Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

March, 1954

When the black Rolls Royce pulled into the driveway and slowly rolled up to the main entrance, Arthur Bosworth straightened his back and stoically did his best not to stare at the luxurious car. Though the sun was blinding him, he could spot the chauffeur and three other people. One of the passengers was wearing a hat that had the size of a cart wheel. Well, he thought with a hint of tainted amusement, that certainly wasn’t her.

If someone had only told him that the heiress would arrive with reinforcement! He wasn’t prepared to deal with a second female who would most likely bother him with silly questions or other irrelevant nonsense.

He drew a deep breath to steel himself for the things to come. Somehow he had to deal with her.

The heiress.

Everybody, from the curious maids to the eager solicitors, just used the term heiress to describe the woman whose arrival he was waiting for. Her name sounded too ordinary, too unspectacular to arouse much respect within the community. The woman herself was totally unspectacular and there was nothing wrong with being a nobody, but after having served the great, larger than life Mrs Pumphrey for over a decade it wouldn’t be easy to work for someone so… ordinary and so young. Bosworth was sure, the heiress hadn’t even reached her forties yet. Being too young was rarely a flaw, but in this case it was.

The one time he had met Audrey Hall he had wondered how he should deal with her. A woman who had never got in touch with any kind of wealth before, who worked for a living, couldn’t be cut out to be the next leader of the county. What Darrowby needed was a moral figure, but nothing in her vita suggested that Mrs Hall was the right woman to fill in this position.

She was a widow from Scarborough without any fortune of her own. According to Mrs Pumphrey’s solicitor she had been working in a shop, selling nylons and, god forbid, underwear. ‘Lingerie’ as they called it these days. A word that left him with uncomfortable shivers and flushed cheeks.

However, to his big surprise her manners had proven to be impeccable. He had expected to meet some brazen hussy, but had been in for a disappointment when he had laid eyes on her. To call her handsome wouldn’t do her justice. Her good looks, from her clear eyes to her high cheekbones and her swan-like neck, were nothing she toyed with like other women, especially those who had the means to show off. Her beauty was more subdued, even hidden under a severe hairdo and perfectly ironed clothes.

Another thing that had astonished him had been her genuine kindness.

However, during their brief conversation it had quickly become obvious that she hadn't the first idea about running a big estate like Pumphrey Manor. How and why the late Mrs Pumphrey had chosen someone like her as her heiress was a mystery to him. It made no sense whatsoever. As far as he knew Mrs Hall had never been to Darrowby before and that she was a distant cousin of the late Mrs Pumphrey and apparently her only living relative couldn’t have been the reason for the decision.

Bosworth was still convinced that it was all a big balls-up. It had to be.

Audrey Hall, whoever she was, was a complete outsider. Picturing her in the magnificent walls of Pumphrey Manor as the pillar of the community was impossible.

As the limousine came to a hold near him, he drew a deep breath and decided to make the best of the situation at hand. Soon, quite soon, Mrs Hall would realise that accepting the inheritance had been a mistake, and would leave again.

He would do his utmost best to help her reach that conclusion.

~~A~~S~~

“Now this is a very nice house,” Dorothy said, as she curiously tilted her head to have a look at the grand front of her friend’s new home. From the looks of it Pumphrey Manor was impressive to say the least. The words ‘grand’ and ‘formidable’ came to mind.

“More a manor,” Audrey corrected her with a smile. “Seventeen bedrooms and 3000 acres.”

“Seventeen bedrooms!” Edward, who was sitting between Dorothy and Audrey looked up to his mother. His grey eyes, inherited from his mother, widened with amazement and his cheeks flushed. “Can I pick me own room?”

Audrey chuckled and stroked over her son’s head, “We’ll see about that.”

The car came to a stop and the chauffeur, a French man, looked over his shoulder and said, “Monsieur Bosworth is already waiting for you.”

“How nice,” Audrey mumbled, forcing a smile on her face. Mr Bosworth was the manager of the estate and when she had met him in the solicitor’s office, he had been mighty full of himself. He hadn’t been unkind, but he had also made it quite obvious that he was calling the shots around the estate, and while she hadn’t been intimidated, the way he had conducted himself had annoyed her.

“Keep smiling, darling,” Dorothy said and Audrey wished it were that easy. “Remember to kill them with kindness.” Compared to her glamorous friend, Audrey felt like a raw recruit. Dorothy, who owned two fashion stores and was always impeccably dressed, would make a better heiress than her.

Audrey was by no means shy and knew how to put up with posh people, but deep in her heart she was a worker. Everything she had achieved in life, was a result of her own hands’ work. She had done nothing to deserve this estate; she hadn’t even known the distant cousin who had passed all this on to her. Why all of this happened to her was still a big mystery and she hoped that the house itself would offer her a clue as to why she suddenly found herself as the owner of a 3000 acres estate and a fortune whose amount she couldn’t even begin to grasp.

The chauffeur opened the car door and Audrey took his hand as she climbed out. It was a sunny day in March, but the air was still cold and she shivered in her thin jacket and envied Dorothy for her warm woollen coat and her gloves. She should have foregone the idea of dressing more nicely than usual, but she had wanted to give the best possible impression on her first visit. So she had dressed up Edward and herself with the result of now having cold feet.

“Mrs Hall.” Mr Bosworth made a small, but ridiculous bow, as if Audrey were a member of the Royal family and she did her best not to look amused by his behaviour.

“Mr Bosworth.” She cleared her throat. “May I present my son Edward and my good friend Mrs Walker.”

Bosworth blinked hectically, but nodded at both of them. Dorothy with her big hat and the high heeled shoes clearly irritated him, and it took him a moment to recover from the shock of coming face to face with her. Then he returned his attention to Audrey. “We’ve prepared everything for your arrival. I hope everything will be to your satisfaction.”

“I’m sure it will be,” Audrey answered. As Bosworth turned his back on her, she nervously looked over her shoulder to meet Dorothy’s gaze, before she followed him through the big front door.

Edward couldn’t hide his excitement when they entered the long, majestic hallway. “Look at this, Ma!” He yelled as he whirled around and almost bumped into a big floor vase. Dorothy laughed, but Audrey quickly told her son to stop it and ordered him to join her. Bosworth’s disapproving glance hadn’t gone unnoticed by her and she didn’t wish for him to think she couldn’t control her own child.

As they followed him down the spacious hall, the manager babbled about the countless framed pictures and statues that lined their way to the salon, but Audrey didn’t really listen to him. It was all too much to take in and it made little sense that all of this was hers to keep. The last time she had seen so much art gathered in one place had been in a museum.

“That’s such a beautiful place,” Dorothy whispered and Audrey wondered who was most excited about the prospect that she was now the owner. Dorothy was her oldest and best friend. Without her, she would have ended up on the streets after the war when she had been a widow with a baby to feed. After her husband hadn’t returned from his mission in the Normandy, Dorothy had given her a job and Audrey had done her best to repay her friend’s kindness with a strict work ethic and devotion.

Bosworth opened a big double door and a spacious room with big windows spread out in front of her. “The salon,” he explained. “Mrs Pumphrey used it as her study and received her tenants here. It has a nice view across the garden.”

Audrey spotted the tidy, big desk made of mahogany. The chair behind it alone looked like a throne and she wondered if she would ever be able to sit in it without feeling intimidated by the responsibility it harboured.

Bosworth pointed at the sofa and the armchairs near the fireplace. “Tea?” Without waiting for Audrey’s answer, he turned to Francois and ordered tea and sandwiches.

Audrey gasped and looked at Edward. “And a glass of warm milk for my son,” she added.

Francois made a bow. “Of course, Madame.”

Dorothy cleared her throat. “What a lovely room. It’s perfect to rule over a kingdom.” With a nonchalance Audrey admired, her friend dropped down on the sofa and took off her gloves. “What a place to be!”

~~A~~S~~

Siegfried Farnon was sitting in his 1935 vintage Rover and stuffed his pipe. A glance at his wrist watch told him he had five minutes left before the school bell would be ringing, which gave him time for a little break. He usually didn’t pick up his little brother from school, but he had just returned from a farm call and the school building lay on his way back home. The way to Skeldale House wasn’t far, but he had seen very little of his little brother during the last couple of days. His occupation as a vet demanded a lot of attention and the lambing season was just beginning, yet he had been called out every night for the last week and during the day he was either working in the surgery or he was out in the Dales, treating cattle or horses. As a result his little half brother came off raw.

Lately someone had suggested he should hire an assistant, but he didn’t like having another person to worry about under his roof. Last week he had finally hired a new housekeeper who at least took care of the house and made sure there was a warm meal on the table for him and looked after Tristan when he was out. The boy needed supervision more than anything else. He had a heart of gold and a good head on his shoulders, but he preferred to use his brain to get up to some nonsense instead of studying.

It wasn’t that Siegfried didn’t understand his brother, but he was responsible for him. Without a father or mother to raise him, Siegfried was everything Tristan had left and he had to make sure the boy received a good education and would grow up to become a responsible acting human being. He wasn’t sure he was a good example to live by, but he tried hard.

As the smoke of his pipe cloaked him in, Siegfried closed his eyes and indulged in the soothing effect of the tobacco. He would like a whisky and there was a flask in his medical bag in the trunk, but he tried to keep his vices in check lately. For Tris, for himself, and the sake of his practice. A drunk vet wasn’t a good vet. Drunk people made mistakes he couldn’t afford to make.

A couple of minutes later, he heard the school bell and spotted Tristan as he crossed the school yard. The boy, lanky and freckled, was chatting with his fellow schoolmates. Siegfried hooted to get his attention. Tristan looked up, startled, and quickly bid his friends goodbye.

“Hop in,” Siegfried said as he started the engine.

“What’s wrong?” Tristan asked and stared at Siegfried.

“Nothing. What should be wrong?” Siegfried wondered, irritated that Tristan wasn’t happy about being collected from school.

“The last time you picked me up from school, Pa had died,” Tristan answered bluntly. “What is it now?”

Siegfried frowned. He hadn’t thought about it, but this was another reminder that when it came down to it, Tristan was a sensitive child and more perceptive than Siegfried gave him credit for.

“No one’s dead,” he said in a shaking voice. “I was just passing by and thought I could pick you up. Let’s go home and have some lunch.”

After a short hesitation Tristan climbed into the seat and pressed his school bag between his feet.

“What’s it for lunch today?” Tristan asked.

“I don’t know,” Siegfried admitted. “But I’m sure Miss Harbottle will do her best to present us with a feast.”

Tris made a face. Miss Harbottle was the third housekeeper his brother had hired during the last couple of months. She was a good cook, Tristan had to give her that, but since her arrival the week before she had also ruled their household with an iron fist. He hadn’t been allowed to do his homework on the sofa and she never let their dog Jess keep him company while he was studying. The golden retriever always had to lie in her basket in Siegfried’s study or was outside in the shed with the other resident animals.

“Alright.”

“How was school today?”

“Fine, I suppose.” He shrugged. “I’ve got to write a paper about frogs.”

Siegfried smiled. “But you like frogs.” It made him proud that their father’s love for animals was as alive in Tris as it was in him.

“I do,” Tristan confirmed. “But I’ve got to draw one and I already know Miss Harbottle will make a big fuss when I bring one in.”

“Oh, come on. She isn’t that bad.”

“She’s a tyrant,” Tristan moaned. “She never allows me to play with Jess.”

“You mean she insists you do your homework first,” Siegfried argued. “I asked her to look after you when I’m gone.”

“I’m perfectly able to look after myself.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Eve never told me how to do my homework. And she never sent me up to my room without reason!”

As always when someone mentioned his late wife’s name, Siegfried felt a lump in his throat. Evelyn Farnon had died about two years ago when Tris had only been eight years old. Tristan had loved Evelyn to pieces and vice versa and her loss had hit him hard, even harder than the loss of their father two years prior to Evelyn’s death. “No one’s like Evelyn,” he said, hoarsely. “We’ve got to live with that, Tris.” He had a hard time believing that Miss Harbottle used to send Tris into his room without a reason. Surely he was exaggerating, because he didn’t like the new addition to their household.

The brothers lapsed into silence and when they reached the backyard of Skeldale House, Siegfried faced his young brother with earnesty. “I know it’s not easy, but we can’t afford to lose another housekeeper, Tris. We need extra help in the house and the practice. I can’t do it on my own.” Hearing his own admission was harder than expected and he fixated the barn door, afraid to face his brother, afraid to show even more weakness.

Tris, still pouting, nodded. It wasn’t that he didn’t know this. But why couldn’t they find someone nice for once? All the housekeepers his brother had hired since Eve had died had been either too old, too strict, or both. Miss Harbottle was just the last one in a long line of old bats who pushed him around.

“Do you like her?” Tristan asked.

“Miss Harbottle?”

“Aye.”

Siegfried shrugged. “She seems nice… and she’s really tidy and she cooks a good stew. What more can we ask for?” That was truly all he knew about his new housekeeper and so he tousled his brother’s hair. “I’ll tell her that Jess is allowed to stay with you when you do your homework. Alright?”

“Really?” Tristan sounded doubtful.

“I promise, but about the frog…”

Tristan rolled his eyes. “Alright… I’ll draw it outside.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.” Tristan smiled, secretly crossing his fingers behind his back.

~~A~~S~~

At Pumphrey Manor Arthur Bosworth kept lecturing Audrey and Dorothy about the estate while Edward was outside in the garden, playing with a football. Bosworth told them explicitly and lengthily about the bookkeeping and the arrangements with the tenants. Audrey didn’t mind a thorough briefing but Bosworth was a tedious explainer and soon she felt how her mind wandered off to other topics. As she took in the details of the sun-flooded salo, her eyes fell on a couple of photographs that showed her late cousin.

“Mr Bosworth,” she said as he was about to open yet another folder with contracts. “One moment, please.”

He frowned, unhappy to have been interrupted. “Yes?”

“There’s something I have to ask you. Something the solicitors have told me about.”

“What could that be…?”

“My late cousin insisted I not only look after her estate,” she took the latest folder out of his hand. “But also wanted me to look after her pets. Now we’ve been here for a couple of hours now and I haven’t seen one of them. Where are they?”

Bosworth swallowed and his face changed into the shade of maroon. “The pets…” He cleared his throat. “Yes.”

“Yes.” Audrey smiled gently at him. “Where are they? And how many are there?”

“I honestly expected to enter a zoo after everything I had heard about the last will,” Dorothy agreed.

“Well, the pets are in the stables.”

Audrey furrowed her brows in response. “So, there are horses…”

“Yes, a couple of horses,” Bosworth said. “And some cats… and two dogs.”

“And Mrs Pumphrey kept all of them in the stables?” Audrey asked, puzzled. Alone in this room she had seen five framed pictures of her late cousin with her lapdog, not to mention the big oil painting that showed her with the same pekingese amidst a crowd of cats. It was hard to believe that an avid animal lover had kept them all in the stables.

“No, she didn’t, but after her demise we decided to move them… We couldn’t have them stray across the house.”

“Well, I wish to see them,” Audrey said. “After all she wanted me to look after them.”

Bosworth blew his cheeks. “I think we should first discuss the necessary…”

“I think this is necessary. I want to see them now,” Audrey declared, sternly. The way Bosworth tried to force his will on her, got onto her nerves and she also had the feeling he tried to hide something from her. “I think we’ll have plenty of time to talk about the paperwork.” With force she closed the folder and dropped it onto the shining surface of the desk.

Dorothy, proud her friend was putting her foot down, smirked, and gave Bosworth a look that left him with our other choice, but to give in. “I agree. Plenty of time.”

Audrey went to the big french door and called for Edward and then she turned to Bosworth, “You lead the way.”

~~A~~S~~

Unhappy with the task ahead, Bosworth led the trio to the stable building. Audrey noticed how tidy everything was and vowed to let the staff know how much she appreciated their effort.

She shivered in the weak spring sun, but Edward enthusiastically galloped across the yard. Dorothy wrinkled her nose as they entered the stable building and Audrey smirked. Several stable boys were staring at them as Bosworth led them through the building. They passed several horses, but there was one that caught Audrey’s special attention. The black stallion with the white blaze snorted loudly when the manager passed him and Bosworth frowned visibly and didn’t dare to move forward.

“He doesn’t like you,” Dorothy stated the obvious.

“He’s a beast. Mrs Pumphrey only kept him, because the mad vet convinced her he was worth it.”

“What’s his name?” Audrey asked, fascinated by the horse. She had never seen such beauty before.

“Farnon. Siegfried. Don’t ask. He’s a maniac just like that one here!” Bosworth pointed exasperatedly at the horse.

“I think she meant the horse,” Dorothy said and rolled her eyes.

“Err… River.”

Dorothy, intrigued by the description of the ‘mad vet’, arched her eyebrow. “In what way is he mad?”

“Because he’s bonkers! Rogue! Insane!” Bosworth spat.

Audrey had barely listened to the little exchange, because she had been too mesmerised by the horse. She made a step forward and stretched out her hand.

“Don’t!” Bosworth yelled, but Audrey didn’t pull back and allowed the horse to sniff at her hand.

“I served in the wrens. We had horses on board our ship,” Audrey said. “I’m not scared of them.”

He still frowned, appalled, but the horse allowed Audrey to touch his nose. “Good boy,” she said in a low soothing voice. River bowed his head and Bosworth gasped in surprise. “No one ever touches him.”

Audrey just smiled and shrugged.

“Ma?” Edward’s voice was almost a whisper. “Can we go and see the cats now?”

“Sure, we can.” Audrey patted River’s nose one last time, before they continued their way. In the last box on the right side, they finally found what they had been looking for. In the box they found two dogs and three cats. One pekingese Audrey recognised from the photos in her cousin’s salon looked especially pleased to see them. The other, a much bigger German shepherd, barked excitedly and the three cats quickly climbed up the wooden enclosure.

The box was tidy and the hay as well as the blankets in the boxes looked clean, but the smell of the place was still appalling.

“How long have they been in here?” She asked Bosworth, trying not to sound accusing, but the expression on his face told her that her good intentions had failed. He was clearly miffed by her question.

“Since the funeral…”

“But that was weeks ago,” Dorothy said and Audrey shook her head in disbelief. “Can we get them out of here, Ma?” Edward looked pleadingly at his mother. “It’s cold here.”

“We will,” Audrey said. “But first they’ll all need to have a nice bath.”

“May I suggest…” Bosworth started, but one look of Audrey silenced him efficiently. “I think someone should have a look at them. What was the name of the vet again?”

“Siegfried Farnon, but he hasn’t been here since Mrs Pumphrey died and I strongly suggest calling someone else. There are a couple of vets who…”

“Well, my cousin entrusted him with her animals and I don’t see why we should change that. Call him and ask him to come round as soon as he finds the time.”

“But, Mrs Hall…”

Audrey locked eyes with Bosworth, determined not to let him win this fight. “Call him or I will. What do you prefer?”

Bosworth huffed and puffed, but eventually he nodded. Aware that this had just been her very first battle for the upperhand, Audrey opened the box and entered it. Immediately both dogs and two of the cats rushed towards her. The third cat, an orange tabby with a tail that was way too short for her body, remained in her position of attention until Edward carefully entered the box. Then she jumped down to him and winded herself around his legs.

“I think she likes me,” Edward said with a grin, stroking her back.

“I wouldn’t have guessed,” Audrey joked as she watched her son caressing the cat. Maybe this place wasn’t that awful after all.

~~tbc~~

Chapter Text

After dinner Dorothy and Audrey settled down in the library, where Francois had lit a pleasant fire. The evening was chilly and Audrey rejoiced in the warmth that spread across the room. Edward was in bed, fast asleep after he had spent the afternoon outside, playing and bathing the pets who had moved back into the house on Audrey’s insistence. The dogs were now peacefully snoring in front of the fireplace while the cats preferred to explore the rest of the house.

After serving them coffee and a brandy, Audrey had dismissed the servant for the rest of the day and was now glad that they were finally on their own. Apparently Francois had been Mrs Pumphrey’s shadow and was used to being available for his employer every hour of every day, but Audrey wasn’t sure she wanted to live like this. It was obvious the house wouldn’t work without a devoted and capable staff, but she wasn’t the kind of person who wanted a factotum around her at all times. She would have to break the news gently to Francois as soon as possible, but for now she just wanted to relax.

“What do you make of Bosworth?” Audrey asked Dorothy who had put up her aching feet on one of the ottoman.

Dorothy chuckled. “He’s such a…snob. I know the kind. Pompous and arrogant until they meet someone superior to them. Then they become bootlickers.”

“He certainly doesn’t feel that way about me,” Audrey commented dryly.

“Oh, he will.” Dorothy twinkled and rubbed her foot. “He wouldn’t be the first who succumbs to your charm. I give him three days before he will worship the ground you walk on.”

Amused, Audrey shook her head and sipped her brandy, which was certainly the most expensive brand she had ever tasted. “I still can’t believe this is our new home. Feels unreal.”

“You’ll get used to it soon enough,” Dorothy assured her and sat up. “What a day!”

“You can say that again.” Audrey noticed that Dorothy’s glass was already empty and offered her a refill. However, Dorothy quickly shook her head and placed her hand over the rim of her glass. She smiled up at her friend. “Better not. This one’s already gone to my head.”

“Alright…” A bit puzzled, Audrey poured herself another drink.

Dorothy watched Audrey as she strolled across the room to check out the books in the countless shelves. Dorothys’ eyes never left her friend, admiring the length of her legs, and the perfect shape of her hips. She almost felt like an intruder as imagined how it would feel to run her hands along her friends’ female curves, exploring and cherishing her. It was a yearning she had fought and repressed for over a decade now, but things had changed between them. With the fortune she had inherited, Audrey didn’t depend on Dorothy’s employment anymore. In a way they were both free now. Free to pursue whatever it was that linked them.

Audrey had taken off her shoes and for the first time since they had arrived she appeared to be at ease. Her fingers ran along the spines of the books, her head tilted, so she could read the titles.

“I think you’ve done brilliantly today.” Dorothy rose and joined her friend. “I think this is the place where you belong.”

Audrey scoffed. “Then you know more than me. At least Edward seems happy. That will probably change when he attends the local school next week.”

“As long as you are happy, Edward will be.”

Audrey smiled at her friend and not for the first time she noticed a certain glitter in Dorothys’ eyes. Unsure how to react, she broke the connection and returned her attention to the books. “Lady Chatterley.” Audrey giggled and pulled out the volume. She had never read it, but her mother had considered it ‘filthy’, which seemed a good enough reason to read it.

“It certainly looks as if someone has read it,” Dorothy said smoothly as Audrey skimmed through the pages. “Scandalous.”

Dorothy placed her warm hand on Audrey’s arm and took the book from her. “Can we talk?”

“Course.”

Dorothy pulled Audrey onto the sofa with her. “There’s something I want to tell you. I wanted to tell you for a long time, but I never knew how…” She broke off and drew a deep breath. Her heart was racing in her chest and the scent of Audrey’s fading perfume was filling up her senses. She shouldn’t have drunk that brandy.

“It’s not like you to be shy,” Audrey joked, hoping to keep the atmosphere light, but she failed. A shadow crossed Dorothy’s face as she spoke again, “Well, there are moments when I am rather shy…even insecure.”

Audrey, who sensed where this was going, held her breath.

“I never dared to say anything, because I didn’t want you to feel you owe me anything or even worse feel forced to respond…” Cautious about every word, every gesture, Dorothy licked her lips and cleared her throat. “But now things are different. You’re your own woman now. You don’t depend on me or any income from me…” She reached out to stroke Audrey’s hair, curling one of the locks around her finger. “You’re so beautiful.”

“Dorothy…” Audrey caught her friends’ wrist and held it gently. Their eyes locked and Audrey saw a profound sadness breaking free as she released her friend’s hand. She was about to break her friend’s heart, but there was no way to prevent the inevitable now.

“I love you, Audrey,” Dorothy whispered under tears. “Ever since I saw you…”

Audrey interrupted her, eager to prevent Dorothy from losing her composure. “I know you do. And I love you, too, but not like that…” Feeling helpless and cruel, she slipped away from Dorothy, hoping the distance could help to reduce the pain of the moment.

Abashed Dorothy lowered her eyes and looked down into her lap. Careful not to stir up any hope in her loyal companion, Audrey refrained from phrasing a lie that would only hurt her any further, “I can’t give you what you want. It wouldn’t be fair… you deserve someone who can fully commit themselves to you.” The truth was at this point in her life, Audrey couldn’t commit herself to anyone, man or woman, but her own son. He was her world, the centre of her being. A pregnant pause followed and then Audrey asked gently. “Can you forgive me?”

“There’s nothing to forgive,” Dorothy sniffed. “I can’t force you to want me the way I want you.” She quickly wiped a tear away and rose. “I think I need to be alone now.”

“Of course.” Audrey nodded, crestfallen that she had broken the heart of her oldest and best friend. She looked after Dorothy as she fled the room and for a long time she just stared into the fire, wondering if she had lost her friend forever.

~~A&S~~

It was almost midnight when Siegfried came home from an emergency call. He dropped his dirty clothes in the laundry basket in the back of the kitchen, made a detour through the pantry to satisfy his late night hunger, and quickly rushed up the stairs. The house was quiet and since Jess wasn’t in her basket, he suspected the golden retriever was sleeping in Tristan’s room.

He tiptoed into the bathroom where he washed away the smell of the cold barn and slipped into his bathrobe. He was absolutely knackered and longed for nothing more than one night of undisturbed sleep. He sighed and a closer inspection of his tired face didn’t help to make him feel better. Did he always have this many wrinkles around his eyes? Since when did his skin look so grey? Repulsed by his own appearance, he switched off the lights.

“Mr Farnon? Is that you?” He was startled when he heard Miss Harbottle’s heavy brogue.

“Yes,” he whispered back. “I’m sorry. It wasn’t my intention to wake you up. Go back to sleep.”

“Is everything alright?” She asked, coming out of the shadows of the other end of the hallway. He had never seen her in her night clothes before and was amazed that she wore nothing but a thin nightgown. Her long brown hair was falling over her shoulders and her smile he detected in the half darkness was sweet, almost coy. The thin fabric left not much of her body to his imagination and for a moment he wondered if she was trying to seduce him.

“Everything’s fine,” he said, unable not to look at her chest. Her breasts, full and perky, showed, asking to be felt. It had been ages since he had shared his bed with a woman and sometimes he longed for a woman’s touch, but in his mind it was always Evelyn. Just like now. Even though his throat was dry and he felt a tingle in his loins, he knew, taking Miss Harbottle up on her offer wouldn’t satisfy him.

“Good night, Miss Harbottle. Sleep well.” He turned away and he heard her steps behind him. Afraid he had to sack the next housekeeper, because she wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer, he opened his mouth. But the scream that followed didn’t come from his lips. It came out of Tristan’s room.

Without wasting another thought on Miss Harbottle and her inviting body, he stormed down the hall. He found Tristan twisted in his sheets, covered in sweat. He was crying in his sleep, crying after Evelyn. As gently as possible Siegfried shook Tristan until he opened his eyes and pulled him into his arms. He felt like crying himself, not just for Evelyn, but for a simpler life, one without the burden of grief and sadness.

“Shussss…” He mumbled as he rocked his little brother. “It was just a dream. Nothing but a dream.”

Tristan sobbed into Siegfried’s shoulder and after a couple of minutes Siegfried felt how his brother’s body relaxed. When Siegfried placed Tris back into his pillow, his face was wet from tears, but his features looked once again peaceful. He had fallen asleep again. Feeling relieved, Siegfried placed a kiss on Tris’ forehead and switched off the lights.

In the hallway he met Miss Harbottle who was leaning against the wall. The expression on her face was earnest. “Is he alright?”

“He will be,” Siegfried answered, more gruffly than intended. “These dreams… they have become rare, but sometimes they happen.” He looked at her. “Where is Jess?”

She blushed. “Downstairs…”

“She wasn’t. I thought she was sleeping in Tristan’s room.”

The silence that followed was long. “Oh well….Perhaps she’s in the shed.”

Siegfried passed her without saying another word, but she must feel his anger radiating from him as he stormed down the staircase. Five minutes later he opened the door to Tristan’s room and let Jess jump on his bed. The retriever cuddled up next to him and closed her eyes.

