Never a Mistress, No Longer a Maid (9 page)

CHAPTER NINE

As Ned dressed the next morning, he cursed the understanding
that bound him even informally to the Merriman family.  Lord Barrington
continued to be unavailable while his eldest daughter was just the opposite. 
He’d had a close call the night before when he’d arisen unable to sleep and
gone in search of a book from the library.  The selection had been dusty and
limited, but after grabbing a tome of Shakespeare that looked rather unused, he’d
returned to his room.  It was a good thing he’d left the door open while he lit
the candelabra because when he’d turned toward the bed, he’d found Madeleine
propped up by a pillow. He’d quickly jumped back to the doorway and demanded to
know why she was in his room, though even a simpleton would have had some idea
as to the answer.

She’d played the innocent at first, claiming she’d wandered
into the wrong bedchamber.  But even after Ned had suggested as politely as he
was able when angered to such a great extent that she find the right chamber
with all due haste, she’d lingered and chatted about the weather.  One could
only imagine she was hoping he’d change his mind, although why one would be
persuaded to initiate relations after chatting about the chance of rain, he had
no idea.

Finally, the girl got out of his bed and after yet another
conversation – this one about Byron, which made him even less amorously
inclined – she reluctantly left.  Then he pushed furniture against each door in
the room, including those that opened onto his third floor balcony. 

He wasn’t taking any chances.

So despite the lack of sleep after such a harrowing night,
he’d risen early and left Barrington Manor before any of the family had come
down to break their fast.  He’d also had no desire to be there when Cantwell’s
man came to pick up his blunt. 

He was currently walking down a country lane and wishing
Rigg had been able to learn the exact whereabouts of Jane Wetherby.  One thing
was certain:  he’d find her address today. 

He walked around a bend in the road and came upon a rather
large farmer whose cart was stuck in a rut next to the path.  The man appeared
to be trying to reason with two mules. 

“I see you’ve run into some bad luck,” said Ned.  “May I be
of some assistance?”

The man interrupted his stern lecture to give Ned the once
over.   Obviously deciding that anyone dressed like Ned would be of no help and
could possibly even get him arrested for loitering, he gave a condescending
smile, then waved him along.

“Thanks for ye offer, milord, but I can manage meself.”

“I’m sure you can do quite well, but your animals look to
have minds of their own.  If you can get the mules back on the road, I’ll give
the rear wheel a push.”

The man was clearly skeptical, but with nothing to lose, he
nodded while Ned shrugged out of his jacket, which he then tossed onto the
cart.

Ned positioned himself at the rear of the wagon, then the
man muttered something to the mules which sounded suspiciously like poetry. 
Whatever he said worked, because the animals tugged and the wagon lurched
forward.  Ned put everything he had into pushing, and the wagon once again
found the road.

“Whoa,” said the man to his mules, while looking at Ned surprised.

Ned picked up his jacket and joined the man at the head of
the team.  “I’m Ned Kellington.”  Then he put out his hand.

The man grew even more surprised, then shook Ned’s hand.  
“I’m Seth Johnson, and I know who ye are, milord.  Everyone in these parts do. 
Ye’ve come to marry Miss Merriman.”

“Don’t believe everything you hear, Johnson.”

“That’s a lesson I learnt as a young’un.  Where are ye
headin’?  I’d like to give ye a ride as a thank ye for what ye done, if ye
don’t mind ridin’ on a cart.  I cain’t imagine it’s what ye’re used to in
Lunnon.”

“I appreciate the offer of a ride, but what I really need is
information.  Do you know where Miss Wetherby lives?”

The man turned instantly suspicious.  “What business do ye
have with Miss Jane?”

Ned hesitated telling the man anything, but he had the
distinct impression Johnson wouldn’t help if he didn’t.

“She saved my life seven years ago in Belgium.”

“Ye was in the war?”

“Yes.”

“So was me brother.  Didn’t make it back, though.”

“I’m sorry for your loss.”

“As am I.”

He gave Ned one more assessing look then told him to hop on.

