Not Always a Saint (23 page)

T
he day's drive from Chillingham to Castle Romayne was blessedly peaceful after the emotional storms of the previous day. Daniel suspected that Jessie was still distressed about her meeting with her father, but that she'd come to terms with his failings as a father and a human being, and was determinedly moving forward rather than collapsing into misery. It was how she had survived—and a good example for him.

There had been some bravado in her lovemaking the night before, as if Jessie needed to declare to herself that she was a free, adult woman. But her responses had been real, and Daniel was male enough to be grateful for his wife's willingness no matter what the cause.

It was late afternoon when Jessie pointed out the window, and said, “Surely that's Castle Romayne? I shouldn't think there are many castles in this area.”

Daniel leaned across her to look out her window. “That looks like the sketch the lawyer showed me. Impressive!” The original castle dated back to Norman times, and it stood firm on a headland above the sea.

“Picturesque but drafty looking,” Jessie observed.

“I'm told that a recent Lord Romayne agreed with you and built a modern wing, which we can't see from this angle. Picturesque is all very well, but who wants to live with coughs and colds and the ague all winter?” He patted her hand reassuringly. “If it's unhealthy, we have other places where we can live.”

“Too many others! But I expect that after we've seen the castle, we'll have a better sense of how we want to organize our lives.”

“It will be nice to have an organized life again,” Daniel said ruefully. “My life has been topsy-turvy ever since I inherited all this.” He squeezed Jessie's hand. “Though there have certainly been compensations.”

She smiled at him, and together they approached their future.

 

 

Finally, Castle Romayne. After Daniel helped Jessie from the carriage, she looked around, bemused. “A looming castle by the sea and no living creatures in sight! Do you suppose that it's haunted?”

“Considering how old the place is, almost certainly,” Daniel said. “But I'm sure I can come up with a rite of exorcism if any ghosts prove troublesome. As for the lack of people, the London lawyer, Hyatt, said most of the servants were put on board wages until the new lord arrives. There should be a butler and a couple of maids and stablemen around somewhere. Ah, here comes an ostler.”

The driver Kirkland had supplied said, “We'll unload your baggage, then take care of the horses, my lord.” Jessie suspected that both driver and guard were trained soldiers assigned to this journey for protection, should it be needed. But this far from London, it was hard to take Frederick Kelham's threats seriously. He'd probably given up his hopes for the barony and settled back into his drinking and gaming.

Daniel nodded thanks, then led Jessie up the steps to the castle door. “The closer we get, the draftier this place looks.”

“But very, very picturesque.”

The heavy arched front door was unlocked, and it opened with an ominous groan. Daniel looked at Jessie, and they both burst into laughter. “Gothic indeed!” he said.

They stepped into a vast entry hall that rose high above their heads and featured a dizzying array of old weapons mounted on the walls in artistic patterns. “Those should be useful if the Vikings attack,” Jessie said, eying a circle of battle axes mounted halfway to the ceiling. “But they must be difficult to dust.”

“It's gloomy enough that no one will notice a bit of dust,” Daniel assured her.

A neatly dressed man rushed into the hall, panting a little. “My apologies, sir! You must be the new master and mistress of Castle Romayne?”

“I am, and you are surely Mr. Pendry?”

“Yes, my lord.” Pendry was solid and middle-aged, with thinning brown hair, shrewd eyes, and an air of competence. His voice faintly reproachful, he said, “If we'd known you were arriving so soon, things would be in better order.”

“We had a change of plans. I won't blame you for that,” Daniel said reassuringly. “Since it's late in the day, could you give us a tour of the living quarters first? And perhaps some general information on the castle and the estate.”

“Of course, my lord, my lady. This way, please.”

As the butler led them into a passage on the right, Daniel said, “The London lawyer said my predecessor had allowed most of the estate to fall fallow, but I saw fields under cultivation and ready for harvest as we drove in, and sheep being pastured on the hills. Do those lands belong to a neighboring estate?”

Pendry looked pained. “This is a matter you'll need to resolve, my lord. The owner of the neighboring estate said it was a crime to waste good land, so he sent his people in to plant crops in the best of the fields and run sheep on the hills.”

“Does he pay rent for the privilege?”

“No, it was a matter of much contention between his lordship and Mr. Trevane.”

Jessie stopped breathing. If she were a cat, her fur would be standing on end. Daniel had gone very still, and tension spiked through the roof.

