Always Come Home (Emerson 1) (14 page)

“Letty!” said Rose as she joined them. “I cannot
believe you would tell such a tale. What will Miss Conway think of us?”

“I shall think that I am fortunate, indeed, to have
come to such a fine family. Now, Lady Leticia, where are all the pine cones?”

“Over here,” said Letty, tugging at her arm. “I
could not carry them all.”

“Then I shall help you,” said Ava, setting out with
the girl at a run.

Colin watched Ava run off with Letty hand-in-hand.
It was a good thing his youngest sister had interrupted them because he’d been
about to kiss Ava. There’d been something too comfortable about gathering
Christmas greenery with her. Something that made it seem too much like they
were a family. It was unsettling.

It was also ludicrous that he could have romantic
thoughts when he was freezing his bollocks off.

Then he realized Rose was staring at him.

“Is there something you would like to say?” he asked,
hoping she could not read minds.

“I like Miss Conway.”

Damn it
.
Perhaps she could read minds. “She is an amiable lady. I confess I do not
know her qualifications for being a governess other than she had the position
for Clayton’s sisters. I regret not beating the man before we left.”

“He was unkind to her?”

“Yes. But he was always one who deserved a good
beating from time to time just on principle.”

“You rescued Miss Conway from him.”

“I did no such thing. And I cannot imagine she
would like that assessment, either. She is quite capable, I can assure you.”

“Yet, you knew she needed assistance and brought her
home. I suspect you helped Maude and Stemple in a similar manner.”

“Is there something you wish to say, dear sister?”

“Nothing more than the obvious.”

“Which is?”

“That you make it your business to solve the
problems of others, often at the expense of your own happiness.”

“On the contrary, bringing Miss Conway, Maude and
Stemple home will contribute to my happiness since I will now have excellent
servants to replace those who are no longer here.”

“But you had no way of knowing that when you first
offered them a home here. You are a sentimentalist and I love you all the more
for it.”

“I’m a sentimentalist? You sat on a pine cone and I
cannot imagine it was anything other than to make Letty laugh.”

“She has too few excuses to laugh. And please do
not tell her. She’s having a great deal of fun at my expense and I wouldn’t
want to deprive her of that. But I worry about you, Colin. I do not wish for
you to do anything that cannot be undone. I want you to be happy.”

“And I will be. As long as I know you and everyone
else are taken care of. Now, shall we return to the house?”

“Is this your way of getting me to stop talking
about your future?”

“It is primarily a way of getting my frozen body to
a warm bath. But, if it should also put an end to your worrying about me then
I will accept that as a boon, as well.”

“Colin!”

Letty ran up to them, grinning. “You must see what
Miss Conway is about! She’s making snow angels.”

So that was how Colin came upon Miss Conway: lying
in the snow, moving her arms and legs back and forth, as happy as, well, a
madwoman lying in the snow. Did no one feel the effects of the cold except
him? But he could not deny that she was especially beautiful when she was
laughing. And he wanted nothing more than to fall upon her and kiss her
senseless.

“Miss Conway!” said Rose. “I cannot allow you to
make a choir of angels all by yourself. I must join you.” Rose then fell back
into the snow and proceeded to make her own angel.

Letty giggled again. “May I join them, Colin? May
I?”

“It’s awfully cold, sweeting. I would hate for you
to take ill.”

“Please? Please!”

Colin could not deny his youngest sister such a
dubious treat and it did appear that the ladies were enjoying themselves
immensely. “Very well. But only one or two.”

The words were barely out of his mouth before Letty
was on her back by her sister, making her own angel.

“Colin,” called Rose with a laugh. “Do you not
think we should have a male angel?”

“I did not know angels had genders.”

“What’s a gender?” asked Letty.

“That’s something Miss Conway can explain to you one
day,” said Colin.

Ava lifted her head to wrinkle her nose at him
before falling back again. At least he assumed that was what she’d done. It
was hard to see with the scarf wrapped around her face. “I believe, Lord Ridgeway,
that it would be a good deal better to have four angels, rather than three.”

“Feel free to make another if you insist, Miss
Conway.”

“But I believe this calls for a lordly touch. An
earl angel, as it were.”

“Yes, it does!” exclaimed Rose. “How clever of you,
Miss Conway, to express the need so succinctly. Will you help us out, dear
brother? Or are you not as hardy as Miss Conway, Letty and I?”

“Is my male honor being assailed?” he asked.

“Most assuredly.”

“Well, I cannot allow that to stand.”

