Chapter One: Ellie

1814

"Ellie!"

My hands went still, and I held my breath. Maybe she wouldn't see me, or thought I went for a walk.

"Elinor Burke! I know you're back there. Where are you?"

With a sigh, I looked up from the rose bush in front of me. "I'm coming, Mrs. Haynes," I called out. I scrambled up from where I had been pulling weeds from the flower bed. Though I knew it would do little, I brushed at my brown skirt, hoping to remove all traces of dirt or bark.

Then, I set off for the back of the cottage. I passed the flowerbeds that had once been well tended and manicured. Now, they were overgrown and neglected. It had been nearly five years since they'd had a gardener at Meadowbrooke Cottage and the neglect was obvious.

In the last two years, I had taken it on myself to tame the jungle, but I put most of my focus on the vegetables and herbs. It was only on days like this, when I had a few minutes, that I could see to the flowers.

Why didn't Mrs. Burke just sell the cottage since she didn't seem to care for it?

"There you are," Mrs. Haynes said, her tone impatient as I reached the door. "You've been out there for over an hour. What have you been doing?"

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Haynes," I said, smiling at her. I held my hands behind my back. "I lost track of time. I have missed these summer days and wanted to make the most of it."

"Hm. Is that so?" The housekeeper raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "Well, you'd better wash your hands and smooth your hair. You have a visitor now."

"Miss Sharpe has come?"

Mrs. Haynes gave a hum, sounding disapproving. "She's in the sitting room. Now hurry along while I put together a tea tray."

Nodding, I hurried to do as I was told. The floor creaked under my feet; something I'd become used to in the last ten years. At least we had finished all the dusting for that week, so there were no rolls of dust hiding in the corners or under the tables. Some days, it was difficult to finish everything that needed to be done when there were only two people to do the work.

Why Mrs. Haynes stayed was a mystery. I knew her wages were long past due, and it was next to impossible to get the funds needed to keep the cottage in running order. Letters from London were few. I had tried to request money from my stepmother once, but had never received an answer from her or from my father's solicitor.

"Miss Sharpe," I said, putting a smile on my face as I entered the sitting room. "I'm sorry I kept you waiting for so long."

"Good afternoon, Miss Elinor," the middle-aged woman said with a smile. She rose from the chair by the window. "It was hardly more than a few minutes. Never fear. Were you tending your garden?"

"I'm afraid I was. I'm afraid I couldn't resist taking in the sunshine on a day like today."

"Did you read the book of poetry I left you last week?"

Guiltily, I shook my head. "No, I have not. Mrs. Haynes and I have kept busy this week. I'm afraid if I were to sit down and read, she might throw my books out!"

It was a poorly phrased joke but Miss Sharpe didn't seem to see it that way. "She wouldn't!" she protested, sending a glance at the doorway. Alarm showed in her brown eyes. "Surely she knows how important reading and education is for a young lady. You must expand your mind with as much reading as possible."

"Of course she believes education is important," I said hastily. "You know she taught me how to read so many years ago? But education cannot come at the cost of doing what needs done around the cottage, you know."

"It is terrible that you have to work like a maid," Miss Sharpe said, shaking her head. She reached over and caught my hands. "Your poor hands are rough when they should be soft. What can your stepmother be thinking? You have not been prepared for the future like you ought to have been."

My cheeks burned with embarrassment as I pulled my hands free. I didn't want her to see where first lingered under my nails. "You are welcome to write Mrs. Burke and ask her yourself. She seems to have forgotten I even exist." I gestured to the chairs in front of the fireplace. "Would you like to sit down? Mrs. Haynes will bring us a tea ray soon."

Sighing, Miss Sharpe sat back down. "You don't deserve to be hidden away in the country like this. You should be in London making your debut. With your beauty, you would be sure to make a match in no time. If your stepmother wishes to be rid of you, that would be the quickest way to make it happen."

It wasn't the first time she had commented on my beauty. My hair was blonde, almost white when I spent hours in the sun during the summer, but that wasn't anything truly remarkable. There were other fair-haired women in the village. I didn't deserve to be singled out.

"Dreams are all well and good for the night, but the day is for thinking seriously about what is," I said, echoing the words Mrs. Haynes had said many times over the years. "I wouldn't know what to do if I were to go to London now."

"That makes it all the worse! I've tried to teach you what I can, but your stepmother ought to be taken to task for this neglect."

I shrugged. This was a topic that had been repeated over and over with nothing new added. "You can't have come all this way just to bemoan my lack of parental supervision."

"No, that's true." Miss Sharpe shook her head. She reached over to the side table where a book rested. "I actually came to give you this."

Surprised, I took the book from her. "What is it about?" Why was she giving me another book when I had just admitted to not reading the poetry?

