Jack of All Trades: Millcastle, Book 4, page 10
He went past the tables and cooking area into the dark interior of the tent where he could hear groaning. The stench was almost unbearable and reminded him all too forcibly of his younger days when the factory children had been housed in warehouses and left to die alone.
Mrs. O’Keefe lay on her side on her bed, a tin bucket by her side. Two of her children were tucked in bedside her. The bedlinen was filthy, and the youngest child was crying pitifully.
Elijah turned to the girl who had followed him in. “Moira, isn’t it?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Is there anything to feed the baby that won’t make him sick?”
She shook her head.
“All right. Can you find him something clean to wear and a new nappy?”
“I’ll try, sir.”
She took the baby in her arms. Elijah turned his attention back to Mrs. O’Keefe, who had one eye open and was crying.
Keeping his distance, he crouched down so she could see him properly.
“Was it the meat, or is there disease in the camp?”
A tear slid down her cheek.
“Answer me, woman.”
“The meat,” she whispered. “I put it in the pies and the gruel.”
“Thank you for your honesty.” Elijah stood up. “I’ll be back with some help.”
He took the baby from the girl. “Look after your mother and sister. I’ll return very soon.”
“What are you doing with Conner?” She followed him out of the tent.
“Don’t fret, lass. I’m taking him to the doctor to make him better.”
Miss Lambton looked up from her list-making and headed for the gig. “You can pass the child up to me, Mr. Hepworth.”
“Thank you.” Elijah deposited the far-too-quiet baby on her lap and walked around to untie the horse and gather the reins. “Hold on tight, Miss Lambton. I have a lot to do.”
As they approached the county road, she said, “Mr. Hepworth, if you think to find a doctor in town who will treat this child, you are mistaken. They will not deal with anyone from the camp.”
Elijah cursed under his breath and took the left fork in the road away from the town. He wasn’t surprised by her announcement. It wasn’t the first time that a town had taken against the hard-drinking, hard-living gangs of roving navvies.
“Where are we going?” Miss Lambton demanded, her voice high.
He didn’t reply, as they were already approaching the gatehouse at Grafton Hall. The lodgekeeper stepped out, recognized Elijah, and sprang to open the gate, so they barely had to stop. He pulled up outside the main door and came around to lift Miss Lambton and her burden down.
“Good morning, Mr. Hepworth.” Barker emerged from the house. “May I be of assistance?”
“I wish to see her ladyship and my wife.”
“They are in the morning room, sir. Please follow me.”
Elijah and his companion walked across the uneven flagstone floors, through the gloom of the medieval hall, and into the more modern part of the house.
“Mr. Hepworth has returned early, my lady,” Barker announced before stepping aside at the door.
“Whatever is the matter?” The viscountess was already on her feet and approaching Elijah.
“This baby needs feeding.” He gestured back at Miss Lambton who had followed him in. “He’s not sick, just hungry and filthy.”
‘Then take him immediately to the nursery and tell Barker to fetch the doctor.”
“I’ll take him.” Alice appeared beside him. “What’s his name?”
Elijah had to think. “Conner. He’s one of O’Keefe’s brats.”
“Tell Maggie to do everything she can to make him comfortable,” Caroline called out as Alice turned toward the door with the baby in her arms. “On my orders.”
“Thank you.” Elijah bowed. “Unfortunately, there are worse things afoot than a hungry child.”
“Then why don’t you both sit down and tell me how I can help?” Caroline patted Miss Lambton’s shoulder. “You look like you could do with a nice warm drink.”
“Thank you, my lady.” Miss Lambton’s voice trembled.
Elijah took a good look at the vicar’s daughter. Her hair was a tangled mess, her cheeks red from the wind, and her dress was soiled probably beyond repair from holding the baby. For the first time since they’d met he actually felt sorry for Miss Lambton.
“My lady? Would it be possible for someone to lend Miss Lambton some clean clothing? I fear little Conner’s nappy was inadequate.”
