Chapter Seventeen
“Ellie, is there more food?” Georgie breezed into the entryway. “There’s at least another dozen coming up the drive.”
Ellie’s chest tightened with compassion for all the widows in the area. She’d always been pleased to give to the widows on St. Thomas Day back at home, but around Hawthorne Park, there were so many more. The war had taken a toll. “Yes, there is.” She looked at her butler. “Beacham?”
“I’ll have it brought out at once, my lady.”
As he strode off, Georgie smiled at her. “If you like, I can spell you for a while.”
Though she knew Georgie was perfectly capable of directing the staff, Ellie simply preferred to do it herself.
But she also liked meeting the women who had lost their husbands and still managed to carry on.
“No need. I will join you.” She moved to the wall by the door and lifted her pelisse from its hook.
Beacham reappeared with a footman in tow carrying twelve bags of food and cooked wheat. Immediately, he stepped up and helped Ellie on with her pelisse.
“Thank you, Beacham. Tell Mrs. Torbett if any more widows arrive after we give these bags away, she can hand them out. I will entrust you with the coins to be sure each widow receives some.”
“Do you not wish to rest now, my lady? I’m quite sure Mrs. Torbett is capable of taking care of everyone.”
Ellie smiled, pleased that her butler was concerned. “Not yet. I do so enjoy the smiles on their faces. While my mother enjoys planning charitable events, I’ve always preferred to help directly and meet those I can benefit.”
Without another word about it, she headed back outside with Georgie, the footman carrying the sustenance.
“Ah, here she is now, the Lady Ferncroft with more food.” Rose gestured toward Ellie as she descended the five steps to where Rose and Sophie stood.
It was lovely to see how easily Sophie interacted with the women. Was it that they were women or that they were in unfortunate circumstances? She had a feeling it was the latter. “Ladies, please, we have a bag for each of you. Do come over and take one.”
The three women who had been speaking to Rose and Sophie came toward her.
Each took a bag then thanked her warmly.
No sooner had they left than two more approached Rose and Sophie, who gave out the coins.
When the last bag of food was given, Ellie looked toward the end of the long drive and could see more ladies entering.
“Let us repair to the house. My servants will take our places.”
Sophie and Rose joined her and Georgie as they climbed the steps.
Rose looked toward the sky. “I wonder if you would have had so many women arrive if it hadn’t dawned such a bright, sunny day.”
“I’m sure that helped, and it’s not too cold today either. I’m just thrilled that the vicar and Mrs. Gerey let as many people know as possible.”
Georgie raced up the steps to the top. “Is she a neighbor?”
Ellie shook her head. “No, she’s one of our tenants. She would know more widows than my neighbors, I’m sure.”
Sophie spoke from behind her. “Do you have nice ladies nearby that can be your friends now?”
Ellie stopped on the landing and faced Sophie. “You are such a dear to think of me. Yes. There are two ladies I’ve met that I think could be very good friends. And then there is the dragon.”
Rose’s blue eyes lit with curiosity. “Is she old and wrinkled, with a long, sharp nose and bad breath?”
Ellie laughed.
“No, you goose. She must have three heads, claws for hands, and scales for skin.” Georgie punctuated her comment by curling her fingers into claws.
Sophie shook her head. “She must be a very unhappy woman.”
“I believe you’re right, Sophie.” Ellie could always count on Sophie’s observations. “I fear she is only happy when the unfortunate tidings of others reaches her ears.” They’d all met ladies like the Baroness Watkins. “Now, let us repair to my glass terrace upstairs and enjoy the sun from there.”
“And marzipan,” Georgie grinned while taking off her coat as she walked through the door.
“Yes, I will have marzipan sent up.” Georgie opened her mouth to speak, but Ellie held her hand up. “I’ve already informed Cook that you will need a couple dozen to take with you on your way home tomorrow.”
Sophie grinned. “You are always thinking of us.”
“Yes, I am. Now, upstairs you go. I’ll be there in a moment.”
Ellie watched her three friends climb the grand staircase.
