Redeeming The Rake (Delicate Hearts Book 3) Read online

  “Mr. Langley,” Caroline said. “Please, do come in.”

  The man gave her a brief smile as he moved past her.

  “Might I get you a drink?” Caroline offered.

  “No, thank you, Miss Rumsbury.” He shifted on his feet, and Caroline felt an emptiness in the pit of her stomach. “I’m afraid I’ve some bad news.”

  “Bad news?”

  The man wrung his hat in his hands. This had to be bad news indeed if he was too nervous to share his information! “You see, two days ago, the board hired a doctor and his wife to take over the medical needs of those of our shelter. The truth is, we no longer need your services.”

  If Caroline’s stomach felt empty before, it was vacuous now. “I realize I am no doctor, but surely there is still need for my services. I have been a doctor’s assistant for several years now…”

  “If it were up to me,” Mr. Langley interrupted, “I wouldn’t allow them to do this. Of course, you are welcome to volunteer your services, but I know that doesn’t pay the rent.”

  “No, it does not,” Caroline whispered. Her head felt full of cotton wool, and she struggled to keep from grasping the back of a nearby chair. “Thank you for informing me. Once I secure employment somewhere else, I will be happy to volunteer and continue to help those less fortunate.”

  “You have a good heart, Miss Rumsbury,” the man said. “I’m sorry about all this. You have found a new place to live?”

  Caroline nodded, though she wondered what her new prospective landlord would say when he learned she no longer was employed. More than likely he would throw her out on her ear. He did not seem very sympathetic to those who did not have a steady income. However, that was not a problem for Mr. Langley.

  When the man was gone, Caroline lowered herself to the floor and wrapped her arms around her legs. She could not endure life on the streets again. Her stomach rumbled again, and she pulled herself from the floor. Life had thrown much at her in the past, and she had always endured. This was simply a small hiccup in her plans.

  She locked the office door and walked down the footpath contemplating her future; however, her thoughts were not as bright as they had been earlier.

  ***

  Thunder rumbled overhead, and with each step, Caroline’s worry increased. Now that she no longer had the means to provide for herself, finding work was imperative. Yet, where? She could make inquiries with other doctors, but most would already have assistants, usually young men who had completed the required courses but had not yet gained practical knowledge. The only other skills she possessed were those required of a servant.

  Caroline did not believe herself above such work; quite the contrary. However, after her experience at Applefield Estates with Lord William, she found the idea of returning to such a position displeasing, to say the least. However, if it came down to it, she would do what she could to survive.

  Perhaps she should write to Doctor Brown and ask his opinion on the situation. No, the man needed his peace and she did not wish to intrude upon it. Plus, there was no need to worry him unnecessarily. She was not on the streets. Yet.

  Stopping to draw a calming breath, she closed her eyes and considered her situation. Granted, the loss of the position at the charity was a harsh blow, but things were not all that bad. She had money, not a lot, but enough to sustain her for the time being, and she would have a new home if everything went well in that arena. Many others were far worse than she, that much was certain, and besides, she had been through much worse herself. This would only serve as an opportunity to put her skills for survival to work.

  Feeling much better, she opened her eyes and continued to walk, making a right onto Barnabas Road. It never drew much foot traffic, but the pub at the end of it, The Lazy Shepard, had delicious food. The particular shops on this street did not offer fancy dresses or fine cuts of meat, but rather they housed shops that offered repairs on tools or carriages or the like.

  “Mercy?” a weak voice said, startling Caroline. She had not seen the seated man leaning against the brick wall in the shadow of one of the buildings. He stood with his hands open, palms up in front of him and his head hung low. His clothes were near rags and the wrists that peeked through the sleeves were thin enough to see the bones.

  “A moment please,” she whispered. She glanced around to assure herself that this was not a trap set by robbers and removed a coin from her purse. Then after a moment of thought, she grabbed a second and placed both into the man’s waiting hands. “May good fortune come to you, my friend,” she whispered kindly. “Do not give up hope.”

  “Thank you.” The man looked up at her, and Caroline scrunched her brow. There was something familiar about him, but she could not place where. However, she had come across so many like him during her time spent in the streets, perhaps he only seemed familiar.

  As she turned away, a memory struck her, and she turned back to stare at the man. “William?”

  The face that stared up at her frightened her to her core. It was thinner than when she had last seen him and a fresh bruise below his left cheek looked painful. The eyes were filled with sorrow. “It is you!”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Sorry? For what?”

  “That you must see me in this state. I even disgust myself.”

  Caroline bit at her lip. The man she had forgiven was lower than she ever could have imagined, and the sight of it broke her heart. “You do not disgust me,” she said. “I assume you have not been eating?”

  William shook his head. “No. I have no money. My friends…” His words trailed off and he sighed. “I have none.”

  “Well, I am on my way to eat,” Caroline said as she stood once more. “Will you join me?”

  He looked up at her, and she could see the eagerness in his eyes. How had a man who once had everything now become excited at the prospect of a simple meal?

  “Yes,” he replied as he used the building to help himself stand. “I would like that.”

