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Prologue
Dinner at Woadhill Manor was never a relaxed affair for Miss Audrey Fleming. For her, sitting with her father and brother was never a pleasant experience. Yet even though he despised her very presence, her father, Sir Martin Fleming, insisted that she join them every day at dinner. Not that she had ever been asked her opinion on the matter. If she had, she would most likely refuse and never spend one single moment with either of them. Audrey much preferred the servants’ company, who at least treated her with some civility.
“I’ve heard that the Newmans, on the farm, are expecting yet another brat in their ever-growing family,” her brother, Sheldon, remarked. Audrey noted that he was practically snarling with sarcasm as gravy dripped from his chin. “I swear, if they have any more, we’ll need to cull them like we do the badgers.”
Audrey sat in silence as her brother guffawed to himself over their tenant farmer’s news. Her father only huffed as he read his newspaper. Wishing she did not have to sit at the table, she used her fork to play with the food on her plate. She couldn’t wait for dinner to be over, for it was an affair that she dreaded daily. It might be the only meal her father insisted she join him for, but she hated it. Breakfast was always a much pleasanter affair. At least then she could eat in the kitchen with the servants, who treated her with kindness.
“Hmm, Newman’s a good cattle breeder, so we’ll have to put up with his offspring,” her father said as he looked her way. “As I am forced to put up with mine. Eat your food, girl. Don’t play with it.”
The remark from her father always put her under her brother’s attention. Sheldon glanced her way, and whenever he noticed her, she knew it meant trouble.
“You heard Father, sister. Be thankful you have food on your plate and eat it,” Sheldon barked.
She put a pea on her fork and placed it in her mouth. It wasn’t that she didn’t like the food on the plate, for Maisie, their cook was most qualified in what she did. It was the company that dampened her appetite.
“I must leave early,” her father said as he stood up, folded his newspaper to place it on the table, and wiped his face with a large square napkin. “See to it that she eats. Lord knows the girl’s skinny enough as it is.”
With those instructions, he marched from the dining room and left Audrey’s fate in the hands of her cruel brother. As soon as her father had left the room, Sheldon slammed his hand hard upon the table. As the loud bang resonated around the room, it caused Audrey to jump with shock and rattled the tableware.
“Why must you be so annoying, sister?” he asked as he pushed his chair back to stand up and approach her.
She wanted to get up and run, but she dared not to do so. The consequences of such an act would be dire. Instead, she shook in her chair, praying he would dismiss her. Instead, he came at her from behind and pushed her head into the plate of food, holding it there so she could hardly breathe.
“You should eat with the pigs,” he growled in her ear as he leaned into her with his foul breath stinking of wine. “Then you might learn to appreciate the food provided for you, you ungrateful feral witch. You are to sleep in the kitchen this night, do you hear me?” he yelled at her, taking great pleasure in humiliating his sister. “That way, you can think about how spoiled you are, sleeping in a soft bed every night. It does you good, sister, to sleep with the dog once in a while, what say you? Answer me!”
“Yes, brother,” Audrey whispered in a quiet quivering voice. Her brother petrified her, as he always had done. She had more bruises from him than she cared to count.
“Straight to the kitchen with you, go on!” he yelled as he pointed his arm at the door.
Audrey did not waste a second. She jumped from her chair and ran out of the dining room, quick to get away from the bully that she hated even more than her father. He at least never hurt her body, only her mind.
When she entered the kitchen, the servants gathered around her to comfort her, even though she never shed a tear. She was so used to her brother’s ways; he had treated her like that for every single one of her pathetic twenty-six years of life. Her brother and father still referred to her as a girl, but she knew she was a woman and should be respected. She also knew this would only end on her death bed, which she often prayed would come soon.
As she settled in front of the hearth of the huge basement kitchen, Maisie made up a bed for her, as she always did. She put extra coals on the fire to keep her warm through the night. Maisie’s room was off the kitchen, and she had offered it to Audrey on many occasions, but she always refused. Audrey enjoyed lying curled up with Jasper by her side. He was a retired Irish Wolfhound that even her father was fond of. Jasper always slept with her when she had been ordered into the kitchen for the night, which was often.
