Chapter 19 part 2

Author's Note: I just wanted to say thank you everyone for the support on this novel, whether it’s a vote, comment, fan or posting on my message board I'm truly thankful and it gives me a huge confidence boost.

Chapter 19: Part 2

Dominic continued reading before there was a knock on the door and a shuffle of shoes onto his polished shoes. "Mr Dermont said you requested me, my lord." Dominic's eyes travelled to Joseph’s face.

He gasped slightly as Joseph’s face came into view. "Move your hair." Dominic ordered.

Joseph hesitated but the face of his master, his sharp blue eyes and clenched jaw, made him quickly obey and move the dark long hair out of his way. His clear sea green eyes held tears and the dark purple bruise framed it. His other eye was fine and his lip swollen, his cheeks were flushed and he bent his head down in shame.

Dominic was stunned. He didn't know how to respond instead kept staring at Joseph before he winced in pain. He didn't want to discuss how it happened and turned to face the window without getting up. "Are the horses prepared?"

"Aye, master,” Joseph said softly, his voice faltered and he took a deep breath before looking up.

Dominic swallowed and parted his lips to apologise instead he sipped a glass of the tea from the glass on the table. "I do not wish for lunch here we will be out the whole day."

The glass clanked as Dominic put it on the green saucer and the pages rustled as Dominic shut the book he was reading. And stared.

Joseph in return nodded and Dominic rose from the seat he was sitting on and grabbed his cloak and put it on, he looked at Joseph wearing the uniform his boots tattering and asked him to follow.

"Have a good day, sir." Jeffery bowed as Joseph brought out Dominic's saddled horse. The leather was neatly placed and Dominic checked his clothing to see if it matched.

It did. There was a new doublet he had ordered from the village dress maker and the rest of the clothing he had ordered was to be picked up by Joseph today. He looked at his newly pressed brown, country doublet. Underneath he wore a white shirt and a darker shade of brown pantaloons. Dominic looked at his shoes, pleased there was only a minimal amount of hay.

"Look after him." Jeffery whispered and patted Joseph's cheek, Dominic growled he was not a child! Instead of commenting swung onto his horse. And yourself too,”

The horse had no objections use to being ill-treated by Dominic's hard leather boots when he was angry and took the extra weight and pain with no objections. It did not neigh or accept Dominic's gracious hand as he began his daily soothing.

"Hurry up Joseph," Joseph got onto the horse behind him and two servants flung the door opens and Dominic trotted out.

Dominic braced himself for the day to come; he would have to look like a leader again. After the short holiday he was now being thrown into his main job, to look after his tenants. He would have to act almost regal and he began that with his posture.

Sitting upright on the horse, his hands on the reins of the beast he focused on the road ahead. The yellow paved road was dusted with leaves as the summer slowly turned to autumn and soon winter. Joseph kept his focus on not getting into trouble whilst Dominic rode, thinking.

They rode silently moving away from the large house and towards the town and on the nearly empty road a girl ran towards them and they stopped in their tracks. Dominic's horse eyed the girl, clearly unhappy with their disturbance. As was its master, no one felt good today.

"My lord, good morning,” A little girl curtsied towards Dominic, her hair plaited under a coif and she held a flower. The simple flower was a tulip, a white one, was in her hand and she twirled it in offering to Dominic.

Dominic ignored the girl, he was in a rush but then he remembered that he couldn't ignore her. She hadn't done anything wrong and he smiled at her and wished her a good morning. She blushed and still continuing to hold the flower curtsied again.

He wasn't sure if it was morning yet, the day had flown so quickly for him. Was this to be his life ? Not even a chance to sort out his life and he was so confused, so tired, so alone. "Eleanor get back in the house." Joseph snarled nastily, the little girls green eyes fluttered in confusion and she curtsied again towards the earl.

Dominic finally tuned into the goings on around him and saw they had a similar sadness within them. Her eyes sparkled with sadness whereas Joseph had, like Dominic had, converted it into anger. His hands were clenched beside him and his cheeks although partly hidden Dominic could see red.

"Do not ignore me Eleanor!" Joseph shouted the girl frowned and spun around on the clay road, in a hazy confusion.

Joseph got off his horse, the stallion stood quietly, the family horse and Eleanor ran towards it touching its nose. Dominic watched with confusion, Joseph obviously knew the girl and Eleanor surely knew Joseph.

Joseph lifted her sister off the ground, her green dress was now mud stained at the hem and she cried out. "You brute, you are such a  brute!" She continued kicking her legs. "Papa is mad again he hit mama and mamas said get you."

