Always Come Home (Emerson 1) (17 page)

James was a proud man and rarely asked for help with
anything, so Colin knew this land matter must be significant. He hoped things
were going well for his brother. But more than anything, he wished James would
come home.

Colin looked over to see that Ava had removed the
envelope from her pocket and was running her fingers over it. Would she open
it in church? He could see one finger rubbing against the seal, a little bit
more each time. Finally it opened and she began to unfold it.

Letty must have heard the rustling, for she turned
to Miss Conway and looked up at her. Letty wasn’t admonishing her, exactly,
but it was obvious that his sister thought everyone’s full attention should be
on the pulpit, regardless of how the man was droning on.

Miss Conway sheepishly put the envelope back in her
pocket, then met Colin’s eye. She blushed, then turned her attention to the
vicar, as if her very salvation depended on it.

When the service finally came to an end – even Letty
looked ready to leave – Colin escorted his family outside to greet the
villagers who were likely curious about his return. But he didn’t get the
chance to speak with many of them since he was almost immediately hailed by
Mrs. Babcock, who was escorted by her husband. There were, fortunately, no
winking offspring in sight.

Mrs. Babcock curtsied to him. “Lord Ridgeway, it is
indeed an honor to meet you. Mr. Babcock and I have been most anxious to make
your acquaintance, have we not, dear?”

Mr. Babcock looked not all that anxious. “Of
course, Mrs. Babcock. We have all been agog at the very notion.” He shook Colin’s
hand rigorously, as if it were a dead limb in need of separation from a tree.

Colin turned to his sisters. “Lady Rosemary, Lady
Leticia, may I present Mr. and Mrs. Babcock?” The girls curtsied dutifully.

Mrs. Babcock turned to Rose. “Lady Rosemary, it is
such a pleasure to meet you. I’m sure you and my girls will have much in
common. And Richard, of course, might interest you very much, indeed. And I
see you have brought the youngest of you to church, as well.”

Colin could feel Rose stiffen beside him for,
judging by Mrs. Babcock’s tone of voice, there was no doubt that she had heard rumors
of Letty’s parentage. The girl herself simply smiled, delighted to be included
with the grown-ups and no doubt anxious to meet new friends.

Colin did not share her enthusiasm. “You must
excuse us, Mrs. Babcock, for I do not wish to keep the ladies out in the cold any
longer than necessary.”

“But you have not yet met my daughters! I believe
they are off with their friends. They are quite popular girls and are mobbed
wherever they go. But I am sure they are not talking to anyone as important as
you.”

“Yet, I would hate to interrupt them just the same.
Perhaps another time?”

“Do you have plans for tonight? Our cook has
promised to make a veritable feast. And she is really quite talented, despite
being British. But you would know that already, wouldn’t you? She was, after
all, your cook.” At that point, Mrs. Babcock seemed to remember the somewhat
awkward situation they were in. However, that did not stop her mouth for
long. “Would you and your sister care to join us tonight?”

Colin could barely contain his temper at the snub of
Letty. “Which sister would that be, madam?”

Mrs. Babcock seemed to realize she’d gone a bit too
far, for she hastily added, “Lady Rosemary, of course. I assumed Leticia would
be in the nursery. Is that not the custom in England?”

Unfortunately, it was, so Colin had to give the
woman the benefit of the doubt, as distasteful as it was. “Our family is a bit
unconventional. Lady Leticia accompanies us everywhere.”

“That is unconventional. Well, you and your two
sisters must come to dinner tonight.” Though she looked like she’d just
ingested a hothouse lemon.

Colin was wracking his brain for an excuse not to go
and from Rose’s cool look, he imagined she did not want to attend, either. But
poor Letty was excited, so he had little choice but to accept.

“Excellent!” said Mrs. Babcock. “We shall look
forward to it.”

Colin most assuredly would not.

*

Maude looked around her sitting room and still could
not believe her good fortune. Two rooms, just for her. She hoped this wasn’t
all a dream, for, other than missing her family, she had everything she could
hope to have. She had an excellent position, even if she wasn’t exactly being
paid for it. Her quarters were luxurious and the earl himself had brought her
a small table and two chairs that very day. She could even ask Ava to join her
for tea, if she liked.

Or she could invite Victor.

Maude had never had a sweetheart before. There’d
been no time for one when she was working at the inn in her village. Some of
the lads at Lord Clayton’s estate had certainly made their interest known. But
Maude had never met so many rude men in her life. The things they’d said to
her had made her blush to her hairline. She couldn’t imagine being married to
any of them, so she certainly stayed clear.