“Oh, you poor girl,” Caroline exclaimed as she rang the bell. “Barker, fetch my maid, immediately.”
By the time Miss Lambton had been taken away to set herself to rights, Alice had reappeared. She looked between Caroline and her husband.
“Conner is having a bath and will be fed immediately.” She came to sit beside Elijah. “Dr. Nash has been sent for.”
“Thank you, my dear.” Caroline frowned. “It seems that all is not well at the navvy camp. Some of the men and most of their families have fallen foul of some spoiled meat that was inadvertently used in their daily meals.”
“If inadvertently means what I think it does, then that’s not the case,” Mr. Hepworth said flatly. “Mrs. O’Keefe was probably trying to save a few pennies to increase her profit and made a mistake. Thank the lord Miss Lambton realized something was wrong and insisted on confronting me about it.”
Caroline shuddered. “From what you described, we will need to send a doctor to see the most vulnerable and people to help clean up the place.”
“No doctor or citizen from Millcastle will visit the camp.”
“Why not?” Alice asked.
“They hate the Irish and the navvies. They think they bring disease and mayhem.” He shrugged. “Sometimes they’re right.”
“I am sure I can get some help. I know our friend Dr. Nash will be more than willing to assist you,” Caroline said firmly. “I’ll consult with my husband. We’ll meet you at the camp.” She rose to her feet. “Please excuse me for a moment. I’ll check on Conner and speak to Francis.”
Alice handed her husband another cup of tea.
“I am more than willing to help,” she offered as he drank the tea in one swallow.
“You?”
“Yes, of course.”
He scowled. “I don’t want my wife anywhere near that camp.”
“Yet you allowed Miss Lambton to accompany you?”
“She left me little choice in the matter, and I’m not responsible for her wellbeing.”
Alice leaned toward him. “You are not responsible for mine, either.”
He raised an eyebrow. “I believe you’re wrong about that. Didn’t you promise to obey me just yesterday in front of the vicar?”
“In sickness and in health.”
“My sickness and health, not a group of filthy laborers.”
“Who are employed by you.” She stood up. “Nevertheless, as your wife I believe I owe them a duty of care.”
He met her determined gaze, and she didn’t look away.
“Fine way to spend your honeymoon, lass.”
He surprised a smile out of her, and she shrugged. “I’d rather be useful than sitting here worrying. I don’t think Miss Lambton is in any state to return with you. She is quite overcome.”
He strode over to her, cupped her chin, and kissed her hard on the mouth. “Then, lead on, Mrs. Hepworth. What are we waiting for?”
There were at least thirty men sickened by the rank meat, and countless women and children scattered around the camp who all needed attention. Alice felt like she was in the middle of a biblical plague and could only hope for a miracle. Her prayers were answered by the arrival of ten members from Francis’s household and a doctor who was a personal friend of Francis and the Duke of Thorsway.
Francis strode toward her, his expression disgusted.
“I asked Caroline to stay home. You should be there as well.”
“I am here with my husband’s permission,” Alice countered. “These men are in his employ.”
He turned to introduce the gentleman who had followed him over. “This is Dr. Nash. He’s offered to help.”
“Good morning, doctor,” Alice said. “Where would you like to start?”
He was a tall man with permanent frown lines etched on his face and an arrogance that indicated his aristocratic roots as well as his chosen profession.
“It would be easier if we could gather everyone together under one roof.” Dr. Nash looked at Francis expectantly.
“We can rig up a structure for you,” Francis said. He nodded at Alice. “I see your husband over there. I’ll go and speak with him.”
“I’ll start gathering supplies, buckets, and water for you, doctor,” Alice offered.
On Miss Lambton’s recommendation, Caroline had sent a covered wagon full of straw mattresses, blankets, and other necessities.
“Thank you.” He bowed, his gaze settling on the O’Keefe’s tent. “I’ll start in there while I’m waiting.”