Miss Harbottle was nowhere to be seen. Grateful he didn’t have to start this discussion in the middle of the night, Siegfried went to bed. Unable to sleep he stared at the ceiling. The silence surrounding him was deafening, but he fought the urge to get himself a bottle of whisky to drown his demons, and when he finally fell asleep a new day was dawning.

~~A&S~~

The next morning Audrey was already having breakfast downstairs in the large dining room when Dorothy finally appeared. Francois and the others had prepared a rich buffet with a typical English breakfast, but Audrey’s stomach was firmly tight in a knot and so she stuck for a cup of tea and toast. Edward had as always indulged into a big bowl of porridge and was once again outside in the garden, exploring the premises. It was a Saturday, so he had two days of joyful freedom left, before he had to join the other children in the local school.

Audrey stole a glance from Dorothy as she filled her cup with tea. She looked awfully pale and tired.

“Do you think they have an alka seltzer for me?” Dorothy asked subdued as she stirred her tea.

Audrey looked at Francois who was standing near the buffet, ready to be of service.

“I’ll get one,” he promised and was gone.

“That brandy of yours is a killer,” Dorothy said after she had taken her first sip of tea.

“I’m sorry. Have something to eat. It’ll do you good.”

Dorothy slowly shook her head. “I don’t think that would be a wise idea. Your carpet looks too expensive to ruin it.”

“I don’t care about my rug. Not as much as I care about you,” Audrey said softly. “I hope you know that.”

“I do,” Dorothy replied. Francois returned with a glass of water and a carbon tablet, both served on a silver tray.

“You’re my lifesaver,” Dorothy complimented him.

“You are very welcome.” He returned to his place near the buffet, but Audrey asked him to look for Edward instead. “I don’t want him to get lost.”

If Francois suspected she wanted to be rid of him, he didn’t show it. He simply made a bow and left obediently.

“You’ll get used to it,” Dorothy said and her face distorted as she gulped down the hangover medicine. “He’s a good egg, I think.”

Audrey straightened her shoulder, eager to address the elephant in the room. “Listen, Dorothy…”

“Audrey…Darling… don’t. I beg of you. No pity. I can stand everything. Disgust. Bigotry, even hate, but no pity. I won’t allow it.”

“I don’t…”

“No, but you feel sorry for me, but I’m not a puppy that has fallen into a puddle. I don’t need picking up. Least of all from you.”

Audrey lowered her eyes. A sadness she couldn’t shake threatened to overwhelm her, but Dorothy had made it clear where she stood, and the last thing she wanted to add was more disappointment, more pain. “What do you need?”

“I think I need some time.” Dorothy put her cup down and added, “Time away from you. I think I’ll leave today. There should be a train back to Scarborough in the afternoon and it’s screaming my name.”

“So early.” Audrey swallowed, but she understood. Out of sight, out of mind didn’t work for her, but if it helped to mend Dorothy’s broken heart, she would support her.

Dorothy rose. “I think the earlier, the better.” Unfazed by all the fantastic food she filled some scrambled eggs and a slice of toast on her plate and settled down again. “I have a business to attend to and I’ve lost one of my managers. I’ll be very busy.” The smile she faked wasn’t convincing, but for the sake of their friendship, Audrey smiled back. “You’ll find a replacement for me in no time.”

“That’s the point…” Dorothy sighed. “I guess I will… and that makes me sad. I’m not ready to let go of you just yet.”

~~A&S~~

Arthur Bosworth heard the dogs barking and frowned. The noise reminded him about the task his new boss had left him with the other day. He still hadn’t called Farnon and he suspected it was the first thing Mrs Hall would ask him once she saw him. Apparently he had misjudged her determination a little. After yesterday he wasn’t sure that wouldn’t sack him on the spot, and so he had to change his strategy in his dealings with her.

A maid let him in and he quickly vanished in the library to use the phone. The vet’s housekeeper answered the phone and he demanded to speak to Siegfried Farnon himself.

“Yes?” Startled by the barking voice in his ear, Bosworth pulled back the receiver. He rolled his eyes and said, “Farnon. This is Pumphrey Manor, Bosworth speaking. We need you here.”

“Who is we?” Siegfried asked. “The last time I checked Mrs Pumphrey was no longer with us.”

“Well, there’s a new owner now. She wants you to check on the animals.”

“Does she?”

“Don’t let me ask you twice, Farnon. She requests you.”

“I’ll be there when I can spare the time.” The beeping tone told him Siegfried had hung up. Typical for him. The man had no manners. Well, he had done his bit and if the vet didn’t show up, Mrs Hall couldn’t put the blame on him. Feeling a bit relieved, he made his way through the hallway up the dining room. The door was open and he spotted both women sitting at the table.

Enthusiastic to show them that life in the Dales meant to start the day early, he wanted to barge in and interrupt their cosy little breakfast, but then he saw something that made him stop dead in his tracks. He held his breath and for a moment he thought he had to faint. He saw hands clasping, lips touching, and heard a sob coming from Mrs Walkers’ throat as she pulled away from Mrs Hall.

“Thank you. I think I’ll go now and pack my things.”

“I’ll ask Francois to take you to the station… I reckon you won’t want me to join you…?” Bosworth noticed the spark of hope that lingered in his employer’s voice and it made his head spin. These two were lovers. He had heard about such things, but he had never… He felt how a drop of sweat trailed down his spine as his mind formed images every rightful man should repress and not indulge in.

“No, better not.”

He mindfully withdrew as he heard the quick steps of Dorothy’s heels on the floor. Thankful that she didn’t notice him as she rushed down the hallway, he took his time to collect his thoughts. The thought that he was now part of an immoral household didn’t bode well with him. His employer was a… he didn’t dare to spell it out. He shivered, he felt sick to his stomach. Too occupied with his moral dilemma, he completely missed Audrey staring at him.

“Good morning, Mr Bosworth.” First he heard her voice, then he saw her. He exhaled deeply and stared at her. Her grey eyes lay questioningly on him. Her smile seemed genuine and there was a softness around her that he hadn’t been aware of.

“Good morning, Mrs Hall.”

“Since when are you here? Why didn’t you come in? Do you want a cup of tea?”

“I was… I just arrived,” he lied and tried to act businesslike. “I talked to Mr Farnon, the vet. He will arrive soon. At least that’s what he promised.”

“Good. Before he joins us I would like you to introduce me to the stable hands. Show me around the yard, please. I’ll just fetch me coat.”

“As you wish.” He watched her as she left, his eyes clinging to her strong pair of legs. His vivid fantasy pictured them as they snaked around the thighs of her naked female friend and he felt a certain heat in his cheeks and within his trousers. Aware his thoughts were unseemly he pulled out his hanky and dried his sweaty forehead. Fresh air would do him good.

~~A&S~~

The door to Dorothy’s bedroom was open and Audrey peeked in. She wanted to make sure Dorothy was alright and had recovered from their last conversation. She knew the idea of a goodbye kiss hadn’t been a good one, but Dorothy had kissed her, before she had been able to refuse her. The feeling of womens’ lips on her mouth had been different from any other. Dorothy’s kiss had been tender, shy, and very loving. She didn’t want to have missed out on it, but that was something she would never share with her friend.

Dorothy’s suitcase lay in the bed, open, and demanding to be filled.

“Are you feeling alright?” Audrey asked softly.

“I am,” Dorothy assured her as she folded a blouse and placed it neatly over a couple of skirts. She had intended to stay on for at least a week and Audrey suddenly remembered that Edward had no idea Dorothy was about to leave.

“What should we tell Edward?” She wondered.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll tell him there’s a problem at home that needs my attention.”

“He will miss you. He only has one godaunt…” Realising she sounded as if she wanted to accuse Dorothy of leaving unjustified, she quickly added, “You’re his heroine.”

Dorothy didn’t look up as she replied, “I doubt he’ll miss me that much. He’ll soon find himself some friends and they will keep him occupied.” With her index finger she pointed at the window behind her. “He already made your butler play football with him.”

Curiously Audrey stepped to the window. Edward was indeed playing football with Francois. He was laughing out loud when we managed to manoeuvre the ball past Francois and the sight of her boy having fun made her happy.

“Bosworth is downstairs, waiting for me,” Audrey said. “I’ll be outside with him for a while.”

“Don’t worry about me. I’m packing while you’ll make him your slave.” She twinkled, but Audrey shook her head.

“Don’t be absurd,” she countered and remembered the strange way he looked at her earlier. “He hates the sight of me.” She went to the door, but Dorothy asked a question that held her back. “Do you know the fairy tale of the Frog King?”

“I do.”

“In the story the princess kisses a frog and he turns into a beautiful prince and then they live happily ever after.”

Audrey arched her eyebrow. “And Bosworth is the prince?” For the first time on this day Dorothy’s laughter was genuine. “Most likely not. He’s more of a toad, but maybe there’s a frog out there for you. One who turns out to be the prince you need.” She made a pregnant pause and then she added warmly, “I want that for you, Aud. I really do.”

Touched, Audrey lowered her eyelashes. “Thank you.” Then she turned around and rushed into her bedroom to fetch herself a warm coat.

~~A&S~~

Siegfried grinned smugly when he spotted Bosworth figure at the stables. The man, posh and loud as he was, was a nuisance. They had served together in the RAF and Bosworth had proven to be stickler for rules without an ounce of courage or backbone.

He slipped out of his car, grabbed for his bag and brown coat, and crossed the yard. Bosworth’s posture straightened distinctively while Siegfried approached him. Siegfried had always found him ridiculous, but at least he wasn’t wearing a uniform anymore.

“Morning, Bosworth,” Siegfried greeted him, the pipe stuck in the corner of his mouth.

“Morning, Farnon.”

Bosworth turned away and a woman appeared in Siegfried’s field of view. For a moment, he was dazzled. Was that the heiress? He didn’t know what exactly he had expected, but he certainly hadn’t been thinking of a woman who could only be a few years his junior - or this handsome.

Bosworth cleared his throat, “May I present Mrs Hall?”

He cautiously stepped back as Siegfried approached her and shook her hand. It was a good handshake, firm and without hesitation. He liked that. “Farnon. Siegfried. Don’t ask.” The expression on her face was amused, almost mischievous. Sure, she had a good sense of humour, he twinkled.

“Audrey Hall. I’m glad you came.”

“It’s been a while since I’ve been summoned,” he responded, giving Bosworth a nasty glance.

“I heard as much. I’d like you to have a look at our… fosterlings.”

“They’re all yours now?”

She shrugged. “Looks like it. My son and I arrived yesterday.”

“I see…well, let’s get inside then. Let’s start with the horses.”

Bosworth blew his cheeks as Siegfried offered Audrey to take the lead and rolled his eyes as he followed them.

“Ah, River, my friend! How are you doing?” Siegfried greeted the stallion with a broad smile. “Long time no see. Did they treat you well?”

“He’s special, isn’t he?” Audrey asked as she watched Siegfried entering the box. The way he spoke with the majestic horse impressed her. He greeted him like an old friend.

“He is,” Siegfried confirmed. “And he’s seen some terrible things.” She watched him as he gently patted the horse’s neck and examined his legs and the back. He was thorough, always inclined to unsettle the stallion as little as possible. It didn’t surprise her that her cousin had entrusted this man with her treasured animals.

“If you will excuse me, please…” Bosworth, apparently feeling redundant, left the stables.

“About time he left,” Siegfried mumbled as he took off his jacket and put on his brown coat.

“You don’t see eye to eye?” Audrey asked.

“Not really. It’s a long story.”

Audrey said nothing and just looked on as he bent down to open his bag. “What the hell…” He barked and quickly bent backwards. Audrey gasped when she watched a bilious green creature jumping up. The frog almost ended up in the vet’s face, but eventually ended up in the hay. River didn’t appreciate his unwanted company and protested with a hoofbeat.

Thinking about Dorothy’s words about the Frog King, Audrey tried to hide a smirk when Siegfried gently caught the amphibian and covered it with both of his hands.

“I think I better get this one outside,” he said apologetically. “I think I need to remind my brother about the handling of these little beggars.”

Audrey chuckled and asked if she could take a look at the frog. Pleasantly surprised that she wanted to see him, Siegfried carefully opened his hand, allowing her a peek. “He’s cute.”

Their eyes met and she noticed the tender expression in his brown eyes. “He is,” he agreed. “A real beauty.” Just like you, he thought.

~~tbc~~

Chapter Text

Bosworth watched the interaction between Mrs Hall and Siegfried Farnon with growing anger. To his annoyance the two of them got along splendidly. The vet had a way with women, he had to give him that. He had known how to lure Mrs Pumphrey into his web and now he tried to do the very same with Mrs Hall as he lectured her about horses and she obediently followed him along as he introduced her to those Mrs Pumphrey had adopted over the years and led her to the paddock.

In the agent’s opinion the horses were one thing. There was something very majestic and sublime about these creatures. What truly annoyed him were the small animals.

The pets.

There was the pekingese called Tricki-Woo that hated him and the feeling was purely mutual. The spoiled mop had once peed at his leg and liked to snarl at him on every occasion. Then there was Clancy, the big German shepherd whose bark was so loud that it always scared him half to death. The cats were alright, he supposed, but all of them had some obscure health issues or liked to claw into people’s clothes. The orange one had ruined his favourite sweater. Keeping them in the stables for the last couple of weeks had saved him from the ordeal of chasing after them. The servants fed them and Francois had walked the dogs as often as necessary. Farnon vastly exaggerated when he claimed the pets had been neglected.

He had done his best to look after the house and the estate as a whole, and he sincerely hoped Mrs Hall would see that - and if she should fail to do so, he hoped for her sake that she would at least have the decency not to mention it.

He should hate to remind her that she needed him more than the other way round. Without him and his knowledge the estate would decline quickly. And then there was his newly discovered insight about her and her little girl friend... Heiress or not, the county and the police wouldn’t look too kindly on her bedroom activities with another woman.

With a sardonic smile on his face and from a safe distance he watched Siegfried Farnon behaving like a peacock around his new boss. If the vet only knew that the new mistress of the manor preferred female attention to those coming from men… This was going to be fun.

~~~A&S~~~

Audrey was standing next to Siegfried at the big fence, watching River and two other horses grazing on the pasturage. The spring sun was glistening and she had to shield her eyes and wished she had taken her sunglasses with her. River, whose true majestic figure was now obvious, fascinated her. He seemed so gentle, yet so strong and he kept looking at her as if the feeling was mutual. She couldn’t help but wonder about his history and why such a beautiful animal was considered ‘a beast’ by her estate agent.

“Mr Bosworth mentioned that there’s something wrong with River,” she said, finding the horse looked perfectly normal as he peacefully trotted over the grass.

“Mr Bosworth doesn’t know the first thing about horses,” Siegfried replied sourly. “But there’s a reason why no one else but Mrs Pumphrey decided to take on River. He’s a veteran of the war. He served in North Africa and almost didn’t make it home.”

She eyed him curiously. “What happened to him?”

“It wasn’t so much the time spent in Egypt, more the transport back. He was at the mercy of people who didn’t care about his well-being. He was beaten and abused. Horses are sensitive creatures, full of passion and trust. Imagine surviving a war only to end up being traumatised by the people who were supposed to look after you.” The way he looked at her, sad and weary, affected her. The man cared and he cared deeply. Something in his dark eyes told her he wasn’t just talking about River, but maybe also himself.

“I served in the Wrens,” she said wistfully, recalling the time of her life before she hadn’t been a wife or mother, and eager to serve her country more than anyone else. “Radio interception…For a while I was stationed in Malta. It…leaves a mark.”

“So, you’ve seen your fair share,” he said, impressed.

She shrugged. She hadn’t been in combat, but after she had returned home she had worked as typist and had written down translation of testimonies from prisoners of war and holocaust survivors. Those were the stories, which had given her nightmares. “And you? You mentioned the RAF?”

“Air defence. I did my best to keep the German Luftwaffe at bay during the blitz. It was…” He paused for a moment, and then admitted, “I got shut down. On rainy days my left shoulder reminds me about a long night I spent in a field near Oxford, unsure whether I would survive or not. I was lucky… eventually,” he smirked upon the irony. It left a mark, she had said, and he agreed. Some marks were more lasting than others though.

Sensing that he wasn’t eager to share more, she pointed at River. “So, what can we do to help this veteran?”

“He needs freedom…air…being outside.” Something we all need, he added silently.

“Can he be ridden?”

Siegfried blew his cheeks, “Few tried, few survived.” He laughed and added, “Seriously, it’s a challenge. He needs to trust the people, before he allows them to get anywhere near him.” She chuckled in a low throaty voice, and he eyed her from head to toe, more and more liking what he saw. The heiress who didn’t look like one was a rare beauty - inside and out. “What about you? Have you ever sat on a horse before?”

“I have,” she admitted. “During the war. A friend of mine…” She looked over her shoulder, suspecting Dorothy behind one of the upper windows. “Well, she gave me my first riding lesson. It didn’t end well though,” she added with a giggle and without going in detail. She had no wish to tell him about her foolish fall from a horse because she had been tipsy from self-made wine.

“MA!” Whirling around when she heard Edward’s panicked voice, Audrey forgot about horses and the memory of the war.

“Ma!!” The boy was running so fast that he was gasping and his cheeks were flushed.

“What is it, Edward?” She asked, worried. As he reached she gently cupped his sweaty cheeks.

“The cat…something’s wrong with her!”

Siegfried, who had watched mother and son with curiosity, was now on alert.

“What cat?” He asked.

“The orange one… the tabby cat. It’s not moving.” Edward staggered, still gasping for air.

“Where is it?” Edward wanted to answer, but then he looked at his mother, unsure whether he should trust the stranger.

“Mr Farnon’s a vet,” Audrey explained gently. “He can help your cat.”

“Under the tree,” he pointed over his shoulder. “In the yard.”

Seeing nothing but trees and hedges, Siegfried smiled encouragingly at the boy, “Show me. After you!”

Edward nodded and stormed back into the direction where he had come from. Siegfried and Audrey exchanged a short look and then they followed him across the slippery grass.

~~~~~A&S~~~~~

From the window above Dorothy was watching the scene with mixed feelings. There was something about the way Audrey conducted herself around this man, the vet apparently, that told her that her friend wouldn’t really be missing her after she had left. It was the little tilt of her head and how she smiled at him that gave away Audrey’s instant attraction to him.

For the last couple of years Audrey’s whole world had turned around her son. After her husband hadn’t returned from the beaches of Normandy, Audrey’s entire life had been focused on Edward and his well-being. This was the first time Dorothy saw her paying attention to a man, and her heart cracked open a little further. She had never stood a chance to win her friend’s love.

With an inward sigh Dorothy let go off the hem of the curtain and turned away. The sooner she left this place, the better.

~~~~A&S~~~~

At Skeldale House Tristan peeked into the backdoor. When he was sure the coast was clear, he slipped inside the kitchen and opened his worn out school bag. After Siegfried had read him the riot act on Miss Harbottle, Tristan had decided the housekeeper had to go and he had immediately started to take certain measures to make it happen. His brother wouldn’t mind finding a frog in his bag, but Miss Harbottle didn’t like animals and jumpy ones she liked even less. It would be too easy.

He smiled when he pulled out a big jar. The frog inside was a beauty. Bright green and very eager to have fun outside the glassy vessel. “I promise I’ll take you back to the pond as soon as possible,” he promised the little one as he opened the lid. “You just have to do me one favour and jump at the right moment” he explained as he carefully lowered the frog inside the bread tin.

A look at his watch confirmed that it was almost time for tea. Miss Harbottle was a stickler for rules and timing. And she liked her slice of bread with marmalade and her cup of tea. He grinned as he pictured her face when she opened the tin and the little green chap would jump right into her face, ribbiting out loudly. The expression on her face would be priceless and he sincerely hoped to be present when the moment unfolded.

“That’s number one.” He rubbed his hands and picked up his bag. “Onto number two…”

As quickly as his feet carried him, he ran down the passage. To his dismay he almost crashed into the housekeeper, who promptly scolded him for running - and his dirty shoes.

“Where have you been now?” She demanded to know when she saw the traces of mud all across the hallway. “Look at your shoes!”

“Homework!” He explained and rushed up the stairs.

“Tea in ten!” She yelled after him. “And don’t forget to do your real homework!”

“And don’t forget to do your real homework,” Tris parroted the housekeeper as jumped up the staircase. He snickered as he slipped inside his room where he produced a second jar from his school bag. Not sure if he should wait until bedtime or if he should just get it over with, he sat down on his bed and looked at the other frog behind the glass. It was the biggest one yet, with strong legs and a very long tongue. He found it beautiful, but Miss Harbottle would be appalled by him. Tris had almost fallen into the pond when he had caught him, but it had been worth the effort. He had really grown to like frogs and wanted to study them - even if he risked the wrath of their housekeeper who had no desire for more dirty laundry or traces of mud on the floor.

His paper was almost finished, but his drawing needed some last finishing touches. It was perhaps the best paper he had ever written for school. Without them he had never had the idea of using them to get rid of the annoying housekeeper. Siegfried had made a big fuss about Miss Harbottle and how much they needed her, but as far as Tristan was concerned, they didn’t need her at all. Siegfried had found another housekeeper before he had met Miss Harbottle and Tris was sure he would find another again.

“She’s a mean toad,” Tristan told the croaking figure in the glass. “You’ll see!”

Then he sat down at his desk and finished the drawing for his paper. Siegfried would be proud enough to forget about the frog in the bread tin - or wherever he would put the other frog. He had caught two just in case the frog in the bread tin wouldn’t be enough to drive her away.

He hadn’t decided yet whether Miss Harbottle should find her nemesis between her underwear or in one of her high heeled shoes…

~~~~~A&S~~~~~

Siegfried’s new patient was called Carrie and this wasn’t the first time he treated her. Mrs Pumphrey had taken her on after her former owner had abandoned her. She had suffered a bad injury on her tail and Siegfried had to perform an operation, in which he had cut off part of it. The result was that the tabby had sometimes trouble with balancing her weight while she climbed on furniture or trees. Today she had tried to jump from one tree to another and hadn’t made it.

Edward had watched her as she had struggled to keep her balance on the branch and eventually had fallen off. As gentle as possible Siegfried had lifted the little body. The tabby was now lying on a blanket on his bonnet and examined her tender limbs. Her whimpering was gut wrenching and he gently shooed her.

Audrey had wrapped her arms around Edward and watched Siegfried as his fingers gingerly touched every inch of Carrie.

“What’s wrong with her?” Edward asked, sniffing.

“I think she has a broken leg,” Siegfried said, his brows furrowed. “And I’m not sure yet, but I think she could suffer from inner injuries…”

“And what does that mean?” Edward asked, scared.

Siegfried hesitated, before he answered. He gently caressed the cat, hoping to put her at ease. “I have to take her to my practice,” he explained calmly and established eye contact with Edward. “Maybe I have to operate on her again.”

“That sounds dramatic,” Audrey said, stroking her son’s hair.

“It’s my work, and yes, it’s a bit dramatic, but I promise to do my best to save her.”

“Can we come and visit her?” Edward, who had inherited his mothers’ eyes and cheekbones, asked in a trembling voice.

“Of course, you can,” Siegfried replied gently and looked up to meet Audreys’ eyes. “I’ll call you in the morning.” The truth was he couldn’t guarantee the cat would live, but his promise to do his very best was solemn. Audrey understood the message and nodded gratefully. “Thank you, Mr Farnon. We’re very grateful to you.”

~~~A&S~~~

“Quite a handsome chap, this vet of yours,” Dorothy mused and sipped her tea. They were sitting in the sun flooded library, where a shy maid had served them tea and scones. Edward was still outside. From her seat Dorothy could watch him as he played with the dogs. The estate was a paradise for a boy like him who loved being outside. And he wasn’t the only one who started to like their new home.

After knowing Audrey for more than ten years, she could tell when her friend was smitten and what she had observed earlier told her that Audrey was indeed smitten by the handsome veterinarian. Maybe she was already falling in love, but didn’t know it yet. The warm expression on her face was telling a story for itself, and her blush had become fierce as she had marvelled about the vet and how he had dealt with the animals that were now in her care.

“Oh, give over!” Feeling caught red-handed, Audrey hid her face behind her tea cup. Dorothy smirked, feeling vindicated. Thankful she had had enough time to swallow down her disappointment about this latest development, she lapsed into silence and ate her scone. Her departure didn’t come one hour too soon. Back in Scarborough she would find a way to distract herself. After all she was a business woman and a handsome one at that. That had to be someone out there who needed someone as she needed them.

Asking Audrey to kiss her just once had been a cardinal error, but it had been her last resort. And although her beloved hadn’t returned her feelings, she would cherish this kiss until the day she died.

“All I’m saying is that he’s handsome. And I have this feeling that no one will have to force him to come back here…”

“My cousin thought he’s a good vet,” Audrey skilfully avoided the elephant in the room. “But Mr Bosworth thinks he’s a buffoon.”

“Mr Bosworth seems to dislike anyone who doesn’t agree with him. If I were the vet I would consider it a compliment.”

“His name is Siegfried Farnon,” Audrey said.

“Quite a name,” Dorothy quipped and put down her tea cup. “Maybe German, but much fancier than Bosworth.” She blinked and decided it was time to collect her things. “Could you ask that musclebound factotum of yours to bring down my suitcases? I don’t want to miss my train.”

“Do you really want to leave?” Audrey asked softly, averting the subject.

“I have to,” Dorothy answered promptly. “Please, don’t ask me to stay. Not if you care for me.”

Audrey nodded pensively. The thought of being alone with her son in this big house scared her, but she didn’t have the heart to make her friend even unhappier than she already was. “I’ll ring for Francois.” She summoned the butler, using the bell near the fireplace and a minute later Francois showed up, expecting to be needed.

“Mrs Walker will leave us. Could you bring down her suitcases. I’ll drive her myself.”

Apparently Francois wasn’t happy with the order and crooked his eyebrow. The gesture amused Audrey and she added, “Please look after my son as long as I’m gone.”

The idea seemed much more to his liking and the butler nodded, “As you wish, Madame.”

~~~A&S~~~

With the cat in his arms Siegfried entered Skeldale House through the backdoor. To his surprise neither his housekeeper nor Tristan were sitting in the kitchen although it was time for tea.

“Miss Harbottle? Tristan?” Curious, he went through to the dining room, only to find it empty. A change of routine always made him wary, and as he travelled the rooms, only to find them all deserted, he called after them, but no one answered. He briefly wondered if they had killed each other, but decided the animal came first. In the exam room he took care of the cat and gave her an injection to ease her pain. After a more thorough examination he came to the conclusion that inner wounds were unlikely, which eased his worries for her life. However, her left foreleg was indeed broken and he applied a splint that would bother her for some time, but there was no way around it. He bedded Carrie in a cage and covered her with a blanket before he placed her close to the oven.

“Sleep it off,” he said and gently tickled her head.

Weary and hungry he went down the hallway and took off his jacket, hoping that there was after all some food waiting for him in the kitchen. As he reached the staircase he suddenly got a hunch that there was no supper prepared for him or anyone else in the house. Next to the bannister he spotted two suitcases, both obviously full.

“Miss Harbottle!” He barked up the staircase. “Tristan!”

Finally he heard steps in the upper hallway. When Miss Harbottle appeared, looking all businesslike in her coat and high heels, he frowned. This wasn’t good.

“Your brother’s in his room. He’s hiding in there with the dog,” she explained coldly.

Siegfried sighed. “What has he done now?” As she stopped right in front of him, her eyes levelled with his and he didn’t miss the angry sparkle in her eyes. With her right eyebrow arched, she pointed over his shoulder.

“See for yourself!” He turned around and all he saw was the open door to his study and the phone nook and both places looked as always.

“I don’t understand…”

“Look at the floor!” She snapped and then he understood. Siegfried spotted the small green figure on the tiles and gasped. Another frog. The one he had found at Pumphrey Manor had found a new home in Mrs Hall’s pond. The little beggar in his hallway croaked and jumped into Siegfried’s study. He reckoned it was a good thing that Jess was in Tristan’s room and therefore had no chance to chase the frog across the house. He rolled his eyes, praying for patience.

