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CHAPTER11
While Eleanor was gone, visiting her family, Henry was called to London on business. He spent three days in the lodgings he held in town, and then he returned to Lawson Manor feeling refreshed and invigorated.
Everything with Eleanor has been a bit of a mess-up until now, but I plan to change that. As soon as I get home, I’ll apologize to her.
The moment she’d left the manor, he had ordered the servants to take down the animal heads in his study. His grandmother had tsked over such nonsensical behavior, but Henry had not hesitated.
I wish to make Eleanor happy.
That had been Henry’s motivation in the matter. Now that he’d given himself a few days away from home, it felt nice to be returning there. He looked forward to seeing his wife, and he thought that if he could just come up with the proper way to apologize, she might be happy to see him, too.
As Henry rode onto the road that led toward the manor, he dismounted and walked with his horse back to the stables. He knew a footman or stable boy could and would perform this task if he had asked for the assistance, but Henry always preferred to take his horse back on his own. He knew it was a little unorthodox, but as Henry expected his horse to get him to his destinations safely, Henry felt the least he could do for the animal, in return, was see it made its way home.
When Henry walked into the stables, he noticed at once that something was amiss.
“Are there more horses here?” Henry asked aloud, as there were no stable hands in sight. He peered in the open stalls, counting the number of animals, and finding that there were indeed two extra horses. Henry could not recall ordering the purchase of such animals, and so once he walked his horse to her stall, he began to search for someone who worked there.
A young man, probably no older than sixteen or seventeen, with long hair, the color of straw, just happened to walk right in front of Henry. “You there,” Henry hailed him. He probably should have known the names of his servants and hands, but as he had only been back at Lawson Manor a considerably short time, he had not made the effort to recognize everyone by name.
The young man stopped and at first made a displeased face. Then, when seeing that he was being called by the duke, he made a low bow. “How may I be of service, Your Grace?” The young man asked.
Henry glanced about the area that was adjacent to the stables. His eyes fell on a pair of goats. “Where did those goats come from? I don’t remember allotting funds for their purchase. And there are two additional horses in the stalls. Who authorized such a thing?”
“Can’t say I know anything about the money,” the young man replied, scratching the side of his head, and moving his long hair aside as he did, “but I’ve been told those goats belong to Her Grace.”
“They’re Eleanor’s?” Henry asked, not really expecting the boy to answer. He stepped toward the goats and looked at them curiously.
Ugly things.
He glanced back up at the young stable hand. “And the horses? Do they belong to Her Grace as well?”
The young man nodded dutifully.
Henry pursed his lips together and turned to survey the entire property. He couldn’t be sure exactly, but unless his imagination was playing tricks on him, the area had become tightly packed with animals.
I don’t remember it looking this way before.
Henry turned toward the stable hand. “Tell me, how many of these animals belong to Her Grace?”
The boy rotated his head, looking over all that lay before him. “I’m sorry, Your Grace. I can’t be sure of the specifics. But I can tell you a large delivery arrived just this morning. I know the goats were part of it and some horses, too. I understand there was a gaggle of geese and a raft of ducks, but they either flew away or settled down by the lake.”
Henry’s eyes widened. “Is that all?”
The young man cleared his throat. “I may be mistaken, Your Grace, but I also believe I heard that there was a delivery of birds, as well as cats. I thought it odd, as birds and cats do not normally travel well with one another, but…” Henry understood the young man’s meaning and so he waved away the rest of the comment. Even though birds and cats notoriously did not get along, as the cat always seemed to want to devour the bird, this lot would certainly be well-behaved. They were Eleanor’s pets after all, and she would have somehow made sure they treated one another with respect.
Henry snorted. “Thank you,” he said shortly and then pivoted toward the house.
I suppose Eleanor will feel much more at home now that she has her animals. I can give her that much at least. I only hope that there are few cats, as I’m not sure I can stand to…
Henry’s thoughts were interrupted as a cat hissed and then darted in front of him. Henry groaned. He tried to keep his distance from Eleanor’s cats, but he knew the two she’d brought in the carriage on the day they’d wed had been pure black. This cat, the one that just dared to cross his path, was a light orange color. He shook his head woefully as he made his way in through the back door.
All the good feelings Henry had felt soaring inside of him on his return trip from London dissipated when he passed by the library and saw that another cat, this one with long reddish hair, sat on top of the beautiful satinwood desk. He rushed inside and tried to shoo the animal from its position, but the cat just stared at Henry, its pale green eyes looking bored. Then, the cat had the audacity to yawn.
Henry had to resist the urge to start shouting for his gun. He stomped from the room and down the hall toward the drawing room. He did not wait for the servant to announce his presence but rather barged in. Eleanor was seated next to Lady Rosalin Clay and the two ladies were giggling openly. On Eleanor’s other side, one of her cats, one of the black ones, sat curled neatly.
“Eleanor,” Henry growled, throwing propriety to the wind. Eleanor and Rosalin both stopped tittering at once and turned in his direction.
“Your Grace,” both ladies chorused, as they rose. Henry noted the way Eleanor’s cat slid aside so Eleanor could stand. Henry nodded at the two women, and they resumed their seats.
