The Earl's Mission: Defiant Brides Book 4 Page 8

  Chapter Eight

  On the third day of their journey to Devon, Rachel found herself gripping the handle just under the carriage window as the carriage rocked precariously from a rut in the road. Thus far, the weather had been pleasant enough, and the sun was well above the horizon, though they had once again awoken to be on the road just as the sun rose.

  “We are nearing your new home,” Lord Linfield said.

  Rachel went to respond, but the carriage hit a wondrous bump in the road, and she found herself almost lying atop the Earl. His arms quickly wrapped around her to keep her from falling to the floor, and for several stunned moments it was as if the air had been removed from the inside of the carriage as they stared into each other’s eyes. However, another jar reminded her that, if they were found in such a predicament, there would be no story they could tell that would be believable.

  “Are you hurt?” he asked, his lips only mere inches from hers, and she quickly pulled herself from his lap. Her face was on fire and she swore that her heart would burst from her chest if she did not immediately return to her seat. She would be certain to have a better grasp on that handle for the remainder of the journey.

  What bothered her the most was how much she wished to say that her injuries were great and that perhaps a kiss from him would make it all better. However, it did not take long for her to realize what a ridiculous idea that was. It had to be the fact she had not slept well during their journey that brought on such flights of fancy, for now that she had returned to her own seat, she decided kissing the man was the very last thing she wished to do.

  “I am perfectly fine, thank you,” she replied. When he smiled, slyly by what she could read in it, she felt annoyance bubble up inside her. “I see you didn’t have any objections to finding me in your lap.” For a moment, she wondered if he would become angry, but instead he laughed, which only amplified her annoyance that much more.

  “You are both beautiful and witty,” he said, still chuckling. “It is a lovely combination.”

  Rachel swallowed and found her mouth as dry as dust. He had called her beautiful. It was not as if no man had used that word when describing her, but when he used the word it seemed to hold a completely different connotation from the meaning men at the pub intended. They only wished to steer her toward their bed, whereas this man seemed to use it as one would describe a painting or a flower.

  She could not find words of reply, so instead, she turned her eyes to what lay outside the window. The road had leveled out once again, much to her relief, and she wondered how much longer it would be before they reached the estate. However, before she could ask, the carriage slowed and turned into a narrow road flanked by large stone pillars with carved lions atop each one. She leaned out the window to see what lay ahead and soon a massive house made of gray stone came into view. Her eyes widened at the elegance, and extravagance of the residence.

  “Is that Elford Estates?” she asked incredulously. No, this had to be Lord Linfield’s home; it could only be that of a wealthy and titled family.

  However, Lord Linfield smiled and replied, “It is.”

  Rachel knew she was gaping, but she could not stop herself. The house was bigger than an entire block of houses and businesses in Falmouth, and she wondered how one family—no, one person—could live in such a place. It could easily hold a large number of families and still have room left over. It stood three stories high with six tall columns across the front, three on either side of the tall white double front doors. Rachel counted the windows that lined the front of the building and was shocked to find that no more than twenty faced the drive, the first two levels arched and the upper smaller and square more than likely belonging to the servants’ quarters.

  Servants. She had not truly considered that the house would contain servants. How many would it take to maintain such a lavish home? All of the rooms would not all be maintained, would they?

  She went to open the door to the carriage, but Lord Linfield pulled her hand back. “You must wait for the footman to open the door for you.”

  “Why?” she asked. “I’m more than capable of opening a door on my own.”

  “Be that as it may, you are now a lady and this will be your first lesson in how to conduct yourself.”

  Rachel sighed but did as she was told. It did not take long for a man in a liveried uniform to place a step on the ground and open the door for the occupants. As Rachel alighted from the carriage, she could not mistake the look of shock on the man’s face, more than likely from the way she was dressed. Even in his uniform, the footman seemed that much more refined than she.

  “Welcome to your new home, Miss Cooper,” Lord Linfield whispered.

  Stairs led to the front double doors, lacquered a deep brown with an image of a lion on the front. The face of the lion split in half as the door opened and a stiff man, also in livery, walked through and came to bow before Rachel and Lord Linfield.

  “Welcome to Elford Estates,” the stiff liveried man said. “I am Sherman, the butler.” His tone was nasally and very cultured. His hair was almost completely gray and quite receding, and though he seemed rigid, Rachel realized that he perhaps was not as stuffy as she had first thought. There was a kindness behind his eyes that she immediately recognized, for it reminded her of her father—that is, George, the only father she had known.

  Lord Linfield stuck his elbow out toward her and she stared at him blankly until she realized he was offering her his arm. How silly. It was not as if she were completely oblivious to how gentlemen and gentlewomen conducted themselves, but it had been so long since a man had offered his arm, she was caught off-guard.

  “Sherman, this is Miss Rachel Cooper, my fiancée. She will be living here until we are wed, so please see she is well taken care of.”

  Sherman bowed deeply. “Yes, My Lord,” the man said, and Rachel found herself giggling, for which she received a disapproving glare from the Earl.

