The Midnight Heiress (Once Upon a Regency Book 2) Read online

  On his walk to the cordwainer’s shop he entertained himself with thoughts of Miles and Evan and how they would react if their skin was to be darkened by the sun. Aiden wouldn’t be surprised if either of them would faint over the misfortune of having skin such an unfashionable color.

  The walk took little time at all. He drew a deep breath before opening the door, half-expecting the cordwainer to be occupied with customers once again. Instead, he found an empty shop strewn with many tools and half-constructed shoes, bolts of fabric propped against the walls and rigid chairs positioned by the fire. The entire shop smelled of wood and age, the floorboards creaking as Aiden made his way to the counter. He recognized the man behind it as the cordwainer, though they had yet to meet. He had heard the man was called Mr. Haskett.

  Aiden approached with a polite smile, offering a nod in greeting. “Mr. Haskett, is it?”

  The man studied Aiden with speculation, likely assuming by his appearance he could not possibly be a customer come to purchase a fine pair of boots. His eyes peered out behind half-rimmed spectacles, his dark hair speckled in gray. “Indeed.”

  “I am Mr. Aiden Notley. I could not help but admire your workmanship from outside. I came to inquire after the possibility of an apprenticeship. I would love to learn from a man as skilled as yourself.”

  Mr. Haskett’s eyes sparked with interest. “Just last week I would have refused, but we have a potentially profitable family that has just arrived in Gravesend. I suspect they will be in want of new shoes before the month is finished.” He rubbed his jaw. “Business will certainly multiply. I could put another set of hands to use.”

  Aiden assumed the cordwainer spoke of the Duke and Duchess of Chatham and their daughter. Aiden pitied the young woman. She would soon be a source of competition between his stepbrothers. “I would be most grateful to be that set of hands,” he said, returning his attention to the cordwainer.

  Mr. Haskett hesitated for several seconds before nodding his approval. “You do seem the sort of man to work hard.” He eyed the holes in Aiden’s shirt and the knees of his trousers. “Where did you say you come from?”

  “Colborne Hall. I am a servant in Lord Aveley’s home.”

  Mr. Haskett’s eyebrows rose. “The newly arrived marquess? Does he know of your pursuit of alternate employment? I can assure you I cannot pay an apprentice wages above what you are already earning in the home of a marquess.”

  Aiden shook his head. “He does not pay me.”

  Mr. Haskett’s brow furrowed. “Are you an indentured servant of sorts?”

  Aiden smiled. “Of sorts. But I aspire to be a cordwainer.”

  “And so you shall.” Mr. Haskett smiled, extending his hand. “I hope you are prepared to work all hours of the night if necessary. You must report to my shop each morning at the rise of the sun if you are not still here from the previous day’s work. There will be much to teach you.”

  With a firm nod, Aiden clutched Mr. Haskett’s hand. “You may rely on me.”

  “I do not doubt it.”

  Momentarily pushing his other responsibilities from his mind, Aiden agreed to meet beginning the next morning.

  As he exited the shop, his heart flooded with relief and hope. He kicked the dirt ahead of his feet as he walked, resisting the urge to jump in the air. Rather than taking the clear path back to Colborne Hall, he decided to take the longer route through the woods, if only to enjoy his time away from his stepfather and stepbrothers a moment longer. He picked at the edge of his shirt, studying the width of the holes in the fabric. His right sleeve had torn as well, appearing especially ragged under his old waistcoat, as if he were a servant pretending to be a gentleman.

  A sound to his left brought him to a halt on the wooded path. He leaned toward the sound, straining his ears. Had he imagined it?

  “Freddy! Freddy! Come back here at once!” A firm female voice rose over the trees. Could it be a mother in search of her child? Aiden walked through the trees in the direction of the voice, intent to help in any way he could.

  “Oh, Freddy.” A sigh of relief met his ears. “You mustn’t run off without your leash! I know you enjoy swimming very much but it is not safe! You could drown, you know.”

  Leash?

