace of humor was gone from his face. “I’ll defer to you on this. For now. But I will not be put off indefinitely. You will marry me. And in the meantime, you’ll allow me to pay all expenses and any more debts that may be outstanding.”
“Why do you think we have more debts?”
“I saw the look on your face as you worked on the ledger. It wasn’t the look of someone whose biggest financial concern was where to go on holiday. Now, unless my ears deceive me, I hear our daughter running through the entryway toward this very room. Do I look presentable?”
Jane nodded, thinking he looked a good deal more than presentable and wanting to run her fingers through his hair to muss it. But there was no time because the door flew open and Vi ran inside.
“Mrs. Heldt wanted me to tell you dinner is served. Will you sit beside me Ned? Will you?”
“There’s nothing I’d love more, poppet.”
Grabbing his hand, Vi pulled him into the dining room. Her enthusiasm helped lighten the mood of both her parents.
“Did you know Ned climbs trees, Mama?” asked Vi as she settled into her chair.
“No, I’m afraid that particular skill of his has not come up in conversation,” said Jane.
Rigg entered the room, carrying the first course. As he began to serve, Ned looked at him inquiringly.
“Heldt’s rheumatism is acting up. I told him I’d serve while he rested.”
That might be true, but Ned knew Rigg must also be dying of curiosity.
Jane began to rise. “I’ll tend to Heldt.”
“If you’ll excuse me, Miss Wetherby,” said Rigg, “Mrs. Heldt told me to let you know she’s already applied the usual poultice. She suggests you finish your dinner and not give the situation a further thought.”
Jane looked uncertain as to what to do.
“She was quite adamant, Miss.”
Jane sat down again.
“Perhaps I can sing to Mr. Heldt later, Mama.”
“I’m sure he’d like that very much,” she said, as she squeezed her daughter’s hand.
“I’d like to hear you sing,” said Ned.
“Mama and I sing together,” said Vi, between bites of a particularly good shepherd’s pie. “We used to do it at the pianoforte, but we had to sell it. I hope we get another one soon, then we can play and sing for you on that.”
Ned mentally a
dded a pianoforte to the list of items to purchase. Provided he could get Jane to unbend enough to accept it.
“Do you have brothers and sisters?” Vi asked him.
“Three brothers and one sister.”
Vi’s eyes lit up. “I’d love to have three brothers and a sister. All I have is Titania.”
“Yes, but at least Titania catches mice. I’m afraid none of my brothers can catch mice, although I’m sure my sister is clever enough to do so.”
“What are their names?”
“The mice my sister catches? I’m not sure she ever named them.”
Vi broke out in giggles and Ned felt punched in the gut. He wasn’t sure he’d ever heard a sweeter sound.
“My elder brother is named William, but we call him Liam.”
“Like I’m Violet but everyone calls me Vi.”
“Exactly. Then I have two younger brothers, Arthur and Hal. And my sister is the youngest. Her name is Elizabeth, but we call her Lizzie.”
“Did you play together all the time when you were children?”
Ned heard the wistful tone in the little girl’s voice. “We did play. But we also had our studies. And we had to work around the house.”
“You mean you didn’t have servants?”
A snort-like sound came from the direction of Rigg who’d been, up until that point, the epitome of an excellent butler. Ned ignored the insufferable man.
“We did have servants, but our mother and father believed it was important for us to have responsibilities.”
“I have responsibilities, too. I help clear the table, I make my bed and sometimes I work in the garden. Did you do that?”
Another snort from the direction of Rigg.
“Most of our responsibilities concerned learning the family history, being able to identify the trees and plants on the estate and getting enough exercise during the day. I think that last responsibility was simply a means of tiring us out.”
“Did you have any toys?”
Ned thought it probably wasn’t quite the thing to explain that their nursery, which ran from one end of the house to the other, was better stocked than any toy store in London.
Never a Mistress, No Longer a Maid (Kellington Book One) Page 10
