Page 13 of Hastings (Brothers in Arms #15)
CHAPTER 13
“T his is ridiculous,” Hastings said as he stood on the back lawn at Ashton Park, looking at the duke and duchess and Haversham out there frolicking with their brood. Several tables laden with food and some chairs had been set out under an awning on the paving stones surrounding a large fountain. “Why are we here? More to the point, why am I here?” As far as he could recall, and he had excellent recall, he’d never been to a picnic in his life. “I don’t understand why people would choose to eat outside if they don’t have to. What’s the point?”
“I know,” Madelyn said from beside him. She’d told him to call her that, so they could keep name mix-ups to a minimum, but it still felt strange. She had a frown on her face. “Wealth certainly seems to make people do very odd things.” She looked at Stephen. “Am I dressed properly?” She sounded nervous.
“There’s proper dress to eat outside?” Hastings asked. She was wearing a very fetching dark blue dress with a matching jacket, and it made her eyes look particularly blue. She looked every inch the fine lady, except for her too full bottom lip. That plump lip had him imagining all sorts of dangerously tempting things, beginning with the way it would feel and taste. He would never tell her that of course, but he’d noticed. He’d noticed more than he wanted to. He was clearly still very much attracted to ladies and not just handsome, country parsons.
“Gentry have a dress for everything,” Essie said. “One for eating, one for walking, one for riding, one for dancing, and I guess one for eating outside.” She shrugged, looking bored.
“We are all dressed appropriately,” Stephen assured them. He smiled at Madelyn first and then Hastings. Stephen had been acting odd all morning. Hastings had probably done something rude and embarrassing last night when he’d crawled into Stephen’s bed drunk and naked again. Of course, Stephen wouldn’t tell him what. He just gave him a disappointed look when Hastings told him he couldn’t remember but he was sorry all the same.
Essie didn’t appear to need any encouragement. Hastings was beginning to see why Sir Barnabas thought she’d be an asset. There was a high level of efficiency associated with that kind of confidence. Hastings hadn’t really needed the encouragement, either, but he liked it when Stephen smiled at him. It made him feel like he wasn’t a completely useless human being.
Hastings had no idea what he was doing when it came to pursuing a man. It was fair to say throwing himself naked and drunk in a woman’s bed would be a bad idea. He supposed it was equally off-putting for a man. Even more so for a man like Stephen. He felt like a bloody idiot.
“Did you know there would be so many people here?” Madelyn asked. She looked as uncomfortable as Hastings felt about this family affair.
“Mr. Matthews!”
Hastings saw Mrs. Westridge waving at Stephen from the lawn as her husband and Kurt Schillig stood by and frowned at him. The men disapproved of him but for the life of him, Hastings didn’t know why. He hadn’t done anything to disturb the two, but he got the impression they didn’t like anything that disrupted the routine of their sedate lives as country squires. It was too bad, because the duke had gotten his horse from Westridge, and Hastings would have liked to talk to him about that. They’d brought that nuisance, their daughter Esme, who was old enough to cause trouble for all of them. One of the children playing near them squealed loudly and Hastings winced. Children baffled him. He’d never really had the chance to be a child.
He almost groaned aloud when he saw Gideon North, who raised horses over at Blakely Farm, not far from Ashton Park. Not horses like his new hunter. Now there was a horse. Hastings had been riding Bronny all over the countryside whenever he got the chance. North raised carriage horses, which weren’t nearly as handsome as Bronny. He was sitting at a table with his very pregnant wife. She’d been pregnant the entire time Hastings had been in Ashton on the Green. Shouldn’t that be enough time? Gideon had his cane today, probably because they were outside with children underfoot. Usually, he had no trouble getting around on his Anglesey leg, a wooden leg he wore courtesy of an old war wound. Gideon was frowning at them, the scars on his face making it a gruesome sight. He did that to everyone, but today it seemed more pointed than usual. The Norths’s three young children hollered and ran right at Stephen as soon as they saw him, abandoning Charles Borden, who’d been playing with them on the grass.
“Greetings!” Stephen called out as he crouched down to gather them all in a hug when they launched themselves at him, knocking his hat off in the process. All the other children followed, and Stephen fell to the ground, laughing under a pile of wriggling bodies. Madelyn gasped and jumped out of the way.
“What the hell?” Essie exclaimed as Madelyn bumped into her.
“Come on, you little demons,” Esme Marleston said, wading into the pack and picking children off Stephen and tossing them away. “Sorry, Mr. Matthews. They’ve been bubbling like kettles all morning waiting for you to get here.” She looked at Hastings. “Sheriff. What are you doing here?” she said by way of greeting.
“I have no idea,” Hastings replied, backing away from the pile of children. They streamed around him, as if he were a rock in a river. A man with a headache from drink didn’t deserve this sort of torture.
“How do you do?” Miss Marleston said to Madelyn and Essie. She stared openly at Essie. “I’m Esme Marleston.”
