Chapter 7
It took a lot of restraint from Adam to walk away from Maggie and close the door. He wanted to stay, to ensure that she was alright – even under her flushed cheeks, she was still quite pale – but that would have been too much. He had done more than he should have done carrying her upstairs to her room.
This was all far too much. He should have stopped this earlier and let the servants take care of Maggie. It wasn't his responsibility. And yet …
He couldn't stop himself. Somehow, Maggie had sneaked past his defences, making it hard for him to concentrate.
It was odd, considering that he suspected her of spying on him and could be working for whoever was targeting him, and now he was looking out for her welfare a little too much. Although Adam hadn't really forgotten about that. He still thought that Maggie might have had something to do with this, yet he couldn't shake what had happened to her. She had been attacked as well.
That could be a ploy. Adam didn't know. But he wouldn't find out unless Maggie said otherwise, and from how she reacted, Adam didn't believe she was lying. That was genuine fear he saw before she broke down. No amount of acting could create that reaction.
Adam wished he knew what he could do. Now that someone else had got involved, he was more determined than ever to find out who had done this. Adam couldn't let anyone else get hurt, least of all his sisters. If anyone harmed them …
"Adam!"
Adam looked around and saw Sabrina hurrying down the stairs towards him, wearing her nightgown and her hair flowing down her back. Adam frowned.
"What are you doing awake, Sabrina? I thought you were supposed to be in bed by now."
"At this time?" Sabrina pouted. "It's too early."
"It's perfectly fine for your age. What are you doing up?"
"I went downstairs to look for Mother. She promised to read me a story but wasn't in her room. And I heard your guests talking about the maid Maggie as I went past the drawing room." Sabrina frowned. "I don't know what's happened, but they sounded unhappy. The girl, especially, was very upset. Are they going to get rid of Maggie?"
Adam sighed and clasped his sister's shoulders.
"No, they're not going to get rid of Maggie. And even if they did, it's nothing to do with us. She's not a part of our household."
"Well, I wish she was," Sabrina said. "I like her. She's a good person."
"You would say that after what happened with the horse."
Sabrina lifted her chin defiantly.
"I know I'm only seven, but I know when someone's a good person. I like her."
"That's not really going to help anyone, is it? Not when she's not our responsibility." Adam kissed her head and gently turned her around. "Now, go back to bed. I've got things to do, and little children should not hear this."
Sabrina didn't look happy about that but did as she was told. She suddenly turned and jumped onto Adam, wrapping her arms around his neck. Adam gasped and grabbed onto the banister as he caught himself.
"Careful, Sabrina! You're going to cause another accident!"
"Night, Adam." Sabrina gave him a grin as she jumped back onto the stairs. "Love you."
"Love you, too, sweetie."
Adam watched his little sister go back upstairs before he headed down and towards the drawing room. Baron Atterbury and his wife were sitting on the settee while Lady Phoebe paced up and down, looking like she was about to explode. She swung around on Adam as he entered the room.
"What on earth was going on there?" she demanded. "I thought a duke would know better than to cavort around with maids."
Adam stiffened.
"Who said anything about cavorting with maids? I already told you what happened, Lady Phoebe."
"You don't know Maggie," Lady Phoebe sneered. "She will say anything to make herself look better. She's a very good liar."
"I thought you considered her stupid. You talk to her as if she is if I recall."
Lady Phoebe's cheeks went pink. Atterbury cleared his throat.
"I think there's been some sort of misunderstanding, Your Grace. From what my wife and daughter say …"
"They saw me carrying their maid because she was suffering from shock after being attacked by someone who was trying to vandalize my property." Adam looked at each person with a hard stare. "You think I could walk away after something like that?"
Atterbury's eyes widened.
"Maggie was attacked?"
"Yes." Adam took a deep breath. "For some time, I've had issues with someone targeting my family. Vandalism is part of it, which is what Maggie discovered. She was covered with red paint and assaulted."
"What …?"
"You think just because she's a maid that she doesn't matter?" Adam scowled. "Because she's not a lady?"
