Never a Mistress, No Longer a Maid (11 page)

His first impression was that she was very light.  Surely, a
girl of six would weigh more than this, right?  He knew she couldn’t be ill;
her mother wouldn’t tolerate it.  She just needed a bit more meat on her
bones.  From here on out, Ned would ensure there was always a full larder.  And
some sweets.  He wondered if Mrs. Heldt could make an ice.

“Mama,” said the girl who could barely keep her eyes open. 
“This has been a most glorious day.”

Jane looked at her daughter and wanted to cry.  Vi thought
the day had been glorious.  A day that had been spent fixing the roof, then eating
a meal with a few extra courses in the company of someone who helped make her
feel a little less lonely. 

“Vi,” said Ned.  “I must agree with you that it was an
extraordinary day.  One I shall certainly remember for the rest of my life. 
For one thing, I had no idea how well I could fix a roof.”

“You did a splendid job,” said Vi.  “We normally spend storm
nights running from leak to leak.  And tonight I haven’t seen even one.  Of
course, I haven’t been everywhere in the house.  I suppose there could be
rivers of water in the attic.”

“Thank you for that vote of confidence, poppet.”

“You’re welcome,” she said solemnly.  “Would you like to see
Kathleen?”

“Of course,” said Ned, not having any idea who Kathleen was
and hoping she wasn’t yet another cat in a tree.

“She’s my doll.”

As Ned entered Vi’s neat room, he was struck by how few
possessions were in it, although there seemed to be more here than anywhere
else in the house.  As Vi showed him Kathleen, a doll that looked to be a
hand-me-down from her mother and quite possibly her grandmother, Ned couldn’t
help contrasting her childhood with his own.

He looked up to see Jane watching them from the doorway. 
Her love for Vi was obvious in just the way she looked at her daughter.  It was
a look he remembered from his own parents.  And one he had a feeling he’d soon be
giving to his own daughter, if only Jane would give him a chance.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Ned awoke to a steady stream of rain against his window. 
After having Rigg attend to him, he went in search of breakfast, hoping to
catch Jane and Vi at the table.  They were, however, long gone.  He was told by
Mrs. Heldt that they could be found in the nursery, where Vi was having her
lessons.

So there was a nursery, thought Ned as he went in search of
them through the cold house.  He mentally added coal to the long list of needed
items.  As he approached the nursery, he heard Vi’s laughter and this time it
was joined by someone else’s.  He stood in the doorway to see mother and
daughter sitting primly on chairs facing each other, wearing sheets over their
dresses like togas.  Jane also had her hair undone, with it flowing prettily
down her back.

Ned couldn’t take his eyes off her.  He wanted to run his
fingers through the silk of her hair.  He wanted her to wear a toga for him,
but without the dress underneath.  

                “Mama, are you sure the ancient Greeks wore
such gowns?  What did they put on their beds if they wore their sheets?” 

“I assure you, sweeting, the ancient Greeks wore garments
very much like these.”

“Your mother’s right,” said Ned, as he walked into the room,
surprising both of its occupants.   

Vi’s face lit up as she ran toward him, stumbling on the
long sheet she had wrapped around her.  Ned quickly stepped forward and caught
her before she fell.

“The ancient Greeks wore clothing very similar to what you
have on, although I’m sure none of them look nearly as charming as you and your
mother.”

“How do you know what they wore?”

“I’ve seen statues and pictures of them in Greece.”

“You’ve been to Greece?  What’s it like?”

Ned put the girl down, then sat on one of the low chairs. 
“It’s beautiful.  And quite warm.  You can go swimming in the ocean and it
feels like a bath.  The colors are very pretty and they have tall skinny trees
with long green leaves on top.”

“Mama, can we go to Greece?”

Jane knew the perils of making promises she couldn’t keep.  “We
can read books about Greece and it’ll seem like we’ve been there.”

“Not really,” said Vi, clearly no one’s fool.

“Perhaps one day we’ll go to Greece,” said her mother.

“Can we all go to Greece?  Can Ned come with us?”

“I think you should study your lessons,” said Jane, in
answer to the question that had flashed through her own mind.  “Greece will
still be there when you’re a little older.”

Jane walked to the door and motioned for Ned to follow.  He
was mesmerized by the natural sway of her hips.  He longed to unwrap her toga,
then roll around with her until they were hopelessly tangled in it.

His rather pleasant daydream was interrupted by Jane
frowning at him.  Evidently, she’d been speaking.

“Are you paying any attention to me at all?”

“I assure you it would be impossible to ignore you in that
costume.”

He took enormous satisfaction from the color that flowed
into her cheeks. 

“I’ve found Vi learns more when she’s actively involved in
the lesson.  She didn’t understand the concept of togas, so we made some.”