Anna, the scullery maid, had sneaked up into Audrey’s bedroom to bring back her books. That meant her night would be eased with the tales of fiction. Audrey’s favorite pastime was reading. She could never find enough books to fulfill her passion, even though Molly, the housekeeper, bought her one every time she went to market. Settling down to read a novel written by Walter Scott, titled Ivanhoe, she was most content. How she loved to delve into his adventures, wishing she had been born a boy herself.
The hour was late when she heard her brother leave as he never did anything quietly. She could hear him shouting at one of the grooms, unhappy with the speed at which he had saddled his horse. And then he left on horseback. She must have fallen asleep because she was then awoken by the racket of her brother’s return. As usual, he would sing in his drunken state and yell at the groom yet again. Soon the house finally went quiet. Her brother must have stumbled off to his rooms in the mansion’s older quarters.
Her father and brother had rooms in the grand Tudor building topped with a quaint thatched roof, whereas her room was on the top floor of the three-storey brick building where the servants slept. Although when her brother’s noisy antics awoke her, she realised she missed her soft bed. Snuggling back up to Jasper’s big furry body, she soon drifted off to sleep again.
When she woken yet again, it didn’t feel like she had been asleep for very long. Only this time, she had woken to Jasper barking at the outer door. Sitting up and rubbing her stinging eyes, she felt a burning in the back of her throat. It caused her to cough, and once she had started, she couldn’t stop. Her throat felt clogged up, and she started to choke.
Jasper’s barking continued, and Audrey stood up to stagger towards the front door. She was desperate for some fresh air to clear her throat. As she stumbled through the door, she discovered why she couldn’t breathe; the entire Tudor wing was alight and burning with a fierce fire. Thick black smoke billowed into the skies, and the servants were also running outside. She felt a pair of strong arms lead her away from the burning house.
She could hear Jasper barking frantically, even a distance away from the house. All around her, the servants were running to pump water into buckets from the well in the large courtyard. But even she could see it was useless.
Molly arrived by her side and helped her to stand. Without realizing it, she had dropped to her knees, and tears were streaming down her cheeks.
“There, there, my girl, you’re safe now, which is more than I can say for your father and brother,” Molly told her.
“What? What do you mean by that, Molly?” she asked, but her throat was groggy from the smoke she had inhaled earlier.
“We fear they are still in the building. That’s why they keep throwing water at it,” Molly explained as she held Audrey tight in her arms.
“You … you mean they are to burn in that inferno?” Audrey asked as she sobbed into Molly’s arms.
“I don’t know for sure, child, but you are safe, and that is all I care about.”
Chapter 1
“I am so relieved that you were able to join me, Helena,” Audrey told her penfriend of many years. “And the new books you have brought along will be a welcome addition to my collection.”
“Now, now, my dear, I don’t want you burying your nose in a book all the time,” Helena said as they breakfasted together. “I am inclined to teach you some poetry; what say you to that offer?”
“I’m not so sure about that, Helena,” Audrey answered as she glanced down at her plate of bread and marmalade conserve. “I am not as eloquent with words as you are. In all honesty, I am relieved that my books survived the smoke, but it will take me some time to go through them all. That should keep me busy for a while.”
“Nonsense. A few lessons of poetry will help to bring you out of your shell,” Helena said. She was a rather robust, slender, elderly lady who accepted no excuses on the matter. “Besides, it will take your mind away from your grief.”
“We can talk about it another time, but for now, we should make haste, I suppose,” Audrey said, looking through the window on the dark, gloomy day. “It seems likely that we may get wet at the funeral, I am afraid.”
“A little rain never did anyone any harm. Besides, we have overcoats to keep us dry,” Helena said as she went to stand up, placing her folded-up napkin on the table. “There must be a gentleman or two who can hold a rain umbrella over our heads, do you not think?”
