Part 2 (1/2)

Baby Leora squirmed in the abigail's arms and began to cry.

Juliane took Leora. She ached from cold and fatigue and was rapidly tiring of Cora's constant tears and

fretting. ”Then return with the postilion!”

She handed Leora to a startled Mallatt and strode to the coach. Calling Andre, she asked him to hand out her reticule and then atop the window. When he had done so Juliane reached up and lifted him down.

She pulled out some coins as she tramped up to the postilion. When she reached him Juliane slapped some in his hand; the remainder she handed to Cora.

insisted.

”Do as I say, or I will.” She started to hand Leora back to him once again.

Muttering under his breath, Mallatt stepped back and b.u.mped into Andre.

”Why don't you do as ma mere tells you?” asked Andre.

Mallatt looked from the small lad to the defiant Juliane. His face twisted with resignation and displeasure.

The valet surrendered and went to remove the luggage.

Blubbering, Cora caught at Juliane's cloak. ”My lady, don't do this. You must come with us!”

Lady Juliane looked down at her coldly but said nothing.

”What happens you bring on yourself,” Cora flung over her shoulder as she rushed back to the coach lest she be left behind.

The postilion urged his team off as Mallatt clambered down with the last bag. He stood watching it out of sight, then shook himself and set Lady Juliane's and the children's baggage beside the overturned phaeton.

Before he finished, Lady Juliane joined him. She sorted out two valises. Opening one of her larger bags, she withdrew necessities for herself and added those to the contents of the children's valises. The remainder she bid Mallatt to place under the phaeton. She prayed that she would be able to reclaim then later.

Then she ordered the valet to ready a bag for the earl and himself and than to get their baggage secured to one of the horses.

Mallatt seethed under this flurry of orders. The woman was above him in station, but a female nonetheless. Rather than be impudent and a.s.sume authority she should have collapsed into hysterics long ago. Her control was not proper in the least, he decided; but stealing looks at her while doing as she bid, he softened toward her.

She was younger than he had first thought, and her bearing and manner bespoke the best of the gentility.

She had, after all, been addressed as ”my lady” by the blubbering female of a maid. There was also an obvious fatigue about her, an air of strain. He could not but admire that, despite this she seemed to have not a thought for herself, but patiently attended to the children and the earl while she waited for him to finish.

Baggage secured, he paused, uncertain as how to best get everyone mounted. Gazing at the p.r.o.ne figure of the earl with the children huddled against him and Lady Juliane beside him, Mallatt was struck by the image of his lord as a family man. The idea startled him. He shook himself. The earl would not be pleased by such a thought, bit Mallatt privately thought a family was just what the man needed.

Juliane glanced up and perceived the uncertainty in Mallatt's face. There was something else, but she was too tired to pursue it. Rising, she approached him. ”Before we continue, I feel we should introduce

her for a sn.o.b.

”Indeed, my lady. As I mentioned earlier, yon gentleman is the Earl of Tretain, Adrian Tarrant. I am Mallatt, his valet.”

”I am Lady Juliane-that is Master Andre and Miss Leora.” She opened her mouth as if to add something, then hesitated, biting her lower lip. With a slight shrug she continued, ”I had better help you get Lord Tretain astride first.” She hoped Mallatt had noticed she had not given her family name.

Shocked by her final statement Mallatt disagreed. ”No, my lady. I will mount you and the children first.”

”No.”

He saw that Lady Juliane clearly wore the look of one accustomed to being obeyed. Mallatt shrugged inwardly. Let her have her way now. He would have his in the end regardless. ”Yes, my lady,” he said with a bow.

Together they lifted, shoved, then pushed and pulled Lord Tretain astride. No easy task with his size and weight. Adding to the difficulty the steed, unaccustomed to the commotion and the condition of the rider, constantly s.h.i.+fted away from them. Both Juliane and Mallatt were panting by the time they had the earl settled on the horse. Much to his benefit, he had remained unconscious.

”Master Andre,” Mallatt asked, ”are you frightened of horses?”

”Non. I have ridden often with ma mere and mon pere at home.”

”Come, hold the horse then, stroke him,” the valet instructed as he led the mount beside one of the upturned wheels.

”You, my lady, must hold the earl in place while I get in position behind him.”

Juliane was glad of her height and strength as she held the earl's arm while Mallatt scrambled up the carriage front and atop the wheel. It threatened to turn as he stepped across it, but he was able to plop aboard the startled horse before the wheel did so. ”Excellent, Master Andre. You must be an excellent horseman,” praised Mallatt as Lady Juliane took the reins from Andre and handed them to him.