His brows rose. ‘I have no objection to your independence, Hester, I just wish it did not give you this foolhardy confidence.’
‘I thought you were upset that I do not trust you?’ she jibed, now thoroughly nettled. ‘You should congratulate me on retaining a caution about anyone whom I have known for such a short time.’
‘I see there is no reasoning with you. Good day, Miss Lattimer.’
‘Good day, my lord.’ The door shut behind him and she watched through the window as he strode across the yard to the gate. ‘Guy.’
Five minutes later she realised she was still sitting at the kitchen table, staring into space. ‘For goodness’ sake, pull yourself together, Hester!’ she exclaimed. ‘You wanted him to keep a proper distance, that at least is now assured!’ This should have been a comfort, but somehow her anxiously sought respectability and acceptance in the community seemed a hollow ambition now.
Hester got to her feet and took herself upstairs to see how Jethro did. Halfway across the landing she stopped, turned and ran downstairs to lock the back door, knowing as she did so that it was probably a futile gesture.
Thursday dawned bright and clear as Miss Prudhome announced when she met Susan and Hester in the kitchen. ‘Lovely and sunny, despite all that rain last night.’
‘Which is more than can be said for us,’ Susan observed, banging down a coffee pot on the tray destined for Jethro’s room. ‘I didn’t get a wink of sleep, and I dare say you didn’t, either, Miss Hester-not judging by those dark circles under your eyes.’
‘I am sorry,’ Maria apologised, with a return to her old fluttering nervousness. ‘I did try and creep about, but Jethro was very uncomfortable and needed a lot of attention.’
‘It wasn’t you, Miss Maria.’ Susan seized the carving knife and attacked the ham as though it had done her a personal injury. ‘It’s not knowing when that creature will get back in the house again. Pass me the butter, would you, Miss Hester?’
Hester pushed the crock across the table. It had not just been nervousness that had interrupted her sleep. Endless fantasising about exactly how she should have dealt with Guy the day before had not helped either. ‘At least anyone outside would have seen Maria’s candle moving from room to room upstairs and would have known they would be heard if they attempted to enter.’ She tried, and failed, to stifle a cracking yawn. ‘Oh dear, I think we should take it in turns to have a nap today. Until Jethro is better and we have seen the last of these strange incidents, I fear none of us will sleep well at night.’
She opened the door for Susan to pass through with Jethro’s breakfast and drifted back to the table, regarding Maria’s heavy eyes with concern. ‘Is Jethro so very poorly, Maria? Perhaps we should send for the doctor again. Do you not think that perhaps some laudanum drops would help him sleep, then you can get some rest too?’
‘No, it is only what you would expect,’ Maria assured her. ‘He is thoroughly uncomfortable, still somewhat shocked, and miserable that he cannot get up. Shall I coddle some eggs? I could just fancy egg and toast. Do we have a coddler, do you know?’
They scanned the shelves, but failed to see one. Maria opened one of the doors to the cupboards flanking the fireplace, peered in, shook her head and opened the other. ‘Goodness, that’s a dank, draughty hole.’
‘I know, I think I must get a builder in to look at it. There must be a crack that the rain gets in, but I am certainly not going to investigate myself, last time I looked there was an enormous spider.’
Miss Prudhome shuddered and closed the door briskly. ‘No coddler. Never mind, I can improvise with a small bowl.’
By the time Susan came down-’I thought I’d better cut up his ham for him’-Maria was spooning eggs over slices of toast and Hester had made a fresh pot of coffee.
‘So what are we going to do today?’ she enquired briskly. ‘Other than all of us having a rest this afternoon? I think I might take the gig and drive into Tring to speak to a builder about that cupboard.’
‘His lordship’s groom’s been and seen to the cob,’ Susan volunteered. ‘I saw him when I came down to make up the range. Do you need me to help get Hector hitched up?’
‘Yes, please, Susan. Would you like me to fetch anything for either of you in town? I don’t feel more than one of us should be away at a time.’