What were the odds? But she'd known Ivo had an estate in this general area. Though his family had sounded large, the murder of a favored young member would not be quickly forgotten.

After a hesitation too brief for anyone but Jessie to notice, Daniel said, “My neighbor is named Trevane?”

“Yes, there are Trevanes all over this area of Dorset. The family is prosperous and between them own a fair amount of property.”

Another ghastly new thought struck her. What if the next-door neighbors were Ivo's parents? Though he'd never mentioned family and she had the impression he had no close relatives, she didn't think he'd actually said that. Being young and naïve with no family beside her father, she'd just accepted that Ivo's situation was similar.

For the first time, she wondered if he'd left grieving parents. If there were people who felt as she would feel if she lost Beth . . . ! But she didn't dare ask.

Daniel gave Jessie a swift, sympathetic glance, then distracted Pendry from her white face by saying, “I intend to put the Romayne lands back under cultivation, so Mr. Trevane will no longer feel compelled to use them properly.”

Jessie took a deep breath and prayed that these Trevanes were only distant kin of Ivo. She was reminded that Daniel had his own strong emotions about this place when he asked, “I've wondered about the plague that swept through the castle and killed so many Herberts, including my parents. Has it recurred?”

Pendry shook his head, his face grave. “It struck overnight, killed many, and swiftly ran its course. It was all over in a fortnight.”

“Is there any idea of where it came from?”

“Based on who became ill first, one of the London Herberts was carrying the fever when he came to the castle. Others quickly came down with it and almost half of them succumbed. The guests of the house party were hardest hit.”

“Probably because they had the closest contact with the man carrying the illness,” Daniel said, his voice grim. “Swift, inexplicable fevers are a harsh fact of life and someday I believe we'll learn where they come from and how to treat them. But we're a long way from that now.”

Hearing the pain in Daniel's voice, Jessie caught his hand for a comforting squeeze. His parents had died here, after all. If they were not the best of parents, neither were they the worst, and this loss was much more recent than anything she'd suffered.

If not for the fever that had killed his parents and the other Romayne heirs, Daniel would never have inherited the title and gone to London to find a wife. That would have made his life much less complicated, but it would have been a sad loss for her and Beth.

They'd been moving through a series of stark stone rooms with few furnishings, but now Mr. Pendry opened a wide door into a corridor filled with light. “This gallery connects to the new house,” he explained.

Jessie stepped forward, then halted with a gasp of amazement. The passage had large multipaned glass windows on the side facing the sea, and the view was stunning.

“Ohhh . . . !” she breathed as she moved to the window and stared out. The castle stood on a headland that formed one end of a bay. Below to the right, a long stretch of wide, sandy beach curved around the bay while on the left, the headland fell in a sheer cliff with waves crashing on the rocks. “This is magnificent!”

Daniel stopped beside her, equally enchanted. “A gallery with sea views rather than paintings. How splendid!”

“I've never seen the sea before,” Jessie said softly as she traced an irregular curve in one of the panes. “The Severn River at Bristol is impressive, but it's not like this.”

He put his arm around her shoulders. “There's nothing like the sea. As Britons, it's bred in our bones. The seas have made us what we are.”

With his warm arm around her, she was able to imagine them living here and building a life—if not for the Trevanes.

Daniel said to Pendry, “Are there fishermen in this area?”

The butler nodded. “The local fish are excellent.”

“What about smugglers? I've heard that many of the fishermen of the south coast have a secondary career as free traders.”

“Some do, it's said,” Pendry admitted, his expression turning opaque. Jessie suspected that he bought wine and spirits from the local free traders.

Turning away from the windows, she said, “The gallery is wide enough to be a sitting room. Has it been used that way?”

“Yes,” Pendry replied. “Because the gallery faces south, it collects sunshine and warmth all through the year. The seventh baron, who built the gallery, designed it as a conservatory with plants as well as tables and chairs and sofas. His nephew, who became the eighth baron, did not choose to maintain that.”

Daniel said thoughtfully, “We should turn this into a conservatory and drawing room again.”

Feeling a twist of grief at what she'd lose if she couldn't live here, Jessie turned from the windows, and said to Pendry, “Time to see the new house.”

He inclined his head. “If you'll follow me this way.”

She took Daniel's arm and they continued through the gallery, though she kept glancing wistfully through the windows. “I could watch the waves all day.”

