Chapter 6

As he walked on, finding similar stories of dilapidation and ill repair, Dawson found himself wondering why his great uncle had allowed the estate to fall into such a state – cottages were falling down, bridges dangerously close to collapsing, fences unmended, along with a myriad of other problems presenting themselves at every turn. The magnanimous figure in the portrait in the hallway no longer had the same aura about him – he had made mistakes, and Dawson knew it was up to him to put them right.

"And I can put them right," Dawson thought.

The look in the man's eyes outside the falling-down cottage had told him so. He may not be the sort of man who would fit into society"s life – he did not hunt, nor did he like making small talk over dinner. He did not dance or enjoy the thought of taking tea with fashionable women, whose only concern was gossip.

But when it came to ordinary people, the salt of the earth types – like the man cutting wood – Dawson knew he could make a difference. He had doubted himself, yet now he saw a chance to be the Earl of Wimbourne, not according to what someone else wanted, but how he wanted to be.

"And I will be," Dawson said out loud.

A fresh resolve had come over him, and as he walked on, he knew he had been foolish to doubt himself – and to fear what others thought of him. He was following a track between ancient hedge ways, the path worn down into a hollow, and Dawson could hear the sound of rushing water up ahead.

Earlier that day, he had examined a map of the estate, and he knew he was now close to The Bourne – a river running through the estate that enclosed the village on three sides in an arc. At some points, it was wide and slow moving while at others, it narrowed and grew fast – the butler had told him so, warning there were only certain crossing points where it was safe to enter the water.

"It gets very deep, My Lord – be wary," he had said.

As Dawson emerged from the hollow of the path, he saw the river up ahead, narrowed to a point and widening into a deep pool, where the fast-moving current seemed to disappear. Weeping willows overhung the water, their branches trailing across the surface, and on the far side, Dawson spied a figure on horseback. It was Aurelia Banks. He paused momentarily, watching her as she rode along the riverbank. It appeared she was looking for a place to cross, her horse edging close to the water as she edged cautiously forward.

"She doesn't look so haughty now," Dawson thought.

She was a handsome woman, and watching her without her realizing it allowed him to see her face as it might appear to someone she was not so openly hostile towards. She was pretty – her red hair catching the sunlight, her cheeks rosy from the exertion of the ride. Dawson wondered whether to call out to her, but fearing he would startle her – and rouse her to anger – he held back from doing so, watching as she now urged the horse forward.

***

Aurelia had been glad of the ride out across the Wimbourne estate. She and Letitia had argued again, and with Reuben refusing to defend her cause over Silas – and having planted his own doubts in her mind – Aurelia felt as though she had no one to turn to. Only her horse – Chestnut – could be trusted for companionship, and they had ridden for several hours as Aurelia contemplated what was to be.

"Come along, Chestnut – we can cross here," Aurelia said, urging the horse forward, but Chestnut seemed reluctant.

The Bourne was a curious river – at times shallow and fast flowing, and at others, deep and almost still. Aurelia had picked a spot where a line of weeping willows grew, and the water appeared shallow enough to ford.

"That's right, a little further," she said, patting the horse's mane.

Chestnut stepped forward, but as he did so, he stumbled, and Aurelia lurched forward, tossed over the reins, and straight into the water with an enormous splash. She let out a scream, floundering as she tried to swim and finding the water far deeper than she had thought it to be. The horse waded in after her, but Aurelia – in her wide-brimmed skirt – was struggling in the current.

"Help," she called out, though she felt certain no one could hear her.

She caught hold of Chestnut's reins, struggling to keep her head out of the water and knowing she could not get to the bank herself. Her only hope would be to allow the current to take her downstream into the deep pool beyond, where she might be able to swim to the bank. But as she was about to let go, a sudden splash caused her to cry out in surprise, and an arm grabbed her around the neck, hauling her towards the bank.

"It's all right, Miss Aurelia, I've got you," a familiar voice – with a Kentucky drawl – called out, and Aurelia was now hauled onto the bank, gazing up in astonishment into the face of the new Earl of Wimbourne.

"I … How … you …" she stammered, coughing, as he looked down at her and smiled.

"Did you enjoy your swim?" he asked, grinning at her.

Aurelia glared at him, struggling to sit up as now he held out his hand to help her to her feet.

"I … I wasn't swimming. I fell off the horse. It's a difficult river to cross. I didn't know … well, it's no business of yours," Aurelia exclaimed.

She felt embarrassed – she had never fallen off her horse before. It had been a foolish accident, and one she had no intention of repeating. She was wet through, her hair dishevelled, and she could only imagine what her mother and father would say when she arrived home. The earl continued to grin at her, even as he, too, was soaked to the skin.

"Aren't you going to thank me for saving you?" he asked.

"You didn't save me. Not at all. I was … I can swim perfectly well, thank you," she said, and he shrugged.

"It didn't look that way to me, Miss Aurelia," he said.

Aurelia glared at him.

"It's Miss Banks, thank you," she replied, and he shrugged.

"Miss Banks – Miss Aurelia. It makes no difference if you drown," he said.

Aurelia pursed her lips – he was everything she detested in the idea of an American. Where were his manners? He did not even know how to address her correctly. And yet, despite her initial anger – and shock at falling into the water – Aurelia now realized she did owe him her gratitude. She had asked herself where his manners were, but now she asked herself where her own were …

"I … I'm sorry. I was … well, when I fell in, I … thank you," she said, sighing and looking down at her dress.