"Of course, she doesn't matter," Lady Phoebe scoffed rudely. "She's a servant, nothing more. Who cares?"
Adam wondered how someone so young could behave so abysmally. He glared at her.
"I care, Lady Phoebe," he said sharply. "And because it happened on my property, I care even more." That made her bristle. "You've got a brave woman in Maggie, My Lady. She stood up to the vandal at the cost of her own safety, and I think you should give her some credit. That woman is sharper than you think."
"Sharp? She's about as sharp as a rock." Lady Phoebe turned to her father. "You need to dismiss her, Father. Right now."
Atterbury blinked. Even Lady Atterbury looked surprised. Adam stared.
"Are you serious? What for?"
"For cavorting with a duke. What else?" Lady Phoebe folded her arms. "She knows what she's supposed to do and knows not to be around gentlemen. She completely ignored that."
"I was the one who said I would carry her to her room. Maggie is not at fault for something I did." Adam folded his arms to mimic her stance. "You can't dismiss her for doing something that any normal person with a good heart would do. That's just silly."
Lady Phoebe glared at him.
"Well, I want her out."
"And if you dismiss her, you'll just open yourself up for humiliation. People will know that you dismissed her for no good reason, and do you want that to go around the area knowing that you would get rid of a servant for a petty reason?"
Lady Phoebe looked like she was going to argue, but then Atterbury spoke up, getting to his feet.
"We won't dismiss Maggie, Your Grace. It would be unfair to do that after everything that went on with her."
"What?" Lady Phoebe gasped. "Father!"
"We're already having problems hiring servants, Phoebe. I'm not about to make it worse by dismissing someone who is actually a good worker simply because you dislike her." Atterbury nodded at Adam. "I'll make sure that it doesn't happen."
From the look on his face, the baron was not used to standing up to his daughter. Adam wondered how uncomfortable Lady Phoebe would make things for him when they were alone. He took a deep breath.
"I appreciate that, Baron Atterbury. Because I don't think it's right to punish Maggie for something that is my fault. I'll accept responsibility, and I had the best intentions."
"Of course you did, Your Grace. My daughter got carried away."
Atterbury glared at his daughter, but Lady Phoebe stuck her nose in the air. Adam rubbed the back of his neck.
"I don't want to make this uncomfortable for anyone, but any responsibility for this is mine. I will accept anything if you're upset about your maid being put in this situation. I intended to ensure she was safe, and that's it."
Even though he sounded convincing, Adam didn't think he was convincing. But he kept his gaze on Atterbury, who looked uncomfortable as he glanced from wife to daughter.
"I'll make sure Maggie's position is kept safe," he promised. "She won't lose her position."
Lady Phoebe huffed and stormed towards the door, slamming the door behind her. Adam sighed.
"And I think you should speak to your daughter about how she treats her staff. Nobody deserves to be spoken about in such a manner."
"You're going to have to forgive our daughter, Your Grace," Lady Atterbury said suddenly. "She's … rather high-strung."
"She needs to behave better than that around people; it doesn't matter who they are, Baroness. It's not an attractive trait that anyone's going to tolerate."
The baroness flushed, and Atterbury looked embarrassed. Deciding that no more could be done now, Adam turned away.
"I'll take my leave. If you wish to stay awake, I'll make sure the footmen are around to tend to your needs."
"Yes, of course," Atterbury said quickly. "Thank you, Your Grace."
Adam didn't respond, simply leaving the room. There was something about the family, even with Lady Phoebe out of the room, that left him rather exhausted after having to deal with them.
#
"Would you like some tea, Ben?" Maggie asked as she came in with the saucepan, the water fresh from the bucket outside. "I'm just about to make some for me?"
"I'm fine right now." Ben looked up from the book he was reading, frowning at his sister. "How long are you going to be here? It's been three days now."
"Are you that eager to get rid of me?" Maggie teased.