“So could I. Perhaps we can have a light supper here tonight and watch the night sea. Assuming there's any food and someone to cook it in the house?”

“The kitchen maid is a fair country cook, if that would be satisfactory, my lord,” Pendry said. “Within three days, the house will be fully staffed if that is your wish.”

Daniel looked at Jessie, and she nodded. Though she and Daniel planned to stay only two or three days before leaving to collect Beth, the servants who worked here surely needed more than basic board wages now that Daniel was taking possession and there was ample money to pay them.

“Yes, notify the staff that the house is being opened up again,” he said.

They reached the end of the gallery and went through another large door into the new house. It felt welcoming and full of light. Very different from the old castle. The seventh baron, who had built this addition, had good taste. Though the decoration and furnishings were shabby, the rooms were clean and well laid out. As they explored, Jessie decided that the new house was a good size: large enough to live graciously, but not too large.

There were windows everywhere, including the well-lit and well-stocked library. Best of all were the master and mistress's rooms on the upper floor, where the sitting room also had a broad, expensive sweep of glass panes looking over the bay. Entranced once again, Jessie said, “Whoever built this house loved the sea.”

Daniel nodded. “The new house is similar in style to Milton Manor. They were built about the same time. Milton Manor doesn't have the sea, but it's much better decorated.”

“That can be fixed,” Jessie said. Refurbishing these rooms should be done for Daniel's sake, even if most of the time he would come here without her.

His brows furrowed when she spoke, and she guessed that he'd noticed her tension. Tonight, as they ate their dinner and admired moonlight on the dark night sea, they must have a serious talk.

T
he efficient Pendry arranged for a small table and chairs to be set up in the gallery. While a burning sun sank into the western sea, Daniel and Jessie shared their first meal at Castle Romayne.

Pendry was serving. As he poured wine for Daniel and Jessie, he said, “The kitchen maid has provided fish stew, fresh bread, and a choice of local cheeses. There will be a warm apple tart for a sweet. She apologizes for such poor fare.”

“It sounds very good to me,” Jessie said warmly.

“And to me.” Daniel sipped the wine and his brows arched. “My esteemed cousin, the eighth Lord Romayne, didn't stint himself when it came to his cellar.”

“His lordship had an excellent palate,” Pendry agreed as he ladled savory-scented stew into two wide bowls. As he set the first bowl in front of Jessie, he continued. “Word has gone out to recall the servants now that your lordship is in residence. Most live locally. The steward has a house on the estate and will be here in the morning, as will the housekeeper, who has been staying with her daughter in the village.”

“I want to meet with him.” Daniel tasted the stew. Chunks of white fish and clams swam with potatoes and onions and herbs in a rich, creamy broth. Delicious. The late lord had first-class servants, though Daniel wasn't sure the man had deserved them. No one who knew him had expressed any grief at the man's passing.

“I should go over the property with the housekeeper,” Jessie said. “Though she and her staff have done a good job keeping the place clean, there has been much neglect in other ways.”

Daniel chuckled. “Neither of us are good with too much leisure, are we? But we're supposed to be on our honeymoon still. If the weather is good in the afternoon, perhaps we can explore the beach. Is there a way down, Pendry?”

“Yes, the seventh baron built a sturdy stairway down to the beach. The stairs begin just below the gazebo that stands on the cliff east of the new house.” Pendry set down platters of bread and cheeses. “The sand of the beach is quite firm and good for walking.”

“I can't wait to meet the sea face-to-face,” Jessie said, but there was a wistful note in her voice, and he suspected the reason why.

“Then we shall do it. Thank you for the information, Pendry.” Daniel gestured at the table. “We're well provided for, so you can adjourn to your own dinner if you like.”

Pendry nodded thanks and withdrew. When he was gone, Jessie asked, “What was the eighth baron's given name? Calling him your esteemed predecessor is clumsy.”

“Alistair. He seems to have been self-absorbed as well as eccentric. But though he neglected the usual country pursuits such as farming his land, he left a fine library and was a good investor.” Daniel raised his glass to her. “I thought I'd dislike this place, but now that I've seen the setting and the new house I like the idea of bringing it properly alive.”

She clinked her glass with his, but her expression was grave. “It's a fine idea, but I don't think I'll be able to spend much time here if there are Trevanes everywhere. I'm sure they must be related to Ivo.” Her mouth twisted. “I didn't think he had any family since he never mentioned any or invited any relations to our wedding. But when Pendry was talking, it suddenly struck me that perhaps Ivo had parents or brothers and sisters who still mourn his loss. Even if the Trevane next door isn't immediate family, he must be a cousin or some such.”