  Caroline looked him over, and the sight of him made her sorrowful.

  “I do disgust you,” he said as he hung his head. “It is understandable.”

  “It is not that,” she said firmly. “Come. Let us get some food in you. We can worry about your clothing later.”

  Chapter Ten

  The wind howled and rain pelted the windows of the pub as Caroline looked across at William. In front of her sat a glass of wine, untouched thus far, and he was drinking ale from a mug much like a man who had been lost in the desert consumed water. There were only a few patrons in the pub, most of them owners of the nearby shops judging by their clothing, all craftsmen by trade. The stools, much like the man across from her, were well-worn, the tables rough and in need of a good cleaning. At the bar sat a few men, their eyes on the barmaid, perhaps hungry for more than the food and drink that sat before them.

  “I want to thank you,” William said as he set the mug down. “I have found scraps of food here and there over the past three weeks, but not much more. I never knew what it was like to survive without money.” He looked down into his mug. “I suppose you do.”

  “It does not matter now,” Caroline replied. “I assumed you would have friends on whom you could call.”

  “Friends,” he echoed with a cynical chuckle. “That word once meant something to me, for a friend is loyal, caring, and understanding. In my later years, I was none of those things, and neither are the ones with whom I spent time apparently.” He picked up his mug and emptied the last drops into his mouth. He set it down with a sigh. “So, how did you become a doctor?”

  The question was unexpected, and Caroline signaled to the barmaid for another ale. “Doctor Brown is the doctor, not I,” she replied. “Or rather he was the doctor. He has now retired to Scotland. But to your question, he found me, took me in and trained and educated me in the ways of medicine.”

  The barmaid came carrying a tray with two bowls of stew, a basket with two hunks of bread, a plate with two slabs of bu
tter, and another mug of ale. After setting the food and drink on the table, she picked up the empty mug in front of William. “You be needin’ anything else?”

  “No, thank you,” Caroline replied. When the barmaid left, she turned back to William. The man’s eyes might have fallen out the way they were bulging at the food before him.

  “So, you are taking over his work?” William asked before scooping a spoonful of stew and shoving it in his mouth. Gone was the refined dining habits she had seen from him all those years ago, replaced by an almost animalistic mannerism. He dunked his bread into the stew and shoved it into his mouth before repeating the process before he had swallowed the first. Thick broth clung to his beard, as did crumbs from the bread.

  “No, I will not be taking over his work,” she replied. “I am in the process of looking for work. I had a position lined up, but I found out not even an hour ago that I am no longer needed.” She took a bite of her stew. The Lazy Shepard might not have been the finest of establishments, but the cook prepared one of the best stews in the area.

  “You are much more educated now,” William said. “I have no doubt a woman of your skills will find work.”

  Caroline offered a polite smile. Then her eyes widened as the man lifted his bowl and drank the remaining contents! He certainly would never have done such a thing when he was eating with the finest silver and drinking wine from the best crystal. And to make matters worse, when he was done, he wiped his mouth across the sleeve of his coat!

  He seemed to realize she was staring, for he said, “Forgive my manners. I have not had a decent meal in quite a few years.”

  “The prison did not feed you?” Caroline asked in shock.

  “Not much,” he said, and Caroline did not miss the fact that she eyed her bowl covetously. “A weak porridge for breakfast and rotten meat with stale bread for dinner. They served stew sometimes, but the contents I would not have served to my dog.”

  Caroline called over the barmaid once more. “Can we have another bowl of stew. Would you like another ale?”

  “You don’t have to…”

  “Would you like more or not?” she asked with a raise of an eyebrow.

  He nodded. “Yes, please.”

  “I do not mind,” Caroline said when the barmaid was gone.

  He gave her a small smile. “I am not sure how I will ever repay you.”

  She waved a hand at him. “Let’s not think about that for the time being.”

  Leaning back in his chair, he twisted the mug in his hands. “May I ask what your dreams are now that your life has changed?”

  The question caught her off-guard. “My dreams,” she replied after some thought, “are to continue helping those in need. That is all I want to do.”

  The barmaid returned with a new stew and ale, and Caroline did not miss the look of disgust she shot toward William. He seemed not to notice as he tore into the new stew with only slightly less gusto than the previous.

  “And you?” she asked. “What are your dreams?”

  He slowed his eating and looked up at her. “To redeem myself,” he replied. “To make every attempt to right my wrongs. I believe it may be possible, would you agree?”

  If he had asked her that question a month ago, she would have told him no. However, a part of her had changed since then.

  “Yes, I do.”

  She continued to eat as he devoured the second bowl. When he was finished, she gave him what remained of hers, which he ate much slower. Then he pushed the bowl away, stretched, and smiled. It had been the first she had seen since those years before when she was employed at Applefield Estates.

  “When I make things right,” he said in a matter-of-fact way, “I shall repay your kindness.”

  “That will not be necessary. I helped not in order to require repayment but because I…” she took a deep breath, “care.” How strange that it would be that word that described her feelings at this moment, for just a few weeks ago, she could not have used it. “I must leave soon.” She reached into her purse and took out several coins. “Please, take this. It may help you find your new path.”

