what would you most like to have been before illness prevented you from making your way in the world?”
Mr. Cleethorpe was completely taken up with Susanna’s condition. He was bursting with pride at the prospect of fatherhood and barely noticed Estelle’s presence. Just two days after her arrival at Fairlands she was dispatched in the smaller Cleethorpe carriage. She hugged Susanna and promised to write daily with her news. Mr. Cleethorpe had absently wished her a safe journey as he handed her into the carriage but she doubted if he had even taken in the fact that she was bound for Crawley Hall, much less appreciated the precise nature of her difficulties. He had been too distracted to make more than the mildest of enquiries in that respect and had not appeared to heed her deliberately vague responses.
Estelle sat up in bed. She knew better than to incur Lady Crawley’s wrath by rising until breakfast had been delivered to her and her hostess had satisfied herself that her charge was sufficiently recovered to leave her chamber. She looked about the room, so much at odds with her hateful one in Hertfordshire, and smiled with pleasure. It was light and airy, with hangings in soft pastel colours and a fire which had been banked so high, the room still retained its heat this morning. A cheerful maid had already been in to set it ablaze again. She promised Estelle her breakfast would be brought up immediately, now that she was awake. The fresh flowers spilling over the side of a vase, filling the room with a fragrant perfume, were replaced daily. The window afforded an uninterrupted view over a pretty courtyard and beyond towards the orchard, in which the trees were in full blossom.
The opulence of her surroundings and friendly efficiency of the servants, far from setting her at her ease, only added to her misgivings. She could not stay here for long. Indeed, now that she had a purpose once again, she was conscious of the passage of time and impatient to commence the search for her sister. But she did not wish to overset Lady Crawley by disappearing so soon after her arrival. She could pretend she had received the sudden offer of a new position. It was a possibility she and Susanna had discussed in order that she might reasonably quit Crawley Hall when she had recovered her strength without arousing suspicion. But she would need to alert Susanna to send the fake offer and could not, in all conscience, do so for a day or two more.
With a sigh she accepted that she must be patient for just a little longer. Wait another week or two, if she could bear it, until she could be reasonably certain that her father was no longer actively looking for her. She glumly accepted that he was unlikely to give up the search for his one remaining child, upon whose docility and sense of duty he appeared to set so much stock, as easily as he had abandoned Matthew and Marianne. She knew enough of her rapacious parent’s character to suspect that he had ambitious plans which required Mr. Cowper’s participation. And the price for his assistance was her hand in marriage.
Estelle straightened her spine and discovered that her conscience had no objections to make when she determined she had done her duty by her father. This time she would not submit to his will.
Her father would shortly appear at Fairlands, demanding her return. But Susanna would inform him she had already departed for Hampshire and that they must have passed one another on the road. He would not believe her, of course, but Mr. Cleethorpe did not know where she really was. No one except Susanna did. Her father would doubtless fly into one of his pugnacious rages. Estelle shuddered at the prospect, glad she would not be present to witness the spectacle.
“Ah, there you are, my dear.” Lady Crawley bustled into the room as Estelle was finishing her breakfast. “You look a little better today, unless I mistake the matter. There is a touch of colour in your cheeks for the first
Mr. Cleethorpe was completely taken up with Susanna’s condition. He was bursting with pride at the prospect of fatherhood and barely noticed Estelle’s presence. Just two days after her arrival at Fairlands she was dispatched in the smaller Cleethorpe carriage. She hugged Susanna and promised to write daily with her news. Mr. Cleethorpe had absently wished her a safe journey as he handed her into the carriage but she doubted if he had even taken in the fact that she was bound for Crawley Hall, much less appreciated the precise nature of her difficulties. He had been too distracted to make more than the mildest of enquiries in that respect and had not appeared to heed her deliberately vague responses.
Estelle sat up in bed. She knew better than to incur Lady Crawley’s wrath by rising until breakfast had been delivered to her and her hostess had satisfied herself that her charge was sufficiently recovered to leave her chamber. She looked about the room, so much at odds with her hateful one in Hertfordshire, and smiled with pleasure. It was light and airy, with hangings in soft pastel colours and a fire which had been banked so high, the room still retained its heat this morning. A cheerful maid had already been in to set it ablaze again. She promised Estelle her breakfast would be brought up immediately, now that she was awake. The fresh flowers spilling over the side of a vase, filling the room with a fragrant perfume, were replaced daily. The window afforded an uninterrupted view over a pretty courtyard and beyond towards the orchard, in which the trees were in full blossom.
The opulence of her surroundings and friendly efficiency of the servants, far from setting her at her ease, only added to her misgivings. She could not stay here for long. Indeed, now that she had a purpose once again, she was conscious of the passage of time and impatient to commence the search for her sister. But she did not wish to overset Lady Crawley by disappearing so soon after her arrival. She could pretend she had received the sudden offer of a new position. It was a possibility she and Susanna had discussed in order that she might reasonably quit Crawley Hall when she had recovered her strength without arousing suspicion. But she would need to alert Susanna to send the fake offer and could not, in all conscience, do so for a day or two more.
With a sigh she accepted that she must be patient for just a little longer. Wait another week or two, if she could bear it, until she could be reasonably certain that her father was no longer actively looking for her. She glumly accepted that he was unlikely to give up the search for his one remaining child, upon whose docility and sense of duty he appeared to set so much stock, as easily as he had abandoned Matthew and Marianne. She knew enough of her rapacious parent’s character to suspect that he had ambitious plans which required Mr. Cowper’s participation. And the price for his assistance was her hand in marriage.
Estelle straightened her spine and discovered that her conscience had no objections to make when she determined she had done her duty by her father. This time she would not submit to his will.
Her father would shortly appear at Fairlands, demanding her return. But Susanna would inform him she had already departed for Hampshire and that they must have passed one another on the road. He would not believe her, of course, but Mr. Cleethorpe did not know where she really was. No one except Susanna did. Her father would doubtless fly into one of his pugnacious rages. Estelle shuddered at the prospect, glad she would not be present to witness the spectacle.
“Ah, there you are, my dear.” Lady Crawley bustled into the room as Estelle was finishing her breakfast. “You look a little better today, unless I mistake the matter. There is a touch of colour in your cheeks for the first
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