  Aiden came out of the thicket where a shallow brook flowed, a fallen tree crossing over it. A young woman stood nimbly on the log, clutching a soaking ball of fur to her chest. It moved, revealing the small face of a dog, strings of long fur falling over its eyes. The young woman kissed its head, whispering something. The dog’s ears twitched and it turned its nose up to her cheek. Its ears perked, eyes turning abruptly to Aiden, where he stood partially hidden behind a nearby tree. A surprisingly deep growl sounded from the animal, and his legs began thrashing with too much force to be constrained by the young lady.

  She gasped in reprimand as the dog escaped her and landed with a splash in the brook. Her expression quickly transformed to fear when her dog did not resurface. “Freddy!” she half gasped, half shrieked. “Freddy?”

  To Aiden’s surprise, she jumped into the brook, the water reaching her knees, soaking through her fine skirts. Aiden rushed forward, hoping his abrupt arrival wouldn’t frighten her. He caught sight of a patch of dark gray fur amid the murky water, then a small black nose, moving away with the current. He lunged forward and scooped the dog from the water, who emerged with bared teeth and strangled barking.

  The young lady stood in the water with both hands covering her mouth, her eyes round with shock. Aiden gathered the dog into his arms, careful to evade the gnashing teeth as he calmed it, stroking its soaked head and scratching gently behind its ears. The dog’s small body quickly relaxed, and it wriggled in his arms to face him. A set of brown eyes stared up at his face as the dog gained his footing on Aiden’s arms and leapt up to lap the splashes of water off Aiden’s cheek.

  He laughed, regarding the dog for the sake of the young woman, who still stared at him in shock. “That is the proper way to thank your rescuer,” he said, eyeing the dog with a smile. “For a moment when you tried to bite me I thought you a scoundrel.”

  Aiden lifted his eyes to the young woman, who had set to climbing out of the brook, her soaked skirts tangling around her feet. He shifted the dog to one arm, approaching her cautiously. “May I offer my assistance?”

  She met his gaze briefly, the pale green of her eyes as unique as it was striking. “No, sir.” She moved quickly, her movements suggesting that she was severely unsettled by his presence. It was not right for Aiden to be alone with her, but he had come across her by accident. He couldn’t stand by and watch her struggle through the mud.

  “Please, allow me to assist you.” He extended his hand, which she ignored. Taking one large stride through the water, she let out a shriek as she tripped over her skirts, landing on her stomach half in and half out of the brook on the other side, mud splattering onto her face. She let out a huffed breath of frustration, her cheeks coloring to a becoming shade of pink.

  Aiden offered his hand again, refraining from the laughter that surged in his chest. He had never seen such a resilient woman, one that would go to such great lengths to save her puppy, or one that would be so determined to deny the help of a man. She likely thought him to be a servant, far beneath her notice.

  She glanced up at him from beneath a sheet of wet lashes, pushing herself to her feet without assistance and climbing out of the water on the opposite side of the brook. She arranged her skirts around her ankles, brushing bits of twigs and leaves from the now soiled ivory fabric. Her cheeks, splattered with mud, darkened yet another shade.

  “Are you hurt?” Aiden asked.

  She shook her head, her eyes flickering between him and her dog, still tucked beneath his arm.

  “I wish I could have rescued you as I did your dog.” He gave his most non-threatening smile, hoping to erase the look of terror and mortification on her face.

  “It was not necessary.” She wiped her palms on her skirts, cringing.
“I would have rescued Freddy without any problem at all. We did not need your interference.”

  “My interference?” Aiden raised one eyebrow.

  Her hair, previously pinned in crisp curls, hung dripping around her face. She pushed back a strand, clearing her throat. “But I—I thank you for your effort on his behalf.”

  “I fully believe you would have been capable.” Aiden chuckled, scratching the dog behind his soaked ears. “But Freddy has already thanked me by agreeing not to bite me.” He gripped the puppy around the middle, holding him out to get a good look. “Haven’t you, Freddy? There will be no biting and scratching of your rescuer.” The dog gave a friendly yip before resuming his squirming. Aiden laughed, glancing across the brook to the young woman. She watched him with a whisper of a smile on her lips, her sharp eyes intrigued. She quickly averted them, bringing a hand to her hair self-consciously.

  “Are you a servant?” she asked, eyeing his clothing. She bit her lip, as if regretting the question.

