Heir to Greyladies (9 page)

‘They’re mine, of course. They were presents. I have quite a few sets.’

‘And you have a pocket watch with a gold chain. That’s worth a lot of money, too.’

He stared down at his cufflinks, clearly not having considered the value of his other possessions, so she waited to get his attention again.

When he looked up, he was beaming at her. ‘You’ve given me the answer. I inherited my godmother’s jewellery as well as having valuables of my own. There’s quite a lot of it. She said in her will that she hoped I’d give it to a wife one
day. She died when I was quite small, so she didn’t see how twisted I grew. My father says a normal woman wouldn’t even consider marrying a cripple like me.’

There was pain in his eyes as he looked down at himself. Harriet wished she could hug him and tell him he was as lovable as anyone else. ‘That’s not true! A lot of women would be happy to marry you.’

‘You don’t have to lie to me.’

‘I’m not lying. Your father’s wrong. You’re a kind man and that’s worth a lot. And your face is … nice to look at, gentle and …’ She could feel herself blushing as she added, ‘Your face is actually quite good-looking, Mr Joseph. It’s far nicer than Mr Selwyn’s. I think people’s nature shows on their faces.’

His mother should have told him this sort of thing, to help build his confidence, Harriet thought. Or his nurse, only she’d died when he was thirteen, Mrs Stuart said. Since then, he’d had Pollins, who’d been promoted from gardener to manservant because he was strong and could carry Mr Joseph if necessary.

Mr Joseph didn’t look as if he believed her, so she said firmly, ‘I’m telling you the truth. Your face
is
good-looking.’

For a few moments their eyes met and he blushed slightly.

‘You’re giving me hope, Harriet, on all sorts of fronts.’

‘If you don’t need to marry a fine lady, I’m sure you’ll find someone who’ll care about you and not care about the problems you have, someone who’d enjoy being your companion and wife.’ He reached out to pat her hand. She turned her hand in his and gave it a quick squeeze. Warmth seemed to flow between them, from the friendship they dared not acknowledge in more than whispered words.

Then the moment was over, and she was sorry.

‘I did wonder if I could earn some money tutoring.’

‘I don’t think teachers earn much, not enough to live as the gentry do, anyway.’

‘But anything I could earn would help, and it’d give me something to do. I get so bored.’

She gave him a wry smile. ‘We servants have too much to do and you have too little, Mr Joseph. It’s a strange world, isn’t it?’

His mother walked into the library. ‘Oh. Are you here
again
, Harriet?’

She stood up and began lying without even thinking about it, anxious only to protect him. ‘Mr Joseph was just finishing. Would you like a tea tray, ma’am?’

‘Yes. Good idea. And bring some cake.’

She turned her back as if the maid had already vanished.

Harriet walked out feeling the extra weight in her apron pocket as it bumped against her leg. That money might make the difference between freedom and working for almost nothing.

If she’d given him hope, well, he’d given it to her as well.

His friendship meant the world to her. She hoped nothing would happen to separate them.

When the maid had gone, Joseph’s mother said shrewishly, ‘You spend far too much time with that girl.’

‘She
is
one of our maids. Am I not allowed to send for a tea tray?’

‘You know what I mean. She was sitting down in your presence.’

‘We already agreed that she should do that, because it makes my neck ache to look up for long.’

She let out a little sniff of irritation. ‘I think we’ll restrict Harriet’s visits to a few minutes from now on, just to borrow books and she must remain standing. It’d be unfair to stop her reading in order to punish you.’

He was surprised at how upset he felt at the thought of missing his little chats. Then he realised what his mother had said.
Punish
. As if he were a child.

‘Did you hear me? She can come for five minutes to change her books, and that’s it.’

‘Because you feel the need to punish me, she must suffer. And are you going to continue paying her wages to her stepmother, Mama?’

‘Of course.’

‘Why?’

‘Partly because I’m not having a servant threaten me, but mainly because she’s under twenty-one, however capable she is. We certainly don’t want the stepmother coming here and making a fuss. What would people think?’

‘Who cares what people think? I happen to agree with her. I don’t think it’s fair that Harriet should work so hard for nothing.’

‘Are you getting fond of that girl, Joseph?’

