“A friend of a friend,” said Jude, grinning back. “He had been working in Charingworth for a while and heard word they were looking for help. So I wrote a letter,” he said after taking a deep breath. “The steward from Bosworth Manor happened to be in Shrewsbury and interviewed me there. And now, here I am.”
“Just in time,” remarked Lenny. “Christmastide is approaching. It’s a busy time of… it hasn’t been as busy at Bosworth since the Duchess died.”
Jude stared at the man. He knew he was going to work for the Duke of Bosworth, but he knew nothing about the gentleman or his family. Only the steward was at the interview, and he hadn’t seen any member of the family. Not that he expected to.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” said Jude. “Did she pass recently?”
Lenny hitched the reins on the horses higher for a moment. “About a year and a half now, I reckon,” he replied. “The family were devastated. The Duke has never gotten over it. He is a shadow of the man he once was.”
Jude nodded. “That’s sad. How long have you been at the estate, Lenny?”
“Five years,” said Lenny. “You get to know everything that happens in the big house. Even if you don’t talk to the family very much.” He sighed. “The Duchess was a kind woman, though. Very generous and giving. She was popular with the villagers.”
“Does the Duke live there alone now?” asked Jude, staring out at the green fields surrounding them. He supposed it was good to know as much as possible about the family he was about to work for.
“No,” said Lenny. “It’s just him and his daughter, Lady Evelina. He has a son as well, Lord Percival, but he’s rarely here anymore. He lives in London.” He hesitated.
“We all feel a bit sorry for the Lady Evelina. She’s a young slip of a thing, quite lovely, but she’s had her youth robbed of her. She cares for her father now. She has since the death of her mother. It’s as if the man is an invalid, leaving her with no life of her own at all, really.”
“Thatissad,” said Jude, feeling a bit sorry for Lady Evelina. “How old is she?”
“About twenty, I reckon,” said Lenny, scratching his head with the hand that wasn’t holding the reins. “She really is lovely. Hair as black as a raven’s wing and the bluest eyes I have ever beheld in my life. She takes after her late mother in temperament and looks. A sweet girl, always offering a kind smile.”
Jude was picturing the lovely Lady Evelina in his mind. He had never been close to a proper lady before. She was not just an aristocrat either; she was the daughter of a duke. What would it be like to evenbeholdsuch a grand lady, even if she was years younger than him?
He started to feel uncharacteristically nervous. Working for a noble family came with its own unique rules and requirements.Did he have to bow every time they swept past? What was the proper way to address them?He wondered. He supposed he would be told all that before he started work.
“The son is different,” continued Lenny, frowning slightly. “Lord Percival has always been aloof and haughty with the servants. He has none of his late mother’s sweetness or his father’s warmth. The two siblings are as different as chalk and cheese.”
“But he doesn’t live there, you said?” asked Jude.
Lenny shook his head. “Spends most of his time living it up in London,” he said. “He is overfond of gambling and rarely comes to Bosworth. When he does, he doesn’t stay long.” He shook his head in distaste. “Anyway, tell me a bit more about yourself, Jude. Do you have family back in Shrewsbury or a sweetheart?”
Jude smiled ruefully. “I have neither,” he said slowly. “No family. I grew up in St. Ursula’s Orphanage.” He hesitated. “That’s probably the reason I don’t have a sweetheart, either. I want to find my family before I start a family of my own.”
Jude thought of the girl he had just left behind. She begged him to stay with her. They had been good together, and the passion was strong between them. He enjoyed bedding her, but it wasn’t enough to stop him from coming here.
“That’s bad luck, lad,” said Lenny in a gentle voice. “Do you have any clue as to who they are? Any details at all?”
Jude shook his head, his heart in anguish, as always when he thought of his unknown family. His abandonment. It was still like an open wound inside of him, even though he didn’t remember anything of his life before he went to the orphanage. He had been far too young.
His gaze automatically fell on his right forearm. The scar was just visible beneath his jacket. The mistress of the orphanage told him he had it when he got there. The scar was the only thing he possessed of the time before.
It was a large scar, probably from a severe burn. The skin was mottled in the manner of burn scars. It had faded a lot over the years, but it was still there. Jude thought he would probably have it for life. And as unsightly as it was, he was glad of it. He never wanted it to fade, for if it did, that would be the last connection to his unknown family.
“None at all,” said Jude, swallowing a lump in his throat. “I was abandoned on a church doorstep. Apparently, my wails were heard by the priest, who rushed out to find me there.” He took a deep, ragged breath. “There was nothing and no one with me. I was left there, and whoever left me there vanished before anyone saw them. The priest took me to the orphanage, and that was that.”
“That’s a rough start,” said Lenny, shaking his head. “Were they good to you at the orphanage?”
Jude smiled. “It was a good orphanage. They were kind, at least. I have heard some terrible tales about other orphanages.” He paused. “It wasn’t a family, though. It never felt like family. It’s not the same. There’s always something missing.”
“How long have you been searching?” asked Lenny.
“Years,” said Jude, in a rueful voice. “Too long. I know I should stop and just let it be, get on with my own life. Perhaps I will one day soon.” He took a deep breath. “It’s one of the reasons I applied for this position. I wanted to get out of Shrewsbury and start anew.”
“You should make a fresh start,” said Lenny, nodding. “This is the place for it. A handsome lad like yourself should have no trouble finding a girl to start a family with. Put all of that behind you.” He slowed as a turn approached. “Ah, here it is. Bosworth Manor. Your new home.”
Jude’s jaw dropped as a grand manor house came into view atop a hill. It looked more like a castle or a palace with battlements and turrets. It was as wide as the eye could see, sprawling in every direction, with outbuildings beyond the main house.