“I thought we would bring the foodto you if Julia didn’t awake,” Bentley said with a smile. Shewasn’t sure she could ever call him Clayton. Not until she was morecomfortable around him and was assured he would not try to run herlife.
“Thank you,” Juliette slid intothe chair Acker held out for her before he took a seat to herright.
She removed the cloth and beneathwas a pie of lightly browned crust and she hoped it was a meat pie.Juliette had not been able to get enough of meat pies since shediscovered them upon their move to England. She cut into the firmcrust and steam escaped along with the aroma of onions and savorymeats. Her stomach grumbled again. Juliette could not look at theoccupants at the table as her face heated. They had to have heardher.
Acker laughed and she resisted theurge to kick him.
The first bite was heaven. Thecrust melted in her mouth and light gravy coated her tongue. Thiswas the best meat pie yet.
A barmaid placed a tankard of alebefore her and Juliette drank between bites, not participating inthe conversations around her. She was famished.
“I dare say we should haveawakened you when we arrived. I had no idea you were so hungry,”Acker commented.
In that Juliette realized that shehad taken to her meal like a starving woman. She glanced up as theoccupants at the table watched her with humor.
“I don’t wish to hold everyoneelse up because I was tardy for the meal,” she offered as anexcuse.
Everyone else had finished eatingand were sitting in groups, taking sips of their ale and talking.Some color had returned to maman’s cheeks and she and Lady Ackerhad their heads together discussing something of importance by theserious looks upon their faces.
A young woman stopped by the tableand held the hand of a boy of approximately four years of age.Juliette did not know who she was as the girl had not been presentthe evening she called on Bentley, nor had she been introduced toher since they left London. “I’ll take the boys outside to playbefore we continue.”
“Thank you, Leigh,” Eleanor saidto who Juliette assumed was her younger sister.
“Don’t get into any trouble,Jamie,” Acker warned with a smile.
Of course Acker would know thefamily. Eleanor was his dear friend. He had planned on marrying herone day. Juliette watched the young woman leave. Jamie still heldher hand and three older boys followed. How attached was Acker tothis family? He had been willing to take them all on when hemarried Eleanor.
She glanced over at him, seeinghim in a different light. Few men would be willing to take over thecare of an entire family when he married. Most gentlemen wished forthe bride and nothing else.
A short time later it was Eleanorand Bentley who joined them in the carriage. This shouldn’t havebeen a surprise. The other three brothers had spent a portion ofthe journey with her so why shouldn’t the eldest. Juliette wasn’tsure what to make of it. Were they interviewing her of some sorts,or simply wishing to know her better. She also learned that hersisters had been trading coaches through the journey and visitingwith each family. The only people who did not change their seatingwere Juliette, Acker, maman and Lady Acker, as well as Eleanor’syounger siblings who traveled in the middle coach.
Juliette folded the blanket andstored it under the bench with the pillow. She was well rested nowand no longer had a need for sleep. Eleanor settled beside her andBentley took a place beside Acker.
Before they could ask a questionof her, she turned to Eleanor. “I understand that you and LordAcker live close to one another.”
“We did,” she smiled. “My homeboarded his land.”
She didn’t have land, simply ahome?
“I’ve known Drake for as long as Ican remember. He has always been like an older brother tome.”
Juliette hitched an eyebrow. Evenif he had planned on marrying her, apparently Eleanor never saw himin the role as husband.
“Yet he planned on marrying you,”Juliette said. Hopefully her brother knew of their pastrelationship. Bentley glared at Acker but that was his onlyreaction. Apparently he already knew.
Eleanor laughed. “He told you, didhe?”
“Yes.”
“Did he also mention that I neverplanned on marrying him?” She smiled at Acker across the carriage.“He is my dearest friend but that is all.”
“He did mention you had rejectedhim, several times.” Though Juliette couldn’t understand why anyonewould wish to decline Acker’s offer.
“Sometimes I miss my childhoodhome,” Eleanor sighed.
“The place was falling down aboutyour ears,” Bentley groaned.
“It was still my home,” Eleanorstated as if affronted before turning to Juliette. “My uncle livesthere now and has been seeing to many of the repairs.”
“It would get done quicker if hewould let me send workers to see to the tasks.”
“You know Adam wants to do ithimself,” Eleanor argued.
“When does he have time? The hourshe puts in at the mill doesn’t allow him much time forrepairs.”
“Mill?” Juliette asked.
“Yes,” Eleanor answered with asmile. “My Uncle Adam works at the mill and since business hasincreased finds himself working more hours than he had in thepast.”
Had Eleanor not been a lady beforeshe married Bentley?
“He offered to take my siblingswhen Bentley and I married but I could not be parted from them.”She smiled. “I’ve raised Jamie since he was a babe, after motherdied, as well as the rest.”
Juliette didn’t want to ask aboutthe father. Had he died as well?
As if reading her mind, Eleanorcontinued. “Father died before Jamie was born and I think it wastoo much for mother.”
Jamie couldn’t be over four orfive and Eleanor was a young woman. “How old were you?” Julietteasked without thinking. “I am sorry, it is none of mybusiness.”
“You are family,” Eleanor remindedher. “Of course it is your business. I was nineteen.”
“You were so young to raise afamily.”
She laughed. “I didn’t feel young.Life had not been easy. Father had difficulty keeping a job becausethe economy in the area was often poor, but we managed to getby.”
That was why Acker thought tomarry her. He was a
