She’d been worried about how Elijah might cope having not been raised with any pets besides a short-lived hamster whose loss had caused such devastation both she and Steve had sworn off any future pets. As she watched Tristan’s scruffy little terrier settle himself between Elijah’s legs, his head propped on her son’s thigh in a distinctly claiming gesture, she realised there was nothing to worry about.
There was no more time to contemplate the wisdom – or otherwise – of their unexpected arrival because Jess found herself taken in hand by Lucie and her mother, who she introduced as Constance. ‘Mum lives with Lancelot above the stables,’ Lucie offered without preamble as she urged Jess to take a seat on the opposite sofa.
Constance laughed as she sat on her opposite side. ‘I only came for a quick visit, but that rogue swept me quite off my feet.’ Leaning in, she whispered conspiratorially. ‘You have to watch these Ludworth men, they can charm the birds from the trees.’ Her face fell almost instantly. ‘Oh, but that was crass of me! Tristan told us a little of your circumstances, I shouldn’t have been so thoughtless.’
Not sure she was too keen on being the subject of family gossip, but relieved nonetheless that there would be no awkward questions about where the boys’ father was, Jess found a tired smile for the woman. ‘No harm done. It’s been over for a while; it’s just taken some time to untangle ourselves domestically.’ Not wanting to say any more than that, she turned the conversation back towards Constance. ‘So, tell me more about how you and Lucie came to be part of the family.’
As she listened to a story involving an old family diary and a hidden masterpiece, Jess forgot about being tired, or about the million and one things she would have to tackle in the morning and just let the warmth of the room, and the people within it, soak into her bones. It sounded like the Ludworths had a knack of absorbing people into their family. She could see already how easy it would be to get swept along with them and knew she would have to remind herself she was only there on a temporary basis.
‘Gosh!’ Constance exclaimed a few minutes later. ‘Listen to me rattling on and we haven’t even offered you so much as drink. What can we get you?’
‘Oh, Mum, you’re right, where are our manners? Poor Jess, you must be parched.’ Lucie said. Her expression all contrition, she stood. ‘A cup of tea, perhaps?’
‘Pfshh.’ The indelicate noise came from the very proper-looking older lady sitting upright in the armchair closest to the fire. ‘It’s past teatime and I for one am ready for something stronger.’ Turning a gimlet gaze to Jess she gave her a thoroughly appraising look which left Jess with the impression this jury of one would be out for a while before passing verdict on her. ‘You’ll forgive me for saying so, child, but you look in urgent need of something to revive your spirits. I normally take a sweet sherry at this hour, but that’s likely not to your taste.’
Definitely not to her taste. ‘I wouldn’t say no to a glass of white wine,’ she ventured.
‘Ah, drinks, my specialist subject.’ Arthur stood with a laugh and made his way over to a large drinks cabinet, pulling open the bottom doors to reveal a well-stocked fridge.
He was halfway through serving everyone when a very dapper older man dressed in charcoal grey pinstriped trousers with a matching waistcoat over a crisp white shirt swept in through a discreet swing door. Stopping dead with a frown, the man surveyed the room with clear disapproval. ‘Really, Sir Arthur, you had only to ring if you required a drink,’ he admonished, sweeping the open bottle of wine from Arthur’s grasp.
‘Sorry, Maxwell.’ Arthur’s breezy tone said quite clearly he was anything but, though he conceded his spot by the drinks cabinet without protest and resumed his seat.
The man poured a glass of white wine then approached Jess. ‘Miss Jessica, you must forgive me for not being there to greet your arrival. My name is Maxwell and I am entirely at your disposal. Should you require anything at all, either myself or Mrs Walters, the housekeeper, will be only too happy to assist. On consultation with Sir Arthur, we’ve arranged for you and the children to be accommodated in the nursery rooms on the upper level. Once you’ve had time to refresh yourself, perhaps I can escort you upstairs to ensure you have everything you need.’
Trying to absorb the torrent of helpful information, Jess accepted the glass. ‘Umm, that’s very kind, thank you.’ Apparently that was sufficient for he gave her a brief nod then left her to serve the others. The ice cold wine hit exactly the right spot. Jess closed her eyes for a moment, savouring the taste on the back of her tongue.
