This Way to Heaven (8 page)

She dropped a bob curtsy when she noticed that Jasmina was awake and proceeded to remake the fire that had gone out over night.

Finally she sat back on her heels and announced,

“There, madam, that'll make the room snugger for you, I do reckon.”

Jasmina pulled the heavy gold brocade cover round her shoulders and wriggled her toes in the chilly depths of the bed. Her breath was making little white clouds in the icy room.

Old English castles, she decided, were indeed most romantic places, but extremely cold in the depths of winter, that much was for certain!

“Thank you so much. That looks wonderful. What a good blaze. But I'm afraid I don't know your name?”

The maid smiled.

Gentry usually did not bother to find out the names of their servants, especially the housemaids, who with the girls who worked in the scullery were the lowest ranked staff of all.

“I'm Florence, madam.”

She picked up her coal-scuttle and headed for the door.

“Miss Landrey says for me to tell you not to 'urry getting' up. She will soon be bringin' your breakfast 'ere for you.”

“Thank you, Florence. You are all being so kind to a stranger.”

The little maid hesitated at the doorway.

“Be it true that you've a-come all the way from America, madam?”

Jasmina smiled at the awe in the girl's voice.

“Indeed, yes. My family live in a big city called St. Louis. It's right in the middle of America, a very long way away.”

“Fancy that! And would there be Indians and wild men and bears and things, madam?”

“Well, many years ago, Florence, I expect that there were Indians, but not now. We do have a lovely big river called the Mississippi that runs through the middle of the city, and on the river are exciting paddle-boats that travel miles to lots of different places if you don't want to take a coach.”

Florence's eyes were wide and bright.

“I'd just love to see that river, madam! Mississippi. What a very strange name! I've never even been down to London. But I went to York once with my Dad to see the Minster, which was very fine. I can't wait to tell 'im that I've spoken to a lady all the way from America. He'll be that pleased.”

Jasmina laughed.

“Well, if your father would like me to tell him more about St. Louis, Missouri and the Mississippi River, then I will be delighted to do so.”

“Oh, madam!”

The girl's eyes gleamed with delight.

“I'll let 'im know when I goes back to the village on my 'alf day. That I will.”

A noise outside the door made Florence jump and she scurried out of the room just as Mary came in carrying a tray.

She frowned after the small maid.

“I do hope young Florence has not been bothering you with all her chatter, Miss Winfield? We have so few guests at the castle that I'm afraid she has not yet learned how to act in front of them.”

Jasmina pushed herself up against the lace pillows as the room warmed from the now roaring fire.

“Not at all. She is so young and full of curiosity. Why, she is no different to the maids back at home who work for my family. I am sure they will want to know all the details of my trip to England when I get back to St. Louis.”

Mary placed the tray on a small table and swiftly set out various dishes and a large pot of coffee.

“His Lordship has had his breakfast very early and is out checking on the stock. He is very anxious about the sheep. Everything froze solid last night and Mrs. Rush, our cook, is busy trying to thaw out the meat laid out in the pantry otherwise there'll be no dinner for anyone!”

Jasmina now slipped out of bed and pulled on the beautiful silk and lace robe she had worn the night before.

Had the Earl really carried her in his arms along the cold stone corridor back to this room?

Or had it all been a wonderful dream?

‘I would love to go out and explore after breakfast, but what can I wear?' she asked herself. ‘I think the staff would look askance if I came downstairs in my negligee!'

Mary poured the coffee.

“Oh, George Radford has rescued all your luggage, madam. I will arrange for one of the footmen to bring it to you immediately.”

Jasmina looked up, her blue eyes sparkling.

“How was it possible? Are the roads clear again?”

“Oh no. It seems that just before the blizzard came and brought down all the telephone lines, the Duchess sent word to her staff that, as you were spending Christmas with your relations in Debbingford, they should close up Harley Grange for the rest of the winter.

“Apparently she wishes to remain in London with her new grandson.

“Of course, Mr. Reid, the butler at Harley, thought that you had already reached Debbingford, so he had your luggage packed and the cart was dispatched. But then the blizzard came and the carter could only reach
The Golden Lion
in Somerton village. George discovered your trunks and cases there last night and brought them up to the castle very early this morning.”

“That was very good of him,” said Jasmina, eagerly spreading honey on her bread. “If only someone could tell me that my horse, Lightning, is safe and sound, my mind would be completely at rest.”

“I am sure he will have found shelter somewhere, Miss Winfield. Animals have a strange way of being able to look after themselves when we cannot!”

“Do please convey my thanks to George Radford. Goodness, I have yet to tell him how grateful I am to him for finding me in the snow and bringing me here. Has he left the castle again?”

Mary now sighed and nodded and Jasmina noticed her pretty face had gone quite pink.

“He has his own farm to tend to. Not that he can do much in this bitter weather. Horrid little place, it be too. If only he would sell his land to the Earl – well! You'll not want to hear all my silly gossip. I will send up your luggage immediately.”

“Mary! Wait!”

Jasmina stood up, her curls falling in disarray over her shoulders.

“Why won't George sell his land? Will the Earl not give him a good price for it?”

Mary nervously fingered the big bunch of keys that hung from her leather belt.

“Oh yes, madam. His Lordship is a fair man and no one can ever call him anything else. He has made George a most generous offer for his farm, but there's no one as stubborn as a Yorkshireman when it comes to land.

“The Radfords have owned and farmed those few acres for many centuries, but it's a bleak damp corner of sour ground. This year even the turnips didn't grow well. The Earl would like to own it so he could link two big parts of his estate. He plans to drain the land and improve it.

“But George won't be budged, Miss Winfield. And until he does, we cannot marry as there is no money to be had from the farm for him to support a wife and family!”