Which was how Colin Emerson, Lord Ridgeway, found
himself lying in the snow, flapping arms and legs like a fish out of water. If
fish had limbs. He was too cold to even think of a good metaphor. However,
there was one advantage to the endeavor. It gave him an opportunity to touch
Ava’s hand in passing. Though his frozen arse would say it was not nearly
consolation enough.

After sufficient flailing, Rose stood, helping Letty
do so, as well. Colin did the honors for Ava, holding onto her hand much longer
than he should have. Though both wore gloves, he could feel the heat from her
hand as well as if they’d touched bare skin to bare skin.

He was interrupted in his musings by a joyous Letty,
who innocently came between him and Miss Conway, taking their hands.

“This is the best Christmas ever,” she said. “Colin
has come home, we live in a new house and have a new friend, as well.”

“Do you like your new home?” he asked her.

“Very much. Now my bedroom is much closer to yours
and Rose’s. And we’re rid of Miss Patton.”

“It sounds like that was a long time in coming,”
said Colin. “I am sorry I chose so poorly when I selected your last
governess.”

“You did much better this time,” she said with a
smile for Ava.

Ava squeezed her hand. “I hope you still think so
when I have you doing maths and geography and composition.”

“As long as we don’t spend all our time on
needlework,” said Letty.

“I confess I have as little desire for that as you
or your sister.”

That made Letty laugh, then she and Ava continued to
talk about future lessons. Rose held Letty’s other hand as Colin once again
hefted the cursed wheelbarrow. He watched Ava and his sisters from behind.
All three were laughing and enjoying themselves. His sisters had taken to Ava
quickly. Almost as quickly as he had.

For a moment Colin allowed himself to wonder what it
would be like if he didn’t have to marry for money. If he could simply find a
woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, without regard to her
fortune or how they would all live.

Rose’s smart thinking had saved the estate a great
deal of money. He’d gone over the books the night before and at least now they
did not owe their servants back wages – save the three he’d brought with him,
of course. Colin even had enough for taxes on the estate.

However, there were still the substantial debts
their father had incurred. Not to mention Rose deserved a Season, which would
not happen without outside assistance. At this rate, he might not even have
enough money saved for Letty to have one several years from now. He could not
let them suffer.

It was a lovely dream to think of following his
heart into marriage.

But only a dream.

Victor Stemple’s life had taken an extraordinary
turn in the past few days. But in some ways, he was worse off now than he had
been before.

That wasn’t fair
,
he chided himself. His life had changed immeasurably for the better since he’d
become Lord Ridgeway’s valet. They’d shared bachelor quarters in London that
his lordship had called cramped, but were more luxurious than anywhere Stemple
had stayed in years. It was indoors for one thing. And it had come with the incredible
luxury of sharing the books Lord Ridgeway took out from the subscription
library.

Before taking the position, Stemple’s ability to
find work had been erratic at best. His scars had scared off even some of the
lowliest employers in the stews. So, it had been a challenge to find enough
work to ensure he could eat and obtain shelter. Whenever possible, he’d tried
to send money home – though the only jobs that paid him that well tended to
involve illegal acts.

The only part of his position with Lord Ridgeway he
hadn’t liked had been the errands he’d run, often to areas like Bond Street and
Mayfair. He’d long ago grown used to the stares of others and the children he
frightened. But he didn’t like to think he might taint his lordship by
association. Of course, Lord Ridgeway had laughed off that concern. He truly
did not seem to care what others thought of him.

When Lord Ridgeway had first decided to leave London
after his unsuccessful bid to find a rich wife, he’d told Stemple he would be
unable to take him along. He’d understood Ridgeway’s position. The man did
not want to become indebted to anyone. But Stemple would gladly work for
Ridgeway for free if it meant having the chance to continue in his employ.

He knew he’d been responsible for them being kicked
off the mail coach and he’d felt terrible because of it. He hadn’t liked
seeing his employer humble himself before that ass Clayton. But two miracles
had occurred during their brief stay at the viscount’s home. The first was
that Lord Ridgeway had found the woman he would eventually marry. Despite the
fact that Miss Conway was definitely not an heiress, only a fool would not
recognize that she and his lordship were made for each other. Of course,
currently, both of them appeared to be fools.

The other miracle had been making the acquaintance
of Maude Anderson. He knew there was no hope of romance. Maude was beautiful inside
and out and could have her choice of husbands. She would not choose a man with
his scars. No woman would.

