Sword to the Heart (Bantam Series No. 13) (13 page)

Then as a door opened in response to the footman’s knock, he alighted.

As if she did not trust him to insist that the child needed urgent attention, Natalia followed Lord Colwall from the carriage and walked up a short stone-paved path.

She saw the building built of red brick was not large and it had small, gabled windows.

“That must have been Timothy in the road-way, M’Lord,” she heard the woman say as she reached Lord Colwall’s side. “He’s always running away to go and look for his mother. He hasn’t been with us long.”

The woman looked harassed. The apron she wore over her gown was none too clean and there were strands of hair escaping from under her mob cap.

“I am Lady Colwall,” Natalia said politely holding out her hand. “I am sorry that we have hurt one of your children.”

“There’s too many of them and that’s a fact, M’Lady,” the woman answered. “Over twenty I’ve got at the moment, and not a soul to help me.”

“No-one to help you?” Natalia exclaimed in surprise.

“I think perhaps we should step inside,” Lord Colwall said. “It is cold standing here and we have just come from a warm atmosphere.”

“Yes, of course, M’Lord, excuse me,” the woman stuttered, afraid she had done the wrong thing.

She held open the door while Natalia and Lord Colwall walked inside.

The Orphanage was austere, but they could see the room they entered was adequately furnished, although it was extremely untidy and badly in need of being dusted.

“I must apologise, M’Lord
...
” the woman began, but Lord Colwall interposed:

“Will you tell me your name?”

“Mrs. Moppam, M’Lord.”

“And you have been in charge of this Orphanage for some time?”

“For over eight years, M’Lord.”

“Then why are you so short-staffed?”

The woman looked embarrassed.

“I shouldn’t have mentioned it, M’Lord, except that you finds me in such a mess. Of course, if I’d known Your Lordship and Your Ladyship were coming
...
”

“Why are you short-staffed?” Lord Colwall asked again.

“The truth is, M’Lord, there’s not enough money these days. When Your Lordship’s grandfather endowed the Orphanage it was enough and to spare, but the pound won’t buy what it used to and that’s the truth.”

“You mean you cannot pay for adequate help?”

“No, M’Lord. I used to have two untrained girls—some of them as young as twelve or thirteen, most of them more trouble than they are worth—but I can’t even get those now. There’s too many places as wants ’em.”

“You say you have twenty children here?” Natalia asked.

“Yes, M’Lady. They keeps asking me to take more, but ’tis impossible. But I has to do everything, except for old Mrs. Brown who comes in the morning to help me prepare a meal.”

Natalia looked at Lord Colwall.

“We cannot leave the little boy here in the condition he is in. It would be too much to ask of Mrs. Moppam.”

‘It’s not that I’m not willing, M’Lady, but what’d I do at the moment, with an injured child on my hands? As it is, there’s eight children down with Whooping Cough.”

“I suppose there is the Hospital
...
” Lord Colwall began.

“Not in Hereford, M’Lord. Worcester’s nearest, and that’s not much of a place to send a child, from all I hear.”

“Then he will come home with us.”

There was a firmness in Natalia’s voice which told Lord Colwall without words she was determined in this matter whatever he might say.

His lips tightened as he said:

“That perhaps will be the best solution at least for tonight.”

“Thank you, M’Lord. I am very grateful, and to you, M’Lady,” Mrs. Moppam said, twisting her hands agitatedly in her dirty apron.

“Good-bye, Mrs. Moppam,” Natalia said with a smile. “I am sure my husband will be able to make arrangements so that you can employ more help for the other children in your care. When the Orphanage was built it was certainly intended to be a model of its kind.”

She moved towards the door as she spoke.

Mrs. Moppam followed her, bobbing and curtseying apprehensively up and down as first Natalia and then Lord Colwall went towards the carriage.

The child had not moved since Natalia had left him; now she sat down on the seat and said to the footman:

“Will you lift the boy into my arms?”

The footman looked surprised, and as he was about to pick up the child, Lord Colwall said:

“Is this wise? He is very dirty and the blood will undoubtedly stain your dress.”

“That is of no consequence,” Natalia replied.

She took the child from the footman and made him comfortable on her lap and pulled the rug over him.

Lord Colwall said nothing and they set off towards the Castle.

As they neared the lodges, the child’s eyelids fluttered and he made a feeble cry.

“It is all right,” Natalia said soothingly. “You are quite safe, Timothy.”

He gave a little whimper because he was obviously in pain.

Natalia eased the rug from off his leg then put her arms around him again.

“It is all right,” she said rocking him backwards and forwards.

“Mama
...
Mama,” he murmured, just as they reached the Castle.

The servants came hurrying out and a footman lifted Timothy from Natalia’s arms.

“Take him straight up to the Nursery,” she instructed.

“Very good, M’Lady.”

