The Midnight Heiress (Once Upon a Regency Book 2) Page 5

He chuckled, drawing the parchment back to his pile, a satisfied smile on his lips. “Not to worry. I will have the most beautiful gown you have ever worn ordered, as well as a new pair of dancing slippers. You must stand apart from all the other young ladies there. The town must know of our standing and your wealth. You will look lovely.” He set his spectacles atop his nose, staring down at another piece from his stack. “I have allocated significant funds for this ball. Your mother will work with you to determine the clothing and hairstyle. I plan to invite a great number of people, and we must ensure they all remember you. I daresay you will have dozens of calls and bouquets the next day.”

  Kate couldn’t comprehend how discussing and planning this ball brought such joy to her father. It only made her feel ill. She didn’t want to be the center of attention at an extravagant ball. She wanted to laugh until she couldn’t breathe, not wear a corset so tight that it did the same, or stifle her laughter and keep her smiles polite and minimal.

  “Kate. You seem quite distracted today. Is there something you wish to tell me?” Her father’s eyes had lifted from his papers, staring down the bridge of his nose at her.

  “No, not at all, I—” she stopped, an idea striking her. She sighed. “I am just distraught about the townspeople I saw on my walk today with Freddy. There is more poverty in Gravesend than I have seen in Sheffield. It breaks my heart.”

  Her father gave her a compassionate smile. “I am glad to hear you are so sensitive to such matters. An amiable quality, to be sure.”

  She hesitated over her next words. “You did say the ballroom of Timberwell is quite large. I have seen it myself, and I believe we could host a substantial amount of guests.”

  “We can indeed.”

  She swallowed, wringing her hands together beneath the table. “Do you remember during the last Christmastide when we invited the less fortunate to a dinner and dance?”

  His expression shifted, apprehension filling it. “I do.”

  “Do you suppose…that we may invite the less fortunate to attend our ball as well? Our guests might extend our invitations to their servants.”

  Her father stared at her, his eyes rounding. She waited, her heart thudding. After a prolonged moment, her father burst into boisterous laughter, slapping his hand down on his desk. “You cannot be serious, my dear.”

  Heat leapt to her cheeks. She had known her request was ridiculous. “They will add a much needed frivolity to the ball.” Her voice was weak.

  He shook his head, chuckling under his breath. “I will not transform a ball in your honor to a charity. We will save such an event for the Christmastide.”

  Kate set her jaw against further words, but could not help speaking again. “Do you mean to say that kindness is a quality to only be exercised at a designated time of year? Kindness should not have beginning nor end within us. It should be an inborn part of our character at all hours, days, and months.”

  Her father’s frown deepened. “Do you realize the censure that would fall upon our family if we had servants as guests at our ball? It simply cannot happen. I am sorry, Kate, but you must learn to tame your absurd notions. I hope you will not host such balls at Silverbard when I am gone.” He fixed her with a stern look, one she rarely saw on his face.

  She averted her eyes. “Of course not, Papa.”

  He sighed again, the sound he always made when he witnessed his daughter’s dejection. “My dear. Do not be upset with me. I could not bear it.” He reached forward with his hand, intending to hold hers. She looked up, keeping her hands clasped together beneath the table.

  The large clock on the wall behind her father chimed, the sound cutting through the awkward silence of the room. Kate counted three loud and deep chimes. Her mother hated that clock, but Kate felt fortunate to have it stop her father from further questioning.

  “I do not feel well,” she said. “Please excuse me.”

  Her father sat back in his chair with a nod, frustration looming in his eyes. Kate did not blame him for rejecting her request. She had been absurd, as he said, to have even asked. Her father wanted the best life for her, and she was grateful for that. He had given her so much, it was time she gave him something in return. If he desired for her to marry a man from that list, then she would do it. She had a duty to uphold. Her heart could not interfere. She could not go see Mr. Notley the next day. To do so would be detrimental to her resolve to obey her father.

  When she stood in the hallway, she breathed the fresh and open air, trying to calm the dread that pooled in her chest. She would never see Mr. Notley again, but that did not mean she couldn’t treasure the memory. And she would treasure it always.

