“Oh, Lucy, I am so sorry. I ought not have let you go off by yourself. What will your mother say?”
“We must get her home at once,” Frederick said. “That damp dress might cause a chill, even in the summer weather. If you bring our art supplies, I shall carry Miss Gillingham back to Haverstone.”
“Oh, but then—” Charlotte broke off and covered her mouth, her eyes wide.
Frederick nodded. “I know what you are thinking—that for me to carry the girl to Haverstone would expose our private art lessons to all. But, there is nothing else for it. You cannot manage by yourself.” He lifted Lucy up carefully, to protect her ankle from being jostled. “We shall simply have to face their reaction, whatever it may be.”
“Dorothea will be most unhappy that I have risked compromising myself by meeting with you alone, innocent as our meetings are.”
Lucy spoke up. “Well, Auntie Charlotte, you should just say you and Mr. Morton met this one time by accident. And then, tell them I was naughty and did not want to go home, so I ran off by myself into the woods and fell. If you tell them that story, you will not get into trouble.”
Charlotte and Frederick stared at Lucy, then at each other.
“Your niece is too clever by half, Miss Kendall,” Frederick said. “But, it is a sound alibi. What do you say?”
“I agree it might be accepted as a plausible story,” she answered slowly. “Lucy, I hate to ask you to lie for my sake. Why would you suggest it?”
“I like Mr. Morton,” she said simply. “If he gets into trouble, then he might not come visit any more. Besides, this way, he gets to be the hero.”
Charlotte leaned in and kissed her niece’s forehead. “You dear, sweet girl. When you are all healed, I shall take you into the village and buy you all the candies you can possibly eat.”
She picked up the art cases and the three slowly made their way back to Haverstone, practicing their story along the way.
Chapter Twenty-Three
The arrival ofCharlotte, Frederick, and Lucy at Haverstone sent the entire household into an uproar—made worse by the fact that Lord Gillingham was not present, as he was attending to duties with his steward.
Charlotte entered the dining room first with Frederick carrying Lucy close behind, and the butler, Mr. Dawson, nearly running to try to properly announce them to his mistress.
When Dorothea looked up and saw the party, along with her daughter in such disarray, she was so astonished that she set her tea cup down carelessly, tipping it over and spilling its contents all over the tablecloth. Not that she noticed, as her attention was firmly fixed on her daughter, who was crying and apologizing to her mother.
“It is all my fault, Mama. I was being naughty and ran away from Auntie Charlotte for fun. Then, I slipped on a wet rock and twisted my ankle. I am sorry. Please, do not be angry.”
“Set her down here.” Dorothea gestured to a chair by the mahogany sideboard. She knelt to examine her daughter’s swollen ankle. Looking up, she said, “Dawson, please send for our physician at once. We must make certain her ankle is not broken.”
“I did take the time to gently feel her injury, Lady Gillingham,” Frederick said. “It appears to be just a bad sprain but, of course, you will wish to have that confirmed by your own physician.”
Dorothea blinked as if seeing Mr. Morton clearly for the first time. She stood and looked from him and then to her sister.
“And, just how is it that you happened to be a part of all this, Mr. Morton? My governess told me this morning Lucy had gone for a walk with Charlotte. Did you meet with her by design, perchance? I sincerely hope you were not having an unchaperoned assignation with my sister. Her reputation must not suffer from tawdry gossip.”
“Dorothea, that is unfair,” Charlotte broke in. “It is just as Lucy said. She had injured herself and fortunately Mr. Morton came across us. If he had not done so, I would surely still be trying to figure out how to get my niece back to Haverstone. We owe Mr. Morton a great debt of gratitude.”
Dorothea pressed her lips firmly together a moment before replying, “Forgive my rudeness, Mr. Morton. My concern over my daughter’s injury must be my excuse. But, tell me, how is it you were evenonour estate this morning?”
“I was taking a ramble as I often do in the morning,” Frederick answered. “I apologize for not asking your permission first. But, it was so early, and I did not wish to wake anyone. I heard crying in the woods and went to explore. There, I found your daughter, wet and injured, and Miss Kendall in quite a state.”
“Yes, Dorothea, again, I must impress upon you the good fortune for us that hewaswalking on the estate,” Charlotte said emphatically. “Truly, he is our hero.”
Dorothea narrowed her eyes at the two a moment before turning her attention back to her daughter. “Dear, I shall have Dawson carry you up to your room, and we shall await the doctor. Does it pain you dreadfully?”
“Not so much as when I first fell, Mama. Mr. Morton carried me ever so gently all the way back home. I felt like a princess in one of my stories, being rescued by the gallant knight.”
“Well, it was very fortunate he arrived and was able to help you.We shall have a talk later about your naughty behavior that led to all of this.” She nodded to the butler, who lifted Lucy and carried her out of the room, with Dorothea rushing ahead to notify the governess. Over Dawson’s shoulder, the girl smiled and winked at her aunt and Mr. Morton.
When everyone was gone, Charlotte and Frederick exchanged a sly glance.
“Would you care for some breakfast, Mr. Morton?” Charlotte asked, gesturing to the sideboard where many covered dishes sat. “I feel it is the least I can offer you after your tremendous assistance.”