  Aiden nodded, obeying his stepfather’s demand to claim no other title. “I am.”

  She looked down at her feet. Aiden knew as well as she did that they should not be conversing, given that they had not been introduced. But as their current circumstances demanded communication, he felt justified in it.

  Something that resembled disappointment flashed in her eyes when she looked at him once again. “A household servant?”

  He nodded. He did not need to explain that he was born into an upper class family, or that his stepfather was the Marquess of Aveley. Saying that he was a servant was not even a lie. He had been filling the role for so long now it was time he owned up to it.

  Her eyes never left him, the color striking even from across the brook. “What may I call you?”

  “My name is Aiden Notley.” He smiled. “And what may I call you? Are you a servant as well?” He asked only in an effort to tease her, for he knew she couldn’t possibly be a servant. She wore a dress of intricate detail, and she had ivory, unblemished skin. Even the way she held her head and posture revealed her elevated class.

  She looked taken aback by the question, her eyes darting from side to side. He did not expect her to hesitate for so long before answering, but at least five seconds passed before she stumbled her response. “Yes, indeed, I am a servant.”

  He raised both eyebrows.

  “I am a lady’s maid.” She swallowed. “My mistress asked that I exercise her dog while she went to tea. So you see how relieved I am that Freddy is safe. I would have fallen under great reprimand.”

  Aiden crossed his arms. He did not want to insult her by declaring her word to be false, but he didn’t believe it at all. “I do not recall ever encountering a lady’s maid wearing such… fine clothing.”

  “Oh, this?” She took a handful of the sullied skirts. “This is an old gown of my mistress’s. She outgrew it and delivered it to me. I wear it when I go out, purely for the enjoyment of wearing such a beautiful thing.”

  Aiden narrowed his eyes slightly. Looking at her now, dirty and dripping, he could have believed she was a servant in disguise, but he had seen her before—he had glimpsed her pristine hair and clothing. Hadn’t he? Or had he imagined it?

  “Your voice,” he said. “You do not speak as though you are a servant.”

  “Nor do you.” She widened her gaze in a look of innocence. “I was not raised in such circumstances, but rather they fell upon me in recent years.”

  “I see.” With her explanation, Aiden found her claim more convincing. He too had only become something of a servant in recent years. “I’m glad, then, that I was here to assist you with little Freddy.” He turned the dog’s face toward his, then pointed in the young lady’s direction. “Mind your mistress.”

  A quiet laugh came from the young lady’s maid. He looked up, hoping to catch a full smile on her face. The sight played on his heart like a pianoforte, vibrating and lovely. She had a beautiful smile.

  “And what may I call you?” Aiden asked her, the tug of a smile on his own lips. “If I hope to train Freddy into compliance I must give him your name.”

  Her smile grew wider, a certain shyness to it. “You may call me… Miss Kate.”

  “Miss Kate.” He leaned close to the dog’s ear. “Mind Miss Kate, or I will hear of it and send you right back to the brook.”

  She gasped before falling into laughter. “You might think of an alternative punishment. Freddy seemed to quite like the water.”

  Aiden laughed, careful not to make his laugh too loud, to ensure he could still listen to the lovely sound of hers. “Indeed, he did. But punishment is not nearly as effective as rewards. The only reward that ever forces my dogs into submission is food. Perhaps I will bring him some meat if he behaves.”

  Miss Kate’s laughter stopped. “You have dogs as well?”

  “I do. But they do not have names nearly as refined as Freddy here.”

  She took a step closer to the water, her eyes sparking with interest. “What are their names?”

  Aiden grinned. “Wrinkles, my Pug, and Puff, my Pomeranian.”

  “Wrinkles and Puff?” A look of sheer delight crossed her expression. “How charming.” She looked down at her hands. “Do you suppose Wrinkles and Puff would like to meet Freddy? I might convince my mistress to allow me to take Freddy for another jaunt tomorrow at the same time of day.”

  “Who is your mistress?” he asked.

  “Lady Katherine Golding, the daughter of the Duke of Chatham who has recently moved to Gravesend.” She looked up. “Have you heard of her?”