Daniel swallowed his wine and carefully set the glass down. He'd been so pleased by the house and its location that he hadn't really thought through the implications of Trevanes in the area. But Jessie had been thinking. “You were called Lisbet then. Is it inevitable that someone will connect you to Ivo?”

She grimaced. “Perhaps not inevitable, but highly likely since my appearance is somewhat distinctive.”

Jessie was right. With her stunning beauty, she was a woman people remembered and described. It wasn't all that far from Bristol to the south coast. Connections could be made.

He took another sip of wine and mentally said good-bye to making a permanent home at Castle Romayne. “I'll need to visit here regularly, but you won't have to come. People will understand that you and Beth need to be at Kelham since she will inherit it.”

Jessie gazed out at the night, her face sad. “Surely I can come for a few days a year, just to show people that we aren't estranged.”

Even that might be dangerous. “We'll see. Belmond Manor is a pleasant place and near Bristol, so it will be a good home to us for part of the year.” Except that Ivo Trevane had died in Bristol. Foreseeing that he'd be spending much of his time at Kelham Hall, he said, “We'll work it out.”

And they would. Yet as they continued to chat idly over the rest of their meal, he couldn't escape the fear that Jessie's past would catch up with her. And if she was in trouble, he would be, too.

 

 

There was fog the next morning, and even that was lovely, wrapping the house in silky clouds. By the time Daniel finished his session with his new and blessedly competent steward, and Jessie and the housekeeper had worked through every corner of the house, the fog had burned off and hazy sunshine polished the sea with soft light.

After a lunch of ham and bean soup—the head cook hadn't yet returned—Daniel and Jessie set out to explore the beach. The stairway down the cliff was as good as Pendry had promised. The wooden steps were wide and solid, there were railings on both sides, and the whole structure was firmly attached to the cliff.

Daniel went first as a precaution so he could catch Jessie if she fell, but there was no danger of that. She skipped lightly down behind him, the ribbons of her bonnet and her dark red cloak whipping around her in the stiff breeze.

She smiled at him cheerily. “Going down is easy. Climbing back up will be good for our characters!”

“If not for our knees,” he said with a smile.

When they reached the bottom of the steps, she took his hand as naturally as breathing and they began strolling down the beach to their right. “What a wonderful place,” she said as the sand crunched under their feet. “I assumed a castle would be beastly uncomfortable and this would feel like the end of the world, but it doesn't.”

Castle Romayne could so easily feel like home. He watched as a small wave broke on the sand and retreated, leaving a waterlogged twig in its wake. “A pity about those neighboring Trevanes.”

“Maybe I should hack off my hair and wear a veil,” she said gloomily. “Or would you then be sorry you married me? Would you have looked across a crowded ballroom, seen me, and decided we had to meet if I was average looking?”

He frowned thoughtfully. “You ask difficult questions. Yes, your appearance attracted me, but I've seen other beautiful women who inspired no more than detached admiration. When I saw you, I felt an intense physical reaction in every fiber of my body. If I'd spoken with you and you were a silly widgeon, my interest would have vanished. Instead, the more I saw of you, the more I came to appreciate your warmth and intelligence and character.”

“And my problems,” she said wryly. “I'm sure you didn't expect them as part of the package.”

“A woman who is a blank slate isn't very interesting.” His mouth curved up. “You have always been interesting.”

She laughed. “You are the most tactful of men, Daniel Herbert. Let's reverse the question. Would I have reciprocated your interest if you weren't so very handsome?”

“Me?” He stared at her. “The most I aspire to is ‘presentable' and I don't always manage that. Kirkland's tailor helped my appearance, but I have to be reminded to dress carefully and to cut my hair. There's nothing unusual about my appearance.”

“No?” She stopped and swung around to face him. “How about tall?” She reached up to brush a lock of hair from his forehead.

“Broad-shouldered.” She swept her fingers across his chest from the point of one shoulder to the point of the other. “And a wide and fine expanse it is.”

Her fingertips sketched the lines of his face. “Fine features. Well shaped, thoughtful, serious, but with a lurking bit of humor.” She smiled mischievously. “You are altogether delicious.”

He felt himself reddening. “You're teasing.”

