Chapter Forty-Nine
Sterling sank down as far as he could, wishing the hipbath was large enough that the hot water could reach his shoulders.
As it was, his knees were bent as far as his legs would allow and he wasn’t at all comfortable, so he pulled himself up so that his back was supported and the water only reaching as far as his waist.
Elliot stirred Dover’s Powder into a glass of water then handed it to Sterling. He forced himself to drink it despite the bitterness and hoped that it worked quickly to relieve the pounding in his head.
“Eat this” Elliot held out a slice of bread. “It could help settle your stomach.”
Sterling took the offering but it only made him thirsty again. “Could you refill the water?”
Elliot did as asked and Sterling alternated between eating the bread and drinking the water as his steaming bath began to cool and some of the pain began to ease from his neck and shoulders.
When he couldn’t eat anymore, he set both glass and bread aside, leaned back and closed his eyes.
“Coffee?” Elliot asked.
That was exactly what he needed. “How did you know?” Sterling asked without opening his eyes.
“I have been in the same condition and likely a lot more often than you.”
Elliot had been the one to enjoy life to the fullest until he sailed to Maderia, as their father had insisted before he died. Though, he supposed his brother may still be enjoying ale, wine, and every variety of women God had created. It wasn’t as if such vices were only limited to England.
Sterling leaned forward and washed his hair and body with the soap provided, then rose and wrapped himself in a towel, tucking the end at his waist.
With a sigh he turned to face Elliot who had made himself quite comfortable on his bed, pillows stacked behind his head and back, half sitting, booted feet crossed at the ankles, and his arms crossed over his middle wearing a devil-may-care grin that Sterling was certain his brother had been born with.
“What?” Sterling demanded.
“I am simply enjoying my eldest brother’s loss of control for possibly the first time in your life.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Sterling grumbled.
“You were always the most like Father: disciplined, serious, never one to step out of line, and certainly never drank to excess because you had duties that you must attend to, yet, I found you bloody drunk last night.” He grinned again. “Care to tell me why?”
“No, I do not.” Sterling grabbed a pair of trousers.
“Then tell me about… what was her name? Ah, yes, Caroline.”
Sterling glared at his brother. First, he hated Elliot’s description of his personality. Or maybe he hated that his brother was correct. Second, he did not want to discuss Caroline.
“Why are you here?” Sterling countered instead of answering.
“I decided visit Mother.”
“You could have visited Southampton if you wanted to travel.”
“Yes, you have our brothers whereas I am without family as is Mother. Of course, I never even considered that you might be visiting as well and was rather shocked to realize that the ship I saw in the harbor, that I had assumed was here to collect barrels of wine, had actually delivered you. Of course, I did not know that until I spoke with the captain and learned that you would soon depart so I hurried to Wyndview Farm only to find out that you had left.”
Sterling frowned. Had Elliot arrived after he had left the ship that led to him getting drunk? He must have since the captain only knew he left the ship, not where he had gone and likely assumed he’d returned to Wyndview Farm.
“How long do you intend to remain?” he asked.
“I do not know.” He shrugged. “It was not until after dinner, after the guests had departed, that Mother fully explained why she warned me not to mention you and your ship until they were gone.”
Sterling frowned. “What guests?”
“Mr. Hallaway and his son and Caroline, who is quite beautiful even though she was downhearted. Her brown eyes were puffy as if she had been crying,” Elliot commented looking him in the eye.
“What exactly did Mother explain?” Sterling ground out.
“It was a tale of love and betrayal, secrets, lies, broken hearts, and an earl who was too quick to judge and not tolerant enough to listen.”
Sterling snorted. His mother had clearly sided with Caroline, though he was not surprised since she had been in on the duplicity.
“After I heard the whole of it, I went looking for you. Since you weren’t on the ship, I visited practically every tavern near the docks before I found you deep in your cups and barely able to stand, so I got you back to your ship where I left you to sleep it off.”
Sterling groaned. “Did I say anything?” Did he want to know?
“Only that you loved Caroline and that she lies.”
“Yes, well, she did.”
“And that is the end of the matter?” Elliot asked.
“I cannot trust her,” Sterling reminded Elliot or maybe he was trying to convince himself.
“Mother said that you arrived behaving just like father, but then relaxed, laughed and remembered what it was like to be happy, just like father before moving to England, and with one deception, you reverted to our father, where nobody was allowed a mistake and excuses were not to be tolerated.”
That was exactly what he had done and Sterling hated himself for that. But it was too late now and even if Caroline forgave him, Sterling wasn’t certain that she could ever be trusted.
*
“Why must we hire a housekeeper?” Lady Wyndham asked for what must have been the tenth time.
“Because I should no longer be in that position. It was never my place.”
“If it is wages you want, we can arrange for them,” she promised.
“It is not the wages.” Though, perhaps she shouldn’t disregard the option so quickly. She may not need funds now, but the day may come when she must make and home for herself and Livia somewhere else, if she didn’t marry for convenience. “I will think on the manner,” she finally said.
“Of course, you will and then you will accept and I will not be forced to endure interviews,” Lady Wyndham decided, as if the matter was settled. “And I will also see that you are paid wages for being my companion.”
“That is not necessary, Lady Wyndham. I enjoy visiting with you.”
“Yes, and while I appreciate your words, I did take advantage of you.”
“You did not,” Caroline insisted. “My father was paid fully for duties he neglected. I did those duties and the wages went to the correct household.”
Caroline placed her teacup in the saucer on the table then settled back against the settee. “Truthfully, I am happy that I no longer need to fear the truth being learned and soon William will be responsible for everything.”
“Then we will put our attention to inviting bachelors to tea.” She smiled as if Caroline still wasn’t suffering from heartache.
Then again, she had no way of knowing what she and Sterling had shared.
It wasn’t as if they courted. There may have been whispers when they worked closely during the harvest, but there was no proof that they were anything other than close friends, and he always came to her after everyone had retired, so of course, Lady Wyndham would see no reason why Caroline would object to inviting bachelors to tea.
“In time,” she said.
“Is it because my son broke your heart?”
Caroline blinked at her. “No…of course not…how…why would you assume such.”
Lady Wyndham chuckled. “Caroline, it was obvious.”
“Nothing was obvious,” she argued.
“I saw how he looked at you.” She grinned. “More importantly, I suffer from insomnia and I often saw my son cross the terrace to your chamber once he believed everyone was asleep.”
Caroline wished that she could disappear. Sterling being her lover was to have always been a secret.
“I thought that since the two of you became lovers that love was included.”
“You know that such an emotion is not necessary, Lady Wyndham”
“Unfortunately, it is not. That saddens me, Caroline, because I truly had hoped to have you as a daughter-in-law.”
She would have liked that as well.