Trudging along beside the slippery, mud-slicked road Emily had no idea how much time had passed. She finally came to a small country inn and public house. Emily paused to catch her breath hidden behind a small bush. She felt a ray of hope burst upon her troubled mind as she found the courtyard momentarily empty of stable hands. There were one or two conveyances left unattended in the courtyard, and Emily took a chance on the closest one. She scampered over eagerly and climbed into the boot of the carriage. She shoved aside the various bags and blankets of the unknown strangers she would be sharing the carriage with. Making a little nest for herself in the cramped space, Emily was wryly amused to find a reason to be thankful that she had lost so much flesh during her captivity.
“I’m safe; no one caught me! Freedom! I don’t care where this carriage is going; anywhere is better than that asylum Edwin had me thrown into! Why couldn’t I have just given him what he was really after? I wouldn’t have cared; I just couldn’t marry that horrid Max he is so fond of. Well I’m free of the horrid Edwin now, too. I hope this carriage is leaving soon. How long will it be before they notice I’m missing and the guards start searching for me? Are they already looking for me? It would be perfectly dreadful to be caught now. I truly would belong there then; I would go completely mad if I was caught and sent back. There is really no telling what the punishment is for an attempted escape.” Emily realized with disgust that she was actually giving voice to the thoughts in her head and clamped her thin, stick-like hand over her mouth to stem the flow of needless words. Her mind whirred with conflicting thoughts — delight to have escaped the asylum and fear of discovery warring for supremacy.
Just as Emily started to seriously consider climbing out of the carriage boot to continue her escape on foot, she heard the crunch of footsteps approaching. She tried desperately to remain silent as squeaks of fright threatened to burst from deep inside. She was afraid to even breathe for fear some slight sound would betray her presence. Emily was unsure if it were a pursuer or the rightful owner of the carriage and wasn’t sure which possibility scared her more, either way she profoundly did not want to be caught.Please don't look in the boot,she thought desperately!
Suddenly she heard voices commanding that the carriage be brought around, then the scurrying of feet as it jerked into motion and the horses were harnessed and shifted restlessly. She franticly clutched the blankets of her nest to her face to ensure no sound escaped her lips as she struggled with her composure. There was a swaying motion as the occupants climbed into the main carriage.
Emily heaved a heartfelt sigh of relief that no one had anything to deposit in the trunk as the carriage picked up speed. Finally she was on the way. Freedom at last! Wherever this carriage was going was no doubt far from the asylum. Her fear resurged as she began to contemplate all the complications now before her, since she really had no idea where she would end up. Her worried thoughts did not last long, mercifully. The motion of the carriage and the stuffy air surrounding her combined with the fatigue of her body from the long walk and the dose of sedative she had not been able to completely avoid that evening all conspired to lull Emily into a deep but troubled sleep.
Chapter Two
Philip, the eighth Earl of Yorkleigh, shook his head as he settled into the library of his very comfortable estate. He rarely considered how blessed he was to live in such luxury, but witnessing the strange development of having a shabby urchin assisted from the boot of his carriage by his fastidious valet was a strange enough development that he couldn’t ignore the contrast between her obvious state and his own.
Lord Yorkleigh, usually cynical and bored, couldn’t prevent the surprise and offended sensibilities he experienced when thinking about the filthy and bedraggled woman. It was evident, even to his spoiled gaze, that underneath the filth and tatters, she was a beautiful young woman. With a good scrubbing, he suspected she would have gorgeous long blonde curls accompanied by a pale ivory complexion. Despite her current slightly emaciated state, he could see that she still had some pleasing curves hidden under the rags she was wearing. The unique violet-blue of her eyes were arresting despite the sleepiness clouding their gaze.
Since he had reached his majority, he had grown somewhat accustomed to beautiful young women showing up in the unlikeliest places trying to catch his attention, but those females always managed to be dressed in their best. Until now he had yet to find a dirty and ragged one climbing out of his carriage. His curiosity was acutely piqued despite his cynical frame of mind. But even he couldn’t suspect this was a ruse of some sort. No marriage-minded woman would turn up before him looking filthy. But that being said, no amount of dirt could hide the refinement in the young woman’s face and bearing. He couldn’t help wondering what was behind this development. His eyebrows lifted in remembered surprise as she had dismissed him almost haughtily and tried to leave his presence.
It had been astonishing, to say the least. The slightest breeze would have carried her off the first cliff she encountered, especially in the dark. His surprise had very briefly slowed his reflexes, but Philip had easily caught her by the arm as she tried to get by him. He hesitated to get involved in what was obviously going to be a troublesome situation, but he was not going to be responsible for allowing this chit to wander off into the night.
He had just decided earlier that week that the deep well of boredom he was experiencing of late was getting on his nerves and he had been wondering what to do about tit. This strange development might alleviate his boredom somewhat, so he had decided to bestir himself.
Up close he could see that she really was quite young and although he rarely troubled himself with the mundane details of other people's lives, he felt an uninvited urge to help this one despite her obvious reluctance to admit her need for such.
“Not so fast, my girl. Where are you going? It’s nearly dawn and the village is a couple miles away. You look like you will blow away in the wind or fall asleep in the nearest ditch. I cannot permit you to be traipsing around the countryside in this state. I demand to know who you are and what you were doing in my carriage. Have you run away from your employer? What is his name? I don’t recognize this uniform. Speak up, girl,” he demanded when she didn’t respond to his inquiry. He was accustomed to having people jump to attention when he spoke and was vaguely irritated by her silence.
