Dangerous Masquerade (Regency Masquerade)

“Do you want to come with me? I know there’s a farmhouse, but I have no idea of its size or condition. Perwick did say it hadn’t been used for some time. If you would rather not, I will understand.”

Mary smiled. “That’s not problem for me, madam. I’m not like one of those

French maids wots never been out of the city. Thank you for asking me, though.”

Ria looked at her searchingly. She really did want Mary to come but only if she knew what she might encounter. “It may be uncomfortable, Mary. I’ve employed a housekeeper, but she won’t be starting until spring at the earliest. I should be able to get someone from the village of Bishop Malton to help out, but am not sure.” Ria shrugged helplessly. “I really don’t know what to expect, so are you sure?”

“Yes, madam. I grew up on a farm, so I know what it will be like, and I couldn’t possibly let you go on your own.”

Ria smiled in thanks and began to help her maid pack.

A while later, Mary asked, “What should I do with this, madam?”

She turned to see Mary holding up Luc’s black domino. She closed her eyes briefly at the sight of the cloak. “I have no use for it. Give it away. Throw it away—I don’t care.”

As Mary turned to leave, carrying the domino with her, Ria was unable to stop herself calling out. “No, wait. Leave it with me, and I will take care of it.”

With a puzzled frown, Mary laid it on the bed and then left.

She looked at the domino. She knew it was foolish, but she couldn’t part with it just yet.

The packed trunk lay open. On impulse, she put the domino on top. It was warm. Perhaps it could be used as a rug. Shaking her head at her silliness, she removed it with an impatient sigh and put it on the bed.

As she moved about the room, collecting a few last remaining items to put into the trunk, Ria kept glancing at the domino. She had to do something with it.

She strode across the room, snatched the cloak from the bed, put it back into the trunk, dumped the remaining items on top and closed the lid with a snap.

27

Underwood Farm, Bishop Malton, March 1814

After a week of traveling, Ria was relieved to hear Matthews call out to her. “Underwood Cottage is just around this bend, madam.”

Although she had been warned the farm cottage was neglected, she couldn’t help feel eager as they rounded the corner in the road and she caught her first glimpse. The outside of the two-story cottage was smooth gray stone with dormer attic windows set in a high-pitched roof. She counted three chimneys. As they got closer, she saw that one front window appeared to be a modern sash but the others were older casement windows with small panes of glass.

For the first time on the journey, she felt her spirit lighten. A little smile came to her lips. This was her home. She owned it. It was all hers.

Alighting from the carriage, Ria and Mary walked to the front door. As the door to the cottage creaked open, Ria found herself in a small stone-floored entrance. Her nose wrinkled at the smell of stale air and dust.

A door to her left opened onto a sitting room with a low ceiling and central beam. As Ria walked past a chair swathed in a Holland cover, she brushed against the side of it and the cloth slipped. She sneezed as the dust cloud rose through the air.

The sitting room connected to another room of similar size, with double doors between that could be pushed back to make one large room or kept shut to make two small rooms.

Going back into the entrance, she found the door to the right led to a dining parlor and beyond that a large kitchen.

Her heart sank as she went from room to room. Everything was covered with thick dust and cobwebs. She was glad she had decided last night to stay in Bishop Malton, even though she’d been tempted to press on, eager to get her first glimpse of the cottage. There was a lot of work that needed to be done. They would need all day just to make a few rooms habitable.

Venturing upstairs, she counted five smallish bedrooms. From the window of one at the back of the house, she saw a couple of buildings, including a small stable. There was also a walled kitchen garden and an orchard connected by a gravel walk.

Although dismayed by the amount of dirt and cobwebs, she thought the cottage could be made quite comfortable. It was nice and compact. Most pleasing was the number of bedrooms.

Ria believed she could be happy here but was concerned about the ladies. It certainly wasn’t what they were used to.

She carefully walked up the narrow stairs to the garret. A quick glance from the top of the stairs showed her that, unlike the rest of the house, it was barren of furniture.

Going back downstairs, she encountered Matthews and the groom in the hallway.

Matthews gave her a broad smile. “The stable is nice and snug. There’s even a couple of rooms Dawson and I can use. It all just needs a bit of cleaning.” Then, with a nod of his head, he indicated the bags he and the groom were carrying, “Where would you like these, madam?”