Chapter Five

CHAPTER FIVE

SCARBOROUGH MANOR

T he Earl of Scarborough . She knew who he was, of course. Rowan Garrison . His reputation preceded him. She’d heard all the stories about him. Men spoke in awe of his courage on dangerous missions. Women fanned themselves as they whispered about his infamous affairs with notorious women. Well , she had no idea if half the stories were true, but he certainly was the most handsome man she’d ever seen.

He set her down and pulled out a key, unlocking the door leading from the stable to the back of the large house. The door creaked open, and Rowan muttered something about needing to oil the hinges and placing that note on his list.

How odd that such a man kept a list. She’d always kept lists as well. It helped her focus her thoughts and goals.

He picked her up again and carried her to a room that most likely was the parlor. Gently , he set her down on a sheet-covered armchair.

“ Do y-you think they w-will m-miss us?” she asked, trying to control her chattering teeth.

“ Latham and the others?”

She nodded, trying to control the chill and her chattering.

“ We need to warm things up in here,” he said as he lifted an armload of dried, cut wood from a pile next to the hearth and laid it in the empty grate in the fireplace. “ In answer to your question… I do think they will miss us. But this storm seemed to come out of nowhere. And it’s still going on. It would put our lives in jeopardy to try to make it back at this point. Nor would Latham or Slice and Nelson be venturing out, either. They know better. But they also know me. I’m sure they spoke with the stableboy and others who saw us ride in the same direction. If so, they’ll not worry that you are with me. I’ll keep you safe.” He tossed a piece of paper over the spark he had created and gently blew on the small fire that emerged. Finally , it took hold. “ Ahh . This is much better. With this storm, I feel fortunate to have dry wood.” He pulled out his pocket watch. “ By now, they will have realized we are gone. My valet and your maid…they would have reported it.”

“ I need to see to the horses. I’ll be back as soon as I can. And we’ll see to that ankle. Stay put.”

Lucy nodded her thanks. It seemed as if he’d wanted to say something more to her but then turned and strode out the door. She set the satchel on her lap and unbuckled it. Taking the small creature out, she held it close to her chest and petted its soft fur. The small fox regarded her with a curious expression.

“ I am so sorry you had to be cooped up as we rode here, but it was for your own good. That snowstorm came out of nowhere.” She’d felt the small creature whimper and shiver in the satchel throughout the short ride to Scarborough’s estate, and her heart had seized with worry. Between her worry over the fox and riding through the snowstorm, she’d all but forgotten her sprained ankle. But now that she was sitting by a warm fire, quite literally thawing out, she’d begun to feel a throbbing pain in her right ankle.

Lucy placed the tapestry valise where she could find it later. She’d need it when they returned to Latham’s manor house. His cook had loaned her an awl—ostensibly to better open a hole in a shoe buckle. But Lucy had used it to pierce holes in the tapestry bag. Of course, she had ruined the bag, but her efforts had helped save this creature, so the sacrifice was worth it.

How could she have been so clumsy as to twist her ankle? The pain made it difficult to discern whether it was from potential frostbite or simply the injury itself. “ Every part of my body feels frozen,” she murmured. Kissing the earl would warm them up , she thought. Good God ! Where had that thought come from?

“ I hear you. Believe me…my hands and feet concur,” Rowan said, entering the room and brushing snow from his hair. “ The temperature must’ve dropped a good bit today. It’s very cold out there. I’d say this is quite an adventure, isn’t it? I noticed more tinder in a corner of the barn, so I’ll go out later and bring more in so we’ll have it for the fireplace.”

The fox burrowed against her chest as she cuddled it, and it promptly fell asleep.

Lucy caught herself watching the earl as he moved around the room, and her thoughts ventured to the man who’d brought them here. She would never have predicted she’d find herself alone in a snowstorm with this exquisitely handsome man, in his manor house .

“ I’ll check the rooms around us to see if there’s anything else we can use. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” Without waiting for a reply, he left the room.

Lucy waited and waited, then decided to explore a little. She stood, and using the wall for balance, she hobbled into the hallway. She wondered how long it had been since anyone had cleaned in here and was amazed the floor was not thick with dust. Still , as she glanced around, she noticed footprints of a man’s boots. Large boots. What was the saying about large feet on men? She recalled Frankie and Katie whispering about it and had asked them. They’d smiled and said she would find out soon enough.

