4. Chapter 4 #2
There were no extra Welby brothers in the carriage with us this time. Brant had joined his brothers in the second carriage and had not spoken to Molly again that day. At least, to my knowledge.
I didn’t blame him for his interest. Molly was not only pleasant company, she was kind, intelligent and pretty. She worked harder than anyone I knew and did it all with a gracious attitude.
Molly’s head lulled beside me, and I could hear her soft snores. How she could sleep at a moment like this was beyond my comprehension. I was so nervous, my entire body felt like a rope being pulled in two directions, threatening to snap if any more tension was added.
“You have nothing to fear.”
My heart caught in my throat at the sound of Ames’s deep, gravelly voice over the wind and rain.
“I wish it was that easy,” I said, clearing my throat after hours of being silent.
“I will do everything in my power to protect you. Pickering Castle has been the home of the Dukes of Severton for over a century.”
“That does little to ease my heart and mind when I know the trouble that has followed the last three dukes and duchesses who have lived there.”
He probably wouldn’t be surprised that I’d heard the rumors. But was he curious about what I knew? He was quiet for a moment, then he finally said, “Everyone has choices to make. They chose poorly. We do not need to do the same.”
His voice was so melodic—almost mesmerizing. If I’d never seen his face, I would still be attracted to his voice. There was a quality to it that surprisingly soothed my rattled nerves, even with all the uncertainties surrounding us.
The carriage jolted over a rut, and I clutched the leather handle to steady myself as Molly came awake with a start.
We continued in silence for several miles until Ames said, “We’re now on Pickering land.”
It was so dark, I could see very little beyond the carriage windows. How did he know we’d arrived?
Eventually the horses slowed, and I caught a glimpse of candlelight in the distance as a shadow of the castle appeared against the inky blackness of night. It was hard to tell its size, but it was large, with towers jutting toward the clouds above and a formidable wall encircling it.
Rain fell harder now, causing the wheels to struggle through the mud.
To the right, the rocky coastline of the North Sea made me feel as if we were on the edge of the world.
I’d always wanted to be away from the congestion of New York and London, but this was as remote as I’d ever been.
Even more so than when we’d lived in Sacramento.
The wind blew fiercely, pushing against the carriage, as if trying to send us back to where we’d come from. A warning not to go any farther.
A shiver ran up my spine.
“The castle has been in disrepair for decades,” Ames warned me. “And we have run it with a skeleton staff for years. We have no cook or scullery maids, only an old butler who has no other family, and two footmen who do odd jobs for us, inside and out.”
“There are no other female servants?” I asked.
“None.” He paused. “Not since my mother left.”
“But—how do you manage it all?”
“We each have our jobs. Davis cooks, Brant cleans, and Collins and Everett work on various repairs, while tending to the horses. I manage the ledgers while overseeing the tenant farmers. But now that you’re here, things will change.”
I now knew why guests were not allowed at Pickering Castle. There weren’t enough servants to take care of them.
“You’ll need to hire a household staff,” Ames said to me. “I’ll hire workmen to start the repairs on the castle and grounds. It might take us years to bring the property back to its proper usage, but now that—”
“I’m here,” I finished for him. “And you have the funds you need.”
“Yes.”
How would my father have felt knowing his hard-earned money would repair an old, rundown castle in Yorkshire? He might have enjoyed the idea. But despite agreeing to the plan and having full knowledge of Ames’s intentions, something felt off.
As I sat in the dark carriage, I suddenly realized what it was.
If Father had known my husband chose me for my wealth, and did not love me, he would be devastated. He had not poured his life into his work to give me a loveless marriage. It would be the last thing he’d want for me.
Guilt bore down on my shoulders, and I had to blink back tears that threatened to fall. I never wanted to disappoint my father.
“I wired the local newspaper to put out an advertisement for servants,” Ames said, unaware of the great burden of shame I suddenly felt.
“Hopefully you will have several candidates to choose from as early as tomorrow, though only those who do not believe the rumors will come. Many people in Ravenscar are superstitious and afraid the castle is haunted.”
I would have no time to rest. When would I get to work on my manuscript? I had assumed there would be repairs to make—but not an entire staff to hire and train. And what if no one came because of the rumors? Would I be required to cook and clean instead of the brothers?
