Love Sneaked In (Montgomery Family Trilogy) (22 page)

After the doctor left, Helen came into the room. “Please, let me sit with him for a while. If there’s any change, I’ll come and get you right away. You look exhausted. If you don’t get some sleep you’ll end up ill.”

Matthew wearily replied, “I’ll lie down for a few hours, but promise me you’ll get me if there’s any change at all.”

Helen and Margaret kept bathing Gregory with cool water and they changed the poultice and bandages. About four hours later, Matthew was back. Gregory was delirious and kept shouting out and trying to get out of bed. Matthew was afraid he would pull his stitches, so he held him down. For the next two days, Gregory continued to be delirious, and his fever climbed higher and higher. In the middle of the night on the third day, Gregory quit fighting and fell into a deep sleep. Matthew felt his forehead, and it was cool.

Thank God, his fever had broken.

When Dr. Moore examined him the next morning, he said, “Well, someone is watching out for this young man. He should be fine, now that his fever has broken, and his wound is looking much better. Keep changing the bandages, and keep him off solid foods for another twenty-four hours. If he starts to run a fever again, don’t hesitate to send someone for me, but I feel he’ll be fine. I’ll come by for the next few days to check on him.”

Matthew grabbed the doctor’s hand, shook it. “Thank you, Dr. Moore, for everything.” Matthew handed the doctor fifty pounds. “You saved my brother’s life.”

Dr. Moore looked shocked. “This is too much for what I did. You’re the one who saved your brother’s life. He probably wouldn’t have made it, except you never gave up. This young man owes his life to you. Hopefully, he’s learned a valuable lesson from all this.”

It took Gregory a fortnight to heal and be able to get out of bed. Matthew and Jennings took care of all his personal needs. Matthew was so relieved that Gregory had made it. At first, Gregory was quiet and calm, but as he began to feel better, he grew restless. Matthew hoped he had learned his lesson, but only time would tell.

While Gregory was improving, his friends kept him entertained, so that he didn’t get too bored. Once he was up and about, he returned to his former jovial self. He and his friends started going out again and staying out until all hours of the night. Obviously, Gregory hadn’t learned his lesson. Matthew knew it was only a matter of time before Gregory got in trouble again.

Chapter 14

Late August 1820

Once everything settled back down, Helen accepted an invitation from Cassandra to come to her house for tea. When she arrived, the butler showed her into the drawing room. As Helen glanced around the room, she noticed how beautifully decorated it was. The walls were painted deep coral and the crown molding was cream. The furniture was beautifully upholstered with plenty of plump cushions, which looked extremely comfortable. There was definitely a cozy feel to the room, yet it didn’t take away from the elegance.

A few minutes after Helen arrived, Cassandra entered and warmly greeted her. “Helen, I’m so pleased you could come for tea. I’m sure it’s been a very trying time for you. I’m sorry your brother-in-law was hurt. I hope he’s fully recovered from his ordeal. Please take a seat so we can chat.”

After accepting a cup of tea from Cassandra, Helen said, “Thank you for having me, Cassandra. I’m so sorry my brother-in-law caused problems for you at your ball. Thank goodness, he’s made a full recovery. He’s a very fortunate young man—the bullet missed his heart by inches. I wasn’t sure you’d want to get to know me further after that incident.”

“Not at all, Helen, he’s just a thoughtless boy, and I would never hold his behavior against you or your husband. To be quite honest with you, I have a younger brother who acts the same way. My parents are ready to wash their hands of him and his bad behavior. He gambles away all his allowance, and he’s even gotten in with moneylenders, so I understand completely. I don’t want you to worry a bit about it. It just made my ball the most talked about event in a long time.”

“Thank you for being so understanding. I’m sure your parents worry about your brother a great deal. I know Matthew worries about Gregory.”

Picking up a plate of biscuits, Cassandra offered them to Helen as she said, “Your brother’s the Duke of Sanderford, is he not? I remember you lost a brother and your father around the same time. Just listen to me! I’m rattling along again. I warn you, I have a tendency to do that.”

“Not a problem, I actually find you quite refreshing. You have an astonishing memory. I’m amazed you remember my brother and father.”

As they sipped their tea, they continued their conversation. “I think I remember hearing that you have a younger sister. Is that correct?”

