how Ford felt, not knowing about her father’s death?
Belinda hastened to fill the gaping silence that greeted Susannah’s announcement. “Mrs Paget told us the two of you lost touch after your father died. But she remembered you very fondly and was so pleased to hear what a success you’d made in the Indies.”
“I’m sure she was,” replied Ford.
Laura thought she detected an edge of hostility in his tone. Clearly he had not cared for his stepmother. Mrs Paget spoke as if she’d doted on him even though he’d done nothing to assist her after his father’s death. He had cut her out of his life, leaving the poor woman to fend for herself. Why, Laura wondered, should she believe Ford would have done any more for her family if she had appealed to him?
“Mrs Paget bade us give you her warmest regards,” said Susannah. “She said if you would care to call onher, she’d be delighted to receive you. She gave us her address in Mayfair.”
When Ford did not reply, Belinda added, “When we told her you and Laura were engaged, Mrs Paget said she would be honoured to attend your wedding to such a charming bride.”
“Your stepmother seemed very cordial,” said Susannah. “Are you going to invite her to the wedding, Ford?”
While the girls were speaking, Ford rose from the table, though he’d hardly touched his supper. Now he threw down his napkin. “Invite her to the wedding? Only if we lock up all the silver first!”
As he strode away from the table, Laura sat with her mouth half-open, exchanging bewildered glances with her sisters. It amazed her to discover there was someone Ford detested even more than her.
“Why do you hate your stepmother?” Laura’s softly murmured query seemed to roll through the carriage box like a clap of thunder.
Ford half-expected it to rouse her sisters, but they continued to doze on the opposite seat. How he envied them! His fingers clutched a sheaf of lease documents so tightly, he feared they might never unclench again. He stared at the top paper, pretending to read, pretending he had not heard Laura.
“I am at a loss to guess the reason,” she continued, undeterred by his silence. “Mrs Paget seemed pleasant, though rather…excessively cordial. She certainly seemed devoted to you, in spite of everything.”
“That woman can seem any number of things,” Ford growled before he could stop himself. “And what do youmean in spite of everything ? What rubbish did that woman tell you about me?”
“Only what Susannah mentioned at supper last night—that the two of you lost touch after your father died, because she was obliged to make her own way in the world.”
Outrage blazed through Ford. Despite his resolve to say nothing more on the subject, he could not hold his tongue. “That is surprisingly close to the truth, for her. We lost touch before my father died. She ran off with another man as soon as she’d spent all Father’s money. Faced with losing her on top of financial ruin, he could not go on, the poor fool.”
Ford clenched his teeth to keep from saying more. He had never spoken to anyone about all this and he had no wish to start now. Especially not with a woman he had reason to suspect of similar treachery. Though that suspicion had eroded in the past few days, memories of his stepmother threatened to revive it again, which was probably a good thing.
Laura lifted a trembling hand to her lips. “You mean your father…did away with himself?”
“No!” The denial burst out of Ford in an emphatic whisper. “Nothing that terrible, thank God. He just gave up. Began drinking more than was good for him, didn’t eat properly, stayed out all hours. When he fell ill, he didn’t even try to rally.”
“I’m so sorry.” Laura radiated a mixture of dismay and sympathy that made Ford wish he’d held his tongue, even as it invited him to unburden himself further. “How old were you?”
Though her question tempted him as powerfully asher ripe beauty,
Belinda hastened to fill the gaping silence that greeted Susannah’s announcement. “Mrs Paget told us the two of you lost touch after your father died. But she remembered you very fondly and was so pleased to hear what a success you’d made in the Indies.”
“I’m sure she was,” replied Ford.
Laura thought she detected an edge of hostility in his tone. Clearly he had not cared for his stepmother. Mrs Paget spoke as if she’d doted on him even though he’d done nothing to assist her after his father’s death. He had cut her out of his life, leaving the poor woman to fend for herself. Why, Laura wondered, should she believe Ford would have done any more for her family if she had appealed to him?
“Mrs Paget bade us give you her warmest regards,” said Susannah. “She said if you would care to call onher, she’d be delighted to receive you. She gave us her address in Mayfair.”
When Ford did not reply, Belinda added, “When we told her you and Laura were engaged, Mrs Paget said she would be honoured to attend your wedding to such a charming bride.”
“Your stepmother seemed very cordial,” said Susannah. “Are you going to invite her to the wedding, Ford?”
While the girls were speaking, Ford rose from the table, though he’d hardly touched his supper. Now he threw down his napkin. “Invite her to the wedding? Only if we lock up all the silver first!”
As he strode away from the table, Laura sat with her mouth half-open, exchanging bewildered glances with her sisters. It amazed her to discover there was someone Ford detested even more than her.
“Why do you hate your stepmother?” Laura’s softly murmured query seemed to roll through the carriage box like a clap of thunder.
Ford half-expected it to rouse her sisters, but they continued to doze on the opposite seat. How he envied them! His fingers clutched a sheaf of lease documents so tightly, he feared they might never unclench again. He stared at the top paper, pretending to read, pretending he had not heard Laura.
“I am at a loss to guess the reason,” she continued, undeterred by his silence. “Mrs Paget seemed pleasant, though rather…excessively cordial. She certainly seemed devoted to you, in spite of everything.”
“That woman can seem any number of things,” Ford growled before he could stop himself. “And what do youmean in spite of everything ? What rubbish did that woman tell you about me?”
“Only what Susannah mentioned at supper last night—that the two of you lost touch after your father died, because she was obliged to make her own way in the world.”
Outrage blazed through Ford. Despite his resolve to say nothing more on the subject, he could not hold his tongue. “That is surprisingly close to the truth, for her. We lost touch before my father died. She ran off with another man as soon as she’d spent all Father’s money. Faced with losing her on top of financial ruin, he could not go on, the poor fool.”
Ford clenched his teeth to keep from saying more. He had never spoken to anyone about all this and he had no wish to start now. Especially not with a woman he had reason to suspect of similar treachery. Though that suspicion had eroded in the past few days, memories of his stepmother threatened to revive it again, which was probably a good thing.
Laura lifted a trembling hand to her lips. “You mean your father…did away with himself?”
“No!” The denial burst out of Ford in an emphatic whisper. “Nothing that terrible, thank God. He just gave up. Began drinking more than was good for him, didn’t eat properly, stayed out all hours. When he fell ill, he didn’t even try to rally.”
“I’m so sorry.” Laura radiated a mixture of dismay and sympathy that made Ford wish he’d held his tongue, even as it invited him to unburden himself further. “How old were you?”
Though her question tempted him as powerfully asher ripe beauty,
Similar Books
