Chapter Three
A week later, Will sat on his horse next to the small lake observing as the new boat was delivered.
The summer cottage, as he referred to the burnt-out shell, sat far enough out that a boat was necessary to reach it.
A dock had been built in order to deliver things to the house and for a boat to be tethered.
On his left sat Margaret, Jane, and Nick, all on their own mounts. He was not surprised his mother hadn’t attended, but he knew a rush of memories would come forth which he didn’t think she needed.
His mother was finally trying to rebuild her life, and he had no intention of all her hard work going to waste.
“Are you going to try out the new boat or let someone else?” Margaret asked in a whisper.
“Someone else can go in my place,” he replied, intently watching the boat meet the water.
“Nick, Jane, and I thought we’d go together.”
He nodded. “That’s acceptable.”
“You’re going to have to get over this fear of yours. For your mother’s sake if nothing else,” she said, reaching a hand across and placing it on top of his.
He took her smaller hand and squeezed it. “I know that. Perhaps today I might try riding across the lake on my own.”
Any reply she might have made was lost in the ruckus Nick was making. He’d dismounted his horse and was rushing over to the small boat, followed by Jane. Will watched as Margaret slid off to join them. She took one last look at him before turning and walking the short distance to the lake’s edge.
Will shifted his weight in his saddle as he continued to watch everyone climb into the small craft and sit for the very short row to the summer house.
His mind wandered to Margaret for a second.
They didn’t have many times to spend alone, but he was determined to find some.
Everyone else knew there was something going on between them, and there wasn’t a reason to not court her.
The water was like glass, smooth and undisturbed, and the boat made little wake as it glided across the lake. Sunlight danced across the surface, giving the whole scene a sense of quiet and peace. Still, for Will there would always be great sorrow connected to the small body of water.
Keeping his eyes fixed on the small vessel, he watched as it closed in on the dock.
Nick jumped out first and tied the front end off.
He helped Jane and Margaret out. All three then turned and waved across the water to Will.
He waved back in turn, and Margaret made a gesture for him to join them.
He merely waved again. If the cottage was going to be rebuilt, perhaps a bridge could be made from the back of the structure.
He didn’t expect any trouble regarding his idea since he’d be crossing over water but in a safer mode.
He would mention it to Jane and Nick once it was decided whether rebuilding would be feasible.
He waited patiently as the trio disappeared out of sight.
Surely, they wouldn’t attempt to go inside the rubble.
Will knew better. Margaret and Nick would be the first ones inside.
The pair were adventurous and he worried sometimes they acted without thinking.
Not that he wasn’t adventurous. He was, but since the incident here at the lake he erred on the side of caution. There was no way his father survived that fateful day. He caught himself glancing to the spot where he last saw his father. That’s what started his fear of water. His father.
Hearing a commotion across the water, Will turned his attention away from that area of the lake and to his brother who, along with the girls, was motioning for him to join them.
The boat was tied where they left it, so someone would have to come back across to pick him up.
Their commotion led him to believe they’d found something. Something they wanted him to see.
In a manner of minutes, Margaret had crossed the small body of water and faced him. “You’ve got to come, Will. There is something you have to see.”
“What is it?” he asked.
“Someone has been in the cottage.”
He shook his head as he handed his horse over to his valet who’d come along as support for Will. “It could have been one of my mother’s people. That’s part of the reason she wants to go to the ruins. There is something important. At least, important to her.”
Gingerly, Will climbed into the small craft and sat down across from Margaret. He shut his eyes for a moment and felt the boat begin to move.
“Do you know what it might be?”
“No, simply that she needed a boat to get across and that she’d find it herself,” he replied.
Will, who had been looking straight ahead, felt the boat slightly rock from him shifting his weight and he grabbed on to both sides of the boat and held on. This wasn’t lost on Margaret.
“Why don’t you come out here with someone and start trying to swim once again. You used to be a strong swimmer as I remember.”
“That was before my father’s death,” he replied somberly.
“I don’t think your father would want to see you in this state. If not here, try swimming in the sea.”