“Very ingenious,” he said softly.  “And if I were to have a
difficult time understanding the concept of, say, ladies’ drawers, would you
show me yours?  As purely a means of educating me, of course.”

“I have a difficult time understanding the concept of your
having a difficult time understanding the concept of any women’s garments.”

“While that may be true, I have a thirst for knowledge and
am always anxious to learn more.”

They stood no more than inches apart.  Jane knew she should
step back, but was quite unable to make that thought translate into action. 
They were so close he could lean down and kiss her if she allowed it.  And of
course she wouldn’t.  It would be the height of lunacy to encourage the man’s
pursuit of her which was only motivated by a misguided sense of honor.  Which
was why she was going to take a large step backward at any moment now.  But why
did he have to have such beautiful eyes?

“What are you two talking about?” asked Vi from her seat at
the table.

Jane and Ned both took a step away from each other.

“Nothing,” said her mother.  “Ned was just talking some
nonsense.”

“Can I hear?”

“No, sweeting.  It’s nothing that would interest you.”

“Excuse me, Miss Jane?”  An out of breath Mrs. Heldt was
approaching the nursery.  “John Wheeler’s downstairs.  Says his daughter
developed a fever and a cough.  Wants to know if you can come look at her.”

“I’ll be down directly.  Mrs. Heldt, can you please look
after Vi?  I may be gone a couple hours.”

“You’re going out in this rain?” asked an incredulous Ned.

“Of course.  He can’t very well bring a feverish girl to
me.”

“Can I come, Mama?”

“I’m afraid not, sweeting,” said Jane as she kissed her
daughter on the forehead.  “I won’t be gone long.  Keep working on your letters
and listen to what Mrs. Heldt says.”

“Can Ned stay with me, too?”

“I’m sorry, poppet,” he said. “But I’m going with your
mama.”

“That’s completely unnecessary,” said Jane.

“Nevertheless, I’ll be joining you.”  As she started to
protest, he added.  “You’re not going to win this argument.  So either we can
be on our way to help the girl or we can waste time here.”

With a determined lift of her chin, Jane turned from him and
walked down the hall, calling over her shoulder, “If you’re serious about
coming with me, you’d best don warm clothing in a hurry.  I’m off to the
stillroom, then I’m leaving with Mr. Wheeler – whether  you’re ready or not.”

Ned smiled at the woman’s rapidly departing back.  He wasn’t
sure why he found that steel in her backbone quite so charming, but there was
no doubt whatsoever he did.

*                    *                *

If John Wheeler was surprised to see Ned follow Jane out of
her house at an hour that was much too early for a social call, he expressed no
sign of it.  The man was consumed with worry, and no sooner had Jane and Ned
climbed into his cart, than he set off toward home.

The rain was coming down at a steady rate with no indication
of lessening any time soon.  Ned had been in worse conditions during his time
in the army, but he was surprised by how well Jane coped with the weather.  She’d
donned a man’s heavy cape over her own cloak.  Ned was momentarily struck with
jealousy over who the cape’s owner might be until he realized on closer
inspection that it had likely belonged to her father.  She was also wearing a
leather hat with a wide brim that did an admirable job of keeping the rain off
her face, but couldn’t by the slightest bit of imagination be called
fashionable. She was wholly oblivious to her appearance, which made her all the
more attractive.

Jane questioned Wheeler about his daughter’s symptoms.  When
did she first become ill? What had she eaten?  Was she taking in any liquids? 
Ned was impressed by both the questions she asked and the way her mind worked
as she processed the information.  As a Kellington, he  had access to some of
the most acclaimed physicians and surgeons in London, but he doubted any would
be more competent and thorough than Jane.  And he didn’t believe even one of
them would go out in a rainstorm to tend to the sick child of a farmer.

They finally arrived at Wheeler’s cottage, a well-maintained
structure near prime farm land.  When they entered, four children were seated
in the main room.  All looked much too somber.  Ned followed Jane and Wheeler
into a bedroom, where a girl about Vi’s age lay in bed.  Mrs. Wheeler was
wiping the girl’s face with a wet towel.  Her look of relief was immeasurable
as she saw Jane.

“Miss Jane, thank ye for coming.”

Jane squeezed Mrs. Wheeler’s hand, then sat by the girl. 
“How do you feel, Penny?”

Little by little, Jane was able to draw the girl out. As
Jane wiped Penny down, she tried to get her to promise to eat some broth. 

“But it hurts when I swallow.”

“I know it does, poppet.  But it’s important to keep up your
strength.  It’ll help you get better.”

The girl remained unconvinced. 

“What if I promised to give you a new ribbon if you do
everything you can to get well?”

The girl’s eyes grew large.  “A ribbon?”

“Yes, in whatever color you like.”

“Can it be pink?”

