His dark brown eyes crinkled as he chuckled. He moved forward, took her hand, and helped her to her feet. “Walk with me.”
“I am not finished with my duties,” she protested, looking down at the half-mopped floor.
“Leave it,” Frederick instructed. “It will still be here when you return.”
“Yes, it will,” she retorted unenthusiastically.
Frederick chuckled. “One would think you did not like your job, Miss Merton,” he teased.
Josephine dropped into a mock curtsy. “I am grateful to Your Lordship,” she replied in jest.
“Of course you are,” Frederick sarcastically replied, rolling his eyes. They smiled at each other, then walked outside. He led her over to the pond and rustled through the plants at the water’s edge until he found what he was looking for. “She was a little late this year,” he stated, revealing a nest of swan’s eggs.
“Oh, how wonderful! I was afraid she had been killed,” Josephine exclaimed as she knelt to get a closer look at the white oval shells. The mother made a sound of protest from the pond below, so they backed away to allow her to return to the nest.
Seeing the swan made Josephine think of the day that Frederick became a Marquess twelve years before. He had gone into the drawing room the fun-loving friend of her childhood; he had come back out the Marquess of Pentford. Their world was never the same again. The carefree days of playing around the estate had ended when he had been forced to take on a role far above his maturity.
Their open physical affection for each other had also ended. It had been the last day that he had held her hand other than to assist her to rise. Had she known it was to be their final carefree day, she would have grabbed him and held him back from entering the drawing room. At the very least, she would have hugged him. She had done neither.
When she had asked why everything had changed so drastically between them, he had answered that his father had explained to him his new responsibilities. Running amuck with a servant girl was not appropriate behavior for a nobleman. They had remained friends, but it had been within Frederick’s new parameters, not the loving companionship that Josephine had so greatly depended upon. She knew deep down that Frederick missed it too, but he was a man of honor, and honor dictated that he keep his distance.
On occasion, he would surprise her with something as he did today with the swan’s eggs, but the older they had grown, the less time they had spent together. When he had come of age, he had taken on the full responsibilities of a Marquess. He had also begun considering paying court to the unwed ladies of the ton. When she had asked why he felt the need to rush into marriage, he had replied that Pentford needed an heir, and it was his duty to marry well for both his and his father’s estates.
“I miss you,” she murmured, avoiding his eyes by watching the pen gather her eggs back beneath her body.
“I miss you too,” he replied. When she glanced up, she found him studying her. “I will be leaving for Pentford again on the morrow.”
“So soon? It feels as if you have just returned.” She watched as he ran his hands through his wavy brown hair in frustration.
“That is because it is true,” he replied. “We have been having difficulty with poaching on the estate. The gamekeeper and I have been going out regularly in an attempt to capture the thieves.”
“They are most likely hungry, Frederick. Can you blame them for resorting to theft rather than allow their families to starve?” Josephine looked up into his brown eyes to see if her words had any impact in changing his thinking.
“I provide for all of the people within my care,” Frederick answered indignantly.
“I know that you do, but there are many outside of your care that are not so well provided for. I am not saying that all poachers are starving, but if you catch the men, please bear what I have said in mind. There are many suffering throughout the country,” Josephine reminded him, laying a hand on his arm.
Frederick looked down at her hand, and she removed it, unsure as to his feelings on the matter. He had made it quite clear over the years since his inheritance that nothing could ever exist between them but friendship. “You are right, of course. The Napoleonic Wars have left many people with very little to maintain themselves. I will bear what you have said in mind when deciding the thieves’ punishment.”
“That is all I ask,” Josephine nodded her head in acceptance and turned to walk beside him back to the house.
“Thank you for reminding me that there are many people still in need of aid and compassion,” Frederick stated with respect. “It is easy to forget the struggles of others when you live as I do.”
“Do not worry. I will always be here to knock you down when you need it.” Josephine grinned and stuck her foot out to trip him.
As Frederick lost his balance, he grabbed ahold of Josephine, and the pair went rolling back down the slope towards the pond. As they hit the water, Josephine let out a yelp of surprise, then sank to the bottom weighted down by her dress. Her foot snagged on a root as she attempted to push herself back up to the surface. She moved about to remove it, but it held fast pinned between the root and a rock.
Josephine bent over and attempted to unlace her shoe, but she struggled with the knotted laces in the sodden mud that encased it. Her lungs burned from the lack of air, and she felt as if her eyes were bulging out of her head. Her heart raced with panic, and she felt the edges of her vision going black. If she passed out, it would be the end. She struggled with all of her strength to break free, but it was not enough. The world began to fade. and her mouth opened. She was unable to stop the water that rushed in choking the life from her body.
Chapter 2
Frederick surfaced and wiped the water from his eyes. He chuckled at her audacity and looked about with the intent of splashing her in the face as payment for tripping him. “Where are you, imp?” When he did not find her, he grew concerned. They had hit the water together, but he had lost her with the impact. “Josephine? Josephine!” He yelled her name, concern growing with every passing moment.
Where are you, Jo?In his fear, his mind reverted back to his childhood pet name for her. His father had always said she played as rough as a boy, so Frederick had decided she needed a boy’s name and had dubbed her Jo. She, in turn, had called him Rick, but she had not done so in years. “Jo!” No response.
Frederick began to flounder around in the water, feeling about with his hands and feet but found nothing. He moved deeper and deeper until he could no longer touch the bottom. He dove down beneath the surface and felt about. He resurfaced for air, then quickly submerged to continue searching. His hand grabbed ahold of something that felt like hair. He moved closer and felt a face.
Jo!She was not moving. His heart raced as he grabbed her under the shoulders and pulled. She did not budge. He tried again to no avail. Swimming down further, he felt his way down her body to her legs and found her foot wedged. He tried to remove it but could not. He attempted to untie her shoe but failed again. Remembering the knife he always had tucked into his boot, he retrieved it and sliced through the laces. Her foot slipped free, and he pulled her up to the surface.
