The Wicked Widow Read online

  “I know that,” Kyla said. “At the same time I feel as if Stepmama is coming nearer and nearer to us. You will think it is silly of me, Nanny, but I feel that she will never give up until she has found us. And, of course, sooner or later she will come to see you.”

  “When that happens, I’ll deal with it,” Nanny said. “Now, dear, go to bed and remember, if nothin’ else, your father and your mother are lookin’ after you.”

  Kyla smiled.

  “Of course they are. You always say the right thing, Nanny.”

  She kissed her and then went to the small bedroom, which was only a little way down the passage.

  The room next to Nanny’s, which was used when there were two children in the nursery, was occupied by Terry and she knew that Nanny would watch over him just like a Guardian Angel.

  Whatever happened in the night, he would be safe with her.

  When Kyla reached her own room, she went to the window to look out.

  The moon was shining vividly on the trees in the Park and on the lake that lay just below the house.

  It was so beautiful and at the same time so spiritual that it seemed impossible that there was any real evil. An evil that wanted to destroy Terry and herself.

  Kyla looked up to the stars.

  ‘Help us, help us,’ she murmured in her heart.

  She felt, as they twinkled back, that they had received her message and that she need not be afraid.

  When she climbed into bed, it was a long time before she could fall asleep.

  *

  The following day the sun was shining brightly.

  Nanny thought it would amuse Jane and Terry if they took a picnic up to the wood and the tree house.

  It really was a very tiny house, which had been built not for Jane but for her uncle when he was a small boy.

  It was a very skilful piece of carpentry. There were eight steps up into the house, which was suspended between four trees that grew close together.

  It was built of timber itself, split down the centre and used both for the roof, the walls and the floor and it was big enough to hold Terry and Jane together comfortably.

  Nanny and Kyla sat outside on the sandy ground and spread out the picnic.

  From the tree house the children could see over the bushes and catch a glimpse of The Castle.

  “We can see if anyone approaches us,” Terry said. “And if they are enemies, we could shoot them down.”

  “We would have to be careful,” Jane replied, “in case we shot a friend. How would we know who was an enemy unless he was waving a sword or a gun at us?”

  “If it was a war, he would be a soldier and wearing a uniform,” Terry said. “If he was in a French uniform, then we would know that he was our enemy.”

  “Not today,” Kyla interjected. “Now that the War is well and truly over, we are friendly with the French and they are no longer our enemies.”

  “That be true enough,” Nanny said, “but I wouldn’t trust them far. I only hopes that his Lordship doesn’t get into trouble goin’ off to Paris as he has.”

  “I would love to go to Paris,” Kyla said. “In fact I would like to go anywhere abroad. I have read about other countries in books but that is not the same as visiting them.”

  “You’ll have to wait until you are married,” Nanny said, “and then your husband’ll take you. Let’s, hope he be rich enough to have a private yacht, as I hear some of them ships that cross the Channel are uncomfortable and not particularly safe.”

  Kyla was about to reply that she thought it unlikely that she would ever get married.

  How would she ever meet a man when she was in hiding?

  And if she did by any chance meet one, it would be impossible to be married without the permission of her Guardian, who was her stepmother.

  ‘It is no use’ she thought to herself, ‘worrying about the future. Nanny is right, we just have to take things day by day.’

  At the same time, it was frightening to think that they might have to go on like this for years and years.

  She would be hiding with Terry without money and without friends.

  And certainly, where she was concerned, without marriage.

  Terry and Jane were laughing happily together.

  They had carried their food up into the house and sat cross-legged on the floor to eat it.

  “Chocolate cake and iced biscuits,” Terry cried. “I have a cherry on mine.”

  “I have two cherries on mine,” Jane said, having no wish to be outdone.

  ‘He is happy,’ Kyla told herself. ‘There is no reason for him to fear the future with both Nanny and me looking after him.’

  When tea was over, they packed up and went back to The Castle.

  They played card games in the nursery until it was time for Jane to go to bed.

  “I don’t want to leave Terry,” she protested painfully.

  “I’ll tell you just what you can do,” Nanny said. “Have your bath and change into your nightgown and then we can all have supper together as a special treat.”

  Jane jumped for joy at this suggestion.

  Betty, the nursery maid, who was a girl of only sixteen, helped Nanny give Jane her bath.

  She then cleared everything up and Jane joined Terry and Kyla in the nursery.

  Kyla had also changed from the dress she had worn all day into one that was made of muslin.

  She had put it in her bag because it was light and easy to carry.

  It was, in fact, a very pretty gown, which she had bought to wear at home when there were no guests. And it made her look very young.

  She brushed her hair and the last rays of the sun coming through the window turned her curls into shining gold with a touch of flame in them.

  Nanny had had a talk with the chef and besides a well-cooked fish for their supper he had provided a special dish of strawberries, cream and meringues.

  The dessert was in the shape of a boat and not only Jane but Terry too was delighted with it and the two children nearly ate the whole dish.

