The House of Rochester Book 1

Chapter 13

Elwin had a list of things that Selene had made over the previous weeks. All of the items were important but could wait for his return. The first duty was to assess the stables to ensure they were still sturdy enough for the coming winter.

As he stepped out the rear door, Elwin looked up at the dark sky that threatened to rain again and wondered why his mother hadn't mentioned this to Ned. As he thought about the list, Elwin heard the soft laughter of women and looked to his right where the guest residence was located. It was then that he figured out the truth. This wasn't a list that had been formed over weeks. It was formed in one night. With a sigh, Elwin turned back into the house to find his mother.

"You can be honest with me."

Selene tilted her head, waiting for a little more information.

"This list," Elwin said, flicking it in the air between them. "Ned could have done this weeks ago. You're just trying to keep me occupied."

"Perhaps," Selene said with a supreme smile.

Ushering Aleph out from behind her skirt, Selene turned and continued her path to the sitting room.

Huffing with frustration, Elwin walked outside again. This time Ned had appeared.

"Is there an issue with the stables?"

Ned shrugged, scratching the thick black hair with slight confusion on his face.

"I suppose the wall on the east side could do with a bit of a look at, but it's nothing that couldn't wait. Just a little bit of wood rot. It won't make any difference if it's left alone but if you mess with it now, you'll need to remove the entire panel."

"Do we have the supplies to get it done, and can it be done in a day?"

"No, we don't. I'd have to measure the area and then go to town to bring the supplies back. If we pre-cut everything in one day, we could rip the wall down the next. Three days of good weather could see it done, but I don't know if we're going to get three straight days of sunshine."

Elwin hummed as his eyes narrowed at the offending building in the distance.

"If you went to get the supplies today, could you use the coach house to cut and store the wood for a day that was more suitable?"

"I suppose so, provided that the space wasn't required for an event. It was mighty full last night."

"Well, at the moment, it won't be. Move the carriages to one end and utilize the other end to cut the wood. If you need to store it elsewhere, then find something."

Elwin's attention lapsed as the words drifted off. His eyes turned to the guest residence where Nellie had emerged. She looked a little frazzled. Elwin's gaze soon turned to the lovely creature beside Nellie.

He felt his mouth go dry as his heart hammered hard in his chest. The gulp of nonexistent saliva painfully slid down his throat as he watched Maylin.

"I suppose it would be a good idea to get it started. It looks like we're in for a rough winter."

Elwin nodded, giving Ned a friendly pat on the back of his shoulder.

"Sounds like a plan. I'll leave you to it."

Ned nodded, wondering how he'd managed to gain the auspicious duty of replacing a stable wall. He was not a builder, yet he was about to become one.

Making a hasty path to the guest residence, Elwin tried to play it cool and pretend that he wasn't really rushing over to them. He was here to ensure that his staff were okay and that nothing was wrong. Elwin would argue that he wasn't playing with fire. He was checking that Nellie was okay because she did look a little lost.