Pascale Duguay by Twice Ruined

Earl could stand up without losing his balance and falling over. He was not the type of person to dawdle his time away doing nothing, and he did not take kindly to being bedridden. If the days seemed long, the nights were almost beyond bearing. It was all he could do to force himself to stay on his side of the lumpy mattress.
    The woman’s real identity was still an enigma to him. However, he learned a great deal more about her personality during the next few days. He may not have been able to see all that she did, confined as he was to the cramped bedroom, but keeping track of her activities proved easy enough as her clear voice carried effortlessly throughout the small cottage or the bedroom’s open window. She was forever bustling about sharing her time between helping Marlow’s wife with household chores, entertaining the four children, and tending to the sick or injured. When she was in his presence, her short frame with its boundless energy and determination seemed to permeate every corner of the small room. She never sat still for more than two minutes at a time, making the Earl wonder how she had managed to remain seated in his phaeton for so long. That ill-advised innkeeper did not know what a bargain he was missing. One small Belinda Fairchild could have replaced his entire staff.
    Of all her talents however, it was her knowledge of herbal remedies that stood out the most. This discovery put to rest the Earl’s fear that she was addicted to liquor when he found out that her valise contained an impressive collection of jars filled with salves and concoctions of all kinds. Her ministrations had certainly done wonders for all of them. Mrs. Marlow had exclaimed more than once that had it not been for Belinda, her husband would have joined the good Lord by now.
    As for the children, they were completely enraptured by the red-haired goddess who never tired of telling them stories or playing games with them. Even the sullen Jessup could not help lighting up when she was around.
    It had not taken the Earl long to figure out that Jessup thoroughly disliked farm work and longed for adventure, hence the reason for their first encounter. He was forever getting into trouble, it seemed. Just yesterday, he had been caught plucking feathers out of some fancy pheasant and had come home displaying a very red ear.
    “Jessup’s not a bad boy, you understand, just a bit restless,” Daddy Marlow had told him. “But this is not a good time for him to be caught at such tricks seeing as we’re new to these parts and not quite known to the local folk yet. But with his Daddy sick the way he was and me not being much use with me bad leg, Jessup’s been left pretty much to his own devices.”
    “I trust he will have learned his lesson and will not attempt to hold up any more carriages,” said the Earl with feeling.
    When Jessup had come to offer his apologies, the Earl found he had a difficult time remaining upset at him. The tall, stocky boy looked anything but adorable wearing worn out clothing that was at least two sizes too small for him, and sporting smudges of dirt on both cheeks. But the Earl had responded immediately to the child’s keen, intelligent eyes. Jessup even offered him a carved horse as a peace offering.
    “Did you make this yourself?” asked the Earl, admiring the craftsmanship.
    “Aye, sir! I used your horses as models. I would’ve painted it, but me dad said as how we couldn’t afford the paint.”
    “Why don’t you look in my travelling case over there. You’ll find a tin of boot blacking. Yes, that’s the one. Would that work as a replacement?”
    Jessup’s eyes lit up. “Aye, sir!”
    “Then take it. It is yours.”
    The boy did not need to be told twice. “I’ll bring back the horse as soon as it’s finished.”
    The Earl watched the boy run out of the room, wondering what his valet would have said had he known that his master had just given away his precious boot blacking to such a scruffy