  “It was very clever of the chef, wasn’t it?” Terry asked Kyla.

  “Very clever,” she answered. “And I know that he would be pleased if you sent him a message to say how much you enjoyed it.”

  “I will,” Terry nodded. “Perhaps tomorrow he will make us another exciting pudding.”

  Kyla was teasing him for being greedy and they were all laughing when suddenly the door opened.

  A man came into the nursery.

  As Nanny rose quickly to her feet, Kyla realised that he must be the Earl.

  He was looking exceedingly smart and, when he saw who was at the table, he looked surprised.

  “Good evening, Nanny,” he began.

  Nanny curtseyed.

  “Good evening, my Lord. We were not expectin’ you back so soon.”

  “That is what everyone has said to me,” the Earl replied. “And I am beginning to feel that there is something reproachful in the way they say it.”

  “Oh, no, of course not,” Nanny said. “I’m sure everybody is delighted that your Lordship is back.”

  “I see you are having a party,” the Earl commented.

  “While your Lordship was away, Lady Blessingham, who your Lordship’ll remember recommended me when I applied for the position, came to see me, bringin’ her grandson, Gerald Blair. She was going to ask your Lordship if you could have him to stay for a few days while she is visiting her sister, who has been taken ill.”

  “Of course you said that I would be delighted to do so,” the Earl said.

  He was walking round the table as he was speaking and he bent down to kiss Jane.

  “What have you been doing while I have been away?” he asked her.

  “Playing in my tree house, Uncle Rollo,” Jane replied. “G-Gerry finds it very exciting.”

  The Earl held out his hand to Terry.

  “I hope you also like my Castle,” he said.

  “It’s absolutely spiffing,” Terry
replied. “The biggest Castle I have ever seen.”

  Now the Earl looked at Kyla and he was obviously surprised at her appearance.

  “This is Miss Taylor,” Nanny said quickly. “Mr. Whitchurch by now will have told your Lordship that I suggested that Jane should have a nursery Governess now that she has passed seven, to teach her. Miss Taylor be here on approval.”

  Kyla curtseyed and the Earl said,

  “You look very young to be a Governess.”

  “I hope, my Lord,” Kyla replied, “I am old enough to be able to teach Jane all she needs to know.”

  “We shall have to discuss that,” the Earl responded.

  He looked at Nanny.

  “I am glad you are all right. I will write to my sister and tell her that Jane is very happy, and has someone to play with. I have always felt that it was important.”

  “I agree with your Lordship,” Nanny said, “and then Jane will be writin’ to her mother tomorrow as she does every week.”

  “Quite right,” the Earl replied.

  He walked towards the door.

  As he reached it, he looked back.

  “I will talk to Miss Taylor tomorrow,” he said. “In the meantime I am sure that Jane and her young friend would like to ride with me tomorrow morning.”

  “I want to do that,” Terry said before anyone could speak. “I am sure your horses are magnificent, but Nanny would not let me ride one without your permission.”

  “I am giving it to you now,” the Earl answered, “and I hope you are indeed a good rider.”

  “I am good. Very good, aren’t I, Kyla?”

  He spoke impulsively and Kyla realised too late that Nanny had not chosen a Christian name for her.

  She had, however, made it clear to Terry that he must pretend they had not met before they had come to The Castle.

  Because she was aware of the mistake, Nanny said rapidly,

  “Lady Blessingham told me and Miss Taylor when she arrived that her grandson was a very good rider. I don’t think your Lordship need be afraid that he’ll injure one of your horses or himself.”

  “That is certainly reassuring,” the Earl replied.

  He went from the nursery and closed the door behind him.

  As he walked downstairs, he was aware that something was rather puzzling.

  Miss Taylor was frightened. He had seen the fear in her eyes.

  He had a suspicion, although it seemed absurd, that, when he spoke to her, she trembled.

  The Earl had been a very astute Officer during the War against Napoleon.

  In fact the Duke of Wellington had used him to interrogate the prisoners they captured.

  Also, he was in charge of Intelligence where it concerned his own Regiment. So he was well used to scrutinising people.

  He used his instincts where they were concerned rather than trusting to what they said.

  He walked down the main staircase and into the hall.

  His instinct told him that there was something out of the ordinary about Miss Taylor, something that he was determined to find out about before he formally engaged her.

  Chapter Five

  The Earl dined alone.

  The chef provided an excellent dinner considering that he had not been expected.

  Before he left London, the Earl had sent a note to his friend Charles Sinclair asking him to join him as soon as he possibly could.

  He guessed that he would have quite a number of engagements that he would not want to chuck at the last moment.

  At the same time he was very certain that Charles would not fail him.

  When he rose from the table to go towards the study, he suddenly thought that it would be a good idea to see Miss Taylor now.

  It was still quite early and she would not have gone to bed.

  He was eager to know a lot more about her and also to discover, if possible, why she was frightened.

  He therefore said to the butler,

  “Ask Miss Taylor to come to me in the study.”

