drive; you go inside with Kitty.”
In the dark interior of the carriage she realized for the first time in her life that men and women were natural enemies. She knew without a doubt that Patrick would always conquer her in any physical encounter; therefore her weapons would have to be more devious and subtle.
Upon arrival at Cadogen Square, Patrick turned the carriage over to Terry for stabling. Patrick tried to help Kitty alight from the carriage but she brushed past his proffered hand and swept up the steps and into the brilliantly lit salon.
“Where have you been?” demanded Julia, looking them over speculatively.
Kitty’s yellow organza was badly creased from the hurried carriage ride, but she held up her chin and said, “Is there anything I can do to help Mr. O’Reilly?”
“The doctor still is with him, so we won’t know what todo until he gives us our instructions. Go and make us all some tea, Kitty; that should make us feel better,” said Julia. Barbara sat unhappily in a corner with red-rimmed eyes. Patrick spoke up quickly, “No, Kitty may go and tell one of the servants to make tea, but she no longer is here in the capacity of a maid. She may share in father’s nursing duties, but that’s all.”
Kitty went to find a footman to order the tea, feeling grateful toward Patrick and at the same time hating herself for feeling that gratitude.
As soon as she was out of earshot Julia said, “Well! Don’t you know it’s bad form to keep your mistress under the same roof as your family?”
Patrick glared at her with ice-cold eyes for a moment and Julia paled and realized she shouldn’t have spoken to him so boldly.
He said quietly, “Kitty has refused to be my mistress. You’d better keep a civil tongue between your teeth when you are speaking to me, miss. Now be good enough to tell me what occurred with Father.”
“Well, it really all started this morning. Father got into the most violent argument with two draymen who came to make a wine delivery. Somehow ninety-six bottles were smashed and Father demanded they replace them at their own expense. The shouting match went on for hours. The whole household was in a state of upheaval. At lunchtime he still hadn’t calmed down. The men were long gone, but he kept at it with Barbara and me for his audience. I swear he covered every conceivable subject, from the inefficiency of the British working classes to the folly of putting a woman on the throne. He drank deeply at lunch and I suspect carried on throughout the afternoon. Just when everything seemed to have quieted down and settled back to normal he clutched his head and fell to the floor. It took us forever to get him upstairsand into bed. We sent for the doctor immediately but he didn’t come for ages and ages, and you know the rest. I was going mad, not knowing where you were, but Terry said he would find you.”
Patrick ignored this latter part of her speech and said, “I think I’ll go up and speak with the doctor. Terry said something about a stroke. I imagine that’s what he has had. He does tend to live at the top of his voice, doesn’t he?”
Kitty came back into the room and Julia said to her, “Well, Irish, you’ve more sense than I gave you credit for, rejecting our Patrick. He thinks he’s God’s gift to women, you know. Now then, what I have to figure out is how to keep this business from affecting my wedding plans. If he dies now, I’ll kill him!” She laughed at herself. “Well, that’s Irish if I’ve ever heard it.”
Barbara cried, “Julia, how can you think of yourself at a time like this?”
Julia looked at Kitty and said, “You know, don’t you? A woman has to take care of Number One first. Men will always sacrifice our wishes for their convenience. A woman is expected to give ail for love, but what man is willing to do that? If a woman doesn’t take care of herself, no one else will. I’m a survivor and so is Kitty. You, my little gutless wonder, will
In the dark interior of the carriage she realized for the first time in her life that men and women were natural enemies. She knew without a doubt that Patrick would always conquer her in any physical encounter; therefore her weapons would have to be more devious and subtle.
Upon arrival at Cadogen Square, Patrick turned the carriage over to Terry for stabling. Patrick tried to help Kitty alight from the carriage but she brushed past his proffered hand and swept up the steps and into the brilliantly lit salon.
“Where have you been?” demanded Julia, looking them over speculatively.
Kitty’s yellow organza was badly creased from the hurried carriage ride, but she held up her chin and said, “Is there anything I can do to help Mr. O’Reilly?”
“The doctor still is with him, so we won’t know what todo until he gives us our instructions. Go and make us all some tea, Kitty; that should make us feel better,” said Julia. Barbara sat unhappily in a corner with red-rimmed eyes. Patrick spoke up quickly, “No, Kitty may go and tell one of the servants to make tea, but she no longer is here in the capacity of a maid. She may share in father’s nursing duties, but that’s all.”
Kitty went to find a footman to order the tea, feeling grateful toward Patrick and at the same time hating herself for feeling that gratitude.
As soon as she was out of earshot Julia said, “Well! Don’t you know it’s bad form to keep your mistress under the same roof as your family?”
Patrick glared at her with ice-cold eyes for a moment and Julia paled and realized she shouldn’t have spoken to him so boldly.
He said quietly, “Kitty has refused to be my mistress. You’d better keep a civil tongue between your teeth when you are speaking to me, miss. Now be good enough to tell me what occurred with Father.”
“Well, it really all started this morning. Father got into the most violent argument with two draymen who came to make a wine delivery. Somehow ninety-six bottles were smashed and Father demanded they replace them at their own expense. The shouting match went on for hours. The whole household was in a state of upheaval. At lunchtime he still hadn’t calmed down. The men were long gone, but he kept at it with Barbara and me for his audience. I swear he covered every conceivable subject, from the inefficiency of the British working classes to the folly of putting a woman on the throne. He drank deeply at lunch and I suspect carried on throughout the afternoon. Just when everything seemed to have quieted down and settled back to normal he clutched his head and fell to the floor. It took us forever to get him upstairsand into bed. We sent for the doctor immediately but he didn’t come for ages and ages, and you know the rest. I was going mad, not knowing where you were, but Terry said he would find you.”
Patrick ignored this latter part of her speech and said, “I think I’ll go up and speak with the doctor. Terry said something about a stroke. I imagine that’s what he has had. He does tend to live at the top of his voice, doesn’t he?”
Kitty came back into the room and Julia said to her, “Well, Irish, you’ve more sense than I gave you credit for, rejecting our Patrick. He thinks he’s God’s gift to women, you know. Now then, what I have to figure out is how to keep this business from affecting my wedding plans. If he dies now, I’ll kill him!” She laughed at herself. “Well, that’s Irish if I’ve ever heard it.”
Barbara cried, “Julia, how can you think of yourself at a time like this?”
Julia looked at Kitty and said, “You know, don’t you? A woman has to take care of Number One first. Men will always sacrifice our wishes for their convenience. A woman is expected to give ail for love, but what man is willing to do that? If a woman doesn’t take care of herself, no one else will. I’m a survivor and so is Kitty. You, my little gutless wonder, will
Similar Books
