And no wonder, Malcolm thought bitterly. When one was dead, it limited your ability to move about your old haunts. Once his hands were free, he pulled Adeline into his arms. Burying his nose in her hair, he breathed in and out several times, letting the vanilla and mint of her scent soothe his soul.
“I’m sorry I scared you,” he murmured. “All this is my fault. We should have stayed far away from here.”
“Nonsense,” she said by his ear. “You thought this would be safe. You couldn’t have known all that has transpired. Are you hurt?”
He shook his head. Only his heart was bruised.
“All right then, let’s go inside and meet Mr. and Mrs. Ford,” Adeline said. “Let us expel all this nonsense about ghosts. This is your house, and I want to see all the places you played during your childhood.”
He straightened and stared up at the back of the house. He could see his room, the third window on the left. It had an excellent view of the apple orchard. She was right. It was time to let go of old ghosts. Hell, one of them wasn’t a ghost at all. His life had been turned upside down and shaken around like a snow globe. He felt like he was viewing everything through a storm of snowflakes. He gripped Adeline’s hand. Thank God for her. He didn’t think he could walk inside this house and face the past without having his future next to him to keep him steady.
Marielle stepped forward and knocked at the back door before turning the knob and pushing the door open. They entered a large kitchen. “Good morning, Mrs. Ford,” Marielle said.
A fire burned cheerfully in the large fireplace that was the center of one long wall. Everything looked the same as it always had. Two long wooden tables sat in the center of the room. A black cast-iron stove was tucked in one corner, and perpendicular to it, a long counter ran the length of the outer wall, its surface only interrupted by a deep sink with a water pump. The enormous oak cabinet that held all the dishes still took up most of the wall opposite.
Malcolm walked over to it and ran his fingers over the notches carved into one side panel of the cabinet where Mrs. Allen, their housekeeper, had kept track of all their heights, marking them each year on their birthdays. The warm atmosphere enveloped him and further amplified the sense of home that was immediate as he stared at the marks on the cabinet.
“Malcolm.” Adeline placed a hand on his arm.
“Mrs. Ford,” Marielle said. “This is Lord Kingsbury and his wife.”
Mrs. Ford wiped her flour-covered hands down her skirts. “Oh my, pleased to meet you, my lord. I certainly wasn’t expectin’ to have you walk into my kitchen this morning.”
Marielle smiled at the lady. “I found them outside as I was walking up to come visit you. They spent last night in the village.”
Malcolm mentally shook himself from his memories.
He smiled at Mrs. Ford. “I apologize for showing up unexpectedly. This morning, I woke up and could not wait to see the manor. I have been at sea for many years.”
“Yes, we were told. We are happy to have you, my lord. Will you be staying?”
“Yes, for how long, I am not sure.” He glanced over at Adeline. They still had to deal with her father and Bellamy. “Could we have two rooms made up, please?”
“Certainly, please let me show you to a drawing room.” She bustled out of the room.
Malcolm was transported back to his childhood as they walked through the corridors to the front of the house. He couldn’t help but reach out and run his fingers across the blue damask wall coverings, faded with time but so familiar. His mother had loved blue, and most rooms reflected the color in varying shades. They emerged into the front foyer with its vaulted ceiling and large crystal chandelier. The front stairs made a dramatic sweep to the second story. He stopped again, suddenly overwhelmed. His chest ached at the silence.
“Mrs. Ford, do you and your husband reside here full-time? I thought I saw smoke coming from the house earlier,” Adeline asked.
“Yes, ma’am. We have our rooms in the west wing. We have been caring for the house for almost ten years now. Mr. Ford is real handy; he can fix just about anything inside or out. I try to keep the place dust-free. And we have two cats that keep the vermin at bay. This position has been a true blessing for us.”
Mrs. Ford opened the drawing-room door. She headed in and began pulling sheets off the furniture. Adeline and Marielle immediately began to help. Two settees in soft yellow and several upholstered chairs were unveiled.
Malcolm couldn’t help but smile as he sat in one of the chairs. He rubbed his hands down the smooth wooden arms. “I think this is the first time I have ever sat on this furniture. We were not allowed to come into this room as children. My mother was so proud of the silk coverings. This room was expressly for guests.”
“Do you remember when she boxed our ears for fighting with our wooden swords through here?” Paul stood in the doorway, grinning. “Good morning, Mrs. Ford.”
“Good morning, Mr. Bretton. Did you grow up here in Kites Croft?”
“Lord Kingsbury and I were childhood friends,” his brother replied.
Malcolm sobered at the lie. Lost in happy memories, he had almost forgotten his tumult of emotions for one moment. He glared at Paul. Apparently, lying was second nature to him now.
Marielle stepped forward. “Mrs. Ford, would it be possible to get tea and some of that delicious bread you bake every morning?”
“Of course. I have two loaves in the oven right now.” The older lady gathered all the sheets in her arms and left to head back to the kitchen.
“Oh, you’ve brought my bag,” Adeline said. “Thank goodness, I didn’t even realize I had left it behind with all the fracas.”