But then there was Victor. He carried himself like
a military man, which she knew he was from the night they’d stayed up talking.
She’d felt safe with him from the very first. She wouldn’t have trusted any
man at Clayton’s the way she did Victor. But she knew he would never hurt her
or any woman. And the way he’d kept watch outside Ava’s room that first night had
convinced Maude that he was a very good man. He was also quite handsome. Yes,
his scars were significant on the right side of his face. But there was
certainly nothing wrong with the left side. And the more you got to know him,
the less you noticed the scars.

She’d been embarrassed when she’d awakened on the
farmer’s cart to find she’d fallen asleep in his arms. Yet, she’d realized
there was no place she’d rather be, so she’d shamelessly remained, pretending
to sleep. And now, she and Victor were thrown together quite often for he was
always helping her in the kitchen when he was not needed elsewhere

There was a knock on her open door. She turned to
find the subject of her thoughts.

“Victor,” she said, smoothing her gown. “Come in.
You’re my first guest. Unless….am I needed in the kitchen?”

“No,” said Stemple as he entered, smiling. The
scars made his grin crooked. Maude found it endearing. “The earl was in
earnest. You are not to do any work today.”

Maude had been astounded to find Lady Rosemary and
Ava putting together a cold collation from the previous night’s dinner when
they returned from church. Even Lady Leticia had helped. They had been
adamant that she wasn’t to do any work on her day off, now and in the future.

“Would you like to sit down?” She pointed to one of
the chairs the earl had brought her.

“Only if you will, as well. I brought a bottle of
wine, a gift for the two of us from Lady Rosemary.”

“That was very kind of her.”

“I believe the earl’s sisters are every bit as kind
as he is.”

Maude scowled. “Did you hear what some of those
villagers were whispering about Lady Leticia? And on Christmas, of all days.
I wanted to give them a piece of my mind, but I didn’t want to call even more
attention to their vile gossip.”

“I wanted to do more than berate them, you can be
sure of that.” Stemple placed two wine glasses on the table. “How did you
spend last Christmas?”

“We had half a day off for services, then we had to
prepare the Christmas dinner. Some of Lord Clayton’s friends were there, so
the kitchen staff was up past midnight. It was a decent Boxing Day the next
morn. But I would much rather be here without wages than back there for any
amount of coin.”

“As would I. Last year, I was sleeping in a
disreputable tavern near the docks in exchange for keeping the peace.
Christmas tends to bring out both the best and worst in people.” He poured
them both a glass of wine. “My life has improved tremendously since that
night.”

“So has mine,” said Maude, as she shyly met his eyes.
“What shall we drink to?”

Stemple considered the question for a moment. “To a
Happy Christmas and new beginnings.”

Maude smiled at him, as they touched glasses. “Happy
Christmas, Victor.”

“Happy Christmas, Maude.”

Colin hadn’t really wanted to go to the Babcock’s
for Christmas dinner, especially since their invitation had excluded Ava. But
it would have been rude of him to refuse the invitation and churlish of him to
deny Rose and Letty a Christmas feast.

For her part, Ava had said she would happily
entertain herself in the dower house library. He liked thinking of her there,
curled up in a chair reading whatever it was she read. Probably some type of
gothic novel. Or, perhaps a history tome from which she’d prepare Letty’s lessons.
It was impossible to tell with Ava, which was yet another thing he liked about
her. She kept him guessing.

But here he was now, escorting his sisters to the
manor they’d called home for most of their lives. He’d hated almost every
minute he’d spent growing up there. But it was still odd to have others in
residence.

Marvins was his usual arrogant self. Colin wondered
how the butler felt working for Americans, for he could not imagine it being at
all to his liking. Regardless of how well-mannered the Babcocks were, Colin
felt sure that Marvins would still view them as provincial colonials better
left on the other side of the Atlantic.

After a brief nod to Marvins, Colin and his sisters
walked behind the man as he escorted them to the sitting room, where they were
announced. Stemple had already done reconnaissance, so Colin was at least
somewhat prepared for the visit.

Mr. Babcock was that uniquely American species, a
self-made man, whose fortune was thought to exceed a million dollars – a sum almost
impossible to imagine. He was from Boston and had made his fortune in shipping.
But he’d come from humble beginnings and even in egalitarian America, Boston
had its own version of the
ton
. Apparently, the families of that city
had found the Babcock lineage wanting, so the family had come to England in
hopes of snagging a title or two for their daughters.

Nora was the eldest of the three, though hardly into
her dotage at three and twenty. She was also the reputed beauty of the family
and Colin saw right away that her charms had not been overstated. She was
quite beautiful, though a bit too perfect for his taste. He preferred his
ladies to have twinkling eyes and a barely suppressed smile, not to mention
being perpetually on the verge of making some impertinent remark. But this
Nora was acceptable if you liked perfect looks.

There was another daughter, Myra – the church winker
– who was the youngest at nineteen. While not as beautiful as her sister, she
was certainly well-favored, even if the neckline of her gown was a bit too
low.