  Aiden ran his fingers through the dog’s matted fur. Lady Katherine Golding was the woman his stepbrothers were so eager to meet. The heiress of Silverbard. “Yes. I have heard of her arrival.”

  “Have you heard any gossip concerning her?” Miss Kate’s voice came out nonchalant, but Aiden sensed true curiosity behind it.

  “I have heard that she is an heiress of great wealth and property. I know of at least two men that will be in pursuit of her.” He gave a quiet laugh. “I express my condolences to your mistress. How difficult it must be to have so many unwanted suitors clamoring for her attention.”

  Her eyes flashed with surprise as she stared at him. “Would you not attempt to win her hand?”

  Aiden shrugged. “I have not met her. How could I make such a judgement based solely on her status as an heiress? But I am certain she is a lovely young woman if you will endorse her character.”

  Miss Kate smiled, warm and genuine. For a moment they both simply stared at the other across the brook, and Aiden had to shake himself to regain his thoughts. “Why do you ask? Surely she would not consider a servant.”

  Her eyes fell along with her smile. “Of course not. Such a match would be extremely improper.”

  “Extremely.” He smiled, shifting the squirming dog in his arms. It seemed Freddy was eager to return to Miss Kate’s side, yet Aiden knew that the moment he returned the dog he would no longer have an excuse to remain where he stood. And he wasn’t ready to part from Miss Kate just yet.

  But something in her disposition had changed, her smiling lips now pinched together in a frown, a crease marking her forehead. “I’m afraid I must be going.” She eyed her dog, taking a step toward the fallen tree that crossed the brook.

  Did the woman plan to cross the brook again? Aiden watched with amusement as she placed one tentative foot on the log.

  He stepped forward, grinning without reserve. “Do not move another inch, Miss Kate. I will bring Freddy to you.”

  Her shoulders slumped in relief, and she offered a soft smile. Aiden stepped onto the log and began walking carefully across it. His two steps of progress were quickly erased as he lost his balance on a knot of wood, falling backward into the water. He hit the muddy bed with a thud and a splash. He managed to hold Freddy above the surface as his own head submerged. He sat up, the dog’s hind legs kicking as if preparing to swim.

  Another round of musical laug
hter broke through the water that clogged Aiden’s ears. Miss Kate stood with her hands framing her face, pure amusement in her eyes. Aiden sloshed out of the brook, bursting into laughter of his own. “That was entirely Freddy’s fault,” he said, blinking water from his eyes, watching the ground carefully for any hazards that might cause another fall. “He demanded that I allow him another swim.”

  Stepping onto dry ground, he looked up, meeting Miss Kate’s gaze. Her smile had returned, and what a lovely smile it was. He studied the creases at the corners of her eyes, the dark sweep of her lashes, and the water that still clung to them. His breath hitched as she stared up at him, and it took him a moment to realize that she was reaching for her dog.

  He exhaled quickly, the sound mingled with a laugh. “Here is the little scoundrel.” He extended Freddy, placing him in her arms. She held the dog tightly against her, rocking him back and forth as one might soothe a child.

  She lifted her gaze to Aiden’s, the shyness returning to her expression. “I thank you, sir.”

  He nodded, not bothering to hide his admiration as he watched her. “It was no problem at all. I would gladly sacrifice warm, dry clothing for the sake of an arrogant little scoundrel at any moment.”

  She fixed him with a teasing glare. “Freddy is not arrogant. He is simply very protective.”

  Aiden smiled. “And what a worthy person he has chosen to protect.”

  Her gaze fell as her cheeks grew pink once again. “You are too kind, sir. You do not know me at all.”

  “That is a problem that I would like to remedy.” He brought himself closer to her, reaching out to scratch Freddy’s head. “I hope to see you again.” He waited, his heart thumping against his chest. “And Freddy as well,” he stammered. “I expect Freddy and I are on our way to a steadfast friendship.”

  She blinked, a look of worry pervading her expression. It quickly faded, replaced by a spark of hope. Her fingers fiddled with the wet fur on Freddy’s back. “You might bring Wrinkles and Puff to meet Freddy? I’m certain he would like another friend or two.”