London.
“Thank you, Lady Meldon. I must apologise for greeting you in bed, but I am not yet well enough to sit in a chair for any period of time and after the journey...”
“Think nothing of it. My son so rarely brings visitors here.”
“I hold at least two balls a year,” said Meldon, “and you complain that the house is full of strangers, even though you know most of my guests.”
“Don’t pretend not to understand me, George. I didn’t bring my children up to be stupid.” Lady Meldon was sharp and Anna saw where Lady Caroline’s slightly exasperated attitude to her brother came from. The head of the family was its youngest member and his sister and his mother had learned how to remind him of his youth.
“No, Mother. Let us leave Miss Smith to sleep while we go downstairs and you can make your meaning more clear to me.”
Lady Meldon turned towards the door.
“Are you hungry, Miss Smith?” asked Meldon.
“No, thank you.”
“May I dine with you this evening?”
“If you wish it.”
He frowned at her usual response, bowed and left the room.
Anna wished that she had asked him to bring her something to read before he had left the room. Even if she slept now, she would wake later. A few minutes later a maid came into her room, her arms full of books.
“His lordship thought you might like something to read, madam,” she said doubtfully, as if reading were a suspicious activity.
“His lordship is very thoughtful. Please thank him.”
Anna took the book from the top of the pile. It was a thin collection of some of Mr Wordsworth’s poems. With a smile she settled herself back against the pillows, while the maid unpacked her new clothes. She was asleep before she had read four lines.
Meldon asked for a whisky before sending the footman from the room then sat and tried to ease the pain in his leg while his mother paced up and down.
“You don’t know who she is or what she might do. That much is obvious. Why did you bring her here?”
“I told you in my letter that she had nowhere else to go.”
“She could have gone to stay with Caro.”
“Caro didn’t offer .”
“Why?”
“I believe she has plans for Miss Smith.”
Lady Meldon stopped pacing. “She wants you to marry someone called Smith? I didn’t know things were that bad for us. Doubtless she has taken her lead from you.”
“ It would be for the first time.” Meldon sighed; he had known the conversation must go like this, but the knowledge did not ease the frustration. “Her name is not Smith, Mother. I have no idea what it is, but it is obvious from the way that she talks and behaves that she is at least a gentleman’s daughter.”
“And that makes it more acceptable ? It is inconceivable that the earl of Meldon should marry the daughter of a gentleman.”
“ Caro seems to think she would be suitable.” Meldon knew that he was foolish even to think it possible. “Would you reject her if I did marry her?”
The countess countered with a question of her own. “Did that young woman make your acquaintance in order to make a scandal so that you would have to marry her?”
Meldon could not stop the laugh that surprised his mother. “No, that was not her aim.”
“How can you be sure?”
“Accept that I am sure, Mother.”
Lady Meldon sat down. “George, it means a great deal to me that the earldom should stay in the family, as it has for centuries, but there must be a better way to do it than this.”
“I don’t think you need worry, Mother, I doubt Miss Smith would have me.” Meldon turned away, suddenly sad at having put his fear into words.
“What’s wrong with you? Of course she would have you. You’re an earl and you’re wealthy.”
“Miss Smith is a poet and I don’t think either of those things is the least bit important to her.” More importantly, thought Meldon, she had tried to kill him. If he wanted her for his countess he had first to find out why.
“ Young women do not write
“Thank you, Lady Meldon. I must apologise for greeting you in bed, but I am not yet well enough to sit in a chair for any period of time and after the journey...”
“Think nothing of it. My son so rarely brings visitors here.”
“I hold at least two balls a year,” said Meldon, “and you complain that the house is full of strangers, even though you know most of my guests.”
“Don’t pretend not to understand me, George. I didn’t bring my children up to be stupid.” Lady Meldon was sharp and Anna saw where Lady Caroline’s slightly exasperated attitude to her brother came from. The head of the family was its youngest member and his sister and his mother had learned how to remind him of his youth.
“No, Mother. Let us leave Miss Smith to sleep while we go downstairs and you can make your meaning more clear to me.”
Lady Meldon turned towards the door.
“Are you hungry, Miss Smith?” asked Meldon.
“No, thank you.”
“May I dine with you this evening?”
“If you wish it.”
He frowned at her usual response, bowed and left the room.
Anna wished that she had asked him to bring her something to read before he had left the room. Even if she slept now, she would wake later. A few minutes later a maid came into her room, her arms full of books.
“His lordship thought you might like something to read, madam,” she said doubtfully, as if reading were a suspicious activity.
“His lordship is very thoughtful. Please thank him.”
Anna took the book from the top of the pile. It was a thin collection of some of Mr Wordsworth’s poems. With a smile she settled herself back against the pillows, while the maid unpacked her new clothes. She was asleep before she had read four lines.
Meldon asked for a whisky before sending the footman from the room then sat and tried to ease the pain in his leg while his mother paced up and down.
“You don’t know who she is or what she might do. That much is obvious. Why did you bring her here?”
“I told you in my letter that she had nowhere else to go.”
“She could have gone to stay with Caro.”
“Caro didn’t offer .”
“Why?”
“I believe she has plans for Miss Smith.”
Lady Meldon stopped pacing. “She wants you to marry someone called Smith? I didn’t know things were that bad for us. Doubtless she has taken her lead from you.”
“ It would be for the first time.” Meldon sighed; he had known the conversation must go like this, but the knowledge did not ease the frustration. “Her name is not Smith, Mother. I have no idea what it is, but it is obvious from the way that she talks and behaves that she is at least a gentleman’s daughter.”
“And that makes it more acceptable ? It is inconceivable that the earl of Meldon should marry the daughter of a gentleman.”
“ Caro seems to think she would be suitable.” Meldon knew that he was foolish even to think it possible. “Would you reject her if I did marry her?”
The countess countered with a question of her own. “Did that young woman make your acquaintance in order to make a scandal so that you would have to marry her?”
Meldon could not stop the laugh that surprised his mother. “No, that was not her aim.”
“How can you be sure?”
“Accept that I am sure, Mother.”
Lady Meldon sat down. “George, it means a great deal to me that the earldom should stay in the family, as it has for centuries, but there must be a better way to do it than this.”
“I don’t think you need worry, Mother, I doubt Miss Smith would have me.” Meldon turned away, suddenly sad at having put his fear into words.
“What’s wrong with you? Of course she would have you. You’re an earl and you’re wealthy.”
“Miss Smith is a poet and I don’t think either of those things is the least bit important to her.” More importantly, thought Meldon, she had tried to kill him. If he wanted her for his countess he had first to find out why.
“ Young women do not write
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