The Rescue (23 page)

That little talk behind her, Anne asked God to strengthen her for the days ahead. She asked for wisdom as well. Getting to know a man you were already married to was going to take a great deal of thought. Anne knew she would use all the wisdom God could impart to her.

Chapter Twelve

On only the second morning that Weston woke with a new wife in the house, he knew he was going to have to make some changes. He could not spend each day hovering near Anne to make sure she was all right. He wanted to take care of her, but staying close and watching her face for signs of need was not going to work. He had a large estate to run, land to manage, and several farmers who answered to him. He was even looking into the purchase of more land, not to mention the continued work on the conservatory. He trusted the builders, but such things could not be left unchecked.

For these reasons and several more, he told Anne he would be in his study if she needed him and proceeded to retire to that room the moment they finished breakfast. At first it looked as if it would be a fruitless venture. His mind was so preoccupied with his new wife in his house that he couldn’t even concentrate, but in time the move paid off. Weston made himself stay at his desk, his account books around him, until at last he was lost in the business at hand.

Anne worried her lower lip, not certain where to begin. Her second day at Brown Manor had passed as swiftly as the first, and now she woke to her second morning, her father very much on her mind. Checking on him had not been a hard decision to make. She felt she must. How best to get back to Levens Crossing, however, was a whole new issue.

She hated to bother her husband, who had retired to his study to work, but ordering a carriage on her own was simply out of the question.

What if Mr Weston doesn’t want a carriage out? What if he decided he wanted a certain carriage, and then found out I have it?

These questions plagued Anne until she realized there was only one person who could answer them. Desperately hoping it was not a mistake, Anne knocked on the study door.

“Come in,” Weston called from his chair.

Anne carefully opened the door.

“Mr Weston?”

“Come in, Anne,” he bade, coming to his feet.

“I’m sorry to bother you.”

“Not at all. What can I do for you?”

“I feel a need to check on my father, but I didn’t know if I should ask for a carriage. I can walk, but then I’ll be gone longer, and I didn’t know if you wanted me to be away so long.”

Weston had come around the desk and moved until he was standing in front of her.

“You may order a carriage anytime you wish, and, as for being away, as long as I know where you are, you may be gone as long as you like. I shall do the same for you should I need to leave.”

“Thank you.”

“When are you leaving?”

“I was hoping to go right away. Is that all right?”

By way of an answer, Weston used the bellpull. Mansfield was at the door less than a minute later.

“Yes, sir,” he said with a slight bow.

Weston, however, said nothing. He looked to Anne and waited.

It took a moment for Anne to realize that Mansfield had turned his attention to her.

“Oh!” She squeaked a bit and turned red even before she began. “May I have a carriage to take me to Levens Crossing, Mansfield?”

“Certainly, Mrs Weston. Right away?”

“Please.”

Weston smiled at Anne when Mansfield took his leave.

“I’ll see you out.”

They had begun to walk that way when Weston asked, “Will you be long?”

“I may stay and do a little baking, so I might be.”

“Don’t hesitate to stay as long as you wish, Anne, but before the carriage comes around, let us find Cook or Sally and have her prepare a basket from the kitchen.”

Anne was turning to protest, but she caught her husband’s eyes. They were steely with resolve, and the words died in her throat.

“Your father is family now,” he said quietly but firmly. “We’ll take care of him together.”

“Thank you.”

“No thanks are necessary.”

Anne looked uncertain over this, and Weston reached out and touched her cheek. Her eyes softened at the gesture, and Weston smiled at her.

“It’s a good match we’ve made, Mrs Weston,” he said as he turned Anne and started her down the hall once again. “Just give us time, and we’ll figure it out.”

Twenty minutes later, having just watched a large basket filled with baked goods and meat pies being loaded ahead of her, Anne stepped into the carriage in a near state of shock. She waved to her husband as the conveyance pulled away, and then she sat back against the squabs to try and talk to the Lord.

I don’t know what to think. I never dreamed. You’ve been so good. He’s so kind.

Those muddled thoughts having raced through her head, Anne sat still and tried to take it all in. She felt like laughing and crying all at the same time. For years she had kept her emotions in check, and now it felt as though they might tumble out of control.