*                    *                    *               

Jane took another look at the sky.  A storm was definitely
coming in.  She turned back to look at the house.  She loved her home and it
was this sight of the slightly rambling farmhouse with the red door and the ivy
crawling up the wall that never failed to make her think of her parents. 
They’d argued about that red door.  Her mother had won.  But then she almost
always had because her father could never bear to see her disappointed.  So
much of her mother’s life had been under the control of Jane’s grandfather,
that her father had dedicated his life to making her happy.

They’d done well together.  And Jane missed them every day.

But now, looking at the red door and the ivy climbing up the
front wall, all Jane could think about was the roof.  They didn’t have enough
pots to catch all the drips that would be leaking into the house if the storm
was bad enough.  Mr. Heldt and Farrell had gone into town to get whatever
supplies they could acquire on credit.  Jane knew it wouldn’t be much.

Vi, of course, had tagged along.  She hated being cooped up
in the house, but Jane didn’t like letting her go to town.  It was only a
matter of time before Vi realized all the whispering behind hands was about
her.   Jane had long ago ceased caring what others thought of her.  But it was
painful to think her child was subjected to such cruelty.

At the sound of a wagon coming up the drive, Jane turned,
thinking Mr. Heldt had forgotten something and was returning to get it.  She
was completely unprepared for what she saw.

“Good morning!” said an impeccably dressed Ned, from his
seat on Mr. Johnson’s cart.                 Words stuck in her throat because
she couldn’t quell the rising panic.  He was here.  At her home.  And Vi would be
back eventually.

“Morning, Miss Jane,” said Johnson. 

“Good morning, Mr. Johnson, Lord Edward.”

Edward started climbing down from the cart.

“Stop!  What are you doing?” she asked.

“I’m getting out of the cart.  Am I doing it wrong?  Perhaps
things are done differently in the country, but I assure you this is how I
would get out of a cart if I were in the middle of Rotten Row.”  Then he smiled
that smile which did things to Jane’s entire body.

Johnson was once again looking at him suspiciously.  “He
said he was a friend of yers, Miss Jane.  But if he ain’t and ye want him gone,
I can see to it.”

Jane very badly wanted him gone, but judging from the look
in Johnson’s eye, he might be tempted to do Ned bodily harm.  Johnson had a
wife and three daughters at home and had always been quite protective of her. 
Jane wanted Ned gone, but not injured.

“He is a friend of mine, Mr. Johnson.  I just wasn’t
expecting company.”

“Well, if’n ye don’t need me for anything,” and by the way
Johnson offered, Jane knew he was asking if Ned needed to be dealt with, “I’ll
just be on my way.”

“Thanks for the ride, Johnson,” said Ned, completely
oblivious to how close he’d come to a blackened eye from the large farmer.

“Thank you, Mr. Johnson,” said Jane.  Please give my regards
to your family.”

“Will do.  And give my regards to…”

“Of course I shall!  Good bye.”

The farmer drove away, leaving an awkward silence. 

“I came to check on you,” said Ned.

“I’m quite well, as you can see,” said Jane nervously.  “Although
I don’t know how I can possibly pay you back, either for coming to my
assistance physically last night or taking care of my debt with Cantwell.”

“You owe me nothing on either account.  It’s what any
gentleman would’ve done.”

“You make too light of both deeds, especially the money. 
I’m afraid it might be quite some time before I’m able to repay you.”  She was
achingly aware that Vi might return at any moment.

“And I told you I won’t accept repayment.  I’m glad I was
able to come to your aid.”  He turned to gaze at the house.  “So, this is your
home.”

“I know it’s not grand, and the roof leaks and I haven’t
been able to keep up the grounds as well as I would’ve liked, but, yes, it is
my home.”  She wasn’t sure why she was pointing out her home’s flaws, when they
must all be obvious to this man who came from one of the wealthiest families in
the country.  Maybe it was to enumerate the inadequacies before he had the
chance.

“I think it’s what a home should be.”  He turned to her, his
gaze solemn for once.  “I don’t have a house.  At least not one that’s my very
own.  But if I did, I should want it to be much like this.  Although perhaps
without the leaky roof.”

She blushed, both at the reminder of the roof and the
compliment which touched her much more than it should.

“Would you like some tea?” she asked, even though she knew
she was risking discovery.  But she was still a bit light-headed from the
compliment and she probably had three-quarters of an hour before the others
returned.

