sheer happiness. “But the fever has broken. We did it, Williams; we did it!”
“I would like a word with you, Amanda.”
Amanda glanced up from her account books, her heart sinking at the sight of her aunt standing in the doorway. She’d come to the study directly from Justin’s room and was hoping to review the books before confronting her aunt. She’d even been nursing the faint possibility the other woman would have the decency to wait until after Daniel’s funeral before making her demands known. Apparently she’d given the disagreeable creature more credit than she deserved.
“Of course, Aunt Elizabeth,” she said, carefully masking her emotions as she closed the book and pushed it away from her. “Pray, will you not be seated?”
Mrs. Herrick gave a loud sniff before stepping forward to take the chair Amanda had indicated. “I hear the colonel’s condition is much improved,” she said folding her thin hands in her lap . “And I must say I am relieved. It would have been most awkward if the fellow had died while our guest.”
“Awkward for the colonel, certainly,” Amanda retorted, then bit her tongue. She’d promised herself only that morning that she would mind her manners in regards to her aunt. “But you are right; he is doing much better this morning,” she rushed on, anxious to avoid an unnecessary exchange of unpleasantries. “The fever broke late last night, and his valet expects that he should awaken sometime this afternoon.”
“Excellent.” Mrs. Herrick nodded, as if giving her approval. “As I said, it would have been most awkward had he not recovered. His brother would be certain to take offense, and it never does to annoy a duke.”
There seemed to be no polite response to this, and so Amanda remained silent. Instinct warned her she would soon have need of all her wits, a premonition that was borne out by her aunt’s next words.
“I have decided to return to London after Daniel’s services,” she began without preamble. “I need to speak with my solicitor, and naturally I’ll need time to make all the proper arrangements. With luck, I should return by the end of January. Will that give you enough time, do you think?”
“Enough time for what?”
“Why, for removing yourself and your family from Lawrence Hall, of course,” Mrs. Herrick responded, her eyes glittering with malicious delight at the stunned look on Amanda’s face. “Surely you didn’t expect to stay on indefinitely?”
Amanda could not answer. She had expected this, knew it was only a matter of time, but the pain of it quite took her breath away. For a moment the panic she had been keeping successfully at bay threatened to overwhelm her, and she feared bursting into tears. Only the knowledge that such actions would give her aunt pleasure kept her from doing just that, and she sternly suppressed her emotions.
“Not indefinitely, ma’am, but I had hoped you would show us some Christian charity,” she said, her chin coming up with pride as she faced her aunt. “I should have known better.”
Her aunt’s sallow cheeks reddened at Amanda’s cutting words. “I should mind my tongue if I were you,” she snapped, pulling her shawl closer about her. “You are my dependent now, and—”
“I am no one’s dependent, ma’am,” Amanda interrupted, her voice glacial with fury. “And I pray God I never shall be. You needn’t worry that either my family or I will impose upon your kind generosity. We will be gone before your return; that much I can promise you.”
Mrs. Herrick shifted uneasily beneath her niece’s cold stare. She’d been planning to keep the defiant little minx firmly under her thumb, and she could not like the thought of her escaping. “You needn’t be as hasty as all that,” she said, pinning a smile to her thin lips. “I am sure we shall be able to come to some kind of understanding.”
“What kind of understanding?” Amanda asked suspiciously. Much as she would have
“I would like a word with you, Amanda.”
Amanda glanced up from her account books, her heart sinking at the sight of her aunt standing in the doorway. She’d come to the study directly from Justin’s room and was hoping to review the books before confronting her aunt. She’d even been nursing the faint possibility the other woman would have the decency to wait until after Daniel’s funeral before making her demands known. Apparently she’d given the disagreeable creature more credit than she deserved.
“Of course, Aunt Elizabeth,” she said, carefully masking her emotions as she closed the book and pushed it away from her. “Pray, will you not be seated?”
Mrs. Herrick gave a loud sniff before stepping forward to take the chair Amanda had indicated. “I hear the colonel’s condition is much improved,” she said folding her thin hands in her lap . “And I must say I am relieved. It would have been most awkward if the fellow had died while our guest.”
“Awkward for the colonel, certainly,” Amanda retorted, then bit her tongue. She’d promised herself only that morning that she would mind her manners in regards to her aunt. “But you are right; he is doing much better this morning,” she rushed on, anxious to avoid an unnecessary exchange of unpleasantries. “The fever broke late last night, and his valet expects that he should awaken sometime this afternoon.”
“Excellent.” Mrs. Herrick nodded, as if giving her approval. “As I said, it would have been most awkward had he not recovered. His brother would be certain to take offense, and it never does to annoy a duke.”
There seemed to be no polite response to this, and so Amanda remained silent. Instinct warned her she would soon have need of all her wits, a premonition that was borne out by her aunt’s next words.
“I have decided to return to London after Daniel’s services,” she began without preamble. “I need to speak with my solicitor, and naturally I’ll need time to make all the proper arrangements. With luck, I should return by the end of January. Will that give you enough time, do you think?”
“Enough time for what?”
“Why, for removing yourself and your family from Lawrence Hall, of course,” Mrs. Herrick responded, her eyes glittering with malicious delight at the stunned look on Amanda’s face. “Surely you didn’t expect to stay on indefinitely?”
Amanda could not answer. She had expected this, knew it was only a matter of time, but the pain of it quite took her breath away. For a moment the panic she had been keeping successfully at bay threatened to overwhelm her, and she feared bursting into tears. Only the knowledge that such actions would give her aunt pleasure kept her from doing just that, and she sternly suppressed her emotions.
“Not indefinitely, ma’am, but I had hoped you would show us some Christian charity,” she said, her chin coming up with pride as she faced her aunt. “I should have known better.”
Her aunt’s sallow cheeks reddened at Amanda’s cutting words. “I should mind my tongue if I were you,” she snapped, pulling her shawl closer about her. “You are my dependent now, and—”
“I am no one’s dependent, ma’am,” Amanda interrupted, her voice glacial with fury. “And I pray God I never shall be. You needn’t worry that either my family or I will impose upon your kind generosity. We will be gone before your return; that much I can promise you.”
Mrs. Herrick shifted uneasily beneath her niece’s cold stare. She’d been planning to keep the defiant little minx firmly under her thumb, and she could not like the thought of her escaping. “You needn’t be as hasty as all that,” she said, pinning a smile to her thin lips. “I am sure we shall be able to come to some kind of understanding.”
“What kind of understanding?” Amanda asked suspiciously. Much as she would have
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