  “Miss Cooper, it will be an honor serving you,” the butler said and Rachel had to stifle another giggle. No one had ever addressed her with such vigor and humility in all her life, and she found it all a bit overwhelming. Unfortunately, whenever she felt overwhelmed, she tended to giggle.

  “We will have your bags brought to your rooms,” Sherman said as the cases were set beside the carriage. “Where shall Miss Cooper reside?”

  “I will leave that up to your judgment, Sherman. As for now, I believe I will give Miss Cooper a tour of the house so she can acclimate herself to her surroundings. Then perhaps we will have tea in the drawing room.”

  The old butler bowed again. “Very well, My Lord. I will set her up in the Green Room.” He snapped his fingers and two younger men, both also in livery, though less splendid than that of Sherman, raced down the stairs and each took one of the cases and rushed back inside.

  They entered the front doors and, once again, Rachel was amazed at the size and extravagance that surrounded her. The foyer stood two stories tall with a domed ceiling and a massive chandelier that hung from the center. A wide staircase sat immediately before them leading to a second-story landing that split off to either side.

  “The bedrooms are located upstairs,” Lord Linfield explained. “Your room is up the stairs and to the right. If my memory serves me well, I believe it is the first door down the hall.”

  Rachel could only nod, her amazement at what was to be her new home making her speechless.

  The Earl made his way to their left, through a set of double doors, and into a large sitting room. A marble fireplace with various shades of green sat against one wall, so big that Rachel was certain she could stand in it. A large painting of a woman hung over the mantel.

  “That was your grandmother,” Lord Linfield said quietly. “I did not know her, but I know that Richard cared for her very much.”

  Rachel stared at the portrait for several moments. “I can see why,” she said finally. “She has kind eyes.”

  When Lord Linfield went to leav
e the room, Rachel felt a bit of reluctance. However, she would have many days to study her father’s face, so she followed the man across the foyer to another large room that was clearly the dining room. A table with seating for twelve ran down the expanse of the room and several tables lined the wall. The fireplace, though not as large as the one in the sitting room, was just as grand, this one in a variety of blues.

  The tour continued, and Rachel could not contain the exclamations of awe. However, what she found most wondrous of all was the library.

  “I can’t imagine having purchased so many books,” she said breathlessly as she looked over the various titles on the shelves, which lined two of the four walls fully and each side of the window on the wall opposite the door. She read several of the authors aloud as she perused the tomes, “Jonathan Swift, Daniel Defoe, Jean-Jacques Rousseau.” She gasped. “There are even books by Fanny Burney here. I absolutely adore Camilla.” Titles for the most famous poets, the latest books on science and philosophy, the library was filled with them all, and Rachel could not have been happier.

  “The collection Mr. Templeton had is vast,” Lord Linfield said, his tone quick and sharp. “But come, we have a schedule to maintain, and I must return to my own home. My mother does not like to be kept waiting.”

  Rachel nodded. “Then maybe we should end this tour and return to the drawing room for tea. I’m sure I’ll have more than enough time to explore these halls on my own.”

  “If that is what you wish,” he replied.

  They left through a second doorway and made their way down a short hallway that Lord Linfield commented led back to the foyer. However, along the way, they passed another set of open double doors, and Rachel could not help but peek in to see what lay behind them. She came to an abrupt halt and gave a surprised gasp when she saw what could only be an enormous ballroom. The walls were papered with a luxurious gold velvet with mirrors interspersed between tall sconces. Three chandeliers hung down the middle of the room, which had to follow the entire length of the house from the front to the back if she guessed correctly. Two sets of doors with large windows set into each led to the carefully cultivated gardens that wrapped around from the back of the house. Rachel had never seen anything like it before in her life

  “This room must take up an entire wing,” she said as she walked out into the middle of the wooden floor. “Can you imagine the parties that’ve been held in this room? The music, the dancing. It must have been spectacular. We could come in here and dance anytime we wished.” She put her hand out to an imaginary dance partner and began to twirl around the room, the music playing in her head and her eyes closed as she envisioned the multitude of guests joining in the festivities.

  She danced her way across the floor and grabbed the Earl’s hands in hers. If anything could make anyone happy, dancing certainly could be it. “Does dancing not make you feel joyous?” she asked playfully.

  Lord Linfield pulled his hands away as if she had burned him and his look should have smoldered her where she stood. “Please do not embarrass me, even when we are alone,” he hissed. “Dancing is reserved for parties, not for whenever you please.” His voice took on an instructional tone, such as one would use with a pupil. “Remember, everything is to be done in its due time and not a moment before, nor after for that matter.”

  Rachel watched in wonder, and sadness, as he turned on his heels and walked to the door. When he realized she had not followed him, he stopped and turned back around. This man was so inconsistent in his demeanor, Rachel wondered if she would ever truly know him.

  Perhaps he noticed the look on her face, or perhaps reason had finally entered his mind, but when he spoke again, his voice held less sharpness. “My mother does not like to be kept waiting, as I have said before, and because of that, I grow irritated quite easily. Now, if we can continue, I would like you to meet your new staff.”