“Of course it can.  But you must promise me to drink the
broth, take the medicine I’m going to give you and do everything your mama and
papa ask you to do.  Do we have a deal?”

Penny nodded.  It was the first time she’d looked animated
since they’d walked into the room.

As Jane rose from the bed, she asked Mrs. Wheeler to meet
her in the hall, where they joined Mr. Wheeler.

“She’s going to be all right, Miss Jane, ain’t she?” asked
Mrs. Wheeler.

“Her fever seems rather high and she’s had it for an alarming
period of time.  But I have a posset to give her.  It’s from the bark of a tree
and I’ve had some luck in bringing down fevers with it.  But it tastes
terrible, I’m afraid.  You’d best mix it with tea because I’m not sure even the
promise of a new ribbon would be enough for her to take it willingly.”

Jane pulled a powder from her satchel and handed it to Mrs.
Wheeler, with instructions on how to prepare it.

“Unfortunately, this is all I have right now.  She’ll need
more because she should take it for at least another day until the fever
breaks.”

“Can you make more, Miss Jane?” asked Wheeler.

“I have to purchase it from the apothecary in Lexington.”

“I’ll go fetch it,” said Wheeler.

“It’s rather expensive,” said Jane.  When she told them how
much it cost, both Wheelers grew white as chalk.

“Don’t matter,” said Wheeler.  “I’ll figure out a way to get
the money.”

But Jane doubted the man had even a fraction of what it
would cost, and would likely have to sell a few cows to raise the funds.  At
the very least, he couldn’t raise the money in the time frame they needed to
save Penny. 

“If I may,” said Ned.  “I would like to pay for the
medicine.”

Both Wheelers looked at him.

“Thank ye, milord,” said Mr. Wheeler.  “But I can’t take yer
charity.”

“Pay me back if you like, but it’s not necessary.  I know
time is of the essence, so I’ll ask you to take my money now and we can address
any repayment at a later date.”

Mrs. Wheeler looked at her husband with tears in her eyes
and squeezed his hand.  “John, we have to do what we can for Penny.”

“Milord, I don’t know when I can repay you, but I promise I
will.”

“Please don’t worry about anything other than your daughter.” 
Ned gave the man the coins, then Wheeler took off for Lexington.

“Now, Sally,” said Jane.  “Let’s see about bringing down
Penny’s temperature.  If you can please put this posset in tea, I’ll continue
bathing her.  Is there more cold water?”

“I can bring some in,” said Sally.

“I’ll get the water,” said Ned.  “The two of you go on with
your duties.”

After getting directions from the extremely curious children
in the sitting room, who’d likely never met the brother of a duke, let alone
watched one make several trips to the well, Ned carted a few gallons of
freezing water into the house while spilling a large portion on himself in the
process.  Which didn’t soak him any more than the pouring rain had already
done.

He didn’t see much of Jane or Mrs. Wheeler in the next few
hours as they took turns wiping Penny down.  He did get to know the other
Wheeler children pretty well.  There was a boy of seventeen who had his eye on a
girl who lived on a nearby farm.  According to his younger sister, he’d kissed
the girl on May Day and was now working up the courage to talk to the girl’s
father.

His younger brother was thirteen and asked Ned endless
questions about horses.  He wanted to work as a groom, but since none of the
great houses in the area had need of a new lad, he helped his parents on the
farm.

The girl was ten and terribly worried for her younger
sister.  But what she most wanted to know was what the talk about a pink ribbon
had been about and whether she’d be able to borrow it.

“I should think so,” said Ned, “although that would be
Penny’s decision.”  He made yet another note that when they went into town to
purchase Penny’s ribbon, they pick up one for this girl, too.  As well as
several ribbons for Vi.  And a new doll.  Quite a few dresses.  And shoes that
the girl would actually wear.

Wheeler arrived back from his trip to Lexington with the
medicine in hand.  One look at his wife seemed to relieve the man’s anxiety. 
With tears in her eyes, Sally told him Penny’s fever seemed to be coming down
and her breathing was easier. 

Ned looked at the couple whose bond was so deep they could communicate
without words.  He knew they’d do anything for their children.  He had a
feeling Wheeler would’ve stolen the medicine if he’d had to.  He would’ve done
anything to protect his family.

Ned had always been devoted to his parents while they lived,
and to his brothers, sister and aunts.  But now he was beginning to understand
the awesome responsibility he would take on if he truly wanted to be a father
to his daughter.

A tired Jane came out of the bedroom.  She confirmed for Mr.
Wheeler what his wife had just told him.  She left explicit instructions on how
to care for Penny and asked to be contacted immediately should her temperature
begin to rise again.  But if all remained the same, she’d return the next day
and check on her.

It had finally stopped raining as she and Ned rode home with
John Wheeler.    Ned asked Wheeler several questions about the farm and the
surrounding area while Jane reflected on her morning.