The Prince and the Quakeress: (Georgian Series) by Jean Plaidy Page B
Authors: Jean Plaidy
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Mrs Wheeler could not possibly be the mother of a girl of that age!
Oh no, that was Jane. She had worked for them and had left to be married. A good girl but a little flighty, so it was well she was married.
And married well?
Mrs Wheeler put her head on one side. ‘She married an apprentice to a glass-cutter in Cockspur Street. My niece misses her. They were of an age.’
‘So you have a niece living here too?’
‘Oh yes, my husband brought her and her mother here before our marriage. Hannah is like a daughter to us.’
Jack nodded and said they were singularly blessed indeed. And so, he believed, was he, to have gained so much information. He was pinning his hopes on the flighty servant.
*
It was not difficult to strike up a conversation with Jane. Jane liked to go about the streets of London and Mrs Betts gave her plenty of free time. She would shop for her mistress and enjoyed conversing over the counter with the younger and gayer shop assistants. Sometimes she met Hannah in Ludgate Hill and they would go into Axfords together – Hannah to shop for the Wheelers, Jane for the Betts.
It was in a shop that Jack Ems made Jane’s acquaintance. It was very easy to knock into her, upset her purchases, apologize profusely, pick them up and that gave the opportunity.
What was such a pretty girl doing as beast of burden? Would she allow him to carry her purchases for her?
‘As far as Cockspur Street?’
‘To the ends of the earth.’
Jane was enjoying herself. Her apprentice was a good man but unexciting. He would never be able to provide the laces and ribbons she saw in shop windows. It was a pity, because they were so becoming. Jack Ems summed up her frivolous nature and decided that she would be ready to go a certain way for alittle reward and some excitement, so he lost no time in coming to the point.
She had a friend, Miss Hannah Lightfoot, the niece of her old master.
Jane was a little disappointed that the man she had thought was her admirer was after all interested in Hannah; but she was practical enough to realize the inevitability of this and there was a strong streak of kindness in her nature. If she were dissatisfied with her own lot she believed it to be an improvement on Hannah’s. So she thrust aside her disappointment and was ready to tell all she could of Hannah.
Hannah was beautiful… anyone could see that. It was a shame that she should be shut away in the Quaker’s shop. Hannah was twenty-three years old… no longer so young. And Hannah had never had a chance.
Hannah was soon going to have a miraculous chance. If Jane would help him.
Jane would like to help him, but she would have to be careful.
It was also a shame, he pointed out, that Jane did not have the pretty things she craved for. If she helped she would be so well rewarded that she could buy some of them. What would Jane have to do? First she must find out from Miss Lightfoot whether she would be prepared to make an assignation with a very important young gentleman who had fallen in love with her.
‘She never would,’ cried Jane. ‘It is against everything she has been taught.’
‘You could explain to her…’
‘She wouldn’t listen. There’d be terrible trouble if they found out. Suppose Hannah told her uncle? He might consider it his duty to speak to my husband…’
‘Your husband is an apprentice, is he not?’
‘Yes.’
‘Suppose your husband had a chance of setting up his own business.’
‘What?’
‘I can see you are a sensible girl. The young gentleman involved is of very high nobility. If you would help me and if together we were able to bring about the desired result I can see no reason why there should not be big rewards in this foryou. Not just a pretty gown or two… which your beauty deserves and which you shall have in any case… but I see no reason why, if we are successful in this affair your husband might not be in business on his own.’
Jane’s eyes were sparkling. No longer to be
Oh no, that was Jane. She had worked for them and had left to be married. A good girl but a little flighty, so it was well she was married.
And married well?
Mrs Wheeler put her head on one side. ‘She married an apprentice to a glass-cutter in Cockspur Street. My niece misses her. They were of an age.’
‘So you have a niece living here too?’
‘Oh yes, my husband brought her and her mother here before our marriage. Hannah is like a daughter to us.’
Jack nodded and said they were singularly blessed indeed. And so, he believed, was he, to have gained so much information. He was pinning his hopes on the flighty servant.
*
It was not difficult to strike up a conversation with Jane. Jane liked to go about the streets of London and Mrs Betts gave her plenty of free time. She would shop for her mistress and enjoyed conversing over the counter with the younger and gayer shop assistants. Sometimes she met Hannah in Ludgate Hill and they would go into Axfords together – Hannah to shop for the Wheelers, Jane for the Betts.
It was in a shop that Jack Ems made Jane’s acquaintance. It was very easy to knock into her, upset her purchases, apologize profusely, pick them up and that gave the opportunity.
What was such a pretty girl doing as beast of burden? Would she allow him to carry her purchases for her?
‘As far as Cockspur Street?’
‘To the ends of the earth.’
Jane was enjoying herself. Her apprentice was a good man but unexciting. He would never be able to provide the laces and ribbons she saw in shop windows. It was a pity, because they were so becoming. Jack Ems summed up her frivolous nature and decided that she would be ready to go a certain way for alittle reward and some excitement, so he lost no time in coming to the point.
She had a friend, Miss Hannah Lightfoot, the niece of her old master.
Jane was a little disappointed that the man she had thought was her admirer was after all interested in Hannah; but she was practical enough to realize the inevitability of this and there was a strong streak of kindness in her nature. If she were dissatisfied with her own lot she believed it to be an improvement on Hannah’s. So she thrust aside her disappointment and was ready to tell all she could of Hannah.
Hannah was beautiful… anyone could see that. It was a shame that she should be shut away in the Quaker’s shop. Hannah was twenty-three years old… no longer so young. And Hannah had never had a chance.
Hannah was soon going to have a miraculous chance. If Jane would help him.
Jane would like to help him, but she would have to be careful.
It was also a shame, he pointed out, that Jane did not have the pretty things she craved for. If she helped she would be so well rewarded that she could buy some of them. What would Jane have to do? First she must find out from Miss Lightfoot whether she would be prepared to make an assignation with a very important young gentleman who had fallen in love with her.
‘She never would,’ cried Jane. ‘It is against everything she has been taught.’
‘You could explain to her…’
‘She wouldn’t listen. There’d be terrible trouble if they found out. Suppose Hannah told her uncle? He might consider it his duty to speak to my husband…’
‘Your husband is an apprentice, is he not?’
‘Yes.’
‘Suppose your husband had a chance of setting up his own business.’
‘What?’
‘I can see you are a sensible girl. The young gentleman involved is of very high nobility. If you would help me and if together we were able to bring about the desired result I can see no reason why there should not be big rewards in this foryou. Not just a pretty gown or two… which your beauty deserves and which you shall have in any case… but I see no reason why, if we are successful in this affair your husband might not be in business on his own.’
Jane’s eyes were sparkling. No longer to be
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