she is living nearby.’
Samuel made a steeple of his fingers and pursed his lips, looking ludicrously pompous. ‘But what if a misjudgement has taken place?’ he pursued. ‘What if Thomas’s father is not, after all, Gideon Waring – but Mr Dearly, the gardener?’
‘You have just now pointed out strong reasons to the contrary. You need only consider the dates involved. Thomas Dearly is a little over a year old – which means he was born in May last year. Eliza Hardacre left here just before Christmas – her marriage, in Hampshire, must have taken place between then and the birth. In other words, althoughher child was certainly conceived out of wedlock, her marriage took place in time to avoid further disgrace.’
‘And is it impossible,’ he said, smiling, ‘that she had been courting her husband while she was employed here? Would that not be a more likely explanation?’
‘Only if her behaviour were even more reprehensible than I believe it to be,’ I replied crisply. ‘Even
she
would surely not keep company, as one might put it, with two men at once!’
Samuel smiled at this. ‘So,’ he went on, ‘you are quite certain of her liaison with Mr Waring?’
‘Mr Farrow left me in little doubt of it,’ I told him. ‘Besides, Marianne—’
His attention sharpened. ‘Yes?’
‘Suffice it to say that Marianne – who, you must remember, was only fourteen at this time, a mere child – has a – how shall I put this? – a precocious awareness of things that no child ought to be exposed to.’
‘She has told you this?’ said he.
‘In so many words. No wonder the poor girl is distressed.’
He looked puzzled. ‘But Marianne showed no reluctance to entertain Eliza this afternoon. She seemed delighted, especially with the little boy.’
A glance silenced him. ‘I know Marianne far better than you do, Mr Godwin,’ I assured him. ‘You must take my word for it that Miss Hardacre proved herself completely unsuited to the teaching and supervision of young girls. That is why I am so anxious that her visit here must not be repeated. Mr Farrow does not wish his daughters to come under the influence ofsuch a disreputable person. Her past cannot be forgotten, merely because she now presents herself as a respectable married woman – for which she ought to consider herself very fortunate. Mr Matthew Dearly must be a forgiving man indeed.’
Infuriatingly, Samuel laughed. ‘You would prefer her to be a penniless outcast, it appears – to suffer for her sin? You would like her to grovel at the workhouse door, or beg for scraps by the roadside?’
‘On the contrary. I should never wish such misfortune on anyone, and certainly not on her blameless little boy,’ I told him. ‘But I do wish she did not give herself such airs – it is her assumption of superiority I find intolerable.’
He looked at me with a knowing smile.
‘You think yourself very clever, I see,’ I retaliated. ‘What is the meaning of that complacent look?’
He only smiled the more; and I may as well acknowledge that he would have won over a woman of less resolve. His face was flushed with the beginnings of sunburn, for he had unguardedly been walking without a hat; he looked the picture of ease and contentment.
‘I was merely thinking,’ he said, ‘that your pride in your charges does you credit. A sister could not show more devotion than you do towards Marianne and Juliana. And therefore you are bound to dislike Miss Hardacre, for your jealousy of her is transparent.’
‘
Jealous?
’ I retorted. ‘
I?
You are gravely mistaken if you think I could possibly feel any envy of – of that—’
‘You bear her a grudge,’ he insisted, ‘because of the affection shown to her by both girls. You do not like to think that she once occupied your place, and still occupies their thoughts.’
This was provoking beyond measure. Deciding to remove myself to my room, I stood, and collected up my papers. ‘Well, Mr Godwin,’ I
Samuel made a steeple of his fingers and pursed his lips, looking ludicrously pompous. ‘But what if a misjudgement has taken place?’ he pursued. ‘What if Thomas’s father is not, after all, Gideon Waring – but Mr Dearly, the gardener?’
‘You have just now pointed out strong reasons to the contrary. You need only consider the dates involved. Thomas Dearly is a little over a year old – which means he was born in May last year. Eliza Hardacre left here just before Christmas – her marriage, in Hampshire, must have taken place between then and the birth. In other words, althoughher child was certainly conceived out of wedlock, her marriage took place in time to avoid further disgrace.’
‘And is it impossible,’ he said, smiling, ‘that she had been courting her husband while she was employed here? Would that not be a more likely explanation?’
‘Only if her behaviour were even more reprehensible than I believe it to be,’ I replied crisply. ‘Even
she
would surely not keep company, as one might put it, with two men at once!’
Samuel smiled at this. ‘So,’ he went on, ‘you are quite certain of her liaison with Mr Waring?’
‘Mr Farrow left me in little doubt of it,’ I told him. ‘Besides, Marianne—’
His attention sharpened. ‘Yes?’
‘Suffice it to say that Marianne – who, you must remember, was only fourteen at this time, a mere child – has a – how shall I put this? – a precocious awareness of things that no child ought to be exposed to.’
‘She has told you this?’ said he.
‘In so many words. No wonder the poor girl is distressed.’
He looked puzzled. ‘But Marianne showed no reluctance to entertain Eliza this afternoon. She seemed delighted, especially with the little boy.’
A glance silenced him. ‘I know Marianne far better than you do, Mr Godwin,’ I assured him. ‘You must take my word for it that Miss Hardacre proved herself completely unsuited to the teaching and supervision of young girls. That is why I am so anxious that her visit here must not be repeated. Mr Farrow does not wish his daughters to come under the influence ofsuch a disreputable person. Her past cannot be forgotten, merely because she now presents herself as a respectable married woman – for which she ought to consider herself very fortunate. Mr Matthew Dearly must be a forgiving man indeed.’
Infuriatingly, Samuel laughed. ‘You would prefer her to be a penniless outcast, it appears – to suffer for her sin? You would like her to grovel at the workhouse door, or beg for scraps by the roadside?’
‘On the contrary. I should never wish such misfortune on anyone, and certainly not on her blameless little boy,’ I told him. ‘But I do wish she did not give herself such airs – it is her assumption of superiority I find intolerable.’
He looked at me with a knowing smile.
‘You think yourself very clever, I see,’ I retaliated. ‘What is the meaning of that complacent look?’
He only smiled the more; and I may as well acknowledge that he would have won over a woman of less resolve. His face was flushed with the beginnings of sunburn, for he had unguardedly been walking without a hat; he looked the picture of ease and contentment.
‘I was merely thinking,’ he said, ‘that your pride in your charges does you credit. A sister could not show more devotion than you do towards Marianne and Juliana. And therefore you are bound to dislike Miss Hardacre, for your jealousy of her is transparent.’
‘
Jealous?
’ I retorted. ‘
I?
You are gravely mistaken if you think I could possibly feel any envy of – of that—’
‘You bear her a grudge,’ he insisted, ‘because of the affection shown to her by both girls. You do not like to think that she once occupied your place, and still occupies their thoughts.’
This was provoking beyond measure. Deciding to remove myself to my room, I stood, and collected up my papers. ‘Well, Mr Godwin,’ I
Similar Books