“ What are you doing in the hallway?” Rowan growled. He swung her up into his arms again and carried her back to the parlor, plunking her back down on the armchair.

“ My ankle hurts, and I wanted to find a distraction,” she said, glancing at Rowan’s boots—large boots. I suppose that will be a mystery for a while longer.

“ If you’re ankle hurts, that means you should stay off it. Are you always this stubborn?”

“ Possibly .” She smiled.

Rowan shook his head as he grabbed a white sheet, uncovering a velvet settee in front of the fireplace, and then helped her move to the settee.

The small fox stirred restlessly against her chest. I know just how you feel, little one. “ The fox needs water. And food.”

“ Yes . We all do. My man of business engaged a groundskeeper. His cottage is behind the stables. I’ll head over soon to see if he’s there. Perhaps he has some supplies we can use. I stopped in yesterday on my way to Latham’s and looked around but saw no sign of him. I thought perhaps he hadn’t officially started yet, given it’s so close to Christmas . However , the fresh oats and hay in the stable indicate otherwise. He could be here somewhere. First , I’ll ensure you have heat and water. I never checked the larder, but I doubt there’s anything here. This place has been neglected for a long time.”

“ It’s a he ,” Lucy said, studying the small fox.

“ The groundskeeper?” Rowan asked, stooping to stoke the fire.

“ No , silly. The fox. And I’ve been thinking…”

“ You peeked?” He glanced over his shoulder, his brow arched.

She nodded as heat crawled up her neck.

He chortled and stoked the fire, building it up until it began to give off a generous amount of heat.

“ I’m going to fill the bucket and melt the snow,” she suggested. “ The poor thing needs some water. If you think there’s a pan that might be better, we can use that.”

“ You’ll do no such thing. I’ll get a bucket of water from the well. It’s not frozen. You stay there,” he ordered. He returned a few minutes later with water and poured a small amount into a pan he’d likely grabbed on his way back from the kitchen.

The fox ambled to the fireplace and lay down on a small mat in front of it. He tucked his head down and closed his eyes.

“ Do you think we should name him?” Lucy suggested in a whisper.

“ You want to name the fox?” Rowan asked, quirking a half-smile.

“ Well …yes. It’s only right. I think he seems to like me…”

“ You saved his life. I’m sure the fox has picked up on that by now.”

“ No … we saved his life.” She smiled at him. “ If you were to name him, what would that be?”

“ He’s red, so what about Rusty ?” he asked, giving a hesitant smile.

“ That’s a good one…but Rusty seems like it could be every red fox’s name,” she said, giving a small shake of her head.

“ Well , let’s look at a list of fox names,” he suggested with a wink.

She laughed. “ There’s not a list of fox names, but there are names that sound more fitting for a fox. Like Hunter , Spark , Blaze .” The names just spilled from her lips.

“ I’ll admit those are good. I wouldn’t suggest a proper name…like William or Edward . I still like Rusty . But if you don’t like that one or any of the others you’ve just named, there’s Dart , Ashe , and Fenton . That’s about all I can think of.”

“ Ashe … I like that name.”

“ Let’s think about it for a little while. Try it out and see how the fox likes it. In the meantime, I’m going to head over to the groundskeeper’s cottage. I’ll be back soon.”

She watched him leave the parlor and suddenly felt lonely. When she turned back, the fox was staring up at her.

“ Do you like Ashe ?” she asked. He thumped his tail. Did that mean he liked the name? “ Or do you prefer Fenton ?”

The fox smiled. At least, she thought it looked very much like a smile. But maybe it was a grimace.

“ Fenton ?” she asked again.

He kept the smile…or grimace.

“ Or Ashe ?” She noticed his tail thumped again and this time he twitched his nose. “ You seem to have different feelings about that name. Although I’m not sure which is better, a smile-grimace or a thump of the tail. Or does the twitch of the nose show excitement? No matter. It appears we have narrowed the names down. So , let’s see what Lord Scarborough says about it. He’ll be back shortly.”

The little fellow’s ears perked up.