“It’s not the only one by the way! There’s an army of them jumping all over the house!” She said with clenched teeth. “One of them was in my bed!” Miss Harbottle glared at him and he said, “I’m so sorry…” He swallowed, trying to think of something that could change her mind. “I’m sure it was there by mistake.” Another look at her sour face told him he was delusional to think an apology could appease her. The woman was on fire and not in a good way.

“Mistake?!” She spat and drops of spit blinded his vision. “There was no mistake! Another one was hidden in the bread tin! Do you think it got locked up in there by mistake?!”

“Most likely not,” he admitted. “But it’s just… a frog. Well, two frogs.” Maybe more. Tristan was the only one who knew.

“I’m leaving, Mr Farnon. I’ve never been treated like this! I expect a reference within a week’s time! And what you owe me for dealing with…” Exasperated, she let her eyes travel across the hallway. “This hellhole of a menagerie!”

Defeated he reached inside his pocket and paid her what he owed her and added a pound - just to make up for the shock.

With her head held high, she thrusted the money into her purse and marched past him. The door fell shut without any further greeting from her and then he was alone.

“TRISTAN!”

Of course, the boy was nowhere to be heard or seen.

While Siegfried stared the front door, wondering what he was supposed to do without a housekeeper, Audrey watched Dorothy as she climbed into the train and waved her goodbye. She had left Edward in the care of Francois, because she wanted to have this moment for herself. Although Dorothy had only spent one night in their new home, she felt safer with her friend under the same roof. Now it was just her and Edward and the handful of strange men they had encountered so far. One of them, Bosworth, wanted to see her fail, and the other one, Siegfried Farnon, got under her skin. Both men were a challenge and only time would tell if she was prepared to deal with either of them.

~~~~tbc~~~~

Chapter Text

At Skeldale House the next morning started with porridge and silence. The atmosphere between the two brothers was tense and Tristan, aware that he had overdone it when he had unleashed his frog army on Miss Harbottle, didn’t push his luck any further and ate his breakfast without losing a word. He hated porridge, but he didn’t dare to complain, because he sensed that Siegfried was still furious with him. Usually his big brother was unable to hold a grudge for very long, but this time it was different, which told Tris that it was best to keep a low profile for the time being. Jess lay at his feet, but to her disappointment no drop of the thick loop ended on the floor. A short time later, Tris silently took her for a walk while Siegfried took care of the dishes.

There was no housekeeper to do these things for them. It was Sunday and with dismay Tristan realised there would be no exquisite Sunday lunch and it would probably take several days if not weeks before Siegfried would manage to hire another housekeeper. The prospect of porridge, bread, and cheese for the foreseeable future was not encouraging, and a hint of regret filled the boy as he chased Jess over meadow.

After Tristan had left the house, Siegfried called at Pumphrey Manor to let them know that Carrie, the orange tabby, was well enough to receive visitors. To his surprise Mrs Hall answered the phone herself and promised to visit the practice as soon as possible. Her announcement made him smile and as he checked his appearance in the small mirror over the sink, he smiled at his reflection. Once he was satisfied with his appearance - his tie was straight and his hair in perfect order - he quickly tried to bring some order into the chaos on the desk behind the examination table, but he had to admit the success was limited.

Half an hour later - Tristan was still out with Jess - the doorbell rang. He opened the door and found himself vis-a-vis Mrs Hall and her son. If possible she looked even lovelier than the day before. Today her hair fell over her shoulders in soft curls and she wore a deep blue costume with a simple golden necklace. He noticed the subtle hint of makeup and completely forgot to say hello. He just stared at her.

“Good morning, Mr Farnon,” she finally said and gently patted her son’s shoulder, signalling him to do the same. Edward quickly mumbled, “Good morning, Sir.” and blushed.

“How nice!” Realising that he was behaving like an idiot, he sobered up. “Come in, please!”

He showed them inside the first exam room where Carrie was lying in her small basket near the warm oven. “Her leg is broken,” he explained as Edward sank to his knees to caress her. “She needs a lot of rest.”

“And what’s this thing around her leg?”

“That’s a splint,” Siegfried explained. “It keeps the leg in the right position to heal.”

“Did you have to operate on her?” Audrey asked curiously.

“No,” Siegfried answered. “Thankfully that wasn’t necessary.”

“Can we take her home?” Edward asked, looking up to Siegfried.

“Not yet, I’m afraid. She’ll have to stay here for a couple of days, because she isn’t allowed to move.”

To his amusement Edward pouted, but his mother seemed relieved. “Maybe we can visit her…” She suggested with a side glance at Siegfried.

He liked the idea and hoped not to show it. “As often as you like,” he said to Edward.

For a moment an awkward silence developed between him and Audrey. She smiled at him and he smiled back, but neither of them knew what to say. Her eyes, grey and mysterious, fascinated him and the sunlight falling through the window danced in her hair. It reflected in a red hair clip right above her ear. He told himself not to think of angels and helos, but he did.

The awkward silence was brutally disturbed when the front door flew open and Jess, covered in mud, stormed in.

“Jess!” Siegfried scolded his dog when she curiously sniffed at Audrey’s skirt. “I’m so sorry,” he said and reached out to pull Jess away. “TOWEL!” He barked, but Tris was nowhere to be seen. He lingered near the doorstep, wondering about the fancy car parked near the front.

“Oh no!” Audrey shook her head and offered Jess her hand. Edward did the same. “We like dogs,” Audrey explained with a smile, and Jess, satisfied and in favour of their visitors, trotted away, her dirty paw leaving traces all over the floor. Tris, now wary of their Sunday morning visitors, hesitated to enter the room.

“This is my brother Tristan,” Siegfried said and rather briskly told Tristan to greet their guests. “This is Mrs Hall, the new mistress of Pumphrey Manor, and this is her son Edward.”

Tristan, aware that he should be on his best behaviour, pulled the flat cap from his head and put on his sunday smile when he bid Audrey and her son a good day.

“So, this is your cat,” Tristan concluded as he watched over Edward’s shoulder. “She’s cute.”

“She fell from a tree,” Edward said, sadly. “But Mr Farnon saved her.”

Tristan nodded, a bit unhappy about how admiringly Edward spoke of his brother. He knew his brother was a good vet. He took care of every wounded animal Tristan had ever brought home with him, but Siegfried was already smug enough about his skills and good deeds.

“Are you the one who put the frog in Mr Farnon’s bag?” Audrey asked with amusement glittering in her eyes.

“That was an accident,” Tristan admitted and felt how he blushed. The frog saga was clearly going to haunt him for some time to come.

“There was an invasion of frogs yesterday,” Siegfried added sourly.

“Sounds mysterious,” Audrey said, curious to learn more, but neither Tristan nor Siegfried seemed keen to provide the whole story. Instead Tristan turned to Edward and asked, “Will you go to the village school?”

“Ma says I have to.” The sad expression on Edward’s face spoke volumes about his true feelings and Audrey chuckled. “Tomorrow’s the day. I’m sure you’ll find plenty of new friends in no time.”

Edward said nothing and Tristan blinked at him. “I’ll help you.”

Siegfried wasn’t so sure if that was encouraging news, but he didn’t want to sound like a killjoy and so he suggested that Tristan should show Edward the barn. “We have a couple of rabbits as resident patients at the moment. Maybe you want to help Tristan to feed them. It’s his job.”

Edward’s face lightened up. “May I, Ma?”

Said shrugged, “Why not?”

“I hope you don’t find me impertinent for suggesting Edward could help…” Siegfried said after the boys had left. “But I thought you might want to join me for a cup of tea.”

“I would love to,” Audrey said, delighted about the offer.

Siegfried picked up the basket with Carrie and led Audrey into the living room.

“I’ll be with you shortly,” he said and placed the basket next to her on the sofa. “She’ll keep you company.”

Then he was gone and Audrey gently stroked the cat’s back. The poor thing was meowing softly and licked over her hand.

While she waited for Siegfried to come back she let her eyes travel across the room. The interior was cosy and simple, nothing like Pumphrey Manor, but it felt homey. Framed pictures and small statues of animals were scattered all around the furniture and she noticed the same face in every second photograph. It was a blonde woman, slender with a captivating smile on her lips. She was rather beautiful and she wondered who and where she was right now.

Siegfried returned with a tray. “I hope I didn’t keep you waiting,” he said as he placed the tray on the small side table next to the sofa.

“Carrie kept me company,” Audrey said and smiled as he handed her the saucer.

“Are you on your own?” She asked him as he added cream to his own cup.

“We are,” he said. “And in case you should wonder, Tristan is my half brother. We have an interesting family history. His mother died shortly after his birth and our father died when he was five.”

“That’s sad,” Audrey mused, as she realised she young boy was an orphan. She thought of Edward who was roughly about the same age.

“It was,” Siegfried admitted and their eyes met. “We took him in. Of course, we did, but it’s not easy to raise a child when he’s your brother.”

The “we’ aroused her curiosity and her eyes fell once again on the nearest photo.

“My late wife,” Siegfried explained when he noticed her interest. “Evelyn died two years ago.”

She gasped. “I’m so sorry…”

“We miss her…” His voice sounded raw. “Tristan adored her.” From the way he avoided her eyes, Audrey could tell that he wasn’t just talking about Tristan. She remembered how he had spoken about River the day before, and again she got the impression that the man cared too deeply for his own good.

“It’s not easy raising a child on your own,” she said pensively. “You try to give them everything, but at the same time you know it’s impossible to fill the void.” He didn’t dare to ask about Mr Hall, but Audrey saw the question written all over his face. “Robert died on Gold Beach…one of his comrades saw him stepping on a mine.”

Siegfried frowned and closed his eyes. “Gosh.”

“They never brought him home,” she added softly. “And six months later I had my Edward. He was born in Malta.”

For a moment they just looked at each other and this time the silence between them was comfortable, almost tender.

In her basket, Carrie yawned and stretched as far as her splint allowed it. Audrey smiled ruefully at the tabby and leaned back, strangely relieved the vet was not married.

~~~A&S~~~

On the outskirts of Audrey Hall’s estate, Arthur Bosworth was slowly waking up. His head was pounding mercilessly and there was some sort of strange fur all over his tongue.
Then the smell of fresh tea and toast hit him and he felt like getting sick. With a sigh he buried his head once more in his pillow. And then it hit him. Why did he smell toast and tea? A glance at his clock told him it was almost eleven o’clock.

Against his instinct to lay completely still, he dragged his body out of bed. On his way through the hall the smell intensified and he forced himself to gulp down the rising bile. As he reached the kitchen he rubbed his bloodshot eyes to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. A woman, dark-haired and with some fantastic curves, was standing at the stove. She wore a pink-coloured ensemble made of wool and his apron. If he didn’t know it any better he would have said, she belonged there. She looked absolutely comfortable and was humming a soft tune.

When she heard him clearing his throat, she turned around and smiled at him. “There you are, sleepyhead!” Her brogue was thick and her voice dark, and he didn’t have the faintest clue of who she was or why she was cooking breakfast in his kitchen.

“Good morning,” he said and looked down on himself. His pyjama top was astray and his bottoms were twisted, his feet bare.

“Right in time for breakfast.” She pulled the pan from the stove, and walked over to him. Her hips moved graciously as she approached him. She was a tad taller than him and giggled when she kissed his lips.

“Did you sleep well?” She wondered, picking a feather from his shoulder and kissed him again. This time longer and with her tongue tracing along his lower lip. “Because I did.” Stunned and without knowing what to do with his hands while hers ran up and down his sides, he coughed. “Did you…find everything?”

“Of course! Why don’t you get dressed and we have breakfast in ten?”

“Breakfast in ten,” he repeated and turned around. As he tapped back into his bedroom, his mushy brain tried to figure out who the woman in his kitchen was, where he had met her, and why on earth, she had kissed him.

~~~~A&S~~~~

After they had finished their tea, Siegfried showed Audrey through the backdoor into the yard to show her where he sheltered the animals in his care. Tristan was busy sweeping the cages, while Edward cleaned the bowls and filled them with water and hay. He was most eager to help and Audrey noticed his interest in the work with amusement.

“We’re almost ready,” Tristan said, eager to show some preemptive obedience.

“You’re a hard worker,” Audrey remarked kindly.

“He’s just showing off,” Siegfried quipped.

Tristan gave him a nasty glance, but didn’t phrase a retort. The lady seemed to like him, and he wanted it to stay that way. Audrey curiously looked over Edward’s shoulder as he opened a cage and added a bowl with water. The rabbit inside wore a bandage around his middle. “What’s wrong with him?” Audrey asked.

“He cut himself in a fence,” Siegfried said. “The owner will pick him up tomorrow.”

“He’s beautiful,” Edward said and stroked the rabbits’ ears. “Thank god, we have our own zoo at home,” Audrey said. “Otherwise he would probably want to stay here.”

“I don’t think so,” Tristan smirked. “The supply conditions leave a lot to be desired.”

Surprised by the statement, Audrey furrowed her brows. “What does that mean?” Edward asked.

“My brother is a bad cook,” Tristan explained with a chuckle.

“Thin ice, Tris,” Siegfried reminded him with a snarl. The boy rolled his eyes and shrugged.

“Maybe you need a cook,” Audrey suggested mildly.

“I had one,” Siegfried said. “Until last night. Unfortunately Miss Harbottle quit.”

Audrey began to understand, “The frog invasion?”

“The very same.”

“You can eat with us,” Edward blurted out. “Aunt Dorothy is gone now, and we have a big table and lots of food!”

“Edward! Maybe they don't want to…” Audrey blushed fiercely. Not that she hadn’t had the same idea, but she had certainly wondered how to deliver the invitation with a little more tact. She truly liked Siegfried Farnon, but she didn’t want to make her interest in him too obvious. Inviting him for dinner or lunch to her house after knowing him for less than twenty-four hours seemed too forward for her taste.

“That’s very kind, Edward,” Siegfried said with a warm smile. “But Tristan’s responsible for Miss Harbottle’s unplanned exit and I won’t reward him by joining you and your mother for supper.”

“That’s a shame, because our cook’s really good.” Audrey didn’t know where to look. Feeling a little embarrassed by her son’s sudden forwardness, she looked at her watch and said, “We’ve got to go now, Edward.”

“But why?” He wondered. “There’s no one waiting for us.”

Audrey felt how her blush intensified. “Mr Bosworth has given me some homework.”

“I can imagine.” Siegfried rolled his eyes. “Don’t let him intimidate you.”

“I won’t.” Not that it were easy, but she aimed to succeed in her new role.

Siegfried accompanied Audrey and her son to their car. He was surprised when Audrey told him she preferred to drive herself and opened the car door for her. Edward climbed obediently in the backseat and waved at Tristan who lingered near the front door.

“I meant it,” Siegfried said. “You’re welcome to visit Carrie as often as you wish to.”

“Thank you,” Audrey said warmly. “You’re very kind to us.”

Siegfried waved them goodbye and stared after the car until it vanished from his field of vision. “She’s nice,” Tristan said. “And pretty.”

“Get lost,” Siegfried said, knowing his brother had hit the nail on the head.

~~~~A&S~~~~

Siegfried decided to end his day in the pub right across the market place. Tristan was on the sofa, guarded by Jess, and Siegfried told him he would be back in time for him to go to bed.
He ordered himself a pint and lit a pipe. He wasn't in the mood for conversation. All he wanted was a drink and some peace outside his own home.

The visit of Mrs Hall and her son was still on his mind. He simply couldn't get her out of his head, which was something that hadn't happen to him since he had met Evelyn.

He noted his emotions with growing irritation, mostly because he hadn't expected them, and didn't know where they could lead. She was an heiress. A rich woman, destined to lead the county while he was just a country vet. In his field of work he got covered in muck and worse on a regular basis. He liked to think of him as a well educated man, but he was no gentleman in the traditional sense.
Mrs Hall on the other hand lived at Pumphrey Manor and she was surrounded by servants, even when she insisted on driving herself. There was no use in pretending that they were equals. Yet, he had felt this tingling between them, this special atmosphere… He didn't date to call it sexual tension, because there was more to it than that.

As he pondered over his drink he spotted Arthur Bosworth coming in. With a frustrated groan, he leaned back. The man was a nuisance and apparently he wasn't even allowed to enjoy his ale in peace. Bosworth didn't see him though. With a determination Siegfried could only be amused by, the agent marched towards the bar and eagerly questioned Maggie, the barmaid…

“Maggie, I was here last night, right?”

Her eyebrow arched up. “You were.”

“And…there was a woman here…”

“Make it short,” she replied with a sigh. “And have a pint.”

Disgusted by the sight of the pint she pushed over the bar, he shook his head. “Better not.”

“I mean a dark haired woman. Taller than me…”

“Ahhh… Miss Harbottle! Pink sweater, brown travel bag?”

“That's her!” So Harbottle was her last name. He knew by now her first name was Mae, because she sometimes talked of herself in the third person, but otherwise he had no clue who she was.

“She used to be a housekeeper, but quit last night,” Maggie reported. “You were quite polluted last night, but I got the impression she liked you.” Maggie blinked and didn't add that Mae's interest in him had massively increased after he had told her he was the land agent of Pumphrey Manor.

“Thanks, Maggie,” he said and took the pint anyway. As he watched around the parlour he spotted Siegfried in a corner, smoking his pipe. With satisfaction he noticed the loneliness radiating from the vet, and decided to say hello.

Siegfried was visibly unhappy about the disturbance, but Bosworth ignored his dark glare. “Evening, Farnon.”

“Evening.”

“On your own?”

“If only!”

Bosworth smirked. “Listen, yesterday I saw you pussy-footing around Mrs Hall, and I feel it's my duty to inform you that you're barking up the wrong tree.”

Siegfried, visibly annoyed, emptied his pipe in the ashtray. “Meaning?”

“I know Mrs Hall is attractive and all, but she's not in your league.” He leaned in and lowered his voice. “She has this friend, you know. A female friend. She left yesterday, but I bet she'll be back in no time…”

“Has anyone ever told you, your mind's living in the gutter?” Siegfried wondered, feeling uneasy.

Bosworth shrugged. “I just know what I saw… and boy, I saw something.” Then he went off, leaving Siegfried with a strange feeling of uncertainty and discomfort. Had he misjudged the situation so badly or was Bosworth just pulling his leg, or, even worse, trying to discredit his new boss?

He rose and left the pub without paying the other customers any attention. The matter wouldn't leave him alone for the rest of the night and the better part of the next day when he saw her again.

~~~~tbc~~~~

Chapter Text

School was not exactly an institution to Tristan’s fancy. He didn’t really mind learning stuff, but why did he always have to learn things he didn’t need? As much as he had liked his project about the frog, the more he hated all the reading he had to do. Every time he started a page on something he felt his mind drifting off to much more interesting subjects or he found himself drawing. He found he was really good at that, so why couldn’t the teachers teach him more about these things? Animals and art made him truly happy.

“Tristan Farnon!” The pencil froze in his hand and he looked up. The teacher, Mr Bilford, was looking down on his notebook where Tristan had been working on a sketch of a frog. He tried to cover the picture with his free hand, but it was too late. Bilford had already grabbed the notebook and unleashed a whole tirade about his non-existing working ethic on him and threatened him with detention. Thankfully the school bell rang, announcing the school day was finally over. Bilford was a bit perplexed and looked at his watch, which gave Tristan the opportunity to snatch the notebook and take a hike. As quickly as possible, he rushed through the corridors, without minding the other boys or his screaming teacher. For once he was happy to see his brother waiting for him at the gate.

~~~A&S~~~

Siegfried was leaning against his car and smoked his pipe. For the first time in days he had decided to pick up his brother from school instead of having him walk, but if Tris hoped that meant that he was finally forgiven for his escapades with the frogs, which had driven away their housekeeper, he would be mistaken.

Although he perfectly knew why Tristan had gone through all the trouble to get rid of Miss Harbottle, he still wanted to teach him a lesson. What he missed most these days was the good food she had provided, not the woman herself. With her dislike for animals and chaos, the housekeeper had been an awful addition to their household.

When Tristan reached the car he was out of breath and Siegfried raised his eyebrow in suspicion. Tristan’s red cheeks and the way he jumped in the car, ducking his head, told Siegfried something was up. “What did you do?” He wondered. “You look like the devil is after you.”

“Nothing,” Tristan answered. “I’m just hungry.”

“In that case I’ve got bad news for you,” Siegfried replied. “I was out all morning. It’s just sandwiches for lunch.”

“Again?” He rolled his eyes. And he had thought his day couldn’t get any worse!

For once Siegfried understood his brother too well. It had been sandwiches for lunch and dinner for the last couple of days. One more sandwich and the wheat would grow out of his ears. What would he give for a roast! Or a shepherd’s pie! But his cooking skills were limited and his instinct told him to indulge Tristan with pub food wasn’t what was needed to make him understand that his scheme hadn’t been a sensible idea.

“I hope you don’t dare to complain,” Siegfried snarled and clapped into his hands. “Let’s get a move on, surgery will be busy this afternoon.” Just as he was about to climb into his seat, he suddenly stopped. Only a few yards away another car came to a halt and Mrs Hall climbed out, apparently to pick up her son who was now running over the school yard.

The last time he had seen her hairdo and clothes had been quite modest for a woman of her status. That had changed since then. Today she wore a fancy costume with a fitting red hat and her long hair curled loosely over her slender shoulders.

“Mr Farnon!” She waved at him and for a reason he couldn’t quite put his finger on, he held his breath as she approached him. Her smile was bright and he couldn’t help but admire her beauty. Still, Bosworth’s snarky remarks about Mrs Hall and her female friend left him a bit wary of her motives. He just couldn’t figure her out. Her behaviour reminded him of a bit of a sphinx. Mysterious and sublime…

“Mrs Hall!” Siegfried greeted her and suddenly interested, Tris peeked out of the car window and said hello to Edward.

“How’s our Carrie doing?” She asked in a friendly manner. “I haven’t heard from you in a while!”

Guilt-stricken Siegfried cleared his throat, “She’s doing better. I think you can pick her up in…two days. I’ll call you. I promise!” He tried to smile politely, but the longer he looked at her the more he felt himself smiling at her like a mad man. She looked so mesmerising that he didn’t know what to say. He had tried to keep his distance for the last couple of days, because Bosworth had completely irritated him with his suggestion that the infamous heiress could be a lesbian…

“We miss her,” she explained. “Well, especially Edward does. As you know I’m more of a dog person.”

“How is my friend Tricki?”

“Just fine. We’re getting along famously.”

They lapsed into an awkward silence and so she looked over to her son who was chatting with Tristan. “A pity they aren’t in the same class,” she added with a fading smile. “He could need a friend.”

“Is there a problem?” Siegfried wondered, glad he could focus on the boys for a moment.

She hesitated before she answered, “He’s lonely…it’s never been easy for him to make friends with anyone. And with me being…” She rolled her eyes, “Being the heiress and all that nonsense, the other children don’t accept him. They think he’s not good enough…” She broke off, shaking her head. “I don’t want to bore you. It’s my problem, not yours.”

“You’re not boring me!” He assured her quickly. “I think I understand the dilemma…he’s different and yet he isn’t…why don’t you send him over this afternoon? He could help Tristan with the animals.” She followed his eyes that rested on the boys who were giggling about something and bowed her head. “If it’s not too much trouble. I wouldn’t want to impose on you or take away from your valuable time.”

“You aren’t,” he assured her. “But Tristan…he’s not unpopular, but he doesn’t have any real friends. His charm often makes you forget how lonely he is. He won’t admit to it, but there’s a reason why he prefers frogs to people.” The whole frog incident was something he shouldn’t laugh about, but he found himself smiling as he watched his little brother. He really loved the stupid beggar to pieces and wished they could find a way to get along better.

“They seem to like each other,” Audrey observed. “I’ll bring him over after lunch.”

“Marvellous!” The smile he gave her was a tad too long and he looked away quickly. Every time he found himself staring at her, he felt like a fool. “We’ve got to go,” he announced and wondered silently if they had enough cheese and bread at home.

~~~A&S~~~

After she had dropped off Edward at Skeldale House, Audrey drove back to Pumphrey Manor. It was a sunny day, and since Bosworth wasn’t pestering her for once, she decided to pay River a visit. The horse intrigued her. She loved his wild spirit, his unyieldingness and hoped if she ever wanted to give in, because Bosworth or anyone else wanted to see her to fail, River would serve as a reminder not to do so.

The black horse was standing on the meadow and when she leaned against the fence, he trotted over to greet her. Careful she stretched out her hand. A sugar lump was waiting for him and she smiled when he snatched it.

“Good boy,” she said. Wistfully she remembered the time in her life, when she had learnt how to ride. In Malta she had been carefree and young. She didn’t consider herself old now, but carefree wasn’t not a word she would use to describe herself. She constantly worried about everything. Her son, her heritage, her lack of adult company. Everybody had told her the money of her distant relatives would set her free and allow her to live a life she had never thought possible, but the opposite was the case.

Now that she was rich, she didn’t feel free. The house, as beautiful as it was, was a cage. She couldn’t move around the village without being stared at. Bosworth, she was sure of it, wanted to undermine her. Every time someone smiled at her, she wondered if they truly meant it or just hoped to get into her good graces. Her hairdresser had complimented her on her new look, but had she meant it? Audrey knew she was overthinking this, but she couldn’t help it.

Freedom, that much she knew now, meant safety, not a new hairdo, although she liked her new look.

Siegfried Farnon had liked it too. The glistening of his eyes when he had stared at her had given as much away, but he had seemed more distant than before. Or maybe she had been imagining things and her doubts lay rooted in her insecurity. How she wished she had a single friend around, someone she could chat to and share her worries with.

And as much as she liked the idea of being rich, she didn’t feel safe in her new home. She couldn’t trust Bosworth and Edward was too young to rely on him. Somehow she had to find a way to feel better in her own skin and her own home.

“You know it, don’t you?” She asked River and his response was a nod. “Course, you do.”

~~~~A&S~~~~

As promised Siegfried rang Pumphrey Manor two days later and announced Carrie could be picked up again. Audrey was a little disappointed that he hadn’t told her personally and had instead asked one of her maids to deliver the message, but her relief over the cat’s swift recuperation was bigger.

After his last visit with Tristan, Edward had told her that Mr Farnon still hadn’t hired a new housekeeper and had asked if he could bring over Tristan for dinner, but Audrey still hesitated to agree. Not because she didn’t want Tristan around. She liked the boy and he was good for Edward who tended to be a too serious child for his age. She had a feeling that if she fed Siegfried Farnon’s little brother and not him, she could undermine the man’s authority or worse show him that he didn’t know how to look after his next of kin. And asking him for dinner seemed…forward?

So, she came up with something more subtle and asked Francois to organise a hamper with all kinds of delicious goodies that a grown man who worked hard wouldn’t say no to. Francois eventually outdid himself and as he heaved the hamper into the car, he made sure she registered how heavy it was.

“Thank you, Francois,” Audrey smirked. “You’re a marvel.”

“Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you, Madame? I could…” Audrey knew he missed driving her, but she wanted to keep one last action of independence and so she shook her head.

“You know how much I love driving,” she replied. “I promise I won’t scratch the car. Why don’t you take the afternoon off?”

Francois looked unhappy, but yielded accordingly. Since Edward spent many of his afternoons with Tristan, Francois felt even less needed. He had grown to like the boy and enjoyed looking after him, but he also knew that as an adult he was not a suitable substitute for a friend of his own age.

It was another dilemma Audrey faced while she tiptoed around Bosworth and his ways of introducing her to the reality of being the successor of her cousin.

Audrey knew her butler was a bit underwhelmed by just walking dogs or supervising the maids, but so far she hadn’t come up with a better idea to employ him to his satisfaction.

When she approached the steps to Skeldale House, she heard the unmistakable voice of Siegfried Farnon yelling something from the inside she couldn’t understand. She hesitated before she rang the doorbell. The heavy steps and the rude cursing that came from behind the door was not something she had expected. Apparently Siegfried Farnon was not in a good mood and she could only pray that her son wasn’t the reason for his fury.

“Bloody hell! We’re closed!” Siegfried barked as he tore the door open. The sight of him left her speechless. Her mouth opened and closed, and she heard herself gasping as she took in his disheveled appearance. Beginning from the tea towel with burned holes that lay over his shoulder, his singed eyebrows and the one curl that was falling into his forehead, he looked like he had lost a battle on his own soil.

Unsure whether she should laugh or not, she greeted him and tried not to focus on the smell of burned hair and cloth.