  CHAPTER 5

  A iden brought his needle through the thick leather of a pair of riding boots, his fingers shaking with the precision it required. When he competed the stitch, he held it up for Mr. Haskett to critique.

  As he had many times that day, the man appeared rather astonished. “Perfect. I can find no fault in it.” He looked up from the boot, meeting Aiden’s eyes with renewed surprise. “You must have done this before.”

  Aiden shook his head, returning his needle to the leather once again. “I have not. My mother purchased many shoes when I was a child, and loved to show me every detail. I often wondered how they were made. She had one pair of slippers that were her favorite, and I have never seen such pristine workmanship and skill. She was very proud of them.” He smiled, the memory overtaking his thoughts and filling him with distant joy.

  Mr. Haskett picked up his own project, a pair of ladies half boots. “Astonishing. I am quite impressed. Are you in possession of those slippers?”

  Aiden nodded.

  “Would you consider bringing them to the shop so I may study them? I am very curious.”

  “Yes, of course. I’m certain you will find them as enchanting as my mother did.”

  Mr. Haskett sat back with a satisfied smile. “We do have an order from the Duchess of Chatham to construct a new pair of dancing slippers for her daughter. She requested that they be silk with many embellishments. She requested lace, ribbon rosettes, and intricate beadwork. We will need to begin straight away if we hope to finish by the Timberwell ball in a fortnight. They are sending invitations to the neighbors immediately, and we will be receiving many orders.”

  At the mention of the duchess’s daughter, Aiden’s thoughts traveled once again to the young lady, Miss Kate, in the woods. He hoped he would have an opportunity to slip away from Mr. Haskett for long enough to meet her as they had planned. He glanced at the nearby clock, seeing that the time read ten minutes until eleven.

  “If you would like, I can fetch the slippers now,” Aiden said. “My residence is not far.”

  Mr. Haskett glanced up, his suppressed eagerness now coming into light. “Yes. That would be most opportune. I suspect there is much I may learn from these slippers if you learned so much with just a simple glance at them.”

  Aiden set the riding boots aside, his own excitement mounting. He would have just enough time to reach Colborne Hall, fetch his dogs and the slippers, and meet Miss Kate in the woods for a time before returning to the cordwainer. “Very well. I will fetch them now.” Aiden smiled, turning swiftly for the door.

  “You may choose to take a midday meal as well. Be back no later than twelve.” Mr. Haskett motioned at the clock.

  “Yes, sir.”

  Aiden ran to Colborne Hall, hoping to afford himself as much time as possible to spend with Miss Kate. Careful to avoid his stepfather and stepbrothers, he sneaked to his bedchamber to retrieve his mother’s slippers. They lay in a box with his father’s pocket watch. He removed the slippers and the watch, cradling them gently in his hands as he slid them into the bag that crossed his body. Outside, he untethered his dogs, leashing them both before setting off for the woods.

  As he walked, he withdrew the watch, checking the time. It was precisely eleven. He walked faster, his dogs trotting along beside him. When the brook came into view, he found
a large rock to sit on, tying his dogs to a nearby branch. He would unleash them once he knew they would behave kindly toward Miss Kate and Freddy.

  He watched the trees where she had departed the last time. What would she think of Wrinkles and Puff? Under normal circumstances he would have been embarrassed to admit that he had once named his dogs such ridiculous names, but nothing about his interaction with Miss Kate had been normal. He had never felt so at ease conversing with a pretty young woman before, and certainly not one who he met in such an unconventional way.

  As the minutes wore on, she still did not appear between the trees. He checked the pocket watch. It read half past eleven. The woods were silent, just a soft rustling of the leaves and the trickle of the brook beside him. His dogs stood under the shade of a tree, both straining against their leashes, seeking the warmth of a ray of sunshine that touched the nearby ground.

  Just when Aiden was bound to give up and return to the cordwainer, he heard frantic and light footfalls in the distance, followed by heavier ones and rapid breathing.