  “Very good, my Lord,” the man replied.

  A footman hurried to open the door and the Earl left the dining room.

  In his study he looked once again at the large amount of correspondence on his desk and he then decided that he had no intention of coping with it until Whitchurch returned.

  The secretary did have an assistant who would help in dealing with the many farmers and tenants on the estate. But the Earl thought that it would be a mistake if his letters were looked at by anyone but his private secretary.

  He was pleased to see that since his arrival, flowers had been brought into the study and also the windows had been opened.

  He thought with satisfaction that The Castle was run almost with complete perfection and he was proud that things had not deteriorated in any way since his mother had died.

  He picked up one of the newspapers that he had brought with him from London and he was reading the editorial in The Times when the door opened.

  “Miss Taylor, my Lord,” the butler announced.

  The Earl looked up and saw Kyla standing just inside the study.

  He appreciated the simple gown that she was wearing, which made her look very young.

  At the same time he was aware, because he was extremely perceptive, that it was by no means a cheap garment.

  It must, he thought, have cost more than anyone earning on the wages of a Governess could afford.

  “I have thought, Miss Taylor,” he said, “that, as I may have company with me tomorrow evening, we should have our talk now about what you intend to teach my niece.”

  He indicated a chair and added,

  “Suppose you sit down.”

  Kyla walked to the chair with a grace that the Earl knew was not assumed.

  She seated herself on the edge of the chair and put her hands in her lap.

  She looked just like a child who was about to receive instructions from an adult.

  “Now, suppose we start at the beginning,” the Earl said. “As my secretary is not here to tell me anything about you, tell me about yourself.”

  As he spoke, he was fully aware that the fear was back in Miss Taylor’s eyes.

  And she was quite obviously nervous of answering his request.

  There was a long pause before finally she said,

  “I had heard that a Governess was – needed here at The Castle and so I – came for an – interview. The letter I wrote announcing the time – of my arrival was – lost in the post.”

  “So what happened?” the Earl asked.

  “I walked from the – stagecoach stop and met Nanny and the – little boy in the drive.”

  “You had not met my niece’s Nanny before?”

  There was another pause before Kyla answered in a low voice,

  “N-no.”

  “And where did you come from?” the Earl enquired.

  “I came from – London.”

  There was no doubt that the words seemed to be dragged from Miss Taylor’s lips.

  “Were you working in London as a Governess?” the Earl next asked.

  “No, my Lord. I was – staying with friends.”

  “I thought perhaps you lived in London,” the Earl said. “Where is your home?”

  He had no doubt as he watched her that Miss Taylor was having difficulty in answering his questions.

  Now, after a moment, she replied,

  “My home is in the – country. As my parents are – dead, I have to – find work where there is also – accommodation for me.”

  “I understand,” the Earl said, “and, of course, you consider yourself capable of teaching children because you yourself have had a good education.”

  “Yes, a very good one,” she said quickly, “and I speak French and German, although, of course, Lady Jane is too young to learn languages yet.”

  “You say that your parents are dead,” the Earl said after a pause. “What did your father do?”

  He realised at once that this was another diffic
ult question for Miss Taylor to answer.

  She hesitated quite obviously before she replied,

  “He had some land and he was very knowledgeable ‒ about horses.”

  “In consequence,” the Earl said, “I suppose you are a good rider?”

  For the first time Miss Taylor smiled.

  “I hope so, I have ridden almost since I left the cradle.”

  The Earl laughed.

  Then he said,

  “That will be useful, at any rate, when I am not here. I want my niece to ride every day and it would be better for her to be accompanied by her Governess than just a groom.”

  Now Miss Taylor raised her head.

  He saw that the fear had gone from her eyes and she was looking interested.

  “Is your Lordship saying that I can ride ‒ your horses?” she asked.

  “If you can hold them,” the Earl replied. “I will see for myself if you are competent to do that. You had better come riding with the children tomorrow morning.”

  “Oh, thank you, thank you!”

  There was no doubt that Miss Taylor was pleased at the idea.

  To the Earl’s surprise she rose to her feet.

  “I hope,” she then said in a low voice, “that I will not disappoint your Lordship either as a rider or a teacher, as I want very much to stay on in this beautiful Castle.”

  She curtseyed and, without waiting for the Earl to say anything, she went to the door.

  For a moment he contemplated calling her back to say that he had not finished with her.

  Then, because he knew that it would upset her, he said nothing.

  Instead he just watched her open the door and leave the room.

  Only when she had gone did he tell himself that she was even more unusual than he had expected.

  There was no doubt too that, while she was frightened of him, it was not just because he was her employer or of great Social standing.

  He was not certain how he knew it, but he was sure that it was something deeper.

  It was something that he could not diagnose and yet he knew that it was there.

  Anything mysterious and unusual always intrigued the Earl.

  He had, in fact, although he would not admit it, missed the Intelligence work that he had done during the War.

  Now he found himself thinking of Miss Taylor until he went up to bed.