But she was his friend. And he had very few of
those. In some ways, he and his lordship were friends, as well. But Stemple
and Maude were from the same class. They had experienced the harsher side of
life. One that his lordship could never quite comprehend, though his life wasn’t
easy compared to some toffs.

Stemple and Maude had stayed up talking that night
at Clayton’s. At first, he’d spoken very little of himself, he’d simply
listened. Maude had grown up in a small village where she’d worked in the
kitchen of a local tavern. But once the owner married, his wife didn’t want
her working there. He could well imagine the woman wouldn’t want to be
compared to Maude.

Her parents already had more than enough mouths to
feed so she’d set out to find employment. Unlike him she hadn’t made it all
the way to London, but she’d been placed at Clayton’s parents’ country estate,
where she’d been dodging wandering hands for two years. It made his blood boil
to think she’d been so mistreated. He would like to address the issue with
Clayton and his pals. For if there was one thing Stemple had taken away from
the war – aside from his scars – it was a familiarity with violence. Normally,
he did everything in his power to avoid it. But it angered him to think of
anyone hurting Maude.

The two of them were walking to the village, which
was a mile away.

“Did you sleep well, Victor?” she asked.

“I did, Maude,” he lied. For his room was just down
the hall from hers and he’d lain awake thinking of that very fact. He would
never cross the hall to see her – it would devastate him to have her reject
him. But he’d certainly thought about it.

“I’ve never had such a nice room in my life,” said
Maude. “And I don’t even have to share it. It’s the first time that’s ever happened.
His lordship is very generous. He’s a good one, the master, isn’t he?”

“The very best of men. Do you think you will like
working there?”

“I cannot see how I wouldn’t. I know it will be a
great deal of work with no one to help me, but I won’t have to worry about
being cuffed by the cook – since I am the cook. Nor would I ever do such a
thing if I ever get an assistant.”

“Were you struck at Clayton’s?” Stemple could not
keep the tension out of his voice.

“Only by the cook when she was very drunk. Though
the other girls could be nasty as well. They’d pull your hair if they thought
you had your eye on a footman they liked.”

Stemple’s heart fell. “And did you? Have your eye
on a particular footman?”

Maude laughed. “Lud, no. My mother and father
raised me better than that. No good can come from a courtship like that. It’s
more likely you’ll ruin your reputation and be sacked without a character. And
I worked much too hard for that.”

“But would you like to marry one day?”

She thought about that for a moment and Stemple wondered
why he was pouring salt on his own wounds. Just the thought of her married to
someone else was painful. He had to make sure he was gone from the estate
before that happened.

“I haven’t given it much thought. Too busy working,
I guess. I suppose most girls think about finding a good man and having a babe
or two. But you need to find the right man. And he has to have a way of
supporting a family. ‘Twould do no good to have three mouths to feed and no
means to do it. That’s why I feel sorry for his lordship, despite his being an
earl and all. He wouldn’t just have a wife to support, but two sisters and
that big estate to run, as well. It’s too bad because I think him and Ava
would rub along quite nicely together, don’t you agree?”

“I do not talk about his lordship’s private life,”
said Stemple kindly.

“Oh, you can unbend with me,” said Maude as she
playfully touched his arm. “I won’t repeat it. I never was one for gossip,
not to mention there’s no one to repeat it to. But don’t you think Ava would
make an excellent countess?”

“I do. Miss Conway seems to be a remarkable woman.”

“She is at that. She’s the first friend I ever had
in the gentry, but she’s really nice in spite of it. I want her and the earl
to be happy. With each other, if that’s possible. I think all good people
should have the chance to be with their true love and be happy. Don’t you
agree?”

“I do, Maude. I do.”

They continued their journey in companionable
silence.

“Do you think about getting married, Victor?” she
asked quietly. “Did you have a sweetheart in London?”

Victor froze, thinking she was making a jest at his
expense. But it didn’t seem like something Maude would do, so he stole a look
at her and could detect nothing but genuine curiosity. How could she even ask
the question? Was it not obvious?

“No, Maude, I didn’t have a sweetheart in London.”

“I imagine his lordship would hate for you to get
married and leave him. And I know how most great houses don’t let their
servants marry.”

“I have no idea whether Lord Ridgeway allows his servants
to marry. But that wasn’t the reason I did not have a sweetheart, of course.”

“What do you mean, ‘of course?’”

Stemple turned to her again but still could not
detect anything other than genuine curiosity. “My scars, Maude. Most people
cannot bear to look at them. I cannot imagine a wife wanting to sleep next to
them.”

