Chapter 1 #2
Adjusting her bonnet around her face, making sure her hair was over the part of her face that had been ruined, Rosalind took the driver’s hand and allowed him to help her out. Her legs wobbled a little after being in the carriage for some time, and she looked up at the house.
Up close, it didn’t look as scary as it had been. There was something ethereal about it, especially with the sun coming out more.
Theo jumped out next, eyes wide with awe. Bea was last, surveying the scene with an expression that suggested she found it quite fetching. Rosalind wished that her nerves could be abated as well.
“Lady Ellingham?” The gentleman stepped forward and bowed. “Good tae meet ye, my lady. I’m Rivers, the butler. This is my wife, who is the housekeeper for Corrieden.”
“How do you do?” Rosalind mumbled.
The accent was strong, but there was something soothing in it as well. It put Rosalind at ease, just a little. Mrs. Rivers stepped forward and curtsied.
“My lady.” Then she smiled at Theo. “And this must be Viscount Ellingham. How do you do, sir?”
“My name’s Theo,” Theo said loudly. “Viscount Ellingham is my father.”
Mrs. Rivers glanced up at Rosalind, who gave her a sheepish smile.
“He hasn’t gotten used to it yet,” she said. “He’s only seven.”
The housekeeper’s expression said she understood, and then she turned to Bea, who curtsied to her.
“I’m Bea Lowe, Viscount Ellingham’s governess. I’ll mostly keep him entertained, so you don’t have to worry so much.”
“We’re perfectly capable of doing whatever the viscount needs,” River replied. “But it’s good to know that he has someone who will be with him at all times.”
“Bea goes practically everywhere with me,” Theo said proudly. “Or Mama. They never leave my side.”
Rosalind cleared her throat, and she gestured at the house.
“This is a gorgeous house. My husband told me a lot about it.”
“It was built over two hundred years ago,” Rivers answered. “It’s been renovated over the years, but the main foundations are still here.”
“Would you like to come inside and have a tour?” Mrs. Rivers asked. “We have your rooms ready.”
“Can I go and see the gardens, Mama?” Theo asked, pulling on Bea’s hand. “Bea can take me.”
Before Rosalind could say anything, he had tugged Bea along toward the side of the house. Rosalind sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. Mrs. Rivers smiled.
“He’ll be fine out there. The garden is very well-protected.”
“Well-protected?”
“There are cliffs and ravines around here. We have a wall around the edge to make sure nobody wanders off the path and gets into trouble.”
Rosalind shivered. She didn’t like the idea of being close to a sheer drop, especially when her son was so young. But Bea would look after him; she trusted her young governess.
“Would you like to come inside, Lady Ellingham?” Mrs. Rivers prompted. “I’ll show you to your rooms.”
“Thank you.” Rosalind absently adjusted the hair against her face. “I’d like that.”
She faltered, realizing that Mrs. Rivers was staring at the side of her face.
There had been a slight breeze, and it had blown some of her hair out of place.
She knew the housekeeper had seen them from the widening of her eyes.
Rosalind swallowed and looked away, keeping the ruined side out of sight.
“It… it’s nothing to worry about,” she mumbled. “It’s not contagious.”
“You must’ve gone through a lot of pain,” Mrs. Rivers said quietly.
She didn’t sound curious or keen to know more. There appeared to be genuine sympathy in her voice. However, Rosalind couldn’t bring herself to lower her guard. That wasn’t something she was prepared to do, not just because one person showed her some kindness.
“I’ll organize the luggage being brought in,” Rivers said, clearing his throat. “I’m sure you would like to rest, Lady Ellingham.”
Rosalind would. She wanted to lie down in a soft bed, curl up under the blankets, and know that she wasn’t needing to get up to have a small and paltry breakfast before continuing. The end destination had finally arrived.
She followed Mrs. Rivers upstairs and into a large, spacious suite of rooms that consisted of a sitting room, a powder room, a writing room, and a bedroom.
Each of them was as big as the last one, and it was decorated in a way that Rosalind liked.
William had told her she would like her rooms when he talked about going there, and he was right.
There was something about the suite that soothed her nerves.
At least she had a place to hide if she needed to.
After heading into the bedchamber and seeing the huge four-poster bed, Rosalind made her way over to the window.
She had a perfect view of the garden, which stretched out and then broke through the trees to the distant hills.
It was beautiful. Rosalind tried not to look at the sudden drop.
It couldn’t be that terrifying. There had to be a path or something, or it wasn’t as bad as it looked.
Even so, a trickle of trepidation tickled the back of her neck.
“Theo! Theo, where are you?”
Rosalind tensed. Even through the closed window, she could hear Bea shouting. Then she caught sight of the governess hurrying into the middle of the yawn, cupping her hands around her mouth as she called again.
“Theo, this isn’t amusing anymore! Come on out!”
Rosalind fumbled with the window catches and pushed it up. Then she ducked and leaned out.
“Bea? What’s wrong?”
Bea spun around to her. Rosalind could see how pale she was, her expression worried.
“Theo’s disappeared!”
“What?”
“We were looking around the garden, but when I stopped to look at some flowers he wandered off. I turned around and he was gone. I… I don’t…”
Rosalind didn’t even wait for her to finish. She was already running across the room to fling open the door and rush outside.
She was not going to arrive here and lose her son within minutes.