Chapter 5

Chapter Five

T ables stacked with assortments of breads, sweets, meats, and tins of tea replaced the furniture Eleanor’s mother usually boasted in her parlor. The room was alive with conversation of the ball the previous evening and the upcoming events scheduled over the next eleven days leading up to Twelfth Night.

Eleanor preferred to listen to the conversations around her instead of participating. She’d been away far too long to know the local gossip, which meant she had much to take in and then show proper abhorrence upon learning of every tidbit. Although she didn’t particularly enjoy gossip, it was a staple of Society. No one could escape the sharp tongues of the matrons, and if anyone tried, the consequences would fall upon their shoulders with a bit of intriguing news of themselves; whether true or false, only the victim knew.

She sat at the table set apart for writing messages of hope and peace upon cards that were to be placed with each of the baskets. As she did so, Eleanor allowed her thoughts to drift away from the conversation around her as she copied out the prescribed message for the fifth time. Her hand would be sore by the end of the day, but it didn’t matter. Charity was the most important part of the season.

“Miss Dove, might I beg a seat beside you?” Miss Hartwell scooted onto the bench before Eleanor could respond with a nod of approval. “I have heard of nothing else since your arrival. Everyone has declared Miss Dove to be the favorite daughter of Emerald Falls.”

Eleanor calmly laid her quill upon the ink blotter as she allowed her latest letter to dry before folding it and applying the seal. “I was unaware of my popularity. Perhaps it is the only news the ladies deem worthy of notice.”

“You must be right. Although, I am certain there will be enough to speak about soon enough. The announcement of a certain happy event should keep tongues wagging for some time. A double wedding would bring the greatest joy to Emerald Falls.”

“I have no knowledge of anything so intriguing. Is there another couple on the brink of matrimony?” She didn’t know who to expect. If one of her old friends was near to being engaged, would not her mother have informed her?

Miss Hartwell crooned as she took hold of Eleanor’s arm. “But you must, Miss Dove. Why, everyone is speaking of the arrangement my cousin has planned.”

“Is it for you? I was unaware you had formed an attachment in our humble village.”

Miss Hartwell sat a little taller. “Well, if it has not reached your ears, then I shall not tell you. I do prefer a quiet life.”

Eleanor knew of whom Miss Hartwell spoke. She’d noticed at the ball the previous night how disgruntled Miss Hartwell had become when James had left the festivities. “Well, if I fail to hear of your happy news, please know I wish you great joy.”

“You are too kind, Miss Dove. Why, if all goes as planned, we shall be neighbors for the duration of our lives.”

Eleanor dipped her head in acknowledgement. “A happy thought. I do wish to know you better.”

“Then it is settled. We shall be the best of friends.” Miss Hartwell lifted one of the folded letters and turned it over to look at the seal before tossing it back on the pile. “Charity is rather dismal work. Quite uncultured. Do you not agree?”

“On the contrary, Miss Hartwell, I believe charity is the truest mark of culture. It reveals the refinement of one’s soul rather than merely the refinement of one’s manners.”

“You are right.” Miss Hartwell slipped off her gloves and took hold of the quill Eleanor had laid on the blotter moments before. She sighed as she examined the end of the quill. “One must see to their neighbors so as to fit the proverbial camel through the eye of a needle.”

Impressed by the Biblical reference, Eleanor passed a blank sheet of parchment to her new friend so they could continue their conversation.

Miss Hartwell dipped the quill into the ink and then sat with it poised over the inkwell. “I noticed Lord Montefeltro, Mr. Dove, and Mr. Bailey are not participating in the events this day.”

“My brother and Lord Montefeltro are at the Taylor farm with Mr. Bailey. They are doing a far more important service.” Eleanor knew her brother and Montefeltro would need instructions on how to repair the windows, but if anyone could teach them, it would be James.

“The announcement of your engagement last evening was an unexpected treat. It must be thrilling to think of being married to such a formidable man as the count. I would be quite intimidated.”

“Formidable?” Eleanor considered the suggestion. She knew Montefeltro could be imposing, but she was not frightened of her intended. “One could say your cousin is the more alarming person to be around.”

