Chapter Three
He needed to leave Norwood. Of that, he was certain.
As David shaved himself, he thought back on the last four months.
It had taken almost three weeks to get Henry back to England.
Once he had seen to the details of finding them a ship returning to England and booking passage on it, they had traveled first in Dover.
There, they rented a cottage near the beach, giving his friend more time to heal so that Henry would not startle his father and sister when they arrived home in Cumberland.
The swelling of Henry’s face had finally gone down, and a doctor in Dover had rebroken his nose at that point, allowing it to heal straighter on its own.
It would never be perfect, and Henry teased about it, calling his nose his war wound.
Unfortunately, Henry had never regained hearing in his left ear.
The doctor in Dover had diagnosed a ruptured eardrum.
As a result, Henry had suffered hearing loss in his left ear.
Still, the right ear was intact. David made certain to try to always be on Henry’s right side now so that his friend could hear all which was said to him.
They had taken long walks along the beach together and spent hours sitting upon the sand, watching the waves come in and out.
And they had talked. Of the war. Of experiences they would never be able to share with civilians.
The horrors they had witnessed. David asked Henry why he had gone into spy work, and his friend had said it made him feel closer to David, knowing they did the same kind of work for their country.
Though he wanted to chastise him, especially because Henry had not even needed to go to war in the first place, being the heir apparent to a duke, it was water under the bridge.
Henry had suffered enough—and they were both going home.
No need to hurt his friend more than he already was.
As far as what David would do now, he hadn’t any idea what direction to take.
Once he had gotten them to London, Henry had rented a post chaise for them to travel the entire way to Cumberland.
The post chaise was far more comfortable than a mail coach would have been, and they traveled with both speed and privacy.
Of course, Henry had a home to return to.
Norwood was but one country estate owned by the Duke of Norville, and it was his country seat, the place where Henry had been brought up.
One day, Henry would own it and several other ducal estates scattered about England, while David had nothing but the funds from the sale of his army commission, which they had managed to handle while in London.
Still, Cumberland was home to him and always would be.
The beauty of the Lake District coursed through David’s blood, and after he accompanied Henry here, he wanted to stay in this area the rest of his life.
David had written to Mr. and Mrs. Edwards, having done so once a year during his time at war.
He had told the butler and housekeeper that they could not write back to him, due to the sensitive nature of his work, but he was satisfied with the one-way communication.
He had given them permission to share his letters with the other staff members at Sheridale, so that they would know he was still alive and doing his part in the fight against Bonaparte.
In his latest letter, David had told them he had returned to England and was staying with the Duke of Norville’s family for a while.
Edwards had written to him and asked if they might meet in Kidsgrove at the local inn, and David had agreed to do so.
Meeting with Edwards, who had brought his wife along with him, had felt like coming home.
The pair had helped to raise him after Mama’s death, when Papa went into his deep depression over her loss.
The couple told David how proud they were of him, as were all the servants at Sheridale.
When he asked about the tenants and how they were doing, Edwards turned deliberately vague.
The butler said that the earl was rarely in residence in the country, preferring to spend his time in town with his friends.
Thank goodness, the estate had a decent steward in Finley, but David knew there would be matters which should be tended to by his brother, ones which Claude obviously neglected.
Not that he wished his brother ill so that he might take on the earldom, but sometimes David wondered how Claude had come from two such wonderful parents, turning out with no work ethic and little compassion for others.
In the end, he promised to stay in touch with the couple and let them know where he would permanently reside. David decided to take this up today with the duke and Henry.
He finished shaving and dressing, something he had done for himself since arriving at Norwood.
Henry had offered to share his own valet with David, but he had politely declined, knowing that he had a limited income and would not be wasting any of it on a valet for himself.
While he enjoyed having a batman in the army take care of him, things were much different now.
He would have to carefully watch his funds.
What he needed to do was find gainful employment and a place to live, preferably nearby.
Henry’s family had always been more like his own.
Working and living near Norwood and the Lake District was his goal.
Making his way down to breakfast, he found Elinor was the only one present.
She was now seven and ten, no longer the awkward girl who talked incessantly, following him and Henry about.
Instead, she had grown into a real beauty, with the same golden locks and blue eyes her brother possessed, as well as a kind, friendly nature.
After her mother’s death, she had been sent away to school but had recently returned to Norwood.
She had a finishing governess who would complete her education and prepare the young lady for her come-out next spring.
“Good morning, Elinor. I hope you had a pleasant night’s sleep,” he said, as he helped himself to food from the buffet, filling his plate with eggs, kippers, ham, and toast points.
“I always sleep well, David,” she said pertly. “Country air is so fresh and conducive to sleep. And now autumn is upon us, which is my favorite time of year. Are you interested in riding this morning?”
He had gone riding with Elinor while Henry’s broken arm and ribs healed, then his friend had joined them on the daily ride.
David would miss those long rides when he left Norwood.
He had always felt comfortable on horseback, but owning a horse would be a luxury he would not be able to afford.
The upkeep would be too much for his limited funds.
Perhaps the duke would allow him to use his stables every now and then when he came to visit.
“Might we ride this afternoon?” he asked, spreading raspberry jam across a toast point. “I am going into the village this morning.”
She grew pensive, studying him with a steady eye. “You are going to leave us soon, aren’t you?”
He laughed affably. “Beautiful—and perceptive.” When she stared pointedly at him, he continued.
“Yes, Elinor. It is time I move on. I must find a way to earn my keep. My brother made it perfectly clear to me that I was never to return to Sheridale again, and he provides me with nothing. I cannot stay here indefinitely. I must find a way to make a living.”
“And you think you will do so in Kidsgrove?” she asked, doubt in her voice.
He shrugged. “It is a start. If I cannot find any kind of work there, I will call upon those in the neighborhood. There are many things I could do. I could become a groom. A gamekeeper.”
Originally, he had thought to ask His Grace for employment, but he saw that might be awkward. The duke would insist upon David still being treated as an equal when he visited, and he knew it would put him in an impossible situation. So he sought a post elsewhere.
“It is so unfair, David. Lord Sheridan should help take care of you. That is what families do for one another.”
His throat tightened, emotions threatening to overcome him.
To him, family had ended long ago, with Mama and the infant’s death.
Papa had withdrawn from the world after she was gone, a kind of living death.
In effect, David had lost both parents at the same time.
His father had left Claude and him emotionally.
By the time he took his life six years later and was gone physically, David had already done his mourning.
“At least I have a sort of family with yours. You and Henry are like siblings to me, and His Grace has been as a father figure to me.”
“I have?” a voice boomed.
David looked over his shoulder and saw the duke striding into the room.
He had responded to his own wife’s death very differently from that of David’s father.
While Papa withdrew from his sons and the world, the Duke of Norville had realized the hole which would be in his children’s hearts, and he had become both father and mother to them.
David and Elinor had talked about this once.
She had been only four when her mother passed and had only vague memories of her, but the duke had talked about his wife so often over the years, Elinor said she felt as if she had known her mother, after all.
Henry entered the room next, and David put off the conversation he wished to have with His Grace, feeling it would be better if they spoke in private.