AllFreeNovel
Share Us
But Matilda had tempted him tonight, wasstilltempting him.
When the coach stopped in front of a little cottage, he was surprised at how small it actually was. Two gently born women shared this place? It couldn’t have more than three or four rooms in all. He’d been convinced that it was a grander place, one suitable for two gently born women to live in. It was why he’d set such a high rent. In London, twelve pounds a year for rent was considered reasonable for a decent-sized house.
He peered at the cottage, his confusion deepening. Where did they keep their servants? He jumped down out of the coach and told the driver to wait for him. He walked briskly up the path to the front door and knocked. It was a few moments before someone came to answer.
“Mattie, I was so worried, you—” A woman in her late forties held up a candle to Arthur’s face when she cracked the door open. When she saw it was a man and not Matilda, she shrieked.
“Please be at ease, Miss Wells. I am Lord Castleton.”
She peered up at him, still holding the candle aloft. “You’re Bernard’s grandnephew?”
“Yes.”
“I suppose I see him in you, at least around the eyes and mouth. Please come in. I simply adored your great uncle.” Miss Wells smiled, but he noticed her nose was bright red and she sniffled. She was pretty, and not at all the ancient aunt he’d expected to find, though on the plainer side. She lacked her niece’s temper.
“Er… Thank you, Miss Wells. I’m actually inviting you and your niece to stay for a few days at my home. I’ve come to collect you personally.”
“Stay with you? At Castleton Hall?” Her eyes went round. “Mattie was only supposed to convince you to let us stay here, not invite herself into your home. Oh my Lord, I am so sorry for her impertinence.”
“She did not invite herself, Miss Wells. It was my idea and I’m afraid I was rather insistent on it, given the state of the weather.”
Miss Wells frowned. “Oh, yes, I see. So I am to come stay with you tonight at Castleton Hall?”
“Longer, actually. I am told the weather will not improve for some time. Please pack a valise with at least a week’s worth of clothes for yourself and your niece.”
“Please do come inside, my lord. It will take me a few minutes to gather the clothes.”
“You don’t have your maid here to assist you?” His gaze swept over the small entryway. There was no sign of anyone else in the home.
“Oh, we don’t have any maid. It’s just Matilda and me.” She opened the door wider to let him in. He removed his hat and stepped inside, then closed the door behind him. Miss Wells gestured for him to sit in the drawing room, if one could even call it that. It was terribly small, more like a cupboard.
Lord, he’d go mad living here with such close walls. His townhouse in London was spacious. His dressing room was bigger than this cottage.
“I’ll be as quick as I can,” Miss Wells assured him before she vanished into a back room.
Arthur took the opportunity to look around a bit. The cottage had a tiny kitchen with no sign of a cook. There were only meager food supplies in the larder, and there were several leaks in the roof where water was being caught in pots.
His scowl deepened as he noticed the threadbare furniture in the drawing room and bedroom as well as a short pile of logs by the fireplace. Surely they had more firewood outside… perhaps hidden by snow. He would have to inquire about that later. Neither he nor Mr. Fulton had any sense of the cottage. They’d simply made an assumption, several in fact, all of which had clearly been wrong.
By the time Miss Wells returned, he had made a list of a dozen improvements he wanted to make on the cottage habitable.
“Please, allow me to carry those.” Arthur claimed the two travel cases when Miss Wells joined him in the small foyer. She was a thin willowy woman, and already breathing hard from her efforts. Whatever illness she suffered from was clearly exhausting her lungs.
“Thank you, my lord,” Miss Wells said with a soft little exhalation. “I’m afraid I can’t carry those, not at the moment.” She put a hand to her chest and drew in a few deeper breaths. Now he was concerned. He would have insisted she not go out into the cold in her condition, but the cottage was nearly as cold inside as it was outside.
He carried the cases out to the carriage, then returned to assist Miss Wells through the snow. On the ride to his home she talked a little to him, but he sensed she was weary and unwell.
“Are you hungry for dinner, Miss Wells?” he asked once they were in the warm house. He wanted to see her eat something, and then she would likely need to go to bed.
“I… oh, I wouldn’t wish to impose.”
“Nonsense. I have not eaten yet myself and would be delighted if you would join me. I shall fetch Matilda, but first let me show you to your room where you may freshen up.” He showed her to one of the bedrooms in the east wing. This bedchamber was naturally warmer than any of the others this time of year, according to Mr. Stodgens.
He assigned one of the upstairs maids to help her, then returned to the room he had locked Matilda inside. Hopefully she had calmed down in the time it took for him to return with her aunt. When he opened the door, he found Matilda pressed right against the door and she fell into him. He caught her in his arms with a grunt of effort.
“You cad!” She swung a fist at him, but he caught her wrist, holding her easily. She was adorably small, but curvy, and he was rather delighted by the strength he felt in her arms.
“Now, now, Miss Matthews,” he chuckled. “Your aunt will be downstairs soon for dinner. But first you and I should have a business discussion in my study.”
