“Two months top,” she insisted. “Can you promise me that?”
He smiled weakly. “I will do my very best. And thank you.”
“No, do more than your very best. Promise me.”
“Yes, Mama.”
Chapter 5
After the Sunday church services, Jenny would usually fill her pockets with an apple, a sandwich, and perhaps a few walnuts and head out for one of her solo hikes. She rarely attended the Sunday family meal and was off before either of her parents had a chance to object. However, they knew what delighted their daughter all too well, and would not have opposed in any case.
It was a wonderful summer’s morning, and she decided to take a trail she had not taken before after coming to a familiar fork in the trail. It was most inviting and led to a wooded area where she stopped by a stream and took out her ham sandwich and enjoyed it as she watched a group of minnows swimming upstream.
Resuming her hike, she soon came out of the wooded area and looked around. But she did not recognize any of the landscape and seeing a path ahead took that and started across a field.
Suddenly she felt a cold burst of air and looked up to see that clouds had gathered behind her and were threatening to unleash a storm at any moment. She studied where she was, and seeing a small shepherd’s hut, not far off, decided to head toward that.
She felt the first few drops of rain and she hurried her pace. Before she could reach the hut, the rains let loose and began to pelt her mercilessly.
“Young lady,” a voice shouted to her. She kept running but turned to see who it was. A man was riding toward her on a beautiful black horse and soon caught up with her.
“Miss, can I offer you a ride to the shelter. It looks as though we have both been caught off guard.”
“If you please…” she said and took his hand as he effortlessly pulled her up onto the back of the horse. They galloped toward the hut. Jenny put her arms around the gentleman’s waist—for she could clearly see he was a gentleman by the way he was dressed. And before very long, they arrived at the hut, dismounted, and ran to the door and went inside.
“Good heavens, where did that storm come from?” Jenny asked, shaking her head and trying to brush the rain off her dress before it completely soaked in.
“Are you from this area?” the gentleman asked.
“From Chatsworth.”
“Then you know how unpredictable our summer weather can be.”
Jenny laughed. “I am afraid I do. And it was stupid of me to go out walking without my shawl. But the weather was so nice when I started out—I just thought…”
“Thomas Haddington,” the man said, offering his hand.
“Jenny Barnett,” she said blushing slightly, realizing she was unchaperoned and alone with a strange gentleman in a most unseemly hut. “Thank you for rescuing me. I think I would have been soaked completely through if you had not come along.”
“Delighted to be of service,” Thomas said.
For a moment they both attended to their clothing then took a moment to look at each other.
“I think I am a bit lost,” Jenny said, “I thought I knew where I was, but I do not recognize this landscape.”
“You are no longer on public land, Miss Jenny. This is part of my estate.”
“Oh… I am so sorry.” Then she realized. “Thomas Haddington, you are the Duke of Pemberton, are you not?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Oh, Your Grace, I am so sorry for trespassing,” she said, taking a little curtsy and blushing.
Thomas laughed. “It is absolutely fine. It has been the custom for generations to allow free passage to the locals and I see no reason to change that custom now.”
“How very kind you are, Your Grace.”
“Not at all Miss Jenny. I feel a responsibility to accommodate the locals as best I can.”
