Tenacious Trents 02 - A Perfect Gentleman (29 page)

Vicar Trent settled at one of the chairs and
produced his hand once again. The cut was long, but not overly
deep, and it wasn’t bleeding like it had earlier. A breeze blew
into the room and the flames flickered. She glanced around for the
source. The back door had blown open. A chair lay on its side. Had
someone come into the house again?

Vicar Trent stood. “The door was broken
earlier.” He bent to pick up the chair and set it right. “We had
assumed the assailant came in through the front door but they broke
in through this one.”

A chill ran up her spine.

“I didn’t want to alarm you and thought I had
secured this door sufficiently so that nobody could come in.”

It probably would have sufficed if the wind
hadn’t picked up. Grace glanced out the window. In the moonlight
she could see limbs bend and leaves be torn from trees. Soon it
would be winter.

Vicar Trent pushed the door closed again and
this time he pushed a cabinet in front of it to keep it shut. “That
should hold for the rest of the night. I will see about getting it
fixed tomorrow.”

“Thank you.”

“We should return upstairs. It is almost
morning and you haven’t slept much.”

“Could we check on father first?”

“Of course.” Vicar Trent smiled kindly at her
and nodded. Together they walked to her father’s room and looked
inside. He rested peacefully, as did Perkins who snored quietly
from his chair. Taking the lamp from Grace, Vicar Trent led her
back upstairs to her room.

“I should have thought to bring a broom.”

“It will keep until tomorrow.”

She hesitated before moving further into her
room. What if the person had come back and was hiding in the house?
What if he came for her while Vicar Trent slept? “I don’t want to
be alone.”

“I don’t think that is wise.”

She turned and looked at him. “Please.” She
couldn’t be alone. Her heart raced with fear at being in here by
herself.

Vicar Trent sighed. “Very well.” He followed
her into the room and waited while she crawled back into bed before
settling in the chair in front of the fire.

“She is fine mother. Just go back
downstairs.”

Matthew stirred in his chair, trying to make
sense of what was around him. Surprisingly he had found sleep, but
what was Audrey Montgomery doing here?

“Well something isn’t right. You look at bit
shocked.”

Was that Mrs. Montgomery’s voice? What was
she doing in the hall outside of Grace’s room?

“No, everything is fine.” Miss Montgomery
dropped her voice to a whisper.

“What are you hiding, Audrey? Do not push me
away.”

Matthew stood and looked for a place to hide.
That woman couldn’t find him here. It was bad enough when she found
him and Grace exiting the barn yesterday, he couldn’t imagine what
the woman would do, or say, if she found him in her bedchamber.
Across the room was the bathing chamber but he couldn’t enter it
without crossing in front of the door to the hall. The armoire was
also on the opposite wall, though he loathed the idea of have to
hide in such a place. There was nothing on this side of the room
save hiding beneath the bed and he refused to hide as if he had
done something wrong.

“Grace is sleeping mother. I don’t want to
disturb her.”

Matthew sat back in the chair and slouched.
Perhaps Mrs. Montgomery wouldn’t notice him if she came in.

“I want to see that she is uninjured.”

“I said she was fine.”

The next sound Matthew heard was a gasp,
which he assumed was from the mother. Then Grace spoke.

“Mrs. Montgomery, what are you doing
here?”

“Nobody answered the door when we called and
we knew you were here,” Miss Montgomery began.

“Hush, Audrey,” her mother insisted.

But Miss Montgomery continued. “We went
around back to see if you were in the barn and saw that the back
door was broken and open. That is when we saw the bloody bandages
and after the attack on your father, I wanted to make sure you and
your father were unharmed.”

“That is very kind of you, Audrey,” said
Grace. “But as you can see, I am well.”

“But you are not alone,” Mrs. Montgomery
hissed.

Matthew groaned and sat up. “It isn’t as it
looks.”

“
That
is what you said yesterday. A
gentleman does not spend the night in the room of an unattached
woman.”

Matthew stood. “I can explain.”

“There is no need.” The woman stuck her nose
in the air and marched out the door. “Come along Audrey, I no
longer feel it is right that you associate with Grace.”

“But mother, at least let them explain.”

“There is nothing to explain. I saw enough
with my own eyes.”

“Oh dear, that woman is going to make trouble
again,” Grace muttered.

Though he had put off marriage until he could
come to know her better, Matthew now knew that time was at an end.
As soon as it could be arranged he would write to his brother about
obtaining a Special License, or perhaps write to the vicar in the
next town about performing the ceremony. Did a vicar cry the banns
for himself in his own church? He had never come across that issue
before and would write and ask about that as well. Of course, this
was assuming Grace would marry him. But what choice did she really
have?

Grace just knew Mrs. Montgomery was going to
make trouble for Vicar Trent. All the man had done was come to her
aid, and make her feel safe, and for that Audrey’s mother was going
to spread more vicious rumors about him. Why were they here so
early today?