Anne forced herself not to dwell on all that just occurred. If she cried when she saw her father, he would wish to know why, and right now she couldn’t explain it. Her mind as settled as she could manage, Anne began a mental list of what she wanted to get done at Levens Crossing so she wouldn’t be gone all day.

Collingbourne

The
girls
were on an outing. About midmorning a carriage from Tipton carrying Lydia, Emma, and Lizzy Palmer, as well as Penny Jennings, arrived in town. The mission was a simple one, to divert Penny’s thoughts from Marianne’s condition.

That little girl had begun to hover a bit, her small face showing more concern with each passing day. That Marianne was feeling more tired and taking things very slowly only confirmed in Penny’s young mind that something terrible was going to happen to her mother.

That babies arrived safely every day was not a fact she could grasp. Her own mother had died having her, and Penny was now fearing the worst.

“I think we’ll start at Benwick’s,” Lydia told her young group. “How does that sound?”

“Will we go to tea?” Emma was distracted by the thought.

“Certainly. Won’t that be fun?”

The girls agreed that it would be, and little coaxing was needed to persuade them that this outing was going to be a wonderful diversion.

“All right,” Lydia began, once in the shop. “Emma and Lizzy, you may stay together and shop on your own for a time. Penny and I need to pick out a gift.”

“What gift?” Emma asked without thinking, drawing a look from her mother.

“Go on,” she urged them, and the youngest Palmer females—holding hands—started through the aisles.

“Now, Penny.” Lydia hunkered down to be on the little girl’s level. “You’re going to do a great favor for Marianne today. You’re going to help me pick a lovely wedding gift for Anne and Mr Weston that will be from your whole family. How does that sound?”

“I’m picking it out?”

“Yes. I’ll help you.”

This was met with a wide smile that Lydia returned.

The two began in the housewares aisle, and Penny didn’t need much time at all.

“Oh, Aunt Lydia,” Penny breathed, her eyes on a crystal compote. “This is so pretty.”

“Yes, it is,” Lydia agreed, half wishing she’d spotted it. “I think you may have found just the gift.”

Looking remarkably pleased, Penny went to the front counter with Lydia and stood by while Lydia charged it to her brother’s account and asked that it be delivered to Brown Manor.

“It’s not going to Thornton Hall?”

“No, dear, it’s best that it go directly to the Westons.”

“But then Marianne won’t see it.”

“I know, love, but you can tell her all about it, and sometime when you visit Anne, you can explain to her that you’d like Marianne to see it. I know Anne will understand.”

Some of her pleasure in the moment slipping away, Penny nodded in understanding before joining the Palmer girls. Together the three youngest shoppers browsed through the shop while Lydia looked for a wedding gift of her own.

The rug she found was exactly what she would choose for Anne, and she hoped that Weston would like it as well. Not even attempting to carry it to the front, she simply told Benwick which one she wanted and asked that it also be delivered to Brown Manor.

By the time the foursome finished their shopping and added some odd and ends, they were ready for tea indeed. In high spirits they crossed over to Gray’s. One look at Penny’s face told Lydia this outing to town was doing the trick.

Levens Crossing

“Well, Anne,” the Colonel uttered in surprise as he entered the back door of the house to find Anne in the kitchen. “I didn’t know you were home.”

“I thought I’d stop and bring you some lunch,” she answered as she heated one of the pies.

“It smells good.”

“Sit down,” she invited him, kissing his cheek once he did.

“How nice to see you,” he began lucidly, but when Anne began to question him as to how he’d been, his mind rambled a bit.

“I’ve been looking at that home at the west side. I think someone is living in there.”

“Which home is it?” Anne asked, hoping she could keep up.

“The new one.”

Anne didn’t know of a new home anywhere in the area, but then her father got out more often than she did.

“Did you see someone about?”

“He wasn’t wearing regimentals.”

Anne gave up all pretext of conversation. She saw to it that her father had a large slice of shepherd’s pie and a nice loaf of bread at his elbow before going on with her work. She aired the living room and her father’s bedroom a bit before doing the dishes and dusting the kitchen and living room.

The thought occurred to her in the midst of this work that it might be longer than she planned before she enjoyed soft skin, but the small sacrifice was worth it to know her father was all right.