“A little, but I'm also speaking the truth.” They'd reached the end of the beach, so she linked her arm in his and they swung around to retrace their steps. “Attraction is mysterious and not easily explained. Being attracted to a person makes us like their looks.”

“In other words, I thought you were beautiful because I was attracted to you, not vice versa?”

“Exactly. Though I'm considered good looking, my looks don't transfix other men across a crowded room.”

“If you think that, you haven't been paying attention,” he said, amused.

She laughed. “Trying to analyze these things is a futile exercise. Here we are, inhabiting the same marriage, so rather than analyze, we should concentrate on making it work as well as we can.”

“Isn't that what we're doing? Talking, exploring each other's minds, getting to the point where we take each other's appearance for granted?”

“Yes, all that plus walking on a beach.
Your
beach.”

“
Our
beach. With ‘all my worldly goods I thee endowed, ' ” he reminded her. The tide was going out, widening the stretch of shimmering sand. “Though it still doesn't seem like it's really mine. I never visited here. I don't recall ever meeting Alistair. There is no rational reason all this should be mine.”

“The British title and inheritance system isn't rational, but it works,” she said pragmatically. “And you will care for this land and these people well, which means the system is still working.”

He glanced up at the castle and thought how far he'd come since his first horrified reaction to news of his inheritance. “It works because duty is a powerful force.” And because he was learning how he could practice his medical calling while doing his duty.

Jessie nodded. “Speaking of caring for people, the housekeeper, Mrs. Willis, said there's a sizable vacant house in the village that might make a good cottage hospital. She was quite keen on the idea. She also said her daughter has some skill in nursing and would be interested in more training if you open a hospital here.”

“Wonderful!” Daniel exclaimed. “We can go look at it tomorrow. Or perhaps this afternoon. It's still early.”

Jessie laughed and put a restraining hand on his arm. “Yes, there's time to visit today, but for now, let's enjoy this moment. Our first walk on the Castle Romayne beach.”

First, and probably last for quite some time. An occasion that shouldn't be rushed. “Thank you for reminding me to enjoy the moment.” He smiled down at her. “I do need to be reminded of such things.”

The vast bulk of the castle loomed above as they neared the stone cliff of the headland. Toward the base of the cliff, dark openings of different sizes were visible, often with water splashing inside. “I wonder how deep those sea caves are,” Jessie said. “Do you think any of them run all the way through the headland to the other side?”

“Probably Pendry would know. Given that the castle is directly above, it wouldn't be surprising if some of the earlier inhabitants had decided to improve on nature. Perhaps there's an escape tunnel running down to the sea.” Daniel squinted against the sun. “The waves have pushed rocks up around the base of the cliffs almost like a path. At low tide, it might be possible to circle around the base to whatever is on the other side.”

“Only for someone keen on slipping, breaking bones, and drowning in this place,” Jessie said as a larger wave crashed into the rocks, throwing white plumes of water high into the air.

“I'd be able to practice my bone-setting skills,” Daniel pointed out.

She laughed. “I should think that setting bones for small boys who fall out of trees would be all the practice you need.”

“Small boys are some of my best customers.” He brushed a kiss on her forehead, loving the easy bantering between them. How had he become so lucky?

They turned away from the headland and began retracing their steps. In the distance, a graceful fishing boat sailed eastward, its white sails puffed full by the wind. A perfect moment. But such moments were fleeting by nature.

Guessing that the restless unease creeping over him meant this moment was over, he said, “Time we were heading back. I'd like to see that possible site for a cottage hospital.”

Before Jessie could reply, a male voice heavy with menace bellowed, “That's her!” The dark sound echoed from the cliff walls as the man added, “Grab the woman
now!
”

The instinct that had kept Daniel safe in the port-side taverns of Bristol sent ice through his veins. As he whirled around, he saw half a dozen rough, muscular men pouring from a sea cave, their expressions ferocious.

“Jessie, run back up to the house!” Daniel barked.
“Now!”

He was between the men and Jessie, and the stairway up the cliff wasn't far behind her. He risked a quick glance over his shoulder and saw that she was frozen in shock. “
Run!
Get help.”

He doubted there were enough able-bodied men in the house to form a rescue party, and there wouldn't be time. But with luck, Jessie might get to safety.

“Out of the way!” roared the leader, a tall man with a dark scarf half obscuring his face. “Or we'll bloody break you in half!”