“Mrs Hall…” He groaned and brushed his hair back over his sweaty forehead. “I’m so sorry…”

“It seems like a bad moment, but..” She wanted to ask if her Edward carried a similar look, but didn’t want to sound unkind.

“Edward and Tristan are feeding the animals. I’ll get him.”

Siegfried shuffled back into the house, leaving the front door open. Audrey peeked inside, unsure what to do. Eventually she decided to follow him inside. The smell that reminded her of her own first cooking attempts, became stronger the further she advanced. The house was a bit of a maze but as she followed the stench, she reached the kitchen.

As she had expected something that must have been a casserole in its first life stood in the sink. The strange smoking formation looked like cold lava. In her estimation not even the dish could be reused. The oven door stood wide open, releasing more smoke. Through the backdoor some fresh air came in, but she decided to help and opened the small window over the sink. As she took in the chaotic state of the rest of the kitchen, she had the hunch that the idea with the gift hamper would be most welcome.

Peels of potatoes, dust bunnies, and cups and plates that needed to be washed up gave her the impression that Siegfried Farnon was indeed overwhelmed with the management of the household without any help from a grown-up.

She turned around when she heard footsteps. Siegfried returned. Surprised and embarrassed that she was standing in his kitchen, he stopped in his tracks. With a mystic smile on her face, she looked into the sink and said, “I read that diamonds are made of coal…but aren’t you trying too hard?”

For a moment he just stared at her, unsure what to make of her teasing. Then he began to laugh. “The boys haven’t finished their tasks yet. How about a cup of tea?”

“Why not? I can do that if you do me a favour.” She pulled out her car keys and dangled them in the air. “There’s something in the trunk that’s too heavy for me…would you mind?”

“You trust me with your precious car? What will Francois say?”

“He will never know,” she assured him and helped herself to the tea pot. “The tea?”

He pointed over her shoulder. “Cupboard next to the window.”

~~~~A&S~~~~

While Siegfried was outside, Audrey put the kettle on and quickly tidied the kitchen table. She found cups and saucers in the cupboard and set the table for two.

“What in hell…” Siegfried groaned as he entered the kitchen and dropped the hamper on the table.

“It’s a thank you gift,” Audrey explained. “For saving our Carrie.”

He stared helplessly at the gigantic box that carried the well-known emblem of a famous delicatessen on its top. “I was contemplating writing a bill…”

“I hope you will!” She answered promptly. “The hamper’s just a…bonus. Open it…there’s cake inside.”

The kettle whistled and while she poured the hot water into the pot, Siegfried did as told and opened the hamper. To Audrey’s satisfaction, he gasped when he saw the contents.

“That’s madness!” He complained, but she noticed that his eyes began to glisten with appetite as looked at the various tins and boxes.

“I thought it could come in handy…” She let her eyes travel across the room and understanding the subtle hint, he nodded. “I know… I placed an advertisement in the paper, but…”

“But what?” She wondered as she looked through the drawers. “Do you have a knife…I mean one that’s not covered in debris?”

He stepped next to her and opened a drawer. “Washed up last night,” he said when he pulled out a bread knife. “I’m not completely hopeless, but I had an early farm call today, which kind of disrupted my work day.”

She smiled sympathetically at him. “It’s alright. Sit yourself down. Fruitcake? Or do you prepare Battenberg?”

“Battenberg,” he answered without hesitation.

“Did you get any applicants?”

“Two…”

“But?” She asked when she sensed the little enthusiasm in his voice.

“We’ve been through this before…” His voice trailed off.

Ever since Audrey had entered the battered kitchen an idea had popped up in her head and wouldn’t leave her. It was a bit bold and nothing she should seriously consider, but she couldn’t shake it. It would solve several problems at once - and raise certain eyebrows.

She placed a slice of Battenberg on Siegfried’s plate and settled down next to him.

“Mr Farnon, I’ve been thinking…”

“I don’t doubt it…”

She gave him a look and he smiled apologetically. “Don’t mind me…go on.”

“I were seeing River the other day. He’s such a beautiful horse, but I feel…he deserves better than just being kept on a meadow. He’s been treated like an outsider by everyone for months now.” Her words had come out quickly and as she listened to herself she realised she wasn’t just talking about the horse, but about herself.

The fork with the cake froze in the air and he just stared at her. “Do you want to sell him?”

“No!” She blushed and added, “I want to ride him. But I need a riding instructor and I fear if I hire someone I don’t know… You know River and he trusts you more than anyone. If there’s someone who can help me, it’s you!” She broke off. “I know it sounds foolish, but I don’t feel I can trust anyone around here yet…”

“Oh…” Dropping his fork, he leaned back. His face gave away his bewilderment upon her request.

“But I feel I can trust you,” she continued. “I thought…maybe you could teach me how to ride him…and in exchange I would look after Tristan in the afternoons… Pick him up from school together with Edward…and…”

His eyes widened, intrigued. “And perhaps one of my maids could come over here and clean the place…two or three times a week…” She could easily picture Francois’ crooked eyebrow and the expression on Bosworth’s face, but she ignored the visions her mind produced.

Too perplexed to answer, Siegfried forgot about the delicious cake and just stared at her. “Mrs Hall, I…”

She lowered her eyes to the top of the table, disappointed and feeling foolish. Certain that she had overstepped the mark with her notion, she put down her cup and wanted to rise. “Forget I said anything!”

“No, wait!” He placed his hand on her forearm. For a moment she thought she was dreaming and stared down at his hand around her arm. Shocked that he had crossed the line, he pulled his hand back. “Please, stay!” He begged and cleared his throat.

“Mr Farnon, I really think we could help each other,” she explained herself without daring to look at his face. She shouldn’t have blurted out her silly little idea. What must he be thinking of her?

“I can’t accept one of your maids to clean my house,” he said. “It’s just too much, but I’d appreciate your help with Tristan. He needs someone to look after him…someone who knows how to handle him. At the very least someone who’s better at it than I am. As for River…”

“Yes?” She swallowed.

“He’s a delicate character…it won’t be easy, but I think he likes you… But you’ll have to do as I say. I doubt the village would appreciate it, if I allowed you to fall from your own horse.”

“Does that mean we have a deal?” Not daring to hope, she held her breath.

“I think we do.” Siegfried replied. Unable to hide a smirk, she stretched out her hand. He took it, but instead of shaking it, he placed a kiss on her knuckles.

The gesture was tender and his beard tickled her skin. Electricity, pure and seething rushed through her veins and for a moment she was dazzled by the sensation. It was a feeling she hadn’t experienced in almost a decade and it felt overwhelming.

Outside in the backyard Jess barked and the footsteps of two boys chasing each other across the yard, laughing out loud, reached their ears. The moment of tenderness fell apart as Tristan and Edward entered the room, both out of breath and giggling.

“Cake!” Tristan yelled and stretched his arms into their air. “When did you plan to tell us? We’re famished!”

Audrey, whose face felt increasingly hot, quickly gulped down some tea and told the boys to go and wash their hands. “I’ll fetch you a plate.”

Siegfried watched his guest as she reached inside the cupboard and placed Evelyn’s porcelain on his table. It was a strange feeling to watch another woman who wasn’t a housekeeper move around Skeldale, but the feeling wasn’t as painful as he had always imagined it - on the contrary. For the first time since Evelyn had died, he felt like there was finally someone who may not share his burden, but knew how it was to be alone - and was equally tired of it.

~tbc~

Chapter Text

One week later

Arthur Bosworth wasn’t comfortable with the situation at hand, but as he saw it, he was left with no other choice. Mae had asked him to find another job for her and that was what he would do. He had always liked Mrs Winter, the housekeeper of Pumphrey Manor. She was a fine woman and a hard worker; very efficient and she had been running the house for over fifteen years. It hurt to sack her, but since Mae insisted on working in a grand house, he was left with no choice. Pumphrey Manor was, after all, the finest house in the county. He had to put his own feelings about the matter aside in this case.

It went without saying that Mrs Hall wasn’t aware of any of this and he would find a way to inform her about the change within her staff that wouldn't arouse her curiosity. She hadn’t been long enough at Pumphrey Manor to understand how it worked. Of course, she knew the housekeeper, talked about meals with her and everything, but would she really mind if someone else took over? From what he saw Mrs Hall spent more time with the animals and her son without taking a particular interest in the details of how the house worked, as long as everything ran smoothly. And if he knew one thing than that with Mae the manor would run like a clockwork.

As he now looked at the housekeeper he still felt a sting of guilt. There was this little voice in his head that told him it wasn’t right to sack someone without reason, but here he was.

“You will be missed,” he said, his voice strangely strained. “Be sure we will provide you with a good reference and two weeks of salary.”

The housekeeper pursed her lips and for a moment he thought she would tell to put the money where the sun doesn’t shine, but she just thanked him.

“Mrs Hall is very sorry to let you go, but she feels she has to hire her own people.” It was a horrible lie, but he told himself it was necessary to make sure Mrs Winter wouldn’t put the entire blame on him.

The housekeeper rose. “When do I leave?”

“Tonight,” Bosworth said and when she shot him a nasty glance, he said, “Tomorrow, I mean tomorrow.” Then he cleared his throat and was glad she simply left his office without asking any more questions he didn’t want to answer.

It would have been better if she had left the house as soon as possible, but Mrs Hall would be out this evening and when he told her the next day, Mrs Winter would already be gone and he would provide her with a new housekeeper. He would look like a real problem solver, which was another welcome side effect.

Not that it was done, he loosened his tie and opened his drawer. He had a bottle of whisky stored inside and it was there for moments like this. After he had flushed down the guilt, he picked up the phone and dialled the number of his house. Mae would be pleased to hear she could start her new job tomorrow.

~~~~A&S~~~~

Audrey felt a misfit - again. Surrounded by people she didn’t know in a place she had never seen, she clung to her drink like a drowning person to a life raft. She had been invited to a cocktail party at the Hulton estate. The owner, Hugh Hulton, was celebrating his birthday, and as grateful as she was for the invitation, it felt strange to be around all those strangers, feeling scrutinised by everyone.

It had taken her three hours to get ready. She couldn’t decide what she wanted to wear and in the end Edward had made the decision for her. He had gone to her closet and had fished out a dark green dress. It was one Dorothy had given to her, but it was quite low cut on the back, and it had taken her some effort to leave the house wearing it. Only the fear of seeing her son disappointed had convinced her to wear the dress that was perhaps too risky for an evening among Darrowby’s richest citizens.

“Trés beau, Madame,” Francois had said as he had held the door of the Rolls Royce open for her.

“Merci,” had been her answer and strangely enough his compliment had made her feel better. Now her confidence was a little low again, because she didn’t know whom to talk to. The big salon was breathtaking and crowded. The women gazed curiously at her, and the men just eyed her as if she were some exotic prey in a domestic space. A band was playing modern Jazz, people danced, and still she was stuck in a corner of a room with a glass of champagne in her hand.

Sure, she was making a fool out of herself, she began to move about the room. There was a buffet somewhere and eating would keep her occupied - at least for the time being.

She did her best to hold her head as high as possible as she smuggled herself through the chatting crowd and almost cried out with relief when she spotted Siegfried Farnon among the guests. He was talking to the host and she had to admit he looked extraordinarily good this evening. With his tux and his hair that was elegantly coiffed, he was one of the handsomest men she had ever seen. For a moment she found herself mesmerised by his sight and contemplated hiding again - but it was too late.

His face lit up when he spotted her and well-aware that she couldn’t run from him now, she headed towards him.

“Mrs Hall!” He said. “What a nice surprise! Hugh, you should have told me she’s here.”

A bit embarrassed, Hugh cleared his throat. “I had no idea you knew each other,” he said and then the penny dropped. “The animals, of course! You look after Marjory’s zoo!”

“It’s a friendly menage,” Audrey corrected him with a gentle smile. “And Mr Farnon looks after them as best as he can.”

“I don’t doubt it,” Hugh conceded. “So, how do you like living here?”

“It’s different,” Audrey admitted. “But I’m growing to like this place. Very much.”

“I’m glad to hear it. The people around here can be a bit rusty, but their heart is in the right place.”

From across the room, Hugh’s wife’s Margot waved at him. “Excuse me for a moment,” Hugh said apologetically. “Margot needs me.”

“Well, finally alone,” Siegfried smirked and leaned in a little. “How are you? Really, I mean.”

Feeling caught red-handed, she blushed. “I feel a little lost,” she admitted. “All of this is so daunting.” She let her eyes travel across the room. The expensive wallpaper, the red thick curtains, the chandeliers, the servants. She had all of this at Pumphrey Manor, but it felt nothing compared to the splendour around here, maybe because her life was overall a simple one without many people to entertain. The ladies at this party were all covered in jewels, and some men wore white ties, something she hadn’t seen in ages. While her dress was certainly fancy enough, Audrey was wearing almost no jewellery. Only a simple string of pearls around her neck and her old wedding band.

“It’s all…a big charade, really,” Siegfried said. “Costumes. Fake.” He took a step backwards and opened his arms like a ringmaster. “Look at me!” He prompted and she did. And she felt how the blood began to rush through her veins. “I’m a vet and this is a costume. For one night I’m one of Darrowby’s finest and as soon as I get home, my carriage will turn back into a pumpkin and I will wonder where my shoe is.”

She laughed, which covered up how smitten she was. “It’s a costume that suits you. I on the other hand…” She sighed. “Edward insisted I wear it, but… I feel like a mannequin.”

“I think you look…splendid,” he replied and stepped a little closer. “How about a dance?”

“A dance?!” She panicked. She hadn’t danced in ages and she didn’t put a lot of trust in her feet to do the right thing.

“Yes, a dance…” He pointed to the back of the room where the band was playing and the dance floor was moderately filled with couples. “My feet are itching.”

“Oh, please, don’t…” she begged as he took the glass from her and offered her his arm.

“I have a bit of a reputation,” he said as he walked her across the room. “I’m the best dancer in Darrowby and if you say no to me, people will think I’m losing my footing.”

And what if she made a fool out of herself? She barely noticed how he swung her around, whirling her safely into his arms. “Don’t worry,” he said in a low voice. “Just trust me… I won’t step on your toes.”

His hand on her naked back felt warm and firm, causing her goosebumps. It was an intimate touch. After her husband’s death no man had touched her like this, and yet she felt she liked the teasing tingle it caused all over her skin.

“Alright,” she whispered as he began to move. At least it was a slow waltz, a dance she felt comfortable with. With her hand planted on his shoulder and her eyes focussing on their surroundings, she tried to follow his lead, something that wasn’t easy. She felt herself missing steps and her fingers dug into his jacket.

“Stop thinking,” he mumbled. “You’re safe with me.”

“I try,” she chuckled and he squeezed her hand, forcing the muscles in her arm to relax. Realising that she had all tensed up, she let out the breath she was holding.

“That’s better,” he mused, pulling her a little closer. His body didn’t touch hers, but it might as well have. Not even an inch separated them and as she felt the movement of his muscles beneath his tux, she felt a little hotter.

“Where’s Tristan?” She asked, just to make conversation.

“Oh, I asked my neighbour’s daughter to look after him. She’s seventeen and eager to earn herself some pocket money. He wasn’t happy, but it feels safer to have someone in the house as long as I am not there.”

“He could have stayed with Edward,” Audrey suggested, trying to establish eye contact between them.

“We can’t always rely on you,” Siegfried said. “I couldn’t impose on you and your staff again. You already look after him in the afternoons. It didn’t feel right to impose on you in your evenings.”

“It’s not,” she assured him. It was true that Tristan had become a frequent visitor in her house, and often Francois took him back to the village once Tristan had finished his homework and they had tea in the afternoon. The arrangement was good, solid, and having Tristan as a friend meant a big deal to Edward. Audrey liked having another boy in the house and she had the feeling the boy liked her, too. He was kind, a bit roguish, but never mean or cruel.

She barely noticed how the song faded and the band announced they would take a short break.

“Why don’t we go outside and catch some fresh air,” Siegfried suggested.

With his cologne filling her nostrils and her face all hot, she approved of the idea of fresh air. Armed with two new glasses of champagne, Siegfried and Audrey went through the open French doors, stepping out on the terrace. It was a cold, but clear Yorkshire night that offered a perfect view at the stars over their heads and the lights of the village that lie to their feet.

“We had less of those in Scarborough,” Audrey said as she leaned against the bannister.

“Do you miss it?”

“Sometimes, but not as much as I used to,” she admitted. “You helped me with that.”

His chuckle felt like a breeze, “Oh, don’t say that.”

“I mean it,” she insisted. “You were the first person to encourage me to give all of this a try. You made my son happy, and that means a great deal to me!”

Supported by his elbows, Siegfried looked at the lights of the village. “Don’t tell anyone, but most of the time, I’m not really conscious of my own doings.”

Her response was a heartfelt laughter. “Tristan mentioned something like this the other day.”

“The little beggar!”

“He’s a good boy!” She defended him. “I like having him around and he’s good for Edward.”

“His heart’s in the right place, but the rest…” With a weary sigh he shook his head.

“The rest needs guidance and love,” Audrey pointed out softly. “You give him both. He knows it, but he’s also growing up. Don’t you remember how much it hurt?”

“As a matter of fact, I do,” Siegfried conceded mawkishly. “I just wish I could give him more… He needs parents, but I’m just his brother.”

Audrey placed her hand on his arm. “You’re doing wonderfully,” she said. “Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”

His eyes came to rest on her hand. He had suggested going outside, because dancing with her had seriously tampered with his sanity. Tonight she looked too beautiful for words. With her hair cascading over her shoulders and the green dress she wasn’t just stunning, she was goddess. Only when he had placed his hand on her back, he had noticed how low the neckline was and had instantly regretted his bold move to dance with her. Feeling her naked skin under his fingers had sent a thrill through his system and all the while they had danced all he had been thinking about was what she wore beneath that dress. It couldn’t be much, that was sure.

“I still owe you a riding lesson.” He wasn’t sure why he was saying this now, when he knew that teaching her how to ride River would only cause a greater nearness between them. He kept telling himself that this was going too fast. He was falling too fast for a widower who had more problems on his hand than solutions, and she was unreachable. An heiress. It was ridiculous and she was too smart to fall for a chap like him. And didn’t she like women anyway? Last week in his kitchen she had seen him at his worst and it was beyond him why she insisted on looking after Tristan, a move that manifested more than just a business relationship between them.

“You’ve been reading my mind,” she replied. “How about tomorrow afternoon?” Tomorrow would be Saturday, a day when the practice was usually quiet.

“Yes, tomorrow would be fine,” he answered, knowing if he wasn’t careful he would be facing his very own Waterloo with her. “I’ll bring Tristan along.” His brother and his famous mischief would hopefully ensure that he kept his infatuation in check.

~~~~A&S~~~~

When Audrey entered her bedroom that night, she felt positively dizzy, and the reason wasn’t the champagne she had consumed. The spot on her back where Siegfried Farnon had touched her skin was still burning and it was a burning that continued penetrating her skin. She was aflamed and she was sure she wouldn’t find any sleep tonight.

In the soft light of her bedroom lamp, she stepped in front of the mirror and slowly pulled down her dress. In her vision it wasn't her own couple of eyes that were watching her as the silk slowly glided down her body, revealing a pair of perky breasts, a soft stomach, and a couple of stockings held by garters. She hadn’t been this aroused in years. Her body didn’t just yearn for the touch of a man who knew what she liked, she yearned for a very specific man who would make it his mission to get to know her inside out.

Was it a good idea to allow Siegfried Farnon to teach her how to ride? Possibly not…

Was she looking forward to it? Hell, yes…

~~~~A&S~~~~

The next morning Bosworth arrived when Audrey was still sitting at the breakfast table. Edward was already out and about playing with the dogs while she was still pushing her eggs over her plate and nibbled at her toast. Her mind was occupied with the memories of the party, of Siegfried Farnon, and the promise of today.

So she barely noticed how Bosworth was telling her about the housekeeper, who had handed in her notice with immediate effect, and how he had found a replacement.

“You don’t have to worry about anything, Mrs Hall. I’ve got it all under control.”

“I see…” She blinked, trying to get back to her senses. “When…when can I meet her?”

“As soon as you wish…” Bosworth said after a short hesitation. “She’ll arrive in the afternoon. Francois will do everything to help her.” Bosworth looked over Audrey’s shoulder where Francois was standing near the door. “Won’t you, Francois?” Bosworth looked expectantly at the butler, whose eyebrow arched up so high that it almost vanished under his hairline, “Qui, bien sur.”

“Thank you,” Audrey said and rose. “If you will excuse me now. I’ve got to see how Edward is doing.”

“Any other plans for today, Mrs Hall?”

“Well, yes… I’ve hired a riding instructor.”

In response Bosworth furrowed his brow. “I hope that doesn’t mean you intend to ride River…” He was convinced that River belonged to the most dangerous creatures on earth. Wanting to ride him was madness.

“You’ve got me there,” Audrey said with a proud smile. “I'll see you later.”

He gasped as she left the dining room and stared at Francois. “You should tell her it’s insane!” He snapped at the butler.

“It’s her horse and her life,” Francois replied. “You better watch out…because whoever it is you hired, I’ll keep an eye on her.”

“Do what you’re paid for,” Bosworth snarled before he left the room.

~~~~A&S~~~~

When Mae Harbottle arrived at her new kingdom she felt like a queen. This was the best day of her life. After her undignified end as the housekeeper of Skeldale House, she had finally arrived in a house, a manor, that was worthy of her. Pumphrey Manor was the biggest home in the county, filled with valuable pieces of art and exquisite furniture. A staff consisting of a factotum, a cook, and three maids were now hers to oversee. According to Arthur the new owner, a widow from Scarborough, was easy to handle and allowed him to manage her estate as he pleased. It would be the same with the household. She, Mae Harbottle, would call the shots around here, while Mrs Hall would be busy with her son and her pets.

The zoo she owned was a bit of a problem, but there were maids who could take care of the countless hairs on the furniture and carpets. Mae’s task was to manage the house, to overlook the work of others. The job came with a good salary and a lot of prestige. Who would have thought that her acquaintance with Arthur Bosworth could change her life in such a way?

She smiled as she brushed a non-existent wrinkle from her jacket and headed for the service entrance. Too absorbed in her own fantasy about her new workplace, she had almost missed the green vehicle that pulled into the yard, but she knew the sound too well to ignore it. The car was a nuisance because her owner paid more attention to her than to the dirt under his shoes.

In disbelief she turned around and then she spotted the Rover and her handsome driver. Of course, the lady of the manor was a pet owner and therefore she needed a veterinarian to attend to them. This was a development she hadn’t foreseen, but to say it was unpleasant would be a lie.

~~~~A&S~~~~

That Audrey Hall was wearing proper riding clothes was not something that Siegfried could fully appreciate. She had gone through a lot of effort, and her outfit left him with a dry throat.

The dress she had worn the night before had already haunted him in his dreams and now this. In his nightly visions he had run his lips and tongue down her spine, tasting her skin, relishing it. If he had hoped a perfect riding attire, consisting of a waistcoat that was revealing every curve of her upper body, would chase away those dreams, he was very much mistaken. And then there was the rest of her: her riding trousers, that showed off her perfectly shaped behind, and, god forbid, her boots, wouldn’t help him to focus on his task. Her hair was pinned up, showing off her swan-like neck. She smelled of lavender and citrus, natural, bewitching fragrance.

River was already out in one of the big meadows surrounding the estate, grazing peacefully, when Siegfried collected him and took him to the paddock behind the stables and applied the headcollar. “You’ve got to be careful with her,” he told the horse. “You know she’s a gentle soul, so don’t mess this up, alright? She trusts me and I trust you. I happen to like her, so I count on you to treat her with respect.” River nodded in agreement and Siegfried gratefully patted his long nose.

“Here we are,” Siegfried announced and invited Audrey to greet River. “Hello,” she said and gently rubbed his nostrils. “I hope we will become good friends.” She smiled at the horse and gave him a sugar cube.

“Have you ever ridden him?” Audrey asked Siegfried, feeling rather nervous.

“I have, before Mrs Pumphrey died. As you can see I’m still in one piece.”

“That’s reassuring,” she mused with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

“When was your last time on a horse?” He wondered.

“In Malta…during the war…nine years ago.”

“It’s like driving a bicycle…” When he saw her doubtful face, he added, “We’ll take it slowly. Without a saddle at first. You need to feel him and he needs to get to know you. I’m not sure people of the likes of Bosworth won’t concur, but I believe in trust building measures.”

Audrey furrowed her brows, but felt herself nodding. “You’re the teacher.”

Bestriding the horse was as daunting as Audrey had imagined it, but with Siegfried’s help, she mounted River. She had forgotten how different the world looked from the back of such a majestic animal and she felt herself trembling as she adjusted her position.

“Very good,” Siegfried said. “Just feel him. Allow him to feel you too…” She ran her hands along River’s strong neck. Siegfried took the headcollar, guiding River round the paddock. “Hold the reins,” he instructed Audrey.

As the minutes passed Audrey slowly grew comfortable with the feeling of River moving beneath her. His muscles worked and she listened to Siegfried as he told her what he knew about River and explained how she should behave on horseback. The memories from her time in Malta came back and gave her confidence and allowed her to relax.

Audrey didn’t know how much had passed when Siegfried announced her first lesson was over, but she felt a little sad about it. Near the paddock, River came to a halt and Siegfried thanked him for being a great sport, before he offered Audrey to help her down. She held her breath when he planted his hands around her waist and she glided down, her body brushing his. Everything they did these days felt like dancing along the edge of a volcano - close to the hot abyss, and yet not near enough.

Once she felt solid ground beneath her feet, she smiled at him. “Thank you, Mr Farnon.” Just like the evening before, not even an inch separated them. “Mr Farnon was my father,” he said, a bit hoarse. “Why don’t you call me Siegfried?”

“Only if you call me Audrey,” she prompted back.

“I think I can do that,” he replied and looked into her beaming eyes, “Audrey.”

~~~~tbc~~~~

Chapter Text

Over the next couple of weeks Siegfried continued to give Audrey riding lessons and the old truth that it was like riding a bicycle - one couldn’t unlearn it. After losing her initial fear Audrey proved to be a natural on the back of a horse. To Siegfried’s relief River, eager to show off, always behaved perfectly amicably and as May arrived and the weather in the Dales became almost too warm for the time of year, Audrey suggested an outing.

The plan was to enjoy a day away from the restrictions of the stables and the estate itself - not just for the horses. With Bosworth sneaking around and her new housekeeper who was not just efficient, but also noisy, Audrey felt the need to get away for an afternoon - preferable with someone she trusted and felt comfortable with.

Siegfried, who wasn’t completely on board with the idea at first because he feared it could be too early for a ride away from the safety of the paddock, later decided he couldn’t resist. He hadn’t enjoyed a day out in ages and the prospect to spend it with Audrey Hall was too tempting.

“Bring over Tristan,” she suggested over the phone one evening. “Francois will look after the boys and prepare a little barbeque for dinner.”

Siegfried, who had just changed into his comfortable clothes, looked down at his socked feet and agreed. “Alright. I’m not sure my little brother deserves this kind of treat, but I’ll bring him along. Good night… Audrey.” Aware that his brother was standing nearby he didn’t dare to add that he couldn’t wait to see her again and hung up.

Tristan, who was eating a late sandwich, looked intrigued. “Was that Mrs H?” He wondered.

“Yes, that was Mrs Hall,” Siegfried corrected him.

Tristan shrugged. “She said it’s alright to call her Mrs H. Suits her better in my opinion. She’s not stuffy at all!”

“Unlike me you mean…” Siegfried suggested crisply. Tristan just grinned and continued to chew the last bit of his big ham and cheese sandwich.

Rolling his eyes, Siegfried pointed at his wrist watch. “It’s almost nine. Why aren’t you in bed?”

“I just finished doing my homework,” Tristan defended himself, liking his fingers. “Like the good scholar you want me to be.”

“Maybe I should have a look to make sure you didn’t make any mistakes,” Siegfried suggested, expecting for Tristan to come up with an excuse why this wasn’t necessary. And, of course, the boy didn’t disappoint. The tips of Tristans’ ears turned red and he quickly rushed up the staircase. “It’s already done and safely pocketed for tomorrow. Going to bed now!”

“Do you need a good night kiss?” Siegfried asked sheepishly.

He heard a gagging noise. “Get lost!”

Siegfried chuckled and waited for about twenty minutes before he went upstairs to see if Tristan had really gone to bed. As it turned out he was not just in bed, but also fast asleep. With a tender brush over his brother’s unruly hair, he bid him goodnight and switched off the bedside lamp. “Silly beggar,” he whispered and smiled.

