Julia helped her to stand and drew her into a hug, “You are the very best person I have ever known. And, just being here for such a short time, I know Aidan and his family are different. He has you call him Aidan. Not his grace. He even asked me to call him that as well. Never in all my life have I heard of a servant calling their employer by their name. It just isn’t done. Not in London. Nor in most households for that matter. That should prove to you the difference between him, and the men of the ton.”
Rhia hugged her friend back, more grateful than words can express that she was here with her, in this unfamiliar territory.
“You are right in that regard. I am out of my element here. I don’t know what to do with my feelings.” Rhia sighed, and then shook her head. “You know, I am so grateful you found me.”
Julia laughed again, “It wasn’t easy, if you wouldn’t have gotten off at this town, and hadn’t walked away into a storm and gotten sick, I would still be looking.”
Rhia laughed again and yawned. Julia clucked her tongue. “I think that we should get you into bed. You still aren’t fully recovered.”
Rhia nodded her head in agreement. “You are right. It took a lot out of me tonight.”
Julia helped her out of the beautiful gown and into her nightshift. Rhia then got into bed and was asleep after her head hit the pillow.
Chapter Seventeen
Rhiannon
Northumberland, England, Sept 1812
Rhia woke the next morning to her door being thrown open so hard, it bounced off the wall with a loud bang! She sat up in bed, shocked at the noise in the quiet of her room so early in the morning. Looking out the window, it was just getting light outside and Rhia had no idea why someone would wake her this early.
Someone put a breakfast tray down on a table so hard, the dishes rattled and shook before settling. It was not like Julia to be so careless, and she looked to see what was happening. She was expecting to see Julia in her room, but when she locked eyes with the woman who brought the tray in, it was most definitely not Julia.
The maid was someone she had never seen before, and she wasn’t certain if she was a member of Aidan’s staff or not.
The woman looked down her nose at her, “Oh did I wake you? Lazy whore. The breakfast you demanded is here. You should know that not everyone has the time for your every beck and call. We are busy and have more important things to do than run to the calls of the whore of the household.”
And she turned to walk away without another word, her head in the air, not noticing where she was walking. She tripped over the ottoman that Rhia had used to take off her boots last night. The maid gave a huff of indignation, then she kicked it hard across the floor saying, “You should keep your room tidier. What a slob you are. But I wouldn’t expect anything else from a whore. Thinking she is better than everyone else by spreading her legs for a duke.” This was said more quietly as she got to the door, but Rhia heard it none the less. The maid kept walking with her head high, nose in the air, slamming the door shut behind her.
Rhiannon’s jaw dropped open in shock. She may not be a titled woman, or have a lot of money, but never in her life had she been spoken to that way. It wasn’t a pleasant experience. What was with the women here? Did they all have to treat her badly? Aside from Aidan’s mother and sisters, she hadn’t had anyone treat her with kindness or respect.
She was just about sick and tired of people assuming she was a whore, someone’s mistress. No one even bothered to speak to her, or look at her. But they all had their opinion. She couldn’t believe that is all people saw when they saw her. Not someone from a kind, loving family. One that raised her to treat others with respect. It was hurtful and she hated it.
All she did was try to get to Scotland and ended up here. It hadn’t been her decision to get sick here. The elements were to blame for that misfortune. It hadn’t been her fault this had been the place she recovered. She certainly had no designs on Aidan.
Yes, last night he had kissed her, but she would never stoop so low as to be anyone’s mistress. Ever. She wasn’t the sort of woman to act that way. Be that sort of woman. She hoped Aidan knew that. She thought he did. But what did she know? There was still a lot about him she knew nothing of. Including if he thought her character was in question.
Rhia sighed. This morning was not starting off in the best light. And no matter how much Aidan wished for her to stay, this was just another reason she wanted to leave. She hated it. She didn’t want to leave. Not now. Maybe not ever, but she didn’t need people treating her badly for no reason. She didn’t know why they did. Maybe Aidan did.
Every single time she saw his handsome face, she got butterflies in her stomach and she felt drawn to him in a way she never had before. It felt insane to her. Completely foreign. And she liked it. A lot. She still thought it was strange that she didn’t feel the same about Cole. He was handsome as well, but she thought of him as a friend. Aidan on the other hand, it was much more difficult to place him.
She just knew in her heart and her soul that no one else would make her feel like this. Of this she had no doubts at all. She just had to be careful and keep reminding herself that she was only here to recover, and then she was leaving.
If only she could get her heart to cooperate with her, then she would not let him affect her any longer.
She had to try to steel herself when he came around. Try was a very good word in this situation. Now that he had kissed her, he would be even harder to keep him at bay. Keep thoughts of him out of her head.
Her stomach rumbled with hunger and she decided that since the food was already here, she may as well eat it. Even though she hadn’t asked for the food, she would eat it nonetheless.
Her leg twinged with pain this morning as she swung her legs over the side of her bed. It kept plaguing her with pain as she tried to stand. Rhia knew that she overdid it yesterday. She just wanted to have a nice night. Sighing, Rhia pushed the thoughts away. She could do this.
