Part 19 (1/2)
Ava gestured for the footman to open the door. ”I a.s.sure you I am quite capable of walking, and frankly, I think I do it rather well. I will be quite all right. Is there a chance I might stumble on a village or some such thing?”
”Madam,” he said, clearly mortified, ”you cannot mean to go as far as Broderick!”
”Can't I?” she asked airily, fitting her hands into her gloves. ”How far can it be? Three, perhaps four miles? I shall return this afternoon. Oh do stop looking so alarmed, Mr. Dawson!” She patted his arm. ”I a.s.sure you, I will be quite all right. Where is the path, then? To the east? The west?”
Mr. Dawson frowned and reluctantly pointed out the path.
Ava set out at a good pace, hoping a bit of exercise would help her. And if it didn't, Sally Pierce wouldarrive from London in two days. At the very least, she'd have someone to talk to. She might not agreewith everything Sally said-probably nothing, really-but at least it would be better than the quiet thatsurrounded her now.
It was so quiet, in fact, and the air so still, that she heard the snap of a twig behind her. And then twice more. Having been the oldest of three, Ava knew very well the sound of being followed. She instantly suspected Dawson, and with a roll of her eyes, when the path turned, she ducked behind a tree, held her breath, and waited.
It was only a moment before the footman appeared, walking clumsily along, his shoes ill-suited to the forest path. ”Here I am,” Ava said.
The poor man cried out, clapped a hand over his heart. ”I beg your pardon, milady,” he said as he gasped for breath. ”I didn't see you there!”
”Obviously,” she said, stepping out from behind the tree. She stood before him, her hands on her hips. ”Why are you following me, sir?”The man flushed and averted his eyes. ”Mr. Dawson said I should.””And did he tell you to watch for roots and limbs and anything that I might stumble over and twist my ankle?”He nodded sheepishly. ”That,” he muttered, ”and robbers.””Hmm,” Ava said, and folded her arms, drumming her fingers against her arm as she considered him. ”
Are there robbers in this forest?””Not,” he said with a sympathetic wince, ”that I am aware.””I thought not,” she said with a sigh. ”What is your name, then?””Robert, mu'um.””Well, then, Robert, if you must walk with me, then at the very least, walk with me. I can't abide you sneaking about.””Aye, mu'um,” he said, and fell in beside her, stepping carefully as Ava walked easily through the forest.They had gone only a little farther when a child's voice called out to them, ”Halt! Who trespa.s.ses in the marquis' forest?”Ava stopped and followed the sound of the young voice, looking up. There, in the crook of an oak tree,was a boy, holding a child's bow and arrow. It was the boy she'd seen at the wedding, the one who hadbeen watching her as he stood apart from the others as they scampered for the coins Middleton tossed.
He was well dressed, she thought, his clothes clean and well fitted. She thought he was the son ofsomeone with a good living-a clergyman, or a lawyer, perhaps.”Pardon, mu'um,” Robert said gruffly. ”He's a wee ruffian. I 'll see to him,” he said, and strode forward.But the boy instantly pointed an arrow at him. ”Have you his lords.h.i.+p's permit to cross these lands?” heasked imperiously.”Come out of that tree, lad! Do you not recognize your marchioness?”
”Of course I do,” the boy said. ”I saw her married, same as you.”
”Then wouldn't you a.s.sume, if she is the marchioness, that she has the lords.h.i.+p's leave to cross these lands?” He seemed to consider the question a moment, then shrugged, and hopped down out of the tree. On the ground, he looked to be seven or eight. He had a mop of thick dark brown hair and hazel eyes, through which he peered closely at Ava. ”You're prettier up close,” he announced.
The footman slapped the back of his head. ”Mind who you're speaking to!” he said sternly.Ava laughed and touched the top of his head. ”Thank you, kind sir,” she said with a playful curtsy. ”Haveyou a name?”
”Edmond Foote, mu'um.””Believe he belongs to the gamekeeper, mu'um,” Robert offered.The child looked too finely dressed to be the gamekeeper's son. She smiled at the boy again-he was a st.u.r.dy young thing. One day he'd be a man as strong and tall as Middleton, she reckoned. ”Mr. Foote,we're to Broderick. Would you care to join us?” Ava asked.He squinted up at her and shook his head. ”I'm not allowed in Broderick.””No?”He shook his head.
