The Midnight Heiress (Once Upon a Regency Book 2) Page 7

  And what a dreadful thought that was.

  CHAPTER 7

  A iden didn’t finish the pair of riding boots until midnight, working by candlelight in the center of the cordwainer’s shop. Mr. Haskett had fallen asleep at his desk, his head resting on the bend of his elbow. He had finished his latest project several hours before.

  As Aiden finished threading the laces, he held the sturdy boots up to the light, a weary smile tugging at his mouth. He had labored over the boots for days, and they were finally finished. The satisfaction that came was invigorating. He could see himself happily working on similar shoes for many years.

  Mr. Haskett shifted from his spot at his desk, his spectacles falling askew on his face. He sat up, checking the clock. “How the devil did I sleep for so long?” he said in a hoarse voice.

  Aiden chuckled, standing up with a stretch. He stooped over to pick up the finished boots, turning them toward Mr. Haskett for inspection.

  Mr. Haskett straightened his spectacles, taking one boot in his hand, then the other, turning them over to examine all angles. “Extraordinary.”

  Aiden had heard Mr. Haskett use that word to describe his work many times. “Truly?”

  “Indeed.” Mr. Haskett set the boots down on a shelf, tying a tag to the laces. “Mr. Clumpet will be quite pleased with them, I believe.”

  Aiden’s elation continued to grow, pride for his work making up for the ache in his back and fingers. He had been making use of the early hours of the morning to clean and prepare Colborne Hall for guests, and he had almost finished. Balancing his responsibilities there with his apprenticeship had been no small task, and as a result he hadn’t slept more than three hours each night for nearly a week.

  “You have quite a talent, Notley.” Mr. Haskett gave him a genuine smile. “I am glad to have taken you on. If you can manage to create a pair of slippers as exquisite as your mother’s for Lady Katherine Golding, I will think you capable of miracles.”

  Aiden laughed, rubbing his eyes to clear the splotches of light that burned behind his eyelids. “I will try my best. You may need to school me a little further in making a lady’s shoe. I imagine it is quite different.”

  “Very different. It requires a gentle touch, a delicate handling. The feet of ladies are much smaller.”

  “Perhaps Lady Katherine has feet as large as Mr. Clumpet’s.”

  Mr. Haskett chuckled. “I should hope not. She would have to be an ogre at the very least.”

  “And all the men of Gravesend would still desire her for her fortune.” Aiden stared out the dark window of the shop. He thought of his conversation with Miss Kate concerning her mistress. Aiden knew how careless men (and women) could be in their pursuit of wealth. They would toy with a person’s heart without any regret in order to obtain it. With the upcoming ball, Aiden knew of at least two men that would be seeking the Duke’s daughter for those very purposes.

  When he had seen Miss Kate in town today, she had still worn her troubled expression. He wished he knew was was troubling her. He hated to see it.

  After bidding Mr. Haskett farewell, Aiden walked back to Colborne hall. The moment he entered the front doors, he heard the sound of Evan’s grating laughter coming from the dining room. He glanced in the doorway as he passed. Miles and Evan each sat at the ends of the table, a tall bottle of brandy beside each of them.

  “You think you’ll win her over?” Miles scoffed. “I’m the future marquess. You will always have nothing but a courtesy title.”

  “But I am more charming,” Evan said, the words slurred. “And more handsome.”

  “Who told you that? Your reflection?”

  Evan gave a hard laugh, taking a swig from his bottle, his eyes crazed as he pressed his knuckles to the table. “No, it is simply common knowledge.”

  “You are not more handsome than me,” Miles said in a snide voice. “If you admit it to yourself now, you will avoid disappointment. Lady Katherine will choose me. The duke prefers it. We will be the greatest landowners in the south of England.”

  Evan’s face contorted in vexation. “You always get what you want! It is not fair at all. It is time that I claim something of my own.”

  Aiden groaned, stepping into the light of the dining room. “Have you considered that Lady Katherine may not wish to marry either of you?”