  Rachel nodded at what was as close to an apology as she would receive and took one last look around the room. She would have many opportunities to visit the room and there would be plenty of dancing here whether the Earl liked it or not.

  She followed him down the hall and to the foyer where Sherman stood beside two other people. One was a woman in a black maid’s uniform with a white apron, both very clean and heavily starched. The other was a man in plain white shirt and trousers, both also clean and tidy.

  “Miss Cooper,” Lord Linfield said formally, “you already know Sherman.” Sherman gave her a stiff bow. “This is Leah. She is the housekeeper, will serve all of your meals, and will also act as your lady’s maid.” Leah gave a curtsy. “And this is Daniel, the cook.” The man also gave her a bow, though it was deeper than the one Sherman had given.

  The idea of someone bowing and curtsying to her was something Rachel never imagined would ever happen, and she found herself giggling once again. Oh, how she hated not being able to keep that giggle under control! When the Earl gave her a stern glare, however, she found the means to do so. That man was not one she wished to anger.

  “Sherman, I will need to speak with you in the study,” Lord Linfield said. Then he turned to Rachel. “I realize I promised to have tea with you; however, we spent all too much time on touring the house, and now I must finish up here and be on my way home. Leah will show you to your room, and if you still would like tea, simply request it of her and she can see it served to the drawing room.” He did not wait for her response but instead turned and walked down a long hallway and stepped through the door of one of the rooms, Sherman immediately following behind him.

  “Miss Cooper, if you’ll follow me,” the woman named Leah said. She appeared to be in her thirties and Rachel could not miss the ready smile that sat upon her lips.

  Rachel followed the woman up the wide stairs that led to the second story landing. She stopped to look down at the foyer and could not help but feel a bit dizzy from the height. The fact she was in such an elegant place still brought on that overwhelming feeling.

  “You know,” Rachel said in a friendly tone, “You can call me Rachel if you’d like.”

  Leah looked at her askance. “I appreciate the offer, Miss, but that wouldn’t be acceptable for one the likes of me.”

  Rachel nodded. What she wanted was a friend, but she realized this woman would not be allowed to be. It was a strange feeling to know that someone would think of her as more than a common woman with a common life, but she had promised Lord Linfield that she would maintain this facade. And she was not one to back away when she had given her word.

  The hall to the left of the staircase was a mirror image of the one on the right. It was long and narrow and covered in beige carpet with large red roses and green leaves. Several sets of doors lined each side of the walls and Leah stopped in front of the first door on the right.

  “Why do they call it the Green Room?” Rachel asked as Leah reached out to open the door.

  “Because it’s all green,” Leah stated as if it should have been obvious. Rachel cringed, picturing a room where everything in it was green, a color she did not mind, but it was not a color she would have chosen by which she would surround herself.

  However, when she entered the room, she was pleasantly surprised. As luck would have it, the walls were not green but rather a pleasant ivory with tiny green dots. The bedding was green, including green drapes hanging from each of the four posters on the bed, which matched those hanging in the windows. A large green rug lay in the middle of the floor and the bowl and pitcher on a wooden stand was decorated with large green leaves. All in all, it was a very pleasant room. What caught her attention the most was that it had to be nearly as big as the entire pub back home.

  “All of this is my room?” Rachel asked before she could stop herself.

  “But of course,” Leah replied, eying Rachel curiously. “Well, this is your house now, at least from what I understand.” Then she paused and quickly added, “Beggin’ your pardon, Miss. I don’t mean to pry. Please believe that I would never do that.�
�� She lowered her head humbly. “I spoke out of turn. I beg your forgiveness.”

  Rachel shook her head and took the woman’s hands in hers. “I was taught that people should speak their mind when need be, so don’t worry about offending me or making me angry. In all honesty, I can see that you’re a good person and that you’d not do anything to anger or upset me.”

  Leah’s eyes widened. “Miss Cooper, that’s the loveliest thing anyone’s ever told me,” she said, her eyes filling with tears. “Thank you. It warms my heart.”

  Rachel was not sure if it was the emotion of what had happened over the previous few days or if it was the woman before her and her tearful gaze, but Rachel pulled Leah in for a hug. “We all need kind words spoken to one another from time to time,” she said as she released Leah.

  “Yes, I believe that, too,” Leah said with a smile.

  Rachel realized she had to be careful. These people believed she came from money, and going around hugging the help would not convincing anyone of that. “So, are there other colored rooms then?” Rachel asked as she ran her hand along the cover on the bed.

  “Oh, yes, there is the Blue Room, the Pink Room, the Orange Room, and the Red Room. They’re all very lovely, but I can’t imagine sleeping in the Yellow Room. That’d just be too much brightness for me.” The woman giggled.

  “You know, I believe we’re going to get on quite well.”

  This made Leah smile widely. “Well, Miss, would you like me to have tea served in the drawing room?”

  “Yes, please,” Rachel replied. “While you do that, I’ll put away my things…”

  “Oh, no, Miss!” Leah almost shouted. Then she lowered her voice. “I’ll see to that. That’s what I’m here for.”