“ I see you like him. I’ll admit. The man’s hard to ignore,” she said with a sigh. The man was very hard to ignore. But with all that had happened in her life recently, the last thing she wanted was to be involved with a man. Not that someone like Rowan would even consider someone like her. He was no doubt used to spending time with very elegant and glamorous ladies.

Fifteen minutes later, Rowan returned. “ The groundskeeper seems to have gone home for the holidays. But lucky for us, his larder wasn’t completely empty.” He began to unload items from his pockets. Eggs filled the inside pockets of his coat, bread from a large coat pocket, a few potatoes, carrots, two jars of what appeared to be two different types of beans, a wrapper that contained butter, and a small pail of milk.

“ What will we do with all of that?” Lucy asked.

“ Eat , I hope.” He patted his pockets as though searching for something else. “ There’s part of a hoop of cheese here, somewhere. The groundskeeper had apparently just purchased it.”

“ But how… I don’t know what to do,” she croaked, suddenly ashamed to admit such a thing.

He gave a half-smile. “ I can cook. Remember , I’m a soldier. Not only have I slept on the ground under the stars, but I’ve had to scrounge for food.” He chuckled and looked at the small pile of food on the chair. “ In this situation, this bounty is a veritable banquet.”

A pang of hunger hit her stomach, and Lucy heard her stomach growl. Horrified , she looked up at Rowan , who was wearing a smile. “ You heard that.” It wasn’t a question. She could tell he had.

“ You can’t blame that on Jack there,” he said, pointing to the fox, who incredibly was sitting next to the fireplace watching them with a curious expression on his sweet little face.

“ Not Jack . Ashe and Fenton were the two names we were discussing. Do you not like one of them?” she asked, happy to get past the embarrassment of her growling stomach.

“ You really plan to name him?”

“ Yes . I do,” she said, crossing her arms. “ I name all of my animals.”

“ I vote for Ashe . Considering he’s sitting in front of a fireplace, I think it’s fitting.”

She looked at the fox. “ Do you like the name Ashe ?”

The small fox opened his mouth, and a small sound that sounded a lot like a purr came out.

“ You were right on two counts. His bowl is already dry. The little fellow was thirsty, and it seems he likes that name,” Rowan said. “ Ashe , I can replenish that water for you.” He poured more of the water from the pail into the bowl.

The little fox immediately began lapping the water. He paused and gave Lucy and Rowan a look as if to say thanks and continued to lap the water.

Feeling restless, she stood and hopped to the fireplace, thinking of petting Ashe .

“ Now , we need to do something about that ankle of yours,” he said.

Startled , she turned too quickly and lost her balance. She would have fallen again had the earl not rushed over to catch her.

“ Thank you.” Well , that was quite gallant, she thought. At least that rumor was true.

“ Must you keep toppling over?” he grumbled as he lifted her into his arms and carried her back to the settee.

On second thought. Not so gallant after all.

He must have seen her wince because he squatted down and lifted her skirt.

“ What in the blazes are you doing, my lord?”

“ I’m going to examine your foot.” He lifted her right foot, unlaced her boot, and slid it off. He examined it with surprising gentleness, given his generally gruff manner. Lucy couldn’t help but shiver at the touch of his fingers on her skin. Even through her stockings. Never ever in her life had a man touched her in such an intimate way.

“ Are you cold?” he asked. His voice sounded strained.

“ No , but your voice sounds awfully raspy,” she blurted. “ Perhaps you’re catching a cold, my lord.”

“ Hardly .” His lips twitched as though he were suppressing a smile.

Honestly , he was so very contrary. Yelling at her one moment and then almost smiling the next.

“ I’ll need something to wrap your ankle. It’s already quite swollen.” He lifted her foot onto a nearby chair. And stood back up. “ Do not move.”

“ Is that an order?”

“ Yes .”

But his lips twitched again in that almost-but-not-quite-a smile as he walked out of the parlor.

He returned a few minutes later with a knife and a sheet. “ I doubt there are any rolled bandages around here, so we’ll make do with this sheet.” He proceeded to tear a long strip off and then gently wrapped it around her foot and ankle.