The middle child, Richard, was good looking enough,
but was currently staring at Rose in a way no gentleman should. Colin rather
thought he’d have to start the evening by punching the bastard in the nose.

His goal was interrupted by the advance of Mrs.
Babcock, who scurried across the floor toward him while also in a deep curtsey.

“Thank you so much for accepting our invitation, my
lord. You honor us just by attending,” she said as she extended her hand to
him, even as she continued to curtsey lower and lower.

He had no choice but to pull her back up. “The
pleasure is all mine, I assure you. Thank you for inviting us, Mrs. Babcock.”

“Ridgeway,” said Babcock, as he used one hand to
shake Colin’s and the other to throw back a drink. Colin idly wondered if it was
his brandy. “Glad you could make it. This accursed English weather isn’t what
we’re used to.”

“Is it much different from Boston?”

“Ah ho! You’ve been looking into my background,
have you? I like a man who does his investigating. You always want to stay
one step ahead of the competition.”

Colin smiled, though he dearly wished himself home
and in the presence of Ava. “Are we in a competition, sir?”

Mrs. Babcock tittered as if this had been a grand
jest.

“Everything in life is a competition, Ridgeway,”
said Mr. Babcock. “The sooner you learn that, the sooner you’ll be out of dun
territory.”

Colin could feel Rose bristle – he had not exactly
been charmed by the comment, either – but just as his sister was about to say
something, the Babcocks’ eldest daughter stepped forward.

“You have the most beautiful curl to your hair, Lady
Leticia,” said Nora. “I must know your secret. Do you use an iron on it or is
it natural?”

Letty grinned. “I just wake up this way. Rose
brushes my hair, of course. But it’s always curly, isn’t it, Rose?”

“It is, my love,” said Rose as she gently tugged one
of her sister’s curls. She touched fingers with Nora, who’d proven herself to
have much better manners than her parents.

“Nora Babcock,” said the girl with a smile.

“How do you do,” said Rose.

And that was how an awkward evening began. They
were soon called into dinner, but instead of entering the British way, with
Colin – the highest ranking gentleman – escorting Mrs. Babcock, Mr. Babcock
simply pushed Colin toward the head of the table to sit beside him.

Colin could sense Mrs. Babcock’s irritation that he
would not have the chance to sit next to her eldest daughter. But the woman
contented herself with playing matchmaker between Richard and Rose, while Nora conversed
with Letty.

Mr. Babcock spoke to Colin about his shipping
ventures. Colin was usually interested in business matters, especially since
he needed to find a way to provide for his family. But Mr. Babcock’s talk of
business tended to be more about people he’d bested and enemies he’d
vanquished, rather than talk of how to run a proper enterprise.

Colin kept an eye on his sisters. Letty chatted
happily with Nora, who appeared attentive and even charmed by the girl. Rose
was being pestered by Richard, who took every opportunity to let their hands
touch. He was being much too forward and Colin wanted to intervene, but Rose
did not appear flustered. Colin began to fear she was interested in the brazen
young man until Rose “accidentally” spilled her wine on him, looking none too
contrite as she did so. Colin had to bite back a laugh. That would,
hopefully, cool the annoying young man’s ardor.

“Yes, Ridgeway,” said Mr. Babcock, chortling, “I
found that anecdote particularly amusing, as well. Who knew it would take that
little effort to bankrupt someone? Now, if you liked that one, you’re sure to
love the story of how I…”

As Babcock continued talking, Colin’s mind wandered
to far more entertaining thoughts, such as just what Ava was doing at that
moment. Then he thought of what he would like her to be doing, namely reading
a book from his own private library. Specifically an illustrated book about
different sexual positions.

He would enter the library, surprising her. She
would blush delightfully, then he would investigate just how far her blush
extended. He would be very thorough, kissing a trail down her neck to her
chest. He would like to rip her gown from her, except he couldn’t afford to
buy her a new one. His lack of funds really was most vexing. He would kiss
her from head to toe, then back up again, lingering midway.

He was grateful the table hid his resultant
reaction. He reminded himself that Christmas dinner was hardly the place to be
fantasizing about Ava. He reluctantly shook off his thoughts, then tried to at
least appear interested in what Babcock was saying.

An hour later, Colin was ready to stab the man with
any of the sterling utensils embossed with the Earl of Ridgeway’s seal. His
seal. Babcock had barely drawn breath in his long diatribe, but at least
Colin hadn’t had to contribute much to the conversation, other than the
occasional “most extraordinary.” He glanced down the table to see how his
sisters were faring.

Letty was happily engaged in conversation with Nora,
while tucking into the trifle they’d been served for dessert. Colin reckoned
it had been quite some time since she’d eaten anything so decadent. He
wondered what miracles Maude could accomplish with their own meager larder.