  “Freddy!” A harsh whisper reached him. He stood up, a grin already finding its way to his face. Why did she feel the need to whisper? He waited for Freddy to come skittering through the trees, determined to catch the dog before it could find itself in the water. As predicted, the little gray dog came running straight toward Aiden, changing his course when he saw Wrinkles and Puff beneath the tree. Aiden’s two dogs stiffened, barking in friendly tones as Freddy approached.

  Aiden turned his gaze back to the trees. The heavier footfalls had stopped, but he could still hear a quiet breathing, short and jagged, as if intentionally softened.

  “Miss Kate?” Aiden called. Several seconds passed before she finally emerged between the trees, her eyes cast down in embarrassment and apparent regret. She wore a different dress than the day before, one still far too nice for a lady’s maid. He studied her intricate curls and smooth skin. A maid? A breathtaking one.

  “Good morning, Mr. Notley,” she said, her eyes flicking to his quickly before darting away. Her hair had flown back from her face from her chase after Freddy, leaving her cheeks pink with exertion. Her chest and shoulders rose and fell with her heavy breathing. She no longer tried to conceal the sound. “Freddy chewed through his leash in the night and I did not know of it. I intended to take him for a turn around the Timberwell property, but the leash snapped the moment he pulled on it. He ran straight for the woods. I suppose he was determined to find you.” She spoke with a scowl, placing her hand against her waist.

  Aiden smiled as Freddy approached him. He scooped the dog up, noticing the severed rope that hung from his neck. “You are a scoundrel after all,” Aiden said in a censuring voice. “How dare you escape Miss Kate and make her run all this way? Your impish behavior yesterday was quite enough.” Freddy stretched his neck to sniff Aiden’s face.

  Miss Kate suppressed a smile, concern pinching her brow. “I should not have come. I am very sorry.”

  Aiden tipped his head in confusion. “You did not intend to come?”

  She met his eyes. “I began to doubt the wisdom of it, sir.”

  He studied her stoic expression and the intense regret in her features. He found his study of her face so enjoyable, he did not realize how long he had been staring at her. He shook himself, turning his attention back to the dog he held as he walked closer to her. “What is there to doubt? I’m certain your mistress will be pleased that Freddy has so much reason to be happy today. He has made two new friends and has been reunited with another.” He gave her a winning smile, hoping to see one on her own face.

  Her eyes glinted with amusement and her lips twitched. “I suppose it is acceptable for a man and woman to meet alone if it concerns a matter of business. And my mistress views her dog’s happiness as a very serious matter of business indeed.”

  He nodded. “Very true.”

  She stared up at him, a true smile pulling at her cheeks.

  “You are doing your mistress and Freddy a kindness by being here,” he said. “Kindness is never to be delayed or suppressed.”

  Her eyes flashed with admiration, enough to make his heart stall in his chest. “It seems that very few people share that sentiment.”

  “But not you.” Aiden’s gaze remained steadfast on hers. “You hold it to great importance.”

  She looked down. “How could I not? So many people have been kind to me throughout my life. I must pay my debts somehow.”

  Her humility and grace struck him. “We are all debtors of some sort.” He thought of his residence with Lord Aveley and how it was contingent on his upkeep of the estate. Would he ever free himself of his stepfather’s influence? Thinking of the months, even years that could lay ahead of him before he could gather sufficient funds to rent his own home, his hope grew faint.

  A deep bark came from Wrinkles, the Pug’s face contorting eagerly as he stared across the way at Miss Kate, straining against his leash. Aiden chuckled, moving to remove the restraint and replacing it at Freddy’s neck instead.

  The Pug ran to Miss Kate’s side, stopping hesitantly a few paces away. She smiled down at him, bending to pat his head. He set to licking her hand, and her laugh, light and pleasant, rang through the air. Her eyes lifted as she stroked the dog’s head. “Mr. Notley, you have named him well. He does have many endearing wrinkles.”

  Her guard seemed to have dropped, at least for the moment. Aiden knew his visit would have to be short. The cordwainer was likely growing anxious for his return. “You may thank a moment of ridiculousness on my part for such a name.”

