children.”
Leah nodded. “Why did that cause bad feeling?”
“I’m not precisely sure.” Aunt Augusta’s words were accompanied by an eloquent shrug. “I do know that the current marquess was greatly attached to his mother.”
“Are you suggesting that he resented his father’s remarriage?” Leah asked, frowning. The gentleman she’d crossed swords with the night before didn’t strike her as being that mean-spirited.
“Perhaps he did, I really couldn’t say. He would have been fourteen or fifteen when his mother passed.”
“An impressionable age,” Leah said, eager to hear more.
“Indeed. My friend tried to be a good mother to her stepchildren but her efforts were not appreciated. Henry, the eldest, was away at school but I believe there was some unpleasantness whenever he came home.” Aunt Augusta sighed. “Then, of course, Lady Denby produced children of her own.”
“She and the marquess have a family?” Leah hadn’t known that.
“Oh yes, a boy and a girl.”
“So Felicity does have a sister,” Beth said. “Well, a half sister.”
“Yes, but there’s quite an age gap. I don’t think they were ever intimate.”
“Where are they now?” Leah asked. “If the marquess doesn’t wish his stepmother to reside at the Hall, surely he can’t object to her inhabiting the dower house?”
“You would think so, but she chose not to do so. The marquess left them one of his smaller estates—he has a great number scattered across the country—in Hampshire. They reside there, living on the funds that the marquess set aside for them, and are seldom invited to the Hall.”
Leah’s mind whirled. It seemed that the current marquess had not treated his father’s second family honourably. There might well be something in that to interest Mr. Morris. Whatever unpleasantness had occurred, Lady Denby’s children were still his blood relations and ought to be acknowledged as such.
“Do you still correspond with Lady Denby, aunt?”
“Oh yes, I hear from her regularly. She’s anxious to know how things go on in the village. She lived here for so long that she grew very attached to the district.”
“That’s understandable,” Beth said. “I don’t think it kind of the new marquess not to invite his step-mama for a prolonged visit. But still, we don’t know what caused them to become estranged and so are not in a position to judge.”
“You may not be, young lady,” Aunt Augusta said severely, “but I know my friend is incapable of base behaviour and does not deserve to be treated so shoddily.”
“I’m sure Beth didn’t mean to imply—”
“The marquess is also the Duke of Dawlish’s heir,” Aunt Augusta informed them. “The Duke is his uncle. He never married and lives a reclusive life in his castle in Devon.”
“He will be quite a force to be reckoned with one day, if he isn’t already,” Leah said.
“Well, I must be getting along.” Aunt Augusta stood, as did the girls. “There is so much to be done before tomorrow. Be sure to be ready at six. Your uncle and I will collect you at that hour, and it wouldn’t do to keep the marquess waiting.”
“We’ll be ready,” Leah assured her.
“What did you make of all that?” Beth asked, as soon as their aunt left them.
“I think that our aunt thoroughly disapproves of the new marquess because she’s biased in favour of her friend.”
“That’s hardly to be wondered at, if her friend hasn’t been treated well.”
“We only know one side of the story, Beth.”
“True, and I can’t believe that Flick would be unkind to her half siblings, especially as she is so keen for a sister of her own.”
“Aunt Augusta’s attitude puzzles me.” Leah nibbled thoughtfully at her forefinger.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, if she was such an intimate friend of Lady Denby’s, it seems rather disloyal to accept an invitation to her despised stepson’s house.” Leah shrugged. “Still, she clearly won’t let
Leah nodded. “Why did that cause bad feeling?”
“I’m not precisely sure.” Aunt Augusta’s words were accompanied by an eloquent shrug. “I do know that the current marquess was greatly attached to his mother.”
“Are you suggesting that he resented his father’s remarriage?” Leah asked, frowning. The gentleman she’d crossed swords with the night before didn’t strike her as being that mean-spirited.
“Perhaps he did, I really couldn’t say. He would have been fourteen or fifteen when his mother passed.”
“An impressionable age,” Leah said, eager to hear more.
“Indeed. My friend tried to be a good mother to her stepchildren but her efforts were not appreciated. Henry, the eldest, was away at school but I believe there was some unpleasantness whenever he came home.” Aunt Augusta sighed. “Then, of course, Lady Denby produced children of her own.”
“She and the marquess have a family?” Leah hadn’t known that.
“Oh yes, a boy and a girl.”
“So Felicity does have a sister,” Beth said. “Well, a half sister.”
“Yes, but there’s quite an age gap. I don’t think they were ever intimate.”
“Where are they now?” Leah asked. “If the marquess doesn’t wish his stepmother to reside at the Hall, surely he can’t object to her inhabiting the dower house?”
“You would think so, but she chose not to do so. The marquess left them one of his smaller estates—he has a great number scattered across the country—in Hampshire. They reside there, living on the funds that the marquess set aside for them, and are seldom invited to the Hall.”
Leah’s mind whirled. It seemed that the current marquess had not treated his father’s second family honourably. There might well be something in that to interest Mr. Morris. Whatever unpleasantness had occurred, Lady Denby’s children were still his blood relations and ought to be acknowledged as such.
“Do you still correspond with Lady Denby, aunt?”
“Oh yes, I hear from her regularly. She’s anxious to know how things go on in the village. She lived here for so long that she grew very attached to the district.”
“That’s understandable,” Beth said. “I don’t think it kind of the new marquess not to invite his step-mama for a prolonged visit. But still, we don’t know what caused them to become estranged and so are not in a position to judge.”
“You may not be, young lady,” Aunt Augusta said severely, “but I know my friend is incapable of base behaviour and does not deserve to be treated so shoddily.”
“I’m sure Beth didn’t mean to imply—”
“The marquess is also the Duke of Dawlish’s heir,” Aunt Augusta informed them. “The Duke is his uncle. He never married and lives a reclusive life in his castle in Devon.”
“He will be quite a force to be reckoned with one day, if he isn’t already,” Leah said.
“Well, I must be getting along.” Aunt Augusta stood, as did the girls. “There is so much to be done before tomorrow. Be sure to be ready at six. Your uncle and I will collect you at that hour, and it wouldn’t do to keep the marquess waiting.”
“We’ll be ready,” Leah assured her.
“What did you make of all that?” Beth asked, as soon as their aunt left them.
“I think that our aunt thoroughly disapproves of the new marquess because she’s biased in favour of her friend.”
“That’s hardly to be wondered at, if her friend hasn’t been treated well.”
“We only know one side of the story, Beth.”
“True, and I can’t believe that Flick would be unkind to her half siblings, especially as she is so keen for a sister of her own.”
“Aunt Augusta’s attitude puzzles me.” Leah nibbled thoughtfully at her forefinger.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, if she was such an intimate friend of Lady Denby’s, it seems rather disloyal to accept an invitation to her despised stepson’s house.” Leah shrugged. “Still, she clearly won’t let
Similar Books