‘All right?’ She flashed open her lashes to find Tristan standing over her, that funny, familiar smile on his lips.
‘I think so.’ She glanced past him, ‘How are the boys?’ Isaac had stopped crying, but she was conscious of how long a day it had been for them and it would be prudent to get them fed and tucked in before the novelty of all these new people wore off.
Tristan shrugged, unconcerned. ‘Oh, they’re fine. Lancelot had years of practice juggling the three of us, so two is a doddle.’ He held out his hand. ‘If you give me your keys, I’ll bring the car up.’
‘I can do it.’ She would’ve stood, but he made no move to give her space to do so.
‘No, you won’t. You’ll sit there and enjoy your wine. Give me your keys and tell me what you need tonight. We can sort the rest out in the morning.’
The command in his voice was something new, and she wasn’t sure if she liked it or not, but she was too bloody tired to argue. Raising one hip, she fished her keys out from the pocket of her jeans. ‘There’s a small black case in the boot, that’s got our overnight stuff in it. Maxwell said something about us sleeping in the nursery?’
Tristan nodded. ‘In keeping with old-fashioned tradition there’s a section of the second floor which was set aside as the nursery. We thought you might appreciate a space to call your own as this is going to be home for the three of you for the next few months. It’s an ideal set-up with a playroom for the boys, and a sitting room which was originally designed for when the family had a nanny. There’s also a little kitchen if you’d rather make use of it although the three of you are more than welcome to dine with us, of course.’
It sounded ideal, though she wondered if beneath the altruism there was a bit of ruthless practicality. From what she could work out, there hadn’t been any children in the castle since Tristan and his brother and sister and she couldn’t blame a household full of adults for wanting to tuck her and the boys out of the way. ‘Did you use it when you were little?’
Tristan shook his head. ‘Dad didn’t have any truck with using a nanny, even after our mother left him on his own with three small toddlers. He, Lancelot and Morgana looked after us and we attended the village school until we went onto boarding school at eleven. The furniture is a bit dated – but then you could say that about every room in the castle – but Mrs W and Maxwell gave the whole place a thorough clean. It needs a lick of paint and a few things modernising but if you’re happy with it then we can sort those out next week.’
Wow, they’d really gone to a lot of effort considering it was less than nine hours since she’d accepted Tristan’s off the cuff job offer. ‘You’ve gone to a lot of trouble …’
He shrugged it off. ‘No trouble. Now drink your wine while I go and move the car.’
‘If I’d known you had this bossy side to you, I might have thought twice about taking this job.’ She said it with a smile, but just a hint of warning. If he was going to be like this all time, they’d end up clashing.
Tristan held up his hands, rattling her car keys in the process. ‘Sorry. The weather stressed me out thinking about you on the roads today. I promise when it comes to work, that once we’ve agreed the project parameters and boring stuff like the budget with Arthur and the rest of the family, you will have complete autonomy.’
Well, that was a lot more than she’d expected. ‘Seriously?’
He nodded. ‘It makes sense to divide the workload
and if I’m peering over your shoulder every five minutes, it’ll drive us both mad. I’m going to have my hands full sorting out all the exterior preparations now I’ve got a plan agreed with Iggy and Will. I was thinking I’d also manage the online stuff, taking bookings and doing comms with the guests, but the accommodation and entertainment schedule will be down to you.’ He frowned. ‘Damn, I wasn’t going to bother you with any of this stuff tonight, we’ll go through it all week after next once you’re settled in. Drink your wine!’ The last was thrown over his shoulder, together with a cheeky grin as he headed for the door.
Ten minutes later, with Isaac clinging to her neck like a little monkey, Jess found herself climbing up a third – and she hoped, final – flight of stairs. Tristan was ahead of her, helping Elijah who’d wanted to make it on his own, with Maxwell who’d insisted on carrying her case and a kind-faced woman dressed in a neat tweed skirt and stylish, but still sensible shoes bringing up the rear. There was not a wrinkle in her blouse, nor a hair out of place in Mrs W’s tidy chignon. She also appeared to have no trouble with the stairs, unlike Jess who was trying not to pant like one of the trains in Isaac’s favourite Thomas the Tank Engine cartoons. If she achieved nothing else between now and Christmas, climbing these stairs several times a day might shift the last of the baby weight she’d put on carrying Isaac.