  Evan looked up with a sneer, his eyes bloodshot and dark. “You are only envious of us as you always have been. You will have no opportunity to meet her, and you have nothing, nothing that she would desire.”

  “I have no intention of meeting Lady Katherine. I pity the woman. She will be forced to endure the company of both of you for the evening.” Aiden didn’t know why he felt the need to rise to the lady’s defense, but he couldn’t tolerate his stepbrothers any longer, especially when they were so drunk and unaware. He had just turned to walk away when he heard the breaking of glass crashing against the wall beside him. One of the bottles of brandy.

  He whirled around, setting his gaze on Evan who came to a wobbling stand. “She will be so charmed by me she will be left begging to marry me.”

  Aiden resisted the urge to laugh. The desperation in his stepbrother’s eyes was both pitiful and frightening. “She would never.”

  Evan dropped down in his chair again. “She might if it will save her reputation.” A wicked grin pulled on his mouth, and Aiden had to stop himself from throwing a facer at him.

  “You wouldn’t dare put her reputation in danger.” Anger pounded through him. “That is despicable, even for you.”

  Evan’s temper had transformed into amusement, his words slurred. “There will be other rakes there with similar intentions. I will have to beat them to it. If I ruin her, she will be forced to marry me.”

  Aiden gritted his teeth. He couldn’t fathom such dishonorable behavior. “She will be under careful watch.”

  “I am skilled at evading the careful chaperones of ladies.” Evan came to his feet again, staring at the bottle he had broken with regret, likely wishing he would have drunk it instead. He turned to Aiden. “Clean that up.”

  Miles stumbled to his feet as well, moving toward the door. Within seconds, the two had disappeared into the dark hallway.

  Aiden stood in the dim light, anger pulsing through him with every breath. Surely Lady Katherine’s parents understood that there could be wicked men in attendance at their ball. He hoped they had taken the proper precautions. He did not expect the Duke of Chatham to be an imbecile.

  “Devil take it,” he muttered, bending down to clean up the glass that had shattered all over the ground. If he didn’t do it, Lord Aveley would be fit to be tied and send him packing. Aiden couldn’t afford that, not now that he was so close to achieving his goal of being a cordwainer.

  Worry still thrummed inside him at the idea that Lady Katherine’s reputation could be at risk. He could warn Kate on behalf of her mistress. Or he could go to the ball and keep a careful watch on her himself. He pondered over the idea, but quickly stopped himself. Lord Aveley would never allow him to go, especially if he meant to stop Miles and Evan from their opportunity to marry the heiress. But to ruin her reputation as a means to accomplish it? The idea made Aiden’s fists curl.

  Surely, surely she would have another protector there. Several. Who was he to sneak into the ball and keep a careful watch on her? He was merely a friend of her lady’s maid, not her guardian or relative.

  He rubbed his eyes, excusing his ridiculous thoughts as the result of his lack of sleep. When he finished sweeping the glass into a towel, he carried it carefully to the kitchen to dispose of it. He had been keeping up poorly with cleaning the kitchen, as he was the only one who ever entered it. Lord Aveley had told him that he had conducted interviews with several people from town that were interested in the many open positions in Colborne Hall. Aiden hoped they would begin work soon. As it was, he would still have to stay up for several hours in order to finish the cleaning he had neglected that day, and then he would have to ari
se early to feed the horses, muck out the stables, prepare breakfast, and countless other responsibilities.

  And he desperately wanted to see Kate. He needed to warn her of his stepbrother’s intentions toward the heiress.

  Aiden slept an hour, perhaps less, finishing his chores just before dawn. He dragged himself to the center of town, entering the shop.

  Mr. Haskett greeted him with a tired smile, yawning as he stretched his back. “Good morning, Notley. You look like death, my friend.”

  Aiden gave a grim smile, feeling the truth of Mr. Haskett’s words in the ache of his muscles and back and the persisting ache in his skull. “If I fell asleep right now you would assume I was dead. I wouldn’t awaken for days.” He stifled a yawn of his own.

