Emeline: A Gisborne Tale

Chapter Three

Sir Guy was about to mount his horse when he heard a woman's voice calling out to him.

Emeline was kneeling beside Rose, who was lying in a heap on the garden path.

"Please, Sir Guy, hurry! I think her heart is giving her pain!" she exclaimed as he ran to Rose's side. "We must fetch the physician quickly!"

Guy dispatched Pembleton to the task.

Kneeling on the path cradling Rose's head in her lap, Emeline looked up at Guy. "Do you have any willow bark? I have seen this type of fit before, and Willow Bark helped to ease the pain greatly. Oh, and bring some water too."

Guy stood from his crouch and strode back down the path that led to the manor calling for the servants to hurry and fetch the willow bark. He returned quickly handing the powdered tree bark and some water in a bowl to Emeline. She mixed the powder with the water and helped Rose to drink. Soon, Rose was breathing easier.

The physician arrived and, after praising Emeline for her quick thinking, informed Sir Guy that Rose was to rest for at least a month. Her heart was strained from the attack, and she would need plenty of rest before she would be back to her full strength.

After he had gone, Sir Guy's face still held a worried expression. Emeline detected this and asked, "What is troubling you, Sir Guy?" as they moved to the Great Hall and sat at the long table.

"I worry that she may not recover. Rose is the closest thing........," he paused, trying not to reveal his true feelings but continued anyway. "To family I have. I couldn't bear to lose her."

"You heard the physician, my lord."Their hands rested on the table, and she touched the top of his hand with her fingers. "She just needs rest. I've seen these attacks before, and Rose's was not so severe. She will be fine with rest." Emeline smiled into the lord's eyes.

Guy let his eyes meet hers for a moment, then dropped them to her fingers, resting on his hand. She quickly pulled them away, embarrassed. She noticed a slight change in expression.

"What is it, Sir Guy?" she asked, worried that she had overstepped the bounds by touching him.

He replied, a little annoyed, "Rose is my kitchen manager. How am I to hold dinners for the queen mother without her authority with the staff and her expertise in planning and carrying out such affairs?"

Emeline thought for a moment. She knew what she must do but was unsure if Sir Guy would go along with it. She was also thinking about the future. She had no place to go, but if she were to take over for Rose, that would give her one more month in which to decide what to do with herself.

Emeline became resolute in her decision. Rose had taken care of her in her hour of need, and Emeline would now do the same for Rose.

"Sir Guy," she began. "I would consider it an honor to take over for Rose while she convalesces."

Guy almost laughed. "You? What could a girl who has been catered to all of her life know about putting on a dinner, let alone running a kitchen staff?" He gazed at Emeline with some amusement.

Emeline bridled at his comment but remained polite. "My mother began teaching me how to run a manor when I was old enough to reach the stove. She thought I should know everything that the staff did so that I could make sure it was being done properly once I was the lady of my own home."

Guy considered her with some skepticism.

"What makes you think the kitchen staff will follow your orders? To them, you are of nobility. They'd resent you for that. And they would question you, as I have done, about your abilities."