Chapter Six

C aroline relaxed in the company of her aunt and cousin. She had always enjoyed whenever her family had visited the vicarage. With Uncle Bertram's last transfer to Summerfield-on-Eden, and the distance from her home, the time in between visits had grown longer with each passing year. The news of her brother's death was the catalyst that continued to take the lives of those she loved. Was there a curse? Was she, too, destined to die within the year?

Shaking that grim thought from her brainbox, she concentrated on the moment and being with the family she had missed dearly.

"Now that your uncle is out of hearing," her aunt said, "is there anything you need to speak of?"

Caroline set her teacup on its saucer and placed it on the cherry table next to the settee. "I am fine, Aunt Josephine. Before you feel the need to remonstrate me about my lack of confiding in you or Uncle about Mum's health, at the time I thought it was prudent for me not to speak of our situation. I couldn't take the chance that word would get back to her of my concern, and just how desperate her health had become."

"Very well," her aunt replied. "Though how you couldn't see a way to confide in us is something I will never understand."

Grief filled Caroline as she thought of how frail her mother had become in the last few months. Instead of answering her aunt, she said, "It gave Mum pleasure to read your letters. I did not want her to know that we were struggling because she would have insisted that I stop visiting the three apothecaries that had become her lifeline. I was afraid that I would lose her if that happened. Regaining her health was of the utmost importance to me. Strain between your family and what was left of mine could be dealt with later, if it came to that."

She twisted her fingers in her lap, wondering if she had done the wrong thing entirely. Then she remembered the light in her mother's eyes whenever she returned with a new bottle of tonic to try. "It gave her such hope every time I brought home the latest herbal or tonic. She would smile, and for a brief moment, I could forget how deep the ache of losing Neil, David, and Papa was. I am sorry if you are displeased with my decision, but I would never take away those last few weeks Mum and I had together. She fought until she breathed her last. She had a smile on her face, and I knew…" Her voice broke, and she had to stifle the sob constricting her throat to continue. "I knew Papa and Neil greeted her with open arms, surrounding her with their love and beautiful feathered angels' wings."

Her aunt reached for Caroline's left hand, as Melanie reached for her right. Unable to hold back her tears, she let them come. Her aunt handed her a soft white linen handkerchief to mop up her tears.

"Brave Caro," her aunt said. "I ache for your loss, and wish we did not live so far apart. I did not question you because I doubted your judgment. I asked because of our need to help, which, all things considered, has no bearing on the situation."

"I prayed for wisdom," Caroline whispered. "The only answer that came to me was to keep trying. The herbals and tonics did not harm Mum, though they did not improve her health."

"Did you ask for the return of the coin you paid in good faith?"

Caroline drew in a breath and willed herself to stop crying. "It did not occur to me until after we buried her between Papa and Neil."

Her aunt put an arm around Caroline. "You shouldered such a huge burden, Caro. Agatha and Nelson must have thanked the Lord daily for your support when the news of Neil's ultimate sacrifice for king and country arrived. It had to be just as devastating to you to lose your older brother and David. Agatha mentioned that he had asked Nelson for permission to court you."

Caroline nodded. She felt so lost, knowing neither her brother, nor the man she'd pledged to wait for, would ever return.

"Forgive me, Caro. It is so easy for one to make suggestions," her aunt said, "especially when one is not standing in the thick of things, facing such important decisions regarding a loved one's health and well-being."

"There is nothing to forgive. You and Uncle Bertram have always opened your home and arms to my family. Did you know that Mum always called you the sister of her heart?"

Her aunt's eyes filled at the endearment. "I am so sorry that Bertram was unable to go to you after receiving Agatha's note with the news of dear Nelson's sudden illness, so soon after the news about Neil."

Caroline removed her spectacles to wipe the lenses. She knew her aunt needed to hear everything, in order to properly grieve for Caroline's parents. She dug for the wherewithal to continue. "We both understood. Your letters uplifted us and gave us the courage to keep going."

"When you wrote a month ago, telling of Agatha's health being tenuous"—Aunt Josephine shifted her gaze to her daughter and then met Caroline's eyes once more—"we were in the midst of trying to find Melanie."

Caroline stared at her cousin. "Can you speak of what happened?"

Melanie placed her teacup on the table next to Caroline's. "Olivia and I were speaking with Prudence—she's married to Garahan, one of the duke's guard at Summerfield Chase—and were planning to take tea with her at the inn in the village, when a carriage pulled into the innyard. When we heard what sounded like a young woman crying for help, we all rushed to do so."

The tension in the room was palpable. Caroline nodded. "You and Olivia have never lacked courage. I would have been surprised if you did not attempt to give aid."