It was covered in mud from the river and beyond repair. She knew her sister would be only too quick to ridicule her for having fallen off her horse and ruined her dress, and now she felt tears welling up in her eyes at the unfairness of her life.

"You're welcome. It's a good thing I was passing by, wasn't it?" the earl said, and Aurelia nodded.

"Yes, I suppose … but … were you following me?" Aurelia exclaimed, and Dawson smiled.

"No – and you're the one riding on my estate, don't forget. Don't get me wrong, you're welcome to do so, but … I wasn't following you. I saw you trying to cross the river. It's a lot deeper than you think," he said, and Aurelia nodded.

"Yes … I know it is," Aurelia said, and Dawson shook his head.

"You should be careful then," he replied.

Aurelia glanced down at the water – it really did look far shallower than it was – but now she realized what the two of them standing alone together on the riverbank would look like to any passerby. She was out on her own – unchaperoned – and now she looked around as the sound of a carriage approaching along the bridleway caused her to startle.

"We can't be seen together – and certainly not like this," Aurelia exclaimed, fearing what would happen if Silas discovered she was with another man.

"Well, it looks like we're going to be. Why does it matter?" Dawson asked as the carriage slowed to a halt.

Aurelia's heart sank – she recognized the crest emblazoned on the compartment door, and now the window was pulled down and a head poked out, partly obscured by a wide-brimmed hat decorated with wax fruits and silk flowers.

"Aurelia, is that you? Goodness me, what happened to you?" the woman exclaimed.

It was Eliza Beresford, a local gossip whose father had made a fortune on the import of brandy from the continent. They were what Aurelia's mother disparagingly called "new money," and Eliza liked to think of herself as part of society's upper reaches.

"The horse wouldn't cross the river," Aurelia replied, and Eliza laughed.

"Oh, so you thought you'd swim, did you? And you've got your stable hand to help you, I see. How novel," she said, smiling at Aurelia in such a way as to suggest this was a story she would not tire quickly of telling anyone she met.

But as for the stable hand, Aurelia could at least disabuse her.

"This is no stable hand, Eliza. This is the Earl of Wimbourne, Dawson Murphy. And this isMiss Eliza Beresford," Aurelia said.

But at the mention of Dawson's title, Eliza drew a sharp intake of breath, opening the carriage door and stepping down, her skirts trailing behind her.

"And what a pleasure it is to meet you, My Lord. How honoured we are to have you in the district," she said, holding out her hand to Dawson, who took it and smiled.

Aurelia rolled her eyes. Eliza was ambitious when it came to the prospect of marriage. She had spent the previous season in London, boasting of the fact she had danced with a different duke every night – and a royal prince, on occasion. It was all nonsense, of course, but now it seemed Eliza's ambitions lay with Dawson.

"It's good to meet you, too," Dawson replied, taking Eliza's hand in his.

She laughed – a silly, giggling laugh – and now she proceeded to entirely ignore Aurelia, asking Dawson a myriad of questions about life in Kentucky and his plans for his future in England. Aurelia felt exasperated – both with Eliza and with Dawson.

"And you will come to our little gathering at Highbourne on Saturday, won't you, My Lord? It's just a small gathering, nothing too grand. Some of the local families – Aurelia and her sister will be there, won't you, Aurelia?" Eliza said.

"Oh, yes. We'll be there," Aurelia replied, though she had told her mother she had no desire to go.

But her mother had been insistent, despite her opinion of Eliza's father's wealth, and the invitation had been accepted.

"Then you must come, My Lord. It won't be the same without you," Eliza insisted.

She climbed back into her carriage now, still smiling at Dawson, before nodding to Aurelia and calling for her driver to move on. Aurelia watched her go, shaking her head, as Dawson cleared his throat.

"She seemed nice," he said.

Aurelia made no comment. She knew what Eliza was really like – she had ambition, and Aurelia had no doubt her ambition now lay in the possibility of becoming the next Countess of Wimbourne …

"I should get Chestnut," she said, glancing over to where the horse was standing next to the riverbank.

But as she approached him, Chestnut reared up on his hind legs and whinnied angrily – it seemed he had not taken kindly to his fall into the river, and Aurelia backed away, holding up her hands, as Dawson hurried forward.

"All right, boy – what's got into you? Didn't you like being led towards the water? I don't think I'd have liked it either. But just keep calm," Dawson said, and now he whispered something Aurelia could not hear.

To her astonishment, Chestnut immediately returned to his usual placid self, allowing Dawson to approach and take hold of his reins. Aurelia stared at him in astonishment.

"But … what did you do?" she asked as Dawson handed her the reins.

"I grew up on a ranch, Miss Banks. I could ride before I could walk. Horses are like people – they need to be treated properly, that's all – a kind word, a gentle touch …" he said, smiling at her.

Aurelia was impressed, and for a moment, their gaze lingered before a sudden shiver ran through her.

"Goodness … I should be getting back. I'll catch a chill, otherwise," she said, and he nodded, smiling, helping her into the saddle.

"I suppose I'll see you at the dinner – at Miss Beresford's house, if not before. I'm glad I was passing – you might still be in the river if I wasn't," he said.

Aurelia blushed, and now she thanked him again, before riding along the bridleway towards home. She could feel him watching her, and turning, she smiled at him, knowing she owed him her gratitude.

"Goodbye," she called out, and he raised his hand and waved.

"Goodbye – and stay out of the water," he called back.

Aurelia smiled to himself – perhaps the new Earl of Wimbourne was not so bad after all …