“Rothes?” Miss Hartwell shuddered, causing her to slip up on the card she was writing. She crumpled the page and started anew. “He does have a temper.”

“I do hope you are safe at the castle. If not, you need only ask for help.”

Miss Hartwell instantly recovered, the momentary fear of before erased from her face by a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Thank you, Miss Dove. I should consider your kind offer if ever it is necessary.”

“Are you happy with the plans your cousin has for you?” She was prying, something she ought not to do, but couldn’t help, given Miss Hartwell’s reaction of moments before.

“My happiness does not matter.”

“You may confide in me, Miss Hartwell. Is that not what friends do?”

It didn’t take much convincing. Miss Hartwell focused on the letter she was writing, but then made the decision to share her situation. “Rothes has told me I must choose a husband before he finds one for me. He is my protector. I must do as he says, at least until I reach my majority. But I fear I will not be so fortunate as to reach it outside of marriage. Therefore, I will be at the mercy of a man for the rest of my life.” Miss Hartwell finished the letter with a flourishing Christmas salutation before meeting Eleanor’s gaze.

Eleanor had spoken to many women in London over the last two seasons who suffered from the same predicament. Thankfully, she hadn’t been forced into accepting an offer of marriage. If she had declined Montefeltro’s offer, she would still be in London participating in the marriage mart.

Miss Hartwell bit her bottom lip as she checked to see that no one had overheard their conversation. Leaning forward, she lowered her voice to a near whisper. “You cannot tell another living soul.”

“Your secret is safe.”

“Thank you, Miss Dove.”

“Have you chosen a man?” Eleanor knew her father intended David to make a match with Miss Hartwell, but David hadn’t seemed too hopeful over the prospect. This information could very well help promote Eleanor’s brother in Miss Hartwell’s estimation.

“I intend to request for Rothes to arrange a match with Mr. Bailey.”

Eleanor’s hand instantly shot to her mouth to cover the gasp rising like bile. Slightly recovering, she leaned forward and whispered, “Mr. Bailey?”

“Yes. He is unattached and the best man Emerald Falls has to offer a woman. I would be ridiculous not to consider him as an option.”

“Yet, there is one very big flaw in your choice. Mr. Bailey and the Duke of Rothes are enemies. They have been since the terrible accident that left the duke without the use of his legs.”

Miss Hartwell’s lips turned up, and her eyes shined with an air of mischief. “Yes, I am aware of my cousin’s accusations against Mr. Bailey.”

“Then why would you wish to cause such turmoil? ”

“It is the only way I can remove myself from Rothes indefinitely. Rothes disapproves of everything Mr. Bailey does.” Miss Hartwell slid another piece of parchment in front of her and quickly jotted down another letter filled with Christmas cheer. “Only this morning, while I attempted to stomach a small meal, Rothes droned on about the ungentlemanly behavior of his neighbor, Mr. Bailey. Climbing on roofs to fix them is the job of a common man, not the gentry. Rothes believes the more you give to the poor, the less inclined they are to work.”

Eleanor leaned forward and dusted the letter Miss Hartwell had finished so the ink would dry. “The responsibility for upkeep on tenant buildings is shared by both the owner of the estate and the farmer. Larger repairs, such as improvements to the buildings, fall upon the estate owner. Mr. Bailey is adhering to the contract he has in place with his tenants. If the Duke of Rothes does not agree, he should speak directly with Mr. Bailey.”

Miss Hartwell instantly demurred. “That is exactly what I said to Rothes, right before I made my request. With any hope, I will be engaged to marry Mr. Bailey by the first of the year.”

“Do not misunderstand, Miss Hartwell, I think every woman should have her choice of husband. But there is a difference between choosing a man because you are in love and choosing one to cause trouble with your relations. It seems rather impertinent.”

A shadow blocked the sun that had shone through the windows as a man approached the opposite side of the table. Eleanor’s cheeks blistered with heat as she realized James stood only feet away. He nodded his head. “I tend to agree with you, Miss Dove.”