  She continued laughing before straightening her posture and moving to greet the Pomeranian who had begun spinning around Freddy in a quick circle, their leashes tangling.

  “You must be Puff.” She untangled the leashes and scooped up the dog from his running, holding him close to her. She glanced at Aiden, pure delight in her green eyes. “He is very sweet.”

  “You might commission your mistress to allow you to trade Puff for Freddy. I will tame the little scoundrel and you will have a sweet dog to look after rather than an unscrupulous one.”

  She returned Puff to the ground, shaking her head. “It is Freddy’s pluck that endears him to me. He does not fear the results of his actions. He does not fear the judgements of others. He does as he pleases without a second thought. He is free and courageous and determined.” Her voice carried a tone Aiden hadn’t heard before—a strong, resolved undercurrent. “I should like to be more like him one day.”

  Aiden was finding more and more to admire about Miss Kate with each minute that passed. Blast it. Why had he lied to her? He wished to be more like Freddy too. If he took Miss Kate’s sentiments to heart then he could find a way to escape his stepfather’s influence. He would have done more to prevent the selling of his childhood home and his parents’ possessions. He would not have agreed to Lord Aveley’s demands that he pretend to be a servant.

  “Do you find my ideas strange?” she asked. “I expect it is not normal to wish to be like a dog.” Amusement still shone in her eyes, but curiosity burned behind it.

  “Not at all. I think there is much to learn from animals.”

  She smiled, and he found his thoughts fleeing as he stared into her eyes. Seeking a distraction, Aiden reached in his bag and withdrew his father’s pocket watch. It read nearly twelve. Mr. Haskett would have his head.

  “I wish I could stay longer, but I must be going.” Aiden heard the regret in his own voice.

  “Does your master need you back so soon?”

  He nodded. “I’m afraid so.”

  She turned her attention to the dogs. “I am glad they were able to become acquainted. Freddy will never wish to leave. I don’t wish to leave either.” Her eyes fluttered up to his hesitantly. Aiden was not a stranger to flirtatious women. He had seen them interact with his stepbrothers as they sought the prize of Lord Orsett’s title. But Miss Kate was different. When she glanced up at him in such a shy way, it was not
an attempt to be coy. It was genuine and sweet and entirely too endearing. He took a step back with great effort, wishing he could stay and continue learning more about her.

  But why was he entertaining thoughts of courting a lady’s maid? It could never be. She was occupied with her work and he with his. And if he did allow his feelings to progress and they continued to see one another, he could never support a marriage. So why did he come today? It had been a mistake.

  Yet it didn’t feel like a mistake, and that made it all the more frustrating.

  “Best of luck with your work,” she said in a quiet voice.

  “And you with yours. Please take one of my leashes to convey Freddy home.” He turned away from her, untethering Freddy’s restraint from the tree and extending the rope to her.

  She took it, her hand brushing over his, light and small. His pulse thudded. His gaze fell to her hands. They were smooth, soft, without the slightest sign of past labor. A maid? he repeated in his mind, the disbelief growing firmer. He shunned his doubts. A lady’s maid wouldn’t have to labor much with her hands, besides arranging hair and dresses.

  “Is this another gown your mistress gave you?” he asked, unable to help his curiosity.

  Her cheeks darkened as she stared down at the flowing fabric of her skirts. “Yes.” She swallowed. “She—she orders new gowns often and rather than dispose of them, she gives them to me.”

  “She must be very kind.” He wished he had the privilege of working among such a kind family.

  Miss Kate’s blush intensified as she wrapped the leash around her hand, pulling Freddy along as he resisted, trying to return to the other dogs. She seemed to be in a sudden hurry.

  “When may I see you again?” Aiden asked, his voice too quick.

  She stopped, her brows contracting, forming a crease between them. She hesitated for a long moment, as if torn over a certain decision. Why did she seem so troubled by his company? Did she share his fears of growing too close?

  “I will be quite busy for what remains of this week.”