”Thank you.“
Celia beamed. “Mama has already arranged it on the terrace. Shall we go?” Hannah nodded, and they followed Celia out.
As they walked through the house, Hannah could barely keep her mouth from falling open in amazement again. It was magnificent beyond all her dreams. She had read stories in the newspapers about the grand entertainments and dinners given by the Prince Regent and the opulent furnishings in Carlton House, but surely this was every bit as fine. The floors were marble, the rugs were thick, the windows were tall and crystal clear. Everything was sparkling clean, even the servants who curtsied and bowed as they passed. Hannah felt very plain and poor again, but she kept her head up and tried to gadier her moughts for what she would say.
“There you are.” With a brilliant smile, Rosalind came to greet them as they stepped out onto the terrace. She clasped Hannah’s hands in her own. “I thought we could sit out here, as the day is so fine. Besides, we are family. We needn’t stand on ceremony.”
It was all Hannah could do to murmur a polite reply. It had suddenly occurred to her that if David hadn’t tricked her, and they had been married in truth, she would still have had Rosalind for a mother-in-law and Celia for a sister. Then she could have accepted all their kindness and been delighted to call herself part of their family. But thanks to David and his wretched brother, she couldn’t
“And Molly!” Rosalind leaned down to look Molly in the eye. “Has Celia shown you the secret passage?” she asked in a loud whisper.
Molly’s eyes grew wide. She had put her finger in her mouth when they reached the terrace, a sign she was as cowed as Hannah felt. Silently she shook her head.
“You must ask her after tea. The house is full of all sorts of hidden cupboards as well. Celia delighted in finding them when she was your age.”
Celia laughed. “Yes, and David would always tease me that I’d find myself stuck in one some day.”
Molly pulled her finger from her mouth. “Did you?” she asked in a little voice.
Celia made a face as Rosalind laughed. “Yes. I’d be stuck there still if Marcus hadn’t found me and let me out.”
“Marcus missed her before anyone else did,” said Rosalind, smiling. “He searched the house from top to bottom until he found Celia in a hidden cupboard in the library.”
“Well, enough about that, Mama.” Celia rolled her eyes. “Shall we have tea? I’m starved.”
“Yes, of course.” Rosalind led the way to a delicate table already laid with tea for four. Again Hannah had to conceal her wonder. The lawn spread away from the terrace in a sweep of perfectly trimmed green velvet. She could see a large garden with a fountain in its center, and far across the lawn, the river ran past, glittering in the sunlight. It was every bit as gorgeous as the house. Dazed, she sank into a chair.
“Do you like it?” Rosalind handed her a cup of tea.
“It’s stunning,” said Hannah, still taking in the view. “As is the house. I’d never seen—” Abruptly she fell silent, remembering that it was not her view to admire. She subsided in her chair and stirred her tea.
“Now, Hannah, I must apologize,” Rosalind said once everyone had a cup. Celia and Molly had their heads together already and were giggling about something. “We were so thrilled when we received David’s letter, we simply couldn’t wait to meet you. But of course you ought not to have to entertain the whole family when you’re barely settled in. I’d no idea you were just arriving today. I do hope you can forgive us.”
“Of course,” murmured Hannah into her teacup. They had more right to be here than she did, after all.
“Now…” Rosalind lowered her voice with a glance across the table. “I must tell you the news of your marriage was like the answer to my prayers. Marcus used to tell me he would never marry, which of course he simply must do; he has the dukedom
Celia beamed. “Mama has already arranged it on the terrace. Shall we go?” Hannah nodded, and they followed Celia out.
As they walked through the house, Hannah could barely keep her mouth from falling open in amazement again. It was magnificent beyond all her dreams. She had read stories in the newspapers about the grand entertainments and dinners given by the Prince Regent and the opulent furnishings in Carlton House, but surely this was every bit as fine. The floors were marble, the rugs were thick, the windows were tall and crystal clear. Everything was sparkling clean, even the servants who curtsied and bowed as they passed. Hannah felt very plain and poor again, but she kept her head up and tried to gadier her moughts for what she would say.
“There you are.” With a brilliant smile, Rosalind came to greet them as they stepped out onto the terrace. She clasped Hannah’s hands in her own. “I thought we could sit out here, as the day is so fine. Besides, we are family. We needn’t stand on ceremony.”
It was all Hannah could do to murmur a polite reply. It had suddenly occurred to her that if David hadn’t tricked her, and they had been married in truth, she would still have had Rosalind for a mother-in-law and Celia for a sister. Then she could have accepted all their kindness and been delighted to call herself part of their family. But thanks to David and his wretched brother, she couldn’t
“And Molly!” Rosalind leaned down to look Molly in the eye. “Has Celia shown you the secret passage?” she asked in a loud whisper.
Molly’s eyes grew wide. She had put her finger in her mouth when they reached the terrace, a sign she was as cowed as Hannah felt. Silently she shook her head.
“You must ask her after tea. The house is full of all sorts of hidden cupboards as well. Celia delighted in finding them when she was your age.”
Celia laughed. “Yes, and David would always tease me that I’d find myself stuck in one some day.”
Molly pulled her finger from her mouth. “Did you?” she asked in a little voice.
Celia made a face as Rosalind laughed. “Yes. I’d be stuck there still if Marcus hadn’t found me and let me out.”
“Marcus missed her before anyone else did,” said Rosalind, smiling. “He searched the house from top to bottom until he found Celia in a hidden cupboard in the library.”
“Well, enough about that, Mama.” Celia rolled her eyes. “Shall we have tea? I’m starved.”
“Yes, of course.” Rosalind led the way to a delicate table already laid with tea for four. Again Hannah had to conceal her wonder. The lawn spread away from the terrace in a sweep of perfectly trimmed green velvet. She could see a large garden with a fountain in its center, and far across the lawn, the river ran past, glittering in the sunlight. It was every bit as gorgeous as the house. Dazed, she sank into a chair.
“Do you like it?” Rosalind handed her a cup of tea.
“It’s stunning,” said Hannah, still taking in the view. “As is the house. I’d never seen—” Abruptly she fell silent, remembering that it was not her view to admire. She subsided in her chair and stirred her tea.
“Now, Hannah, I must apologize,” Rosalind said once everyone had a cup. Celia and Molly had their heads together already and were giggling about something. “We were so thrilled when we received David’s letter, we simply couldn’t wait to meet you. But of course you ought not to have to entertain the whole family when you’re barely settled in. I’d no idea you were just arriving today. I do hope you can forgive us.”
“Of course,” murmured Hannah into her teacup. They had more right to be here than she did, after all.
“Now…” Rosalind lowered her voice with a glance across the table. “I must tell you the news of your marriage was like the answer to my prayers. Marcus used to tell me he would never marry, which of course he simply must do; he has the dukedom
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