“How do you do?” Madelyn said stiffly. She sounded like someone’s great aunt, trying too hard to play the lady. “Mrs. Madelyn Higgs.” She shook the girl’s hand. “This is my cousin, Miss Essie Waters.”
“Essie and Esme,” Miss Marleston said with delight, clapping her hands. “It’s meant to be.”
“What is?” Essie asked suspiciously.
“Why, our friendship, of course,” Miss Marleston said. She reached over and grabbed Essie’s good hand, pulling her away from Madelyn. “Come on,” she said as she tugged Essie away.
Essie gave them a panicked look. “I have to stay with Madelyn,” she argued, trying to get out of her clutches.
“Nonsense,” Miss Marleston said. “We won’t be far away.” She linked their arms and short of using her fists, there was no way for Essie to get away from her. Hastings saluted Essie and got a glare from her for his trouble.
“Now run along and play, children,” Stephen said, standing up and gently tumbling children off his lap. “I have to introduce my guest.”
“Who is she?” one of them asked. It was a little redheaded girl, and Hastings wasn’t sure if it was the duke’s or the Westridge’s. There were several redheads among them.
“This is my late cousin’s widow, Mrs. Higgs,” Stephen said. “My dear,” he said to Madelyn, “this is Lady Barbara Thorne, the duke’s daughter.” He made the introduction as if the little girl was full grown.
“How do you do?” Madelyn said in that odd voice again.
“You’re supposed to curtsey to me,” Barbara told her in a whisper that could have been heard three leagues away. “But we don’t stand on ceremony here.”
“Young lady,” her father said as he sauntered over to them. “Mrs. Higgs is not required to curtsey to you. If this were a formal occasion, she would only need to curtsey to myself and your mother. Rest assured I will be speaking with your nanny about this unfortunate lapse.”
“Papa,” the girl whined. “I was just having some fun.”
“At the expense of others. Apologize.” He stood firm as he stared at his daughter.
“I’m sorry,” she mumbled.
“That is perfectly all right,” Madelyn said calmly. “I wasn’t going to curtsey anyway.” Hastings had to hide a smile at her response. He admired her confidence.
Her comment made the duke laugh. “My faith in you is rewarded,” he said to Madelyn, holding out his arm. “Let me introduce you, my dear. Where is your delightful cousin?”
“Esme dragged her off,” Stephen told him. “Who knows where they are now.”
The duke had a thoughtful look on his face. “Hmm. They shall find them soon, I’m sure.” He led Madelyn off while she looked over her shoulder at Stephen and Hastings, looking as panicked as Essie had a moment earlier.
“Alone at last,” Hastings muttered to Stephen. He watched as North heaved himself to his feet and grabbed his cane. “Bloody hell.”
“Hastings,” Stephen chided gently. “But I see him, too. I’m afraid I’m about to be interrogated.” He sighed as Hastings looked at him in surprise. “Oh, yes. They are all meddlesome and think it’s their right and duty to know every little thing about my life because they think they’re protecting me.”
“I thought they were glaring at me ,” Hastings said in relief. “And I haven’t done anything. Lately, anyway.”
“Oh, I’m sure they’ll have a few things to say about you still staying with me at the parsonage. And now Madelyn.”
“Shots fired over your left bow,” Hastings murmured as North got closer.
“Don’t leave me alone with them,” Stephen begged, reaching for Hastings’s forearm. “You know I’m a terrible liar.”
“Oh, thank God you said that,” Hastings said. “I was trying not to hurt your feelings by mentioning it, but you really are awful at it.”
“Were you?” Stephen said, turning to smile at him, ignoring North’s looming presence as he arrived just ahead of Brett Haversham. “That’s very kind of you, Hastings.”
“Hastings? Kind? What nonsense is this?” North barked, scowling.
“I can bloody well be kind if I’m so inclined,” Hastings growled at him, still looking at Stephen. He placed his hand over Stephen’s on his arm in a silent pledge not to leave him alone with these vultures.
“North, behave.” The duchess peeked around Haversham’s back. “What are we talking about?”
“Anne,” Haversham said with a put-upon sigh. “Perhaps you should leave this to the men.”
“Now that is nonsense,” she said, stepping around him and forcing North to make room for her. “Nothing should ever be left completely in the hands of men.” She winked at him and Haversham’s ears turned red.
“What is going on?” she asked Stephen. “No one here believes that faradiddle about Mrs. Higgs being your late cousin’s widow from Northumberland. I mean really, Stephen.”
“We hadn’t met until yesterday,” Stephen said. “I mean, I didn’t know David had married. Until yesterday. That is, I didn’t know he’d married her .”
Hastings nearly groaned aloud. Stephen could not be trusted to carry this conversation. “Unfortunately,” he jumped in, “her letter indicating when she’d be arriving never reached us.”
“Us?” Haversham said, narrowing his eyes at Hastings.
“The parsonage,” he corrected himself. “I’m not stealing his post.”