~~~~A&S~~~~

Audrey closed the book she had been reading to Edward and smiled. He had fallen asleep with his head in her lap and was lightly snoring. As careful as her position allowed it, she slipped out of bed and placed a bookmark between the pages.

Her Edward was a good boy. The first few weeks in Darrowby hadn’t been easy for him, but over the last couple of days she had gotten the feeling that he was growing fond of the place. Thanks to Tristan Farnon he had finally found a friend at school and someone to spend the afternoons with.

Life, as strange as it still felt to her, was getting better. But it wasn’t only her son’s acceptance of the changes that made her hopeful for the future. Every so often she found herself thinking about Siegfried Farnon and the way he made her heart beat faster every time she laid eyes on him or she heard his voice over the phone. She relished every minute she got to spend with him and the riding lessons he gave her made her heart squirm with joy. With him she felt free of the boundaries that her new position applied. Where everybody was either jealous of her or looked down on her, because she hadn’t been born in the right social caste to be the heiress of such a magnificent estate, he treated her like an equal. He was charming, but not cringing, gentle, but not shy to tell her when his opinion differed from hers.

The attraction between them became harder and harder to deny. His touches left her body with wild, unpredictable tingles all over her skin. The intensity of it was scary and told her this wasn’t just a teenage crush or some light flirtation. The tension between them was real and it grew with every meeting.

Both boys, the cheeky Tristan and the more sensitive Edward, completely unaware of the electricity between them, acted as a protecting shield between them and she self-consciously admitted to herself that their existence saved her from making a cardinal mistake. Falling in love was one thing, but acting on it in a world where she didn’t have many friends would be foolish. What would it do to her reputation if anyone got wind of their growing attraction? She already feared that the riding lessons he gave her had been a mistake, but they were barely alone, so no one could accuse them of anything - yet.

She had tried to write about her dilemma in one of her letters to Dorothy, but she had no intention to hurt her friend and so she limited her account of her life in the Dales with the eccentric antics from Bosworth and the boring tea parties she had to attend. The invitations to those arrived more and more frequently, which was nice, but she never felt truly welcome by the other rich ladies who scrutinised her to see if she lifted her teacup in the right angle or wore the right dress for the occasion.

Somehow she had manoeuvred herself into a trap. She didn’t trust herself around Siegfried Farnon and sometimes when he thought she wouldn’t notice it, she felt his hazel-coloured eyes laying on her. They made her shiver, because she sensed the passion behind them. She had a feeling if his true emotions ever got unleashed there would be no stop to them. The thought awoke her arousal and the longer she allowed herself to imagine him kissing her, the more she wondered if her idea of an outing with him was a good idea. At this point she cursed her own boldness - and yearned to find out if he felt the same about her.

~~~~A&S~~~~

Mae Harbottle eyed the dog hairs on the sofa with annoyance. How many times did she have to tell Mrs Hall and her son not to let Tricki Woo and the other pets on the furniture? Especially the young Mr Hall refused to listen to her complaints about pets that soiled every surface they came in contact with. His mother didn’t seem to care about it. Mae suspected that she was too busy with her so-called “riding lessons” with Mr Farnon to look after the house like she should.

It had been a blow to find out that Mr Farnon and Mrs Hall seemed to nourish a relationship that went beyond his profession as a vet. Arthur was quite tight-lipped about it, but she suspected that what happened between these two in the stables had nothing to do with riding instructions and everything with a much more enjoyable kind of exercise.

So far she had done her best to hide from Mr Farnon because she feared it could threaten her new position at Pumphrey Manor if Mrs Hall found out she had once worked for Mr Farnon as his housekeeper. She had a feeling Mrs Hall wouldn’t appreciate her knowing Mr Farnon. In the end no woman was eager for competition and Mae considered herself worthy of a man like Mr Farnon, even if she had decided to settle for Arthur Bosworth for the moment.

While it was easy to avoid the vet, hiding from his little brother, this sneaky little prig, was much harder. He spent almost every afternoon at Pumphrey Manor and he and Master Edward sneaked a lot around the house and the premises, leaving the place in disorder.

Overall this new job was more difficult to handle than she had envisioned when she had urged Arthur to hire her. The maids didn’t like her and the butler eyed her every move with suspicion. The Farnon brothers aside he presented the biggest challenge of all. If she wanted to succeed she had to get into his favour, but so far every attempt to charm or flirt with him had failed. Compared to Arthur who was easy to satisfy and manipulate, Francois was a tough nut - and immensely loyal to Mrs Hall. Maybe he was in love with her and in that case, she had to bring in the big guns to make him join her side.

Mae looked at the cushions and picked them up. Then she yelled after one of the maids and when she appeared in the doorway, sour-faced and unimpressed, she told her to clean the room again. “There must be order!” She repeated her mantra and pretended not to have seen how the maid had rolled her eyes.

With her head held high, Mae left the room. She had to find a way to establish her authority and soon. Otherwise this wouldn’t work out at all.

~~~~A&S~~~~

In the garden Tristan and Edward were sitting on the grass and examined a toad that was sitting on Tristan’s hand. At first Edward had been a bit wary of the amphibian, but now that Tristan was explaining everything to him, his curiosity grew.

“She’s a bit plummy, isn’t she?” Edward asked.

“It’s a he,” Tristan explained, using the same words his brother had used when he had taught him about them. “The males are usually a bit smaller than the females and their throat is darker.”

“Alright…” Edward was sceptical, unsure how to compare them because he had never seen a toad so close up before. “And you think this will work?”

Tristan chuckled. “Believe me, the last time Miss Harbottle saw a frog she ran for the hills. If she’s annoyed by Tricki and his fur, she’ll hate a toad in her wardrobe or her drawer.” Tristan was aware his plan wasn’t very original, but the trick had worked before and he was sure Miss Harbottle hadn’t grown any fonder of animals during the last couple of weeks.

At first he hadn’t trusted his eyes when he had spotted the stern housekeeper on the premises, but then Edward had told him she had been the latest addition to the staff after their other housekeeper had left. Edward wasn’t happy with the killjoy who didn’t like him or the animals or his mother very much.

“She’s always so mean… and she’s been bad mouthing Ma yesterday. She thought no one was there, but I heard her talking to someone over the phone.”

“And no one’s rude to Mrs H,” Tristan concluded. To him the matter was settled. “She has to go quickly!”

Edward nodded. The toad in Tristan’s hand moved a bit and Edward frowned. He didn’t trust the plummy, wobbly figure, but when Tristan said a toad would make Miss Harbottle go away again, he was willing to help him.

Tristan was right: no one was rude to his Ma.

~~~~~A&S~~~~~

As Siegfrieds’ hands closed around Audrey’s waist, she felt her heart skipping a beat. It was a sensation that never disappointed and became stronger every time he touched her. She had dreamt about these hands holding and caressing her.

“There’s a tree,” he said, turning away quickly as if he feared their physical contact could last too long. “Let’s take a break.”

Their ride had led them away from Pumphrey Manor into the wilder part of the landscape. Siegfried knew the area well enough to know where he was, but she quickly realised she would be utterly lost without him.

While she had mounted River and felt as perfectly safe on him as always, Siegfried had chosen a grey horse that had been baptised Madeleine. The mare was a bit moody, but Siegfried had known how to keep her in check. Still, the break came as a relief, because it was a sticky day. The humidity was unusually high and he suspected the day would end with the first thunderstorm of the season. He smiled when Audrey headed for the tree, a picnic-blanket over one arm and a thermos in her other hand and leashed the horses to another tree.

“You’ve thought of everything,” he said as he helped to unfold the blanket.

“I’m very practical in case you haven’t noticed by now.” She blinked at him. Her practicality wasn’t by far the only thing he admired about her, but he wasn’t quite sure how to admit that without sounding like a lovesick teenager.

“You’re a remarkable woman,” he said, hoping the compliment sounded half-way decent without being too forward. He usually was quite good at these kinds of things but with her his natural charme seemed to fail him. Maybe because she still was a bit mysterious to him and he never knew if she was flirting with him or not.

“Well, thank you,” she replied, touched. “I don’t know many people who consider me remarkable.”

“Who wouldn’t?” He wondered as they sank down onto the blanket. The tree above them was giving them shade. The breeze that brushed over them was welcome, but still warm and he wondered how long the weather would play along.

“Let’s start with Mr Bosworth, who’s still thinking he can keep vital information from me by just not telling me.”

Siegfried chuckled. Bosworth wasn’t his favourite subject, but “For example?”

“There was a problem with one of my tenants. Something he wanted to deal with by himself, because it concerned parts of the contract he had drawn up with them. He thought by not telling me he could avoid admitting that he had made a mistake.” She shrugged. “In the end they called at the house and Francois directed the phone call to me.”

“A wild guess: you dealt with the problem within a couple of minutes?”

“Not quite,” she admitted and a proud smile was playing around her lips. “But we reached an agreement to everyone’s satisfaction.”

“Well done,” Siegfried said. “That’s why I call you remarkable.”

She lowered her eyes and busied herself with the thermos to divert from the fact that she was blushing. “Mr Bosworth wasn’t happy with my intervention. He felt patronised by me. A woman. An unworthy recipient of a fortune.”

“Ignore him,” Siegfried told her. “He’s a stubborn man, full of himself.”

“It’s not what an afternoon tea should be like, but it’s better than nothing,” she said as she handed him the tea in a mug and leaned back against the tree.

“What are you thinking about?” He wondered after a moment of silence. Her eyes were still closed and she smiled dreamily.

“About life…how strange it felt to move here and how much I’ve grown to like it,” she answered pensively.

“That’s what the Dales do to you,” he said and moved a little closer to her.

“I’m not sure it’s just the Dales,” she retorted and opened her eyes. Surprised to find him so close to her, she swallowed. Then she said in a low voice, “I think it’s the people.”

His finger cramped around the mug and he wondered if she could hear his heartbeat, because it was echoing through his whole body. Her body almost touched his, but all he saw were her eyes, so beautiful, so tempting. He wanted to kiss her more than anything; even more than at Hugh’s party when he had fantasised about how he would undress her.

Did she know what she did to him? That she unraveled his world? He abandoned the mug and cupped her cheek with his hand. “I’m glad you decided to stay.”

“If it hadn’t been for you I may have run for the hills,” she admitted.

A sudden roll of thunder, still lurking in the distance, disturbed the moment between them and reminded him of reality. Aware he had to think straight now, Siegfried forced himself to let go of her face. “We should get back.” He had no desire to end up in a storm. Again thunder roared in the distance and when he looked up to the horizon he saw the darkening clouds moving with force. His brow furrowed with worry.

“Yes…” She lowered her eyelashes. “Edward’s afraid of thunderstorms.”

Together they stowed the blanket and the thermos back in the saddle bag and mounted their horses again.

“Let’s take a shortcut,” Siegfried suggested. “We can enjoy the landscape some other time.”

The wind freshened up as they rode back towards Pumphrey Manor. The colour of the sky became worryingly dark and Siegfried felt how his horse picked up on the loaded atmosphere. The harsh wind and the noise of the crashing thunder wasn’t only getting to him. Apparently he transferred his growing unease to the mare and Madeleine reacted accordingly.

Audrey, who noticed that the horse tried to break out, guided River closer to Siegfried. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s the noise,” Siegfried said. “She’s more sensitive than I thought.”

Audrey looked up. The meadow in front of her seemed endless and now her own fear grew as the thunder became louder and the clouds above them were almost black now. The wind wiped over the grass and brought tears to her eyes. She only had a vague idea of their location, but instinctively knew they would never make it home before the storm would unleash its full force over them.

“Is there a place where we could find shelter?” She yelled, trying to drown out the thunder.

“There’s a hunting cabin about a mile from here,” he answered. “But I don’t know whether we can get in.”

It was their only chance though. “Follow me!” He ordered and veered to the right. Audrey urged River to follow him. Accompanied by thunder and lightning the small cabin finally came into sight. Audrey felt the first drops of rain on her face and spurred River. When she and Siegfried dismounted the horses and leashed them to the roofed porch, both were already drenched and out of breath.

“What a mess!” Audrey sighed when she looked down on herself. Her blouse was soaked and clung to every curve, revealing her bra. Some strands of her pinned up hair had gone loose and fell over her wet face.

Siegfried avoided looking at her and instead he started to search for a key. He turned a couple of empty flower pots and eventually found a single key stuck in potting soil.

“Eureka!” He cheered.

Audrey furrowed her brow, “Should we do that? Whose place is this?”

Siegfried laughed, “Yours, as far as I know.”

Her confusion amused him and so he explained, “The cabin belonged to the late Mr Pumphrey, but as far as I know it hasn’t been used in years. Mrs Pumphrey wasn’t a friend of the hunt and preferred the manor. I doubt it’s a very luxurious place after all this time, but it’ll do until the storm is over.”

Thunder crashed about the place and seconds later a bolt of lighting struck along the sky. Audrey frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. She thought of Edward, who was terrified of thunderstorms and used to snuggle up to her until it was all over. He didn’t her and she was too far away to get to him.

“He’s with Tristan and Francois,” Siegfried said as if he had been reading her mind. “He’ll be fine.”

Audrey wasn’t convinced. “From your lips to Gods’ ears.”

Siegfried fiddled with the key, because at first it wouldn’t turn in the lock. “Bloody… ah….” The door opened.

“Well… mi casa es su casa… or in this case, it’s the other way round,” he joked, asking her to enter her own cabin with a small bow.

~tbc~

Chapter Text

The rain hit the windows and the sound of the thunder crashing down all around them let Audrey shiver. They had been in the cabin for over half an hour now and out there the storm raged without showing any signs of approaching weariness.

The horses were audibly unhappy with their situation, but at least the porch offered enough shelter to protect them from the heavy rain shower.

Siegfried was standing by the open window, watching the lightning as it tore the sky apart. Audrey, who couldn’t share his enthusiasm for the spectacle, refilled her glass with the only liquid they had found in the old shack - Scottish whisky. The warmth of the liquid did her good. It soothed her system, but at the same time she feared what could happen if the alcohol did its job too well. After their almost kiss beneath the tree earlier, every fibre of her body longed for a touch from the vet, every inch of her skin yearned for tenderness. She was a grown woman, a mother, but her body seemed to belong to a wanton stranger.

The sound of him closing the window tore her out of her lustful thoughts. “You don’t like thunderstorms?” He asked as he returned to the small table.

“Not particular. No.” The thunder reminded her of the war, of the nights she had spent in shelters, the bombs that had terrorised Malta when she had been stationed there.

“I find them fascinating.” Refilling his own glass with a lavish amount of whisky, he continued, “Tristan and I usually watch them together. Strangely enough we never argue when there’s a storm going on.”

Audrey smiled in response. “Edward and I just hide under the blanket until it’s all over.”

Both chuckled, suddenly more comfortable with their situation. Audrey felt how the tension left her shoulders and for the first time she found the patience to inspect her surroundings. The inside of the cabin was basic and hadn’t been used in years. It consisted of a big table, some chairs, and a small bar. Most of the dirty windows were covered by shutters and a small oven stood in the corner. There was a door in the back of it, leading to a small room. She could spot a narrow bed that only offered a naked slatted frame. Some glasses and the bottle of whisky aside, there was no further equipment in the stuffy little cabin.

“Edward would like this place,” she mused.

“Oh, it’s an ideal hiding spot for boys.” Siegfried blinked. “Tris would have a field day here.”

“Which naturally means you won’t tell him about this place,” she concluded.

“Maybe I won’t,” he admitted and watched her in the corner of his eye. “You think I’m too strict with him, don’t you?”

“I think you’re doing your best in a difficult situation.”

“You should join a diplomatic corps,” he smirked.

“Oh, they don’t want me,” she quipped. “I’m a woman after all and women are considered to be too emotional to negotiate.”

Throwing his head back, he laughed out loud. Then he sobered up and gave her an intense look. “You know what I want?”

Sensing how her face warmed up, she lowered her eyelashes and her fingers cramped around the glass. “I can only guess…”

He leaned forward and brushed the back of his hand over her arm. “I hope you do, because otherwise this will turn out to be quite embarrassing for me and eventually my little brother…”

She blinked, uncertain what he was referring to. “What do you mean?”

“Tristan adores you… and if… if your feelings would…”

“My feelings…”

He drew a deep breath. “I think…I want…You…all of you…and Tris…if you should object…”

“I still would take him in and make sure he gets his homework done…” Finally her fingers let go of the glass before it could burst, and she placed her hand on his bearded cheek. Holding his breath, he closed his eyes as her thumb caressed him. Her tenderness came with a sting of guilt towards Evelyn, his late wife. Knowing he was free didn’t mean he knew how to act on it, although every inch of his body longed for the woman right in front of him.

“I’m scared, too,” he heard her saying. “It’s been so long…”

Much longer for her than for him as it dawned on him. Before he knew it, they were both standing up, and her lips brushed over his mouth. Their clothes, still damp, suddenly worked as glue between them, and he moaned in a low voice when her body pressed against his. Everything about was foreign and perfect, and as he tasted the whisky on her lips, he lost all control.

Siegfried, who had thought he would never kiss, never love again, fell deep and hard as their kiss deepened while the world outside drowned in a merciless storm.

~~~~A&S~~~~

In Pumphrey Manor Tristan was sitting on the floor near one of the big windows and watched in awe as the rain streamed down the window glass and the lightning illuminated the otherwise dark sky. The force of nature represented in animals or the weather was endlessly fascinating to him and so he didn’t even flinch when another series of thunder rumbled over his head. Edward on the other hand was hiding behind the curtains and firmly kept his eyes closed and plugged his ears with his hands. All he wanted was for the storm to be over - and his mother. He worried about her, because she was still out there and what if something happened to her?

The explosive sound of a bolt of lightning exploded close to them and made him scream. Soon he sensed Tristan next to him, and he didn’t know if this was good or bad. Tristan wasn’t scared at all, so what did he think of him now? He had slipped behind the curtain with him and was now sitting right by his side “Edward! Are you alright?”

“What do you think?” Edward barked, trying to swallow down his tears. He shouldn’t cry like a baby, but he felt scared and he missed his mother who always knew how to distract him.

“It’s nothing to be afraid of…well, maybe it is, but the chances of being struck by lightning are really, really low. My brother explained it all to me. We’re safe in the house.” Technically this wasn’t true. The only safe place during a thunderstorm was a moving car, but he didn’t want to worry his friend even further.

Edward just buried his head between his knees and Tris sighed. Then he heard steps from the other side of the room approaching them.

“Shhh!” With a slap on Edward’s knee he tried to get his attention.

Bewildered, Edward perked up and then someone tore the curtain to the side. It was Francois. The butler crouched down in front of them. “Well, messieurs, what is going on here?”

“We’re playing hide and seek,” Tristan answered swiftly and when Francois arched his right eyebrow he added, “More hide than seek.”

“That’s what I thought,” Francois said with a smirk. “Why don’t we go downstairs into the kitchen to fetch some food?”

“That’s an idea!” Tris agreed, rubbing his tummy.

“You’re always hungry,” Edward complained. “It’s much safer here.”

“Ah ah…” Francois shook his head. “Your Maman will be hungry when she returns. Why don’t you help me to prepare something nice for her?”

Edward eyed him suspiciously. His reluctance was slowly melting and Tristan saw his chance to get a first class view into the fridge of Pumphrey Manor. “He’s right, you know,” he whispered eagerly. “Your Mum will be hungry when she and Siegfried come back.”

“You see…we need to be prepared,” Francois added and patted Edward’s leg.

“I bet it’s less noisy in the kitchen,” Tris suggested.

“That’s true,” the butler agreed. “It’s like a vault down there. It’s all quiet.” To underline his statement he placed his index finger over his lips.

Edward wasn’t fully convinced, but he was running out of excuses to stay behind the curtain. Francois, who sensed Edward’s resistance melting, extended his hand. “Let’s go then.”

~~~~A&S~~~~

With the rain still hitting the windows and the thunder roaring in the distance Audrey had lost the track of time. Her world, her very existence was now limited to the inside of the cabin and the man whose arms were tightly wrapped around her. Her bones seemed to melt as his mouth brushed over her collarbone with his beard tickling her sensitive skin. Her damp blouse had been discarded to the floor and his fingers fiddled with the clasp of her bra. With her thighs firmly planted against his, she felt his arousal growing against her needy core.

With her sitting on his lap and his back pressed against the wooden rest of the chair there was nothing comfortable about their position, but their desire for each other had completely taken over.

When he failed to open her bra, she removed her fingers from his shoulder blades and helped him until the disturbing garment had finally gone. His hot breath against her naked breasts made her shiver and her nipples grew harder. His eyes, in awe of seeing her like this, glittered and she ran her fingers through his hair.

Using the Lord’s name in vain he leaned in to kiss the valley between her breasts and she moaned softly. His beard, soft but irritating, made her squirm and she heard her own voice as she begged him for more - not that she knew what “more” truly meant. After seven years of widowhood, a part of her felt like a virgin who had never enjoyed a man’s touch, although her body fully remembered what it felt like to be wanted by another human being.

Her passionate response seemed to encourage him, because thankfully his mouth became bolder and his lips and teeth explored her bare flesh. She felt his tongue on her throat as he kissed his way up to her mouth and she greedily returned his kiss and unbuttoned his shirt. His warm skin beneath her fingertips and the smooth hair on his chest made her hips twitch. Her juices were running freely now, soaking her underwear as her fingers sneaked beneath his waistband.

“Are you sure?” He mumbled against her mouth. With her naked chest pressing against his and her hands dangerously close to his manhood, he was close to losing it. She wasn’t just playing with fire, she was burning him alive.

“I’m positive,” she replied, kissing her way down his neck. In response he grabbed her behind. Her riding trousers were definitely in the way and his patience was running out. He swiftly maneuvered her onto the table and she gladly spread her legs to welcome him.

“Call me a macho, but I prefer skirts to trousers,” he groaned as he ran his fingers into her trousers and tore them down. She chuckled and helped him to remove the annoying piece of clothing, before she began to pull at his trousers.

Admiring every inch of his body, she bit her lips as he removed his clothes. “I’ve seen worse,” she whispered when she noticed his blush as his erection sprang free and proved his unhinged yearning. “In fact I’m flattered.” She pulled him into his arms and kissed him hungrily. Her hand carefully closed around his member, wondering if it throbbed as badly as her blood pulsated in her clitoris. Eager for his touch, she pushed her sex against his cock, a silent order to follow his instincts. He swallowed hard as he finally dared to sneak his fingers inside her knickers, where he was met by moist heat he hadn’t expected. He had forgotten how a woman’s arousal could make his head spin, how much someone wanting him was almost as gratifying as the act itself.

Feeling her arousal like this eliminated the remainder of his doubts. She threw her head backwards as his thumb met the soft hairs and the swollen button between her folds. He explored her with care and finesse, causing her wetness to web his fingers.

She sighed into his mouth as her hips rolled against him, eager to reach her gratification. “I want more,” she repeated her earlier wish, now with desperation straining her voice. A trail of sweat was running down her spine, every inch of her had tensed up. With a shiver running all through his body, he obeyed and slowly removed his fingers and tore the expensive underwear aside…

~~~~A&S~~~~

In the kitchen of Pumphrey Manor Edward and Tristan were sitting at table and watched Francois as he cropped tomatoes and cucumbers. He did so with a speed that made the boys gasp. Especially Edward forgot all about the thunderstorm as he watched the butler preparing an omelette with salad.

“Where did you learn that?” Edward asked bewildered.

“In France…from my Maman,” Francois answered. “She always made me an omelette when I was sad or needed some distraction.”

“My mother made black pudding,” Tristan answered dryly. “The whole place looked like a slaughterhouse.”

Francois spoke volumes and he shuddered. Tristan chuckled, “It’s delicious.”

“Today it is omelette,” Francois said and placed the pan on the stove. Next to him stood a bowl with the mixed ingredients. “Eggs, herbs, cheese.”

“I guess that’s better than nothing, considering that there won’t be any barbeque today.” Tristan sighed as he looked at the toplight that showed that the sky was still dark.

“I am sure we can do the barbeque another day,” Francois said.

“But only if Mum comes home in one piece,” Edward pointed out, pouting.

“Oh, she will,” Francois assured him. “She isn’t on her own, n’est pas? Monsieur Farnon is looking after her.”

“He is,” Tristan said. “Siegfried’s a good watch dog. At least he always seems to know what I’m up to.”

Francois laughed upon Tristan’s exasperation. Then a loud scream destroyed the joyful atmosphere and the three froze. “What was that?” Edward asked into the silence. Then there was another scream, louder this time and piercing.

“That’s Madame Harbottle,” Francois concluded with an arched eyebrow. Tristan and Edward exchanged a glance that didn’t go unnoticed by the butler. “What did you do to her?”

“Nothing,” the boys answered unisono.

“Humbug!” Annoyed, Francois pulled the pan from the stove. The woman screamed again and this time Tris and Edward plugged their ears as she stormed into the kitchen.

Francois looked at her, unsure what to make of her entrance, because she held her arms over her head and screamed as if she had seen a ghost. Desperately sobbing she threw against Francois who helplessly opened his arms and almost fell over by the force with which she bumped into him.

“Help me!” She yelled. “There’s something in my desk!”

“In your desk?” Francois asked, visibly confused.

“Something’s moving in it! Jumping…”

Over her shoulder Francois eyed the two boys whose ears suddenly burned. Both could barely hide their excited giggle.

