Free The Earl's Honorable Intentions by Deborah Hale

Frequent changes of activity might make the time pass more quickly for you.”
    “Like a schedule?” The notion intrigued him. “That does sound promising. What sort of activities do you propose to fill my time?”
    “Necessary ones to begin with. Your meals. Time in the morning for grooming. Then...” Her eager words trailed off.
    No doubt she had grasped the flaw in her fine plan. There would still be many blanks to fill in this schedule she proposed and very few activities suitable for a bedridden patient.
    Just as Miss Fletcher’s hesitation stretched into an awkward pause, she was rescued by the sudden appearance of Edgecombe’s elderly butler. “The newspapers, my lord.”
    News! Gavin’s spirits bounded. No one at Edgecombe could tell him more than that the Allies had been victorious at Waterloo and Wellington was pursuing Bonaparte toward Paris.
    Miss Fletcher sprang from her chair. “I will take those, Mr. Owens, and read them to his lordship if he wishes.”
    “Very good, miss.” The butler handed the papers over with an air of deference, as if she were Gavin’s sister or...
    “Thank you, Owens,” Gavin said. “I am most anxious for news from the Continent.”
    “I trust the reports will be to your liking, my lord.” The butler bowed and withdrew.
    Miss Fletcher resumed her seat. “Are you sure you want to hear all this? I am afraid the news may only upset you and hinder your recovery.”
    “Of course I want to hear.” In fact, he could hardly wait. “Are there any reports from the French or Flemish papers?”
    It occurred to him that perhaps he could put the coming fortnight to productive use after all, gathering information, laying plans and making preparations for his mission once he was fit to undertake it.
    “After we are finished with these—” he gestured toward the newspapers “—I have thought of a number of activities with which we might fill that schedule of yours.”
    * * *
    The following day, Hannah once again scanned the newspapers for reports from the Continent. She was not certain how she felt about this activity. Reading the newspapers to his lordship certainly helped to pass the time. No other activity seemed to occupy his attention quite so well. Once they’d finished reading all of yesterday’s news, the earl had ordered her to fetch writing materials and compose a letter to the Foreign Office. Then he had asked her to fetch a map of the Continent and mount it on a board for him to examine.
    Though she welcomed any diversion that would occupy him, his obsession with the war troubled her. She hoped he did not plan on returning to active duty as soon as the doctor let him leave his bed.
    But how could she stop him if he was determined to go?
    “Here it is.” She focused on one particular news item. “A report from the French Chamber of Representatives when it sat six days ago.”
    “Six days?” The earl plowed his fingers through his thick black hair. “Do you know how much the situation could have changed in that time? Is there nothing more current?”
    “I will check, sir, if you will calm yourself. It does no good to fret about any of this. There is nothing you can do about it.”
    The earl muttered something under his breath that sounded like “not yet.”
    “Here is the latest news from London,” Hannah began to read. “There was a report current upon the Exchange yesterday morning that Bonaparte had surrendered himself into the hands of the Duke of Wellington at Compiègne . But no authentic advice of any such event was received by Ministers, though the fact is mentioned in the Brussels papers.”
    As she read, Hannah lifted a silent prayer of thanks. “That is excellent news! If Bonaparte has surrendered, the war must be over for good.”
    “ If he has surrendered.” Lord Hawkehurst gave that first word the most doubtful emphasis. “I would not credit a rumor from the Exchange that assured me the sky is blue.”
    “But the Brussels papers...”