As usual, he was getting annoyed with the questions. He much preferred to be on the other end of them, when he remembered to ask them, that is. That reminded him that his unfortunate habit of shooting first and asking questions second was why he was twiddling his thumbs in the country. But redirecting their attention to him meant they’d leave Stephen alone and they wouldn’t have to discuss Madelyn Hyde.
“You’ve certainly settled in at the parsonage,” Haversham said with a frown.
“At my invitation,” Stephen interjected firmly.
“Don’t you have to return to London soon?” North demanded of Hastings.
“Not yet,” Hastings said with a big grin. “I’m all yours for the foreseeable future.” North visibly gritted his teeth. He was as easy to bait as a caged bear, so of course Hastings couldn’t resist.
“For which I, at least, am grateful,” the duchess said. “We needed a sheriff and Hastings is doing a wonderful job.”
“Nothing happens here,” North said with obvious disbelief. “Why do we need a sheriff?”
“Hastings has prevented quite a few physical altercations since becoming sheriff,” she argued.
“He’s caused just as many, too,” North declared. “I don’t see how one outweighs the other.”
“Well, you’re not in charge, are you?” Hastings asked, his annoyance getting the better of him. “It’s the duke who’s paying my salary, so I don’t see as it’s much your business, unless you’re trying to hide something from the law?”
“Unless I’m trying to—” North looked apoplectic.
“Hastings,” Stephen said, pulling on his arm. “Don’t.”
“There is adequate lodging over the pub,” North finally ground out. “Why does he need to stay with you?”
“Because I want him there,” Stephen answered, and Hastings ignored the warm knot in his chest at his declaration.
“No one wants him here,” North stated.
Hastings hated how his words stole away the warm feeling. How many times had he heard something similar in his life? He pulled his arm away from Stephen’s grip.
“That’s not true,” the duchess said in a rush. Hastings refused to be grateful to her for her defense.
“It isn’t up to any of you,” Stephen said tightly. “And I would appreciate it if you would kindly stay out of my business.”
“Now Stephen,” North began, his tone lecturing.
“Don’t ‘now Stephen’ me as if I’m one of your children, North,” Stephen said coldly. “I think it is time that all of you learned to mind your own business when it comes to mine.”
Hastings had never heard Stephen sound so angry. To be fair, his tone was still relatively mild when compared to most people, but for Stephen it was decidedly cold. The rest of them looked as if Stephen had grown two heads, they were so shocked.
“Stephen,” the duchess said, sounding scandalized.
“That’s what comes of mixing with his lot,” North said.
“Gideon North, if one more unpleasant word comes out of your mouth, I will read your name at Sunday service,” Stephen told him. “Sarah will be mortified.”
Haversham was pinching his nose. He looked like Stephen. Hastings was reminded that they’d been friends for a very long time. “I thought we were discussing Mrs. Higgs,” Haversham said, clearly trying to change the subject.
“Also my business,” Stephen declared, straightening his shoulders.
Hastings was about to reply when Charles Borden came over. “Sarah is quite tired, North. I think we should take her home.”
North immediately forgot all about Hastings and Stephen and whatever his objections were. He turned and started walking over to his wife without another word and Hastings was surprised when Borden winked at him. “Sarah sent me over,” he whispered. Hastings glanced over to see Sarah North waving at him before she turned her attention to her husband. She and Borden were unexpected allies, but everyone knew they were the only ones who could keep North under control.
“Let the children stay, Charles,” the duchess begged. “They are all having such a fine time. We shall send them home in the carriage later.”
“Are you sure?” he asked skeptically. “You’ve already got a handful.”
“Absolutely,” she said, taking his arm and leading him back to the Norths, Haversham following them. She smiled apologetically over her shoulder at Hastings, and he wasn’t quite sure what had just happened. Stephen had chosen him? Over his friends? And several of those friends had come to Hastings’s defense. Why?
Valentine Westridge, Miss Marleston’s stepfather, approached them, looking right and left. “Where is Esme?” he demanded.
“She and Essie wandered into the maze,” Hastings told him. “I saw them go in a few minutes ago.”
“Kurt went in not long after,” Stephen told him.
“Damn it,” Westridge said under his breath. He spun on his heel and headed toward the maze.
“What is his objection to Essie?” Hastings asked Stephen after Westridge was out of earshot.
“I think it’s more to do with Esme,” Stephen said. “She has a predilection for girls like Essie. Girls who disregard the rules so blatantly.”
“A predilection?” Hastings asked, eyebrows raised.
Stephen smiled. “She likes them.” He let out a big breath. “Well, we certainly distracted them from asking about Madelyn.”
“For now,” Hastings agreed. “But she’s been left alone with the duke too long.”
“Oh, good heavens,” Stephen said, looking around frantically.
“They went into the maze, too.”
“Then into the maze we shall go as well,” Stephen said. He marched off toward the maze and Hastings followed. He didn’t have anything better to do today than get lost in the maze with Stephen, after all.