‘Not in the way you mean, Mama. She
is
after all a servant.’ He hated speaking like that about her, but it was necessary to protect her.

‘Yes, and
she
should remember that, too. Giving me ultimatums, indeed. I never heard the like.’

She waved one hand dismissively. ‘But I didn’t come here to talk about a maid. It’s you I’m concerned about. You simply must face facts, Joseph. We all have to do that. Your father and I will have to make some serious economies in
our way of life from now on. We’re even thinking of selling the London house, though I should hate to do that, so we’ll try renting it to someone first. We can’t sell Dalton House, because it always goes to the eldest son, but I’d rather live here anyway, in the circumstances.’

‘Are things really that bad financially?’

‘Yes. We keep telling you.’ She dabbed at her eyes. ‘If Selwyn doesn’t keep his promise about not getting into any more debt, your father will have to put a notice in the papers that he will not be held responsible for his heir’s debts. Imagine the shame of that! If it happens, I could no longer show my face in London.’

He had never seen her so upset. ‘Is there anything I can do? I can stop ordering new books, for a start.’

‘It’d be much more helpful if you married Geraldine. Your father didn’t tell you, but they’re prepared to make a payment to the family, as well as setting you up in your own home with her.’

It annoyed him all over again that
he
should be asked to make up for the money Selwyn was wasting. ‘I couldn’t marry her, and nothing you say or do will change my mind about that.’

‘Joseph, please reconsider. For the family’s sake.’

‘I’m not marrying that poor child, Mama. She isn’t fit to be married. And even I, cripple though I am, deserve better than a half-wit wife.’ He stared at her without flinching, hoping she would believe him once and for all.

She obviously did.

‘Your father will be furious.’ With a sob, she ran out of the room.

Sophie ran back to her husband, weeping, not caring that Harriet was just bringing the tea tray to the library.

‘I’ve changed my mind, William. I don’t think Joseph will be won over by reason. You’ll have to … deal with him. I’ve already forbidden him to hold those sessions with the maid, but it made no difference.’

‘I shall do a lot more than that.’ But his wife wasn’t listening.

‘As if a female like that needs educating anyway. She was probably only pretending to read those boring books of his. I’m sure I wouldn’t understand half of what’s in them – or want to. I only allowed it because it made him happy. Now, I’m wondering if he’s grown fond of her. He denies it, of course, but I’m going to keep a closer eye on things from now on.’

‘The maid’s certainly pretty, though she doesn’t flaunt it at you like some. You sound as if you’re angry with her as well.’

‘Because she’s defying me and I
won’t
have a servant do that.’

He blinked in shock. ‘I beg your pardon?’

She explained, ending, ‘And apparently, she’s threatened to leave if we don’t pay the money to her.’

‘Sack her immediately.’

‘I would, but it’s getting really hard to find properly trained maids. I wondered … William, I know the servants are my business, but if
you
had a word with Harriet, a very stern word, then surely she’d stop making a fuss?’

‘I’ll be happy to do that. No time like the present, eh?’ He went across to the bell pull and when Harriet answered it, he said curtly, ‘Fetch Mrs Stuart and come back with her.’

After a quick look of shock, her face became expressionless. ‘Yes, sir.’

When she went out, she met Joseph in the hall and stepped aside for him to pass.

‘What’s the matter now, Harriet?’

‘I have to fetch the housekeeper and go back with her. It’ll be about my wages.’ She didn’t wait for an answer, but hurried to the rear of the house.

He hesitated, then wheeled himself into the small room next to the front door. When the two servants had gone into the drawing room, he’d come out and eavesdrop again, much as he disliked doing that.

He waited, wondering why so many bad things were happening at once. He had a sense of foreboding, as if something terrible was going to happen. He’d had feelings like this before, and they’d always presaged unpleasantness.

But he wasn’t going to change his mind and he suspected that Harriet wouldn’t change hers, either.

Her friendship was the only good thing in his life and he wasn’t going to abandon her. Somehow he’d find a way to help her.

He didn’t intend to lose touch with her, either.

