AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It was exhausting.
The sight of home did nothing to soothe him. His feelings about Brentwood Manor had always been complicated, thanks to his father. While Nathan loved the estate and the beaches, the house held more than a few bad memories. Being there with Sebastian as the earl had been better before his brother had sent him to London, but now Sebastian was dead.
Nathan had sent a runner on ahead of him to let them know he and his countess were on their way, so the rooms should be prepared for them. Nathan had specifically asked for his old rooms to be prepared. Eventually, he would have to move into the earl’s but… not yet. The loss of Sebastian was still too new. Too raw. He could not sleep there. Not tonight.
He’d asked for Lily to be installed in the room next to his rather than putting her in the countess’ rooms. Hopefully, she would not mind. Nathan did not think so—she had seemed more shocked than pleased at finding herself a countess. He did not have to worry she’d been a title hunter.
The household came bustling out to greet them, including Mrs. Potts’ daughter, now Mrs. Moore, who had been serving as Sebastian’s housekeeper while Nathan had Mrs. Potts for the London House. She looked like a younger version of her mother, with big blue eyes and the same auburn hair before Mrs. Potts went grey. Her bottom lip trembled at the sight of him, and Nathan stepped forward to give her a hug as soon as he handed Merlin off to one of the hostlers.
“Oh, Nat.” Grief thickened her voice, and she hugged him back. “I cannot believe he’s gone.” Her husband, Matthew Moore, came up behind her. Nearly as tall as Nathan, with dark blond hair and dark brown eyes, Moore had also grown up on the coast and had been training under Harker to become a majordomo or butler, with an eye to eventually taking over the position from him. Connor was supposed to be for Nathan’s household. Now they would have to figure out a new arrangement.
“Our heartfelt condolences, my lord,” Moore said, opening his arms when Valerie turned back to her husband, trading Nathan’s embrace for his. Valerie had been a pseudo-sister to Sebastian and Nathan after her mother had taken the two boys under her wing.
“Thank you.” Aware of the carriage rolling up behind him, Nathan turned to see his wife peering curiously at the three of them. He supposed he should have probably told her about the Moores… and any number of things about Brentwood Manor. If he had ridden in the carriage, he could have done so, but the idea of being so confined had made his skin itch.
He would have to make up for it now.
Helping Lily out of the carriage, then her maid, he turned to make the introductions. Valerie curtsied and looked as if she wanted to hug Lily as well, her expression one of wonder. Lily smiled at her, but Nathan could tell she was curious about the relationships in front of her. Little wonder. Nathan would have to reassure her, out of all the people available as suspects, the Moores were at the bottom of his list, though it could not be denied, whoever had done it was someone he and Sebastian would have trusted.
“You really got married? I almost thought it was a joke when Bryce arrived with your instructions.” There was a faint note of accusation in her voice.
“Matters had to proceed rather quickly. I wrote Sebastian, but…” Nathan’s voice trailed off.
“Oh, he received a letter, but he waited to read it after he went for his ride, and… well…” Valerie looked away, more tears welling in her eyes. Pressing his lips together, Moore put his hand on his wife’s shoulder, and she turned back into him for another bout of crying.
“We have your rooms ready for you… your old rooms, as requested.” Moore curved his arm around Valerie’s shoulders, bolstering her while she got her emotions under control again. “Let us help you get settled in.”
* * *
Lily
The manor’s housekeeper was not at all what Lily had expected, though she bore a startling resemblance to the London manor’s housekeeper. Mrs. Moore explained she was Mrs. Potts’ daughter when she showed Lily to her room with Chastity trailing anxiously behind them. The housekeeper was beautiful and obviously familiar with Nathan, but Lily could not determine if she should be jealous. The woman was married to someone else, but it had been a bit startling to come up in the carriage and see her in Nathan’s arms.
“Best wishes on your wedding,” Mrs. Moore said, hovering at the door as Chastity unpacked Lily’s things. Clearly, she wanted to stay and talk. Since Lily was curious as well, she had no objection. There was no need for her to explore the room since it was nearly a mirror to the one in London, except larger and with some additional furniture and a window seat. Since it was dark, there was no view to be seen.
“Thank you. I am sorry you were caught unawares.” Lily shrugged ruefully, smiling. “I was kidnapped by a highwayman, and Nathan rescued me, but we were caught in a storm and had to take shelter overnight with no chaperone, and… well…” She made a face. “A lady’s reputation is everything, even if nothing happened.” The derision in her voice was clear.
Mrs. Moore appeared to be enthralled.
“A highwayman?” There was a touch of disbelief in her voice. Lily could not blame her.
“It was awful,” Chastity interjected, shaking her head. Her hands shook as well as she pulled another of Lily’s chemises from the one bag they had packed for her. “He killed our coachman, then took Miss, I mean, my lady. We were too far from London for me to walk, and I have no idea how to drive a carriage. Then the first people to come upon us were those awful Hatchets—begging your pardon. Thank God Captain Jones, I mean, my lord, was not too far behind them since I am sure they would have left me there on the road without thinking twice about it.”
Mrs. Moore’s eyes widened as she listened to Chastity’s matter-of-fact recollection of events. Once Chastity got going with a story, it was often hard to stop her, and she had probably bottled up far too many of her emotions about this particular event over the past couple of days. She seemed relieved to have been able to vent some of them now.
“You did wonderfully,” Lily told her, crossing the room to put her arm around the young woman’s shoulders. “It was an awful situation, but we made it through.”
“Unlike our poor coachman.” Chastity shook her head. “It has been the most unbelievable week.”
Good to know she and her maid were in agreement on that front.
“It really has.” Lily sighed, pressing her fingertips to her temple and rubbing the spot that ached. “But it could have been much worse.”
Uncle Oliver, Nathan, Captain Browne, Elijah and Josie, Rex and Mary… any of them could be dead right now—probably should have been—but by luck and skill, they’d come through.
“Well, I am glad things did not turn out for the worse,” Mrs. Moore said, shaking her head. “I will admit, I never expected Nat to get married before Seb, but of course, as a matter of honor, he would also never let a lady’s reputation be ruined if he could help it.”
“Nat and Seb?” Lily asked, fascinated.