“Perhaps later.   But first, I’d like to know what you’re
going to do about the roof.  I’ve heard tell a storm is on the way.”  And he’d
also heard from Rigg that the lovely Jane Wetherby was unlikely to be able to afford
to hire anyone to make the repairs.

“My groom and Mr. Heldt will likely fix it later today.” 
Which wasn’t exactly true.  Mr. Heldt was much too old to risk being on the
roof.  He’d most certainly try to get up there, but Jane and Mrs. Heldt would
do everything to dissuade him, which meant Jane and Farrell would fix the roof.

“If I help them, the work will go much faster.  We’d better
get a jump on things because the weather is already starting to turn.”

Then the man removed his jacket.  His waistcoat came off
before Jane had caught her breath enough to object.  Ned Kellington fully
dressed was a feast for the eyes.  Ned Kellington partially dressed ignited all
the senses, starting with Jane’s breasts and flowing downward between her
legs.   She felt like a fever had overtaken her.   She wasn’t sure she could
cool down if the heavens opened and poured Noah’s flood onto her head.   Then
the thought of Ned in his shirtsleeves soaking wet was planted in her brain.

And the accursed man was looking at her as if he knew exactly
what was in her thoughts.  He had a half smile on his face and was walking
toward her.

“Jane,” he said.   “I came here today because…”

But whatever else he’d been about to say was drowned out by
the sound of a wagon coming up the drive.  Jane hoped it was Mr. Johnson coming
back to give Ned a mild thrashing.  But without even turning, she knew her luck
had finally run out.

The wagon came to a halt and Vi jumped out.  “Mama!  We’re
going to fix the roof!  We’re not going to get rained on inside anymore!” 

She ran to her mother and gave her a big hug. 

Jane kept her eyes on top of her daughter’s head as long as she
could before the weight of Ned’s glare finally made her look up.

She’d never in her life seen anyone so shocked.  And so
very, very angry.

CHAPTER TEN

It wasn’t possible, thought Ned.  It couldn’t be true.  But
as Vi turned to him and chatted away about her trip to town, he looked into the
emerald eyes that were identical to his own.  Even if the physical aspects
hadn’t been so clear, her mother’s behavior would’ve confirmed it.  She’d
barely looked him in the eye since her daughter’s arrival.  His daughter. 
Their daughter.

He knew he had to say something to the child.  He hadn’t
even said hello, not that she’d waited for word from him before launching into
her story.  But he had to choose his first words wisely.  Of course, he’d
already said his first words to her.  He just hadn’t known who she was at the
time.  He’d thought she was a farmer’s child.   She hadn’t been wearing any
shoes, although a quick looked showed she was wearing some at the moment.  And
she lived in a house with a leaky roof.  She’d spoken of getting rained on
inside, for God’s sake.  His daughter.

“I’m glad you enjoyed your visit to town, poppet,” he said. 
“I’d like to hear more of your story later.  Much more.  But right now I need
to speak to your mama.”

“Okay,” she said with a smile that lit up her face.  His
daughter was beautiful.  “Will you stay for tea?”

“Lord Edward was just leaving,” said her mother. 

Her mother certainly wished it were so, thought Ned with
more than a small degree of satisfaction.  But he wouldn’t be so obliging.  “Thank
you.  I’d love to stay for tea.  Miss Wetherby, where can we have a word in
private?”

“This isn’t a good time.  I have to fix the roof.”

“The roof can wait.”

His tone was deadly serious.  Jane knew he’d never harm her,
but was dangerous nonetheless.  He had the power to upend her entire life.

“Come with me,” he said, as he took her by the elbow and
walked away from the house.  When they were far enough away to not be
overheard, he stopped, but held onto her.

“Tell me everything.”

“I can’t imagine what you mean.”

“Stop it, Jane.  Vi’s my daughter, isn’t she?”

As Jane tried to think of something to say – anything to
prolong the inevitable – he spoke again.  “There are only two people who have
eyes that color.  My sister Elizabeth and me.  Apparently, there is now a
third.”

Jane finally looked at him, unflinchingly.  “Yes, she is the
product of the night we spent in Belgium.”