“That’s the O’Keefe’s. She is the cook for the camp.” Alice walked with him. “Mrs. O’Keefe and two of her children are quite ill. Her oldest daughter, Moira, is doing her best to care for everyone.”
“Well done, Moira,” Dr. Nash said to the anxious-looking girl inside the tent. Despite his abrupt manner, he spoke very kindly. “Now, let me take a look at your mother.”
Alice went back outside and tended to the large woodburning stoves where Mrs. O’Keefe usually cooked the meals. She’d already set four large pans of water on to boil. Caroline’s cook would be bringing a vat of simple gruel to feed those who were recovering. She found a scrubbing brush and vigorously cleaned the wooden countertops with hot water and vinegar.
“What the bloody hell do you think you’re doing?”
She looked up to see her husband glowering at her.
“Cleaning.” She set the brush back into the bucket. “Dr. Nash needs somewhere for his medical supplies, and this seemed like the best place.”
“You know what I meant.” He came toward her and held out his hand. “Let someone else do that.”
She sighed and allowed him to march her away from the tent. He led her to the cart with the supplies in it.
“You may assist with unloading the bedding and mattresses, but don’t carry anything heavy.”
“I’m not a child, sir,” Alice said tartly.
“You’re my wife. I don’t want my men seeing you laboring like I can’t afford to keep you.”
She opened her mouth to argue and then closed it again. Men had strange ideas about their pride. She hadn’t been married long enough yet to know when it was acceptable to challenge or circumvent Mr. Hepworth.
“As you wish.”
He stared her down. “And no wandering off behind my back.”
She curtsied. “I wouldn’t dare, sir.”
“See that you don’t.” He turned and marched away.
She kept to her side of the bargain and restricted herself to tasks that she knew he would consider women’s work, like helping distribute the gruel, tending to the sick, and assisting Dr. Nash within reason.
The afternoon passed quickly, and she was surprised when the camp suddenly began to fill with the men returning from work. The doctor had seen everyone who was sick and had issued his orders for their care. Two of the footmen from the hall were staying to man the kitchen and distribute the necessary victuals.
“Alice.”
She straightened her aching back as her husband touched her shoulder. “Yes, sir?”
“Time to leave. Everything’s in hand now.”
“Thank goodness,” she murmured as he took her hand and led her back to the waiting gig. “I hope Mrs. O’Keefe has learned her lesson.”
“If she hasn’t, I’ll be finding another woman to tend to the men.” He put his hands around her waist and lifted her directly up onto the seat. “I can’t have my laborers sick.”
He looked tired, his long coat and boots splattered with mud. He got up beside her and took the reins.
“It’s been a bit of a day, hasn’t it, lass?”
“Indeed.” She tucked her arm through his as he clicked to the horse, and they set off at some speed. “It wasn’t quite how I expected to spend my first full day as a married woman.”
He gave a bark of laughter. “We’ll soon have you set to rights. A hot bath and a good meal will help.”
“For both of us,” she agreed.
He glanced down at her. “I don’t think you’d want me sharing your bath, Mrs. Hepworth. There’d be no room for the water.”
She leaned into his comforting warmth as tiredness overtook her, burying her face in the sleeve of his coat, which smelled of tobacco, sandalwood, and the great outdoors. He slowed the gig long enough to transfer the reins to his other hand and wrap an arm around her shoulders to anchor her. It might not have been how she’d intended to spend her honeymoon, but it had been an interesting and challenging day. She’d seen her husband in his element ordering people around with a confidence she’d never had. And he’d not just shouted, he’d gotten things done and set the camp back to rights.
She woke up with a start as he stopped the gig in front of the house.
“I’ll set you down here. Go and take your bath. I’ll join you for dinner after I’ve spoken with the viscount.”
She placed her hands on his broad shoulders and let him lift her down to the ground. He held her still for a moment, his hands shaping her waist.