"It is one of Maria Edgecomb's novels, The Absentee," Miss Sharpe said. "One of my former pupils sent it to me and I think you will enjoy it as well. You may not appreciate the beauty of poetry, but prose might appeal to you."

Mrs. Haynes carried in a tray then. She raised an eyebrow at seeing the volume in my hand but didn't say anything. "Thank you, Mrs. Haynes," I said, smiling to appease her unspoken disapproval.

With a shake of her head, Mrs. Haynes retreated from the sitting room. Carefully, I focused on pouring tea. The previous summer I had spent hours at Miss Sharpe's cottage, learning the intricacies of the task. I was still nervous about doing something wrong, somehow.

Thankfully, we seemed to have abandoned the topic of my poor upbringing. For the moment, at least. Miss Sharpe accepted the teacup from me and didn't make any corrections. There was no praise either, so I could only assume I had been merely passable in executing the task.

"Berdwell Manor is being opened up," the former governess said after supping the liquid in her cup.

"Is it?" I raised her own cup to her lips, and tried not to grimace at how weak it was. No amount of excellent pouring could hide that fact. "No one has been there for as long as I can remember."

"The Webbers say that the earl has visited for the winter holidays occasionally, but you may have been too young to take notice. Certainly, you would have been too young to be invited to the festivities there."

"Does anyone know what brings the earl here after so many years away?"

"Well, the old earl passed away last year, so the current earl must be taking stock of his holdings."

"The tenants will be pleased to know this. Some of them have had issues with their roofs these past two years."

Miss Sharpe nodded agreement and then shifted the conversation. She asked what my thoughts were on the reverend's sermon the previous Sunday, and then asked if I had read any of the recent newspapers. Honestly, I had paid little attention to the sermon and I hadn't seen a newspaper in several weeks. There was no one in the neighborhood who would share it, and the cost of having a newspaper delivered was too dear in the face of keeping food on the table.

By the time Miss Sharpe took her leave, I was feeling mentally tired. As much as I loved the chats with her, there were times I didn't feel clever enough to keep up with Miss Sharpe's active mind.

So much for enjoying my spare time.

~*~

Mrs. Haynes said nothing about Miss Sharpe's visit until that evening. "Did you have a good chat?" the housekeeper asked. "It seems Miss Sharpe was here for longer than usual."

"She wanted to tell me that Berdwell Manor is being opened for the new earl." I finished drying the last of the dishes they had used for their evening meal. "She thinks it will be of some benefit to the neighborhood."

Mrs. Haynes' eyebrows went up. "Is it, indeed? Well, it has been some time since the Berdwell family has been in residence. That will supply some positions for our neighbors."

"Have you ever been inside the manor?"

"Heavens, what kind of question is that? What need or reason would I have to be inside the manor?" Mrs. Haynes shook her head. "One of my cousins was a maid there nearly twenty years ago, but I never had a reason to go over myself. Why do you ask?"

"It looks so pretty from the outside," I said, sitting down at the table. So many times I had walked past the manor, admiring it from afar. "I wondered what it looks like inside. Is it very grand?"

"Grand? I suppose it must be. It would be hard to imagine a place like the Manor being simple on the inside," Mrs. Haynes said, her tone puzzled. "Does it matter whether it is grand?"

"No. I just wonder what it would be like to live in such a place like that."

Slowly, the housekeeper turned to face her. "Miss Sharpe hasn't been putting impossible dreams in your head, has she?"

"No!" I protested. "I've been curious. That's all."

The older woman hummed. "Well, I don't reckon you'll get the chance to see inside the Manor unless the earl remains for the holidays. They used to invite all the neighbors and tenants to the servant's ball. Or is there another reason they might invite you?"

Ducking my head, I tried to hide my embarrassment. "I am a captain's daughter, after all, and he might have known my father. I thought..." I broke off and shook her head. "Never mind."

"Ellie, I know as well as anyone that you've not been brought up as you should have been," Mrs. Haynes said, her tone becoming gentle. "But the truth of the matter is, things are the way they are. You're a beautiful girl and that might attract a gentleman's attention, but what else will you have to bring to a marriage?"

Running my fingertips over the top of the table, I shook my head again. "I know how to be thrifty and manage a household, thanks to you. That's something, isn't?"

"Fine qualities, of course, but not exactly what a gentleman expects from his wife."

"My father was a gentleman."

Mrs. Haynes nodded. "Of course he was, and a very brave captain. And had you been raised a lady, you could expect to marry a gentleman. You haven't been educated to suit your station in life, though. When your stepmother left you here with only me to look after you, she must have known I couldn't possibly give that to you."