“Well, Madame…why don’t you show me the problem…” Francois suggested. “The boys can come with us. Maybe they can help…”

Said boys got petrified and stared at the butler. Their giggle had died and the heat had dropped into their faces. Squirming and rueful the two watched Francois as he pointedly wrapped his arms around the shoulders of the distressed housekeeper and asked them to lead the way out of the kitchen.

~~~~A&S~~~~

The smell of rain and fresh grass filled the air as Siegfried stepped out of the cabin. In the far distance he saw the lightning crashing along the sky, but the rain had stopped and so had the deafening sound of the thunder. The heat of the day had faded and a fresh and welcome breeze brushed over him as he patted the horses.

He sensed her nearness before he saw her. The feeling of her arms as they snaked around him transported him straight back into the cabin and their moment of unhinged passion. This encounter hadn’t been what he had imagined about a thousand times before. In retrospect he felt naive for his dreams about making love to her in a cosy double bed with flower-covered curtains at the windows.

“Is it terrible of me to want to stay?” She asked, pressing her cheek against his shoulder.

“No,” he answered, feeling the same. “But the boys will wait.”

“I know…” He turned in her embrace and cupped her face with both his hands. “You are so incredibly beautiful and I’m a lucky bastard,” he said and smiled. Her formerly pinned up hair was now loosely falling over her shoulders and her face carried the glow of blissful gratification. He kissed her hungrily, savouring her taste for a time when he wouldn’t be able to hold her.

“Where will we go from here?” She asked, studying his face.

“For me there’s only one direction,” he answered. “What about you?” He had no idea how to make it work without raising many eyebrows and sustaining gossip, but he was willing to give it a try.

“I agree,” she said, a smile twitching all over her face. “But the boys…”

“We’ll tell them in time,” he promised. “For now let’s…enjoy the moment.”

“Sounds wonderful,” she replied and snaked her arms around his neck.

Five minutes later they were back on horseback and the cold evening breeze was cooling their heated faces. In Siegfried’s saddle bag the bottle of Scottish whisky accompanied him. It was the kind of token he couldn’t leave behind.

~tbc~

Chapter Text

“You did what?” Audrey asked, disbelief written all over her face, as she looked at Edward and Tristan. Both boys were standing in her study, their hands folded on their backs, their heads bent. It wasn’t exactly the kind of return Audrey had anticipated when she and Siegfried had finally found their way back home. As soon as they had entered the house the idea of a nice evening had been destroyed by the news of a distraught housekeeper and a runaway frog who had escaped into the depths of the downstairs quarters, where its mere existence unsettled the maids.

Siegfried couldn’t remember seeing his little brother so abashed and unhappy as Audrey read both boys the riot act. The way she stared down the two of them she was surrounded by an authority that had an arousing effect on him - something that was as misplaced as uncomfortable given the circumstances.

He was leaning against the window ledge behind her desk and the remainders of the evening sun were warming his back. “So, let me get this straight,” he summed up to give the impression that he actually cared for the silly prank the boys had played on Audrey’s housekeeper. “You put a frog in the poor woman’s desk… why exactly?”

The boys didn’t answer. Francois was standing near the fireplace and obviously preferred to stay silent, too. Only the suspicious twitching of his lips gave away that he was highly amused by the incident.

“We’re waiting for an answer,” Audrey said sternly, as she stood behind her desk. “What did Mrs Harbottle do to you to deserve such a treatment?”

“Did you just say Harbottle?” Siegfried asked, perplexed.

“I did,” Audrey confirmed. “She’s only been with us for a couple of weeks.”

“A couple of weeks, eh?” Siegfried chuckled as his distracted brain put the pieces of the puzzle together. So his former housekeeper was now Audrey’s housekeeper, and, of course, the temptation to continue his vendetta against her was too big for Tristan to let it pass. “I’m beginning to understand… Tristan?”

“She’s a blasé cow,” Tristan said in a low voice, still without facing his brother or Audrey.

“As much as it amazes me that you know the word ‘blasé’, the more I’m surprised that you think playing the same prank twice is very original. What were you thinking?”

“What do you mean, playing the same prank twice?” Audrey looked from Siegfried to Tristan and back.

“Tristan?” Siegfried looked demandingly at his brother.

“She used to be our housekeeper,” Tristan said, still subdued. “But she was mean to me and to Jess, and so I put a frog in her bed and in the bread tin…she ran for the hills and when I saw her here… well…and it was a toad by the way.” He looked at Edward who just stared at his feet.

“Wait…” Audrey crooked her eyebrow and looked over her shoulder to Siegfried. “Are we talking about the frog who jumped out of your bag the day we met?”

“We do,” Siegfried confirmed, trying to stay serious. “I see…” Audrey looked at her son, demanding more information.

“She’s mean to everyone… and I heard her badmouthing you. She thinks you’re not good enough to live here.” Edward’s face was defiant at best.

“And instead of talking to me, you put a… toad in her desk?” Audrey sighed. “That was a mad and silly idea.”

She once again established eye contact with Siegfried. “I gather you don’t like her either.”

He shrugged, “She’s not happy around animals, which makes working for me a challenge.” He hoped he had sounded diplomatic enough to pass as a role model. He had never really examined whether he liked Miss Harbottle or not. All he had wanted was a clean house and a decent supper, preferably without trouble.

“She called Tricki a rodent!” Edward perked up. “She’s not a nice lady!”

“And once again,” Audrey repeated, “It’s not on you to decide whether she stays or not! And you certainly have no right to play a prank on her! That’s not very nice either!”

Annoyed, she looked at Francois. “Where is she now?”

“I told her to take the evening off. I think she went out.”

“Tomorrow morning,” Audrey ordered, pointing her finger at Edward and Tristan,“The two of you will apologise to Mrs Harbottle. And you will be really sorry!”

“Ma…”

“Don’t ‘Ma’ me! And tonight it’s sandwiches in your room, nothing more!”

“Ma…” Edward wanted to protest, but she ignored him and addressed her butler, “Francois, could you please ask one of the maids to prepare a room for Mr Farnon, maybe the ‘Blue Room’? And help Tristan to settle into Edward’s room for the night?”

“We’re staying here?” Tristan asked, surprised. He had mentally prepared for another even more unpleasant tirade from his brother at home, and that without the promised sandwiches.

“What she said,” Siegfried replied, trying to hide his own surprise.

“And we’ll all attend church tomorrow morning,” Audrey added.

“Will we?” Tristan asked, rolling his eyes.

“Apparently,” his brother said. “It’s settled then.”

“Can I say one more thing?” Edward asked, meekly.

Audrey shot an angry glance at her son. “You may…”

“I’m glad you’re back.” Then he turned to Tristan and asked him to follow him outside. The boys trotted out, their shoulders slumped, their eyes focused on the floor.

“He knows how to break a heart,” Siegfried joked after the boys and Francois had left.

“It’s the puppy dog eyes. His father got them, you know,” Audrey said dryly.

“You’re aware this was Tristan’s idea to begin with,” Siegfried pointed out. “He’s the older one and Tristan’s head is filled with silly ideas.”

“But it was Edward’s lack of judgement,” Audrey argued. “He should have known better!”

Sensing how angry she really was, Siegfried decided to drop the subject for the time being. He hated to see her upset and that his brother was the reason for it. He would have to think of a suitable punishment for the younger Farnon.

“Talking about lack of judgment…” He strolled over to her and placed his hand on the small of her back. “Is it wise to accommodate us here tonight? Not to mention going to church together tomorrow…?”

“Why not?” She asked, picking a nonexistent lint from his shirt.

“Could be risqué…being seen together.”

“Better be seen in public than in secret,” she mused and placed a quick kiss on the corner of his mouth. “And now I’ll make sure we’ll get some decent dinner. Thanks to you I’ve worked up quite an appetite.”

~~~~A&S~~~~

Mae Harbottle was livid. Bosworth watched her as she whirled around his small kitchen, shouting and wailing, because of the mistreatment she had suffered from the hands of Mrs Hall’s son and his friend.

“This bloody beggar!” She hissed. “You should have seen that frog! Fat and slimy and jumping at me.”

Bosworth crooked his eyes. Frogs, at least in his experience, weren’t slimy, but telling her that wouldn’t necessarily improve things. He had already noticed that her new job wasn’t entirely to her satisfaction. She rubbed some of the staff, most of them to be honest, in the wrong way. Her worst mistake was that she had made an enemy in Francois who eyed her suspiciously. Bosworth had also overheard the maids telling dirty jokes about her on more than once occasion. To say it wasn’t going well was an understatement.

“Maybe it wasn’t wise to…”

“What?” She yelled.

“The boy…Edward. He’s Mrs Hall’s son and he’s not a bad lad.”

“He’s always misbehaving and she never calls him out for it.”

That wasn’t what Bosworth had observed though. Mrs Hall was a kind woman, but she was strict when she needed to be and Edward was a shy boy who loved his pets.

“Well, you won’t get into Mrs Hall’s good graces if you make her son unhappy and mistreat her pets. The pets were part of the inheritance,” he reminded her. “She can’t just sell them off, you know.”

“Whose side are you on?” Mae asked, her arms crossed her chest.

“I’m on your side, dear, but I’m telling you like it is. You better make friends with Edward Hall and his animals or you won’t last long at Pumphrey Manor.” So far Mae had been lucky that her dislike of everything that left dirt or fur on the expensive furniture hadn’t been brought to Mrs Hall’s attention, but he figured those days were over now. After the incident with the frog Mae certainly was on Mrs Hall’s radar and Bosworth wasn’t sure this was a good thing. She was already eyeing him closely and had a way of bringing up a painful subject.

“We’ll see about that!” Mae said defiantly. “I’m not going to wave the white flag, because of an ill-bred boy!”

It had been ages since Bosworth had been someone stomping their foot, but now he did and it wasn’t a pretty sight, but arguing with her was useless now that she was riled up.

Five minutes later Mae Harbottle stormed out of his little house and headed towards Pumphrey Manor. She was a woman with a mission.

~~~~A&S~~~~

After their feeble dinner, consisting of some chicken breast and salad, had come to an end, Audrey excused Francois for the rest of the evening. It wasn’t the first time that she excused him from his duties earlier, but this time they had guests in the house.

It was a little risqué to have a handsome widower like Siegfried Farnon staying the night, but it wasn’t on Francois to have an opinion. His task for the upcoming days would be to make sure the maids wouldn’t giggle their way through the village, telling everyone about the overnight guest.

He went into the servant’s quarters in the back of the manor and kicked off his shoes, relieved to be rid of them. Just as he dropped down to his bed, he heard someone knocking at his door and groaned.

“Oui?” He asked, standing up again.

The figure who slipped into his room wasn’t the gardener as he had expected. It was the housekeeper. With his eyebrow crooked, he watched her as she sneaked up on him. “What are you doing here?”

It was unheard of that a female servant walked into a man servant’s bedroom, and he was already annoyed by her actions. It didn’t help that he didn’t even like her, so her actions were indeed most unwelcome.

“I need to talk to you!” She whispered. That she was keeping her voice down told him she knew how improper her behaviour was.

“Couldn’t we talk tomorrow? In the servant’s hall?” He hoped the suggestion would make her see the error in her ways, but she didn’t want to hear of it.

“No… it has to be tonight!” She sounded eager and he became petrified when she placed her hands on his chest and leaned into him. “I’m afraid,” she confessed. “I need someone to hold on to.”

“Why?” He asked stoically, trying to think of a way to escape.

“What if Mrs Hall sacks me?”

“Why would she do that?” He did his ultimate best to ignore her roaming hands.

“Because her son…he hates me.”

Edward wasn’t the only one, but even being deeply annoyed by her, he wasn’t ready to tell her just that.

“I’m sure you have nothing to be afraid of,” he tried to assure her.

“Will you protect me?” Miss Harbottle asked, one hand now moving down between them.

“I’ll do nothing,” Francois answered and cleared his throat. “Just as you will not do anything that upsets Madame Hall any further.”

She paled. “What do you mean?”

“She knows now you dislike her,” Francois explained as he finally took a step back.

“But who…”

The butler rolled his eyes. Was she really that daft? “Just keep a low profile and do your job. Be kind to the maids and to the boy. That’s all that can save you.”

“I see…” The housekeeper swallowed hard.

“And just for the record,” Francois straightened his tie. “You were barking up the wrong tree. And now, leave, please, and don’t come back again.”

Indignant that her attempt to get herself a new ally hadn’t worked, Mae Harbottle retreated and closed the door behind her.

Relieved that the housekeeper had eventually left his room, he gave into the wish to shudder. And now he needed something strong to forget about this incident. Thank heavens he had a bottle of sherry hidden in his drawer for emergencies!

~~~~A&S~~~~

Five minutes after Miss Harbottle had left his bedroom, Francois peeked out of his door to make sure she had truly vanished, before he stepped out into the hallway. He would combine his need for a drink and a little snack with the checking of the doors and windows. After that he would call it a night.

He crossed all the rooms, making sure the curtains and windows were closed and found that neither Mrs Hall nor her guest were downstairs. The house was completely silent by eleven and the dogs were asleep in their baskets in their room, the cats were outside, chasing their prey. He also convinced himself that the boys were both fast asleep in Edward’s room. Tristan was lying on a mattress next to the bed, snoring a little bit and Edward seemed to be dreaming, because he kept mumbling in his sleep. Francois suspected he was looking for a certain toad and grinned by the memory of the afternoon he had spent with the boys.

As he passed Mrs Hall’s bedroom, he briefly wondered whether she was alone or not. He didn’t have to be blessed with eagle eyes to notice the lingering glances she and the vet had given each other during the evening. He had the feeling that the thunderstorm hadn’t been the only force of nature that had unloaded its energy during the afternoon, not that he worried about this development. Monsieur Farnon was a fine man. He was good with the animals in his care and he was good for Mrs Hall. If anything, the attention he paid to her was a boost to her confidence, something that never hurt.

Francois had reached the staircase when he suddenly heard one of the many doors in the hallway behind him opening. Curiously, he turned around and smiled when he spotted Audrey Hall as she sneaked out of her room. The emerald green bathrobe that flattered her curves reached to the floor and the butler arched his eyebrow when she first peeked into Edward’s bedroom, before she turned into the other direction and headed for the wing where the guest rooms were located. His question was answered now, and he grinned as he finally understood why Mrs Hall had insisted on giving Monsieur Farnon this specific guestroom. At times his boss had a wicked sense of humour, he had to give her that.

~~~~A&S~~~~

Siegfried emerged from the ensuite bathroom, wearing a pyjama Francois had organised for him, and looked longingly at the empty, but also inviting double bed. He had just taken a long and hot bath that had done wonders to his aching bones, but despite the weariness of his body, his mind was wide awake, racing actually. The events of the day and especially the memory of everything that had transpired between him and Audrey, made his heart beat faster and caused the blood to accumulate somewhere in his bottoms. The soap he had used to clean himself hadn’t helped. It couldn’t erase Audrey’s scent that still filled his nostrils and made his skin tingle.

Her skin, her hair, the sweetness of her kisses, the feeling of her fingernails digging into his skin…all of this was now imprinted in his mind and his body relived their love making as he pictured her in this very room with him, her legs curled around him, her hot breath against his skin as he made love to her…

Since he had actually no idea where her bedroom was, it would be rather silly to go out into the hallway to search for it, but sleeping in this room, knowing she was somewhere near was unthinkable either. So, he reckoned he had to be bold and try his luck in the vain hope she would receive him. Her looks over dinner had suggested as much, but his instinct told him he shouldn’t be too sure of himself.

So he picked up the old bathrobe from the bed. If he ran into someone he could pretend to look for the kitchen to get himself something to drink - and almost bumped into her as he tore the door open.

He gasped when he saw her and felt his confidence going out the window.

“Do you mind?” She asked, almost shyly.

“No…” Perplexed, he stepped aside, allowing her in. Her scent made him dizzy as she walked past him and his hand cramped around the door handle.

“The boys are asleep,” she reported as she turned to him. “They were really dead on their feet.”

“He who sleeps does not sin,” he replied deadpan, staring at her. She wore a long, emerald green bathrobe. The shiny fabric underlined the sparkle in her eyes and she giggled. “Won’t you close the door?”

“Christ!” Feeling like a fool, he quickly closed it. Before he turned to her, he drew a deep breath to steady himself.

“Not quite,” she said. “I just wanted to make sure you’re…accounted for. Do you like your room?”

“I like it much better now that you’re here,” he admitted freely and without taking his eyes from her.

“Francois told me the room was nicknamed ‘The Dandy’ during the last century. There’s a hidden door near the fireplace. Apparently one former lady of the manor used it to smuggle herself inside her lover’s bedroom. Everybody knew it, but, of course, no one ever talked about it.” To prove her point she went to the mantelpiece and moved the little flower vase that was standing on it. As if by magic a narrow door that seamlessly fit into the wall moved backwards, reveleaving a dark hallway. Suddenly he felt like playing a part in a notorious novel.

“And yet you used the real door…” Lured by her mysterious smile, Siegfried closed the distance between.

“This isn’t the 19th century, is it?” She asked, closing the secret passage by moving the vase back in its place.

“But you’re the lady of the manor…”

“I’m getting used to it,” she confessed, toying with her sash. His heart beat a bit faster when he saw the fabric falling open, revealing more naked skin than he had expected.

“Feel free to call the shots then,” he said in a low voice, realising he was her slave. Mesmerised by her and the mere thought that she had come into his room to seduce him, he waited with bated breath for her to make the next move. Ever so slowly she pulled at the sash and as the robe opened inch by inch, his eyes became glued to her body. The silky fabric glided down to the floor and his hands were trembling when he dared to touch her. His fingertips ran up her arms, pausing at her shoulder for a brief moment, before he gingerly touched her collarbone.

She looked so much more fragile than she had during the afternoon. Everything about her was tender and precious in his eyes.

“This afternoon you were a lot bolder,” she reminded him as his thumb lingered in the small spot beneath her throat.

“This afternoon I was an imbecile,” he whispered. Unthinkable that he had taken her on a dirty table in the middle of nowhere during a thunderstorm when she was worthy of a four-poster king size bed.

“You did alright,” she assured him with a chuckle and pressed her body against him. “And now take me to bed, will you?”

Acting on his more carnal instincts he kissed her hungrily and just as she demanded he picked her up. When he lowered her onto the bed he took his moment to appreciate her beauty and traced the way from her throat down to her navel. His touch was leaving goosebumps over her skin and a slight tremble rushed through her body as he joined her on the mattress and pulled her into his arms…

~tbc~

Chapter Text

“This is a very cosy home,” Audrey said as she wrapped her arms around Siegfried and pressed a tender kiss on his cheek. Her hands roamed lavishly over his naked chest and he felt the warmth of her breasts pressed against his back. It was late morning, and there was only an hour left before she would pick up the boys from school. This wasn't the first rendezvous in his house, but certainly the most extended. Those hours were bliss despite the secrecy that surrounded them and at first it had felt strange to share his bed with someone else than his late wife.

But his admiration and love for Audrey Hall was growing steadily, and every moment they shared, nursed his feelings for her like the sun and water nursed every living thing on earth. He had fallen hard and deep for this woman, but despite her physical nearness, he felt torn about the possibility of a future with her. It was something he should have taken into account before he had made love to her, but he had passed the rubicon. Sometimes there was no turning back - at least not when it came to emotions.

“It's cosy, but it can't compete with the splendour of Pumphrey Manor,” he replied.

“Sometimes I think Pumphrey Manor should be a museum,” she mused.

“Don't say it out loud,” Siegfried chuckled. “There aren't enough pearls to be clutched to make up for this atrocity. Imagine paid visitors, peasants, on the thick carpets.” She chuckled, but he had only been half-joking. Once again he realised how much the reality of their lives were clashing.

Her hair tickled his shoulder as she trailed her mouth along his neck. Her tongue found the spot that made the blood race in his veins. These few hours with her were never enough, yet there was no other way. His work demanded his attention, in fact he had postponed several appointments to spend the morning with her, and his livelihood depended on his income. Tristan needed to get a place in boarding school soon, and Siegfried wanted to give him the education he deserved. Tristan was a silly boy at times, but he was also bright and talented. He wanted what was best for him, and more.

“Do you sometimes think about the future?” She asked dreamily.

“I do,” he confessed. These days more often than ever. After all, he found himself in love with a woman who may have been born in his own social caste, but had stepped up by inheritance. In the eyes of society there wasn't much of a chance for their romance to lead into something permanent.

“Me too and I think…” It was the ringing of the phone that interrupted her.

“I've got to get that,” he apologised. “Could be an emergency.”

Reluctantly, she allowed him to free himself out of her embrace and watched him tumbling along while putting on his trousers. With a heavy, sated sigh, she fell back into the mattress, and hid her face in the pillow that carried the scent of cologne, perfume, and their love making.

She felt like being caught in a dream. With Siegfried by her side everything seemed easy. With him she was safe and accounted for. And here at Skeldale they didn't have to worry about prying eyes or uncomfortable questions, which was something that couldn't be said from her own house.

Thanks to the staff she was never truly alone, and she couldn't just ask Siegfried to stay the night whenever she felt like it.

Even François, who was usually supportive, had told her in confidence that she shouldn't invite Mr Farnon, “the elder”, again to spend the night at her house any time soon. The loyal butler had told her that tongues of the maids were already wagging like those of puppy dogs, and that he feared for her reputation.

Audrey had assured him that she would act as cautiously as the situation demanded, but that she wouldn't stop looking after Tristan Farnon just to please the staff. She liked the boy. He was good for Edward and his presence in her house guaranteed Siegfried always had an excuse to stop by.

The one weekend Siegfried and Tristan had spent in her house two weeks ago had ruffled some feathers. She had overheard some giggles coming from the maids, and Bosworth hadn't been happy to encounter Siegfried in the yard in the morning when he had inspected the stables to make sure the horses and other animals were alright. Still, to her surprise her estate agent had spared her one of his snarling comments. The gazes he was throwing at her were enough though. She still had no idea if Bosworth liked her or not, and even less obvious was his motivation with which he did his job.

And then there was her new housekeeper. She already regretted having trusted Bosworth's with the hiring, because she was now stuck with the woman who had once worked for Siegfried and seemed to dislike everything Audrey enjoyed. The children and the animals were the apple of her eye, and Miss or Mrs Harbottle as she was called around the manor, always scrutinised their every move and wrinkled her nose every time they did something she considered ill-mannered or inappropriate. She also hadn't forgotten about Edward's claim that Mrs Harbottle had spoken ill of her, but thanks to the silly frog - pardon - toad prank, she couldn't sack her on the spot, but had to wait for another misstep from her. Not that she enjoyed sacking anyone or looked forward to it, but something about this woman set her teeth on edge.

Audrey still remembered the dumbfounded expression on Mrs Harbottle's face when she had asked her about the toad incident and Siegfried had been sitting on the sofa, casually sipping his tea while wearing the clothes from the day before. Later she had spotted Mrs Harbottle’ s shameless stare at Siegfried and had wondered if she had set her eyes on him, and only her disgust with furry or jumpy creatures had ruined her plans to become the next Mrs Farnon. She wouldn't be the first female who tried to find herself a good-looking husband by working for him.

Maybe it was her own jealousy that drove her dislike for her housekeeper, but the atmosphere amongst the staff had suffered since her hiring, and Audrey didn't want to worry about this kind of thing. Once François came back from his short holiday she would instruct him to make some discreet inquiries for a replacement.

Her trail of thoughts was interrupted when Siegfried appeared in the doorway, wearing trousers and suspenders over his naked shoulders. “I've got to go,” he announced unhappily. “A stuck calf, and I'm afraid they called me too late.”

“Oh…” Dismayed about the abrupt end of their rendezvous, Audrey slipped out of the bed and began to collect her clothes. The delicate maroon coloured lace underwear she had recently purchased hadn't failed its purpose. His brown eyes had almost popped out of his head when she had dropped her dress for him. It was an unknown kind of power that she still explored - with results that were surpassing her tame imaginations.

“I'm sorry,” he said as he helped to pick up her dress and stockings. “I wish we…,” he broke off. “I wish there was more time. It's never enough, is it?”

In Audrey’s opinion truer words had never been spoken, but she decided not to become mawkish. Not when he had to work and needed to be on top of his game. “You're needed,” she conceded, trying to hide her own disappointment. “And we'll see each other anyway when you pick up Tristan.”

“We will,” he assured her. He dropped her garments onto the mattress, and pulled her in for a kiss. Holding her naked body always gave him gooseflesh, and every fibre of his body ached for more than the couple of fleeting, stolen hours they shared in this room. That she responded with equal enthusiasm to his kisses assured him of her feelings, although he feared that their happiness was fragile. A woman like her deserved a prospect of marriage if she gave herself to a man, but who was he to propose to her? He owed as much as the roof over their heads, and that was it. He was no appropriate match for an heiress.

"I love you,” he mumbled against her lips.

“I love you, too,” she assured him. “And now I won't keep you any longer. Maybe River can distract me while you're gone. We could pay the cabin a visit and think about a way to refurbish it…”

He frowned, “I hope you aren't thinking of riding him on your own?”

“Why ever not?” She asked, a bit amused but his worry.

“He's a good horse, but…” For a short moment he held his breath and then he added, “Promise me not to go out on your own. Please!” He caressed her cheekbone with his thumb. He couldn't get enough of her aristocratic profile, her beauty, and the courage that radiated from her grey eyes. Still, he needed her to be safe. “I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you.”

“Don't be daft!” She kissed him again. “River's my hero. He won't hurt me.”

“Promise me!” He demanded and without smiling. He wasn’t joking. “He's a good horse, but you've never been out with him on your own.”

The worry in his voice touched her, and the smile slowly vanished from her face. “I promise it,” she said, her voice more earnest this time.

“Good. I swear we'll ride out again on the weekend.”

“I would like that,” she admitted, running her hands over his naked chest.

After another long kiss, he eventually broke free. “Go,” she encouraged him tenderly. “I'll see myself out.”

“Thank you,” he kissed her ruffled hair, grabbed his shirt and waistcoat and was gone.

~~~~A&S~~~~

Arthur Bosworth was nervous. It wasn't a sensation he was used to, and he had no remedy for it. He couldn't put his finger on it, but the atmosphere at Pumphrey Manor had become decreasingly tense. Since the strange afternoon when Mrs Hall and Siegfried bloody Farnon had gone missing in a thunderstorm, nothing was as it used to be. Mrs Hall was absent-minded and even less open to his suggestions and ideas, and Mae was just intolerable. She had stopped visiting him, meaning his bed felt even emptier than before. He was increasingly losing his grip on things, and he wasn't good at being a bystander.

In the manor Mae avoided him, and before François had taken some days off to attend the wedding of a family member, he had given Bosworth the strange advice to ask himself what the mouse did when the cat was away. Since Bosworth was familiar with the proverb, the hint had deeply upset him, but Mae Harbottle knew exactly how to ensure he wouldn't have the opportunity to be alone with her. Her demeanour could only mean that she had found herself another willing toy, but who could it be?

It certainly wasn't Farnon who had clearly set his eyes on the lady of the Manor and didn't need to get into the good graces of the housekeeper.

As a result of the recent developments he huffed and puffed, and had decided to concentrate on finding out what exactly was going on between Mrs Hall and the vet.

The man visited the estate far too often for his liking, and his bloody little brother was just as annoying. The bloody boy had a lot of cheek and was a God damn know-it-all, something that had started to rub off on Edward.

Some days ago the boys had hidden a self-built farting bag under the cushion of his swivelling chair, embarrassing him in front of a tenant. He didn't dare to imagine what the boys would be up to in their upcoming summer holidays.

At this moment he was safe of her antics though. He was downstairs in the servant’s hall, having a well-deserved cup of tea. The room was deserted or so he had thought. While he nursed his bad mood over a cup of Darjeeling and a sandwich, he overheard a couple of maids coming down the hallway. Why did these foolish people always have to giggle when there was more than one of them?

“I tell you two of the buttons were completely off. She happened to have them in her pocket, but she couldn't say how they came off. I bet it were him when he threw her onto the bed and tore her clothes off. He's so handsome. I don't blame her. Have you seen him on the horse? Those legs!”

“A stallion for sure. A lot of stamina, I suppose.”

Bosworth frowned and tentatively put his cup down. Were they gossiping about Mrs Hall and Farnon?

“I tell you she's getting some these days. No way she’s in town that often because she's running errands. And she looks too radiant for a longtime widow. I mean…yesterday a new set of underwear arrived,” the other maid said. “It's French! I guess she can afford it… They’ll be ruining a lot of sheets at his house…” A new wave of giggles made it impossible for him to understand what else was said, but he felt a little hot under the collar now that he knew how far advanced the relationship between Mrs Hall and the vet was. The news was disturbing. When Farnon had already lured her into his bed it was only a matter of time before he would convince her to sack him. Surely Farnon would be eager to take over as the manager of the estate.

As the maids entered the servant’s hall, he cleared his throat and gave them a stern glance. The pair paled sufficiently, and when he rose to reprimand them, they bowed their heads in shame.

Five minutes after his rant was over, he emerged from the house and decided to give the pub an early visit. To digest this news he needed a strong ale or two.

~~~~A&S~~~~

Audrey was sitting behind her desk, and the tension in the back of her neck announced an arriving headache. Mae Harbottle was standing in front of her, and had the nerve to argue with her about the arrangements of the upcoming annual garden party. It was a matter she had wanted to discuss with François first, because he had the most experience with the event. But now Mrs Harbottle had obviously decided to start with the planning in the butler's absence, which wasn't just impertinent, but also against the agreement.

“Mrs Harbottle, with all due respect. I'll take your suggestions into consideration, but I'll first speak to François. He'll be back in two days, and the party is in four weeks. We have plenty of time to prepare.” She really wasn’t in the mood to discuss the party right now. Mrs Harbottle and the smile she had plastered all over her face were annoying her, and didn’t help to fight off the pain that creeped from the back of her neck all over her skull.

“It's the early bird who catches the worm, wouldn't you agree? I also believe festivities like this demand a woman's careful planning.”

“Are you suggesting François isn't equipped to plan a garden party ?” Audrey asked sharply.

“I only propose to think about some changes. I looked up the order lists from the other years, and to be frank I see room for several improvements.” Mae smiled sweetly at Audrey, who didn't buy the housekeeper's innocent act. It was Mrs Harbottle’s plan to undermine François’s authority and Audrey wouldn’t have it.

“I assure you, we will discuss them when the time comes.”

“I'm sure he won't mind, if we…”

“Mrs Harbottle, the matter is closed until François is back,” Audrey said, her voice now colder than ever. “What about lunch for the boys? I hope you didn't forget to pass along my wish for more vegetables for them and less thin soup with bread.” She had noticed that during François’ absence the meal for the boys had suffered, mainly because Mrs Harbottle had told the cook to make less of a fuss for them.

Mae blushed fiercely. “Of course, Mrs Hall. I think it's Irish stew today and after that a piece of apple tart.”

“Very well. Are we done for today?” It was an obvious dismiss, one that didn't go unnoticed by Mae.

“I think so.”

“Would you then be so kind as to inform Mrs Bray that I'll be coming down after high tea to discuss next week's menu with her?”

“As you wish.”

Audrey watched her housekeeper as she left her study and closed her eyes once the door had closed. She downed the rest of her tea, and added a glass of water but the headache seemed to break free now. She had never suffered from many headaches or migraines and wondered what had brought it on. Until her morning with Siegfried had been interrupted she had been more than fine.

Her idea to ride out on River came back to her mind, but she also remembered the promise she had given to Siegfried. He specifically had asked her not to ride out on her own with River. Well, River was one thing, and she owned more than one horse. She needed a break from the house, and she needed it soon.

Determined to get some fresh air, she decided to change into her riding clothes, and instructed the stable boys to saddle Madeleine. The grey horse was peaceful enough, and the mare wasn't River. And she wouldn't be out for too long so she could still supervise the boys when they were doing their homework.

