They walked their horses through the forest toward the church, and she did not question why they strolled instead of rode. It felt…peaceful. A dart of a shadow behind some bushes made her falter, and she glanced at the earl to gauge his awareness.
A coiled readiness seemed infused in every line of his body. At this moment, she saw nothing of the easy-going or scholarly gentleman.
“Come out,” he said, harshly authoritative.
The bushes rustled, and a boy of about fifteen years emerged, and in his hands were three dead wild birds. He appeared so frightened, Juliana’s heart jolted.
“Who are you, boy?”
The earl’s voice hadn’t softened, and the tension inside her mounted.
“My…my name is Billy, milord,” he said in a voice that trembled.
Juliana suddenly understood the boy’s fear. This was the earl’s land.
“How old are you, boy?” the earl asked, his expression bland.
“Sev…seventeen, milord!”
Her heart ached with sympathy for the boy. Hunting on someone else's land was legally regarded as thievery and had harsh penalties such as deportation or hanging.
“And you are hunting on my lands.”
The boy looked at the pheasants in his hand, his face crumpling. “Me sisters and mamma…they be hungry milord.”
Juliana’s grip tightened on the rifle. The desperation of the boy had an ache rising in her throat. There were so many pheasants, quails, and woodstock in the massive woods of the earl’s estate. Surely a few birds need not be reported. The boy’s clothes and boots were threadbare with holes in them, and the thin jacket he wore was bare protection against the cold.
“My lord—” Juliana began, only to stop when he held up a hand.
“You are trying to provide for them?”
“Yes, milord.”
“My game warden is Mr. Colby. You’ll let him know that you have my permission to hunt these lands whenever in need.”
Shock slackened the boy’s jaw before his eyes burned bright with hope. “Milord?”
“And you can have these,” Juliana said, shrugging from her shoulder the burlap back with their catch of the day. “Perhaps you have neighbors who might also be in need?”
The boy nodded eagerly. “I do, sir.” He hurried over for the bag, and he kept sending the earl careful stares as if he were in disbelief of his fortune.
“You might also hunt some more today,” the earl offered. “I assume your family is large?”
“Four sisters, my lord, and me mama.”
“It is honorable that you take care of them even with such risky ventures. You seem very able with that slingshot. To have brought down three pheasants with it is no easy feat. Mr. Colby has been looking for a lad of your skill to assist him with his duties. Tell him that I recommend your services, and you are to be hired.”
The boy scrubbed a hand over his face, and when he spoke, his voice was thick. “Yer lordship…I…do not know what to say.”
“Nothing is needed.”
The boy bobbed. “I’ll hurry to tell me ma the news, your lordship.” Then he ran through the woods with nimble speed.
The earl turned to her. “The sky is looking angry, lets—” He faltered and arched a brow. “Why are you smiling at me so? And why in God’s name are there tears in your eyes?”
“You were wonderful,” she said huskily.
“It was a simple matter, not deserving of such attentions.”
“You are wrong, my lord,” she said with quiet earnestness. “Since living in England, I have read in the newspapers of boys as young as twelve being hanged for stealing food or game on private lands. He believed you would have him arrested, but instead, you offered him hope and a chance at a future. I…you were kind, thoughtful, and honorable in a situation where many others before you have acted with anger, and rank disregard for the sufferings of others.”
He stared at her as if he didn’t know what exactly to make of her.
“I—”
Whatever the earl was about to say was lost in a sharp crack of thunder, and the sky opened.
“Your prediction of an hour is woefully wrong,” she cried, immediately shivering under the icy droplets.
The earl hurried over, grabbed her by the waist, and helped her atop the horse.
“There is a recently vacant groundsman’s cottage nearby, we’ll take shelter there,” he said, releasing her and rushing to his horse.
Once he mounted, she urged her horse in the direction the earl went. The strength of the rain was shocking, but not entirely unexpected for October weather.
They cantered through the woods at a brisk pace in the driving icy rain, allowing the horses to pick their way to shelter. Neither beast nor human wanted to be out in this weather any longer than necessary. The scents of damp horses, wet leaves, and the old mulch of the forest permeated her nostrils, exhilarating her. It made her aware of how good it was to be alive and feel with all her senses. Only the crack of lightning and the regular beat of the horses’ hooves broke the silence around her. The denizens of the wood, animal and foul, had sought shelter from the powerful storm.
The rain lashed through her clothes, soaking her hair and running inside her garments to chill and trickle down her skin. Juliana had no thoughts of discovery, only an enjoyment of the freedom of nature around her and her lord’s company. Even the discomfort from the cold, drenching rain could not dent her happiness. The ride seemed unending but only took a few minutes, for time had stopped for Juliana.
They cleared a final cluster of trees, and a clearing became visible through the darkening deluge of rain. In its center stood a picturesque cottage. The thatched roof patterned with care and pride by a true craftsman. The walls whitewashed and part timbered in blackened oak. The cottage was surrounded by a garden and had a mostly barren vegetable patch to one side. Although few flowers bloomed, she imagined in spring and summer it would be a delight. There would be climbing roses creating a bright splash of many-colors that would only add to the beauty of the scene.
It was breathtaking, even suffering the vagaries of the weather with such an intense thunderstorm. The perfumes of wet mint and other herbs drifted on the air while the earl headed to a newer structure behind the cottage. A small barn or stable had been built behind the cottage, and he rode to offer shelter to their steeds first. The earl jumped down, pushing the large doors open to allow the horses room to enter. Juliana followed her master, leading her soaked bay gelding behind the chestnut stallion the earl had ridden.
Inside, the earl had already lit a lamp and was now unsaddling his horse. Juliana did the same with her own mount. She began to rub him down with some clean straw, for she could not spot brushes or combs to groom him properly. There were three stalls, so she led the horse to one and then looked around for feed or hay. She noticed some hay, although it was not of the best quality, the horse seemed prepared to eat it, given there was nothing better. The earl had dealt with his steed in a like manner, and then he headed from the outhouse with two empty buckets. Juliana watched as he scooped water from a horse trough she had not noticed before. He carried the water to each horse, shutting the stall gates behind them. He then picked up the lit lamp and headed back to the doors, with Juliana following.