“What?”
“We split the workload in two,” she said just as the thought began to occur to him. He began nodding while Verity turned to their butler to provide directions. “We need a ladder and someone able to climb it. Find the gardener or a stablehand at once. Then we need buckets and mops and brooms here at once to get the doors open and push out the water.”
Dominic jumped in. “Towels, too. I don’t want anyone in the house anywhere else but in here until this sunroom is no longer dripping wet.”
“We’ll secure three servants to focus on removing furniture. Everything goes into the hall. Once they are done, they need to start drying everything. I can help direct there if––”
“I’ll supervise getting the ceiling fixed,” he jumped in.
“And Mr. Timmons, we’ll need your support on getting rid of these puddles.” Verity turned back to him with a straight spine and confident glimmer in her eyes. “We’ll get everything fixed, sorted, and dried as quickly as possible.”
“Very good.”
With a nod, the two of them went in their directions. Mr. Timmons hurried off toward the stables.
Meanwhile Dominic had noted a ladder yesterday in the nearby gardens, he stepped outside a door to check if it might still be there. And there it was. Water spilled around him in its gravitational attempt to escape the house. He winced before moving on.
It wasn’t particularly difficult pulling the ladder from where it was stationed under a mostly trimmed tree, but the torrential rain made it hard for him to watch his steps on the return to the house.
He was soaked by the time he stepped foot back inside.
“Do you need assistance?” Verity called when he returned with the heavy ladder in hand. “Lucy, fetch a towel for the duke. He can’t stay soaked like that this whole time.”
“No time,” Dominic called over his shoulder. “The sofa?”
“Moved! Planters are being sent outside.”
“Understood.”
Communication came and went while they addressed the emergency. He stationed the ladder under the larger of the holes just in time for Mr. Timmons to return with the stablemaster’seldest son, William, who had done some assistance on the roof prior.
“Careful,” Verity called at the same time Dominic did as the young man––he couldn’t be twenty judging by the lack of peach fuzz on his face––climbed the ladder.
“I’ve got it,” Dominic promised her while holding to the ladder.
She still looked worried. “I don’t want any injuries,” she murmured in a low tone. “The water isn’t clean. Three planters broke when we lifted them. And Danny has a rather large splinter.”
“Can anyone get it out?”
“Lucy is working on it.”
“Very good. We’re doing what we can.”
She turned to look at him. “Yes, we are. I know we can fix this. Soon.”
Pausing to study her face, Dominic wondered what she was thinking. She appeared calm enough. Much more haggard for all the work they were doing. Although he supposed another duke might stand about dry and shout out orders, Dominic wanted to help. He wanted solutions. He wanted to save this room.
And Verity wanted to do the same. This was clear in her actions, the orders she provided and the support she gave to him and the household.
Hours passed. It took a while to finally find a way to find the issue and create a stopper. After that, they fixed the second. By then, the stablemaster returned. He and his son took over that responsibility while Dominic ensured the last of the furniture and art were removed.
While this consumed his time and attention, worried and annoyed thoughts at this disaster leaving him on edge, he couldn’t resist frequent glances toward his wife.
Most ladies would have rushed out of the room with a promise never to return. Instead, she kept her head up and her wits about her. Verity marched about to help sort out the disaster, working alongside their servants. Pride rocked his worries for the evening as he considered he couldn’t have a finer wife. Even when she argued with him.
But the arguing was done. No hard feelings lingered like he had wondered, and instead the two of them were determined to succeed now together.
They spoke quietly and calmly, helping one another. Any time he glanced her way, she seemed to notice and would look up to nod like she was confirming all was well. That allwouldbe well.