Tristan let them in through a white door, the finish on it and the frame dulled to a creamy-yellow which spoke to the age of the paint job. He flipped on the lights to reveal a large rectangular room, the back wall of which was filled with huge lead-lined bare windows. The rain was back with a vengeance, rattling against the glass like bullets and filling the room with noise.
‘I sorted out drapes for the bedrooms but didn’t have time to find suitable ones for in here,’ Mrs W, said, voice apologetic.
‘There’s no need to apologise,’ Jess assured her as she took in the room. ‘It’s obvious how much effort you’ve all gone to today.’ The smell of beeswax and lemon as much as the shine on the low table and chairs set to one side spoke of hard work. A glow from the overhead lamps bounced back from the sparkling windows, and there was not a speck of dust on the long rail of skirting boards. An open wooden box displayed a collection of wooden building blocks, balls of varying sizes and an antique-looking rocking horse with a white mane spilling over its dappled-grey neck sat in the opposite corner. A thick, fluffy rug had been set down in the centre of the floor an inviting spot for the boys to play, or somewhere the three of them could curl up and read stories together.
The housekeeper gave her a pleased smile as she walked towards a door on the right. ‘This is your bedroom.’ She pushed open the door to reveal a charming room with a wrought-iron framed bed and a beautiful set of matched furniture. The bed had been made up with pretty pastel-pink sheets and pillows and topped with a quilt smothered in huge cabbage roses. Matching floral curtains covered the windows, and she could see another soft rug had been placed by the side of the bed.
‘It’s beautiful,’ she said, a little overwhelmed.
‘Booful,’ Isaac agreed, earning a laugh and a chuck under his chin from Mrs W.
‘There’s a small bathroom off here.’ The housekeeper pushed open a door. ‘And you’ve a sitting room here.’ She revealed another space, empty this time except for a fireplace. ‘We’ve loads of furniture in storage in the attics, so I thought you might like to choose what you wanted in here for yourself. There’s a kitchen, too,’ she indicated a door in the opposite wall. ‘Though I wouldn’t recommend you use anything in there beyond the kettle until we’ve had a chance to get everything checked over.’
‘That’s on my list of things to do, tomorrow,’ Maxwell interjected. ‘I’ve got the plumber and an electrician coming to give everything a thorough service, but the hot water is working.’ He set down her suitcase on the blanket box at the end of the bed. ‘Will you be joining the family for dinner this evening, or would you like me to arrange for something to be brought up here?’
The idea of this very kind man lugging a meal for three up all those stairs filled Jess with horror. ‘I don’t want to put you to any trouble, we can come down.’ She glanced at her watch, surprised to find she’d lost an hour somewhere. Oh well, she would worry about proper bedtimes tomorrow.
‘As you prefer, Miss Jessica, though it won’t be any trouble. I’ll be serving dinner at half past the hour. There’s soup to start, followed by roast chicken. If you, or the boys have any dietary requirements, I’ll be happy to pass them on to Betsy.’
Jess shook her head. ‘Nothing specific.’ She hesitated, embarrassed about a habit Elijah had recently picked up after having tea at a friend’s house, but not wanting to fight that particular battle with him on their first night here. ‘Umm, do you happen to have any tomato ketchup?’
‘I’ll make sure there’s a bottle available, Miss.’ Maxwell inclined his head as though she’d asked for caviar rather than table sauce. ‘Now, if you’ll excuse me, I shall go and check on preparations and leave you in the capable hands of Mrs Walters.’ With another brief nod, the butler departed.
‘You’ll get used to his ways,’ Mrs W said, after he’d left.
‘He’s fantastic.’ Jess shifted Isaac to her other hip then reached out to touch the housekeeper lightly on the arm. ‘I think you’re all fantastic, thank you for everything.’