He shook his head in disgust wondering why he was bothering to get involved, but he could not back down once he had committed himself to assisting the chit. He was already growing irritated with the situation and regretting the impulse that had prompted his involvement.
“Well, you need a place to stay at least for tonight. I cannot send you off like this. Come, I will let the housekeeper look after you, and we shall see what is to be done with you in the morning. George, take her to Mrs. Simms and see that she has something to eat and a place to sleep.” Philip then swept off into the house leaving behind a wide-eyed urchin and a seemingly concerned George to deal with the situation.
Philip was relieved to leave the matter in the hands of others. It wasn’t in his nature to bother himself with the lower orders as long as he was kept comfortable. With a heavy sigh and a shake of his head, Philip was forced to acknowledge that he really was becoming quite insufferable. Perhaps this stowaway would be the catalyst for some needed change.
One could only hope, he thought with a wry twist as he decided he had allowed enough time for his valet to deal with the situation. George ought to be ready to receive his lord by now.
Chapter Three
Emily awoke with a start, relieved to find she had been reliving events in her dreams; they were no longer reality. Emily was momentarily bewildered as she gazed around the unfamiliar room. It was clean and smelled good but was sparsely furnished with only a small bed, a serviceable chair, and a small bureau. There were no wall coverings, and the window treatment was quite plain. Another new development for her, she concluded with a small smile as she realized this was a servant's bedroom. It was the quiet that struck her as the greatest change of circumstances; at the asylum there was never silence, not even in the wee hours of the night. She was unsure how she felt about being in the servants’ quarters, but it was a vast improvement on where she had been for the last while, so Emily decided she would take it if she could somehow arrange it.
As all the various happenings of the previous day dawned on her, Emily contemplated what could possibly happen to her next. She was still lost in thought as Mrs. Simms scratched on the door gently before she entered. She bustled in once she discovered Emily was awake.
“Lawks, girl, we thought you would sleep the whole day away. It’s good to see you have survived the night. Some in the kitchens were placing bets to see if you would make it or not. Such a sight you were last night, eh? So what’s your name? I am Mrs. Simms, in case you don’t remember from last night.”
Emily smiled companionably as she took in the plump figure of the Earl’s housekeeper. Mrs. Simms had a pleasant round open face with slightly rosy cheeks. Her countenance put Emily at ease and made her feel she could confide in the older woman. Emily steadfastly ignored that feeling. Past experience had firmly convinced her she could not trust anyone, but it still warmed her to see such a pleasant face. It put her at ease enough to answer the housekeeper's question.
“I remember,” Emily answered shyly, “I am Emily. Thank you so much for feeding me last night and finding me something to wear and somewhere to sleep. I feel like a whole new person today.”
“You are very welcome, dearie. And you look like a new person, too. Such a bedraggled mess you were last night. His lordship wants to see you once you’re up and about, so you had best be getting up and at ‘em. Here’s a spare uniform you can wear, looks like it should fit you, either way it’s a sight better than what you had on when you arrived. You can come and have a wee bite to eat in the kitchen as soon as you’re up and dressed, then I will take you to see his lordship.” Mrs. Simms didn’t miss a beat as she bustled around the room pulling back the blankets and hustling Emily out of bed and into the borrowed frock.
“Thank you, Mrs. Simms,” Emily answered meekly as she followed the housekeeper out the door and down to the kitchens. She was grateful for the kindness of the servants as she was given a cup of warm milk and some toast. She eagerly ate what was provided and listened somewhat wistfully to the teasing banter amongst the kitchen staff. It was not too long before Emily and Mrs. Simms were standing in the hallway outside his lordship’s library and Mrs. Simms was knocking on the door.
Emily was once again struck with trepidation wondering what the Earl would decide to do with her. From the snatches of information she had gleaned thus far from Mrs. Simms and the other servants, it seemed everyone thought quite highly of the Earl despite his outward impression of being much too high in the instep, but Emily would reserve judgment until she had seen for herself. From her own experience of the high nobility, she was not expecting a paragon of virtue, as the servants would have her believe. Of course, the servants usually know the most, so she was unsure really what to think at the moment; she would see for herself soon enough.
She stiffened her spine and bolstered her courage with the thought that she had survived thus far. He could not possibly do anything worse to her than she had already experienced, no matter how good or bad he was. With that thought, she walked in with her head high when the Earl called for them to enter.
Emily had decided in the early morning hours that this would be an excellent place to hide from Edwin. Being a servant would be a perfect disguise while she tried to figure out her future. She was terribly afraid of her guardian catching up with her and what he would do with her if he did. She had no one to trust; even this handsome young lord could be a threat, if he knew what was at stake. The need to be skilled at subterfuge had never before arisen in Emily’s young life, and she didn’t know how skilled she was going to be at lying, so she kept her story as simple as possible.
~~~~
“Thank you, Mrs. Simms, that will be all,” Philip dismissed the housekeeper distractedly as he eyed the beautiful, proud young woman Mrs. Simms had delivered to his library. Philip was again struck by the young woman’s innocent beauty; she had an aspect of untouchability about her as she stood before him. He was unsure of how to go about handling the situation with this young female. It had never been his responsibility to interview potential domestic staff, nor had he much experience in interrogating people. And her ethereal appearance was highly distracting. He attempted to gather his thoughts before he proceeded to question her.