  He reached out but then pulled his hand back. “No, I cannot accept it. You have done so much already, and you will need the money yourself.” Caroline did not miss the sad note in his voice, but what he said next startled her. “You said that I am no monster. Why?”

  Caroline sighed. “I know you have done many wrongs, but murder could not be one of them.” He nodded and went to speak, but she raised her hand to stop him. “However, I do believe you were a part of it.” She held her breath. Would he grow angry at the accusation?

  Rather than being angry, however, he gave a heavy sigh. “By all appearances, it would seem that way. Just like the clothes on my body, or these hands.” He opened his hands and spread his fingers. “These hands held the finest things money could buy. I was there that night, yes, but I was there under different pretenses. I was lied to and betrayed by Evan.”

  “Your brother?” Caroline asked in shock. “He did this to you?”

  “Not only did he set me up,” William replied, his eyes reddening from unshed tears, “but he spoke against me. His words were what sent me to prison.” He grabbed the mug and downed the remainder of his ale. “May I confess what happened that night? I have no one to hear my story, and my burden is great.”

  Caroline considered his offer for a moment before nodding. And as he listened to the tale the man wove, she could not help but wonder if his story was simply that—a story to tug at her heartstrings and nothing more.

  Chapter Eleven

  William stepped out of the pub with a full stomach, coins in his pocket, and a hope that he might find a way to make it to Cornwall, all made possible by the good graces of the woman beside him, a former servant who had shown kindness that was undeserved.

  The rain had let up, but the clouds that hung over them threatened more as they walked away from the pub. “I do promise to repay you tenfold what you have given me.”

  “If you feel you must,” Caroline said, “then you are free to do so. However, I do not need repayment.”

  He nodded and they continued down the street. When they arrived at the end, she stopped. He knew this moment would come soon enough; the moment when she would bid him farewell, and he found the idea painful. Looking into her blue eyes, he wished he could tell her the truth of what he had felt for her before. That it had been his own stupidity and arrogance that had ruined everything. Instead, he remained quiet. The woman had done more than enough for him without him making matters worse.

  “Where will you sleep tonight?” she asked.

  Humiliation raced through him, but he would not lie to her, nor anyone, ever again. “There are others like me who sleep in the park,” he replied in a low voice. “Or in an alleyway or beneath the steps of a house, if no one sees me.” She gave a nod and adjusted her spectacles, and he frowned. “I never knew you needed those to help with your sight.”

  She shook her head and removed them, and William realized at that moment that Caroline had grown even more beautiful than she had been four years earlier.

  “I wear them to keep men from looking at me, those who seek their own pleasure. Doctor Brown always said I do not need them, but I have become accustomed to wearing them, for they are a means to hide myself.”

  “Just so you know, they do not hide you as well as you believe,” he said with a smile. “Thank you for everything you have done. I know I hurt you, and that you have forgiven me, but the man I was before? He has died. He who stands before you is much different. He may not be the rich man he once was, but he has been brought down a peg—or ten. Perhaps that was what he needed. And deserved.”

  “I realize you are different,” Caroline said, offering him a smile, something he had not seen from another human—besides old Ezra—in a very long time. “I admit that I have changed, as well. It would seem that fate sent us on different paths that night, and, for some reason, it has brought us back t
ogether again, even for a short time.”

  It was clear she wished to leave, and although William wanted to spend more time with her, he would not keep her. “May you find the happiness in life you deserve,” he said before turning and making his way to the park. His heart was sorrowful knowing he would never see her again.

  “William!” Caroline cried.

  He stopped and turned back as she came running up to him.

  “I have a room in which you may sleep for a few days,” she said breathlessly. “You can bathe, and I have some clothing Doctor Brown left behind to give to the poor. It is not much, but it will save you from sleeping on the streets for a few nights.”

  Gratitude overcame him. “I would like that,” he said. He wanted to hug her, but that was what had driven her away, even if this embrace would be much different.

  She smiled. “Come with me, then. I must discuss rents with a landlord on a property I am considering.”

  With a nod, he walked beside her just as tiny droplets of rain sprinkled down from the sky.

  Four years ago, this woman was his servant, doing what she could to please him. Now, he walked in her shadow, under her mercy and care. Caroline had spoken of fate and them meeting once again. And as he thought of Cornwall, new ideas and plans formed in his mind.

  ***

  “He requested close to double the original asking price,” Caroline said, the anger clear in her tone. “It’s no doubt because I’m a woman.”

  William had waited outside the property as Caroline spoke with the landlord. “I’m sorry,” he said, reminded of the rents he had charged his tenants. “You are correct; he seeks to take advantage of your situation.”

  Caroline snorted. “Even these!” she said, removing her spectacles. “These do not stop men from being…men!” She sighed. “What will I do? Get a room at an inn? I cannot do that. I do not even have work!” They crossed the busy street, and when they reached the opposite footpath, she stopped and turned to him. “I’m sorry. You have nothing, and here I am complaining.”