The Other Countess (17 page)

‘I should dismiss you, but I won’t.’ Lady Jane sounded despondent, too tired for another battle.

Nell paused in shaking out the pink skirt. It was not like her mistress to sound so … well, so defeated. She preferred her when she was all spit and vinegar, even if she did have a rotten temper.

‘Thank you, my lady.’

Jane began yanking the pins out of her hair, letting the fair locks tumble about her shoulders. ‘I know you don’t like me, but maybe another servant would hate me. Then where would I be?’

Nell had never considered that the lady thought her feelings of any importance and had no idea what to say.

‘But what does it matter?’ her mistress continued.
‘This whole business is a farce. So let’s go play blushing bride and you demure maid. Perhaps God will strike us down where we sit and put an end to it.’

Nell tackled the points fixing her mistress’s stomacher to her skirt. ‘You are not pleased with the match, my lady?’

She gave a desperate sounding laugh. ‘Have you never wanted to be loved for yourself – not your looks or, in my case, my dowry?’

Nell grimaced. ‘I’m no romantic, mistress. I do what I do to survive as best I can.’ She tugged the skirt free and Jane stepped out of it.

‘Then you are wiser than I. I still want something more.’

‘The earl is a fine fellow,’ Nell said, beginning to feel a little annoyed that her mistress did not value all the advantages of birth and fortune that she had.

‘Indeed he is. I’m very blessed.’ She made it sound like the worst of all fates.

‘You will get to know each other – friendship will grow – maybe love eventually.’ It was more than Nell could hope for herself. She’d jump at the chance to have someone like the earl woo her.

‘Perhaps.’ Jane fingered a darn on the outmoded bed curtains. ‘Perhaps it will prove enough.’

Ellie stood at the scrubbed kitchen table in the shaft of sunlight that spilled into the room from the open door. A mound of early strawberries sat waiting to be hulled, but Ellie was too distracted by her daydreams to get down to work. She held a berry to her lips, relishing the sweet scent, letting the taste tantalize her mouth. It savoured of spring and Will’s kisses. How
wonderful it was, she thought, to snatch such simple pleasures and enjoy them, especially when her foothold in happiness was so fragile. She had no idea how long her friendship with the earl would last, but she intended to value every moment.

A shadow fell across the doorway waking her from her pleasant thoughts.

‘Is the mistress within?’ A thin gentleman with a head of sparse brown hair stood without, hat held in his hands.

Embarrassed to be caught for all intents and purposes kissing a strawberry, Ellie put it down quickly.

‘I’ll fetch her for you, sir. Who shall I say is calling?’

‘John March. Please tell her I am a friend of a friend of hers.’

Ellie found the dame dozing in the front room, a string of rosary beads caught in her fingers.

‘Mistress Holton, there’s a man at the back door – a gentleman I think.’

The dame sat up with a start and dropped the beads. ‘I was just praying,’ she excused herself hurriedly. ‘What’s that?’

Ellie repeated the message.

‘Let’s go see who he is then.’ The dame tucked her rosary back into her girdle and headed for the kitchen door. ‘May I help you, sir?’

The man cast Ellie a worried look. ‘I need to speak to you privately, mistress.’

The dame pursed her lips, worry now furrowing her brow. ‘Ellie dear, run along and see if there are any more strawberries in the south-facing patch.’

‘I picked all I could find,’ said Ellie.

‘Please go and check you didn’t miss one.’

Her presence was clearly not desired by either party, so Ellie
took a basket and went out into the garden. She spent half an hour lingering in the strawberry patch before returning inside. Knocking hesitantly, she waited until Dame Holton invited her in.

‘Find any more?’ asked the lady as she served the gentleman a light meal of bread and cheese. He consumed everything she put before him with gusto, evidently ravenous.

‘No, mistress. Well, one little one but I ate it, I’m afraid.’ Ellie rinsed her fingers in the basin on the table and turned to the pile of strawberries still awaiting preparation.

‘Master March is going to be staying with us for a while,’ the dame continued, not meeting her eye. ‘He’s a friend …’

‘… of a friend of yours. Yes, he mentioned that. Pleased to meet you, sir.’

March smiled at her. ‘I’m delighted to find such a pretty houseguest. Mistress Holton explained why your father is staying here. She says he will enjoy the company of an educated man. I vow we will be a very merry party.’

Ellie offered him a strawberry from the basket. ‘He’ll like that. He’s quite tired of my conversation.’