Harriet followed Mrs Stuart into the drawing room and remained standing next to the half-open door while the housekeeper moved forward a couple of steps. Harriet waited for someone to tell her to close the door, but they didn’t, so she didn’t offer. She was beyond caring who overheard.

‘I gather there is a problem with Harriet and her wages, Mrs Stuart,’ Mr Dalton said. ‘Has she agreed to be sensible or is she still refusing to do as she’s told?’

‘I …’ The housekeeper hesitated, looking at Harriet, then risked a small lie. ‘She’s decided to be sensible.’

The master moved to stand in front of Harriet, looming over her.

‘Is that so, young woman? Have you decided to be sensible and do as you’re told?’

‘I’m afraid Mrs Stuart must have mistaken something I said. I can’t work for no wages. Look at my stockings!’ She stuck out one slender ankle. ‘They’re nothing but darns. I have no decent clothes. And I work as hard as anyone could. I pride myself on that.’

‘She’s telling the truth about that, sir,’ Mrs Stuart put in quickly, seeing the master turn a dark-red colour. ‘I’ve had to give her old clothes from the attic.’

His voice was harsh. ‘That’s not the point. I won’t tolerate disobedience from my servants. Either you agree to accept the increase in the wages, as Mrs Dalton has ordered, or you leave my employment.’

‘I’ll have to leave, then, sir, though I’ll be sorry to do so.’

‘Then I shall take you back to your stepmother myself. Be ready to set out with me tomorrow morning.’

Mrs Stuart gasped. What had got into the master? He had been very short-tempered and autocratic lately. ‘Sir, please could you—’

‘Quiet!’

‘I don’t need taking anywhere. I can find my own way,’ Harriet said quietly.

‘You’re under age. Did you think we’d let you wander the country on your own?’

‘I came here on my own in the first place and I was much younger then.’

‘Don’t be so impudent. I’ll say it one final time: you’re a minor. If you leave our supervision, you’re under your
stepmother’s control still. Which is why your wages must be paid to her till you’re twenty-one.’

That was when Harriet let her anger boil out. ‘If you force me to go back to that house, my stepbrother will finish what he tried before and rape me.’

Mrs Dalton let out a little scream and covered her eyes with one hand as if to hide from the word.

‘Don’t be ridiculous.’

‘He tried before. That was why I left.’

‘He was probably fooling around, teasing you. You’re making a mountain out of a molehill.’

She raised her voice. ‘He ripped off my knickers, held me down and put his hand where he shouldn’t.’

The silence seemed to throb with the shock of this statement. Mrs Stuart moved to stand beside Harriet. ‘She’s telling the truth about that, sir. Mrs Miller told me about it when she first wrote to ask if we could find Harriet a job.’

And suddenly, it was too much. The memory of that last day had given Harriet nightmares ever since. She burst into tears and ran out of the room, clattering blindly up the front stairs, seeking refuge in her bedroom.

What was she to do? How could she stop them? The master might be pleasant when he was getting his own way, but he was a very stubborn man once he got an idea into his head and he wouldn’t brook opposition, especially from servants, but even from his own son.

Sobs shook her again, but she’d long ago learnt that weeping didn’t help, so she forced herself to stop, blowing her nose several times and scrubbing her face dry with the corner of her apron.

There was only one solution that she could see. She had
to find a way to leave before Mr Dalton could carry out his threat. Thank goodness for the money Mr Joseph had given her. She was sure they wouldn’t expect her to run away yet, so she’d go while they were still thinking what to do.

Her suitcase was on top of the wardrobe. She couldn’t carry a trunk, but she could fill the case and slip out through the back of the house. It was the work of a moment to pull the case down and start shoving her clothes into it.

But though she worked rapidly, just as she closed the suitcase and turned towards the door, brisk footsteps came along the corridor towards her room.

Before she could hide what she was doing, Mrs Stuart appeared in the doorway.

Joseph waited until the housekeeper left his parents, then went into the sitting room to join them. ‘Are you really going to carry out your threat, Father?’

His father scowled at him. ‘What do you mean?’

‘I overheard you threatening that poor maid.’

‘I’ll have to think about what to do. If I hadn’t had confirmation that she was telling the truth about the stepbrother from Mrs Stuart, I would definitely have taken her there by force.’