He brushed his hand across his eyes to conceal his emotions, cleared his throat and resumed. ‘But I had to go up to the house to see for myself—and what a change I did find in the mistress—her once so brave and feisty! I never knew anything to faze her the whole time we was out there, Miss Harry.’
Tears had started in Harriet’s own eyes as she answered him.
‘I know, Ozzy. It was Papa dying, you see. It threw her right off balance and it seemed that she couldn’t cope with anything at all. That’s how she came to marry Sir Chester—for he somehow seemed to take over, dealing with the funeral arrangements, and Mama allowed him to ferret through our papers and all sorts of things. Afterwards, it was very easy for him to persuade her into marrying him. She was just so unhappy and lacked interest in everything. It wasn’t until he had moved us up to the Hall that all became clear. He had enormous debts and he was absolutely furious when he found that I would inherit and not Mama. He accused her of trickery, would you believe? Then he started on this plan for marrying me off to his odious son—Mama wouldn’t have it, of course, but he made her life unbearable as a result and I could tell he was beginning to wear her down. Then, when I overheard him talking to the ghastly Gilbert—and it appeared that they were planning some sort of abduction—they intended to trap me into marriage
—I left a note for Mama telling her I was going to find my grandfather—then—I just left!’
There was a moment’s silence. Osborne shook his head and sighed as the countess gave Harriet a little smile of sympathy.
‘Don’t fret yourself, my dear,’ she said gently. ‘You will come about, believe me. Lord Ramsey will take care of everything, I feel sure.’
‘I am hoping so, ma’am,’ Harriet said dispiritedly. ‘If only he could come more quickly. You have been very good, your ladyship, but I wish that I, myself, could do something more useful on my own behalf.’
Turning to Osborne, she asked anxiously. ‘And you did not see Mama at all?’
‘Oh, yes, my pretty, I did that. I crept round to the gardens and gave her the shock of her life, I can tell you! But she was real glad to see me and wanting to hear all my news. We even had some laughs over old times but, as you’ve said, she wasn’t herself although she did tell me much of the tale. Apparently Middleton got hold of your note and had the stagecoach lists checked at both the Lincoln and Grantham offices and your mama was mighty worried until she saw the announcement of your betrothal in the Post because she knew then that you were quite safe—and, although it was no easy matter for her to write a letter for me to deliver—here I am, at your service, as you might say. And I also have to tell you that my Martha is a-waiting in your housekeeper’s room—fretting herself to bits, no doubt!’
Lady Caroline stood up and motioned to Harriet to remain seated.
‘I must go and acquaint his lordship with this news. Robert is with him and I can as easily tell both together. You will want to have more conversation with your old comrades -in-arms. You may use the small parlour—I will instruct Rothman to have some luncheon sent up. Now, pray, excuse me.’
She swept out of the room with a smile for Harriet and a kindly nod to the old soldier.
‘A real lady, that one, Miss Harry,’ said Osborne in approving admiration after the countess had departed.
As a mere innkeeper and one-time soldier, he was well aware of his status in this sort of Society. Nevertheless, he had a justifiable pride in himself and his achievements. He had served with Harriet’s father from the beginning, having been the young Sir Jonathan’s groom and then his batman throughout the action in Iberia and he had seen Harriet grow from babyhood into girlhood. He had taught her to ride her first pony, had rescued her from many a childhood scrape and, along with her constant attendant, Martha, had contributed more than a little to Harriet’s life and happiness during her unusual upbringing. When his part in the fighting was over he had finally persuaded the worthy Martha to marry him and try for a more settled way of life in their later years.
Harriet understood him well and took his meaning perfectly.
‘A real lady, indeed. She has been so extremely kind to me. I wonder if Mama realises that the earl and countess were very well acquainted with her parents and that her ladyship would likely have been Mama’s godmother if my grandmother had lived?’
She rose from her seat and, despite his protests, hugged him again. ‘You have no idea how glad I am to see you again, Ozzy,’ she said, unable to hide the tremor in her voice. ‘Now we must go and fetch Martha and then we can all get comfortable—oh, Heavens! I have not yet read the note you brought me!’ and, having peeled off the wafer, she began to peruse the missive, alternately shaking her head and frowning in consternation at the hastily scribbled contents.
‘I clearly cannot reply,’ she sighed, ‘for it is unlikely that Mama would ever receive my letter and you will not want to be forever posting up and down the country as a messenger. I hope that Sir Chester has not discovered where I am—but it is a problem what to do. I cannot remain here much longer and there is no knowing how long it will take my grandfather to get here! I have no funds and I do so dislike being a charge on her ladyship.’
She folded the note and placed it in her reticule and, lifting her eyes to Osborne’s while forcing a smile, she said, with as much cheerfulness as she could muster, ‘Come, let us find Martha.’
Later, as they sat together in the small salon, she related the misadventures that had brought her to Beldale and confessed the deception in which she had become involved. Martha expressed concern and disapproval that Harriet should have become so embroiled in such subterfuge, although she commended the underlying reasons for the duplicity, saying that ‘Miss Harry should think herself lucky that it was such a gentleman who had rescued her!’
Privately, Harriet was becoming rather weary of being told how lucky she was and she quickly went on to describe the incident at the lake, which curious event caused both of her old comrades to eye one another in dismay.
Osborne rose to his feet and started pacing the floor.
‘Can’t have that, miss,’ he said, shaking his head. ‘That’s downright suspicious, if you ask me. Maybe that Middleton has already discovered your whereabouts—and you say his lordship didn’t believe your story?’
He stopped suddenly and turned to face his wife. ‘What about taking Miss Harriet back with us, Martha? W wouldn’t allow anybody to go pushing her into lakes in Ringwood, that’s for sure.’
Harriet jumped up and clapped her hands as Martha nodded her agreement.
‘Oh, would you? That would be the very thing! Then I needn’t pretend to be engaged to Sandford any longer! You can’t know what a joy it would be to be able to tell him that!’
She spun round guiltily as the door opened behind her and the viscount entered, his face impassive. Flushing, she wondered if he had heard her remarks but, if so, he gave no indication, merely striding forward to grip Osborne by the hand.
‘Good to see you again, Sergeant,’ he said. ‘Glad to hear of your success. Tiptree will be wanting to swap yarns with you. You’ll be staying at the Fox, I imagine? He’ll be down to join you later, I’ll be bound.’
Taking up his stance at the fireplace, he smiled at Martha in cheerful recognition and cautiously allowed his eyes to travel to Harriet’s bright cheeks. Although he hadn’t actually caught her remarks it was fairly obvious to him that he had been the subject of them. He sighed inwardly.
‘My lord?’ Osborne was addressing him nervously. ‘Mrs Osborne and I were thinking that maybe it would be best if Miss Harry—Harriet—was to return to Ringwood with us, sir—seeing as how she knows us so well and she’d be quite safe …’
He stopped as the viscount put up his hand and shook his head emphatically.
‘Oh, I think not, old chap,’ he said, experiencing a fleeting moment of self-reproach