Captain Jones's Temptation - Audrey Harrison Page 0,37
remained upstairs while all of us are feeling a little tender this morning. How is Dawson?”
“Oh, he’s never been happier,” Cook said. “He has enough stories that he’ll keep the younger staff bored to death with tales until he retires.”
“I heard that,” Dawson said, coming into the room from the kitchen corridor. “Morning, Captain.”
“It’s true,” Cook said. “Sit yourselves down. I think I have made too much breakfast. I am not used to having so few mouths to feed.”
“Music to my ears,” Samuel said, sitting himself at the table as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“What are your plans for today, sir?” Dawson asked, allowing Cook to cut up his food and sending a smirk to Samuel, which was quickly hidden when Cook rapped his knuckles with her knife.
“Any more of that and I shall leave you to struggle,” she chastised.
Stifling a laugh, Samuel answered Dawson. “I am going to set off with the prisoners. I want to see them delivered to London, and then I will be heading to Hampshire, where Dunn and the party will have arrived by the time I get there. We will then need to work out what happens with the child before Miss Hardy and Miss Bolton can return here and carry on as normal.”
Cook’s face clouded, but she turned away from the table.
“Is there a problem?” Samuel asked.
“I doubt the school will be able to continue.”
“Why?”
“People will gossip. Miss Esther has already lost two teachers because of this. Who knows how many children will return after the summer? As if she hasn’t faced enough.”
“We will get the house and grounds back to perfection as soon as we can,” Dawson interjected.
“That, my friend, might not be enough. We both know that.”
Samuel knew without doubt that if he asked for further information it would not be forthcoming, but it was there again. That curiosity about Esther that had started from the moment he met her. Well, the moment she had taken him to task, but it was almost the moment they had first met. There was obviously a lot that he still did not know about her. But he wanted to know, and it was as frustrating as hell not being able to find out the truth.
After eating his fill, he left the kitchen and went to arrange his packing. He didn’t think he would be returning to Corless House for some time, and that thought alone was enough to distract him for the morning, never mind what Cook had hinted at.
When finally ready to leave, he went down to the kitchen one last time. Cook was kneading dough on the scrubbed worktable, her arms covered in flour. She smiled at him as soon as he stepped into the room.
“Ready for the journey?”
“Yes. I’ve come to say my goodbyes and to thank you all.”
“I would like to say it was the most adventure I have had in years, which is true, but I wouldn’t want you thinking I wish you to bring any more excitement to this house. Not of that kind, anyway.”
“I doubt our paths will cross again, so you can relax,” Samuel said.
“That is a shame, I would like to see you here again at some point.”
“It’s too far away from London for my tastes.”
“There’s a lot to be said for the sea air and countryside. But good journey, and I hope those blackguards get their just deserts,” Cook replied.
“Such temptations are not for me, I am afraid. Do not worry about the prisoners. They will regret ever coming to this part of the world. Hopefully their punishment will prevent foolish ideas developing in anyone else’s mind,” Samuel assured her before leaving once more.
Gazing at the empty doorway, Cook smiled to herself. “Seek out the sights of London if you will, but you will be back before you know it, if I know anything of the matter,” she muttered to herself, kneading the dough with renewed vigour.
Chapter 11
Esther had guessed the reason why Lydia had volunteered to be the nurse for Matthew. She had seen the way her friend had looked at Matthew for some time, and it was endearing to have noticed the equally affectionate glances the cavalry officer had aimed in Lydia’s direction when he thought no one was looking.
Knowing Lydia’s history, Esther was not going to argue the point over whose duty it should be to nurse him, and it meant that she could look after Isabella and spend some time with Sophie. Now she was