Always Come Home (Emerson 1) (11 page)

“No, please stay,” said Colin, as he put his hand on
her arm to keep her from leaving. He knew the coming conversation with Rose would
be difficult. But somehow it would help to have Ava by his side.

Rosemary didn’t miss the gesture. She looked from
one to the other, then said “Please stay, Miss Conway. I wish I could offer
you tea, but despite Letty’s kind words, I am not even good at boiling water.
But let us retire to the sitting room. At least we shall be comfortable as we
discuss what has happened.”

Once they were situated, Colin briefly summarized
the events of the past few days – leaving out the more scandalous details,
though he had a feeling Rose knew she wasn’t getting the full story. His
sister had always been bright and he suspected the adult responsibilities she’d
taken on had only made her more so. “Now tell me, Rose, how you came to live
here.”

“There is not much to tell and it all happened so
quickly. The bills were mounting and the servants were becoming more and more
impatient for their back wages – and I could hardly blame them. It was also
becoming more difficult to obtain credit in town.”

“Why did you not come to me? You spoke of none of
this in your letters.”

“I knew you were doing your best to help us and I
did not want to worry you unnecessarily.”

“Unnecessarily? As the head of this family, it is
my responsibility to take care of such matters.”

“Dear brother, do you not realize I am well aware of
just what you have been doing for us? What you’re willing to sacrifice? I
thought it was time for me to help the family in my own way. After all, I am
quite capable, do you not agree?”

Of course his sister was capable. That wasn’t the
point. Colin was about to say as much when he once again felt Ava’s light
touch on his arm.

“My lord, Lady Rosemary has done an admirable job of
looking after your sister, has she not?”

He was still being managed. But perhaps he did need
some assistance. “Yes, Miss Conway. Rose has done quite well.”

His sister beamed and he was thankful he’d followed
Ava’s lead. “Pray continue your story, Rose. I shan’t interrupt again.”

Once again, Ava’s light touch was on his arm. This
time it was accompanied by a grin. “My lord, perhaps you should not make a
promise I am almost certain you cannot keep.”

Rose laughed. “Oh, Miss Conway, I believe you and I
will get along famously. As I was saying, when the servants complained of the
back wages not being paid and we lost our line of credit in town, our solicitor
Mr. Stevenson came to me with a plan. He’d heard there was an American family
looking to rent a manor house for Christmas and the winter. A six month lease
would allow us to pay the servants their back wages as well as get our credit
restored in town. They were looking at houses in the county and Mr. Stevenson
was hoping we might be amenable to the possibility of leasing it.”

Colin grunted. “I have no great affection for that
house, as you well know. But it is odd to think of someone else living there.”

“I feel the same way. I wanted to consult you, of
course, but there was no time to send word to you in London, since the Babcocks
were just passing through the county. I had to make a quick decision, so I did
what I hoped was right and said we would move to the dower house. And with the
rent paid in advance, I was able to pay off the servants, as well as the
merchants in the village. There is even some left over, which I am hoping can
go a long way toward paying off father’s debts.”

Colin hated to tell her that their father’s debts far
exceeded what they would reap from a six-month lease. Besides, that was his responsibility,
not hers. Although so far she’d done a better job of digging them out of the
hole than he had. “You’ve been very clever Rose. I’m quite proud of you.”

She smiled and Colin could see that while she was
most certainly a young lady, Rose was also still a girl who valued her brother’s
approval. He felt all the better for bestowing it. “Now, tell me why you had
to dismiss the governess.”

Rose glanced at Ava.

“Miss Conway can be trusted to not tell tales.”
He’d not known her long, but he was sure of that.

Rose sighed. “Miss Patton was a dreadful woman, but
I put up with her because I knew we needed someone here for appearance’s sake.
She had no use for books and only truly cared that I practiced my needlework
and singing.” She turned to Ava. “And I’m not very good at either. But it
was the way she treated Letty that made me turn her out. She made assumptions
and treated her accordingly.”

Colin tensed. “Miss Conway, as you no doubt
noticed, Letty’s looks are quite different not only from Rosemary and me, but
from our other sister and our two brothers, as well. There have always been
rumors about her parentage and she has been treated most cruelly because of
it.”

“I have always found the mistreatment of children
especially abhorrent,” said Ava. “And I certainly cannot comprehend how
someone could be cruel to a child about something wholly beyond her control.”

“My thoughts exactly,” said Colin. “My only regret
in this case was that I wasn’t the one to turn the old bat out. I hope you
sent her off with a flea in her ear.”