“You did well today.”
“Thank you.”
He kissed her forehead. “Get on in before it starts to rain.”
Alice turned to the door where Barker already stood bowing to her.
“Good evening, Mrs. Hepworth. I have alerted your maid to your presence and ordered hot water for your ablutions.”
“Thank you,” Alice said as she went inside. “Will you inform the viscountess that I will come down early before dinner to speak to her?”
“Her ladyship said to tell you not to worry yourself, ma’am. The baby is doing much better, Miss Lambton is also well, and the Hepworth children are safely tucked up in the nursery.”
Alice nodded. “Then I will see her at dinner.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Elijah checked the time and looked toward the door as he drummed his fingers on the table. After a month of marriage his wife knew he had very little time to waste on matters outside the railway. They were due to visit the new house in less than an hour, and Alice hadn’t yet appeared for breakfast. To be fair, he’d kept her busy in bed that morning, and she’d probably decided to take a bath before she dressed and came down. He’d had time to visit the Grafton nursery before he’d had his breakfast and had to deal with his discontented daughter who had decided she didn’t like her new mother at all.
Why Ada thought Miss Lambton would have been a better choice was beyond him. He suspected it had something to do with the vicar’s daughter allowing her to behave just as she wished, whereas Alice wasn’t so inclined. He preferred a woman who wasn’t so anxious to please him that she was incapable of teaching his children how to behave in good society.
But, after her help with the conditions at the camp, he did have a better opinion of Miss Lambton. She’d been brave enough to stand up to the O’Keefes and make sure he knew what was really going on. Whether it was because of her religion, or her desire to impress him, he didn’t know or care, but it had taken some guts, and he admired that in anyone. His wife wasn’t as confrontational. She smiled, acquiesced, and somehow still managed to slip through his fingers, leaving him with the sense that he didn’t know her at all.
She came willingly to his bed and never objected to him having his way with her, but there was still something that eluded him, and he wasn’t sure he liked it. But wasn’t that the bargain they’d made? He hadn’t asked for more. He married her and she brought his children up? He was still frowning as she came through the door and stopped at the sight of him. She wore a plain dress in her favorite blue and had braided her hair into a coronet on the top of her head.
“Have I kept you waiting?” She glided toward him like a beautiful swan. “I do apologize.”
He consulted his watch. “We need to leave in ten minutes.”
“Then I’ll go and fetch my bonnet.”
He stood up. “No, you’ll eat something, and I’ll go and fetch your damn bonnet,”
“As you wish.” She walked over to the sideboard and lifted the lid of the first silver container. “I must admit to feeling a little hungry.”
He strolled over to her and bent his head to set his teeth against the curve of her throat. “Glad to hear you worked up an appetite, Mrs. Hepworth.”
Her skin turned a delicate shade of pink, but she didn’t move away or reprimand him for his far too public display of affection. He slid his arm around her waist and gently squeezed, enjoying her sharp intake of breath. She might feign indifference toward him, but he was beginning to understand her physically, and she was not averse to being touched.
He kissed his way up her throat and murmured in her ear. “If we didn’t have an appointment, I’d take you back upstairs, strip you naked, and enjoy having you in the sunlight.”
A slight shudder ran through her, making him smile.
“And scandalize my maid?”
“I’m sure she’s seen it all before. From the look of them, the Graftons can’t keep their hands off each other.”
A door banged close at hand, and he reluctantly stepped back. “I’ll get your bonnet. I’ll fetch you when the carriage is ready.”
“Thank you.”
It took Alice the ten minutes her husband allowed her to eat her breakfast to make sure she regained her usual tranquility. His sheer size and physicality made it impossible to ignore him when he was close by, or in her bed, or inside her… She shivered at the thought of his body pinning hers to the mattress, of his pleasure in her, and his restraint. Because he was very careful with her. She knew that because of the occasional moments when he fought for control and restrained himself.