Eleanor nodded her head, wanting very much to respond to his statement but finding her voice caught in her throat. How had the man’s mere presence left her tongue tied? It seemed rather foolish and as impertinent as Miss Hartwell’s decision to marry a man her cousin loathed.

Miss Hartwell instantly stood, dropping the quill to the table. “Mr. Bailey, you appear quite frozen. Step near the fire so you do not catch a chill.”

“Thank you, Miss Hartwell, but I am not in need of a cozy fire. We must set out to deliver the baskets, elsewise it will be dark before we are finished.” Mr. Bailey reached forward to take the finished letters from the table.

Eleanor followed his every movement, hoping no one would notice. She watched as he took the letters and crossed the room to where the baskets were piled high with delectable treats. With the greatest of ease, James tucked a bit of Christmas cheer into each basket—a small offering of coins and a bottle of wine. He reviewed each card and then added a line or two of his own and signed his name below. These were people he knew intimately from years of working side by side with them on their homes and the farms.

Seeing his genuine care for the families made her love him all the more, which was rather vexing given her current situation. She didn’t want to continue loving James, not if he could so easily forget her. Moreover, Montefeltro deserved to be loved. He was a good man. But she simply didn’t know him enough to believe herself in love.

Eleanor crossed the room, walking near enough to smell the citrus of James’s bergamot cologne. His frame bristled, his head slightly turning, lips in a slump, jaw tight as she walked by. It appeared the courtship they’d shared, which had once led her to believe she would one day become his bride, no longer meant anything to him. Unfortunately for her, those memories teased every nerve, leaving her breathless and slightly unbalanced.

Placing one hand on a nearby table, Eleanor took a moment to gather her wits. If she were to make it through the entirety of this visit to Emerald Falls without making a cake of herself, she would have to find the strength that had carried her from the village two years previously.

“Miss Dove, are you unwell?” Miss Hartwell rushed forward and put her arm around Eleanor’s back. “Allow me to assist you to a chair.”

“There is no need, Miss Hartwell. I am quite recovered.”

“Nonsense. You are pale and shaking.” Miss Hartwell’s voice rose in pitch, garnering the attention of everyone in the parlor. Much to her chagrin, the onlookers included James.

Eleanor pushed away from the table, smoothed down the front of her dress, and then turned to her audience. “I am perfectly well. Please do not concern yourselves on my account. ”

Before anyone could argue, she calmly rushed from the room to find a place of solitude. The only place she knew where no one would discover her was in the old school room on the third floor.

A chill assaulted her face and arms as she entered the long-forgotten room, which had likely not had a fire in the grate since she had received her last lesson from her governess. Stepping toward the window, she looked down upon the carriages below to see they were being loaded with baskets and then people, each headed toward the homes of those in need. The recipients had been chosen on the advice of the vicar, who knew which had the greatest need in their community.

“Might I join you?” Montefeltro’s soft, melodic voice carried across the cold room to where she stood. She noted he stayed at the threshold, waiting for her approval.

“You may. Although, we likely should have a fire built if we plan to stay much longer.” She pulled her wrapper tightly around her arms. It did little to keep the chill away.

Montefeltro gingerly stepped into the school room, a kindly smile enhancing the handsomeness of his features. “You are quite recovered, I see.”

“Yes, very much.”

He took a moment to walk around the small room, taking in the paintings on the walls. The deliberate way he stopped to examine each wall hanging made her believe he was attempting to gather his thoughts.

“My morning was rather interesting.”

“The tenant farms. Was everything as you thought it would be?”

Montefeltro nodded, more with a quick movement of his eyebrows than with the entirety of his head. “Mr. Bailey taught me a valuable lesson this morning.”

“Oh?” She had never known James to be one for oration of any sort. He was more a doer than a talker.

“A landed gentleman not only sees to the temporal needs of those in his care, but he also sees to their emotional and spiritual wellbeing. It is not enough to rent a home to a man and expect him to know how to care for it. One must teach those under one’s stewardship.”

There were not many in England, let alone the world, who subscribed to that way of thinking. “Mr. Bailey told you this? How very generous of him.”