March took the berry. ‘Then maybe I can take that burden from you. It is long since I spoke with a scholar of such learning.’

‘Our Ellie is a very clever girl, too, Fa– Master March.’ The dame quickly corrected herself. ‘Speaks and reads Latin and all sorts of strange languages.’

March regarded her with new interest. ‘Indeed?’

‘My father’s idea, sir.’

‘You can read the scriptures in Greek and Latin?’

‘Latin easily. My Greek is a little weak.’

‘Maybe we can study together if you have the time? My
Greek is rusty too and I would enjoy a chance to polish it in such fair company.’

‘It would be my pleasure, sir.’

‘Run along now, Ellie. Master March and I have much to discuss.’ The dame flapped her with her apron to the door. ‘Go buy yourself a ribbon or two in the market. The tinker is in the village.’ She pressed a tester, worth sixpence, into her hand. ‘My treat.’

Ribbons and sunshine or ancient Greek in a dusty study – no contest.

‘Thank you.’ Ellie ran out, barely remembering to bob a parting curtsy in her eagerness. Her high spirits made the visitor laugh.

‘Oh, to be that young again!’ she heard him say. ‘Where happiness can be purchased for the price of a ribbon.’

The village was bustling with people doing their weekly market shopping. There seemed to be more carts than ever. Ellie stopped by the baker’s to greet Mistress Anne Smedley, his young wife, whom she had known when she lived at Lacey Hall before. Ellie’s return meant that they had had a chance to pick up their friendship where they’d left off.

‘Good day! Anyone home?’ she called.

‘Ellie!’ Anne, a short, chubby girl with a rosy face, emerged from the back kitchen, carrying her swaddled baby of three months. ‘Just let me put Dorothy somewhere safe. She’s been fretting since dawn, making me feel eighty rather than eighteen.’ She hung the baby snugly on a peg on the wall, out of the way of danger, then came forward to hug her friend. Dorothy began to wail.

‘I don’t think she likes it,’ Ellie commented as the infant went bright red with anger.

‘She’d have me hold her all day and all night if she had her way,’ Anne acknowledged. She adjusted the lacing on her bodice, her breasts plump with milk.

Ellie laughed and took the baby down to cradle her in her arms. The crying instantly ceased. ‘Quite right too, young lady. If you don’t let the world know what you want, no one will give it to you.’

Anne smiled. ‘Would you like a job as her nurse? You have a magic touch.’

‘Hardly. She just knows she’ll get her way with me. Why all the bustle, do you know?’

Anne stacked a pile of fresh buns on to a flat basket. ‘The earl is entertaining guests – a fine lady and gentleman, they say. The cook has ordered dozens of my goodman’s fine pastries – I’m run off my feet keeping up.’

Happy for her friend’s good fortune, Ellie smiled as she skimmed a finger over the floury surface of the board, drawing a heart. ‘Who would’ve thought two people could eat so much?’

‘Ah, but it’s the retainers, the entertaining of local gentry to meet the guests – the list goes on. And I can’t get any decent help – the girls are all preparing for the May celebrations and can’t keep a sensible thought in their head for two minutes together.’

‘They’re going Maying?’

‘Aye, they’ve waited for the fine weather. We brought in the May on the first but it was too wet to dance. Didn’t Bess tell you?’ Anne asked, mentioning her younger sister.

‘I’ve not come to the village for a few days – I’ve not seen anyone.’ Except Will, that was.

‘They’d love you to join in, I’m sure. It’s tonight – they’re meeting at twilight on the green.’

‘Will you be there?’

Anne wrinkled her nose. ‘Sadly, no, not now I’m a respectable married woman. My last time was a year ago – but I don’t regret it. I met Sam in the woods after the dance and well, there’s Dorothy as evidence.’ She blushed at the admission.

Ellie grinned and tickled the baby under the chin. ‘Why, Anne, you wild thing!’

‘We were betrothed – as good as married Sam said.’

‘I bet he did,’ giggled Ellie.

Anne broke into a laugh. ‘He marched me to church the next day to arrange for the banns to be read, bless him.’

‘I’d love to go. I’ve not been Maying for so long.’

‘Just keep out of the woods.’ Anne gave her a wink.

‘Of course, what do you take me for, a wicked woman who meets her lover there like some I could mention?’ She raised an eyebrow at her friend in mock censure.

‘No, you’re too good, not like me. Too much a lady.’