“We’ll see,” he replied.
“Your mother is coming for dinner this evening, isn’t she?”
He nodded. “Yes, she is.”
“It’ll be nice to see her. I think she’ll move back to the manor house, don’t you?” Margaret asked.
“Yes, I think she’s tired of being alone with no one to talk to,” he replied.
The small boat came close to the dock where Nick stood waiting to tie the craft off.
Margaret disembarked first, followed by Will.
He could immediately tell the dock needed some work done.
Some boards felt loose under his boots and rather than wait on the others Will quickly walked onto the land at the end of the dock.
Jane met him and smiled at him. “See, that wasn’t so bad.”
“There’s a lot of work to be done on the dock. It’s not steady.”
“An easy repair,” she replied.
The others joined them, and together they walked to what remained of the house.
The air was heavy with anticipation, each step echoing memories of the past and hopes for what might be rebuilt.
Silence fell over the group as they approached the structure.
A couple of walls were weathered but still standing against the wind.
The remainder was in ruins in piles before them.
“There is something Mother wants from here. She wouldn’t tell me what it was or where it might be. I imagine she’ll want to venture out here in the coming days,” Will said somberly.
“Maybe it’s something very personal Father gave her,” Jane remarked.
“Yes, she indicated it was,” Will replied.
“I doubt anything of value made it through the fire. Does she realize that?” Nick said.
Will raised a brow. “Yes, she knows that, but she’s quite adamant whatever she’s after survived the heat of the fire.”
“I guess we can discuss it with her this evening,” Jane said.
“That’s an excellent idea,” Will replied. “I think we’re done here, so let’s head back.”
One by one everyone began to step into the small craft.
The quiet sound of shuffling feet and low murmurs seemed almost reverent as they prepared to leave the ruins behind, at least for now.
Nick helped his sister on, looking for Margaret and Will.
They were near the end of the dock, talking among themselves.
All of a sudden, Nick bolted forward, hurling his body toward the pair. Neither Will nor Margaret had a chance to move. Nick hit with such force the pair went flying off the dock and into the water.
He began laughing wickedly at the pair who were staring up at him trying to figure out what was actually going on. Will reached out to Margaret to bring her closer. She in turn placed her arms around his neck to balance herself.
As they looked at each other in their soaking wet state, they both began laughing uncontrollably. Suddenly Will lowered his face closer to Margaret as their lips met. How much time passed neither knew until they heard both Nick and Jane making disgusted noises to get their attention.
“I knew it!” Jane exclaimed. “I knew you two were attracted to each other. Why didn’t you let me know?”
“Help us get out of the water so we can return to the house,” Will said with a hint of irritation in his voice. Carefully, he hoisted Margaret up and Nick and Jane pulled her out of the water the rest of the way.
Will followed, but as he reached out his hand to his brother, Nick pushed him underwater one last time. This time, Will found nothing amusing about it.
“What are you doing? Trying to drown me?”
“No, just having a little fun with you to help you get this fear of yours to disappear,” Nick replied.
“Well, now is not the time. We’re both soaking wet no thanks to you.”
“But it worked, didn’t it?” Jane said with a mischievous grin on her face.
Having their mother join them for dinner once more was wonderful—almost as if she had never been away.
“What do you think of this person who’s pretending to be Father?” Nick asked her.
The dowager laid her fork down and said nothing for a moment as though trying to choose her words carefully.
“First off, I knew it wasn’t your father. He would have never done something like that.”
“What do you mean?” Nick asked.
“Your father loved his family. He would give his own life to protect us. What happened to him was a horrific accident. He was the love of my life.”
“Then who is person who’s digging around, trying to impersonate him? Does anyone know?” Nick said looking from his mother to his brother who’d stepped into their father’s title upon the death of their father.
“Uncle Cecil,” Will said quietly.
“I can’t believe that,” Nick replied.
“It is more than possible,” the dowager said. “He was always jealous of your father and his privileges. He never came to your father’s funeral or any other event. He simply was otherwise occupied.”
“Do you think he had something to do with Father’s death?” Jane asked.