‘Oh, it’s nothing.’ The rosy glow on the housekeeper’s cheek said she appreciated the gesture. ‘Now, do you want to give the boys a quick bath before dinner? Then they’d be ready straight for bed after.’
It was a great idea, except for one thing. ‘I’m not sure about the protocol of appearing at the dining room table with them in their pyjamas.’
‘We don’t stand on ceremony here. Not for these guys, anyway.’ Tristan stood in the doorway, Elijah leaning against his leg in such a trusting way it brought a lump to her throat to see it. ‘I’ve shown Elijah his bedroom and he approves, don’t you?’ He ruffled Elijah’s hair, causing the boy to stare up at him.
‘Yes.’ It was said with a very emphatic nod. ‘It’s blue.’
‘If only everyone was so easily pleased,’ Tristan said with a grin. ‘Right, I too shall leave you all in Mrs W’s care, unless there’s anything else you need?’
‘I think we’ve got everything we need. Thank you again.’
Tristan departed with a wave, and Jess did as both he and Maxwell had recommended and put herself and the boys in the kind, capable care of Mrs W. She showed them into the boys’ bedroom which Elijah had already inspected and approved. As well as a matching set of beds set on either side of the room, there was a large high-sided cot sitting against the back wall. ‘We weren’t sure whether the little one was in his own bed yet,’ Mrs W said.
‘He’s been sleeping in the bottom half of bunk beds for the past few months. It had a low rail along it, which seemed to help with the transition. I’ll see how he settles over the next few nights, but the cot is a great back up to have, thank you for thinking of it.’
‘Every baby is different.’ Mrs W smoothed a hand over the already neat quilt covering one of the beds. ‘Even the triplets. Iggy couldn’t wait to be in her own bed, but Arthur and Tristan clung to the cot even when the pair of them were almost too big to fit in it together. Silly pair would wake up in a right tangle of arms and legs, but it never bothered them. We had to push two beds together before we could persuade them to try them.’
‘You’ve been with the family a long time.’
Mrs W smiled. ‘Yes. I started out as a maid back when their grandfather was still alive, and the castle was a lot busier. I must say, I’m quite excited by Tristan’s plans for a Christmas house party. I used to love running between the guests back in the day, helping one with her hair, another with her dress. The castle seemed full of life back then.’
‘You won’t mind the extra work, then?’ It was one of the things she’d been wondering, how the staff were going to take to the idea.
> ‘No, not at all, and we won’t struggle to find the extra help we need. We already have a team of people from the village who come up every year to assist with the spring clean. I’ve already put a few of them on alert and they’re delighted at the prospect of a few extra pennies in their purses at Christmas. Once you’ve worked out the guest programme, perhaps you and I can sit down with Maxwell and work out a staffing rota to support it.’
Well that was one less thing to worry about. ‘That would be wonderful. I have a feeling I’m going to be leaning on you quite a bit in the coming weeks as I get up to speed with the place.’
Mrs W beamed. ‘Lean away, Mrs Riley, I’ll be only too happy to help.’
‘Oh, please, you must call me Jess.’
‘Jess, it is then. Now shall we get these two bathed and changed?’
Though she could’ve managed it herself, it was a lot easier to wrangle the boys with an extra pair of hands, especially when Elijah, naked as a jaybird, decided it was time for an impromptu game of hide and seek. Leaving Isaac happily splashing and chatting nonsense to Mrs W, Jess went to hunt down her little escapee. Spotting a suspiciously little boy shaped lump behind the floor-length curtains in her room, Jess made a big deal of searching everywhere else in the room. She pulled open the wardrobe, looked under the bed, inside the blanket box and even underneath the stack of pillows on her bed, all the while pretending she couldn’t hear Elijah giggling. Tired as she was, it did her heart good to hear him having fun. When she finally yanked back the curtains to pounce on him, he was almost breathless with laughter.
As she carried him back to the bathroom, she nuzzled him, relishing the sweet familiar weight of him in her arms. He was already heavier than he’d been at the start of the summer, and she’d soon struggle to carry him like this. He was growing up, her sweet little baby. It was enough to make her want to cry.
The Bluebell Castle Collection Page 54