She’d thoroughly enjoyed her sennight with them, though it was too bad that Lissa had been delayed.
Ellie was going to miss having her former classmates about, especially because Darius had not returned from his trip.
It was already a day longer than his last one. She couldn’t help but worry.
Beacham turned from hanging up the final cloak. “My lady, I have told Mrs. Torbett to expect more women.”
“Thank you. Has there been any word from Lord Ferncroft?”
“I’m afraid not, but I promise I will tell you immediately.”
“I do hope he comes home before Christmas.”
Beacham gave her a sympathetic look. “I’m most sure that he is as anxious to be here with you as you are to have him home.”
She nodded, in complete agreement with Beacham. Darius had seemed very happy with her and the children before he left. No doubt he was anxiously traveling homeward even now. “Please have tea and marzipan sent up to my terrace.”
“No cocoa, my lady?”
She grinned. “No. I don’t wish to spoil Lady Georgina too much. After all, she and Lady Rose must leave on the morrow and won’t be able to have cocoa every day.”
Beacham raised his brows. “Then would it not be kinder to allow them their final day of bliss?”
She laughed. “You make a good point. Send up the cocoa along with the tea.”
—
Ellie moved the telescope toward the Cassiopeia constellation.
It was well past midnight, and she couldn’t sleep.
She missed Darius, and her friends were to leave in the morning.
She was so thankful that Sophie said she could stay a couple of more days, since she lived less than a day’s journey away.
Or maybe it was the moon keeping her awake.
It had been full not three nights past, and was said to affect people.
She probably should have dressed in more than her shift and robe, but she didn’t expect to see anyone at this hour.
Though it had been sunny all day, the clouds had moved in during dinner, making it impossible to show Rose the constellation of Hercules that she wanted to see.
But now there were parts of the sky visible, and with the moon behind a bank of clouds, Ellie could definitely do some stargazing.
It always distracted her from her worries.
And she was worried. She worried about her husband.
Looking southward from the top point of Cassiopeia, she found what she sought.
Not simply the Andromeda constellation but the Andromeda Nebula.
She moved the telescope slightly and locked it into place.
The nebula came into focus. Instead of the soft white oblong smear she usually saw, it now looked like a tilted plate.
In the center appeared a very bright star that rose above and below the disk.
She could even see a smaller nebula nearby.
How different the universe looked with a better telescope.
It made her want to share all her discoveries with Darius.
She lifted her head from the eyepiece. Marrying Darius had made her life very different, too.
Like the telescope showed her so much more, Darius showed her how wonderful life could be.
He granted her most fervent wish, to be a mother the very day they wed.
Then he’d believed in her and her abilities, and he made all her dreams come true in their bed.
As much as her friends insisted she deserved it, the voice of her mother still echoed in her mind, criticizing her, her brothers’ laughter ringing in her ears.
Shaking her head, she chastised herself.
Nothing was perfect. Soon Darius would notice her penchant for knocking things over and her shortcomings in running a household when it wasn’t Christmastide.
But in the meantime, she would enjoy every moment.
So as soon as he came home, she would insist on showing him what she’d found in the stars.
Not that he would resist. He was far too kind.
So what else did she want to find to show him?
She walked to the cabinet and pulled out her notes, then set them on the small table nearby and gazed out into the darkness of the estate. Maybe she should research if there were any other nebula that had been discovered that she was unaware of.
With her decision made, she brought her gaze back to the sky, gauging if the clouds were dissipating or filling in. The moon’s light remained blocked, except what shone down on the earth directly below it. The rest of the gardens and field were dark and, in the wood—
She frowned. It looked like there was light in the north wood. It was just a sprinkling through the trees, like a new star cluster.
She watched the light to see if it moved, as it could perhaps be the gamekeeper and his men, but the light remained steady.
Did someone live there? The gamekeeper lived in the village, but maybe another out-of-doors servant, like the gardener?
Curious, she continued to stare at it, wishing she knew what it was.
Beacham would know, but he was abed, as was everyone else.
Turning back to her telescope, she grinned. She could make a new discovery, albeit not an astronomical one.