Carefully she stood, and like the first day, her leg would not hold her weight. Dropping back to the bed, Rhia grit her teeth in determination. Her leg would not keep her from doing things. No longer. She was good and done. Pushing up from the bed, she was determined to not wait for Julia, or Aidan to come help her. She needed to do this for herself.
She took a few stumbling steps forward, trying to gain her balance. Wondering why the maid placed the tray so far from her bed. It didn’t make sense. Unless someone had told the maid about Rhia’s bad leg.
As she got closer, she put her foot down at a bad angle, and it wrenched the wrong way. She lurched forward, stumbling, trying to stay standing. And ran right into the ottoman the maid had kicked. It made her stumble more, into the table holding a tray of food, and she fell to her knees. The table tilted, and wobbled back and forth before finally falling on its side, right next to where Rhia had fallen.
The tray fell off the table, and with her on her knees, it hit her shoulder, rolled down her arm and finally hit her hands. She cried out with the pain of it. The food spilled all over her, the hot tea hitting her on her hands and scalding them. The crockery broke as it hit the floor and her.
She cried out again, her hands in agony from the hot tea. They were stinging, burning and turning red as she watched. Her back also hurt from where the heavy tray had hit it. It throbbed with pain and Rhia bit her lip, not letting another sound break free. She stayed on her knees, covered in food and broken dishes.
There was a banging on her door, and she wanted to answer, but she stared down at the tray of ruined food, and broken dishes and tried not to cry at the pain and the humiliation of what had happened.
She knew she should get up, knew that staying here on the floor was not good for her leg. It protested being bent the way it was, but she needed a minute first.
Holding her hands out in front of her, she hoped that they wouldn't blister. They were red, and hurt worse than the pain in her leg. She was shaking, trying desperately to hold ba
ck the tears. It was not easy, and all she wanted to do was curl into a ball and sob.
The banging on her door started again, and this time she heard Aidan cry out her name. “Rhia! I heard you yell. Are you all right?”
She turned away from the door, not answering him. She didn’t want to see him right now. She needed to learn to rely on herself again. And sitting here, covered in food and hot tea was not something she needed Aidan to see. She wasn’t his to protect, and he couldn’t solve all her problems.
She put her hands down to push herself up, and hissed out in pain. After getting the tea on her hands, and inside the cut that was still healing, it hurt again. Badly.
She couldn’t believe how she could have done this. It was horrifying to her. How her leg just gave out, making her stumble and fall. Right into the table, upending all the food onto her.
She knew if the ottoman hadn’t been in the way, it would have been fine. But she had hit right into it. If only that maid had been paying attention, then it would have been fine. She could have made it to the tray. And it wouldn’t have fallen all over. Rhia was angry and hurt. She took a deep breath, trying to hold back the tears, hating that they wanted to fall in the first place.
She cradled her hands to her chest, they hurt more as she sat there, as did her leg, and she finally gave in, leaning over her knees with her head touching them and trying not to sob into the carpet. She was trembling, shaken up by the entire thing.
The door burst open, and Aidan came rushing inside. She knew he most likely couldn’t see her where she was kneeling on the floor, and she could tell he was scared. “Rhia! Where are you?” He called out again, and when her soft, shuddering, breaths were heard, he turned toward the sound, and found her there, in a soaked nightshift, covered in food, tea, and bits of broken dishes.
Dropping to his knees beside her, Aidan reached for her, but she held out a hand and stopped him. “No, Aidan. Just leave me.”
Aidan’s eyebrows drew together. “Rhia,” he started, and she shook her head. Harder this time. “No, just please, leave me be. Please. I can’t have you here right now. I just need a moment to compose myself please.”
The last word was whispered, and Aidan felt his heart break. Reaching out to touch her, he very gently laid his hand on her back, “Will you please tell me what happened?”
Rhia turned her face away from him, “Just go,”
Aidan shook his head. He would not let her push him away. “No, Rhiannon. I will not go. Something happened in here, and I will not let you stay here, covered in food on the floor. It is something I won’t do.”
She finally turned to look at him, her eyes red from trying to hold the tears back. “Something did happen Aidan. I was awakened this morning by one of your maids throwing open my door so hard it crashed against the wall. Nothing could have been that urgent for that to happen. And then she informed me that the breakfast that I demanded was here. But I would never demand anything from anyone. It's not my place, nor is it what I would do.”
She looked up at Aidan, and he grimaced, “I know it isn't something you would do Rhia. You're not the type of person to demand anything. Keep going, please.”
Rhia swallowed, “She also told me that your staff shouldn't have to respond to my beck and call, that they were much too busy to respond to the whore who lived here, and then she walked out but not before she said I was trying to raise my place in the world by spreading my legs for a Duke. It was said quietly Aidan, but I heard it nonetheless. I was shocked that someone would speak to me that way, I haven’t been here long enough to hurt anyone’s feelings or make anyone upset in anyway. At least I didn't think so. But that was the second time that not only has someone treated me with such horrible disrespect, but that they also made the assumption about me that I was someone’s whore. I am tired of it Aidan. Because it wasn’t my decision to come here. Not my fault I got sick and you helped me recover.” She put her head down, embarrassed.