”I'm very sorry. We might have used your protection. If we have your permission, we will carry on.””I'll allow you to pa.s.s,” he said agreeably, and stepped back, bowing low. Ava laughed, and with Robertglaring at the boy, she walked on.
By the time she and Robert reached the small village of Broderick, she knew that Robert was an orphan, had been taken in by Middleton when he was a lad, and that he held Charlotte, one of the scullery maids, in very high esteem. Ava advised him that if he thought to marry her, to marry her because he loved her, and not to marry for the sake of convenience or situation.
Robert seemed confused by her advice. ”Convenience, mu'um? I didn't know marriage was meant to beconvenient.””My point precisely,” she said, tapping him on the arm. ”It's not terribly convenient after all.”
”Aye, mu'um,” he said, dipping his head, but he still looked rather confused.
In Broderick, she stepped into a dry goods shop and chatted it up with the proprietor, who eagerly agreed to come to Broderick Abbey early the following week and show Ava fabrics for her sitting room, which she found cold and damp and very dark. Ava decided it was perfectly acceptable to order materials. After all, she would probably be alone and he had promised to provide for her every need.
At a confectionary, she admired the sweetmeats, but when the proprietor asked if he might wrap some
up for her, she shook her head. ”I'm afraid I haven't any money, sir,” she said.The proprietor looked at Robert. Robert stepped forward and whispered something in the man's ear. Heinstantly set about wrapping up the sweetmeats, and when Ava protested, he shook his head and said firmly, ”Pardon, madam, but I insist.””But I-””Your husband's name will do well enough, I a.s.sure you,” he said, and with a broad smile, he deposited a wrapped bundle in her arms.
”You are too kind,” Ava said, trying to juggle the enormous package, which Robert took from her to hold.
She and Robert started back under a glorious blue sky, munching on sweetmeats, laughing about the man
they'd seen who'd had a row with a goat he was trying to bring to market. It was really a very pleasant day, and might have ended very well had Robert not very gallantly offered to get her some water from the stream and then fallen down the embankment, landing awkwardly, leaving his foot at an odd angle to his leg.
His ankle was, Ava determined when she managed to pick her way down the steep embankment, quite broken.
”You must go on, milady,” Robert said, in obvious pain. ”Dawson will have me head if you aren't returned at a proper hour.”
”Nonsense, Robert. I will not leave you alone.” She glanced up and noted it was getting late. ”Surely
there is someone close by I can summon for help?”
”The gamekeeper,” Robert said through clenched teeth. ”But he's fairly new to the abbey, mu'um, and I'
ve not met him.”
”Where can I find him?””The fork in the road, where we went right. If we'd gone left-””I know where it is,” Ava said, and took the light cloak from her shoulders and put it over Robert. ”I shall bring him at once. Don't fret, Robert.” And with that, she scrambled up the embankment and ran
down the path to the fork.
She found the cottage easily enough, but when she knocked on the door, young Edmond Foote opened it.
”Mr. Foote, we meet again, but under less pleasant circ.u.mstances,” she said. ”Where is your father?””Setting traps, mu'um.””Then is your mother within?””She's in heaven.””Oh dear.” Ava glanced up at the sky. The sun had started its descent into late afternoon. ”All right, then, young man, you are the one who must help me. You must go to the abbey at once and tell Mr. Dawson
there has been an accident.”
The boy's eyes lit up. ”What sort of accident?” he asked eagerly, coming out of the cottage to have a look around, obviously hoping the accident had occurred close by.
Ava clamped a hand on his shoulder to gain his attention. ”Edmond, listen carefully. The footman has
broken his ankle. You must go to the abbey and bring help.””But I'm not allowed at the abbey,” he said, looking very concerned.Good G.o.d, was the child allowed anywhere but the forest? ”You have my special permission,” she said.
”Now go at once.”Edmond glanced uneasily at the cottage behind him.”Now, Edmond. I will speak to your father and tell him that I demanded you go.””Yes, mu'um,” he said, and set out at a run.”I will meet you at the fork!” Ava shouted after him.