Chapter Fourteen
Later that afternoon
“Mrs. McDonald, those apple tarts you served for lunch were delicious,”
Fleur Bowles said.
“Oh, thank you so much milady. It’s a favorite around here,”
the cook said, wiping her hands on her apron. “I enjoy making them.”
“I hope you don’t mind me popping into the kitchen, but I’d like to visit my daughter’s horse. Would you have a couple of apples to spare?”
She hadn’t seen the horse in weeks and needed to see him and thank him for bringing her daughter safely to Lord Lawrence’s estate. A shiver coursed down her back as she realized how close she had been to losing her daughter. If not for that horse—who had surely been an angel in disguise, she might have lost her dear daughter. She could not even imagine having survived her near death from poisoning only to discover her precious daughter had either gone missing or had been killed. God forbid. She did not know if she could have gone on if something had happened to Selena.
“Of course, Lady Bowles.”
She dried her hands on her apron. “I have a small basket you can use to carry them. Those horses love’m,” the cook said.”
“Is someone going to the stables?”
Angus Connery asked as he walked into the kitchen.
“Yes, Mr. Connery. I thought I’d check on my daughter’s horse,”
Fleur said, stepping forward and giving him a tentative smile.
“I’m heading that way, as well. May I accompany you?”
Connery asked.
“I would appreciate that, Mr. Connery.”
He rubbed the back of his neck and looked around distractedly. “Ah, Mrs. McDonald have I missed out again? Are they gone?”
The plump little cook, Mrs. McDonald, gave a wide smile. She dried her hands and pulled a towel off a bowl. “I took a plate of them into the study for his lordship’s meeting, but I saved you two.”
She handed him two tarts wrapped in a kitchen towel.
“Ah, Mrs. McDonald, you are the best.”
Connery grinned, leaning down and bussing the older woman on the cheek. He tucked the apple tarts in his pocket, giving it a little pat.
Fleur couldn’t help but smile at the gleeful look on the man’s face at the treat. To see such a tall and rugged man smiling like a boy over apple tarts made her heart all aflutter. A feeling she hadn’t experienced since she was a young debutante at her first ball.
Angus Connery was certainly a most impressive man, almost as tall as Lord Lawrence and every bit as muscular, no doubt from a lifetime of managing estates.
Connery turned to her and smiled, making her forget herself. “My lady, there is a chill in the air, so you may want to wear your pelisse.”
She started to go back for her wrap when Anna walked in carrying it. “There ye are, Lady Bowles. I overheard you tell Mr. Wells that you’d be at the stables and saw your pelisse still hanging on the coat stand. So, I thought I’d bring it to ye.”
“Anna, you’re a fine lass. Thank you for thinking of that.”
Connery held the cloak for Fleur as she slipped it on.
“Miss Selena is still sleeping?”
Fleur asked the young maid.
“Yes, milady. Sleeping peacefully, last I checked on her.”
Fleur heaved a deep sigh. “I am glad to hear it.”
“I’ll keep watch over her while you’re on your walk.”
“Thank you, my dear,”
Fleur said giving Anna’s hand a gentle squeeze.
The young maid curtsied and left.
“Shall we go, milady?”
Connery asked.
“Yes, please. I thought this would be a good opportunity to spend time with Azure and thank him for keeping my daughter safe,”
Fleur said.
Connery chuckled. “I don’t doubt he would understand you.”
He accepted the basket of apples from Mrs. McDonald as he and Fleur left the house together through the kitchen door. “What a fine specimen of horseflesh that one is. Where did you find him?”
“It’s a remarkable story, really,”
Fleur said.
“I’ve admired that horse since he arrived and would love to hear it.”
“Very well,”
she said, smiling at him. “My husband, Phillip was returning home from London, this was a few years before his passing.”
Fleur realized that life without Phillip had been harder than she realized. Despite the health complications he suffered in later life, he had been a very good husband and father. She missed him. “Phillip heard a loud gunshot and then, someone shouting for help. He described seeing an out-of-control rig with an older gentleman trying desperately to regain control of the horses and stop the rig. But the man was having little luck and Phillip urged his own mount forward. He overtook the rig and— somehow —managed to move from his horse to the rig and stop the horses.”
“Phillip stood tall and proud, much like you,”
she said, feeling the heat creeping up her neck.” She dared a peek at Connery and saw his lips twitch. “Eager to shift the focus away from her own embarrassment, she continued speaking as they strolled along. “He was a man who had always prided himself on his horsemanship, despite his slowly declining health. He managed to grab hold of the reins of the horses, saving the stranger from grievous injury. After introducing themselves and exchanging a few friendly words about the spirit of horses, Phillip bid him a courteous farewell.”