“Sir Alexander Thompkins will be there. He is the family solicitor,” Audrey replied as she too moved away from the breakfast table. “I am not sure who else will be in attendance as I had no idea who I should invite. Sir Alexander assured me he would spread the word should anyone else wish to pay their respects.”
“Hmmm … I would not imagine there will be many who would want to attend, I’m afraid to admit, my dear,” Helena mumbled. “Nonetheless, as you perform your family duty, I will do my duty by you, so at least we will be in attendance.”
Once again, Audrey was so very thankful that her best friend had agreed to join her. She had been pondering when to bring up the matter that she’d like Lady Helena MacPherson to stay on with her permanently if she could. Audrey knew of her friend’s tragic background and knew that ever since her husband died, she had made no permanent home anywhere. General Charles McPherson had been a laird over his own estate in Scotland, but he had preferred to go to war. When he died, Helena had been forced to sell his lands to clear off the accumulated debts in his absence. Helena would be a most welcome companion in her home now that she found herself alone too.
A coach awaited them outside in the courtyard. As they stepped outside, the bitter smell of burned wood still lingered in the air. To Audrey, it served as a reminder of that dreadful night only a week ago. The fire had started in the Tudor wing, which was built of wood. For this reason, it soon spread throughout both floors of the original building. The thatched roof had been perfect fuel for a rampaging fire.
Her father had preferred his set of rooms in that wing. It meant that he did not need to climb any stairs, as in the main stone house, as he was beset with arthritis in his elderly years. Her brother took up the remaining rooms so he could come and go easier in his regular drunken stupors.
Audrey thought about the pair as the carriage rattled over the rough road that took them to the parish church. It wasn’t far and took only fifteen minutes to arrive at the local town of Odell. It was a large town in comparison to many others. The country surrounding it was farmland belonging to the landowners who rented out the farms to tenants.
On her part, she had been lucky that her father owned land and a farm too. At some point, she must visit the tenant to assure his family that business would go on as usual. For now, though, she wanted to get the funeral out of the way. It was going to be a morbid affair, and she wished she didn’t need to attend, but Helena had insisted.
As they disembarked from the black, enclosed carriage, the local priest, in his long white robes, greeted them and then led them to the gravesides. That was where the oblong, wooden coffins stood on the cold ground beside a deep, freshly dug grave. Seeing them caused a knot of emotion in Audrey’s stomach. Inside them were her father and brother’s charred bodies, and she felt quite nauseous at the sight. Audrey wasn’t sure if it was sadness that she felt or sheer relief. Never, not once, had she loved either of them, but she would never have wished them dead.
The ceremony was a sombre affair held outside. They stood by the empty grave where both coffins would soon be placed. As it began, dark clouds gathered overhead, and the predicted rain began to fall. Sir Alexander attended as he had promised, and he was the one to hold a black umbrella over her head. Helena shared an umbrella with the tenant farmer’s wife, who had also attended. This had surprised Audrey, for she always had the impression that the farmer hadn’t cared for her father as their landlord. Often, she’d heard raised voices in her father’s study before the farmer would storm out of the house.
Not that it mattered anymore. Her father was gone, and her brother too. No more must she endure their hatred of her. The cruelty of her brother was over. She could now live a peaceful life and perhaps even find a little happiness. Instead of thinking of them, she diverted her thoughts as the priest read out his prayers from the Bible. Audrey thought of the house and the much-needed renovations.
The entire Tudor wing would be demolished and was never to be replaced. The smoke damage in the stone house had ruined much, but it was all fixable. She would remain there, living with her two servants. After the fire, she dismissed all the other servants almost immediately. The thought of having to give orders to so many staff had terrified her. Besides, she didn’t need them anymore. With the help of the housekeeper and the cook, all would be well. Molly, the housekeeper, had helped her to pay off the servants upon their dismissal. Yes, her good friend Molly would be a godsend in teaching her how to run a house.
I am so thankful that Molly stayed with me, she deliberated. She has known me since I was born. And Maisie too. Without her good cooking, we would all starve.
