An Earnest Favour

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To be worthy of her, Jack knew that he had to improve himself. He was not a saint and had little to show for his excellent education and incomparable connections. But if he tried, would she notice? Or would it all be for nought? Would her heart always be lost to Slickson?

His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden knock at the door, one which woke Claire up with a start. She sat upright in the bed with a gasp, peering questioningly as Jack for a second, before her startled gaze went to the door.

"Get in!" hissed Claire, throwing back the bedclothes on the other side of the bed.

But Jack immediately ran to the settee, seizing the linens and pillow he had taken the night before and raced with them back to the bed. He threw the sheet across the foot of the bed before tossing the pillow at the head, diving underneath the covers to sit beside Claire.

Claire surprised him as she moved closer to him, almost resting her head on his chest as she did. Jack hoped she could not hear his thundering heart.

"Yes?" Jack called out.

The door was opened, and a housemaid entered, curtseying, before she was followed in by Mrs Hayes carrying a large breakfast tray. The housemaid began to open the drapes as Mrs Hayes brought the tray over to the bed, setting down at the foot.

"Good morning, milord, milady," greeted Mrs Hayes, as she curtseyed before them.

Jack immediately knew something was not right. Never in his six and twenty years had Mrs Hayes called him 'milord'. He has been John for the briefest of moments before Miss Hayes, when she was his nanny, had decided that such a name was far too formal for a one-year-old. She had been the one to call him Jack, and the name had become his far more than John had ever been.

"Good morning, Mrs Hayes," replied Claire with a nervous smile. "What a treat. I have never had breakfast served to me thus before."

Mrs Hayes offered Claire a genuine smile. "You ought to get used to it, my dear. You are married now. You will have a maid, and your breakfast will be brought to you each morning upon your return from your honeymoon journey."

"But surely it is not your responsibility to serve breakfast, Mrs Hayes," said Jack reservedly, eyeing the housemaid who was now tending to the fire. "I am certain you have far better things to be tending to."

Mrs Hayes smiled sweetly, her eyes crinkling. "Oh, no, I thought this my only opportunity to see the newlyweds," she replied, "owing the fact I was not invited to the ceremony, of course."

There it was, and what an oversight indeed. For a lot of his childhood, Miss Hayes, as she was then, would often have been the only one to offer Jack a kind word in a day. Any affection he received was from her, and such was the case for Adam and Susanna both. They all loved Mrs Hayes, and in the haste of the occasion, Jack had neglected her.

Claire looked between Mrs Hayes and Jack with an expression of admonishment. "Oh, dear, Mrs Hayes, please understand there was no offense meant," she apologised on Jack's behalf. "Everything was so quick, and Jack –"

"I'm sorry," Jack interrupted, apologising sincerely. "You know I would never neglect you on purpose."

Mrs Hayes seemed to accept his apology, and smiled, though this time, she did not appear as though she were about to scold him as though he were five. "No matter," she replied. "I wanted to offer you both my heartiest congratulations. No one is more deserving of a sweet match than Jack. You will take care of my boy, won't you, milady?"

"My boy?" Jack repeated with a groan. "Mrs Hayes, I could scold you, you know."

"And I could tell your new wife that I used to wipe your bottom now, young man," retorted Mrs Hayes.