“Then you don’t know the right type of women. Your
wife will be lucky indeed and care naught about the scars. Mark my words.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“You’re not planning to marry a ninny, are you?”

“I wasn’t planning on marrying anyone. But I cannot
imagine I would marry a ninny, no.”

“Lots of women would fancy you, I’m just sure of
it.” Then as if she’d said too much, she changed the subject to what she hoped
to purchase in the village and how they would make a Christmas dinner worthy of
Lord Ridgeway and his family.

Stemple did not say much, other than to agree with
her choices when she asked his opinion. He was too caught up in the earlier
discussion. She thought women would fancy him? Could she ever fancy him or
was she simply being polite? He didn’t know what to think, other than he began
to wonder whether or not Lord Ridgeway allowed his servants to marry.

*

The dower house was truly beginning to look like
Christmas. Ava, Rose and Letty had been working for hours to decorate in time
for their Christmas Eve dinner. They’d dusted and removed the Holland covers
throughout the first floor in order to make the house their home.

There was not a great deal of furniture. Ava
suspected some of it had been sold to pay bills. The little which did remain
was of high quality, though the fabrics were threadbare and some of the wood
was in need of restoration. But she could see that this had once been an
elegant retreat. The Persian carpet was exquisitely made. The mantel was of
the finest marble. The library was well-stocked, though Rose had remarked that
it paled in comparison to the selection in the manor house.

It was obvious that Rose wanted to make this a comfortable
home for everyone. And Ava very much wanted to help her. The Emerson family
deserved it.

“What do you think, Miss Conway?” Rose stepped back
from the fireplace mantel, where she’d rearranged a bough for perhaps the
twentieth time.

Ava stood next to her and studied her work. “I
believe Carlton House does not have such magnificent greenery.”

“And I believe you are only flattering me to keep me
from adjusting it yet again,” laughed Rose.

“Perhaps. But I do believe the house looks
magnificent.”

As Letty ran after their cat Jasper, who seemed rather
determined to avoid having a ribbon placed around his neck, Ava and Rose
readied the dining room for dinner.

“I admire the way you took charge of the situation
these past few weeks,” said Ava. “It must have been hard for you to move into
this house all alone. You looked out for your sister quite well.”

Rose blushed. “I just took the logical course of
action when the opportunity presented itself. My brothers have tried to
shelter me, but I am almost nineteen. I know the dire situation my family is
in financially and am determined to do my part. After all, Colin shouldn’t be
the only one to make sacrifices.”

“I believe your brother would do whatever is
necessary to take care of you and Letty and the others. He loves you very
much.”

“He is an excellent brother. We may be poor in
money – though I know it is vulgar to speak of such things – but we are rich in
family. Do you have brothers and sisters, Miss Conway?”

“No, I am an only child.”

Rose reached out to squeeze her hand. “I am
terribly sorry to hear that. I don’t think any of us could have survived
without each other. My family is rather unconventional, but we love each other
very much. Though the brothers would never admit to such a thing.”

“Do you have many friends in the area?”

“More acquaintances than actual friends. When one
has handsome older brothers, there are always plenty of ladies who visit,
especially when two of them are earls. Oh, dear.” Rose looked up from placing
goblets on the table. “That was most indiscreet of me. Did Colin explain to
you the, uh, entire circumstances of our family?”

“He did. It must be lovely to have brothers who are
so connected, despite the delicate nature of the relationship.”

Rose laughed. “Oh, Miss Conway, I do appreciate how
tactful you are. I am afraid I can be a bit too outspoken. Perhaps, I need a
governess after all. But to answer your earlier question, I have several
female acquaintances in the county who would like nothing more than to be my
sister-in-law, though, admittedly, that number has dwindled a bit now that the extent
of our financial predicament is better known.”

“I cannot imagine many ladies turning away from Lord
Ridgeway, despite his lack of funds,” said Ava.

“Oh, really?” asked Rose with a smile.

“I only mean that your brother is quite amiable,”
said Ava quickly. “But tell me, is there no one else in the county with whom
you are friends?”

Rose did not answer for so long that Ava began to
think the girl hadn’t heard her. Finally, Rose spoke.

“There is Lord Grayson, the heir to the Duke of
Bancroft. His family lives in the castle on the hill. It’s not like Grayson
and I are friends now. But he was friends with Colin and James, and I used to
see him often when I was a girl.” She became inordinately diverted by lining
up the goblets along the table.