Ellie wasn’t so sure about that, but there was only one man she’d like to meet and he was unlikely to be found in the woods. ‘Shall I watch Dorothy for you? I’ve only come to buy some ribbons and I know you have much to do.’

Anne perched against the table and sighed. ‘Too true.’

‘Where’s Sam?’

‘At the mill fetching some flour.’

‘Then you take a rest – go watch the loaves rise – and I’ll take Dorothy for a little wander.’

Anne touched her friend’s arm lightly. ‘You are a sweetheart.’

‘No trouble at all.’

Taking the baby off the swaddling board and wrapping her in a shawl, Ellie went back out into the sunshine. The tinker was easy to spot, standing under the old oak in the centre of the green, a crowd of young girls gathered around him as he displayed his rainbow ribbons. Anne’s sister, Bess, a tall, thin girl with sleek brown hair like otter-skin, greeted Ellie enthusiastically, repeating the invitation to join in the May dance that night. Ellie stood with her, debating the vexing question of whether she should purchase a raspberry pink or a forest green ribbon for the celebration. Or maybe both. She turned the tester in her hand, wondering if she would not be better saving it in case of need. She could live without ribbons.

But the dame had given it to her to spend on a gift, not to hoard.

‘Go on, Ellie, buy one,’ urged Bess.

She reached out to take the two ribbons for closer inspection, letting them flutter in her hand. The tinker straightened up from his fawning over her choice and swept an elaborate bow, eyes fixed on something behind her. Bess bobbed a deep curtsy. Turning round, Ellie saw Will had arrived on horseback, accompanied by one of his brothers, Lady Jane and, worst of all, Sir Henry. It was too late to hide, not with her hands full and a sleeping baby strapped to her, preventing her slipping away. She dipped a curtsy, catching Will’s eye as he smiled to see her standing among the village girls.

‘Lady Eleanor!’ Jane exclaimed in shock, guiding her horse forward. ‘I had not realized you were here.’

‘Nor I you, my lady.’ She summoned a smile from somewhere.

Sir Henry cast a look at the baby, then the earl, his mind drawing unflattering conclusions. His lips thinned.

‘My father and I are lodging here for a few weeks,’ Ellie continued. She took a step away from Henry, moving closer to Will and Jane.

‘The child – not yours surely?’ Jane gave a scandalized laugh.

Ellie shook her head, blushing at the thought. ‘No, my lady. A friend’s. I was minding Dorothy while she bakes her bread.’

‘A baker’s child.’ Jane shook her head with amusement at the idea of a lady stooping so low as to mind a commoner’s babe. ‘My friend, you are always a surprise.’

Encouraged by the correction to his false assumptions, Henry swung out of his saddle and approached. ‘Lady Eleanor, it is a joy to see you again after the unpleasant scene at Windsor.’

Ellie wondered if he was referring to their banishment or his attempt to force himself on her in the garden.

‘Sir,’ she replied neutrally.

‘You were about to choose a ribbon for yourself?’ He tugged the raspberry one from her fingers. Bess smothered an excited giggle.

‘As you see.’

Will dismounted quickly and came to her other side. Henry held the ribbon up to her hair.

‘Oh, this one suits you best. Raspberries – put me in mind of a sweet taste.’ He let his gaze drop to her lips. Ellie’s foot itched to kick him again.

Will gestured to the green. ‘But that one goes well with your gown, does it not, Lady Eleanor?’

‘You must let me buy both for you,’ Henry announced, feeling in his purse for a coin.

‘No, no, I must insist I have that pleasure,’ Will countered. ‘These are my lands, after all.’

‘I do not believe that gives you the right to all the ribbons on it, my lord,’ Henry said, making it sound a jest, but his eyes were hard.

‘Enough, my lord, Sir Henry!’ Ellie held up a hand. ‘I fear you are both too late. My kind hostess has already given me the coin for the ribbons. This is her gift to me.’ She pressed the tester in the bemused tinker’s palm. ‘Now I must return Dorothy to her mother. She will think I have run off with her.’

She curtsied, but before she could leave, Jane called out:

‘Lady Eleanor, please do come and see me while I am in the district. I would value the chance to speak to a friend.’

Ellie paused, wondering if there was any way she could visit Jane without having to bear the company of her brother. ‘Of course, my lady.’

‘I will send a horse for you tomorrow morning and you can dine with us,’ the earl offered quickly, ‘if that is convenient?’

It was far from being so with Henry in residence, but to refuse would be rude. She would never hear the end of it from the villagers. ‘Yes, my lord. Thank you.’