"Then what options are there for me?" I asked, trying to hold back frustrated tears. "Am I to marry a farmer? One of The Webbers' sons?"

"Of course not." Mrs Haynes shook her head. "Would you disgrace your father's name like that?"

How had the conversation turned to this? "So I am left with remaining unmarried for the rest of my days? Because my stepmother refused to take care of me?"

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Mrs. Haynes sighed. "It is a complicated situation, I'll give you that," she said as she sank into her chair. "I'm not the person to advise you, Ellie. I'm only a housekeeper."

Silence fell between us. "I wish I knew why my stepmother just left me here that day," I said quietly. "It wouldn't change anything but...it might make it easier to bear?"

"I'm afraid I can't explain it." Mrs. Haynes shook her head. "Well,there's some mending to be done. I found several worn holes in the linen when it came back from the laundress."

"I'll get my sewing basket," Ellie said, forcing a smile.

~*~

The next day brought more fine weather. To my surprise, Mrs. Haynes encouraged me to go out for an afternoon walk. "There's nothing pressing that needs to be done," she said, "so you may as well enjoy yourself for a bit."

Always eager for time away from the cottage, I put on my bonnet and set off. Overhead, the sun was bright in the sky and there was barely a cloud to be seen. A gentle breeze carried with it the scent of leaves and the wildflowers growing along the road.

I tried not to think about the previous day's conversations. Mrs. Haynes had been the closest thing to a mother in my life, keeping me dressed and fed. Over the long winter months she was the one who had built on the basics of reading and writing, and how to do figures. Mrs. Burke hadn't responded to requests for a governess.

For years, I had taken it for granted that this was how the world worked. It wasn't until Miss Sharpe had retired to the cottage closest to Meadowbrooke that I learned I was an aberration. Other girls of my station would have been with a governess for years if their own mother hadn't seen to their education.

It had become clear I was not educated well, which was why I had taken Miss Sharpe's lessons in comportment and manners in stride.

But, it seemed, even that was not enough. Never had Mrs. Haynes spoken so bluntly before. What future did I have if matters stood exactly as she said?

Over the years, I had often been angry with her stepmother, a person I barely remembered except for vague memories. Mrs. Burke had merely tolerated me and my stepsister, Harriet, had been indifferent. I'd been glad when I was left at Meadowbrooke.

Now I had only questions.

My steps took her toward Berdwell Manor, the largest house in the neighborhood. Even from the road, she could see activity around the building. The windows were no longer shuttered and instead the glass sparkled in the sunshine. Several men were at work trimming bushes and tending the trees along the drive.

When was the earl supposed to arrive? Miss Sharpe hadn't said, and Ellie hadn't thought to ask. But it looked as though the house expected his arrival at any moment.

After a moment, I moved on, making my way further down the road. With ease, I climbed the fence into a long disused pasture and cut across to check the pond.

Birds swooped overhead, singing their songs. My bonnet fell back as I tilted my head back to look up at the winged creatures. How free they looked as they danced in the sky!

Out of nowhere, a dog barked, making me twist around. Where was it? I saw the grass shift and part, marking the path of a mid-sized brown dog. My heart pounded in my ears as I remained rooted where I stood. If I tried to run, how far would I get before this unfamiliar dog caught up to me?

"Stay back," I said, my voice quivering. "Leave me alone."

Instead of obeying, the dog continued to bark. He didn't growl like some dogs might have, but I wasn't willing to risk him becoming angry if I tried to move.

"Brutus! Brutus, come back! Sit!"

Someone was coming, but I didn't dare lift my gaze to see who was in charge of the dog. The voice wasn't familiar, and I could only assume the man must be attached to Bedwell Manor. The bull mastiff sniffed at my skirts before jumping back with another bark.

"Brutus, sit!"

This time, the dog obeyed the command, though he continued to bark. Then, a tall young man entered my sight. "No wonder Hodges wanted nothing to do with you, you crazy dog," he said, panting to get his breath back. "Sorry, miss. I hope he didn't scare you."

Swallowing hard, I didn't say anything, not even to lie. The young man straightened up, and I saw his brown eyes for the first time. "You're not hurt, are you?" he asked with a concerned frown starting to crease his forehead.

"N-no," I said. "Just...a little startled is all. I've often walked this way and wasn't expecting to be chased down like I was a trespasser."

"I can promise you Brutus is all bark and no bite," he said, bending down to pat the dog's head. "He won't hurt you."

"Are you sure?"

He looked up with a grin. "I promise. Just let him smell your hand. He'll be your best friend before you know it."

Tentatively, I held my hand out. Brutus surged forward to sniff and then, to my surprise and disgust, he licked her fingers. The animal wagged his tail vigorously. "See?" The man straightened up. "I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Alexander Turner."