‘If you could just find some darning wool for me.’ Maria produced a basket from beside the hearth. ‘I cannot match these stockings of Jethro’s in the village shop.’
‘And we are low on coffee,’ Susan added, helpfully tucking one stocking into Hester’s basket. ‘Do you think you should be driving into town all by yourself, Miss Hester? His lordship would lend you a groom, I’m sure.’
‘His lordship would probably tell me I shouldn’t be driving myself, more likely,’ Hester muttered under her breath. ‘I will be fine, thank you, Susan.’
They had just finished backing a placid Hector into the shafts, and Susan was tickling him under the girth to make him breathe in so she could tighten it, when the sound of hooves on the cobbles made both women look up.
Hester’s instinctive frown yielded to a smile at the sight of Sir Lewis Nugent astride a neat bay hack. ‘Miss Lattimer!’ He swung out of the saddle and came across to take over the last of the harness buckles from her. ‘Sarah told me about the accident to your manservant and I came over to see if there was any way in which I might assist you. How is the boy?’
‘Well enough, I thank you, Sir Lewis. Bruised and very shaken and sore, but he will soon mend with rest. The doctor has ordered him to stay in bed and I suspect the effort of keeping him there for a Sunnite will prove to be the main challenge.’
‘Then there is nothing I might do to help?’
‘You might recommend a builder to me if you will. There is a cupboard in the alcove of the kitchen chimney breast that is constantly damp. I assume there is a crack of some sort and I want to have it fixed before it damages the brickwork. I was just on my way to Tring to find someone to look at it for me.’
‘Let me see.’ Sir Lewis handed her Hector’s reins and strode towards the mass of the chimney.
‘The left-hand side, Sir Lewis. Oh, do take care of your boots, there is such a tangle of rubbish on that side.’
Nugent heeded her warning, stopping at the point where the cobbles were obstructed by a broken hurdle and a large, very mossy water butt.
‘That will be your problem.’ He gestured at the butt. ‘It is overflowing, and possibly there is a cracked downpipe, or perhaps some damage to the wall. It needs emptying and the pipe diverting away from the corner. Then we can see whether it will dry out.’
‘My steward will send one of the estate workers down to have a look at it. Why do you not drive back with me to Winterbourne Hall and speak to him yourself? Then you can agree to a convenient time, and I am sure Sarah will be delighted to offer you luncheon.’
‘Well, thank you, Sir Lewis.’ It was a kind offer and very neighbourly and Hester scolded herself for the sinking feeling that the promise of some time spent with Miss Nugent produced. Sir Lewis, on the other hand, was much more pleasant company. ‘I would be glad to do that if you think an unexpected visitor would not inconvenience Miss Nugent. Susan, expect me back after luncheon, and do make sure Miss Prudhome lies down for a rest later.’
‘I must not be away too long, Sir Lewis,’ she explained as he helped her up into the driving seat. ‘Ackland has had a very restless night and Miss Prudhome was up at all hours nursing him.’
The baronet swung up on to his mount and fell in beside the gig. ‘If you turn left out of your gate, it is straight on for about a mile. Restless, you say? Why not try a sleeping draught? I used one when I had a broken arm and I found it answered wonderfully; there is nothing like a good night’s sleep to set the healing process on its way.’
He dropped back as they passed through the gate and then cantered for a few strides to catch up. ‘The doctor did not give me anything,’ Hester said doubtfully.
‘I am sure I have the bottle still, it was only last year. It was Dr Forrest himself who prescribed it, merely a mild extract of poppy juice, you know. You can check with him,’ Sir Lewis added comfortably. ‘I can certainly recommend it. Good day, my lord!’
Hester looked to her right with a start to see the earl emerging from the vicarage driveway on his bay hack. Sir Lewis was already reining in, but she dropped her hands and the cob broke into a canter, sweeping her past Lord Buckland. She raised her whip in a neat salute as she passed and simply drove on until Sir Lewis caught her up.