Her cousin nodded. "Prudence was right behind us. But things are not always what they seem," Melanie rasped. "Voices can be disguised to lead one to false conclusions."

"The young woman was not in need of your help?" Caroline asked.

Melanie shifted on the cream wing-backed chair. Instinctively Caroline knew there was more to the story.

"What aren't you telling me, Melanie?"

Her cousin hesitated, then said, "We were grabbed and gagged the moment we entered the coach."

Caroline's eyes widened. "What about Garahan's wife?"

"The men got hold of her and pulled her into the carriage with us a moment before the reprobate, disguised as a lord, returned and ordered his coachman to drive."

"With the three of you captive inside his carriage?"

Melanie nodded, her eyes giving away the fact that the incident was still quite fresh in her mind.

"What of the kidnapper?" Caroline asked. "Who was he impersonating?"

"He was not disguised as a lord," Aunt Josephine reminded her daughter. "Even though Lord Anderson is a member of the ton , he is a reprobate, a rogue, and a rounder!"

Caroline studied her cousin, looking for any sign that she was injured in the kidnapping. Finding none, she asked, "Did he hurt either of you?"

To her shock, Melanie slowly smiled. "A few bruises, but they were soon forgotten when Olivia kicked one of his henchmen when he…"

When her voice trailed off, Caroline stood and walked over to where Melanie sat staring into space. "Whatever reason your friend had for kicking the man, if he were here right now, I'd kick him, too."

Melanie giggled. "Cornelius let us practice kicking him the last time he was here and those boys were picking on us. Remember, Caro?" As soon as the words left her mouth, her expression changed from joy to grief.

Their eyes met and Caroline knew Melanie had not spoken of Neil to make her sad. The memory of her brother had the opposite effect. Her lips lifted into a small smile. "Neil was the best of brothers. I was so lucky to have him looking after me. Don't you remember me telling you that the last thing he did before leaving to join his regiment was to show me more than one way to stop a miscreant from attacking or attempting to abduct me?"

"I do, and that there is more than one place to kick and elbow our attackers. You showed Olivia and me those moves," Melanie said, with a quick glance at her mother.

Caroline knew her aunt would not have approved, but her brother had insisted that she teach their cousin, who of course was never without Olivia. So Caroline ended up showing the both of them.

Turning to her aunt, Caroline said, "It must have accomplished what Neil hoped if Olivia was able to keep her head and kick her abductor. My brother only wanted Melanie and me to be safe."

"Cornelius was so much like your father," Aunt Josephine said. "Both men possessed a spine of steel, a core of honor, and a heart of gold."

Caroline's heart warmed at her aunt's compliment. "Uncle Bertram is so much like Papa and Neil in that regard." She paused and waited a moment to find the words to help her aunt know that she understood what had not been said. "Uncle would have wanted to chase after the kidnappers, but did not because he had to protect you, and could not leave his congregation—and the village—without its spiritual leader."

"We would never want you to think that we did not want to rush to Agatha's side. By the time Melanie had been safely returned, we were packing our bags, making ready to leave…then your letter with the news of Agatha's passing arrived."

Struggling not to break down and cry for the second time in the last half an hour, Caroline gathered her composure and swallowed her tears. "From what Mr. O'Ghill tells me, he and his cousin were able to rescue Melanie, Olivia, and Mrs. Garahan without incident."

Melanie frowned. "Is that what Mr. O'Ghill told you?"

Surprised by her cousin's expression, Caroline agreed.

"By the by, Mr. Garahan, who prefers to be called Garahan, was stabbed in the back and had to be sewn back together." Hand to her breast, Melanie confessed, "I swooned at the vivid description of the injury."

It was Caroline's turn to frown. "Who in their right mind would have described such in front of a lady?"

"At the time, O'Ghill and Garahan were arguing about the whiskey Prudence added to our teapot. Then Garahan was explaining why he wasn't the one responsible for our slightly inebriated state because of his injury. I cannot repeat the description or what he said, or I'll likely swoon again."

"Ah." Caroline nodded. "Mayhap I will have to take into account that Mr.—that is, Garahan was in pain at the time and upset by the fact that you and Olivia, who are too young to be swilling whiskey, had done just that."

Melanie squared her shoulders and huffed. "We were not ‘swilling whiskey.' Prudence added a few drops to the teapots."

"Teapots?" Caroline asked.

"Yes. We were still quite anxious, as you can imagine, having been abducted and then hearing that Garahan had been severely injured by the lord who kidnapped us. One pot of tea was not enough to fortify us."

Caroline glanced at her aunt, who was staring at the ceiling while her lips moved. She fought back the urge to smile, and told her cousin, "I believe your mum is counting again. Best not discuss the additive to your tea."

