said she would leave.
Rosalind dismissed it with a wave of her hand. “Marcus doesn’t show affection in front of others. You mustn’t take it as a personal rebuke. As for the quarrel, it will blow over. Above all, Marcus likes peace. When he sees how much it upset you, he’ll make amends. Now, if we’re to plan a proper wedding for this Season, we must start at once.”
Hannah shot to her feet, unnerved. “No, I—I really don’t think I can discuss that!”
“Of course not,” said Celia. “Mama, we really must take care of the shopping first. How can she go about, if she has no clothes?” Rosalind agreed at once, and they decided between themselves that as soon as Hannah’s wardrobe was complete, they would move on to the wedding, and perhaps even a ball to introduce her to the ton. Hannah ducked her head and let them talk around her, knowing she wouldn’t be there for any of it, even though she still had no idea how she would leave—Just that she would. Aside from the lies the duke wanted her to tell and the sting of David’s betrayal, she suspected that becoming attached to Rosalind and Celia, and then having to leave them, would hurt worst of all.
When Molly put her hands on the table and rested her cheek on them, Hannah seized the reprieve. “Molly, it’s time to rest.”
“I’m not sleepy, Mama.” Molly undermined her words with a wide yawn. Hannah got to her feet as Rosalind smiled and Celia giggled.
“Would you excuse us?” she murmured, lifting her daughter. “You may explore the secret cupboards after you have a little sleep,” she said by way of enticement. Molly brightened then, and waved good-bye to Celia and Rosalind as Hannah made her way back into the house.
“Mama?” Molly snuggled against her chest, her small body a comforting familiar weight in Hannah’s arms.
“Yes, darling?” She tried to remember how tüey had gotten to the terrace. She could see the stairs over there…
“Are we going to live here?”
She didn’t answer Molly’s question as she climbed the stairs. What should she say about tins to Molly? She had to say something, after the way Molly had nearly blurted out that it was David and not the duke Hannah thought she had married, but didn’t want to trouble Molly with more than she could understand. “No,” she settled for saying. “We’re only visiting.”
“Oh.” They reached the room where her trunks were, and Hannah pushed open the door. She pulled back the covers on the bed, surprised to find fresh linens, faindy scented with lavender. The room had been cleaned, in just the short time they’d been having tea It would have taken her a week.
She took off Molly’s shoes and deposited her on the bed. Missy was on a chair near the bed, and Molly wedged the doll under her arm before wiggling into the pillows. The new doll, christened Elizabeth, stood in a place of honor on the dressing table, visible but untouchable. Missy, the rag-tag doll with only one eye and no shoes at all, was in Molly’s arm, and Hannah was somehow reassured by it. “Where is David?” Molly asked then.
Hannah sighed. “He’s gone away. I don’t know when he’ll be back, or if we’ll be here when he returns.”
“But I thought we were going to live with him now, and he would be my new papa.”
Hannah felt a fresh burst of anger. “I was wrong. He’s changed his mind.” She kissed Molly on the forehead. “Now, close your eyes and rest. You’ll have plenty of time to explore when you wake.”
“We aren’t leaving tomorrow, are we, Mama?”
“I’m not sure yet.” Hannah got up and headed for the door. That was another good reason to leave as soon as possible; the longer she stayed, the harder it would be on her daughter when they left. Molly’s sleepy voice made her pause with her hand on the knob.
“I hope we stay. I like it here.” with another yawn, she closed her eyes and put her finger in her mouth. Hannah opened her mouth to reply, then
Rosalind dismissed it with a wave of her hand. “Marcus doesn’t show affection in front of others. You mustn’t take it as a personal rebuke. As for the quarrel, it will blow over. Above all, Marcus likes peace. When he sees how much it upset you, he’ll make amends. Now, if we’re to plan a proper wedding for this Season, we must start at once.”
Hannah shot to her feet, unnerved. “No, I—I really don’t think I can discuss that!”
“Of course not,” said Celia. “Mama, we really must take care of the shopping first. How can she go about, if she has no clothes?” Rosalind agreed at once, and they decided between themselves that as soon as Hannah’s wardrobe was complete, they would move on to the wedding, and perhaps even a ball to introduce her to the ton. Hannah ducked her head and let them talk around her, knowing she wouldn’t be there for any of it, even though she still had no idea how she would leave—Just that she would. Aside from the lies the duke wanted her to tell and the sting of David’s betrayal, she suspected that becoming attached to Rosalind and Celia, and then having to leave them, would hurt worst of all.
When Molly put her hands on the table and rested her cheek on them, Hannah seized the reprieve. “Molly, it’s time to rest.”
“I’m not sleepy, Mama.” Molly undermined her words with a wide yawn. Hannah got to her feet as Rosalind smiled and Celia giggled.
“Would you excuse us?” she murmured, lifting her daughter. “You may explore the secret cupboards after you have a little sleep,” she said by way of enticement. Molly brightened then, and waved good-bye to Celia and Rosalind as Hannah made her way back into the house.
“Mama?” Molly snuggled against her chest, her small body a comforting familiar weight in Hannah’s arms.
“Yes, darling?” She tried to remember how tüey had gotten to the terrace. She could see the stairs over there…
“Are we going to live here?”
She didn’t answer Molly’s question as she climbed the stairs. What should she say about tins to Molly? She had to say something, after the way Molly had nearly blurted out that it was David and not the duke Hannah thought she had married, but didn’t want to trouble Molly with more than she could understand. “No,” she settled for saying. “We’re only visiting.”
“Oh.” They reached the room where her trunks were, and Hannah pushed open the door. She pulled back the covers on the bed, surprised to find fresh linens, faindy scented with lavender. The room had been cleaned, in just the short time they’d been having tea It would have taken her a week.
She took off Molly’s shoes and deposited her on the bed. Missy was on a chair near the bed, and Molly wedged the doll under her arm before wiggling into the pillows. The new doll, christened Elizabeth, stood in a place of honor on the dressing table, visible but untouchable. Missy, the rag-tag doll with only one eye and no shoes at all, was in Molly’s arm, and Hannah was somehow reassured by it. “Where is David?” Molly asked then.
Hannah sighed. “He’s gone away. I don’t know when he’ll be back, or if we’ll be here when he returns.”
“But I thought we were going to live with him now, and he would be my new papa.”
Hannah felt a fresh burst of anger. “I was wrong. He’s changed his mind.” She kissed Molly on the forehead. “Now, close your eyes and rest. You’ll have plenty of time to explore when you wake.”
“We aren’t leaving tomorrow, are we, Mama?”
“I’m not sure yet.” Hannah got up and headed for the door. That was another good reason to leave as soon as possible; the longer she stayed, the harder it would be on her daughter when they left. Molly’s sleepy voice made her pause with her hand on the knob.
“I hope we stay. I like it here.” with another yawn, she closed her eyes and put her finger in her mouth. Hannah opened her mouth to reply, then
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