The Trouble with Lords-Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Lydia Hardsgrove, one of the inhabitants of Little Hetwidge, did not believe in the stories of Brantwell hall. She knew for a fact that the current lord was not a hideous monster as some would believe or at least he hadn’t been ten years ago when she last saw him at the age of eighteen. To her he had been a hero since she was twelve and over the years she would get glimpses of him riding down the road from the castle into the village on his way to London and he seemed so happy and free and full of life. She always wished she could be that free but she knew that would never happen since she wasn’t rich like him and she was also female, which to her felt like being in prison and no sense of freedom. Her father owned the local bookshop and so she grew up loving the world of books and the escape they offered. She would sit in the shop for hours with her father and just read all the books that he had and escape to wonderful countries like India and China and never have to leave the little town she loved so much. Her mother had passed away when she was twelve so her father was left raising her and to Lydia he did a wonderful job and there were some things she had to learn from the ladies of the village but they all took her under their wing and made sure she learned all that she needed to know and if curiosity got the better of her she would sneak to the back of the shop and find the books that her father would say were forbidden.  Her father had also passed six months ago so the village felt the devastation of losing two wonderful men in just a space of a few days.  Many mourned the losses in their own way and the people of the village tried to help Lydia any way that they could except for one.  Sir Cranwell, who was once a friend of her father’s,  paid his respects on the day of the funeral and about three months later he came to Lydia and started asking her to marry him and she kept refusing him.

She had at first liked Sir Cranwell and respected him due to his former friendship with her father but he was twenty years older than her and she didn’t love him and she didn’t feel it was right. She had been engaged once but her fiancé had left to fight in the war and had not returned so she had presumed that he had died and with his death she swore she would not let her heart be broken again and that she would dedicate her life to her father and to the shop. She thought that her life would be content with these two things in her life but sometimes she did wish for more.

One day as she was sitting in the shop waiting for customers to come and purchase books she looked out the window and up the hill to where Brownley hall was and thought about Lord Brantwell and how he must be feeling with the loss of his father. She knew he must feel devastated just as she did, but she wondered if he was truly okay and she thought maybe she could cheer him up and take up some of her favorite books as a gesture of kindness and see if he remembered her.  For the past few days it had been cloudy and raining and she had stayed inside but today it was a beautiful sunny day so she picked out a few of her favorite books and put them in her satchel and walked to the door and went out and turned around and locked the door and posted a sign saying that the shop would be closed for the rest of the day but she would be back tomorrow. As she was walking along the road she saw Mrs. Wilkerson, the town gossip. 

            “Oh, no.” She thought to herself.  “Please don’t see me. I really don’t want to talk to her today. She is so nosey and if I give anything away about where I am going she will have it spread all over the village by the end of the day and I won’t have any peace.”  But luck was not on her side.

            “Lydia dear, how are you? “

            “Hello Mrs. Wilkerson. I am fine. How are you on this beautiful day?”

            “I’m fine Lydia. I see your shop is closed. Are you unwell?” 

            “No Mrs. Wilkerson. I’m fine. I just thought I would close the shop early and go for a walk since it wasn’t raining and the weather is so beautiful.”

            “Yes, you are quite right. It is a beautiful day. God has decided to bless us with a beautiful day after all that rain. I am very happy with this and I hope it stays like this for a while.”

            “Oh me too, me too. How’s is your daughter Amelia?”

            “She is doing wonderful. Did I tell you that Archibald Desmond is courting her? Mr. Wilkerson and I think he might propose any day now. But you didn’t hear that from me. I don’t want to ruin anything by being too pushy. You should come by the house sometime and say hello to Amelia. I know she would love to see you.”

            “I very much doubt it.” Lydia said to herself but said instead, “I will have to do that Mrs. Wilkerson. Well I should be on my way. I don’t want to waste anymore of this beautiful day. I guess I will see you in church on Sunday if not before.”

            “Yes of course dear. Have a wonderful day and we’ll see you on Sunday.”

            “Good day Mrs. Wilkerson.”  

            “Good day Lydia.”