"It's not like that …"
"I know it isn't. Don't worry about it." Maggie put the saucepan on the stove and found the box of matches. "I'm going back to the house tomorrow. I've just got to keep out of the way for the moment."
Ben snorted.
"That little chit shouldn't have been allowed to do something like that. That's just disgusting how she treats you, and then to do this? It wasn't even your fault."
"Do you want to argue with her about that?"
"I'd like to. I'd certainly give her a piece of my mind about how she's treated my little sister."
Maggie didn't doubt that. Her brother was one of those people who would stand up for those he believed deserved it, even the more unfortunate. He never let abuse from those higher up in Society deter him from arguing. It didn't bother him at all that he could get into trouble, something their parents were worried about.
Ever since he was young and was accused of burglary when it wasn't even his fault, Ben's attitude of what was right and wrong had been building. It was a little terrifying when he got going, but Maggie understood. It wasn't easy to be a part of this and have people believe one thing when it wasn't actually his doing.
Maggie and her parents believed that Ben was innocent, but nobody else seemed to care. How he got through being in the army until he was medically discharged with that hanging over his head, Maggie had no idea, seeing as Ben hated authority.
At least he didn't have to deal with Lady Phoebe every day. That was a saving grace for him.
"When are Ma and Pa getting back?" Ben asked, shifting back in his chair as he made himself more comfortable.
"Pa is in the fields dealing with the sheep right now, and Ma is at the shop. I doubt they'll be back until after dark."
"So that means you're going to make dinner again?" Ben made a face. "Oh, dear God, spare us."
"That's not…" Maggie started to protest, only to see Ben smirking at her. Groaning, she tossed a washcloth at his face. "You are horrible."
"You love me, really."
"There are days when I doubt that."
While she was annoyed about being told to leave the house where she worked because of Lady Phoebe's issues, Maggie was glad she got to spend some time with her family. She enjoyed it; despite the earlier and longer hours, there was a warmer atmosphere with her parents and living with them. They owned a farm and a shop of woollen goods, the wool of which came from the sheep that they raised and looked after.
Her parents were constantly busy, but they were happy. Maggie was glad that she was one of those people who had been raised in a happy household and got herself a good work ethic. It was fun, although some people thought she was mad to think that working was fun. It was hard work, yes, but Maggie was delighted to know that she had made a difference.
Although she sometimes wished that she was working with her parents, back with the sheep, or in the shop selling goods to members of the ton. It didn't pay as much as what she got right now, but at least she wasn't called stupid and slow all the time.
A knock on the door had Maggie looking around. Ben didn't look up from his book, choosing to stay where he was. While he did have an issue with his leg and was constantly walking with a limp, Ben was not completely useless. He could easily get up and answer the door.
He was just being lazy.
Sighing, Maggie went to the door, opened it, and almost fell backwards in shock when she saw the Duke of Banbury standing on the threshold. With his perfectly-made suit, his clean-shaven complexion, and the riding boots that looked like they had never seen mud in their life, he looked very out of place in the farmyard. Even his horse, tethered to a fence nearby, looked uncomfortable.
Maggie knew she was staring at him with her mouth open, but she couldn't help herself. What was going on here?
"Well?" Banbury raised his eyebrows. "Are you going to invite me in?"
"I … what …" Maggie shook herself. "Your Grace. What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to talk to you. Lady Phoebe told me that she …" Banbury cleared his throat. "Told you to go and spend time with your family for a few days."
Was that how Lady Phoebe was spinning it? Maggie tried not to snort in derision, but Ben did that for her, making her jump. Somehow, she had forgotten that Ben was present as well.
"You mean she told Maggie to get out of sight for a while until she decides she's been punished enough without pay? I don't know why Maggie doesn't just walk away. She would be entitled to do it as well, given how that family treats her."
"Ben!" Maggie shot him a look. "That's enough!"
Ben simply shrugged, but he didn't go back to his book. He was openly staring at Banbury, who was beginning to shuffle from foot to foot. Then, the duke looked around and inspected the yard.
"Is it alright to come in?"
"I … yes, of course." Maggie stepped aside. "Come in, Your Grace."
