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“I’m most grateful. I’ll make certain it’s back to you as fast as possible.
“You’ll find it in my stables – which is likely also where you’ll find your own carriage and horses right now, if I know my man. And Your Grace? There is something that you may wish to know.”
“Yes?”
“I thought that you might like to know that I’m certain Mrs. Millwood feels the same way about you, as you do about her.”
Daniel couldn’t help but grin as he left the cottage to seek the promised carriage.
*****
A few days later, once Mrs Millwood was safely moved from Maggie’s cottage to the hunting lodge, all without attracting much attention, Daniel rode to the Bellbrook Arms. This time, he wished to speak with Miles Jeffries, not Maggie.
Blessedly, the day was quiet, and no customers were in the tap room at all. Miles looked up from behind the bar as Daniel walked in.
“What can I do for you, Your Grace?”
“Miles, I’ve a matter of some concern to discuss with you. But let me ask you a few questions first.”
“Of course, Your Grace.”
The man looked unsure, and worried – as he should be, Daniel thought.
“Miles, does your son take the cart out often?”
“Not really, Your Grace. He goes to the market in Rotherham once a week for me, to bring back supplies, but other than that, he’s no reason to be driving out.”
“I see – and did he go to the market four days ago?”
“No – it’s only once a week, and he went yesterday – why do you ask about four days ago?”
Daniel sighed, unhappy about needing to say what he had to, knowing that Miles would be deeply distressed. But it had to be done.
“Miles, four days ago, I was run off the road by a cart being driven wildly and dangerously. My carriage suffered a damaged wheel, and worse. I believe that the culprit, who drove off at speed, was your son, in your cart. I’ll ask you to keep a very close eye on him, if you would, for this is not the first time that he’s behaved poorly of late.”
Miles had gone horribly pale as Daniel spoke, and now he swallowed, struggling to find words.
“Your Grace! I… I am horrified! And yes, now that you mention it, there was a time about four days ago when Dirk wasn’t about for a few hours. I remember being annoyed, as I needed him to help bring in more wood for the fires, and he’d disappeared. But I would never have thought! You have my abject apologies. I will keep a tight rein on him in the future, I promise you.”
“Make sure that you do – what happened to me could have been much worse, and who knows how many others’ lives he may risk if allowed to run wild?”
Daniel specifically chose not to mention the fact that Mrs Millwood had been in the carriage with him - for her privacy, more than anything else - but he wondered how Miles would have reacted, had he revealed that detail.
“I will Your Grace. And thank you for your forbearance.”
Daniel nodded, and took his leave, but the whole episode had left him with a feeling of dread – had the boy just been out to drive wildly, as young men often did? Or was it worse – had he done it intentionally, knowing that Verity was in that carriage, with Daniel?
*****
As she sat at the lovely little desk near a window in the hunting lodge cottage, Verity was unaware of her beauty, even obviously increasing as she was. Living here had been a respite from her worries for the future. Her thoughts of Edward were full of affection, but came with less pain now. More and more, the features of Daniel Trowbridge came to her mind’s eye instead.
His kindness had not ceased with the visit to the physician. The bond between them had only been strengthened by the near tragedy of her fall from the carriage.
The weeks seemed to fly by in the pleasant little house. Maggie had been to visit her several times, and told her that she approved of the staff and their care of her – and Verity thought that Maggie should know, having run a much larger home for so many years. Servants made all the difference in the atmosphere of a place. And their kindness reflected their own treatment. The Duke of Summerfield was apparently a kind and reasonable man. His consideration of those who took care of this place, and her needs, was more than simply the requirements of employment, it was management by kindness, and she hope to meet him someday and thank him personally for that kindness. If, came the errant thought, she had not already met him… she smiled and shook her head.
Here she found none of the austerity and snobbery which had been present in Lady Chittendom’s home. There, she had been tolerated because of her father. Even the generous gift of a temporary home after her marriage had not disguised the fact that she was only the wife of an heir to a Baron, and thus, in Lady Chittendom’s view, beneath her notice. The gift of a home had come only because Lady Chittendom needed a governess, and not at all from any altruism – at least that is what Verity suspected.
A slight noise caused her to turn to the door. She was surprised and pleased to see Daniel there.