Then, as if she realised she had probably said too much, she nodded her dark head to Jasmina and swiftly left the room.

Jasmina finished her breakfast slowly, realising that she was extremely hungry.

She ate a boiled egg, drank her coffee and spread thick golden honey on soft bread, enjoying the good sweet flavour.

She had taken a great liking to Mary Landrey, the young housekeeper, and now guessed that her feelings for George Radford ran very deep.

Jasmina sighed and wondered what it would be like to fall in love with a man and to care for him so much that just to hear him speak would seem like Heaven on earth?

She wondered if that was how the Earl's poor wife had felt on her wedding day.

Had she loved him or had it just been a convenient marriage, necessary for the sake of convention when the old Earl had passed away?

Her luggage was brought into her room before she could ask herself why that should matter to her.

She carefully unpacked her very warmest skirt and jacket and found a pair of thick stockings and old leather walking shoes in the bottom of one of the trunks.

‘Well, I will not look like a fashionable young lady but I will certainly be warm!' she laughed as she inspected herself in the long cheval mirror that stood in one corner of the room.

Just as she was about to close the trunk, she noticed a package wedged down one side.

Why, of course! Her ice-skates! She recalled her mother insisting they travelled to England with her, as she had heard that at Debbingford there was a large lake and there was sure to be skating at Christmas.

‘I do declare that with this weather any local water will be frozen solid. I am sure the Earl must have a lake too. An estate like Somerton is sure to contain all sorts of exciting things.

‘If I cannot ride, then I will definitely skate instead. Goodness, I will go mad with boredom if I have to sit and read or sew all day until the snow melts. And obviously I cannot rely on the Earl for entertainment. He has made it very plain that I should stay out of his sight at all costs!'

Jasmina pulled on her heaviest cloak and made her way down the carved oak staircase into the vast central hall of the castle.

How wonderful it looked with the brilliant snow light flooding in through the small stained-glass windows, painting bright scarlet, blue and emerald patterns on the worn grey stones.

She could only stand and admire with awe the great tapestries, the suits of armour and the patterns of swords and sabres high on the walls above her head.

‘It is all very marvellous, but all so very cold and severe,' she said to herself. ‘Why, you could put some big blue and white bowls of flowers on those little tables and the whole place would look so much more cheerful and homely.'

Jasmina made her way down a narrow corridor and found a door leading into the garden.

She gasped as she pushed it open. The view was so beautiful.

She found herself standing on a terrace that had recently been swept and sanded so it was easy to walk on.

A gentle snow-covered slope ran away behind the terrace down towards a line of willow trees.

Behind their bare branches that bent down towards the ground, Jasmina could see the silver glint of an ice-covered lake and beyond it rose the smooth slopes of the hills that led on to the wild moors.

“Oh, how wonderful!”

“You approve of the Somerton estate then, Miss Winfield?”

“Oh!” Jasmina turned, startled.

She had not heard the Earl approaching.

He was wearing riding breeches with high boots to protect him from the snow and a long, dark brown leather coat that snapped around his boots as he walked.

“Yes, it is marvellous. So wild and beautiful.”

The Earl gazed out over the landscape that meant so much to him.

“I think you would like it even more in the spring. The fields are studded with daffodils and when the lambs arrive, you can see them playing in the pastures.”

Jasmina sighed.

“Sadly I will be home in Missouri by the time the daffodils appear. But are your flocks safe now, my Lord?”

“Yes, quite safe, thank goodness. I have very good shepherds. They brought all the sheep down from the high ground before the blizzard hit. They have a second sense as to when the weather is about to change.”

“I heard dogs barking when I awoke this morning and the sound of sheep, but no voices. Your shepherds must work extremely quietly.”

The Earl laughed suddenly, his serious face now looking much younger.

“I will tell them that, Miss Winfield. Although I think they would say that it is the dogs that do all the hard work, rounding up and guiding the sheep.”

“I am anxious to explore. Would it be convenient for me to walk round the castle?”

The Earl nodded.

“Certainly. The terrace has been swept and sanded. It is quite safe.”

He paused.

He was so tempted to walk with her and show this young American all the glorious features of his home.

Her high spirits was intriguing him and her determination to overcome all the difficulties put in her way.

Most aristocratic young ladies of his acquaintance would have taken to their beds for a fortnight after such an ordeal as Miss Whitfield had suffered.

But it was so vital that he finished the work he had intended to undertake when in London on all the Foreign Office papers.

As soon as the pass through the hills was cleared, he would have to leave on his difficult secret mission.

“You will excuse me if I do not accompany you?”

Jasmina found herself going red.

Goodness, surely he had not thought that she was angling for his attention?

Really
, he was the most difficult of men.

One moment he would be laughing with her, his eyes warm and friendly, and next the guard would come down over his face and he became a different person.

“I would not dream of imposing myself, my Lord,” she said quietly, lifting her chin and meeting his gaze with a flash of blue eyes. “I shall explore where I can, perhaps visit the stables and take a look at your horses.

“And I can see that the lake over there is frozen. I have brought my skates with me and so I shall take a little gentle exercise on the ice. I can assure you that I have no intention of getting in your way. Good day!”

She turned to go and then started in surprise as his hand shot out to hold her arm.

“You must do no such thing!”

“I must beg your pardon, my Lord, but surely you can have no objection to my skating? I am not asking you to join me in what you could consider a frivolous pastime.”

The Earl's face grew overcast with annoyance.

“The lake might not be completely frozen over. It is very deep in the middle and people have been known to fall through the ice.”

Jasmina tossed her head, her bright curls dancing.

“I am not a complete fool, my Lord. I come from Missouri, an American State, where it is far colder than this every winter.

“I am quite aware that I have to test the ice before I skate on it. Or do you believe that women do not have the same amount of common sense that men have?”