Banbury stepped inside, and Maggie was suddenly aware of how tall he was. She had been so used to her childhood home that she never expected someone else to come in and almost bump their head against the ceiling.
"It's quite cozy in here," Banbury commented, looking around. "This is where you grew up?"
"It is."
"And you've managed with the smell?"
Maggie laughed and leaned against the door. Her legs felt weak, and she didn't trust herself enough to stand up. Not until she had got over the shock that a duke was in her childhood kitchen.
"We've managed to cope with a lot more than this, Your Grace. The smell is the least of our worries once you get used to it."
"I hope that's the case." Banbury gestured at the kitchen table. "Do you mind if I sit?"
"Go ahead."
This felt really odd. Never did Maggie think that Banbury would be in her home. It felt like the strangest dream she had ever experienced. And it didn't make her fluttering heart any better. A few days away should have been a chance for Maggie to realize that the attraction she had for the duke was merely passing.
It should stop now that she was away from everything; hearing Lady Phoebe talk about Banbury was not helpful as it fuelled her imagination. But seeing him here made her realize that it hadn't gone at all. It was … unsettling.
She shouldn't be feeling like this towards him. When Mrs Crawford had helped her pack for her few days away, she told Maggie that it was for the best and that she couldn't entertain anything of the sort.
She was a maid, and that was never going to change. Even if, by some miracle, she married and became a duchess, she would always be known as the maid. That had stung, but Maggie knew that the housekeeper was right. It would never change her status.
So much for getting space to get her head cleared. Even if that weren't what Lady Phoebe wanted her to do, it would have helped.
And it wasn't.
"Well, are you going to make that tea, Maggie?" Ben asked with a wry look in her direction. "I think the water is going to be boiling shortly. Forgive my sister, Your Grace. She does tend to get distracted."
"There's nothing to forgive." Banbury sat back and crossed his legs at the ankles. "It has to be a surprise that I'm here. I don't normally come out to visit people like this."
"And you're here to check that my sister is alright?" Ben sneered.
Maggie glanced at him and saw that her brother had put the book on the table, sitting forward to fix a hard stare on Banbury. The duke didn't seem too bothered by it, though, giving him a lazy smile. Maggie wasn't sure where this was going, and she was not trusting her brother to behave himself; Ben's issues with members of the ton went a lot deeper than she was aware, Maggie was sure, so he could come out with anything.
"You don't need to worry about my sister, Your Grace. She can take care of herself." Ben's eyes narrowed. "You could do better by telling that girl she has to look after that if she wants anyone to love her, then she needs to stop behaving like a spoiled toddler."
"I'm not in a position to tell Lady Phoebe anything. That is her parents' job."
"And they're doing a bad job of it," Ben snorted.
"Ben," Maggie warned, but her brother ignored her, still focusing on the duke. It was beginning to feel like a stand-off, and Maggie didn't know what to do.
"It's not my place to tell Baron Atterbury how to raise his daughter," Banbury said evenly. "I can call them out if something happens, but I can't suggest how they should discipline their child."
"I think that's a bit too late for discipline. Unless she's sent to an isolated colony where she has to fend for herself."
"That's a bit harsh, isn't it?"
"Like it's harsh that Maggie was sent away for a few days because you were ‘showing kindness'?" Ben scoffed. "This is Lady Phoebe's way of saying that if she was dismissed, things would be a lot worse. She likes to punish Maggie for her insecurities when my sister has done nothing wrong."
"Ben, that's enough," Maggie said sharply. "No more, please."
Ben scowled.
"You think we should just let this girl get away with being a spoiled brat?"
"We're not in a position to say otherwise. Now, would you stop with the attitude in front of the duke? He's not here to hear us complain."
"Well, he's going to have to get used to it." Ben stood up, leaning a little on one side with his injury. "We never have any problems unless it's to do with the ton. They're people who can't be trusted, no matter what. And they are never held accountable for their actions."
And with that, he limped out of the room, slamming the door behind him.