“I do have a younger sister, Kathryn, she’s an artist, and she’s presently attending the London Art Institute. She’s done a portrait of my brother and his wife, and it’s truly magnificent. She wants to be a portraitist, and I’m going to have her do Matthew and I, when we can find some time to sit for her. You might want to let her do your portrait with your children. She’s a very gifted artist.” Helen was finding it comforting, having another woman to talk with. She had missed this so much.

“We haven’t had our formal portrait done yet. I’ll talk to my husband about it. I’m sure she’s as wonderful as you say she is, and I do so want a good portrait of my family. Once she graduates from the Art Institute, we’ll have to see about having her do our portrait.”

“We’ve talked about my siblings. Do you have other brothers and sisters?”

“Oh my yes, I have three sisters and two more brothers. My sisters are all still in the schoolroom. My eldest brother is, of course, my father’s heir. He married recently, and they’re already expecting their first child soon.”

“I’m sure you’re looking forward to being an aunt. I have several nieces and nephews and love them dearly. How did you and your husband meet?”

“We met in London during my first season, and I never expected to marry so well. Since I’m from such a large family, I didn’t even have a dowry,” Cassandra explained. “It was love at first sight. After a whirlwind courtship, we married three months later. What about you, how did you meet Lord Collingswood?”

Helen wondered what she should say to Cassandra and decided to be candid with her. “We met this past spring. He came to London to find a wife, and I was ready to get married and have children. Ours was not a love match. We’ve taken some time to get to know each other, and we’ve found out that we have quite a bit in common, and we care about each other a great deal.”

“So many ton marriages start out that way. I do realize I’m quite fortunate to have married for love.”

At first, Helen hesitated, but then she said, “I’ve fallen in love with him, and to be honest with you, it scares me to death. I was hurt deeply last spring and swore I’d never love again, but Matthew has slipped under my shield. I know he cares for me, but neither one of us wanted love, so I haven’t told him I love him…I’m sorry, I probably shouldn’t be telling you all this, but you’re a wonderful listener, and I’ve been dying to talk to another woman about how I feel. I hope I haven’t been too forward.”

“I’m pleased that you feel comfortable enough to confide in me. I’ll never betray your confidences, so you can feel safe sharing with me, and I know that I can do the same with you. I just knew we would become fast friends. When I met your husband, he seemed to be quite fond of you, so he may already be in love with you. Just give it some time, and I’m sure it will all work out for you. It can be frightening to love someone, but sometimes you just have to take a chance on love.”

Helen took a bite of her cake, and then she said, “That’s what I’m trying to do. Thank you for listening to me. It’s so nice to have someone to talk to about this.” Then changing the subject, Helen continued, “Matthew has a sister, Lady Margaret, and I’ve been getting to know her since she arrived. Have you met Matthew’s sister?”

“No, I haven’t. How old is she? Since she didn’t come with you the other evening, I assume she must still be in the schoolroom.”

“Yes, she is. Margaret’s sixteen, and she attends Mrs. Manning’s School for Young Ladies in Bath. She’s very energetic and wears me out sometimes. Her father spoiled her dreadfully, so she can be a little difficult at times, but you can’t help but like her because she’s so vivacious. She’s also a little bit too anxious to flirt with young men. One of Gregory’s friends has been flirting outrageously with her, and I’m worried that she’s going to get herself into trouble. Here I go again! I probably shouldn’t be talking with you about this either, but I’m so worried.”

Oh Lord, this was so unlike her.

She didn’t usually tell personal pieces of information to anyone, other than family.

Cassandra reached over and patted Helen’s hand. “Please, don’t worry about it. I understand because one of my sisters is sixteen, and she’s the same way. That’s such a difficult age because they think they’re grown, when that’s far from the truth. I’ve found that it’s best to keep them so busy that they don’t have time to get into trouble.”

Thank goodness Cassandra understood. Helen was feeling much better now that she’d shared some of her concerns. “Thank you for introducing me to your friends the night of your ball. Mrs. Arlington and Mrs. Winslow were the only women I had met in the area.”

“Isn’t Mrs. Winslow delightful?” Cassandra asked. “I’m very good friends with her. I noticed she’s got you interested in volunteering at the orphanage. I’m on some committees at the church with her. Is that something you would be interested in?”