A year passed and a man appeared at Rose Point looking for my husband. He said the older man had died and he had left specific instructions to gift a special horse to Phillip. The man was adamant that this horse was for Phillip to do with as he wanted to. The horse was a year old at the time and had the most remarkable eyes…almost the same color as Selena. Our daughter has always loved horses and shared her father’s equine talents. Phillip gifted the horse to our daughter…and I will say it was love at first sight between that girl and the horse. I do not doubt that Azure would have given his life to protect her. That’s how close they are.”
She blinked back tears as she remembered that first touching meeting when Phillip had gifted Selena with the horse that she would name Azure.
From the corner of her eye, she could see Connery looking at her, and the expression in his eyes made her breath catch. If she wasn’t careful, she could easily lose her heart to this man… But oh, how she missed being looked at that way by a man. Not since those early years with Phillip before life and his health began to take precedence.
“That’s a remarkable story. And from what I recall, I think you are right,”
Connery said.
“Yes. When we were home, there wasn’t a day that Selena didn’t visit that horse, and she rode him every chance she got. The man’s note to my husband had specified the thoroughbred lineage, but I don’t recall the specifics. They may be in my husband’s papers at Rose Point.”
“We knew he was thoroughbred, and a valuable one at that. “Your daughter arrived in the middle of a rainstorm. I’m certain you’ve heard the story from Gerald—Lord Lawrence.”
“Yes, he did. I know that Azure would never have reacted that way had he not been spooked and under such extreme circumstances.”
“Selena visited him after she came through her fever, and it was that visit that triggered her memory to come back. I can see they have a unique relationship. Your daughter is a very special young lady with a truly remarkable gift in being able to communicate with horses.”
“She’s always had that gift. From when she was a little girl,”
Fleur said.
“I can see where she gets her beauty and her strength from,”
he said softly.
“I thank you, Mr. Connery,”
Fleur said, feeling that heat of a blush yet again.
“I would be honored if you would call me Angus,” he said.
“Thank you, Angus. Please call me Fleur.”
“Fleur,”
he said in a voice that was both gruff and sensual. “Flower. A lovely name for a lovely woman.”
Feeling another blush heating her cheeks, she thanked him again and they continued on their walk to the stable.
Angus led her through the stable, pointing out the horses. As they approached Azure’s stall, a stableboy was hanging up the horse’s brush.
“Look how this horse gleams, Mr. Connery. His coat starts gray, but after you brush him, he looks more silver. And those eyes…I’ve never seen the like,”
the stable boy declared.
“Aye, you did a fine job brushing him, Joshua,”
Angus said patting the boy on the shoulders. The lad beamed up Angus.
Fleur extracted an apple from her skirt and held it towards Azure. The horse whinnied and nodded his head.
“A real beauty,”
Angus said.
Fleur glanced at him, but he wasn’t looking at the horse. Not used to such overt admiration, she turned her gaze to Azure.
“Did your daughter train the horse?”
Angus asked.
“She did. She has been helping my husband and his stable master with horses since she learned to ride.”
“Mr. Connery, I almost forgot,”
Joshua said. “You asked me to let you know when Lady Bowles’ stablemaster and his wife arrived. They just arrived only a few minutes ago. Mr. Ghent and his wife are still with their rig. He insisted that he would take care of the horses. I’ve given them two stalls on the back row for their mares and set out the water for them. I offered to feed them, but he wants to do it.”
“That’s just like Ben,”
Fleur said. “He’s always taken such good care of our horses.”
“I am thankful they helped you survive that blackguard’s poisonous attack,”
Angus said.
“Yes. I was weaker than a newborn babe. Maggie took care of me, hand-feeding me broth and gruel until I could hold my head up.”
A shiver overtook her as she recalled the first time, she felt well enough to hold any part of a conversation. She had nearly died at the hands of Percival Bowles…or whatever his true name was. “Thank God for Maggie and Ben.”
“I would like to welcome them,”
Angus said. “Would you care to come with me?”
She looked at Azure, who was munching on his third apple. “Thank you, Azure, thank you for taking care of my girl.”
The horse bobbed his head, seeming to understand. She reached up and gently pulled his nose to her. “Thank you,” she said, kissing the horse on his nose.
Azure whinnied his approval.
She heard their voices before she saw them and rushed in their direction. “Maggie! Ben! I’m so happy to see you both,”
Fleur said, throwing her arms around the couple and hugging them. “This is Mr. Angus Connery, the estate manager for Bellwood. He has been working with Lord Lawrence on this gorgeous estate.” She gave a brief wave of her hand.
