The Girl in the Scrapbook by Carolyn Ruffles (best ereader manga .TXT) 📗

At least that gave her time to think about what she might say to him. In the meantime, she might as well make herself useful.

◆◆◆

Norah was busily setting knives and forks on the table when Arthur returned that evening. In truth, the table had been laid for an hour but she'd seen him coming down the lane and wanted to be doing something when he came in. He sniffed the air appreciatively and smiled broadly. ‘Something smells good.’

Norah smiled back. ’I’m not much of a cook so don’t get your hopes up. It’s just cheese and potato pie with a bit of ham.’

‘Sounds good. I’m starving. I’ll just get washed up.’

Norah carefully served up the food and set the plates on the table. It did look pretty, she thought, with the wild flowers she had picked, arranged in a jam jar as a centrepiece.

‘You’ve been busy.’ Arthur had noticed the clothes hanging on the line earlier when he passed by the cottage on his way up to the farmhouse. He had wanted to call in and see how she was doing but he'd thought it might be awkward and decided to leave her be.

‘Not very,’ Norah replied. ‘Not compared to the life of a nanny.’ She stopped abruptly and bit her lip in annoyance at herself. The last thing she wanted to bring up was her time at Collingworth Hall.

Arthur studied her face carefully and decided to take the opening. ‘About that,’ he said as casually as he could muster, ‘I take it you’re not going back.’

‘No.’

Norah pushed her food around her plate as if it demanded all her attention.

‘That’s fine with me.’ Arthur took a deep breath, ‘Look, you don’t have to tell me what’s happened. You can stay here with me. My previous offer still stands.’

Her eyes filled with tears and miserably she laid down her knife and fork. She couldn’t meet his eyes and she stared down at the table as she spoke.

‘You’re such a good man, Arthur and any woman would be very proud to be your wife. But I can’t accept your offer … I’m sorry.’

Arthur swallowed hard. It was not easy being turned down twice by the same woman but he refused to let his pride get in the way of his heart. ‘Look, just hear me out,’ he said quietly. ’I know you don’t love me … at least, not in the way I love you … but I don’t mind that. You need somewhere to stay and I could use some female company. We’ve always been good friends, you and I. We get on well. Think of it as a practical solution.’

Norah forced herself to look at his face. It was such a kind, honest face. She knew she had to tell him the truth.

‘It’s not that. Lord Collingworth … he … he …’ She took a deep breath. ‘He attacked me. I tried to push him away but he was too strong and then afterwards I hit him over the head with a candlestick. Knocked him out. I expect he’ll press charges. I’ll probably be going to jail.’ Tears filled her eyes and shame reddened her cheeks but she managed to hold his gaze.

‘Oh God, oh Norah … the bastard. I’ll kill him myself.’ Arthur leapt from his chair and put his arm around her. ‘My poor girl.’ He squeezed her tightly against him. ‘This isn’t the first time he’s done this you know. I now know of a few girls who went to work there and were ...’ He struggled to find a word, ‘… abused by him. I found out recently from someone whose sister suffered terribly at his hands. I was about to write and warn you.’

She shrugged. ‘What’s done is done. I thought I could handle anything. How stupid I was! You’re not to do anything though, Arthur. Promise me that. I don’t want you to get yourself hanged for his murder -  that’s if he’s not dead already.’

Arthur remained silent, inwardly seething with anger and frustration. Norah was right. There was a good chance she would be jailed for hitting him. It would be his word against hers and he had no illusions about the judge taking the side of a lowly nanny against a peer of the realm. He could not let that happen but how could it be avoided? Feeling fiercely protective, he gave her shoulders another squeeze and turned her to face him.

‘I will promise you one thing, Norah. I won’t let him hurt you anymore. That’s certain.’

◆◆◆

The next day dragged by in a haze of uncertainty and dread. Norah was sure she was about to be arrested and it was difficult to find something to distract herself. She longed to walk down to the stream or to go and say hello to the horses in the meadow opposite but she did not want anyone to see her. Her thinking was that she could not be arrested if no one knew where she was.

Arthur had ridden past on his horse earlier and she watched him as headed up the lane and around the corner, wondering where he was headed. His face had appeared grim and set, very unlike his usual, open countenance. She wondered if his mood was the result of her disclosure and felt a renewed sense of guilt. Her own life was ruined but she had no right to disrupt his life. Perhaps it had been a mistake to come here, she thought, but then where else could she have gone? Certainly not to the home of her ex-stepmother and her latest husband.

Now it was getting dark and Arthur still had not returned. Norah sat by the fire, watching the dancing flames. She could not help but wonder where he was. She feared he may have ridden out to Collingworth Hall to confront Lord Collingworth himself. Such a meeting would be fraught with difficulty and danger. She imagined Arthur angry and vengeful, threatening him, maybe even