“I don’t know what to do to fix it. I tried to let the comments not bother me, and I decided I was hungry, so I got up to eat. But my leg won’t hold my weight today, and I stumbled into the ottoman there, and then into the table, it fell and the tray hit me, along with the tea and food.”
Tears were starting to course down her cheeks, and she held her hands out to him. She was shaking and upset.
Aidan looked down at her hands and let out a hiss of his own. Her beautiful hands were red, and looked so painful.
He looked into her eyes, “Oh Rhi. I am so sorry this happened. I don’t know who could have or would have done this. I don’t have any maids in my employ, not young like I assume this maid was, but I will figure out who. It bothers me as well that they have made that assumption about you. I have never given anyone a reason to believe that you are my mistress. I have never had one, nor will I ever. But that is beside the point. It is wrong that people think that about you. So wrong. It is not all right that they have hurt you this way. And I am deeply sorry for any hurt you have been caused. Both with this maid, and again for last night. It hurts me that you have suffered under my roof. I should be protecting you and I haven’t.”
He looked like he wanted to say more, but he shook his head, and held out his hand to her.
“Rhia, I have told you that you are a guest, more than a guest. You should be treated like you are part of the family. No one should mistreat you in anyway. I will let my staff know this. Again. Just let me get you up off the floor first, and I will get my mother to tend to your burns. I imagine they are very painful.”
Rhia shook her head, “No, Aidan. You don’t need to solve my problems. If your staff has to keep being told that I should be treated with respect, then I just keep being a problem. I promise Aidan, that as soon as I feel better, I won’t plague your household any longer. I apologize if I have caused hurt or offense to someone in any way. I can figure this out alone. I have to sometime. You won’t always be here to save me.”
Aidan’s mouth lifted into a snarl, “Rhia, I will do everything and anything in my power to save you. To help you. My staff have not been the ones who need reminding. It is someone else’s staff that have a hard time with orders. And they are the ones I will not allow near you. Not again. I will not stand for it. To have someone abuse you, and speak to you in that way. Not now, not ever again will this happen. I will find out who did this, and it will be dealt with. I can assure you of that. No one in my home should ever feel disrespected again. You, Rhia, are important to my family. And, most importantly; you, Rhia, beautiful, kind girl, to me.” Leaning forward, he lightly kissed her lips.
She looked into his eyes, shocked. “Aidan,” and this time he was the one to interrupt.
“No, Rhia, I will not let you do this. I won’t let you push me away. I won’t allow it. You keep trying but I will always push back. Always fight for this. Please let me help you. I cannot sit here and leave you to suffer so.”
She slowly acquiesced, and he held his arms out. She leaned into them, feeling the butterflies return, and he got to his feet and helped her to hers.
When he put his hand on her back, she cried out in pain. Aidan quickly pulled his hand away, “Did I hurt you?” He said, startled. He barely touched her, but maybe something happened when he had first met her that they didn’t know.
Rhia nodded her head. “The tray fell off the table and hit me on my back. That actually hurts worse than the burns on my hands.”
Aidan wanted to check on her back, but knew it would not be appropriate. So, being careful of her hands, and her back, he lifted her into his arms.
But, before he could take a step, the door opened and Julia stood there, holding another tray of food. Seeing Aidan holding Rhiannon, she gasped. “Your Grace, is everything all right?”
She took a step closer, still holding the tray, when she noticed Rhia’s nightgown was covered in food and soaking wet.
Julia studied the room for a second and her eyes landed on the table on it's side, the tray that had
skittered almost under the settee, the broken dishes and food all over the floor.
Julia rushed to put the tray down and hurried over to them. Aidan moved to Rhia’s bed and put her down on it. “Oh, Rhia, are you hurt? Did the tray fall on you? I don’t understand how it got up here. I made you a tray a few minutes ago to bring you, but a maid told me I was needed in the stables. So, I went because I wasn’t sure if I truly was or not. I didn’t wish to anger anyone if they were really asking for me, so I went. I didn’t know what was out there, and the stable master thought I was insane for coming out and asking if he needed something. When I got back to the kitchens, the tray was gone, so I made another. Are you all right Rhia?”
Rhia went to nod, that she was fine, but Aidan stopped her when he told Julia the story of what happened.
Julia looked at Rhiannon’s hands, she gasped again. “Oh, Rhi,” she looked up into Rhiannon’s eyes and her own started to water. “Let me get something for that.”
Aidan cleared his throat. “It’s all right Julia, if you just summon my mother for me, and let the Peabody’s know we need water for a bath sent up, I can stay with Rhiannon in the meantime.”
Julia started to shake her head, and Rhia said, “I’m all right. But I am sticky, there is tea and jam all over me, and my hands hurt rather badly. Please, Julia.”
Julia looked at Rhia again and nodded. Then she left the room without another look back.
Aidan knelt down in front of where Rhia was sitting on her bed. He leaned forward and held her hand out very carefully, and kissed her palm softly. He opened his mouth to speak when a knock sounded on the door.
“Come in,” he replied and the door opened to admit Cole. Aidan stood from his position on the floor and nodded at Cole.
The Duke Who Loved Me Page 20