Angus warmly greeted both Ben and Maggie, welcoming them to Bellwood.
Ben blew out a whistle. “Tis one of the most beautiful estates I’ve seen, excepting Rose Point, of course. At least to my eye. If the grounds along the main road and the stable is any indication of what to expect in the main house, Mr. Connery and Lord Lawrence have outdone themselves.”
“Thank you, Ben. I would like to take credit…but most of it belongs to Lord Lawrence as he worked on the grounds. And truthfully, he turned a dead estate into a profitable one,”
Angus said. He smiled at the Ghents. “What you both did took courage. We wouldn’t have Lady Bowles with us today, if not for that courage. We appreciate you both so much.”
“We did what was right, Mr. Connery. We have worked for the Bowles family for many years. We consider them our people—our family. And that man…”
Ben’s voice choked up. “He nearly killed her, he did.”
Touched at the raw emotion displayed by Ben, Fleur swallowed past the lump in her throat. “As we too, have always considered you both,”
she said, dabbing at the corner of her watery eyes.
“Let’s get you both settled,”
Angus said. “Ben, you and your lovely misses may enter the house from any door you’d like. But the kitchen is the closest.” He turned and gave them directions to the door leading into the kitchen. “Your room is ready, and you will probably find Mrs. Evans, the housekeeper, in her office, which is a small room in the hall just off the kitchen. And you will also meet Mrs. McDonald, our cook. She will want to make sure you have a hot meal.”
“Thank you, sir. It’s been a while since we’ve eaten today, that sounds most inviting. We appreciate you letting us stay here.”
“Nonsense. We would not have it any other way, but you must promise to let me know if you need anything,”
Angus said.
“Selena has been fatigued of late and has been sleeping much of the day. But she will be thrilled to see you both in the morning,”
Fleur said.
“Oh? She’s not ill, is she milady?”
Maggie asked, concern etching her round face.
“She was injured but is much improved,”
Fleur said. She hoped her daughter would be up and about tomorrow. She had observed the budding relationship between her daughter and Lord Lawrence but wondered if problems had emerged between the two.
“I’m looking forward to seeing the child, please let her know we will do anything we can to help her back to her old self,”
Maggie said.
“I will, my dear Maggie.”
Fleur wrapped the older woman in a warm embrace.
“I’m ready to eat and turn in, if you are, wife,”
Ben said, stifling a yawn. He held out his arm. His wife nodded and took it.
Angus and Fleur watched the couple stroll to the manor.
“It’s easy to see the affection they have for you and Selena,”
Angus said.
“It’s mutual.”
“You and your daughter are courageous women.”
Fleur gave a slight shake of her head. “Thank you. That is generous of you to say. What Selena did was brave. But not me… I am not brave. Had I been brave, I would have slit that cochon’s neck while he slept!”
Connery threw back his head and laughed. For a moment, they stared at each other.
Something shifted inside Fleur. “Would you…that is…would you like to walk with me for a while?”
The fresh air and the lovely surroundings called to her.
“I would enjoy walking with you,”
he said in that gruff-soft voice. “Allow me to show you this splendid estate,” he offered, holding out his arm.
He was looking at her with that gleam again. Fleur couldn’t help but be flattered and a little flustered by his attention.
She hadn’t found herself attracted to another man since before Phillip. Theirs had been an arranged marriage, but they grew to love each other. However, Phillip had been more than twenty years older, and not in the best of health. While she had grieved his passing deeply and missed his humor, wisdom, and loving heart, she had long since accepted that she would never grow old with him. Her recent horrid experience with that fiendish imposter was something she had never expected. And her own brush with death at the hand of that demon had left her shaken and vulnerable. She had thought herself a strong and capable woman, but she had not been able to cope and had almost lost her life in the process and the life of her beloved daughter as well. Thank God for Selena’s courage and her presence of mind to ride to Gerald’s estate. She prayed that their betrothal would flourish into a loving relationship. And from what she’d observed of the two of them together, their feelings were very strongly engaged.
As they took a shortcut through a field on the way to a road below them, she blew out a shallow breath she didn’t realize she had been holding. She had never taken too much notice of other men while Phillip lived, but this man beside her was undeniably attractive. With his thick silver hair mixed with dark, a strong dimpled chin, and dark blue eyes, she found it increasingly hard to school her attention away from him. A small smile formed on her lips as she recalled his deep, throaty laugh. His laugh had her toes curling and she hadn’t felt her toes curl in years. Briefly, she wondered what it might be like to kiss him.
They approached a small pond surrounded by apple trees and he led her to a small stone bench, where they sat.
