Page 23 of For a Lady's Fiery Heart
Caroline thought about this for a moment. Despite it being summer, it was cooler near the coast, and the house was draughty. "You are right, Silas. And this is the best room we have seen as far as the damage goes."
James nodded. "Very well. Send the maids up to start cleaning the room. I know it will not be perfect, but it will do for a few nights, will it not?" He turned to Caroline to ensure she knew what she was getting into.
"Yes, we will be quite comfortable, I am sure." Caroline stepped into the room. She was not averse to getting her hands dirty. She, her mother, and Grace had to pitch in with the household chores when they were living in London, as they could not always hire servants to do the washing, cooking, and cleaning for them.
Caroline took off her overcoat and placed it on the bed. She then went to retrieve the sheets from the furniture.
James stood at the door, looking confused and a little shocked. "What are you doing? You do not have to do that," he said. "We brought the servants to help us do the cleaning, Caroline.
"Nonsense. I do not mind," she smiled and motioned for him to take the other end of the sheets covering the settee. "Help me with that end."
Soon all of the sheets were off the furniture, and Caroline looked around the room. "There, that is better." She went to the windows and opened the moth-eaten curtains, letting in the late afternoon sunlight. Dust particles danced in the sunshine. She opened the windows to let in some fresh air. "That should do the trick."
James shook his head as if in awe of her. "Well, you are certainly the first lady of the ton I have met who was willing to do work of any kind."
Caroline brushed her hands off and gave a satisfied sigh. "When your family falls on hard times, you have to pull together and do what needs to be done. I do not mind the work. It actually made me feel proud. A job well done and all that," she replied.
A knock sounded on the door, which was open a crack, and one of the maids poked her head in. "Begging your pardon, Lord James, are you ready for us to come and do the cleaning?"
"Yes, come in, Margaret." He motioned for Caroline to take his hand. "Will you show me those gardens before it gets too dark?"
"I would be delighted," Caroline said. She donned her overcoat again, and they headed out of the room. However, she halted in the doorway, taking one last look around the room. Her heart swelled with pride. There was certainly a lot of work that would need to be done to restore the old house. But she felt that she had helped start the process of restoring her family home.
Chapter 13
James opened the door for Caroline, and he was surprised to see quite an expansive garden spreading out before them. The space had been laid out in a very unique way, with three fountains set at the points of a triangle, with the first fountain centred with the patio doors and the other two off in the distance, making up the rest of the triangle.
Around each fountain were geometric paths surrounded by hedgerows and flower beds. Of course, it could never rival the gardens at Thorneby–at least, not in their present run-down state. But the possibilities began swirling around in his head, and his heartbeat picked up with excitement.
"Caroline–" he breathed, halting on the patio steps. "I had no idea–"
Caroline flashed him a worried glance. "I know it is quite overwhelming, is it not? I apologise. Perhaps you should have had my father show you the place before you agreed to marry me–"
James cut her off, taking her hand. "No, that is not what I mean at all. Caroline, imagine the possibilities here! We can start from scratch, make it anything we want to!"
Caroline smiled slowly. "Then you are not angry?"
He shook his head, tucking her hand into the crook of his arm. They came down the steps from the small patio and into the garden's winding paths. Really, the trails were only remnants of what they had been. The gravel had long ago been scattered or washed away.
Ten years of neglect would do that. He patted her hand but decided to keep his hand covering hers since her skin was cold to the touch. She had not remembered to put on her gloves before coming outside.
"Not in the slightest. Why should I be angry that I get the chance to try my hand at designing a garden? I love botany and architecture. This will be the perfect opportunity." He halted. "That is if you do not object?"
"Of course not. It does my heart good to hear your plans." A sad smile crossed her lips.
Guilt rose inside him. "I am sorry for the pain I have caused you in bringing you here," he said softly.
Caroline stopped, pulling him off the nearly invisible trail and through the overgrown hedgerows toward the open green. The long grass looked as if it had not been cut in a long time, and brambles had started to take over the meadow where he imagined Caroline and Grace playing pall mall as girls.
What the house parties must have been like that day before everything had been snatched from them. His heart went out to his young bride as she extricated her hand from his arm and walked out ahead of him.
"There. In that little copse of trees. Do you see it?" Caroline asked, turning to meet his gaze.
"Papa helped us build a little tree house there when I was six. It was not very far off the ground–Mama forbade it. However, it was the most wonderful thing I had ever seen. Papa was surprisingly good with building."
She wrapped her arms around her waist. He said nothing, for he sensed her need to reminisce. And he enjoyed listening to her sing-song voice. He joined her at the edge of the overgrown green, watching the wind whip the tall grasses wherever it wished, like the waves of a choppy sea.
"Papa was not always so careless, you know. We lacked for nothing during the early years of my childhood. Mama was always dressed in the finest silks, and Grace and I had the most lavish toys and dresses. Papa took great care with the estate back then." She hung her head, sniffing softly.