“Does it bother you that people think the castle is haunted?”
He was quiet for a moment and then said, “Perhaps at one time, though I grew to enjoy the solitude it has afforded. But now that you’re here, I suppose things will need to change.”
Indeed, they would.
The carriage turned and we were soon passing through a formidable gatehouse with two towers on either side as lightning streaked across the sky. We entered a courtyard and followed a drive as it circled the center green and came to a stop near the main entrance to the castle.
The carriage door opened and a footman stood at the ready with an umbrella.
Ames was the first to leave the dry vehicle, but he held out his hand for me and I accepted his help, stepping down into the mud.
He hurried me to the door, which was opened on creaking hinges by an elderly man, presumably the butler.
“Freemont,” Ames said as he nodded a serious greeting. “Good of you to stay awake for us.”
“Welcome home, Your Grace.” Freemont gave an unstable bow, holding tight to the cane in his hand.
I shook out the folds of my skirt, sprinkling water droplets on the stone floor.
“This is my—” Ames paused as he presented me to Freemont, as if he was uncertain or uncomfortable with the new term. “My wife.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Freemont said with another bow.
“And you.” I smiled at him, though everything within me trembled from the cold and the torrent of emotions that had pummeled me all day. I was determined to make the best of my choice, but I was not getting off to a strong start.
The entrance hall echoed and smelled of mildew. Medieval weaponry hung on the walls, reflecting the light from a single candelabra Freemont held in his hands. It cast shadows across his wrinkled face, though it did nothing to illuminate the dark corners of the room.
Molly entered the castle with Brant. Neither one spoke, but there was a faint smile on both their faces.
“The Great Hall is through here,” Ames said, lifting another candelabra from a nearby table and having Freemont help him light the wicks. “This area is the oldest part of the castle.”
When the light was ready, Ames led us out of the entrance hall and into a massive Great Hall, the likes of which I’d never seen before.
It was a large, cavernous room, and though we had two candelabras to light the space, it was hard to see to the ends of the chamber.
I could make out two enormous fireplaces on either end, neither one lit, and decorative timber beams stretching across the ceiling.
More weapons hung on the walls, obviously in a show of strength, with faded tapestries depicting battles and pastoral scenes.
“The main part of the castle was built in the eleventh century by William the Conqueror,” Ames said.
“It’s been pillaged, ransacked, and plundered more times than we can count.
Almost every lord who has laid claim to it has built or rebuilt it in some way.
You will see Romanesque, Medieval, Gothic, Tudor, and Georgian architecture throughout.
The first Duke of Severton rebuilt much of the second and third floors, where we sleep. ”
It was awe inspiring, and though I’d been in England for a couple of months, I’d never visited a medieval castle. “We have nothing like this in America,” I said. “My father was one of the first settlers to San Francisco, before gold was found at Sutter’s Mill. That was only thirty-four years ago.”
“Yes, well, this is a bit older.”
I smiled at his understatement.
A commotion sounded behind us, and I turned as Collins, Davis, and Everett joined us in the Great Hall.
“What do you think?” Collins asked as he put his arm around Ames’s shoulder, grinning at me, a curl falling onto his forehead. “Have you seen a ghost yet?”
Ames tossed his arm off his shoulder.
“I—”
“Is it what you expected?” Davis asked, his voice more serious.
“I—I suppose I’ll have to see it in the light of day.”
“It looks better at night.” Brant laughed. “Much better.”
“I’m certain you’re tired,” Ames interrupted his brothers. “I’ll show you to our rooms.”
Collins nudged Everett with a knowing smile as Brant grinned and Davis’s cheeks flushed.
It didn’t escape my attention that Ames said our rooms, or that his brothers had noticed, too.
My cheeks grew warm, but I chose to ignore them. “Where will Molly sleep?”
“The female servants’ quarters are on the third floor.”
“I’d like for her to stay close—until there are other female servants in the castle.”
“Of course. There is a—a nursery off your bedchamber that she can use for now.”
It was a comfort to know she’d be close at hand.
“It’s late,” Ames said to his brothers, purposely ignoring their teasing. “We have an early day tomorrow. You should all get some sleep.”
“Will you get some sleep?” Collins chided, moving his curl off his forehead.
Ames gave his brother a look that silenced him. “Go to bed, Collins.”