Chapter Six
In the schoolroomthe next morning, Jenny was attempting to distract William who kept referring to the shot in the wood. What could she do to blot out the frightening experience from his mind? She took out a map of England and asked the children to find the major towns upon it.
The door opened, and His Grace entered. She had not expected him back so soon and wished she could have tidied herself. On her feet quickly, she smoothed the skirts of her gray gown and curtsied. “Your Grace.”
“Miss Harrismith, children.” He strolled over to the table. “William, I believe a hunter’s shot came very close to you while you rode by the river yesterday?”
“Yes, Father,” William said. “Someone shooting birds.”
“Tell me what happened.”
As William described how he’d dismounted and bent down to pick up a stone when the shot had whizzed over his head, Jenny saw the duke’s blue eyes darken and his expression become grim.
He placed a reassuring hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Regrettably, it appears to be someone’s shot going awry, William. I’m relieved you were not hurt.”
William dug a finger into his collar his young mouth set in a firm line. “I explained to Miss Harrismith that the shooter might have stumbled and not realized where his shot went.”
“I believe you are right,” His Grace said. “But I intend to look into it and make sure it never happens again. Tomorrow, after breakfast, instead of riding, I thought we’d do a spot of fly-fishing.”
William brightened. “Oh, yes, I should like that, Father.”
“I shall come too,” Barbara said.
Andrew shook his head. “I’m afraid you might not enjoy it, sweetheart.”
Barbara began to fidget. “You promised to bring something back from London, for us.”
“Dear heaven, in my haste to return I forgot! I will next time without fail, I promise.”
“Are you going away again?” she demanded, finally revealing what really concerned her.
“No, sweetheart. Not for a while, it’s to be hoped.” He raised his eyebrows at Jenny. “We’ll all go to the river tomorrow and have a picnic.”
“A picnic!” Barbara clapped her hands.
“Now, I need to speak to Miss Harrismith for a moment. Perhaps you can find York on the map, which is where your governess hails from, isn’t that so, Miss Harrismith? While she and I have words in the corridor.”
He gestured to Jenny and crossed to open the door.
“I thought it best to report the incident right away, Your Grace,” she said in the corridor. She hadn’t expected the matter to bring him straight home from London, if that was what brought him here.
“My secretary considered it serious enough to notify me straight away, and rightly so,” he said. “But it is likely to be just that, a stray shot, which I will investigate.” He studied her face. “You brought William immediately home?”
“I did, Your Grace.”
“Might there be anything you can add to William’s account? No sign of anyone in the woods?”
She shook her head. “I expected someone to rush to see if we were hurt, but no one did. A bird was shot out of the sky, farther along the river about ten minutes later. In the afternoon, I went to inquire of the gamekeeper at his cottage, but when I couldn’t find him, I decided Lord William and I would not ride until you had been consulted.”
He nodded. “A wise decision, Miss Harrismith.”
“I met Herr Von Bremen on the path to the gamekeeper’s cottage,” Jenny said. “He said he was returning from just having climbed that high hill to the north. He wished to view the surrounding countryside.”
“Leave it with me, Miss Harrismith. Be ready with the children for our picnic at ten o’clock.
She hesitated. “You wish me to go too?”
He smiled. “You shall have to take care of Barbara, otherwise I fear I will be fishing her out of the river.”
