mean?”
“Depending on Lord Parker’s plans, you will come to Hinkley Park after Cecily is off my hands.” Farnsworth resumed his pacing, hands clasped behind his back. “Of course, I would expect you to act as my hostess on occasion and run the house again as you once did for my brother. You have not been back of your own accord since my wife died, have you?”
“No.” Ants crawled over her skin at the thought of going back to Hinkley. “There never seemed to be a need since Cecily returned to school so soon after.”
When Cecily married, there would be no one else at Hinkley Park but herself and her brother-in-law. There was no dower house to claim and even if there was, she doubted Farnsworth would endure the expense of the additional servants required to maintain it. She would be as trapped as she had been during her marriage. Arabella had no wish for such a retiring life. She had to prevent this. “I cannot imagine why Lady Penelope would take such an interest in me. I am perfectly happy in Wiltshire.”
“The Wiltshire property is superfluous to my needs, and I intend to sell it.”
“No, please.” Panic assailed her. “I will buy Winslette House. I don’t want to live anywhere else. Please do not make any hasty decisions.”
Farnsworth laughed immediately. “My dear, you could never afford to buy or manage such a property. Lord Parker has no interest in the Wiltshire estate, so I have already spoken to several gentlemen about the matter. I am sure it will be snapped up in no time. Think no more of Wiltshire. You are done with that locale.”
He dismissed her desire for Wiltshire as if she hadn’t spoken, another indication that her future was fast slipping from her control. She pressed her fingertips to her temple. Why was Farnsworth so set on what Lord Parker wanted? There were many more equally acceptable gentlemen in London. Surely Cecily wasn’t disagreeable to all.
Farnsworth tapped his finger to the tabletop, recalling her attention to him. “I’ll be at my club tonight, but tomorrow I am sure we can expect Lord Parker to call. I’ll speak to him tonight, in fact, to ensure he does. Please stress to Cecily the importance of pleasing her future husband. There will be no Lieutenant Ford in her future.”
Arabella’s mind raced. Had the lieutenant done what Rothwell had demanded of him and come to call? Had he proposed marriage rather than meet in secret again? If that were so, he had come too late to do any good, but Arabella’s opinion of Lieutenant Ford rose considerably. His intentions could be honorable after all.
Farnsworth snapped open a newssheet, signaling their interview was at an end. Although she’d like nothing better than to argue for Cecily’s freedom, Arabella stood and walked out slowly, mind racing. Being packed off to Surrey was disagreeable in the extreme. She had vowed never to return to that miserable place. She would miss visiting her friends in Wiltshire whenever she pleased and their calls to her in return. Farnsworth valued his peace, and she would never be free to invite Grayling and his wife and daughters to visit. She would be cut off from everything she knew and loved, and that was unacceptable.
Heart pounding, she closed the library door and leaned against it, drawing unsteady breaths as frustration gripped her. Her plans to find a lover this season were no longer a priority. What she needed was a way out of her dependency on Farnsworth. She wished she had someone to confide in, but her closest friends were still in Wiltshire and too far away to offer immediate aid.
A sniff drew her attention and she raised her eyes to the stairs. Cecily stood at the halfway point of the first flight, eyes filled with tears, the butler at her side holding out a handkerchief. Given their sorrowful expressions, they must have overheard her father’s plans for Cecily to marry immediately. Was a tantrum imminent? That really would seal the girl’s fate.
The butler
“Depending on Lord Parker’s plans, you will come to Hinkley Park after Cecily is off my hands.” Farnsworth resumed his pacing, hands clasped behind his back. “Of course, I would expect you to act as my hostess on occasion and run the house again as you once did for my brother. You have not been back of your own accord since my wife died, have you?”
“No.” Ants crawled over her skin at the thought of going back to Hinkley. “There never seemed to be a need since Cecily returned to school so soon after.”
When Cecily married, there would be no one else at Hinkley Park but herself and her brother-in-law. There was no dower house to claim and even if there was, she doubted Farnsworth would endure the expense of the additional servants required to maintain it. She would be as trapped as she had been during her marriage. Arabella had no wish for such a retiring life. She had to prevent this. “I cannot imagine why Lady Penelope would take such an interest in me. I am perfectly happy in Wiltshire.”
“The Wiltshire property is superfluous to my needs, and I intend to sell it.”
“No, please.” Panic assailed her. “I will buy Winslette House. I don’t want to live anywhere else. Please do not make any hasty decisions.”
Farnsworth laughed immediately. “My dear, you could never afford to buy or manage such a property. Lord Parker has no interest in the Wiltshire estate, so I have already spoken to several gentlemen about the matter. I am sure it will be snapped up in no time. Think no more of Wiltshire. You are done with that locale.”
He dismissed her desire for Wiltshire as if she hadn’t spoken, another indication that her future was fast slipping from her control. She pressed her fingertips to her temple. Why was Farnsworth so set on what Lord Parker wanted? There were many more equally acceptable gentlemen in London. Surely Cecily wasn’t disagreeable to all.
Farnsworth tapped his finger to the tabletop, recalling her attention to him. “I’ll be at my club tonight, but tomorrow I am sure we can expect Lord Parker to call. I’ll speak to him tonight, in fact, to ensure he does. Please stress to Cecily the importance of pleasing her future husband. There will be no Lieutenant Ford in her future.”
Arabella’s mind raced. Had the lieutenant done what Rothwell had demanded of him and come to call? Had he proposed marriage rather than meet in secret again? If that were so, he had come too late to do any good, but Arabella’s opinion of Lieutenant Ford rose considerably. His intentions could be honorable after all.
Farnsworth snapped open a newssheet, signaling their interview was at an end. Although she’d like nothing better than to argue for Cecily’s freedom, Arabella stood and walked out slowly, mind racing. Being packed off to Surrey was disagreeable in the extreme. She had vowed never to return to that miserable place. She would miss visiting her friends in Wiltshire whenever she pleased and their calls to her in return. Farnsworth valued his peace, and she would never be free to invite Grayling and his wife and daughters to visit. She would be cut off from everything she knew and loved, and that was unacceptable.
Heart pounding, she closed the library door and leaned against it, drawing unsteady breaths as frustration gripped her. Her plans to find a lover this season were no longer a priority. What she needed was a way out of her dependency on Farnsworth. She wished she had someone to confide in, but her closest friends were still in Wiltshire and too far away to offer immediate aid.
A sniff drew her attention and she raised her eyes to the stairs. Cecily stood at the halfway point of the first flight, eyes filled with tears, the butler at her side holding out a handkerchief. Given their sorrowful expressions, they must have overheard her father’s plans for Cecily to marry immediately. Was a tantrum imminent? That really would seal the girl’s fate.
The butler
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