“I believe I used language that was most unbecoming
for a young lady,” said Rose. “Unfortunately, she did not go far. She has
been employed by the tenants as a chaperone to their daughters.”

“And exactly who are the tenants?” asked Colin.

Rose’s smile was guarded. “That, dear brother, is a
story unto itself.”

“Miss Conway,” said Colin. “It occurs to me that
the position of governess has recently become available. It usually pays a
wage, though not a very good one. At the moment, it pays nothing. Would you
be interested in taking the position?” A part of him knew it wasn’t the
smartest decision to prolong Ava’s stay in his house. Yet, he could not keep
from hoping she would remain.

“Lady Rosemary does not need a governess, my lord.
And I am certain you do not need the added expense.”

“But I do need a governess,” said Rose. “If I’d had
a proper one, I would not have cursed at Miss Patton.”

“If you’d had a proper governess, there would have
been no need to curse,” said Colin.

“Actually, it sounds like colorful language was
warranted,” said Ava.

“Miss Conway, are you telling my sister to curse
like a sailor?”

“In this case, I believe I am. It is understandable
that Lady Rosemary would have used strong language in dismissing a woman who’d
been cruel to her sister. I quite applaud it. I can only assume that you are
now retracting your offer of a moment ago.”

There were many offers Colin wanted to make to Ava,
almost none of which could be mentioned in front of his sister. “No, Miss
Conway, the offer still stands. If you are unwilling to take the position, you
are perfectly free to refuse, although my sisters are in dire need of your
assistance.”

“If you were not a gentleman, sir, I would tell you
that in Lady Rosemary’s case you have almost certainly told a falsehood. She
has ably demonstrated her independence. And, as for needlework and singing, I
have no discernible skills in those areas myself and would be unqualified to
teach her.”

“Then you simply must take the position,” said
Rose. “And think of poor Letty. She deserves a good governess. Please say
you’ll stay, Miss Conway.”

Colin held his breath. If need be, he would call
for Letty and have his youngest sister charm Ava into staying. He simply did not
want her to leave.

Fortunately he did not have to resort to begging any
more than he’d already begged. For Ava said, “Very well, Lady Rosemary. I
will stay.”

Colin suddenly felt more hopeful about his world.

“Mr. Marvins,” said Edmund Babcock, as he tried once
again to get comfortable in a chair in the sitting room of the Ridgeway manor
house. “Why is the furniture so old and hard? I know this earl is desperate
for blunt, but you’d think he’d at least have been able to buy a chair that
wasn’t in such bad shape. I daresay my arse will get splinters from the wood
beneath this so-called cushion.”

“Mr. Babcock!” admonished his wife, Mabel, who was
perched rather precariously on the edge of the equally threadbare settee.
“There is no cause to use such rough language. And, as I have reminded you
time and time again, it is not ‘Mr. Marvins.’ It is simply ‘Marvins.’ Is that
not correct, Marvins?”

The butler dutifully bowed to her, though the bend
in his back was barely perceptible. “That is correct, madam.”

“I do not see why we have to learn so many rules,”
said the youngest of the Babcock children, Myra, who was nineteen and had her
father’s light brown hair. She was picking biscuits off a piece of the earl’s
china. “None of this will matter when we return to Boston.”

“If mother has her way, we might not return to Boston,”
said her brother Richard, who was twenty and also had his father’s coloring.
“If Nora makes the right marriage we’ll likely be living in bloody old England
for the rest of our lives.”

“Language!” said Mrs. Babcock. “We would not want
people to think we’re not civilized.” Here, she glanced at Marvins, whose face
was devoid of expression, though it wouldn’t take much to discern his thoughts.
“Nora can marry whomever she chooses. But if it happens to be a prince or a
duke, then so much the better.”

Nora, a beautiful girl of three-and-twenty, smiled
demurely at her mother and sipped her tea. She had fair hair and light blue
eyes. She’d been ardently pursued by any number of men in Boston, for her
beauty was unsurpassed. Her papa was also disgustingly wealthy, so that hadn’t
exactly worked against her, either. Yet she remained unmarried at an age when
other girls had not only been wed for a few years, but were also in the process
of adding to their families. It vexed her mama exceedingly.

But Nora was now an American heiress on the British
marriage mart. And the entire family was expectant of her making an excellent
match.

“Who was that at the door earlier today, Mr…er,
Marvins?” asked Mr. Babcock. “I only glanced at the horses, which were
veritable nags. Were they part of some sort of gypsy caravan? Should I be
arming you to chase them off?”

“I do not believe that will be necessary, sir. That
was only the Earl of Ridgeway and his servants.”

