I hope, and you may rely on Spicer and Williams to bring her and Maggie home as quickly as they can.’
‘When they are with me again, I must make arrangements to go to Greystones. It’s where Frederick will expect to find me if - when he comes home.’
‘You need to rest, and you need cheerful company, not moping alone in the country.’
Fanny shook her head. ‘The Season will soon begin, and you will want to entertain, and go out to visit friends. I shall be in the way.’
‘Nonsense. The house is big enough for you to have your own rooms, and you need never meet anyone if that is what you wish. We will send a message to Greystones so that Sir Frederick knows where you are.’
‘You don’t believe he will come back to me, do you?’
‘Do you wish him to? After his behaviour?’
‘I love him,’ Fanny said, and began to cry. ‘Besides, if this child should be a boy, I’ll have given him his heir and he’ll be delighted.’
‘First you must look after yourself, so that you don’t lose the baby. Moping in the country will do neither you nor him any good. If you are in London you can consult the best doctors, too.’
‘You may have the right of it,’ Fanny said. She was thoughtful. She desperately wanted this baby, not only for itself, but, if it should be a boy, as a means of bringing Frederick back to her.
‘I do. The girls would not wish to be parted from my pair, either. They will miss their father less if they are with us. At Greystones they would notice his absence more.’
Fanny knew she was right. She would keep Julia with her, as governess, and soon Frederick would have realized his mistake, or his Russian mistress would tire of him, and he would come back to her.
* * * *
Julia, thankful Sir Carey had not left, followed his valet into the parlour, and stood just inside the door, looking at him where he sat beside the fire, a table spread with several dishes drawn up before him. He looked pale, and his eyes were bloodshot. Were these signs of drunkenness, or something else?
‘It was you! I thought I’d been dreaming. Julia, come and sit down. Tanner, send for more coffee. I want to know how the devil you come to be here, dressed like a servant.’
She couldn’t suppress a smile. ‘That’s what I am, temporarily, Sir Carey,’ she told him. ‘A step lower than a governess.’
‘Where is Lady Cunningham? And the Pryces? I was told you had all left Vienna together.’
‘We did, but our coach was not so fast, and we lost touch,’ Julia said, then paused as Herr Ritter himself came in with another pot of coffee and a cup and plate for Julia. He poured out some coffee and set the cup in front of her.
‘Stay here with your friend,’ the innkeeper said. ‘Maybe he’ll be able to help you.’
Sir Carey frowned. ‘Of course, if I can. Thank you, Herr Ritter. Now,’ he said, as the door closed behind the man and they were alone. ‘You lost touch? Why did they not wait for you? This is most peculiar. Why should you need help? Why are you working here, at a wayside inn where, however respectable it seems, you are vulnerable to the sort of lascivious approaches I saw last night? And where are the others of your party?’
He carved her some ham, and Julia found she was hungry. She broke a roll and began to eat as she explained the arrangement of the two coaches.
‘Then there was the accident, and Spicer, he was Mr Pryce’s valet, was killed.’
‘Killed? You poor girl! What accident?’
Julia, reluctant to recall those horrific moments, swiftly told him how the coach had foundered.
‘We were taken to a convent and the nuns cared for us. Maggie is very ill with an ague. I was delirious with a fever for a day or so, but I soon recovered. Williams broke his leg and was taken to an abbey nearby. But we lost everything. I lost the money Fanny had given me for the journey. That’s why I am here, hoping to find some English travellers who can at least take a message to Fanny and
‘When they are with me again, I must make arrangements to go to Greystones. It’s where Frederick will expect to find me if - when he comes home.’
‘You need to rest, and you need cheerful company, not moping alone in the country.’
Fanny shook her head. ‘The Season will soon begin, and you will want to entertain, and go out to visit friends. I shall be in the way.’
‘Nonsense. The house is big enough for you to have your own rooms, and you need never meet anyone if that is what you wish. We will send a message to Greystones so that Sir Frederick knows where you are.’
‘You don’t believe he will come back to me, do you?’
‘Do you wish him to? After his behaviour?’
‘I love him,’ Fanny said, and began to cry. ‘Besides, if this child should be a boy, I’ll have given him his heir and he’ll be delighted.’
‘First you must look after yourself, so that you don’t lose the baby. Moping in the country will do neither you nor him any good. If you are in London you can consult the best doctors, too.’
‘You may have the right of it,’ Fanny said. She was thoughtful. She desperately wanted this baby, not only for itself, but, if it should be a boy, as a means of bringing Frederick back to her.
‘I do. The girls would not wish to be parted from my pair, either. They will miss their father less if they are with us. At Greystones they would notice his absence more.’
Fanny knew she was right. She would keep Julia with her, as governess, and soon Frederick would have realized his mistake, or his Russian mistress would tire of him, and he would come back to her.
* * * *
Julia, thankful Sir Carey had not left, followed his valet into the parlour, and stood just inside the door, looking at him where he sat beside the fire, a table spread with several dishes drawn up before him. He looked pale, and his eyes were bloodshot. Were these signs of drunkenness, or something else?
‘It was you! I thought I’d been dreaming. Julia, come and sit down. Tanner, send for more coffee. I want to know how the devil you come to be here, dressed like a servant.’
She couldn’t suppress a smile. ‘That’s what I am, temporarily, Sir Carey,’ she told him. ‘A step lower than a governess.’
‘Where is Lady Cunningham? And the Pryces? I was told you had all left Vienna together.’
‘We did, but our coach was not so fast, and we lost touch,’ Julia said, then paused as Herr Ritter himself came in with another pot of coffee and a cup and plate for Julia. He poured out some coffee and set the cup in front of her.
‘Stay here with your friend,’ the innkeeper said. ‘Maybe he’ll be able to help you.’
Sir Carey frowned. ‘Of course, if I can. Thank you, Herr Ritter. Now,’ he said, as the door closed behind the man and they were alone. ‘You lost touch? Why did they not wait for you? This is most peculiar. Why should you need help? Why are you working here, at a wayside inn where, however respectable it seems, you are vulnerable to the sort of lascivious approaches I saw last night? And where are the others of your party?’
He carved her some ham, and Julia found she was hungry. She broke a roll and began to eat as she explained the arrangement of the two coaches.
‘Then there was the accident, and Spicer, he was Mr Pryce’s valet, was killed.’
‘Killed? You poor girl! What accident?’
Julia, reluctant to recall those horrific moments, swiftly told him how the coach had foundered.
‘We were taken to a convent and the nuns cared for us. Maggie is very ill with an ague. I was delirious with a fever for a day or so, but I soon recovered. Williams broke his leg and was taken to an abbey nearby. But we lost everything. I lost the money Fanny had given me for the journey. That’s why I am here, hoping to find some English travellers who can at least take a message to Fanny and
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