  “We cannot have that,” Mr. Haskett said. “For we have finally received the orders for Lady Katherine’s dancing slippers.”

  Aiden’s eyes widened, even the slight facial expression sending a sharp ache through his forehead. “Have we?”

  “Yes. All the details I described before, and a gold satin. They will look very much like your mother’s shoes.”

  Aiden smiled softly. “I have always wanted to create a shoe like hers.”

  “And so you shall.” Mr. Haskett grinned as they both sat down to begin their work. “But there is a slight quandary. We will not be receiving the fabric for several days from a manufacturer in London. So I’m afraid you will have several long nights of work ahead leading up to the ball.”

  “I look forward to them eagerly.”

  Mr. Haskett eyed him with disbelief, his keen eyes seemingly surveying every detail of his face. “Return home and rest today. You have been working yourself much too hard.”

  Aiden paused his work. “I am well enough, I assure you.”

  “No, you are not. You appear as if you are soon to topple over with exhaustion. Go home now and do not return until dawn tomorrow. I must have you well rested enough to construct Lady Katherine’s slippers to the best of your ability. She is an invaluable customer.”

  Aiden hesitated, but saw in Mr. Haskett’s expression an unyielding determination. He would not allow Aiden to take one more stitch.

  “Very well,” he said. Even as the words escaped him, he came to a full realization of his own exhaustion, feeling the weight of his eyelids and limbs and the ache in his back and fingers. “Thank you, sir. I will return refreshed on the morrow.”

  Mr. Haskett grunted in approval, continuing his work as Aiden fetched his bag and exited the shop. As much as he longed to sleep in his bed, he knew that if he returned to Colborne Hall he would be pulled into the work that awaited him there. Lord Aveley would never let him rest in the middle of the day. But he could scarcely keep his eyes open.

  As he carried himself through the woods, the subtle warmth of the sun filtered through the trees, pulling on his eyelids. He found a warm spot beneath a tree. Using his arm as a pillow, he lay down his head and closed his eyes. The various sounds of the woods calmed him—the chirping of birds, rustling of foliage, buzzing of insects, and the trickle of the brook. His anger toward his stepbrothers was still kindled within him, but it felt more distant as he faded slowly into sleep.

  He was resolved to only sleep for an hour or two before returning to Colborne Hall to take advantage of the spare time Mr. Haskett had given him. He was nearly finished preparing the house. As he went through the list of tasks in his mind, he finally fell into a deep and restful sleep.

  CHAPTER 8

  T he Duchess of Chatham was more than pleased to have her choice of embellishments for her daughter’s gown. Kate listened with half an ear as her mother cheerfully described the Indian paisley that would adorn the hem of her pale blue gown for the ball. Kate had been trapped in the morning room with her mother for nearly two hours that morning, discussing every detail of the ball. The decorations, the ensemble, the food, the company and performances—they were all planned out meticulously. Though she had not met Lord Orsett, her first two dances were already promised to him through her father, with the third belonging to his younger brother, Lord Evan Browning.

  When Kate finally managed to escape, she hurried to her room and called Peggy to assist her in changing into one of her simpler morning dresses with a higher hem, one she could easily walk in.

  Once she was changed, she sneaked out the back door of Timberwell, escaping across the trimmed lawn toward the woods. The sun was hot today, so she tightened the ribbons of her straw bonnet, knowing the fit her mother would have if she procured a single freckle before the ball. She did not realize how confined she had felt within the walls of Timberwell until she set foot outside. The open freedom of the grasses and surrounding hills inspired her. She breathed in the summer air and set her feet into a run, allowing the wind to whip at her skirts and hair and steal away her breath and worries.

  She ran into the trees, enjoying the coolness the shade provided. She kicked the dirt before her, stopping when she saw the silhouette of a man, resting on his side beneath a nearby tree. It took a brief moment before she recognized the mussed dark hair and broad shoulders of Aiden. He wore a tan waistcoat over a white shirt, with dark trousers and boots, the sleeves of his shirt torn at the elbows and stained with dirt. Her heart thudded. Was he well? Why was he lying beneath a tree?