Though he’d known it to be true, the words still hit him
with surprising force.  Even as a young man in his teens, he’d taken care not
to get a woman with child.  It was a discipline that his father, then his elder
brother had insisted upon.  His was not a completely unfettered life.  He had a
responsibility to the family name which did not include fathering illegitimate
children.  And, more importantly, he’d never wanted to bring a child into the
world who’d face that stigma.

That one night in Belgium had been the exception to the
rule.  When he’d set out on his mission the day before, he hadn’t thought he’d
even see another woman, so he’d had no French letters on him.  And in the heat
of their lovemaking, he hadn’t thought to pull out.  It had been that
all-consuming.

Then Jane had paid the price for it.  And Vi would forever
bear the stigma.

“Why didn’t you find me?  She’s my daughter.  I had a right
to know.”

“And what would you have done?  Would you have rented me a
nice little house in the country where I could have the babe, then arrange for
her to be adopted?  Then would you have rented me a nice little house in town
so I could pay off my debt to you as your mistress?  That is the position you
offered when last I saw you in Belgium, is it not?”

Damn.  The woman had a way of making a man feel at odds. 
What would he have done if she’d told him she was with child?  Seven years ago
he’d been a headstrong young man who wanted to make his way in the world.  He
hadn’t been ready to settle down and he had offered to make her his mistress.  He
didn’t know what he would’ve done had he known, but he had a feeling it
wouldn’t have been all that different from the scenario she’d just put forth.

“So what did you do?” he asked.

“I returned to London.  My grandfather had tracked me down
in Belgium and sent servants to take me back to England.  I was gone the very
next day.  I went back to live with my chaperone, a crony of my grandfather’s. 
When my…condition became apparent, he was outraged.”

“You’re the granddaughter of an earl.  I can only imagine
the scandal it caused.”

“I got through it.”

“Did your grandfather become violent?”  Ned’s voice was quiet,
but filled with an emotion Jane couldn’t quite interpret.

“He never struck me.  But he made it known that I was to
retire to a house in the country, far removed from anyone connected to society,
have the babe then give it to a family to raise.  I refused.  He virtually
disowned me.”

Ned could only imagine the hell she’d gone through.  Alone. 
Without any help from him or anyone.  And he admired her even more for it.  “How
have you survived?  I can’t imagine your patients pay you enough.”

“They pay what they can.  And once I can afford a solicitor
I intend to get the rest of my inheritance released.”

“I can afford one.”

“This is none of your concern.”

“The hell it isn’t,” he said as he raked his fingers through
his hair.   “This is my child you’re talking about.  I won’t allow her or her
mother – no matter how exasperating you may be – to go without food and decent
clothing.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen the sprite in shoes except today.”

“She has shoes,” said Jane indignantly.  “She just doesn’t
like to wear them.”

“What about a governess?”

“I teach her.”

“That’s not enough.”

She raised her chin a notch.  “We make do.  Vi is a very
bright child.  She’s also quite happy.  And she knows she’s loved.”

Ned thought about that, then nodded.  After a moment’s
silence, he walked toward the house.

“You’re not going to tell Vi who you really are, are you?”
asked Jane as she hurried after him.

“That would be difficult since she believes her father is
dead.”

“I didn’t know how else to explain it at such a young age.”

“And later?” he asked, turning toward her.

“I hadn’t thought that far ahead.”

The hell she hadn’t, thought Ned.  She’d decided to never
tell their daughter the truth.  She’d never have told him.  Jane had known who
he was all those years ago.  She’d known where to find him, or at least his
family.  But she would’ve been perfectly content to keep his daughter’s
existence a secret from him forever. 

“Where are you going?” asked Jane.

“I have a roof to fix,” he said as he headed toward the
wagon where Farrell was unloading supplies.

“You can’t fix our roof, Ned.”

That got him to stop and face her. 

“Madam, you are no longer going to tell me what I can or cannot
do concerning the welfare of my daughter.  I don’t have many answers for the
future, but I can tell you right now that I will not allow her to sleep in a
house where she’ll be rained on.  So I’m going to work with your men to fix the
roof, then you, Vi and I will sit down to tea.  And at that point, I hope we
have more of an idea of how to carry on.  Do I make myself clear?”

“Very,” said Jane as she swallowed. 

“Good.  And I advise you to keep your distance because I am
not well pleased with you.”

*                    *                    *

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.