Joseph stopped in his tracks, he put the girl down and looked at Dominic, his face angry and impatient and Joseph whispered a quick apology.

"I will sort it out darling but go home, love." Joseph stroked the child's cheek and she closed her eyes, a tear sliding down her cheek. "You are so brave ma petit hmm one day one day." Joseph touched his sister’s cheek again and smiled as she nodded numbly.

"Forgive me Joseph I'm sorry I was so selfish." Joseph shook his head about to reply that she was too young and one day he would get them a home.

Just he and mama and she but he needed money to be able to do so. Her voice kept him working with the bastard behind him. "Joseph!" Dominic shouted impatiently.

Joseph ignored his employer and hugged his sister, soothing her with his words. He wished he could do more for her but for now she could only have his words. "Joseph if you do not come immediately you will be dismissed."

He closed his eyes in defeat and kissed his sisters wet cheek, her eyes brimming with tears he tried to ignore it. Joseph let go of the girl and got up, he would receive another beating from his father if he came home unemployed. His last one was still throbbing and he was more ashamed of himself when Dominic did not react towards it.

The ice cold eyes of his master and the lack of concern showed, although common must of been really his fault.

I must have deserved it. Joseph thought. He had gotten use to his father's assaults, he wasn't good enough and the humiliation of another must have meant it was all true. Maybe he wasn't good enough to serve the earl who now sat glowering impatiently, on one of the most expensive horses of the land.

"Forgive me, my lord." Joseph bent his head down and Dominic huffed and told Joseph to return to his horse.

The brown nag sat waiting for Joseph and the girl's bright mood had reduced significantly since her arrival. Dominic felt a pang of guilt as she watched her stare and cry into the flower.

"Ellie go home tell mother I will come after hours I will bring you some food too she will not cook.” Joseph spoke reassuringly.

Eleanor did not speak but ran down the dusty road. The two men sat side by side and looked at the running day, they watched as Eleanor turned in and Dominic felt anger for the girl. Why hadn't Joseph killed his bastard father and looked after the women as a real man should.

Joseph wasn't a man, Dominic concluded and he sat smug on his horse. Dominic still looming in thought he turned to Joseph.

"I hope that will not be from my kitchens." Dominic said icily. He wasn't ready to solve other's problems.

"O-Of course, my lord I do not steal." He replied fearfully, another reason why he could be fired. "You are a good master, I am grateful for what you give me." Joseph said humbly, he brushed another dark hair out of his way.

Dominic rolled his eyes and murmured to Storm once again and the horse trotted. "My agenda, boy,”

"Your weekly meeting with your tenants, my lord, a council meeting both at the town hall and nothing more my lord Mr Dermont cance-"

"He did what?!" Dominic fumed.

"Cancelled your second meeting and signing with the council my lord he said you needed rest." Joseph mumbled nervously.

"You have an extra hour luncheon sir." Joseph tried to make light of the situation.

Dominic kissed his teeth and ignored the concern in that action, instead cantered through the roads towards the town hall.

Dominic loved his town for several reasons but mostly, he had bowed low and thanked the king, for the landscape. Beginning on a hill where his home was it went downwards and ended with Lord and Lady James' estate.

But between it was mainly homes, businesses and spare land which Dominic had filled with gardens. Some for fruits, such as the peach tree he just passed and others for admiring like the Roses the colour of a blushing baby.

He made sure his tenants saw some beauty of what he did and the men he had hired to make sure the gardens stayed in order were doing a good job. They bowed towards the lord of the lands before continuing their work.

The town hall grew closer and Dominic sighed. His life had come to this. An eighteen year old stuck in world where he couldn't even be as happy as his villagers. They smiled at each other and sang as they worked.

"Watch out," A voice called. A soft feminine voice....

Dominic turned around before a rider knocked him to the ground and dropped themselves.

The rider was a woman with her elegantly long red and black riding coat buttoned up to her neck and her black shined boots. Her hair was in a bun and the brown locks mostly hidden underneath a black beret cap. Her hands were gloves with black riding gloves and she kept her head down even though she was trying to lift Dominic up.

Joseph almost burst into a bubble of laughter, instead he slid down his horse and eyed up the woman trying to lift a howling Dominic off the ground. "You will be punished for this. How dare you?" He screamed.

The rider kept their head down, wearing a cap and shoving Dominic towards Joseph attempted to escape when Dominic caught sight of a dark long wave of hair. "Jacqueline?" He asked.

She froze and looked up at her husband.