  She considered turning back, but worry prevented the action. She walked closer, bending over him to ensure he was well. He appeared only to be sleeping.

  His face, pressed into his arm, was serene and handsome. She had always determined it was the color of his eyes that lended his face such handsomeness, but even with them closed, he appeared every bit as handsome. His dark lashes swept down, his dark brows peaceful and unfurrowed, his mouth relaxed and unsmiling. His hair fell over one side of his forehead.

  Kate found herself frozen, studying Aiden’s face. The distance between them now—he asleep and she awake—felt very much like the social distance that lay between them. He a servant, she the daughter of a duke. Could such a barrier ever be broken? Sleep could be broken at the drop of a pin, but his station could not be changed.

  Why had she not run when she first saw him in the woods? Instead she had pretended to be someone she was not—she had played pretend with a life that was not, and never would be hers. And now all she was left with was cold, stinging regret.

  Distracted as she was, she hadn’t noticed Aiden shift—not until it was too late. His eyes opened. She concealed her gasp as she leapt behind a nearby tree and pressed her back against the trunk. She held perfectly still. Perhaps if he had seen her, he would excuse it for his imagination. She held her breath, willing her heart rate to slow as she listened to the leaves rustle with his movement. He was standing, his footfalls crunching closer.

  “Kate?” His hushed voice sounded hesitant, but it grew louder. “Kate, is that you?”

  She knew there was no sense in hiding a mere three feet away from him. She realized with embarrassment that this was the third time she had been caught hiding from him. Her cheeks burned hot as she stepped away from the tree, facing Aiden’s amused grin as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

  “I am very sorry. I didn’t mean to—to…” She couldn’t find the words.

  “Spy on me?” he chuckled. “Do not be sorry. I am flattered.”

  She looked up, the width of his smile enough to steal all stability from her knees. His eyes stared intently into hers, the admiration behind them evident. Instant relief and comfort flooded over her, but it was brief, fleeting.

  “I must go.”

  “Please, don’t leave.” Aiden touched a hand to her elbow, sending a string of shivers over her skin. “You found me at a most opportune time. I have little responsibility for what remains of this day. We might enjoy one another’s company a little longer, if you are not otherwise engaged.” His voice was soft, innocent, and kind. Kate’s legs commanded her to continue walking away, but her heart had other demands.

  She turned to face him. The sun came from behi
nd his back, casting her in his shadow. The warmth of his closeness and his smiling eyes forced her decision. “I am not otherwise engaged.” She swallowed. “My mistress is out today, so I will not be missed.”

  His smile reminded her of a young boy, cheerful without reservation, light and free of pretense. “Would you walk with me?” He extended his arm, the torn sleeve reminding her yet again of the danger of growing too close to him. But she was tired—so tired of succumbing to the demands of her station and her parents. Could she not claim something for her own happiness?

  In answer, she wrapped her hand around his elbow. “Yes.”

  They began walking, ducking past low-hanging branches and stepping over roots that crossed the path. It was unlike any walk Kate had ever taken with a gentleman in the gardens of Silverbard or the parks in London. There were no neat grasses and perfect hedges to be found.

  “What brought you to the woods today?” Aiden’s voice came strong and deep, breaking through the quiet surroundings. “I can’t assume I would be so fortunate to have been your only reason for venturing here.”

  She turned her face up to look at him, noting the smiling creases near his eyes. She longed to tell him everything, to confide in him her worries over the upcoming ball, of the fortune hunters that would be in attendance, of her father’s list of suitable gentlemen that did not include Aiden. But as she stared into his eyes, her words halted in her throat. “I needed to escape, if even for a moment.”

  Worry immediately furrowed his brow. “Escape?”

  She shook her head. “It is nothing so dire. I simply find that I am trapped by my circumstances. Circumstances that others would view as freedom, I feel quite caged by.”