Sometimes I long for those innocent childhood days of yore, but it does no good to dwell in the peaceful frivolities of the past. As a nobleman, I have responsibilities that far outweigh any other desires I might have.
A twig snapped behind him causing him to whirl around, bringing his gun up level with a pair of pale blue eyes.
Chapter 4
“Lt. Buckworth! I nearly shot you,” Frederick exclaimed as he lowered his weapon.
“Mr. Hanson asked me to join you. He was concerned, Your Lordship” the soldier explained, coming to stand next to him. They leaned back against a tree together and scanned the forest.
“He is a good and loyal man,” Frederick replied. “Though sometimes I wonder if he is more my governess than my hired man,” he chuckled.
The lieutenant laughed. “It is good to have a man such as he in your employ. What I wouldn’t have given to have had a man such as he by my side when I was first pressed into military service. It certainly would have made the hardships more bearable.”
“I am sure it would have. I am sorry you had to endure such a fate,” Frederick replied. He looked over at the soldier and studied his face in the moonlight. He was a strong man of tall build, dark hair, and pale blue eyes. His features were chiseled as if he were made of stone instead of flesh and blood. He reminded Frederick of a statue he had seen as a boy when he had traveled to Italy with his parents.
“You grow accustomed to it over time. When the war was over, I left the service and went in search of my family. Finding nothing, I had nowhere to turn. Your grandfather’s friend, the Marquess of Bonshire, took mercy upon me and helped me to find employment, putting my military skills to good use. There are times when I think about returning to the military, but then I remember it was they who deprived me of my family and my memories. I cannot forgive them that.”
“I should say not,” Frederick sympathized with the poor man. “I would be pleased to have you stay on here for as long as you are willing.”
“Thank you, My Lord.” Lt. Buckworth doffed his hat in respect then went back to searching the darkness for any signs of activity.
“Not at all. It is I who should thank you,” Frederick remarked in admiration of the soldier’s strength of character.Josephine would like him very much I think.Frederick determined that once they had dealt with the poaching issue, he would invite the lieutenant to Chescrown for a visit.
The idea of matchmaking for his friend did not settle as well as Frederick would have hoped. The idea brought an uneasy feeling to his heart and mind as though he were guilty of some form of misconduct.
Don’t be absurd. You cannot marry her, and you respect her entirely too much to condemn her to live the life of a mistress; therefore she must marry someone. It is just as well to have it be a man of good character such as the lieutenant.
After thoroughly chastising himself, he pushed thoughts of Josephine from his mind. He could not think of her and remain alert at the same time. The night passed uneventfully, and Frederick fell into bed the moment he returned to the manor house. He did not awaken until after luncheon.
* * *
Josephine went about her daily chores as always but could not shake the feeling as though something inside of her had changed. After her near- death experience in the pond, life had taken on more meaning, and she was no longer content to be as she had been before.
No more waiting for Frederick to realize that I am the one for him. He will never change his mind. How much of my life has been lost in wanting that which I cannot have?
After she made her round of morning chores, Josephine headed down to the servants’ dining room to break the fast. As she passed through the door, she nearly ran into the tall, broad-shouldered form of a man she did not recognize. “Pardon me,” she murmured, embarrassed at her own clumsiness.
“Not at all,” the man answered, turning with a smile.
Oh my…Josephine gaped in wonder at the man before her. Golden blond hair shined in the lamplight as it fell roguishly over the most startling green eyes she had ever seen. When he smiled, his cheeks formed two perfect dimples at each corner of his mouth, and his eyes twinkled with barely concealed mischief. He looked like something out of her dreams as a child when she had imagined herself a princess being rescued by her dashing prince. The man was an Adonis.
“Hello,” he greeted, holding out a chair for her to sit down.
“Thank you,” Josephine murmured, blushing with embarrassment over her thoughts.
He pulled out another chair and sat down beside her. “My name is Owen Greeves,” he introduced himself. “I am new to Chescrown. I was just hired on as a footman.”
“Josephine Merton,” she returned the introduction. “I am a maid. How do you like Chescrown so far, Mr. Greeves?”
“It is beautiful,” he answered with a hint of ulterior meaning glinting from his eyes. “Please call me Owen. There is no need for formality among future friends.”
Josephine blushed once more. She was saved from further embarrassment by the entrance of Devon Tatham, the head stableman. He had come to work at Chescrown when Frederick and Josephine had been quite small and quickly became one of their favorite people in the world. Whenever they needed advice for anything, they would seek out Mr. Tatham.
“Miss Merton,” Mr. Tatham greeted with a warm smile. “How are you this fine day?”
“Quite well. And you?” she replied, greeting him with a smile.
“I have work to keep me busy, and that is as much as a man can hope for,” Mr. Tatham answered, sitting down at the table across from her. “I see you have met our new footman, Mr. Greeves.”
