The Wicked Widow Read online

‘There is definitely some mystery here,’ he mused.

  And he was determined to get to the bottom of it.

  *

  The next morning was Sunday.

  As Nanny explained to Kyla, they did not go to Morning Service in the village Church.

  The Chaplain would come to The Castle at six o’clock in the evening to hold a special Service for all the household in the Earl’s Private Chapel.

  “I have not seen the Private Chapel yet” Kyla said.

  “It’s very impressive,” Nanny replied, “and was built in the reign of King Henry VIII. Of course it’s been added to since with stained glass windows and fine pictures. But everyone who comes here says it’s different from every other Chapel they have ever seen.”

  “Then you know that I will look forward to seeing it,” Kyla said. “There is lots more too that I want to see of The Castle itself.”

  “I’ll show it to you as soon as his Lordship goes away again,” Nanny promised.

  She had asked Kyla when she had returned to the nursery last night what had happened.

  She was relieved that the questions were no more difficult nor, she hoped, likely to make the Earl suspicious.

  “What worries me,” Kyla had said, “is how we will explain to his Lordship that Terry is staying here for so long.”

  “I’ll think of somethin’,” Nanny said firmly. “As I’ve said before, dearie, it be no use anticipatin’ what’ll happen in the future. We’ll just have to wait and see.”

  “I am quite content with that as long as I can wait and see it all with you, Nanny,” Kyla replied.

  She kissed her affectionately goodnight.

  *

  When she awoke, she suddenly realised that, while the Earl had invited her to ride with them, she did not have a habit with her.

  As it was heavy, it was the first thing that she had decided not to include in her luggage.

  She ran into the nursery before breakfast to say to Nanny,

  “What can I do? His Lordship said last night that I could ride with him and the children. I never thought to bring a habit with me.”

  Nanny thought for a moment and then she proposed,

  “I don’t think there’ll be any difficulty about that. I’ve been told over and over again that the housekeeper, Mrs. Field, is a real hoarder and has kept all the clothes that Jane’s mother wore ever since she was a child.”

  “Do you really think she will have a habit I could borrow?”

  “Just leave it to me,” Nanny smiled.

  She went from the nursery and, when she came back, Kyla gave a cry of joy.

  Nanny was carrying three habits over her arm.

  She held them out and Kyla was very sure that one of them would fit her.

  “Her Ladyship wore these when she was younger than you,” Nanny explained. “Mrs. Field told me that she has grown much fatter in the last few years and so she’ll never wear them again.”

  “I love this one,” Kyla exclaimed.

  She picked out a habit that was a deep blue in colour and made in a soft material.

  “Try it on,” Nanny said. “Now, hurry! His Lordship’ll be angry if any of you are late.”

  Kyla was not late and Mrs. Field provided her with a riding hat and boots as well.

  She had some trouble in finding her boots of the right size.

  “Your feet, Miss Taylor, are smaller than her Ladyship’s,” she said. “In fact the pair of boots that you’re wearin’ now she wore when she was eleven.”

  “Then I must be very careful with them,” Kyla replied with a smile, “because Lady Jane will be wanting them soon.”

  Mrs. Field gave a toss of her head.

  “There’s no need for her Ladyship to have anythin’ but what’s new and the best. His Lordship’s a rich man.”

  “Then everyone here is very lucky,” Kyla exclaimed.

  She was speaking more to herself than to the housekeeper.

  She was thinking that it was lack of money that was at the bottom of all their troubles.

  If her father had been rich enough to leave her stepmother everything she required, she would not be intending to murder Terry and dispose of her.

  Then Kyla told herself that it was really silly of her to think about such things.

  It was a lovely day and the sun was shining brightly in the sky.

  She was going to ride one of the Earl’s superlative horses that she had admired when she had seen them in the paddock and she had learnt from Nanny that the Earl was acknowledged to have the finest stable in the County.

  Mrs. Field also provided Terry with a pair of riding boots and Lady Jane looked sweet in a pale blue habit that matched her eyes and her little bonnet had ribbons which tied under her chin.

  As the children were so excited, when it was time to go downstairs, they ran ahead.

  Kyla could only hope that Terry would not forget that his name was ‘Gerald Blair’ and that he must not address her as ‘Kyla’.

  She was sure that it was something he would not do again and he had indeed been very punctilious yesterday in addressing her as ‘Miss Taylor’ as she had told him to do.

  When they reached the stables, the horses that the Earl had ordered had just been brought out of the stalls.

  There was a pony for Jane and a horse that was not too large for Terry.

  The next horse was so magnificent that Kyla was quite certain that it was not meant for her.

  Then, as she was looking at it appreciatively, she heard a voice behind her say,

  “Do you think you can manage Firefly?”

  Kyla turned her head.

  “Do you really mean it, my Lord,” she asked, “that I can ride anything so magnificent? Thank you! Thank you!”

  “I thought it would please you,” the Earl answered.

  There was a fine black stallion for him that was the equal of if not superior to Firefly.

  When they set off from the stable, the Earl rode ahead with the children on one side of him.

  Kyla thought it a pity that there was no famous artist there to paint a picture of them.

