Page 66 of The Heir
The livery sprawled between two brick warehouses—a rutted dirt yard populated by a series of wooden sheds. The air was thick with barnyard smells. Men led horses to and fro. Men stood around horses. Men bent to examine horses’ hooves and reached up to feel their withers. Men shouted. Horses neighed and whickered. It was a managed and energetic chaos, and Victoria loved it on sight.
A brown-skinned man with a fringe of tightly curled hair outlining his bald scalp hurried up to the carriage. He and Saddler conferred for a moment, and then Saddler drove them around to a corner of the yard enclosed by a high wooden fence. Saddler drove them through the gate, which was then closed behind them.
The little space was filled with carriage bodies with missing wheels, broken traces, loose doors. All manner of bits and pieces for their repair had been neatly stacked against the fence.
In the middle of it all stood a petite young woman with a gaunt, freckled face. She wore a drab coat and bonnet. Beside her stood Hornsby, looking as cross and pinched as ever.
Jane looked ready to melt with relief.
“Quickly now,” said Lehzen.
Victoria and Jane were helped down from the carriage. Dash put his forepaws on the rail and watched this new game with great interest and much wagging of his tail.
“This is Susan,” said Jane, introducing Victoria to the young woman.
Victoria beamed. “Thank you for your help, Susan. And you, as well, Hornsby.” She touched his hand. “I’m sorry for what happened, and I will not forget this.” She smiled a little. “And I am truly sorry about ‘Pinch-face.’”
“All forgotten, ma’am.” Hornsby bowed stiffly. Victoria decided to pretend that was true.
With silent efficiency, Lehzen swapped the bonnets, coats, and gloves, so that now Victoria wore Jane’s and Jane wore Victoria’s.
By the time this was done, Saddler and Hornsby had brought a second carriage into the little yard. This one was battered and in need of polish and was pulled by a dispirited chestnut mare who looked more than ready to be put out to pasture. Saddler and Hornsby also swapped coats, so that Hornsby wore Saddler’s scarlet livery with its gold braid, and Saddler wore Hornsby’s dusty buff and drooping black hat.
Saddler helped Victoria and then Susan into the drab carriage. Now Dash began barking, anguished to see that he was being left behind. Victoria ran to hug and soothe him, but he whined in his distress.
In the end, all she could do was hand him to Lehzen, who, thankfully, was familiar with his ways. Keeping wriggling Dash firmly in the crook of one arm, Lehzen laid her hand on Saddler’s arm. She murmured something. Saddler choked hard and then bowed.
He closed the door, climbed up on the box, and drove out the gate and the yard and turned into the street.
“What did she say?” called Victoria.
“That if I let anything happen to you, she’d have my guts for garters and then turn what was left of me over to the duchess.”
Victoria laughed, and when the new maid, Susan, stared at her in open surprise, she laughed again. But no one admonished her, and no one asked her what people would think.
In fact, no one said a single word.
* * *
Dr. Gerald Maton’s surgery was a fine brick house with a gleaming brass plate on the door. A page in neat livery let them in, and a footman accepted the card Susan laid on his tray. While he took the card into the doctor, Susan took Victoria’s bonnet and coat. The footman returned to show her into the consulting room. Susan followed, as calm and quiet as if she’d been waiting on Victoria for years.
Gerald Maton sat behind a broad desk with papers and books heaped untidily across its surface. Victoria wondered if he would recognize her from the condolence call she had paid his family.
A heartbeat later, she had her answer. The youngest Dr. Maton looked up as she entered, and his smile of welcome faded away into a blank stare of shock.
In the next second, he shot to his feet.
“Your . . .”
“Miss Kent,” Victoria said quickly. “I am Miss Kent.”
“I don’t understand, ma’—”
“Miss Kent,” said Victoria firmly.
“Miss?” he said weakly.
“Yes.” Victoria took the chair that had been set in front of the desk. “Please sit down.”
