The Dowager Countess (The Saga of Wolfbridge Manor Book 2) Sahara Kelly (book club recommendations TXT) 📖

“That sounds bloody ominous,” said Royce. “Do you trust the word of your correspondent?”

Typical that he would ask, Giles thought, pleased at the question. “Yes, I do. There is trouble at Kilham, without doubt. However, we have concerns here, too. You have just joined us. You are taking over the job of estate manager, and I’ve not even shown you where everything is.” Giles rose and began to pace. “Then there’s our guest upstairs. Will he heal? What shall we do with him? All these things need attention before we can offer our new Lady a home worthy of her. And all these things take time. Time we may not have.”

As if in answer to Giles’s comments, there was a large thump from above, and each of the four assembled in the parlour jumped.

Tumbling from the door and running upstairs, they all dashed into the room to find Gabriel flat on his face on the floor.

Giles winced for him as three strong pairs of hands helped him up, and he cried out as the movements brought pain with them.

“Easy now, Gabriel.” Giles moved to his side as they got him back into bed.

“Who are you? Where am I?” His eyes were wide and terrified.

“You are safe. I am Giles and we are all taking care of you.” He touched the lad’s shoulder. “You are safe, Gabriel. Nobody will hurt you here. You have my word.”

Some of the tension left him, and Royce came to stand next to Giles, a glass in his hand. “You took a bad beating, Gabriel. But we’re helping you.” He sat carefully, making sure not to jostle Gabriel’s body. “I believe you may have a cracked rib, and I expect to see a lot of bruises over the next few days. But other than that, my belief is that you will heal completely.”

“Where am I?” he asked again.

“Wolfbridge, Gabriel. You’re at Wolfbridge Manor.” Giles watched his face soften.

“Here, drink this. It will help the pain.” Royce slipped a hand behind the pillow and raised the glass.

“We’re going to take care of you, Gabriel.” Evan spoke from the bottom of the bed. “I’m Evan and you will have my finest broth to help you get your strength back.”

“And I’m Jeremy. I’ll make sure you have whatever you need, and I’ll show you around once you’re well and on your feet again.”

Brilliant green eyes reflected the flickering candlelight as Gabriel drank and watched the men speaking to him. “You won’t hurt me?”

“Nobody hurts anyone in this house, Gabriel.”

“Even if I’m not…not right?”

“Nobody ever hurts anyone for any reason.” Giles emphasised his words as the laudanum began to take effect.

“Evan, Jeremy…” Gabriel sighed and looked at Giles and Royce. “Wolfbridge. At last.”

His lids fell, fluttered and then stayed closed as he slept.

*~~*~~*

“Four days. That’s all I need. Two to get there and two to get back.” Giles pushed clothing into his bag again. He’d done a lot of this recently.

Jeremy looked worried. “You have to sleep.”

“And I will. In the carriage. I won’t stop at an inn except to change the team. Time is of the essence, Jeremy. Now Gabriel is awake, I am relying on you to deal with matters here. You, Evan and Royce. I am putting my faith in you all.”

“We won’t disappoint you, Giles. You know that.”

He looked at the other man. “Royce might take some getting used to.”

Jeremy snorted. “He’ll settle in. I have a feeling he’s the kind who can bivouac in a field or a mansion and never turn a hair.”

“He is. So tread carefully, if you please?”

“Of course.” He passed Giles his hairbrush. “What about Gabriel?”

“Tell him all he needs to know, but no more. I would that you not disclose the whys and wherefores of Wolfbridge until I have made a decision about him.”

“That makes sense.”

“But…” Giles paused and shot a sharp glance at Jeremy. “If he starts talking about Wolfbridge, note every word. I want to know why he has our insignia on a very old locket and why he said what he did when we told him where he was.”

“We’d all like to know that, so rest assured if he says anything, you’ll hear about it upon your return.”

“Also, prepare the Lady’s room. I have no idea what shape she’s in, but a fire, clean nightclothes…I don’t know.” He shook his head. “And I’m worried, to be honest. If I’d known…” He frowned. “Come to think of it, can you get me one of the Lady’s robes? I have no idea of her size, but I’ll wager she could use a change of garments. Dammit.” He cursed again. “She shouldn’t be where she is. I should have known…”

“You didn’t, Giles.  You couldn’t. You are going now. Set the past aside and focus on what must be done.”

“You’re right.” He sighed. “The coachmen from here to Kilham will doubtless hate me.”

“You may be right about that, too,” grinned Jeremy. “But they’ll love the coins.”

Before he knew it, Giles was back in the familiar surroundings of a carriage, barely a day after leaving one. This time he had the entire interior to himself, at least for a while, which was helpful, since he’d brought a couple of warm blankets, a fur and two pillows, with the expectation of returning with a woman who was not at her best.

He turned over the problem of the new Lady, wondering how to explain to her who he was and where he was taking her. It was those first moments that defined so much of what lay ahead, and they were different every time. A year ago, Adalyn had been so desperate for help that she’d taken his arm with