  The Earl took them first to the paddock.

  “I want you to ride round,” he said. “In fact you can race if you like. I want to see just how well you all ride.”

  “You have seen me before, Uncle Rollo,” Jane pointed out.

  The Earl smiled at her.

  “I know and you are a very good rider just like your mother.”

  “And you,” Jane answered.

  “Let me see if you can beat the other two riders,” the Earl suggested.

  Quickly and with an expertise that made Kyla realise that he had done it before, he put them on different starting points.

  It gave even Jane a chance of winning the race.

  Then, when he gave the word, they all set off.

  Kyla naturally began a long way behind Terry and she realised as soon as she handled Firefly that he was one of the finest horses that she had ever ridden.

  He responded to her touch and, when she talked to him, she felt that he understood every word.

  She told herself that it would be a mistake to try to rush ahead and pass the children.

  She therefore deliberately drew Firefly in and then they all rode twice round the paddock together and ended up in front of the Earl.

  Terry won, Jane was a close second and Kyla, still holding Firefly back, was third.

  She knew as she rode up to the Earl that he realised what she had been doing.

  “Well, Miss Taylor,” he asked, “what is your verdict?”

  “I thought we were waiting for yours, my Lord.”

  “You know without my telling you that you are an outstanding rider,” he said. “In fact, exceptional. I wondered if you would manage to hold in Firefly or would have to surge ahead as he wished to do.”

  Kyla did not answer the Earl.

  She merely smiled and he added,

  “One day I will race you and it will be interes
ting to see which of us wins.”

  “I am quite certain, my Lord, that would be a foregone conclusion,” Kyla replied. “But it is something I should greatly enjoy.”

  Looking at the children the Earl said,

  “Now we are going for a ride on the flat land and you, Jane and Gerald can see how fast you can make your horses go.”

  They were both delighted at this idea.

  As they rushed ahead, the Earl and Kyla came more slowly behind them.

  “Were your father’s horses as fine as Firefly?” the Earl asked.

  “You know the answer to that question, my Lord,” Kyla replied. “I don’t suppose there are more than one or two owners in the whole of England who have horses as fine as Firefly and your stallion.”

  “That is what I like to think myself. I have spent a great deal of time breeding horses as well as buying them and I want you to see my brood mares.”

  “I would love to,” Kyla exclaimed. “Have you bred any Arabians?”

  “Now it is most strange that you should ask,” the Earl remarked, “because I know it is something that my stables lack. I intend to go out to Syria this winter to see what is on offer.”

  “How exciting,” Kyla said. “That will be a wonderful experience – for you.”

  She spoke wistfully.

  The Earl then found that he could read her thoughts and knew that it was something she longed to do herself.

  He thought it odd as most women of his acquaintance would find it incredibly boring to spend a lot of time looking at horses. They would much prefer talking to him and, of course, making love.

  It flashed through his mind that it would be rather amusing to take someone so young and unspoiled with him to Syria.

  Then he told himself sharply that it was not the sort of thing he should be thinking about a Governess who he might employ.

  He had never concerned himself with his own servants or with anyone else’s.

  Quickly he told the children that now they were to ride each side of him.

  Miss Taylor could therefore ride behind.

  Kyla realised as he spoke that something had annoyed him and wondered what it could be.

  She also had the idea that in telling her to ride behind, he was putting her in her rightful place.

  He was not allowing her to have ideas above her station and she tried to remember if at any time she had omitted to call him ‘my Lord’ while they had been talking.

  She told herself that she must be very very careful.

  ‘If I speak as if I am an equal, he will be suspicious of me,’ she warned herself.

  They returned to the stables.

  When they had dismounted, Kyla told Jane in a low voice,

  “Thank your uncle for such an enjoyable ride.”

  “Thank you, Uncle Rollo. That was lovely. Please may I ride with you again? It is much more exciting than going out with one of the grooms.”

  “I am glad about that,” the Earl smiled.

  “I want to thank you too,” Terry said, having received a little push on the shoulder from Kyla. “It was the most exciting ride I have ever had. I think your horses are scrumptious.”

  The Earl grinned.

  “I have watched you ride,” he said, “and I believe that we can give you a bigger horse tomorrow.”

  “I would like that, my Lord,” Terry exclaimed.

  The two children found Kyla and, as she was beginning to walk away, the Earl said,

  “By the way, Miss Taylor, will you please tell Nanny that I had almost forgotten that a Lady Shenley is calling on her this afternoon.”

  He spoke quite casually.

  Then he was aware that Miss Taylor had suddenly stiffened and was standing very still.

  She could not believe what she had just heard.

  Then she asked in a voice that sounded strained,

  “You did say – Lady Shenley – my Lord?”

  “Yes, that is right,” the Earl said. “She wants to see The Castle and especially Nanny, who, she told me, had been Nanny to her stepchildren.”

  He was looking at Kyla as he spoke and it seemed to him that the colour had gone from her face completely.

  In a voice that he could hardly hear, she replied,

  “I will – tell Nanny – what your Lordship has said.”