“The Earl of Ridgeway was here?” asked Mrs.
Babcock. “Why did you not tell us, Marvins? Was he here to call on Miss
Babcock?”

“No, madam. He was under the misapprehension that
this was still his residence. Evidently word of the move had not reached him
in London.”

“That is most queer, is it not?” asked Mr. Babcock.
“I assumed he was the one who arranged to move out of this drafty monstrosity
of a house.”

“I believe, sir, that his local solicitor arranged
for the move at Lady Rosemary’s request.”

“And who is this Lady Rosemary?” demanded Mrs.
Babcock. “I do hope she is not his wife. It would be most vexing to learn of
the earl’s visit, only to discover he has a wife.”

“Lady Rosemary is his sister,” replied Marvins.

“Oh, that is such a relief,” said Mrs. Babcock. “We
should invite the earl and his sister for Christmas dinner.”

“As long as we don’t invite the other one,” said
Myra.

“The earl has two sisters?” asked Mrs. Babcock. “Would
one of them do for Richard?”

“Leave me out of your matchmaking, mother. I shan’t
be marrying for quite some time.”

“I don’t see why not,” said his father. “Marriage
doesn’t change a man’s life all that much. I daresay you have no more freedom
as a bachelor than I do as a married man.”

“Be that as it may, father. I want nothing of the
earl’s sisters. Either of them.”

“One of them is barely his sister,” said Myra.
“Miss Patton told us the youngest girl’s father was not the old earl.”

“Perhaps the countess remarried,” said Mrs. Babcock,
though it was said in such a way that one could tell she hoped the countess had
done no such thing.

“No,” said Myra. “Apparently, the countess was a
wicked woman who had any number of love affairs, then bragged about them. I’m
quite sure it serves her right to be dead, so her family does not suffer from
her wickedness anymore.”

“You shouldn’t speak ill of the dead, Myra,” said
Mrs. Babcock. “Though in this case, I think it would be impossible to avoid
it. Well, we certainly won’t invite the youngest child to dinner.”

“But I do not see how we could avoid it, Mama,” said
Nora. “I believe Miss Patton said the girl is but eight years old. Surely she
could not be left alone at Christmas, especially with no servants in the
house.”

“But Marvins just said the earl arrived with
servants. Surely one of them can stay with the girl.”

“I’m just surprised he has servants,” said Richard.

“Perhaps his financial situation is not as bad as
they say.”

“Of course it isn’t,”’ said Mr. Babcock. “Not after
all the money we’ve spent to rent this dreadful place. I’ll be shocked if we don’t
all die of the ague by the end of January.”

“Hush, Mr. Babcock,” said his wife. “You can
certainly afford the money and I will not permit any of us to get sick. It
would interfere with our plans for Nora. Just think, she could marry this earl
fellow and be a countess.”

“Who says I won’t marry the earl?” asked Myra.

“It is not your turn, dear,” said her mother. For
once she did not add that Myra was not as well favored as her sister, though
still quite pretty in her own right. “Now, Mr. Babcock, you must send an
invitation to the earl at once. And invite the older sister.”

“Both sisters, Mama,” said Nora.

“If you insist. Though I cannot think to have such
a creature at my table.”

Mr. Babcock snorted. “If I have to have an
impoverished earl at my table, then you can tolerate the creature. After all,
if he marries Nora, not only would I be giving him my eldest daughter, I’d be expected
to refill his coffers, as well. I can never understand why the aristocracy
think they’re better than us, just because they were born into titles. If you
ask me, it’s more impressive to make your own fortune. Wouldn’t you agree, Mr.
Marvins?”

The butler, who looked quite pained, merely nodded
the slightest amount. “As you say, Mr. Babcock.”

*

Maude and Stemple, with Letty’s able assistance, had
accomplished a miracle in just under an hour. Maude had put together
sandwiches of bread and cheese and even cooked a thin broth. Stemple had
attempted to prepare the dining room for the meal, though Letty had told him
that she and her sister had taken all their meals in the kitchen.

“I am sure that was quite nice for you, Lady
Leticia, since there were no footmen to serve you in the dining room. But I am
here now and will ensure there’s a proper table set.”

Despite Stemple’s best efforts, however, the earl
had intervened. He’d decided that for now, at least, they would continue
eating in the kitchen.

“Is he always like this?” Maude asked Stemple before
the others joined them for the meal. “I can’t imagine Lord Clayton ever eating
in the kitchen, unless he was tupping one of the kitchen maids whilst he was
doing it.”

“Lord Ridgeway is a regular bloke for an earl. And
a very good man.”

“I can tell he’s a good man. But, I never seen any
toff act like this.”