“No, Miss Dove, he showed me by his actions.” Montefeltro turned toward her, his shoulders tight, his movements succinct. “Since we have arrived in Emerald Falls, your actions have shown me quite a lot as well.”

The same lightheaded feeling of moments before rushed back as she sucked in a deep breath. She steadied herself against the wall, transfixed by the intensity in his gaze. “My actions?”

“You have missed your family.”

Her shoulder’s instantly relaxed, the tension lifting as she found the conversation much more enjoyable than what she’d expected. “Well, yes, I suppose I have missed my family. It has been two years since I last saw them.”

“I think we shall visit each year for the Christmastide season. So far, the festivities have proved rather enjoyable.”

Eleanor found her way to the nearest chair, her thoughts scattered with any number of excuses she could give to prevent returning to Emerald Falls, but nothing came to mind that sounded even remotely sane. Her stomach seized, unable to process the tumultuous emotions. She had gone from fear to relief to frustration within seconds.

“We agreed to live in Italy.” Eleanor met his gaze, determined not to divulge her true feelings upon the matter.

Montefeltro nodded. His skeptical raise of the eyebrows elongated his face, bristling his mustache a little. “Yes, but that does not mean a trip to Emerald Falls each year is unwarranted. Your family will be sorely missed by not only you but our future children.”

“My parents will visit us at your home. We will meet often enough that no one will regret my decision to marry.” No regrets from anyone except her. Yet, she would bury such longings deep within herself. Even now, as she thought of James loading the charity baskets into his carriage, she yearned to stand next to him, to speak to him, to be near enough to smell his cologne.

Montefeltro rubbed his chin, the hairs on his beard sticking out in a haphazard way at the movement. “I think not. We cannot expect your parents to make the sacrifice of leaving this beautiful part of England each year.”

Desperate, Eleanor placed her hand over her stomach as a way to protect herself from the onslaught of movement within. Her breakfast was not sitting well. “That was not our agreement, my lord.”

“Pardon me?”

Pushing up from the chair, her feet were unsteady as she stood to her full height. “I agreed to marry you with one stipulation on my side. I wish to leave England and never return. If you are now breaking your promise, then I must go back to London and seek a new match.”

“ Amore , do not be unreasonable.” Montefeltro stepped toward her, his hands outstretched as though he intended to calm her nerves. “My desire to return to this beautiful village is for your happiness alone. I have witnessed the beauty of your family, and I dare not remove you from your relations for my own selfishness.”

Eleanor stepped away from him. She did not want his touch, not now or ever. But she would acquiesce once they were married. “If I’d had any intention of visiting Emerald Falls in the future, I would not have insisted upon leaving. It is my greatest desire to rid myself of this place once and for all.”

Stepping to the window once more, she peered out to find James was standing by his carriage with Miss Hartwell next to him. James’s face held a pleasant smile, the one he reserved for conversations with people he didn’t particularly wish to speak with but to whom he also didn’t want to give insult. Miss Hartwell animatedly flirted with him, expertly swaying from one side to the next with her hands tucked into her muff. Her eyes were wide as she agreed with every word he spoke. If she hadn’t enjoyed her earlier conversation with Miss Hartwell so much, she might find a way to convince the woman to leave the village.

Eleanor wiped unbidden tears from her eyes. One day, James Bailey would have to take a wife. She didn’t want to be anywhere near Emerald Falls when it finally happened. She knew Montefeltro was behind her, waiting for more of an explanation, but she didn’t want to talk about it any longer. “The baskets are loaded in the carriages. We should offer to assist in delivering them.”

“Mayhap you should stay home. You seem unwell.”

She turned away from the window and walked out of the school room without further response. Montefeltro was a man of high moral character. There was no reason to doubt herself now, especially since she had accepted his offer of marriage. She would not survive another scandal of great proportion, although, did anyone in Emerald Falls consider the ending of her courtship with James a scandal? It seemed no one, except her and those intimately involved, even remembered she was once courted by the most eligible bachelor in the village. Everyone had moved on with their lives, which meant she must do so as well.