  She turned away hastily and moved towards The Castle. The Earl saw her take hold of the small boy’s hand and then draw him, he thought, with unnecessary haste over the cobbled yard.

  Then he told himself that he must be imagining it.

  There was no way that he could think of in which Lady Shenley could be connected with Miss Taylor or, for that matter, with Lady Blessingham’s grandson.

  He stopped for a few minutes to speak to his Head Groom.

  By the time he had walked towards the Castle, there was no sign of the children or Miss Taylor.

  They had rushed up the stairs at a breathless speed to reach the nursery where Nanny was waiting for them.

  “Have you had a nice time – ” she began.

  As soon as she saw Kyla’s face, she asked rapidly,

  “What has happened? What has upset you?”

  Kyla went down on her knees beside the chair where Nanny was sitting.

  “His Lordship – has told me to – tell you,” she said in a trembling voice, “that – Lady Shenley is coming here this – afternoon to – see you.”

  “To see me?” Nanny asked.

  Then, before Kyla could reply, she added,

  “I told you this would happen. Now Terry and you will have to hide.”

  Jane had gone to her bedroom and Betty, the nursery maid, was waiting there to help her out of her riding clothes.

  Terry ran over to Nanny, who had risen to her feet.

  He clung to her.

  “You won’t let her find us, will you, Nanny?” he asked. “You know Stepmama is going to kill me.”

  Nanny put her finger to his lips.

  “Be careful what you say,” she urged. “You must not let Betty hear anything like that.”

  Terry glanced apprehensively towards Jane’s room.

  “What shall we do?” Kyla whispered.

  “Behave normally,” Nanny said quietly, “as long as Betty is about. As soon as Jane goes to rest after luncheon, I’ll hide you both.”

  “What will his Lordship say to Stepmama if she asks him questions?” Kyla whispered. “It will seem strange if Miss Taylor and Lady Blessingham’s grandson suddenly disappear.”

  “Leave it to me,” Nanny proposed.

  As she spoke, the door of Jane’s room opened and she said in a louder voice,

  “I suggest that you go to change, Miss Taylor. Luncheon’ll be up very shortly and Gerald must take off his ridin’ boots and wash his hands.”

  Kyla did as Nanny told her.

  When she reached her bedroom, Terry came running after her.

  He pushed the door shut behind him and flung himself into her arms.

  “Let’s – run away, Kyla, before Stepmama – arrives,” he pleaded. “I don’t want to – be killed. I want to live and ride – wonderful horses like I was riding this morning.”

  “Now we have to be brave,” Kyla said. “I know exactly what Nanny is planning. We will go into the secret passages and stay in the Priest’s Hole until Stepmama has gone away.”

  Terry had obviously not thought of this solution.

  “Hide in the Priest’s Hole,” he said. “That is a clever idea. She will never find us there.”

  “The Earl will not think that is where we are likely to be,” Kyla said, “because no one is supposed to know of the secret passages except for himself.”

  “We will be – all right there,” Terry insisted confidently.

  “Of course,” Kyla said, “and you will have to be very very brave and look after me as well as yourself.”

  “I will do that,” Terry replied, “but I want my pistol. Can we take our pistols with us?”

  Kyla n
odded.

  Then she said,

  “It will upset all Nanny’s plans if Betty or anyone else is suspicious. Go and change your boots as Nanny said and be very careful what you say at luncheon.”

  Then she kissed her brother and carried on,

  “I am sure Papa and Mama will look after us and will not let that horrible woman – hurt us. After all we were very lucky to get – here safely.”

  “Yes, we came here,” Terry agreed, “but I am still – afraid, Kyla.”

  “So am I,” she replied. “But we must not let anyone know.”

  “I will try ‒ to be brave,” Terry smiled weakly.

  As he went from the room, Kyla felt the tears coming into her eyes.

  He was too young, much too young, to be involved in anything as horrible as this.

  She knew that he was trying very hard to be brave, although he was very afraid, just as she was, of what their stepmother might do to them.

  Kyla changed her clothes and then went back into the nursery.

  Luncheon had just been brought in by two footmen and Kyla was much relieved to see that Betty had disappeared.

  The footmen served their luncheon and they talked about the Earl’s horses.

  It seemed to take a very long time because Kyla found it difficult to eat anything.

  She could only pray that Nanny had everything planned out in her mind.

  They could start to hide as soon as the footmen had taken the used plates and what was left of the luncheon downstairs.

  As Nanny rose from the table, she said to Jane,

  “Now you must be tired after havin’ so long a ride. If you want to go to your house in the trees later on this afternoon, you must have a good rest. So hop into bed and try to sleep.”

  “Can we take our tea to my house in the wood?” Jane asked.

  “I will think about it,” Nanny answered. “Just you close your eyes and be a good girl, otherwise you will be too tired to enjoy it.”

  “I will try,” Jane promised.

  Nanny took her into her bedroom and undressed her.

  Betty had by now gone downstairs for her luncheon.

  When Nanny came back into the nursery, Kyla and Terry were waiting for her. They had not even spoken to each other since she had left them.

  Nanny took charge at once.

  “Now,” she said. “You both have to disappear. You know exactly where to go.”