~~~~A&S~~~~

Mae Harbottle was standing outside the servant’s entrance and smoked a cigarette. She hadn't smoked in years, but now she needed it. Hopefully the gardner wouldn't notice how she had snatched it from the package that he had accidentally left on the big table in the servant’s hall.

Her latest encounter with Mrs Hall hadn't gone well. Not well at all. The woman didn't like her, and she apparently hated every attempt to improve the running of the household. Well, what was there to expect from a middle class retail seller who had accidentally come into the possession of a big fortune?

She withdrew when she overheard the hectic footsteps of someone crossing the yard. She didn't want to be seen and asked since when she smoked and after another quick draft she snipped the cigarette away. As she watched her employer heading towards the stables, she exhaled and relaxed. So Mrs Hall planned to ride out. Hopefully the exercise would brighten up her mood.

~~~~A&S~~~~

“That's so boring,” Edward complained as he listlessly stared down on his math homework. With the compasses in his hand, he blew his cheeks and rolled his eyes. Tristan, who was writing the last abstract of an essay about common adders, looked up. “You don't like maths?”

“I just don't get it,” Edward replied. “I would like to understand it, but it's just a big blur…” Discouraged, he dropped the compasses and looked to the window. Outside the window the sky had become a lot greyer since lunch time and the first drops of rain hit the window.

Tristan understood the sentiment. Maths weren’t his forte, but he managed it. What annoyed him right now was the essay he had to write. The information he gathered from his book wasn’t sufficient. From his brother he knew a lot about all sorts of snakes, not that he liked them, but Siegfried had taught him more about them, and what the book said was either old stuff or it had never been right in the first place. The problem was his teacher never appreciated when Tristan used facts in his essays that he hadn’t read in one of his school books, so he found himself in a dilemma. Should he write down what Siegfried had told him or stick with the half-truths in the book?

“Ma’s still out,” Edward said. The clock on the mantelpiece struck three times. “It's a quarter to four,” he added. “She said she would be home in time to help us.”

Tristan shrugged. Growing up with Siegfried often meant time was a theoretical concept, although his older brother always pretended to be a classic example of punctuality and efficiency. He knew better and had made it a habit of relying on his brother's unpredictable habits. Mrs H was different though. She was always on time and kept her promises.

“Maybe she's met someone,” Tris suggested. “I'm sure she'll be back soon.”

Half an hour later Tristan had finished his little essay about the only venomous viper known in England or northern Europe and had additionally finished Edward's homework, but Mrs H still hadn’t shown up. Edward was now standing at the window, staring out into the rain.

“I think she had to find shelter from the rain, that's why she isn't home. You know how women are…”

Edward wrinkled his nose. Deep wrinkles graced his forehead. “Their hair, you know,” Tris explained before Edward could ask what he was referring to. “And the stuff they smear on their faces and lips. My brother once explained it to me. They do it because they want to look nicer, but when it gets wet, they'll look like a clown in a circus.”

“My Ma's not like that,” Edward insisted. With a sigh he added, “I wish François was here. He would help us find her.”

Tris couldn't argue with that. Without the butler the afternoons in the Manor were less fun, and without Mrs H it was downright awful. He feared if they went out to ask anyone else from the staff to look for Mrs H, they would just laugh at them.

“I could call my brother,” he suggested. “Maybe he's already home.”

“Would you?” Edward asked hopefully.

“Sure. Why not?”

Together the boys sneaked out of the salon. Mindful not to be seen they tiptoed along the hallway, past the countless paintings and slipped into Audrey's study. Feeling really grand as he sat down in Audrey's chair, he started to dial.

“2-2-9-7…” Edward waited with baited breath while Tristan nibbled on his lower lip. “He won't pick up…” Tris mumbled between clenched teeth. “He could be on his way here already.” Or just be lost in his work. Lately he always came home late in the evenings, because he had farm calls in the evening. When he asked Siegfried about it, he always said, because so many animals were sick, but Tristan had the feeling that something else was off. Something his brother wouldn’t talk about.

Seeing Tristan’s gloomy facial expression Edward wasn't convinced that anyone could be on their way to look for his mother any time soon “I'll go out and look for her.” Determined Edward headed towards the door and Tristan gasped. He never said no to an adventure, but in this case he had a bad feeling. Where should they look for Edward's mother?

“Wait!” He abandoned the receiver and followed Edward. “You can't do it on your own. Where do you want to search for her?”

“She told me about a cabin where she and your brother had to hide during the thunderstorm. It can't be that far. It wasn't far from the road to Brawton…”

“Well… they were on horseback and needed almost an hour…” Tris was more than doubtful.

“I'll go on my own if you want to stay here. She's my Ma after all…” The unhappy, yet grim expression on Edward's face was all Tris needed to make his decision. He would be in for another tirade from his brother, and actually he would prefer Siegfried to help them, but his brother wasn't available, and Edward needed his help.

“Let's go then, but not without some gear.”

“Gear?”

“Gear,” Tristan confirmed. “We need a backpack, a torch, and most importantly something to eat.”

“How can you always think about food?” Edward asked with a sigh.

He grinned, “According to my brother because I'm voracious. Let's go then.”

~~~~A&S~~~~

From her narrow office downstairs, Mae overheard steps and peeked out of her door. She had expected it to be the maids who had returned from their afternoon outing, but instead she spotted Edward and Tristan sneaking into the pantry. About to catch them red-handedly as they ransacked the shelves with the ham and cheese, she tiptoed after them. Her first idea was to lock the door, trapping them, but she feared that would only turn out to their advantage, so she watched them curiously as they filled some bread, a piece of ham, and a glass with pickled eggs into a backpack they had brought along. What did they want with pickled eggs?

As she observed them, it slowly dawned on her that the duo was organising their escape. They wanted to run away.

She crooked her eyebrow. For a moment she contemplated placing herself between them and their way into alleged freedom, but then she remembered the frogs, the toads, and the dismissive ways with which everybody around the house was treating her, and decided to hide in her office. They wanted to run away? They wouldn't get very far anyway and perhaps an evening in the wild would teach them a lesson or two.

~~~~tbc~~~~

Chapter Text

Annoyed with herself Audrey leaned against the tree and bit her lip when the pain in her ankle took over her existence. Her ankle wasn't the only part of her body that hurt, but it was the elemental joint that forbade her to move. That her shoulder was aching and that a small trail of blood was running down her cheek was almost secondary. With a scratch on her temple and a dislocated shoulder she could walk, but with a sprained or perhaps broken ankle, she had no chance to get home any time soon. The rain that poured down on her mixed with her tears and for a moment she allowed herself to cry, to pity herself.

Her horse was gone. Earlier Madeleine, the mare, had baulked when a stray dog had drossed their way. The loud and scared bark of the stray had terrified the grey horse. Audrey hadn't known how to react and her helpless attempts to calm the horse had made everything worse. Madeleine had thrown her off and Audrey had been lucky to remember to roll over and cover her body with her arms, before the horse could hurt her with her hoofs. Seconds later she had only watched in terror as the horse had run away as if the devil was after her, straight into the direction where they had come from.

If the mare would arrive home without her, her staff would hopefully start searching for her. Or perhaps Siegfried already was at Pumphrey Manor and would realise something was off and start looking for her. Would he remember she had wanted to go to the cabin? The place where they had found each other? The thought brought more tears to her eyes. The rain became heavier and soaked her blouse. With the wet fabric clinging to her body like a second skin, she began to freeze.

Since her wrist watch had taken a blow when she had hit the ground, she had no idea what time it was. The clouds hang deeply over the Dales and although they were close to reaching the longest day of the year, the atmosphere was bleak. It could be time for high tea or dinner, she had no idea.

She felt dizzy, whether from the pain or because she had suffered more than some minor head wound, she couldn't say. The cabin wasn't far away though. It was her beacon of hope in this horrible weather; she estimated the distance was only a hundred yards. If she made it there, she would have a place to lie down for a bit…

“You served in the war,” she told herself. “You're a Wren. You can do it. Limp, step by step. You can do it!”

She swallowed hard when she tried to put her weight onto her foot, but she decided she had to bear it. Siegfried would find her. Once he heard she had ridden out, he would know where she wanted to go. She counted on that, on him. And then he would take her home, back to Edward. Surely the boy was worried by now. He worried far too easily, which was a result of the many years they only had each other to rely on.

It was the thought of Edward and Siegfried that gave her strength to set one foot after the other. She bore the pain, tasted her own blood as her teeth dug into her lips, and sent up a prayer until she reached the small staircase to the cabin. Drenched and shaking, she crawled up the three steps and collapsed on the narrow porch. The darkness that enveloped her as the pain slowly subsided was comforting, and she smiled when she saw her son's face in front of her.

~~~~A&S~~~~

Siegfried killed the engine of the Rover in its usual place near the main entrance of the stately home. To say he was knackered was an understatement. It had taken him several hours to free the stuck calf from its mother's uterus, and after that he had to work on the rest of his list filled with postponed cases. He hadn't eaten since breakfast, and a cup of tea that a farmer's wife had given to him three hours ago aside, he hadn't had anything to drink. Aware that was in desperate need of a shower, he sniffed at his tweed jacket and groaned. He smelled of cow shit and there was no way in hell, Audrey could ask him to stay for dinner. Tristan would without a doubt be delighted about the usual sandwiches for supper, but at least the boy had had a tasty lunch, which was something Siegfried had only dreamed of.

For a moment he listened to the rain as it hit the hood of the Rover, hoping the rain would stop, but his hope was in vain. If anything the sky only darkened around him, promising more rain.

So, he forced himself out of his vehicle. He ascended the stairs with two strides and rang the doorbell. The maid who opened smiled at him when she saw his familiar face.

“I'm afraid Mrs Hall is still out,” she said when Siegfried followed her inside.

“She's out?” He asked, surprised. “In this weather?”

“Yes, some hours ago she asked the boys in the stables to saddle her horse. She said she needed some fresh air.”

“I see.” Trying not to show his concern, he gave her a quick smile. “Well, where are the boys?”

“The last time I saw them they were in the salon. They were doing their homework.” Siegfried checked his watch. It was shortly after six in the evening and there was no way in hell Tristan would spend more than an hour on his homework.

“I'll find my way,” he assured the maid. On his way to the salon, he tried to wrap his head around the fact that Audrey had actually ridden out against his explicit warning. Of course, there was always the possibility that she had sought shelter somewhere and wanted to wait until the rain was over, but he also knew her. With François being gone, she wouldn’t leave the boys alone for longer than an hour.

When the salon turned out to be empty, he searched the ground floor without success. The boys were gone. His pulse quickened as he was met by nothing but deafening silence and deserted rooms.

As a last resort he decided to go upstairs to see if they were playing in Edward's bedroom, but he already knew the answer before he had reached the top of the long staircase. There was no laughter, no giggle that announced the boys’ presence.

He marched into the room without knocking. As expected neither Tristan nor Edward were there, but the wardrobe was open and some pieces of clothing lay scattered on the floor and the bed.

“What the…”

“What are you doing here?” Mae Harbottle had stepped behind him and he whirled around. “Where are the boys?” He barked at her, unhappy with the way she had addressed him. The Manor wasn’t his home, but he was a frequent guest, and his brother had been in her care for the last couple of hours.

“I don't know.” She crossed her arms over her chest, and her face remained expressionless.

“They were in your responsibility. Don't tell me you lost sight of them!”

“I'm not their babysitter,” she informed him coldly. “And the last time I saw them they were downstairs, doing their homework.”

He eyed her suspiciously. “And although Mrs Hall hasn’t returned yet, it didn't occur to you to look after them?”

“Mrs Hall told the others she wanted to be back for tea. The maids only informed me now that she hasn't returned yet.” She wrinkled her nose as the familiar smell of barn filled her nostrils. She hadn't missed the stench he brought along when he came home from a long work day.

“In other words, something vital escaped your notice,” Siegfried snarled. “That's a first.” His eyes penetrated hers, and she felt how a violent blush creeped into her cheeks. As long as she had worked for him he had treated her graciously and with respect, but now he was just furious. The thunder in his eyes actually began to scare her. She had always thought of him as a chaotic man who had no grip over his own affairs, but now she saw a different side of him.

“I don't know where they are,” she repeated, a little too desperate. “Maybe they…” Her eyes took in the details of the messy room. “Maybe they ran away. These two are rascals after all.” Deviancy wasn't always a smart move, but she didn't know how to get away with her decision to let the boys run away.

“First and foremost they are eleven and eight and need someone to look after them,” he replied anxiously. “You better pray nothing happened to them or I'll hold you accountable.” She quickly withdrew as he passed her and headed towards the stairs.

“Mr Farnon! Mr Farnon!” He paced down the stairs, almost stumbling over his own feet when the maid, who had opened the door for him, called out his name.

“What is it?” He gasped.

“There's a horse in the yard. One of the stable boys just found it. He said it's in a lot of distress," she stuttered. “It's one of ours and the saddle is empty…” The maid was pale and Siegfried felt how he started to panic. This had to be a nightmare. How could they all be gone?

“I'll have a look,” he promised wearily. Then he drew a deep breath and fought the overwhelming urge to calm his nerves with a strong whiskey, before he went outside to have a look at the horse.

~~~~A&S~~~~

“Let’s stay here until the rain is over.” Edward was sceptical, but he decided to trust Tristan’s decision and followed him into the entrance of the cave. Just like Edward had insisted on, Tristan had led them on a path that oriented itself on the way to Brawton. Siegfried had taken him there several times and Tristan knew the area a bit. It was quite lonely and the occasional farms and barns were rare. Thankfully Tristan had remembered the old cave where Siegfried had once found a sheep that had been separated from its flock. The entrance was a bit low and hidden behind a bush, but that was actually a good thing, because that way they were shielded from the ghastly rain. It would give them shelter from the rain, because he was pretty much drenched by now, and the water was flowing out of his leather shoes. The same went for Edward who was less willing to take a break.

“Only until the rain is over,” Tris assured him. “Your Ma won’t be happy if we catch a cold or worse, because we were looking for her.”

With reluctance Edward saw the reason in Tristans’ words. He always hated it when his mother was angry with him, and even more he hated to be sick. They were both still wearing their shorts but had added a sweater and a jacket. Edward’s sweater was way too tight for Tristan, but he still wore it beneath his own jacket. A night in the Dales, even during the summer months, could be pretty cold.

“Alright…”

Tristan used the torch to have a closer look at the walls of the cave. “My brother said I always have to make sure it looks solid, you know. No one wants to end up beneath debris or hit by stones that come down.”

Curiously Edwards’ eyes followed the beam of light as Tristan examined the stoney walls. They didn’t have caves in Scarborough, and this smelled like a real adventure. The rain, the grey outside that slowly faded into darkness, the torch. It reminded him of the stories he liked to read, only that he had never imagined he would be part of one. Suddenly he was glad Tristan had insisted on bringing food and water along.

“Let’s sit down and have supper,” Edward suggested.

Tristan chuckled, “I’m hungry, too. There’s a couple of rocks. We could use them as tables.”

With cautious steps, the boys moved further inside the cave and Tristan handed the torch over to Edward before he removed the backpack from his back. It was quite heavy and he groaned with relief when he dropped it to the ground. There was a hiss he hadn’t expected though, and then Tristan felt a pain in his right calf. He yelled and the echo of his scream filled the cave and made Edward plug his ears.

“What’s wrong?” Edward yelled.

“Something’s bitten me,” Tristan yelled, his voice filled with panic. “The torch! Look at my legs!”

With shaking hands Edward did as told. Tristan touched the spot that hurt and Edwards’ eyes widened when he saw the small two holes in Tristan’s flesh and the moving golden figure with the black pattern on its back that winded itself along his feet.

“That’s a snake,” Edward uttered, frozen in his spot.

“A common adder,” Tris agreed. “Bloody hell! Maybe I hit it with my bag. They usually don’t attack people…”

“Is it…?”

"Venomous? Yes.” Frantically Tris tried to remember everything he knew about the snake. Its poison wasn’t harmful, at least not for adults, but he wasn’t an adult, was he? He was eleven and right now he was scared, because the bite still hurt. What would Siegfried tell him? Stay calm, don’t lose it, Tris.

“Just don’t move,” he told Edward. “Let her…go. If we leave her alone, she’ll hopefully vanish.”

Edward did as told, but kept the torch fixed on the snake. A shiver ran down his spine, as he tried to imagine what it must feel like to be bitten by a snake. In the adventurous stories he liked it sometimes didn’t end well when someone was attacked by one. So he and Tristan stared at the adder and watched on as it slowly slithered away, while the rain outside poured down as heavy as ever.

~~~~A&S~~~~

Inside the stable building of Pumphrey Manor Siegfried was saddling up River under the watchful eyes of the stable boys. Before that they had overheard him barking into the phone to what had been the police. He had demanded they searched for the missing boys, but apparently the local constable had refused to follow the unruly order.

The man was alone it seemed and his mission sounded crazy to say the least.

“What is going on here?” Bosworth, a bit unstable on his feet, entered the stable building and glared at Siegfried.

“Arthur! How nice that you decided to look after the estate for once!” Siegfried had no desire to hide his bad mood or his sarcasm. Men like Bosworth got on his last nerve.

“I’m always doing my job.”

“In the pub?” Siegfried snarled when she smelled the ale on Bosworth’s breath. “Your boss and her son are missing,” he informed the agent. “And the police think they should wait for twenty-four hours before they look for them.”

“That’s the usual procedure,” Bosworth replied, but he sounded a little more sheepish now. The news had clearly upset him. “And what do you mean they’re missing?”

Siegfried prayed for patience. “Mrs Hall went out for a ride in the afternoon and hasn’t come back yet, but her horse arrived here half an hour ago.” He pointed over his shoulder into the box where Madeleine was now wolfing down her hay. “Madeleine is unharmed, but I gather Mrs Hall must be in trouble. As for her son and my little brother: it looks like they’ve run away. Edward has ransacked his wardrobe and some food is missing. Any deduction, Sherlock?”

Bosworth swallowed and rubbed his nose. “Bloody hell.”

Siegfried agreed with the assessment and took River by his holster. “I’m looking for them.”

“And where do you want to look?” Bosworth asked, upset.

“I have a feeling where Mrs Hall might have gone,” Siegfried admitted. “Maybe the boys decided to search for her…”

“What can I do?” Bosworth asked. “I want to help!”

For a moment the men stared at each other, then Siegfried nodded. He needed help if he wanted to find the three of them. “Someone could search the estate first. Maybe they haven’t gotten very far in this weather… and if you happen to know someone from the police, they might listen to you.” Determined he led River into the yard. The rain was still relentless and Siegfried shivered in his tweed. As he mounted the horse, he patted his neck and told him to be careful. “She needs us, my friend. I can feel it.”

~~~~A&S~~~~

When Audrey woke up, she felt nothing but cold. Her vision was blurry and she didn’t know where she was. Why was the floor beneath her so hard? She yelled when she tried to roll on her back. Her shoulder was blazing with pain and when she tried to lift her head, her neck felt blocked. The wood beneath her fingertips was moist, but not wet, still she heard rain falling and the smell of wet grass filled her nostrils. She tried to roll onto the other side, which was albeit not painless, but easier. Her head pounded as she set up and slowly took in her surroundings.

She was at the cabin. She had made it there.

With difficulty she sat up and the bile was rising in her throat, but after some deep breaths the nausea eventually subsided. She shivered in her wet blouse and slowly removed her riding boot. Now that the ankle was free the swelling seemed to explode and so did the pain. She leaned against the post of the porch and wished she had just taken a walk in her own garden. If she had only listened to Siegfried…

Lamenting wouldn’t help though. The key for the door was hidden beneath one of the old flower pots around the corner. With her hands clamped around the post she pulled herself up, and fought the new rising nausea with more inhaling of the humid air. Once she was standing she rested her forehead against the wet wood and swallowed. In theory she knew the inside of the cabin was empty. There was no food in the cupboards, no bandage material, nothing to drink… but maybe she had overlooked something. A towel, anything she could use to stabilise her ankle. She was resourceful and there had to be something she could do to improve her situation.

“Audrey!”

Her head jerked aside, causing the pain in her neck to intensify. Sure, she must be hallucinating, she blinked several times.

“Audrey!” There it was again. Someone was calling her name.

“Here!” She yelled, but her voice was raspy and so she straightened up and drew a deep breath. “Here!”

“Audrey!”

“Siegfried?”

Her eyes were filled with tears and so she didn’t trust her vision when Siegfried and River finally materialised in front of her. River barely stood when Siegfried jumped from the horse, rushing towards her, his face a mix of horror and relief.

“Audrey!!” As soon as he was by her side, he threw his arms around her and tired of holding onto the post, she sank against him.

“What happened to you?” He asked as he examined the wounds on her face.

“Madeleine…she got scared. I fell off…it’s my shoulder and my ankle…maybe my head, too. I feel so dizzy.”

“Sit down.” He helped her to sit on the stairs and kneeled down to have a look at her ankle. He gingerly touched the joint and applied some pressure. “Not broken,” was his assessment. “But it needs medical attention - like the rest of you.”

“I’m so sorry,” she muttered when he looked up to meet her gaze. Even in her exhaustion and confused condition she could see the fear in his eyes, the disappointment because she had ignored his advice.

“All that matters is that you'll be fine,” he said, breaking the eye contact between them. “We need to get you home.”

“What time is it?” She asked, when he helped her up and placed her arm around his shoulder.

“After eight…” He tried to move her along, but every step was accompanied by pain, and she couldn’t hide it. He eventually picked her up and carried her towards River.

“You’ll have to carry us both,” Siegfried told the stallion as he maneuvered Audrey onto the horse’s back. To make sure that she wouldn’t fall off in case her dizziness increased or she lost consciousness, he sat behind her on their way back.

“Keep talking to me,” he encouraged her, afraid she could lose consciousness. She tried, but falling asleep felt much easier, and she didn’t appreciate his nudges against her ribcage.

Until they reached Pumphrey Manor, he didn’t have the heart to tell her about Edward and Tristan, and perhaps he lived in the vain hope that both boys would be back by the time they reached the estate. Perhaps Bosworth had proven to be useful just for once and had found them, or at the very least he had managed to convince the police to start a search for them. All of this was running through his head while River took them home, and Audrey leaned against him, too weary and in pain to sense his despair.

~~~~A&S~~~~

At Pumphrey Manor Bosworth smashed the receiver onto the phone and jumped up in frustration. The local Constable was as useless as they came. He insisted on staying in his warm office until the morning and only then he would consider looking for anyone. He obviously thought people were making a fuss about nothing, especially since it was only eight in the evening. “Boys will be boys. They’ll show up when they’re cold,” he had chuckled.

“Now there’s someone in a bad mood.” He looked up to find Mae Harbottle standing in his doorway. She had sounded mockingly, but as he scrutinised her, he saw, she was actually only half as confident as she appeared to be. The wrinkle all over her forehead gave her away.

“Well, it’s an emergency we’re dealing with,” he replied.

“I’m sure it’ll turn out pretty harmless.”

“Let’s pray it does.” He opened his drawer, pulled out a flask and took a large gulp. “I’ll be out with others, searching for them.”

“Are you mad?” She asked, horrified. “It’s getting dark and it’s raining.”

“Yes, and now imagine two scared children outside in this weather,” he said. “Maybe they got lost.”

“Do you hope you get back into her good graces in case you’re the one who finds her golden boy?” Her snarl hurt him. It was true that he saw his status in danger, but he had never wished any harm on Mrs Hall or her son. Suddenly, he was glad Mae Harbottle had stopped visiting his little cottage. Feeling as if he had been freed from a spell, he said, “I just want to bring them home in one piece.”

He pushed the flask into the inner pocket of his jacket and grabbed his flatcap. “Goodbye Mae.”

As she watched him leaving his office, she got the distinctive feeling that she had just lost the last person who had ever been on her side, and that hurt more than she wanted to admit.

~tbc~

Chapter Text

When Audrey was lying on a sofa in her favourite room on the ground floor, the clock on the mantelpiece was striking ten times. While the doctor was attending to her, Siegfried had quickly slipped upstairs into one of the guestrooms to have a hot shower. A maid had kindly taken his clothes away and had replaced them with trousers and a shirt that Bosworth kept for emergencies in his office. Both pieces were far from perfect and Siegfried hated the idea of wearing them, but eventually he saw reason and when he came downstairs again, he met a maid in the hallway. She carried a bowl with water that had mixed with traces of blood, and a towel.

“The doctor’s still with her, but she’s a bit better,” the maid informed him. Still, he noticed the worried expression on her face. “I think she needs you,” she added, a bit bashful and rushed past him. Siegfried, still unhappy with the abhorrent size of his trousers, cramped the shirt inside the waistband and knocked at the door.

The doctor asked him and he saw how Audrey struggled to get up, while the physician gently pushed her back into the cushion. “Mrs Hall, you need to stay put,” he informed her. “I think you’ve got a concussion and that demands a lot of rest.”

He placed a couple of painkillers on the table and looked at Siegfried. “Tell the maids to make sure, she takes them with every meal.”

“I will,” Siegfried promised.

“Good. I’ll be back tomorrow morning. But call me if you need me or when you feel worse.”

“Thank you, Doctor,” Audrey said, but as soon as the doctor had left the room, she raised her head and sat up. Siegfried sighed. He wouldn’t behave any better, but this wasn’t about him. “Haven’t you heard the man?” He asked angrily. “You’ve got to lie down.”

“The hell I have,” she snarled bluntly. “They told me about the boys,” she said. “We’ve got to search for them.” She touched the bandage on her forehead and groaned as the pain shot through her head. Another bandage graced her ankle. Her shoulder was still hurting, but at least she could use her arm again after the doctor had set it again. To say she was a wreck was an understatement, but her son was out there and probably in danger. She wouldn’t stay on the sofa while other people were out there, looking for him!

“Bosworth and the stable boys are searching the estate,” Siegfried replied and shoved a glass of water into her hand.

“Make it a whiskey,” she demanded, but he shook his head, and sat down by her side. “No, not with the painkillers. I need you to focus.”

His words, well intended, caused her desperation to get the better of her. “It’s all my fault,” she sobbed as her head sank against his shoulder. “I’m sure Edward wanted to search for me. And now it’s not just him, but Tristan too.”

“Tris is a rascal, but he knows his way about the Dales,” Siegfried mumbled into her hair. “He’s clever.” It was the truth, but deep down inside Siegfried told her the words he needed to hear. He couldn’t bear the idea of Tristan being outside in the wild, unprotected, any better than she could.

“You must hate me now,” she whispered.

“Shhhh…of course not. I love you!” He placed a kiss on her head and allowed her to cry on his shoulder.

“I just needed a bit of time for myself,” she said. “Away from this house and Mrs Harbottle, and everyone else…I thought I could handle the horse…”

“Stop blaming yourself. You couldn’t know they would use the opportunity to wander off…” He still wondered how the boys had managed to leave the estate without being seen by anyone.

“They wouldn’t run away,” she mused. “I know you think Tristan is a rogue one, but he wouldn’t leave just like that. He’s a good boy.”