“What a lovely spot. This property seems to have plenty of water,”
Fleur commented, surveying the area around the pond. “Are there fish?”
“Aye. Occasionally, I take advantage of the stock and fish for our dinner. And you’re right. ‘Tis a lovely property. I enjoy living here.”
“Wh-what about your life?”
Fleur asked. “Where did you live before you arrived here? Did you never marry?”
“Aye. She was a bonnie lass. She died giving birth to my son. My son died with her.”
Connery realized he hadn’t spoken of Beatrice in a very long time.
“I’m so sorry.”
“Ach! It feels like a lifetime ago. Ten years. The pain isn’t as raw as it once was.”
He had loved Beatrice with all his heart, and the grief he’d felt at losing her and the babe had been devastating, but he’d learned to live with that loss and over time life had become bearable. “I’m sure you ken my meaning. You lost your husband only a year ago. I am sorry for your loss.” He stole a glance at the beautiful woman beside him before continuing. Her soft brown curls framed her face and with her deep, blue eyes, he found her very pleasing. Aye time had healed his soul, but he did miss the love of a good woman. He wasn’t the type to keep a mistress or indulge in fleeting liaisons. He wanted a woman who shared his interests.
“I have. And I confess this last year has been a hard year of adjustments not to mention a murdering imposter claiming Rose Point as his,”
she said, shaking.
“Knowing Gerald and Wright and Banbury, that willna be for much longer,”
he said, trying to reassure her.
“Lord Lawrence has certainly impressed me. He is much changed from the brash and bold rapscallion he once was.”
“Aye, well, young men need to sow a few wild oats before they become who they are truly meant to be.”
“When Lord Lawrence’s mother wrote to me five years ago after that unfortunate incident at the Adamson’s ball telling me that her son had been sent to this estate without a farthing, I had not fully believed my friend at the time. It seemed inconceivable that an earl would do that to his heir.”
Connery chuckled. “He did indeed do that. And I fully supported it. But it did not take Gerald long to take the reins of his life and his future. My admiration for the lad took root. He was a determined young man and he accomplished every goal he set out to achieve, including developing an interest in thoroughbreds.”
“I agree, he has changed,”
she said. “He has carried his responsibilities well. I can see he has taken care of my daughter as though they were already married.”
“Lord Lawrence is a good man and most determined,”
Connery chuckled. “It was a good thing because he did not have the luxuries he was used to back London or at the family estat e— no valet, and a very small household staff.”
“Something tells me there is a story there,”
Fleur said with a smile.
“When we got here, the stable didn’t exist because it had burned down shortly after the previous owner abandoned the property. As a result, there were stray animals everywhere—those that hadn’t already been claimed or taken by local villagers or tenant farmers. Gerald rounded up a pig and asked me what to do with it. Earlier in the week, I had identified an old pig pen and had repaired it—and I watered it. When he finally wrestled the pig into the pen, I happened by. The poor man was covered to his ears with mud. I tell you, the lad kept slipping and sliding. He finally used the pig to help himself up. When he saw me watching, I thought he was going to lose his temper, but he didn’t. He burst into laughter and told me he couldn’t wait to have roast pig.”
“Perhaps the pig was integral to helping him become the good man he is today,”
Fleur laughed.
At her tinkling laugh, he turned and gazed at her, warmly. “Your laugh is so sweet…it reminds me of a beautiful brook we called Crystal Brook back home. It was named for its tinkling sound. So lovely.”
Fleur blushed at the compliment. And he couldn’t help but think how youthful and pretty she was.
“Goodness! They say that French men have silver tongues, but I think it is the Scottish, no?”
Connery laughed.
Under the darkening sky, Connery and Fleur resumed their stroll around the pond, and over the lush grounds surrounding the estate. As they continued to exchange playful banter, the distant rumble of thunder reverberated through the air, heralding an approaching storm.
“Where did that come from?”
Fleur asked.
“The weather’s quick shift in this area has never failed to amaze me,”
Connery said.
Worried that Fleur might catch a cold or worse given her recent illness, he removed his jacket and held it above their heads to shield them from the large drops of rain that had begun to fall. “Let’s hurry before it turns into a deluge,”
Connery said. He was actually thankful for the rain for it gave him an excuse to wrap a protective arm around Fleur’s delicate shoulders as they hurried back to the manor. He was no fool, nor a wee lad at his first ceilidh. He knew when a woman was attracted to him. But he was not looking for a mere flirtation. Not with a woman like Fleur. He’d never met a woman like her and the need to protect her was strong as was his admiration for her strength. He hoped that Gerald and Wright caught the bastard who did this to Fleur and Selena soon so that both women could resume their lives without the fear of being attacked again.