“Would you like to throw your roses onto the coffins?” the priest’s voice came to her, and she realised that the prayers had stopped. The gravediggers were lowering the coffins into the ground.
“Oh, yes, I will, thank you,” she replied, stepping forward to drop two dark red roses on top of the last coffin. She had agreed for them to be buried together, but not in her mother’s grave. She hoped that was where she would be buried in years to come.
As she let go of the roses, a thorn bit into her thumb. No doubt caused by my brother’s spirit, she thought. He will be furious that I still live while he does not. With that thought amusing her senses, it took all her composure to hide her smile. Not that there was a bone of wickedness in her heart, but she had experienced a sudden feeling of freedom. All the people who had made her life so very miserable were gone.
In a way, she had understood her father’s hatred for her. As her mother had given birth to her, she had died, and by all accounts, he had adored her. As for her older brother’s spiteful ways, there had been no excuses. He had been a selfish, arrogant man. She had always felt a sense of pity for any woman who might be foolish enough to marry him. Though this had not come to pass, thank goodness.
As the funeral ended, she did not shed a single tear, even though she thought she might. Dressed in her black gown, with a black lace veil over her face, no one would have noticed. Helena led her away, and the few that had turned up to pay their respects soon dispersed too. There was to be no wake, for the house was in no fit state for guests, and besides, who would want to mourn those two?
Clambering back into the dark coach, they headed back towards Woadhill Manor. As the coach entered the tree-lined driveway to the manor house, Audrey glanced out the coach window to see the three-storey stone house. The stone house, on its own, was still a grand building, even though it meant it was of smaller stature than it had been before the fire.
“I am fortunate to have Molly’s new husband as my builder,” she mumbled, but more to herself than to her companion. “He is a very kind man, you know,” she said louder, turning to speak with Helena. “I am now surrounded by people I love. Which reminds me, Helena, I wanted to ask if you would like to come and live with me in that big empty house?”
“I thought you would never ask, my dear.” Helena smiled as if she had already anticipated the question. “I would love to live under the same roof as my best friend. I can read you my poetry instead of writing it to you in a letter. We can enjoy long walks in the country together, and I love gardening, so that is where I can earn my keep.”
“A Lady’s Enchanting Neighbour” is an Amazon Best-Selling novel, check it out here!
When Miss Audrey Fleming’s home is burnt to ashes, she must navigate through the loss of her father and brother. While rebuilding her house gives her a purpose, she also finds a new pathway to freedom by experiencing life on her own. Filling that life with warmth and light is all she ever desired, until one day, a puppy enters her home. Along with the puppy also comes a very handsome gentleman, who is about to change her life even further.
Can this uninvited friend become more than a pleasant acquaintance?
Sir Samuel Allston lives in a neighbouring manor house owned by his father, the Baron of Odell. While a beloved house, the winters he spends there are marked by the pressure to find a wife. What he finds instead is the stunning mistress next door, who occupies his every thought from the moment he lays eyes on her. Teaching her more about social etiquette is the perfect excuse to spend time by the side of this mesmerising woman, who so unexpectedly entered his life.
Will he manage to balance his duties to his family while inevitably falling in love with Audrey?
When Samuel’s mother finds out about this growing connection, there is no rest for anyone. However, the constant battle between her and Samuel is not enough to keep him away from the only woman who made his heart sing. It is not long before Samuel and Audrey’s meetings are overflowing with affection, but there is just too much threatening their love. Will their fateful union defeat everyone standing in its way? Or will they succumb to the hurtful schemes against them?
“A Lady’s Enchanting Neighbour” is a historical romance novel of approximately 80,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.
OFFER: A BRAND NEW SERIES AND 2 FREEBIES FOR YOU!
Grab my new series, "Whispers of Regency Love", and get 2 FREE novels as a gift! Have a look here!
Hello my dears, I hope you enjoyed the preview of my new book, it holds a special place in my heart! I will be waiting for your comments here, they mean so much to me! Thank you. 🙂