The footman carrying Timothy carefully went ahead, and when Natalia reached the hall she saw there was a great stain of blood on the skirt of her gown.

There was also dust and mud on her bodice, where she had held the child’s body close against her.

She looked at Lord Colwall for one moment as she passed him to go towards the stairs.

“Thank you for letting me bring Timothy here,” she said softly so that only he could hear.

His lips were twisted for a moment in a wry smile.

“Did I have any choice in the matter?”

“Not really!” she answered, and he saw the dimple at the side of her mouth as she walked away from him.

Upstairs in the Nursery, Nanny, who had not yet gone to bed, had forgotten her arthritis and was undressing Timothy by the fire.

“What happened, M’Lady?” she asked as Natalia entered.

“We knocked him down in the road outside Hereford,” Natalia explained. “He had run away from the Orphanage to look for his mother.”

“Poor little mite!” Nanny ejaculated. “Children of that age do not understand.”

She pulled off the child’s clothes that were little more than rags. “You’ll find a night-shirt which once belonged to His Lordship in the chest in the corner, M’Lady.”

Natalia hurried to fetch it for her and then she helped Nanny wash the blood from the child’s leg and hand.

Nanny bandaged him deftly, and now he was half-conscious and twisting his head from side to side, moaning and calling all the time “Mama
...
Mama.”

Natalia soothed him with gentle fingers.

After he had drunk some warm milk they laid him in the small bed which still stood in the Night-Nursery beside the larger one occupied by Nurse.

It was then Nanny, looking at Natalia with a smile, asked: “How did you persuade His Lordship to let him come here?”

“There was no alternative really,” Natalia answered. “The Orphanage is desperately understaffed—only Mrs. Moppam to look after twenty children! Oh, Nanny, how could things have got into such a bad state?”

“It is always the same when there is no lady to see to things,” Nanny answered. “When His Lordship’s mother was alive, she knew everything that went on on the Estate.”

“I learned today that she visited the cottages, but no-one had been near them since,” Natalia murmured.

“Who was there to go?” Nanny enquired. “Lady Blestow only stayed here when there was entertaining to be done, and His late
-
Lordship was so sunk in his own sorrow he was not interested.”

“I must try and help them,” Natalia said almost to herself.

“That is exactly what they want!” Nanny said. “Someone like yourself to make them feel that they matter in the world. People get despondent when they are not wanted.”

“That is true enough,” Natalia said in a sad little voice.

Nanny glanced at her quickly and then she said:

“You go to bed, M’Lady. I’ll look after Timothy and if he doesn’t seem better in the morning, we’ll send for the doctor. But if you ask me, there’s nothing that a good rest won’t cure. There’s no bones broken—take my word for it!”

“I do, Nanny, and thank you!” Natalia said.

She went downstairs and to her surprise found as she reached the landing outside her bed-room that Lord Colwall was waiting for her.

‘It is time you went to bed,” he said. “You look tired.”

“I am a little,” Natalia confessed. ‘It was such a shock seeing the child lying there in the road and thinking we might have killed him.”

“Is he all right?”

“Nanny says so.”

“Then he will be!”

Natalia smiled.

“I am sure he will.”

“Then go to bed and dream of pleasant things.”

“I will try to,” she said a little doubtfully.

Lord Colwall looked for a moment as if he wanted to say something else, and then he changed his mind and turned towards his own room.

“Good-night, Natalia.”

“Good-night, My Lord.”

She had a wild desire to run after him, to ask him if she could stay with him a little and they could sit by the fire talking.

Then she wondered if she was being sincere, if she really wanted to talk to him or did she in fact long for something very different!

CHAPTER SIX

Lord Colwall arrived at the Castle in his Phaeton.

He stepped down with a look on his face which made two of the younger footmen, who were less well-trained, glance at each other in consternation.

They knew only too well that His Lordship’s “black look” meant that he was in a fault-finding mood.

His Lordship handed his high beaver hat to the Butler, who then helped him off with his overcoat.

As he drew his driving-gloves from his hands he asked:

“Where is Her Ladyship?”

“I think she is upstairs, M’Lord” the Butler replied. “I will inform her that Your Lordship has returned.”

“I will tell her myself!”

Lord Colwall walked up the stone staircase, conscious as he did so of a feeling of intense annoyance that Natalia was not waiting for him.

He knew he was early and he was well aware that his meeting with the High Sheriff over County matters had put him in a bad humour.

But it added to his anger that Natalia was not waiting for him on his arrival.

He made it clear to her that when they could not go riding together in the mornings, he expected to see her as soon as he returned home.

Although he would not admit it to himself, he liked to see her eyes light up at his appearance.

He opened the door of her Sitting-Room and found, as he had expected, it was empty, and frowning, he climbed the minor staircase to the next floor.