"Olivia and I have so much to tell you, Caro," Melanie said.

Caroline knew from the pained expression on her aunt's face that her cousin and her friend would be retelling their abduction in great detail as soon as the three of them were together. Out of earshot of her uncle and aunt.

"I'm looking forward to it." The front door closed, and Caroline straightened in her seat. Expecting to see O'Malley and O'Ghill, she was surprised at the disappointment arrowing through her when only her uncle walked into the parlor.

"The men had to report in to his lordship."

His words should not have come as a shock to her. Of course O'Malley had to go. He was head of the duke's guard at Summerfield Chase. But she had hoped to be able to bid him goodbye, and thank him and O'Ghill one more time before they left. Who knew when or if she would see the handsome, green-eyed Irishman again?

"Why don't you and Melanie head up to bed?" her aunt suggested. "We can catch up in the morning. After breakfast, we will need to set the vicarage to rights before the two of you seek out Olivia." She paused, then slowly smiled. "That is, if Olivia does not appear on our doorstep before breakfast."

Melanie rose and picked up the tea tray. "Caro doesn't look in the least bit sleepy after our tea. Why don't she and I straighten the kitchen, while you and Papa head upstairs?"

"If you are certain, Caro."

Caroline nodded and was hugged as if she had not seen her aunt and uncle in a decade instead of the few short years it had been. "Goodnight Aunt, Uncle. Thank you for taking me in when I had nowhere to go."

"You are family, Caro," her uncle replied.

"And always welcome here…indefinitely," her aunt added.

"Still—"

Aunt Josephine shook her head. "Family protects family. You are our much-loved niece, and a welcome addition to our family. We anticipate the joy you will bring to the Chessy side of the family." One last hug and she and the vicar climbed the stairs.

Caroline's tears blurred her vision for a moment before Melanie tugged on her hand. "Olivia has set her cap for Dillon Flaherty!"

Caroline blinked and followed her cousin into the kitchen. "I don't remember you mentioning anyone by that name in your letters. Did he move here recently?"

Melanie's soft laughter caught Caroline's full attention. Her cousin only laughed like that when she had a juicy tidbit of gossip to share. "He's one of the duke's guard at Summerfield Chase."

"Has he called on Mr. Coleman to make his attentions known?"

Melanie snorted. "Hardly. When he's on patrol in the village, he has never even glanced in Olivia's direction."

"Why would she be interested in him, then?"

Melanie rolled her eyes in exasperation. "He's nearly as tall as O'Malley and O'Ghill, who are both a bit taller than Garahan. The duke's guard are all built like mythical heroes of old. Broad through the chest and shoulders, handsome men, and not a one has ever expressed an interest in the women of Summerfield-on-Eden. Well, that is until Prudence arrived to take up the position of nanny to her twin cousins."

"Don't you mean the women of marriageable age?" Caroline asked.

Melanie clapped a hand to her mouth before another loud snort of laughter could escape. "Just because Olivia and I are not as old as you, Caro—and may I remind you that you are only four years older—doesn't mean we cannot appreciate a handsome man when we see one."

Caroline was not certain how she felt about being reminded she was old enough to be married with two babes by now. And she may very well have been if her circumstances had not changed so drastically.

At her silence, Melanie exclaimed, "Botheration, Caro! You must know that I did not mean it as a slight."

"I do know that, Melanie. Had my father recovered from his sudden illness, we expected Mr. Humbolt to offer for my hand."

Melanie threw her arms around Caroline and squeezed her. "Congratulations! When can we expect Mr. Humbolt to appear to whisk you away to his castle in the clouds?"

Caroline shook her head. "I cannot believe you are still holding tight to your belief in fairytale romance!"

They made quick work of straightening the kitchen and surveyed the room to ensure everything had been put away before heading upstairs.

"He won't be coming," Caroline finally confided. "Nor will he be asking for my hand."

Melanie paused halfway up the stairs. "Whyever not?"

"I have nothing of value to offer. I had to sell it…all of it. Our home, the furniture, our dishes—everything of value—to pay our debts."

Her cousin's grip was surprisingly strong as she hurried up the stairs. For the second time that night, Caroline let herself be pulled along. Melanie opened the door to her bedroom and quickly closed it behind them, motioning Caroline over to the wardrobe.

Caroline was swept back in time to when they were young, and knew instantly what her cousin was about. "Do you and Olivia still use your wardrobe to hide in when you share your secrets and do not wish to be overheard?"

"Of course we do! The walls are quite thick and muffle our voices. Hurry up and sit down so I can close the door." When Caroline complied, Melanie said, "Now then, Caro, tell me everything. And I mean everything ."