Borrowed Dreams (Scottish Dream Trilogy) by May McGoldrick, Jan Coffey, Nicole Cody, Nikoo McGoldrick, James McGoldrick Page A
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are.”
She stopped, feeling like a liar
for not speaking the whole truth. For a moment, she vividly recalled a time
when she herself had sat inside the carriage, battered by Wentworth, desperate
to hide her face from the prying eyes outside the door. Hiding the truth had
always been Millicent’s way of avoiding the embarrassment of her husband’s
horrible treatment. But the Earl of Aytoun’s condition was nothing like hers.
“I am sorry, m’lord. I was acting
without thinking.”
She drew back and sat on the edge
of the seat. “Your steward was kind enough to get involved with a problem I had
with one of my workers. He should be back momentarily.”
“ Gibbs !”
The man’s shout in the confined
space of the carriage was startling. A vision of Squire Wentworth with the
veins bulging in his neck, with his clutching hands reaching for her face,
flashed before Millicent’s mind. She quickly buried the terrifying image in the
recesses of her mind. With her heart pounding in her chest, Millicent quelled
her impulse to fling open the door and leap out. Through the small window, she
could see the curious glances of the servants in the courtyard.
“I told you that he would be coming
back shortly, m’lord,” she said, keeping her tone reasonable.
“ Gibbs !”
The impotent fury that laced his
shout drew Millicent off the edge of the seat. She crouched beside him again.
“Tell me how I can help you. It is
your arm, is it not?” This time she didn’t bother to ask for his cooperation.
Instead, looping an arm around his waist, she desperately tried to shift him
enough to free the arm. She just could not muster the strength to move him. And the earl was doing nothing to help her. Nonetheless, she continued to try.
When Gibbs yanked open the carriage
door a minute later, Millicent’s hair had already escaped the tight bun on top
of her head, her dress was crumpled and twisted, and her body was tangled on
the floor with the Earl of Aytoun’s. Out of breath, her face flushed, she
looked up at the manservant, who stopped to stare with one eyebrow raised.
“Pardon me, m’lady, I didna know ye
planned to start your honeymoon quite so soon.”
CHAPTER 5
“There is no physician traveling
with them,” Millicent advised the housekeeper a few minutes later as they were
heading toward the kitchen. “But Mr. Gibbs informed me that a Dr. Parker will
be coming once a fortnight from London and will remain with us overnight. So
for the moment, I should like to put Ohenewaa in the chamber you’ve prepared
for the doctor.”
To Mary’s credit, she never even
batted an eye at the suggestion of putting the woman in one of the guest
bedchambers.
“She needs a bath, m’lady, and some
clothes. Violet tells me that on the ride up from London, the woman scarcely
spoke a word. One of the girls was able to spoon some broth into her when she
was just coming around, but as soon as she knew which end was up, the poor dear
went back to her place by the kitchen door. Curious thing, though, as quick as
word went round that she was here, I’ve had more field hands poking their heads
into that kitchen to see her. But still she continues to stare at the wall. If
you don’t mind my asking, m’lady, who is she?”
“I believe she is seen as someone
very special. I don’t know her entire history, but I do know she belonged to a
physician named Dombey, who traveled on many slave ships and lived in Jamaica between his travels. Before I even went to London, I had heard numerous stories of
this woman’s courage. Even as Dr. Dombey’s slave, she was well known for the
many ways she helped people on the sugar plantations there, my late husband’s
included.”
In the kitchen, Mrs. Page went off
to organize her staff of workers. Millicent was relieved to see Amina already
there and speaking quietly with the old woman. Married to Jonah last summer,
the younger woman was quickly becoming Mary’s right hand in running the
She stopped, feeling like a liar
for not speaking the whole truth. For a moment, she vividly recalled a time
when she herself had sat inside the carriage, battered by Wentworth, desperate
to hide her face from the prying eyes outside the door. Hiding the truth had
always been Millicent’s way of avoiding the embarrassment of her husband’s
horrible treatment. But the Earl of Aytoun’s condition was nothing like hers.
“I am sorry, m’lord. I was acting
without thinking.”
She drew back and sat on the edge
of the seat. “Your steward was kind enough to get involved with a problem I had
with one of my workers. He should be back momentarily.”
“ Gibbs !”
The man’s shout in the confined
space of the carriage was startling. A vision of Squire Wentworth with the
veins bulging in his neck, with his clutching hands reaching for her face,
flashed before Millicent’s mind. She quickly buried the terrifying image in the
recesses of her mind. With her heart pounding in her chest, Millicent quelled
her impulse to fling open the door and leap out. Through the small window, she
could see the curious glances of the servants in the courtyard.
“I told you that he would be coming
back shortly, m’lord,” she said, keeping her tone reasonable.
“ Gibbs !”
The impotent fury that laced his
shout drew Millicent off the edge of the seat. She crouched beside him again.
“Tell me how I can help you. It is
your arm, is it not?” This time she didn’t bother to ask for his cooperation.
Instead, looping an arm around his waist, she desperately tried to shift him
enough to free the arm. She just could not muster the strength to move him. And the earl was doing nothing to help her. Nonetheless, she continued to try.
When Gibbs yanked open the carriage
door a minute later, Millicent’s hair had already escaped the tight bun on top
of her head, her dress was crumpled and twisted, and her body was tangled on
the floor with the Earl of Aytoun’s. Out of breath, her face flushed, she
looked up at the manservant, who stopped to stare with one eyebrow raised.
“Pardon me, m’lady, I didna know ye
planned to start your honeymoon quite so soon.”
CHAPTER 5
“There is no physician traveling
with them,” Millicent advised the housekeeper a few minutes later as they were
heading toward the kitchen. “But Mr. Gibbs informed me that a Dr. Parker will
be coming once a fortnight from London and will remain with us overnight. So
for the moment, I should like to put Ohenewaa in the chamber you’ve prepared
for the doctor.”
To Mary’s credit, she never even
batted an eye at the suggestion of putting the woman in one of the guest
bedchambers.
“She needs a bath, m’lady, and some
clothes. Violet tells me that on the ride up from London, the woman scarcely
spoke a word. One of the girls was able to spoon some broth into her when she
was just coming around, but as soon as she knew which end was up, the poor dear
went back to her place by the kitchen door. Curious thing, though, as quick as
word went round that she was here, I’ve had more field hands poking their heads
into that kitchen to see her. But still she continues to stare at the wall. If
you don’t mind my asking, m’lady, who is she?”
“I believe she is seen as someone
very special. I don’t know her entire history, but I do know she belonged to a
physician named Dombey, who traveled on many slave ships and lived in Jamaica between his travels. Before I even went to London, I had heard numerous stories of
this woman’s courage. Even as Dr. Dombey’s slave, she was well known for the
many ways she helped people on the sugar plantations there, my late husband’s
included.”
In the kitchen, Mrs. Page went off
to organize her staff of workers. Millicent was relieved to see Amina already
there and speaking quietly with the old woman. Married to Jonah last summer,
the younger woman was quickly becoming Mary’s right hand in running the
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