Lydia headed down the road and down past the end of the village and then made a left to take the road that would lead to Brownley hall and she turned to make sure that Mrs. Wilkerson wasn’t watching her, but by then Mrs. Wilkerson was gone. Lydia breathed a sigh of relief and continued up the road.  As she climbed she started to feel out of breath as if someone was standing on her chest and would not get off. She stopped for a minute and then started back up the road again but as she got closer and closer to the castle she felt like it was getting harder and harder to breathe. She just figured it was due to the higher elevation and just shrugged it off. She stopped at the top of the road for a moment and caught her breath before she headed up the lane.  She thought about turning around and heading back down but she knew that she couldn’t. Something had made her come this far and she knew she couldn’t turn back now. She had made the decision to come to Brownley hall and see Lord Brantwell once again. He might not remember her but she remembered him and she wanted to see for herself if the rumors were true and that the image she had last had of him was not a dream.

Brant stood at the window that faced out over the village and stood still as a statue. He wondered what had happened to himself over the years and would he ever be the same person again?  He had heard the rumors that he was a hideous monster and so disfigured that no one wanted to see him. He had also heard the rumor that he had killed his first wife but only he knew the truth and as far as he was concerned no one would find out what actually happened. That was his cross to bear and bear it he would.  He was deciding whether he should make another trip to London when out of the corner of his eye he spotted movement down on the road. At first he thought his mind was playing tricks on him as it often did but after he fully looked he realized that someone was indeed coming up the road to the castle. He wasn’t expecting anyone and he knew most people would not venture up to Brownley Hall because they feared that it was indeed haunted and they would not come out alive. As he stood there he saw a figure in a white coat come up the road but he couldn’t see their face. 

            “Smithfield.” Brant yelled.

The door to the library opened and Brant heard footsteps behind him.

            “Yes your lordship.”

            “I just saw someone coming up the road to the castle. Go find out what they want and get rid of them. I am not accepting any invitations to any of the so called balls they are planning down in the village. I am not receiving visitors at this time nor at any time. I do not wish to be disturbed.”

            “Very good your lordship, I will see who it is and tell them that you are not receiving.”

            “Thank you Smithfield. Let me know who it was and what they wanted.”

            “Yes your lordship.”

With that Brant heard Smithfield leave the room and heard the door close. 
            “Well that should be easy. I don’t know who would dare come up here without an invitation and I know I haven’t sent out any, nor do I plan on doing so.”

After about five or ten minutes Brant heard the door open once again and footsteps behind him.

            “Well did you get rid of them?”

            “Excuse me, what do you mean get rid of?”

            Brant turned around at the sound of a female voice that did not belong to his butler Smithfield.

            “Who are you and how did you get past Smithfield? Smithfield, get in here now.”

            “I’m sorry Lord Brantwell, I didn’t mean to intrude and I don’t mean to get Mr. Smithfield in trouble. I told him you and I were old acquaintances and that you would see me.” Lydia said.

            “I don’t know who you are Miss and I explicitly told Smithfield not to admit anyone.”

            “I know that your lordship and Mr. Smithfield told me but I told him that I was an exception.”

            “Well I don’t know who you are so you can just turn right back around and leave at once.” Brant said woodenly.

            “I am sorry to intrude. I just wanted to see how you were in person and see if the rumors were indeed true. The last time we met was ten years ago but I didn’t think you would actually remember and I can see that I was right. I also brought you some of my favorite books that I thought you might like. I couldn’t remember if your father had any books here that were for enjoyment or not. And speaking of your father, I am sorry for your loss. I myself just lost my father six months ago.”

            “Thank you for your words but I am fine and I don’t need anyone seeing to my comfort and I don’t need anything to read. I am quite busy with estate business and it takes up most of my time. Now if you’ll excuse me I must get back to business. Smithfield will show you out.”   

            “Very well then, I have come to see what I needed to see and to my chagrin you have indeed changed and for that I am truly sorry. I had hoped you were still the same person I knew ten years ago but I can see now that you have indeed changed. I hope you stay well and succeed in your endeavors. I am sorry to have bothered you, good day your lordship.”

            “Good day Miss?”

            “It’s Miss Hardsgrove.”

            “Good day then Miss Hardsgrove.”

 Lydia turned and left the library and went out into the hallway. She paused for a moment and almost turned back around to say something more to him but she kept quiet and turned around once more and began to leave.  As she was nearing the door she spotted a table sitting in the hallway, she walked over and opened up her satchel and pulled the books out and placed them on the table. 

            “Maybe he will actually get around to reading them some day.” She thought to herself.  She walked out the door and headed back down to the village of Little Hetwidge.