“We had Mrs. Winslow and her husband over for dinner, shortly before your ball. We had actually met before, during one of my seasons in London. She told me about one of the committees. I agreed to join and asked her about the orphanage. I was supposed to go to St. Stephen’s with her, but with all that has happened with Gregory, I haven’t had an opportunity to go yet.”

“I volunteer at the orphanage, and I’d be happy to take you. Mrs. Mullins is wonderful with the children. We can go Wednesday if you would like, and we’ll get Mrs. Winslow to go also. Will that be acceptable to you?”

“Yes, Wednesday would be fine. Please let me know if Mrs. Winslow can come with us. I hope so, because I already count her as one of my friends, and I did promise her that I would go with her.”

Helen hesitated, but then she broached the subject of Mrs. Arlington. “I’d like to ask you about Mrs. Arlington. She seems to have decided she doesn’t like me, and I can’t imagine why. I remember you mentioning to me the night of your ball that you weren’t fond of her. Why do you think she dislikes me?”

“I’ve known Mrs. Arlington the entire time I’ve lived here. She flirts with all the men in the area, even the married ones, so I try to leave her alone. She had set her cap for your husband, and she’s probably jealous that he married you, instead of her. Now, I never noticed that your husband paid her any particular attention, but she was always trying to get him to.”

“I appreciate you sharing that with me. Margaret also told me that she had tried to capture my husband’s attention, so I guess it makes sense that she wouldn’t like me. Oh, by the way, I’d love to meet your sons. You know Matthew has twin daughters, and I’ve already grown to love them. I just love little children. That’s why I want to volunteer at the orphanage.”

Helen was glad she asked about Mrs. Arlington, and Cassandra’s answer put Helen’s mind at rest somewhat. She still thought that there was more to this woman’s hatred. She really needed to talk to Matthew about this.

Once they finished their tea, they went up to the nursery. Lady Ralston’s sons were adorable. They played with them for about thirty minutes. As Helen was leaving, they reconfirmed their plans to go to the orphanage on Wednesday.

When Helen arrived back home, she went to the nursery and spent a delightful afternoon with Christina and Catherine. The little girls were really starting to get close to her. They asked her when they could go to the garden again, and she told them that they could go there tomorrow.

Margaret didn’t come down for tea, and it worried Helen because no one seemed to know where she was. After tea she went to Margaret’s room, but she wasn’t there. Finding Matthew in his study, she asked, “Have you seen Margaret? She never showed up for tea, and she’s not in her room or anywhere else in the house.”

“No, I haven’t seen her. Maybe she went riding. Why don’t we check?” They walked out to the stable and found Mr. Edwards. Matthew questioned him about Margaret’s whereabouts.

The head groom, Mr. Edwards, said, “Lady Margaret went riding this mornin’ at eleven o’clock, but she hasn’t returned yet.”

“Edwards, what groom did Lady Margaret take with her?”

Edwards nervously pulled at the brim of his hat. “She didn’t take a groom with her, milord.”

After hearing this, Helen and Matthew became worried that something must have happened to her. “Edwards, why didn’t you come to me when she didn’t return? She’s been gone for over six hours.”

With trepidation in his voice, Edwards said, “Lady Margaret goes off loads of times for long periods. I didn’t know this was a problem, or I would o’ come and told ye. I’m sorry, milord.”

Helen turned to Matthew and suggested, “Why don’t we go look for her on the beach? I know she likes it there.”

They had Edwards saddle their horses, and they left to go look for Margaret. She wasn’t on the beach or anywhere else close by. By this time, Helen could tell Matthew was beginning to panic. Then Helen remembered something that Margaret had shared with her. “Margaret mentioned to me that she likes to go to the caves and explore. Do you think we should search there?”

“I think I know where she might have gone! Let’s go,” Matthew stated. “I just hope we make it there before the tide comes in, because the caves will be underwater at high tide.”

When they made it back to the beach, they rode for about a mile before spotting two horses tied up outside of one of the caves. One of the horses definitely belonged to Margaret. The tide was starting to come in, but it was still possible to get into the caves. “Helen, I’m going inside to look around, but since they’re dark, I’m asking you to stay here. I’ll be able to search faster without you, since I know the caves so well.”