Grace glanced at the clock. Goodness, it was
nearly eleven in the morning. How could she have slept so late,
again? Of course, she had slept very little last night. The sun was
about to rise when she last closed her eyes.

Regardless, she needed to get a start on her
chores because cows did not milk themselves.

“I’ll meet you downstairs.”

“Yes, thank you.”

She scrambled to find a dress she could wear
to go about her chores. When she was clothed Grace brushed out her
hair and tied it behind her and then removed her slippers, adding
thicker stockings and put on her boots. On her way out of the house
she stopped to check on her father. There was no change, other than
he had a bit more color today, and made her way to the barn. Inside
she found Matthew already on a stool milking a cow. Beside him was
Clive. Grace settled at the side of the next cow. The three of them
worked quietly until all of the cows had been milked. When it came
time to collect the eggs, Matthew took only from the uncovered
nests and held the basket as Grace gathered the rest.

“I need you to find my brother, Jordan, and
tell him it is urgent that he come here,” Vicar Trent explained to
Clive as the lad hopped up onto the seat of his wagon.

“I will, sir. I promise.”

“Why do you need your brother?” Grace asked
after the lad drove off.

“You need servants in this house, and guards.
At least until we know who tried to kill you last night.”

A chill ran up her spine. “It is kind of you
to want to help, but I cannot afford servants, and especially
guards.”

He grasped her gently around the top of her
arms. “I insist and will pay for them myself.”

“You can’t afford them anymore than I can. I
know how low a vicar’s salary is in this town.”

He smiled down at her and she thought she
heard a slight chuckle. “Don’t worry. I have the funds.”

“I don’t want you to go out of your way for
our benefit.”

His hands went from her upper arms to Grace’s
waist and he pulled her closer. “This is hardly out of the way. If
you haven’t noticed, you have become rather important to me.”

How important? She was wishing she could ask
that question but did not want to press him. And what if it was
because of guilt from last night? “Vicar Trent, you don’t have to
feel obligated to me because of last night.”

“I don’t.”

“I know I shouldn’t have kissed you and I
apologize for putting you into an uncomfortable position.”

“Didn’t I make it clear last evening that I
had wanted to kiss you for a very long time?”

Yes he had, but she wasn’t sure if he said
those words last night just to make her feel better or if he truly
meant them. She hoped that he meant them but could anything be
trusted when they were a result of the position they found
themselves in during the middle of the night?

“It is better if it is forgotten.”

She glanced away, unable to look into his
eyes. While she dearly wished he would declare himself, Grace also
suspected that if he did, it was because he felt responsible for
her, or wanted to protect her because of the danger, or take care
of her because of her father, or felt obligated to do the right
thing because he had kissed her last night and touched her body in
a manner that should not have been allowed outside of marriage, and
they had been in her bedroom. If she was convinced he was pursuing
her for herself, then she would welcome the attention. But Grace
was just as certain his interest had more to do with the other
reasons than simply wishing to be with her.

“I should go check on father.” She pulled
away and practically ran into the house, never actually answering
his question.

Mrs. Thomas had just delivered a cup of tea
and Perkins had father sitting higher, though still reclined on
pillows, but he was drinking the tea. Perhaps he would have the
energy to eat something of substance later.

He glanced up and his eyes met hers. They
were still sad. Oh, why had he tried to kill himself? Didn’t he
know what his loss would do to her?

Of course she was being selfish. His life was
far more difficult than hers since he had little control over his
own body and his brother wanted to lock him away.

She must make him want to live and Grace
pasted a smile on her face and crossed the room. “How are you this
morning, Papa?”

He shrugged. At least he was
communicating.

She grasped his free hand. “You had me so
worried. Don’t you ever try anything so foolish again?” Against her
will tears welled in her eyes. “I love you and I don’t know what I
would do without you. Please promise me.”

He turned his hand over and gave her a quick
squeeze.

Grace sniffed and nodded. “Then it is
forgotten.” And she would do her best to forget it and try her
hardest to be a better daughter and protect her father from his
brother.

“Breakfast will be ready shortly. Why don’t
you and Vicar Trent join me in the dining room?”

The thought of a real breakfast made Grace’s
stomach grumble. Her father must have heard it because he gave her
a half smile and let go of her hand. She bent to kiss him on the
forehead. “I’ll be back later.”

Vicar Trent was already seated at the table
as was Mr. Thomas when Grace entered. Mrs. Thomas came in from the
kitchen with plates of food. The rich aromas set her mouth watering
and Grace loaded more food on her plate than normal. It was if she
hadn’t eaten in days. And, perhaps she hadn’t. What had she eaten
last and when was it? She couldn’t recall. So much of it was a blur
after she had come home to find out her father had fallen down the
stairs.