Siegfried wished he could share her faith in his little brother. A little brother he hadn’t seen much of lately, because he worked long evenings. In the mornings over the half burnt toast or slimy porridge they used to bicker or Siegfried hid behind his newspaper. What if Tristan had had enough and decided to run away and Edward joined him out of sympathy?

Boisterous footsteps in the hallway announced an intruder, and so Siegfried let go off Audrey. Seconds later, Bosworth marched in without knocking and announced that they hadn’t found anyone. “We searched the whole estate. Every square meter. Nothing.”

Feeling utterly drained and helpless, Audrey just sobbed and Siegfried rose, almost dropping the big pair of trousers that dangled around his legs. Bosworth noticed the hectic grab for the waistband with a crook of his eyebrow.

“We need the cavalry now,” Siegfried announced. “We can’t wait till tomorrow. Thanks to the rain the temperatures are low.”

“The police won’t come out,” Bosworth said. “But the stable boys agreed to search for as long as necessary.”

“Then I suggest we split. I’ll take River and search the valley, you can cover the other side of the road that leads to Brawton. If Mrs Hall is right and they searched for her, there’s a chance they stuck to this path.”

“And if not?” Bosworth asked, darkly.

“We’ll cross that bridge when we reach it.”

Behind him, Audrey slowly got to her feet. “I’m coming with you.”

“That’s out of the question!” Siegfried barked and in a rare moment of unity Bosworth joined him. “I think it’s best you stay here, in case they come back.”

Audrey stared at both men and narrowed her eyes. “It’s my son out there. And he’s out there, because of me, and wild horses couldn’t keep me here, while you’re out there to search for him.”

“You heard the doctor. You have to rest!” Siegfried insisted. “Isn’t it enough that I have to worry about the boys? Will I have to add you to the list?”

Audrey ignored him and looked at her agent. “I take it you’re using the Land Rover?”

“I will,” he confirmed.

“So, that settles it. I’m joining you.” Her eyes met Siegfrieds’? “Satisfied?”

By no means, but he caved in when he saw the cold determination in her eyes. Once Audrey Hall had settled her mind on something she was just as stubborn as him. “Alright.”

“So, now that we agreed on that,” Bosworth said, “Let me get you a belt or some suspenders, Farnon. You can’t save the world without a proper pair of trousers, can you?” He pointed on Siegfried’s belly where he was holding the waistband together with his one hand. With all the dignity he could muster, Siegfried blew his cheeks and nodded. “Now that would be most kind.”

~~~~A&S~~~~

In the cave, Edward had placed the torch against a rock, so the light would flood over the walls. Tristan was now lying on the ground with Edward’s rolled-up jacket pressed in the back of his neck. Tristan had been sick more than once and some time ago he had started to sweat. They hadn’t spoken for a while now, and Edward became more and more worried about his friend. Tris kept his eyes firmly closed and his body was shaking. Sometimes he mumbled something Edward couldn’t understand. Was he dreaming?

Before he had stopped talking Tristan had told him everything he could remember about the common adder, and the symptoms he was showing now sounded exactly like the ones he had described. From time to time he forced some water down his throat to keep him hydrated, but more and more often Tristan didn’t even swallow the few drops. It was the sign that they needed help and quick, but it was pitchdark outside. The rain had stopped, but Edward had to admit he had no idea where he was and he didn’t dare to go back to the road to stop a random car. He feared he wouldn’t find his way back again and then Tristan would be alone and die… He buried his face in his knees and began to cry. He had messed it all up. He didn’t know where his mother was, and Tristan would die. No one would ever find them in this cave. They were all lost.

~~~~A&S~~~~

Around midnight, the rain finally stopped. Fog heaved from among the meadows, as the clouds broke apart and the moon illuminated the night. Once again Siegfried felt how the cold took possession of him as River carried him along the fields. In the distance he saw the Land Rover rolling along and from time to time he heard the stable boys yelling the names Tristan and Edward. It was certainly a busy night for the Dales. They knocked at strange doors, searched abandoned barns, and stopped every car who happened to rattle along the narrow roads.

No one they had encountered had seen the boys, and Siegfried tried to think like his infuriating little brother who was not only resilient, but clever. The maids had told them that some sweaters were missing and some food and water. It sounded like Tristan had prepared them for a night out in the Dales, just the way their father had done it when he had taken his sons for an outing. The boys had left the manor prepared for their little mission, and the food and the sweaters guaranteed they would survive the cold night.

He gently patted River’s neck. “Now tell me,” he said. “Where would they spend the night… it’s wet, it’s cold. They can’t make a fire, they don’t have sleeping bags...”

River neighed and Siegfried told him to stop. He dismounted the horse and stretched his aching bones. He was absolutely knackered. The cabin was only a mile away from here, but he couldn’t believe the two of them had made it that far. There was no place to hide on these open fields. There was no abandoned barn to seek any shelter in and while his brother enjoyed a dive in a lake or the river, Tristan couldn’t stand the rain. Surely he would want to look for a nice dry place to eat a sandwich…

“A cave…” Siegfried mused and went back to River. “There was this sheep and Tris was fascinated by the cave. It’s worth a try, isn’t it?” The problem was that the cave was in the opposite direction of the cabin. Could they have strayed from their way that far? Without a compass it was possible and thanks to the rain it would have been much harder to navigate their way with the position of the sun.

As he mounted River again, Siegfried looked over his shoulder. The Land Rover was turning and drove back into the direction that led back to the village. “Come on, old boy,” Siegfried encouraged the stallion. “Let’s get them!”

~~~~A&S~~~~

Inside the Land Rover, Bosworth tried to focus on the road, but now that the alcohol was leaving his system, the exhaustion threatened to overwhelm him. Sometimes his eyes flickered and he had to remind himself to stay awake. Next to him sat Audrey, her fingers cramped into her seat. The paleness of her face gave away that she wasn’t well at all, but she did her best to soldier on.

His respect for the woman had grown over the last couple of hours, and now that he truly saw how shabby his behaviour towards her had been, he felt even more guilty than before. He had been blindsided by his own disappointment and Mae had fuelled these emotions for her own advantage.

They had eventually decided to turn around the car, because there was no way the boys could have made it that far from the estate during those couple of hours. A wave of desperation and sheer panic filled her as she imagined how her son could be lost forever in this part of the world. Edward would find his way around Scarborough, but he wasn’t raised to survive in the broad English wilderness.

“I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Bosworth said into the silence. “He’s a clever lad.”

“I shouldn’t have brought him here,” Audrey replied. “You were right, after all. We don’t belong here.”

“I never said that,” Bosworth replied.

“But you think it,” Audrey retorted. “Every single day. Admit it.”

For almost a minute Bosworth didn’t know what to reply, but then he said, “I’m an old fool, who hates that the world’s changing. I was comfortable as long as your predecessor didn’t challenge me and let me go on about my day’s work. And I’ll freely admit that I can’t stand the sight of Siegfried bloody Farnon, but I don’t wish you ill.”

“Thank you, Mr Bosworth,” Audrey said, touched by his honesty.

“You’re doing a good job, running the estate. Better than I want to admit actually. You don’t even need me.”

“I beg to differ. You know the tenants better than I do…you know the staff.”

He scoffed. “Not really.” He thought of Mae and how she played him to get the job. “I’m sorry I hired Miss Harbottle. She tricked me and I fell for it. I know she’s been making things difficult for the maids and the boys, not to mention you.”

Audrey sighed. She had no desire to waste her time thinking about Mae Harbottle as long as her son was missing. “We can take care of her when this is over,” she decided.

Without forewarning Bosworth hit the brakes and Audrey’s head almost hit the glove compartment. A horseman on a horse that was black as the night was standing in the middle of the road.

“Blast’s sake!” Bosworth yelled out of the window. “Are you bloody mad, Farnon? We could have run you over!”

“But you didn’t,” Siegfried screamed back. “Follow me, I’ve got an idea!”

~~~~A&S~~~~

In the servant’s hall of Pumphrey Manor Mae was sitting at the table, smoking another cigarette. Her hands were shaking as she watched the hands of the clock moving forward at a snail’s pace. She couldn’t believe the boys were still missing. She would have placed the whole salary of a week that they would be home in time for dinner, and now it was after midnight.

She had only seen Mrs Hall from afar when Mr Farnon had brought her in, but the woman had looked awfully beaten up. Smeared with blood and white as a sheet she had been when the vet had carried her inside the manor and had barked at her to call the doctor.

Never before she had misjudged a situation this badly before and fear had crept into her heart. Fear for the life of two children, and for herself. If someone learnt she had seen them without stopping them, she could be prosecuted. And if the boys died out there, she wouldn’t be able to live with herself.

A tear rolled down her cheek as she stubbed the cigarette into the ashtray and rose. There was no way she could find any sleep as long as the others were out there, but what she could do was get herself some sheets of paper and a pen. She could write down her notice.

~~~~A&S~~~~

Edward bent over Tristan and pleaded with him to drink something, but Tristan couldn’t hear him. He was still alive, that much Edward could tell, but the other boy had drifted off into a deep sleep, and no shaking, no slap woke him up. He begged and sobbed, but Tristan didn’t react, and when the torch began to flicker, Edward’s panic broke free. He had to get help, before the light would die and they would be sitting here in the dark.

“I’ll be right back, Tris. I promise!” He repeated the words three times, before he grabbed the torch. With the lights focused on the ground so he wouldn’t disturb a snake or some other animal, Edward moved out of the cave and once he was outside the cold of the night hit him, he shivered. At least it wasn’t raining any more. Spooked, he looked around. The moon shone bright, making the night less dark than he had imagined it and he slowly turned as he tried to figure out where he should go. He knew the road wasn’t that far away. Five minutes maybe…

With all the courage he could muster, he stomped along. His feet hit rocks and more than once he almost stumbled over something, because his knees were shaking and didn’t obey him. Sometimes he waved the flickering torch and yelled for help and one time he frowned when he suddenly heard someone calling back. He stopped, and his heart wanted to explode in his chest, but he gathered all the courage he had in himself and screamed for help.

He held his breath and then he heard someone shouting his name. “HELP!” He waved the torch like a flag and jumped up and down until his feet hurt. “HELP!”

Then in the corner of his eyes he saw him. A man on a black horse. “RIVER!” He yelled, without knowing he was crying. “RIVER!” He only recognised the horseman when he jumped from the horse and the light of his weakening torch met the ginger beard and the hair that reminded him of his favourite tabby.

“I’m here, Edward!” He felt how Siegfried picked him up and whirled him around. “I’m here. I’ve got you! Where’s Tristan?”

“In the cave,” Edward blithered. “But he’s sick! I’m so scared!”

For several seconds Siegfried didn’t know what to say, but then he swallowed. “Show me where he is.”

He put Edward back on his feet and followed the boy as he ran across the field to show him where his little brother was fighting for his life.

~~~~tbc~~~~

Chapter Text

Because it was easier to reach at that time of night, Tristan was brought to Pumphrey Manor, where the doctor took care of him, and Siegfried could sit by his side without having to fear that someone would send him away. The symptoms of Tristan’s poisoning caused by the snake consisted of nausea, cold sweat, and blisters around the spot where the creature had dug its teeth into his young calf. His breathing was still raspy and fell in and out of consciousness, but as the hours passed by the boy became calmer. The body had to fight the poison on its own, and all they could do was wait for him to recover.

Unfortunately patience didn’t belong to Siegfried’s virtues and when the new day dawned, he was still sitting by Tristan’s side, observing his little brother’s every move to notice any sign of change - for better or worse.

Edward was sleeping in Audrey’s bed, but although she was exhausted like never before, she only slept a couple of hours. When she eventually woke up her body finally felt the full impact of her fall. Her body was covered in bruises, but she could use her arm again and as long as she didn’t put her full weight onto her ankle she was able to move slowly. Before the clock struck six o’clock she was up again, limping wearily down the hallway to see how Tristan was doing. As expected she found Siegfried in an armchair that he had pulled next to Tristan’s bed, deeply lost in his thoughts.

She placed her hands on his shoulders, feeling how tensed he still was, despite the doctor’s optimistic prognosis.

“How’s he doing?”

“Sleeping.”

“He’s healing,” she whispered. “His body’s fighting the venom.”

“It must have been the only bloody snake in the whole of Yorkshire that bit him,” Siegfried mused bitterly. “I’m such a lousy brother.”

She swallowed, unwilling to hear any of his self-pity. “But he knew what to do. He told Edward exactly how to look after him,” Audrey said gently as she sank to her knees to have a good look at Siegfried. The exhaustion was radiating from him. His face was grey and his eyes had fallen into deep holes. “You taught him how to survive,” she whispered. “And he wouldn’t have listened to you if he didn’t look up to you. Your knowledge, your wisdom saved him.”

Siegfried shook his head. Before the young pair had wandered off to look for Audrey, Tristan had tried to call him, but he had been out working - as always. If he had only been home, he could have prevented this disaster.

“Stop it!” Audrey told him sternly. She didn’t have to be psychic to read his mind. As so often everything he felt was written all over his face, and to see his desperation tore at her heart’s strings. “Blaming yourself won’t wake him up any sooner and you heard the doctor: he will wake up when he’s ready.”

She ran her hand through his messy hair, gently ruffling with it. It was the kind of tender gesture that pushed him over the edge. During the last couple of hours he had held it all together. He hadn’t wailed, he hadn’t cried, he hadn’t shouted down the house, because he needed something to happen that would erase the helplessness in him. In the end it was her touch that did it, and as the wound opened, his tears began to flow and before he knew it, she was holding him and he was clinging to her like she was the only one who could save him.

An hour later she spread a blanket over him, because he was finally dozing off, getting the rest his weary body needed.

When he woke up again, the sun was spreading its bright light into the room and his brother was moving. He brushed off the blanket and sank on the edge of Tristan’s bed to grab his hand.

“Hey, little brother, I’m here…”

Tristans’ eyes flickered open and a small smile appeared on his face when he eventually recognised his brother. “Siegfried…”

“You’re at Pumphrey Manor,” Siegfried explained and brushed a loose curl from his brother’s forehead. “We found you in the cave.”

“Where’s Edward?”

“With his Ma,” Siegfried explained. “You scared the hell out of him.”

“The bloody snake…” Tristan coughed. “I didn’t see it…and then I dropped my backpack on it…”

“I know. Edward told us all about it.” Siegfried took a cold cloth from the bowl on his bedside table and wiped Tristan’s brow.

“So, you’re not angry with me?” Tris asked, holding his breath.

“No, you did everything to protect Edward.”

“I didn’t want him to get lost,” Tris explained. “He was so worried for Mrs H…”

And he had every right to be. Siegfried closed his eyes, aware how quickly he could have lost the three of them in one day.

“Mrs H is fine,” Siegfried said. “She fell from a horse, but there’s nothing to worry about.”

“Can I see them?” Tristan asked.

“Soon. I’ll get them for you… and I’ll call the doctor to tell him you woke up.”

“And Siegfried?”

“Yes, Tris?”

“I’m actually quite hungry now…” Against his wish Siegfried began to laugh. “I’ll tell them to bring you the contents of the whole bloody pantry if you want it.” He placed a kiss on Tristan’s forehead. “I love you very much, Tris. I really do.”

“And I love you, too…even when you’re yelling at me or call me a lousy beggar.” Tris grinned and Siegfried grinned back. “Daft beggar. Don’t you dare to move before I bring in the cavalry.”

~~~~A&S~~~~

Knackered from a night without sleep, Bosworth entered the manor through the servant’s entrance and gratefully accepted the cup of tea he was offered by the cook. He listlessly entered his office, ignored the newspaper and rubbed his hand over tired face. It took him almost a minute before he actually noticed the letter leaning against his desk lamp.

There was no address, no sender, just his name and he immediately had a hunch who had left it there.

Using his letter opener to slice the envelope open, he leaned back and began to read.

~~~~A&S~~~~

“She left? Just like that?” Audrey stared at the short notice in her hand and shook her head.

She and Siegfried had been sitting in the dining room, enjoying a light lunch, when Bosworth had come in to deliver the news.

“That’s all we’ve got,” Bosworth confirmed. He was standing behind Audrey’s chair, watching over her shoulder.

“Won’t you sit down and eat with us?” She offered. “You look a bit famished if I may say so.”

Bosworth blushed. Audrey had never asked him to eat with them before, and he was indeed hungry, even if he only spotted some fish and potatoes on their plates.

“Only if I don’t…” He looked awkwardly at Siegfried.

“Sit yourself down, man. Last night I was wearing your pants for god’s sake. Sharing a table with you shouldn’t be a problem for either of us now.”

Audrey repressed a chuckle and told the maid in the background to set a place for the agent.

“There’s something else we need to discuss,” Audrey said, once Bosworth had stilled his first hunger.

“What is it? Pray!”

“I’ve been thinking about opening the house for public visitors. Not all of it, of course, but let’s be honest, we don’t use many of the rooms and the maids are keeping them clean for nothing.”

Bosworth almost choked on a piece of potato. “I know, it’s not what you had in mind,” Audrey tried to appease him. “But we could use the extra money, couldn’t we? I mean the roof’s not aging well, not to mention the windows. I imagine a winter in this house can be quite draughty…”

Bosworth gulped down the potato with a large sip of wine, before he answered. “Well,” he said. “We wouldn’t be the first to give it a try. In the end it’s your decision, Mrs Hall.”

Audrey and Siegfried exchanged a look, and then Audrey said, “I’m pleased to hear you’re not calling me mad or delinquent.”

Bosworth blushed. “I’m trying, Mrs Hall, I’m trying. And you’re many things but not mad…or delinquent.”

“Well, do you think the day of the annual garden party could be a good day to practice the idea?”

“That’s in about four weeks,” Bosworth pointed out.

“It is,” Audrey confirmed. In the corner of his eye Bosworth noticed how she reached out to take the vet’s hand underneath the table. He had no idea what to make of it all, but he decided to go along with it. “Let’s give it a try.”

~~~~A&S~~~~

A week later, Siegfried drove Audrey and the boys up to the cabin. Edward and Tristan, both giddy in the backseat, recalled their little adventure while Audrey did her best to ignore them. She felt no need to relive the tale, because her body still recovered from it. Her headaches had faded, but she was still bruised up and her ankle didn’t support her as well as it should.

She still wasn’t sure why Siegfried insisted on showing the boys the cabin, but eventually she had agreed, because just like him, she wanted them to get used to the idea that they would become a family sooner or later.

Siegfried took the picnic basket out of the trunk, and hid another, much smaller box, in the pocket of his tweed jacket, before he joined them on the porch. Tristan found the key beneath the old flower pot and both boys gasped in surprise when the front door opened and they stormed into the sticky hut.

“At their age everything they do feels like an adventure,” Audrey mused as she watched them inspect the scarce furniture and the little room in the back.

“We had our own little adventure in here,” Siegfried reminded her and placed a kiss on her mouth.

“We did,” she said and leaned her head against his chest.

Once the first excitement about the found place was over, Siegfried suggested they start their little picnic and instructed the boys to help them. François, who was finally back from his vacation, had prepared a luxurious picnic with sandwiches, pastries, cake, champagne, and lemonade, and while the boys wolfed down every piece they could get their fingers on, Audrey was leaning against Siegfried’s chest, watching them.

“I want this to last forever,” she said dreamily as she watched Tristan and Edward share a joke about the toad in Mrs Harbottle’s desk. “I want nothing to change ever again.”

“Oh well…” Siegfried cleared his throat. “That’s a problem then.”

“Is it?” She asked, chuckling. “And why’s that?”

For a moment he was silent, and she felt how he rummaged in his pocket. As soon as she saw the small quadrangle box in his hand, she gasped. “I’ve done some serious soul searching,” he began. “I’m not implying there was much to search, but I came to the conclusion that we can’t go on living in two places, without me going either broke or mad.”

“Siegfried…”

“Just listen to me, please. I’m not really worthy of you, but I can’t live without you either, so I gathered it’s the most practical thing to get wed as soon as possible. Open it, please…”

With her hands shaking, she opened the box and instantly found that the golden ring with the sapphire was the most beautiful piece of jewelry she had ever seen.

“It belonged to my mother,” he explained. “It’s the most precious ring my father ever gave to her, and since you’re the most precious human being I’ve ever encountered, I thought…”

She tilted her head and silenced him with a kiss. It was a gesture that finally aroused the curiosity of Edward and Tristan who looked sufficiently spooked and disgusted. “Siegfried…” Tristan asked, his face screwed up as if he had bitten into a lemon.

“Ma?”

“I think she just said yes.” Siegfried laughed out loud and pulled Audrey into a long hug and kissed her again.

“She did,” Audrey confirmed and beamed lovingly at him. “And just when I thought the day couldn’t get any better.”

“Does that mean we’ll all live together at Pumphrey Manor?” Tristan asked, trying to imagine what it would feel like to begin every day with a full English breakfast instead of burnt toast.

“Oh yes!” Edward agreed enthusiastically. “We could share a room!”

“Hold your horses, young men,” Audrey said. “We haven’t decided on any of these things yet.”

“But we will soon,” Siegfried assured them. “But for the time being we won’t tell anyone, until we figure out when and how we’ll get married.”

“Does that mean we can’t even tell François?” Edward asked unhappily.

Audrey and Siegfried exchanged a look. “We’ll tell him together," she suggested, which appeased the boys sufficiently enough. Five minutes later they went back to eating and replayed little tricks they had played on people, while Siegfried and Audrey took a little stroll. To support her Siegfried had wrapped his arm around her waist.

“He was asking the right question, you know,” Audrey said. “Tris, I mean. Where should we live?”

“I know. He has his moments of clarity and insight,” Siegfried joked.

“Well, I’ve given it some thought…before you asked me…”

“You did,” he said amused. “Why were you so sure I would ask you?”

“Because we love each other and you’re a hopeless romantic,” she retorted with a warm smile. “Because you want to make an honest woman out of me.”

“I won’t concur,” he replied and kissed her longingly only to hear complaints from Tristan who suggested they should hide behind the next tree.

As always Audrey had hit the nail on the head. “And now tell me what’s been going on in that beautiful, sharp mind of yours.”

“How about we build a new home for us? A cottage on the estate…you could keep the practice in the village, maybe… hire someone to help you with the work, while I look after the estate?”

“And turn it into a museum?” He wondered.

“Yes,” she smiled at him. “A fresh start for all of us. What do you think?”

“I think I’ve heard worse,” he admitted. “And Bosworth? Will you keep him? As a mascot?”

She chuckled. “He’s trying really hard to adapt,” she reported. “Let’s give him a chance.”

He sighed, but eventually he saw the reason behind her words. As always. “As you wish, Mrs Hall. As you wish.”

~~~~~A&S~~~~~

“Non, non, Monsieur, you will stay put and don’t you dare ruin your suit by chasing some animal!” Tristan froze in his spot and turned around. François glare was enough to let the heat rise in his cheeks, and he obediently sat down while the butler was fixing Edward’s bow tie. The wedding would begin in less than half an hour and the usual chaos and pre-wedding excitement had taken over everybody’s brain.

“But I’ve got to…”

“Non, Tristan! Just stay here where I can see you!”

“I wish we didn’t have to make such a fuss,” Edward complained as he stretched his neck in the narrow collar. “Don’t move,” François snarled. “I take it you want your Maman to be proud of you, right?”

“Of course.”

“I just wish they had eloped. Would have spared all of us a lot of time and trouble,” Tristan pointed out.

“But I assume you all want the people of this village to accept them, am I right? So, they need a proper wedding to show everybody that they are serious about getting married.”

Tristan rolled his eyes. He just wanted it to be over. He would rather want to wear his school uniform than the black tie outfit Audrey had bought for him. As happy as he was about the wedding of his brother, he didn’t have to like the ceremony around it.

“Your role, Master Edward, is a vital one,” the butler reminded him. “You’ll be giving the bride away, so you must look good, better than the rest.”

“I already know he looks better than the groom,” Tristan joked, unaware that his older brother had just entered the room.

“Well, it’s a good thing, Edward was given this important job,” Siegfried said. “Because you couldn’t be trusted with a cactus.”

“Only because I forgot my shoes at home this morning,” Tristan complained.

“You’ve created enough chaos for one day,” Siegfried said and reached into his pocket, pulled out a little box, and handed it to François. “The ring’s in here. Can you make sure my brother won’t manage to lose it within the next twenty-five minutes?”

“Oui, Monsieur Farnon.” He pocketed the box with a crooked eyebrow, and didn’t mention that Tristan only had forgotten his shoes, but Siegfried had left the ring on his desk. He figured with the two Farnon brothers to look after, his job wouldn’t become any duller even if they did move into a smaller home by the end of the year.

Somewhere in the distance, soft music sounded through the air. Rubbing his sweaty hands together, Siegfried looked out of the window and saw more and more people entering the big tent in the garden. At least the weather was playing along and the sun was shining brightly over the estate. It was truly a fairy tale day for a fairy tale wedding.

“You’re not going to be sick, aren’t you?” Tristan asked his brother as he watched his pale face.

“Nonsense!” Siegfried barked. “I’ve never been better!”

“Just make sure you won’t ruin Ma’s shoes. She said they are the most expensive pair she ever owned,” Edward pointed out. “Dorothy brought them along all the way from Scarborough.”

“I’ll do my very best,” Siegfried said and wished he could wash down his nervousness with a whisky, but he had the feeling Audrey wouldn’t appreciate him appearing drunk at the altar.

“We should go,” François suggested and took Edward’s hand.

“We should,” Siegfried agreed and grabbed Tristan’s shoulder. “Tris, since you’re too young you can’t act as my official best man, but you’re responsible for the ring. It belonged to my mother, so please…”

“I swear I will make sure she gets it!” Tristan promised, annoyed. “Don’t worry, I know she’s the only woman who is mad enough to marry you and take me on as well. I won’t make her angry by losing her wedding band.”

“From your mouth to God’s ear,” Siegfried said and drew a deep breath.

~~~~~A&S~~~~~

With Dorothy acting as her bride’s maid and with Edward leading her into the tent, Audrey couldn’t stop smiling. The band played a version of Mendelssohn’s Wedding March while the congregation rose to honour her. On her way through the crowd Audrey focused on the man by the end of the aisle. As tradition dictated he hadn’t seen her wedding dress before, but from the intense way he was staring at her now, she could tell he wasn’t disappointed by her choice - on the contrary. Next to him stood Tristan. His eyes were glittering and he excitedly poked his brother in his ribs. To Tristan’s feet Tricky-Woo was sitting on his cushion, heavily panting and dressed in a special bow that matched Audrey’s wedding dress. The sight brought first tears to her eyes.

The march down the aisle seemed to take ages and while she cherished this moment of gleeful anticipation, she also silently repeated the vows she had prepared in her head. Vows that would include the two boys that belonged to them.

At first it was only an irritating little movement that caught her attention, one that was enough to unsettle her. Edward right by her side froze, too, and suddenly a woman who was sitting in the second row began to scream. A chair fell over and a man jumped up. “A frog!” He yelled, enraged. Tricky started to bark and if Tristan’s hadn’t caught the leash the pekingese would have vanished within the chairs to chase after the amphibian.

“Two frogs!” Another woman screamed and seconds later she was standing on her chair. Within seconds the congregation was in uproar and then the long, insisting bark of Siegfried echoed through the tent, “TRISTAN!”

“I swear I have no idea where they came from! The last time I checked they were in a glass in my bag!”

“What should we do now?” Dorothy whispered, too stunned to think.

“I’ll help to catch them!” Edward said and released his mother’s hand. Audrey watched on as Siegfried, François, Tristan, Bosworth, and Edward tried to catch the frogs with their bare hands. Not sure whether she was supposed to laugh or cry, she clung to her wedding bouquet while the chaos around her unfolded. Some people stayed in their seats, but most rose to observe the skit unfolding.

It certainly wasn’t the wedding Audrey had expected, but it was the wedding the county would talk about for years to come.

When the ceremony finally took place half an hour later, the groom looked dishevelled and two of the attending guests were still covering from the shock. But eventually Audrey Hall became Mrs Siegfried Farnon, for better or for worse. And when the happy couple kissed the two frogs attending, stood on the altar in their big glass, and watched them, unimpressed by the human fuss.

~~~The End~~~