As he approached the Nursery, Lord Colwall remembered that it was many years since he had visited this part of the Castle, which he had occupied as a child.

There was, he thought, the same smell about it and as he reached the Nursery door, it was almost disappointing not to find that homemade bread was being toasted in front of the open fire, or distinguish the sickly fragrance of toffee on the air.

Instead, he heard Natalia’s voice saying:

“
...
And then, just as the Dragon was coming nearer and nearer, fire coming out of his nostrils, his great scaly tail waving in the air, the Princess saw someone shining and silver coming through the green trees.”

“ ’Twas the
...
Knight!” a little voice of one who obviously knew the story already cried excitedly.

“Yes, it was the Knight coming to rescue her!” Natalia said. “The Dragon had not seen the Knight approaching on his white charger, and now he opened his big, ugly mouth with its great big teeth to swallow the Princess up! But just as he was about to take a big bite, the Knight thrust his long lance down his throat.”

“He killed him ... He killed him!”

“Yes, he killed him, and it was a tremendous battle, but the Princess stopped screaming because she knew the Knight was going to win.”

“What did the Knight do
...
then?”

The child’s tone was breathless.

Natalia opened her lips to reply and a deep voice said:

“I, too, should be interested to know the end of the story.”

She gave a little exclamation and saw Lord Colwall standing in the doorway.

He looked as usual, extremely elegant with tight pantaloons the colour of pale champagne, and the points of his collar very high against his firm chin.

“My Lord!” Natalia exclaimed with a tone of consternation in her voice.

She rose to her feet but not before Lord Colwall had seen her arms had held Timothy closely and his small head had been resting against her breast.

“You are early!” Natalia said with a glance at the clock on the mantel-shelf.

“Only a trifle,” Lord Colwall replied loftily, “but as there was no-one to welcome me downstairs, I obviously had to come in search of you.”

“I am sorry you should have been troubled,” Natalia said in a low voice.

There was an accusing note in his voice which she knew meant that he was incensed.

“What happened? What happened?” Timothy begged, holding on to Natalia’s full skirt with his small hands.

He had recovered from his accident, but he was still very thin. His face was almost ethereal with good features and large, blue, appealing eyes, which made him exceptionally attractive.

“I see that your protégé has returned to health,” Lord Colwall said.

“He is better,” Natalia replied, “and the scar on his knee is healed. At the same time he is very fragile.”

“He looks well enough to me,” Lord Colwall said, “and as Mrs. Moppam now has assistance in the Orphanage, I have arranged for him to return there this afternoon.”

“Oh, no!”

It was a cry from Natalia’s heart, and as she saw the expression on Lord Colwall’s face, she said quickly:

“You have provided Mrs. Moppam with girls willing to assist her?”

“I have found two,” Lord Colwall answered. “Or rather my Agent has discovered them in the village. They are not more than fifteen years of age, but they are glad to have the opportunity of working. I understand they both come from large families, so they will be used to dealing with children.”

“That is kind of you,” Natalia approved. “I know Mrs. Moppam will be delighted.”

“She is!” Lord Colwall said, “and I have increased the annual income for the Orphanage, so that too should meet with your approval!”

There was a distinct challenge in his voice.

“I knew you would do what is right.”

Lord Colwall looked away from the gratitude in Natalia’s eyes. “I am sure that, in the circumstances that now exist in the Orphanage, this child will find it impossible to run away at night, or at any other time and endanger his life.”

“He is still not very
...
strong,” Natalia said hesitatingly. “Could he not stay a
...
little longer?”

“No!”

The one syllable was firm.

“Why not?”

“Because it is a mistake for him to become used to a luxurious life when he will have to work his way in the world.”

‘That I can understand,” Natalia agreed. “But at the same time he is only five years old and he misses his
...
mother.”

She bent down as she spoke to lift Timothy up into her arms.

He clung to her and kissed her cheek.

“Another
...
story
...
Mama?” he pleaded.

“I see he already thinks you are his mother,” Lord Colwall said. “A most undesirable illusion from the child’s point of view.”

“He calls every woman ‘Mama,’” Natalia explained. “Nanny, Mrs. Hodges, and Ellen! In fact he is a child who needs attention.”

“He is fortunate to get it,” Lord Colwall said. “I myself find it in somewhat short supply.”

“I am sorry,” Natalia said simply. “It is nearly luncheon-time. I will wash my hands and be downstairs in a very few moments.”

“And that child is to be taken back this afternoon,” Lord Colwall said. “Is that understood?”

For a moment he thought Natalia might defy him. Instead she replied dully:

“I understand. I will take him
...
back.”

Calling Nanny to come and look after Timothy, she ran downstairs hastily to her bed-room to find Ellen waiting for her.