“ Stay put. Rest your ankle and try to keep it elevated. I need to fetch more water from the well so we’ll have enough for our meal. I’ll be right back. Once we get the water heating, I’ll prepare a meal and find you some dry clothing. If you aren’t averse to wearing men’s clothing, I have some upstairs. I will get them when I return.”

“ I wear breeches at home when I ride,” she said. “ It shouldn’t be hard to change out of the riding habit. Thank you. For everything.”

He inclined his head, and this time, his smile was definitely a smile.

~*~

Rowan grabbed two buckets and trudged through the snow to the well. Luckily , the previous earl had had the wherewithal to dig a deep well just a few feet from the door that led to the kitchen garden. Another well was close to the stable, and several more were scattered throughout the property. Hooking the bucket onto the rope, he released the pulley until he heard a splash, then pulled the bucket back up. He repeated the process with the other bucket, his mind wandering to Lucy .

He’d never met a woman who had so much pluck and yet was so innocent at the same time. Good Lord , she’d had no idea how she’d affected him as he tended to her ankle. And a shapely ankle it was. Her calf, as well. Clearly , she spent a great deal of time walking and riding. He rather liked that about her. Even in a snowstorm, with a sprained ankle and clutching that fox, she’d handled her horse with grace. It wasn’t until they’d reached the manor that she could no longer hold onto the reins. Most women would be either crying or fainting in such a situation. She’d wanted to hop around. He’d had to carry her to keep her from hurting herself. Although , if he were honest with himself, he’d thoroughly enjoyed it.

He carried the buckets back into the kitchen, poured the water into a pot, and set it on the hook over the fire he’d set in the kitchen hearth. The flames had begun to die down, and he added more wood.

“ I’m boiling water for tea,” he said, returning to the parlor. “ And I’ll get some snow for your ankle.”

“ Oh , that won’t be necessary. I’ll be right as rain soon enough.”

“ No , you won’t. I’ve seen every kind of injury there is in my time, and you need to ice your foot and keep it elevated. No arguments.”

She sighed. “ I apologize for sounding like a child. I appreciate everything you’re doing for me.”

“ I didn’t think you were acting like a child. I do think you’re stubborn, however.”

“ Stubborn ?”

“ Yes .”

“ In a good way or a bad way?”

He angled his head as he regarded her. “ Depends .”

“ On what?”

“ On what you’re being stubborn about. I see you went against my suggestion to make your little friend more comfortable.” Rowan gestured to the folded sheet on top of the mat.”

Her cheeks turned a rosy hue. “ I hopped over and then hopped right back. I promise. And it sounded more like an order, not a suggestion,” she said, her lips curving into a smile.

He shook his head and walked into the kitchen searching for a tin of tea. But there were only a few dusty jars of honey and jam.

“ No tea, but I found honey. And I think I know where I can find some tea.”

“ The groundskeeper’s cottage?” she said, perking up.

“ Exactly . I wish I had thought of it when I went for the food. I’ll head over there in a few minutes.” He would remember to ask his man of business to reimburse the groundskeeper for his food and supplies.

Rowan went back to the kitchen and filled a basin with snow from outside the kitchen, then carried it to her and set it at her feet. Trying to keep his body from reacting, he bit the inside of his bottom lip as he unwrapped the makeshift bandage and gently set her foot into the basin.

The initial shock of the cold snow made her jerk her foot away, but he guided it back to the basin. “ This will help, I promise,” he said.

As the snow began to numb the ankle, Lucy gave a little moan and then a deep sigh as she closed her eyes and leaned back. “ Oh , you’re right. That feels much better…”

God , what I wouldn’t give for a cold lake right now. “ Right ,” he said, clearing his throat. “ Just keep icing your foot. I’ll go and see about those supplies from the groundskeeper’s cottage.”

He strode out without his jacket, welcoming the bracing cold. He couldn’t comprehend how such a beautiful and engaging young woman had gone virtually unnoticed by every eligible bachelor in London . God , ton men could be so such idiots.

She was absolutely delectable. If she’d been truly a widow and not one in name only, he’d have seduced her by now. He groaned as he rubbed the back of his neck as he remembered the sweet little moan she uttered from those luscious lips.

He would have to be careful around Lucy . Very careful.