“Do you think you’ll remain here?” he asked.
“There’s no telling when he’ll be able to pay you, though I have no doubt he’ll
make right on his debt to you as soon as he’s able.”

“Money is important,” she said. “But I believe
there are other advantages to staying.” She stole a glimpse at him, then
blushed a crimson red. “Will you remain here?”

Stemple smiled. “There is no other place I’d rather
be.”

The family and Miss Conway chose that inopportune moment
to enter the kitchen. Stemple and Maude stepped away from each other.

“Forgive me, my lord,” said Stemple. “I have not
yet set the table.”

“I believe we can muddle through ourselves,” said
Colin, as he carried plates to the table, while Stemple set out the tureen of
broth. “Maude, where are you going?”

“To stand in the corner, my lord.”

“Were you bad?” asked Letty.

Maude smiled and curtsied to the girl. “No, Lady
Leticia. I just wanted to be close at hand in case anyone needs something.”

“Come eat at the table, Maude,” said Colin. “You
must be starving. And it is because of your efforts that we have this meal.”

Stemple set a place for Maude and him at the end of
the table. She took her seat across from him, though she still seemed ill at
ease to share a meal with the others.

“I’m so glad you’re home, Colin,” said Letty, as
they all began to eat. “I cannot wait for you to open my Christmas present.”

Colin’s heart fell. He hadn’t had a chance to buy
gifts and now there was neither time nor money. “My dear girl, I hope you have
not spent your pin money on your old brother.”

“We made your gifts,” she said. “Rose helped me,
but I did much of it myself. I hope you like it.”

“I am sure I shall love it.” He didn’t want to
disappoint either of his sisters by telling them he had no gifts for them. He
knew Rose would understand, but Letty would be so disappointed. “Letty, I have
some rather bad news…”

“Oh, dear!” said Miss Conway, as she spilled some of
her cider. “I am so clumsy,” she added as Colin sopped up the spill with his
napkin. “Lady Rosemary, Lady Leticia, I have a most irregular request.”

“Then you must tell us,” said Rose. “For we are
always especially interested in irregular things.”

“When I was growing up, it was just my father and
me. We were often in parts of the world where we did not have ready access to
shops. So, we began a tradition of making gifts for each other for Christmas.
They required a great deal of thought and ingenuity, and we valued them all the
more because of it. I see that you two have already adopted such a tradition.
But I believe the earl might like to make his presents this year, as well.”

“That is a splendid idea,” said Rose.

“I think so, too!” said Letty. “But I did not know
he could knit. Because that’s what Rose and I did.”

“Unfortunately, I lack that skill,” said Colin,
grateful for Ava’s intervention. He suspected Rose seized onto the idea to
help him, as well. “But there are other attributes I could put to good use in
such an endeavor.”

“Really?” said an excited Letty. “Like what?”

Colin realized he’d spoken too soon. Most of the
skills he possessed would be best used in either a gaming hell or a
bedchamber. He had a gentleman’s education and wholeheartedly lacked a
tradesman’s skills. “Well, I could…”

“Sing a song?” suggested Ava hopefully.

“That doesn’t seem like much of a present,” said
Colin.

“But Lady Rosemary and I have already admitted to a
lack of skill in that area. You might be our only source of entertainment.”

“Unfortunately, lack of musical skill runs in the
family.”

“Perhaps you could draw a picture?”

“Not if you want it to resemble anything.”

“What about writing a story?”

Colin was about to object again, though he realized
his options were becoming limited. Perhaps he could teach the girls to play
faro, after all.

“Colin, writing a story is a lovely idea,” said
Rose. “I remember when you would tell me stories in the nursery. I especially
liked the ones you made up.”

“They were but children’s stories.”

“I’m a child,” said Letty. “I would love to hear
one of your stories.”

“As would I,” said Rose. “Miss Conway has hit upon
a marvelous suggestion. You should write a story to tell us on Christmas Day.
You can think of one as we cut greenery in the forest tomorrow.”

“We are going on a forest expedition tomorrow?”
asked Colin.

“Of course. How else can we decorate? I wanted to
have the house done for you upon your arrival, but we have been busier than I
anticipated. We can spend the morning in the woods cutting greenery, then you
can write in the afternoon as the rest of us decorate. It shall be so much
fun, do you not agree, Miss Conway?”

“I am sure you will have a splendid day.”

“Oh, do not think to exclude yourself,” said Colin.
“After all, Miss Conway, it was your idea that we make our presents. If we are
doing this, then surely you are, too.”

Before Ava could object, Letty spoke up. “Please,
Miss Conway! It will be ever so much fun.”