Further down the table, Rose was still maintaining
her distance from Richard, who didn’t appear to be as chastened by his earlier
soaking as he should be. Mrs. Babcock seemed to be doing most of the talking,
though occasionally Myra would add a word or two.

Colin found it interesting that Mrs. Babcock had
seated her younger daughter as far away from him as possible. He was also
grateful to her for doing so.

Dinner finally drew to a close and Mrs. Babcock
suggested that the men take their port in the sitting room so as not to be
separated from the ladies. Mr. Babcock did not seem fond of the idea. He’d
hinted that he had a few stories unfit for ladies’ ears. Colin doubted he
would care to hear them, either. So when Mrs. Babcock made her suggestion,
Colin was quick to take her up on it.

In the sitting room, Nora was setting up a
backgammon game to play with Letty. Richard was still importuning Rose and Mr.
Babcock was lighting a cigar the size of a cucumber.

“Lord Ridgeway,” said Mrs. Babcock. “Please have a
seat on the settee. I do hope you will not join Mr. Babcock in smoking one of
his vile cigars. I always make him go out to the terrace when he does so.”

“While I smoke the occasional cigar, I believe I
will forgo the pleasure tonight, madam.”

“As well you should,” said Mrs. Babcock. “It can be
most vexing for a wife when her husband smells of cigar smoke.”

“I daresay it depends on the husband,” said Myra,
who’d suddenly appeared next to Colin on the settee. “There are some husbands
who would be worth any sacrifice.”

Colin decided to drive the conversation in a less
marriage-minded direction, post-haste. “How do you like the country, Miss
Myra?”

“I detest it. There are no shops to speak of. We
missed the last assembly and I am told there won’t be another for three
months. And if one cannot dance, what is there to do?”

“This house has a well-stocked library.”

“And you are welcome at any time to come and borrow
a book from it,” said Mrs. Babcock. “Although, technically, you do own them,
so you wouldn’t really be borrowing. I daresay it matters naught since none of
us are much for reading.”

“I find it an excessively dull activity myself,”
said Myra, who’d somehow inched closer to him. He hadn’t noticed her move and
would be impressed by her stealth if he didn’t feel quite so much like a fox to
her hound.

Colin smiled at his hostess. “I believe I should
check on Lady Leticia. She is a bit of a sharp at backgammon. I would hate to
think she is abusing poor Miss Babcock.”

Mrs. Babcock lit up at the very notion, apparently
believing it was Colin’s way of being in Nora’s company. Apparently Myra had
the same thought because her sudden scowl was frightening in its intensity.
Between the girl’s stealth and her intimidating glare, Colin could not help but
think she would make an impressive soldier.

Colin made his way to his youngest sister. “Letty,
please tell me you’re not cheating at backgammon. It would not be a polite
thing to do to Miss Babcock.”

Letty shook her head. “Of course not. Though Miss
Babcock is quite good and it might be my only chance of beating her.”

“Your sister is a very skilled player,” said Miss
Babcock. “I was pleased to learn at dinner that she enjoys the game. I am the
only one in my family who plays.”

“I’ll play any time you’d like,” said Letty.

“Thank you,” said Miss Babcock. “I do not know when
I have had a more pleasing offer. But right now I am worried about your
sister. I fear my brother has been monopolizing her. Would you please be a
dear and check on her?”

Colin could have groaned at how neatly Miss Babcock
had separated him from his sister. For Letty was so eager to please there was
no doubt she would follow Miss Babcock’s directive. Of course, poor Rose did
look like she could use the rescue. But then Miss Babcock did something
completely unexpected.

“I must apologize on my brother’s behalf. He seems
to be quite taken with your sister, but he is also a rather willful young man
caught up in his own importance. I am afraid my parents have not done as much
to temper his inflated sense of self worth as perhaps they should. I believe
he feels most women should fall in love with him immediately. Since Lady
Rosemary possesses sense, I cannot believe she would do any such thing.”

Colin looked over to see that Rose had indeed seized
upon Letty’s appearance much as a starving man might latch onto a pigeon pie.
“That was quite clever of you, Miss Babcock. But I must ask, are you always so
plainspoken?”

“I believe one should speak the truth.”

“In all things?”

She considered the question for a moment. “Unless
doing so would unnecessarily hurt another. For instance, when asked if a
hideous gown is pleasing to the eye, the choice of whether or not to tell the
truth should probably hinge on whether or not the lady has already bought the
gown.”

Colin could not prevent his laugh because it sounded
exactly like something Ava would say. “So if I were to ask what you think of
my waistcoat, what would you say?” He’d purposely chosen a rather ugly one
that had been a joke gift while at university.