As the Maid poured some warm water into a basin, Natalia said with a little sob in her voice:

“His Lordship has ordered me to take Timothy back to the Orphanage this afternoon. Oh, Ellen, he will be so unhappy again!”

“He’ll miss you, M’Lady,” Ellen said.

“And Nanny
...
and you,” Natalia answered. “We have played with him, we have all tried to make him forget his mother, but now I feel that instead of crying for her, he will be crying for us.”

“It’s made all the difference to Nanny having him here, M’Lady,” Ellen said. “I suppose you couldn’t ask His Lordship if Timothy could stay a little longer?”

“I have asked him,” Natalia answered, “and he has refused. I think His Lordship resents the time I spend in the Nursery.”

As she spoke she knew that was the truth.

It was a continued irritant to Lord Colwall that she should want to be with the orphan child, when he felt she should be providing him with one of her own.

He had not said anything, but whenever she referred to the little boy, there was an expression on Lord Colwall’s face which told her all too clearly what he was thinking.

‘I’ve an idea, M’Lady,” Ellen said suddenly.

“What is it?” Natalia enquired.

“My Aunt married the Blacksmith, M’Lady. His names Turner. They lost their only child when he was nine years of age, and she’s never been the same since. She can’t have another and seeing how she’s always been fond of children, it’s been a bitter blow to them both.”

Natalia’s eyes were alight.

“Ellen, do you think they would adopt Timothy?”

“I’m almost sure of it, M’Lady, if you were to ask them to do so.”

“I will take Timothy there this afternoon,” Natalia said. “If she refuses to take him, then I must carry him on to the Orphanage. Oh, Ellen, how clever of you to think of it!”

“It’s only just come to my mind, M’Lady,” Ellen said, “but it does seem a wonderful opportunity for Timothy to have a home. That’s what he wants—a home! With a father and mother to care for him.”

“I
shall pray that Mrs. Turner will agree,” Natalia said.

She went down to the Salon to find Lord Colwall looking out of the window.

It was a grey, blustery day with a promise of rain in the sky. He turned as Natalia came into the room.

With her fair hair and gown of pale daffodil yellow, she looked like a shaft of sunlight.

She smiled at him and moved towards the fire-place.

“Have you had a busy morning?” she asked.

“An extremely disagreeable one,” Lord Colwall replied. ‘If ever there was a self-confident, obstinate man, it is the High Sheriff!”

“I hope he is not thinking the same thing about you!” she said mischievously.

“I am quite sure he is thinking a great deal more. I defeated him in every argument, and the rest of those present supported me.”

“I am sure they did,” Natalia answered. “After all, you are so much cleverer than the average local Big-Wig.”

“How do you know that?” he asked with a faint smile.

“I know only too well how dull and pompous County Gentlemen become when they discuss local affairs,” Natalia answered. “Papa used to say that nothing seemed more dreary than when he had to go to a meeting with the Gentlemen of Cumberland pontificating for the good of their kind.”

Lord Colwall laughed, and Natalia realised that his bad temper was evaporating.

“I wish we could do something interesting this afternoon,” he said. “Unfortunately, I have to attend yet another meeting at Hereford.”

“No-one could accuse you of not taking an interest in County matters,” Natalia said, “but I would like above all things to hear you speak in the House of Lords.”

“On what topic?” Lord Colwall enquired.

She was about to answer him and then she realised that this was not the moment to bring up the subject of injustice to the Labourers, cruelty to the climbing boys, or the horrifying abuses of the children working in factories.

One day, she promised herself, she would discuss it with him, but not until they had a better understanding between them and he would listen to what she had to say.

Instead she tried to amuse him during luncheon, telling him stories of Cumberland, and speaking of Art, which she had learnt by now was a subject which never failed to arouse his interest.

“When we go to London,” he said, “you will have a chance of seeing the pictures at Buckingham Palace. The late King, for all his faults, had a taste with which it is impossible to find fault.”

“I would love to see them,” Natalia said, “although I think I should be too nervous to enjoy them properly as they are in the Palace.”

“You would not be nervous with the new King, nor with his wife,” Lord Colwall said. “King William is a blunt, good
-
humoured, jovial man, very like the Cumberland Gentlemen you have described to me, and Queen Adelaide is young, shy, but very anxious to be pleasant.”

“You make them sound quite a homely couple,” Natalia said.

“They are!” Lord Colwall replied laconically.

He hurried away after luncheon was over and Natalia went somewhat unhappily upstairs to put on her bonnet and cloak.

As she expected, Nanny was almost in tears.

“It’s been like the old days, M’Lady, and that’s a fact, having a child in the Nursery,” she said. “It’s made me feel young again.”

It was true that Nanny seemed to have grown not only younger, but a great deal stronger since Timothy had been there.

She still limped as she walked, but she managed to bustle around as she made no effort to do before, and Natalia was quite certain that her rheumatism was partly due to being inactive.