love rather than convenience.
Her thoughts ran back to their guests, to the young men and women who might be attracted to someone here tonight and so begin the precarious process of courtship. Enquiries would be made; families and fortunes would be looked into to assess their quality and durability. Again her thoughts ran back to Stephen and Maria. She must, for her own peace of mind, put a stop to any developing friendship.
Casually, she remarked, ‘Daniel Tuke and his sister Maria are mingling very well. It seems your fears that they would be ill at ease were unfounded.’ She took a sip of brandy. ‘Tell me again, darling, because I forget the detail, how did you come to meet their grandmother, Ellen Tuke?’
CHAPTER EIGHT
Maria couldn’t wait to tell her mother about the party. She’d given her father a potted version of it as they drove home, but he seemed to be rather sleepy. He was usually in bed by this time, and she didn’t think he was listening.
Harriet had waited up for them although she was ready for bed and in her nightgown, with a warm shawl round her shoulders and her hair hanging down her back.
‘Oh, Ma,’ Maria burst out as soon as they went into the kitchen, where her mother was making hot drinks for them. ‘I’m so pleased that I was persuaded to go. It’s been lovely. I’d such a good time. We had lots to eat, didn’t we, Daniel, and I tried some fruit punch, and although I didn’t play any games I helped with ’dressing up.’
‘And spent time with Stephen Hart,’ Daniel grinned. ‘Don’t forget that, will you?’ He shook a finger at Maria, and turning to his mother joked, ‘You’ll have to watch her, Ma or she’ll be ’lady of the manor afore you know it!’
Harriet turned sharply. ‘What! What do you mean?’
Maria blushed. ‘He’s being silly.’ She gave a little shrug. ‘Stephen hadn’t wanted to be at ’party either, or play games, and so we talked about what we did like to do. He wants to farm. He doesn’t want to go to university after he’s finished school but his father expects him to.’
Harriet exchanged glances with Fletcher, then, looking at her daughter’s glowing cheeks and sparkling eyes, said softly, ‘Don’t get any ideas above your station, Maria. His parents will have mapped out his future and it won’t include you.’
Daniel protested. ‘That’s a bit unfair, isn’t it? If Stephen—’
Fletcher cut in. ‘It might be unfair, but that’s ’way it is. We’re all equal, but there’re some who are more equal than others. I’ll tek my drink upstairs, Harriet.’
Harriet handed him his mug of cocoa. ‘I’m coming up too. Turn ’lamp down whoever’s last to bed.’
Daniel finished his drink. ‘I’m going up, Maria. Are you staying?’
‘Yes,’ she said. ‘I’m going to sit by ’fire for a bit. I’ll see to ’lamp.’
She sat by the banked-down fire and cradled her cup between her hands. Of course Daniel was only joking, but why had her mother been so swift and negative, and then her father, rebutting any suggestion of friendship between her and Stephen? They had only had a friendly talk, which she had found quite easy, and she hadn’t been shy with him, which she often was with people she didn’t know very well. But he was down to earth, she thought; quite ordinary, and unlike Charles who, although he treated her kindly, always seemed superior.
She gave a little smile as she thought of the moment when her father had arrived to fetch them home and Daniel had come to find her. Stephen had put out his hand to say goodbye, and as she bobbed her knee he had taken hers, and given it a little squeeze. ‘It’s been very nice to see you again, Maria,’ he had said. ‘I hadn’t realized that it had been so long since we last met. Perhaps I could call at your farm next time I’m home from school and we can talk again? Would your parents mind, do you think?’
She’d said that they wouldn’t, and then thought that
Her thoughts ran back to their guests, to the young men and women who might be attracted to someone here tonight and so begin the precarious process of courtship. Enquiries would be made; families and fortunes would be looked into to assess their quality and durability. Again her thoughts ran back to Stephen and Maria. She must, for her own peace of mind, put a stop to any developing friendship.
Casually, she remarked, ‘Daniel Tuke and his sister Maria are mingling very well. It seems your fears that they would be ill at ease were unfounded.’ She took a sip of brandy. ‘Tell me again, darling, because I forget the detail, how did you come to meet their grandmother, Ellen Tuke?’
CHAPTER EIGHT
Maria couldn’t wait to tell her mother about the party. She’d given her father a potted version of it as they drove home, but he seemed to be rather sleepy. He was usually in bed by this time, and she didn’t think he was listening.
Harriet had waited up for them although she was ready for bed and in her nightgown, with a warm shawl round her shoulders and her hair hanging down her back.
‘Oh, Ma,’ Maria burst out as soon as they went into the kitchen, where her mother was making hot drinks for them. ‘I’m so pleased that I was persuaded to go. It’s been lovely. I’d such a good time. We had lots to eat, didn’t we, Daniel, and I tried some fruit punch, and although I didn’t play any games I helped with ’dressing up.’
‘And spent time with Stephen Hart,’ Daniel grinned. ‘Don’t forget that, will you?’ He shook a finger at Maria, and turning to his mother joked, ‘You’ll have to watch her, Ma or she’ll be ’lady of the manor afore you know it!’
Harriet turned sharply. ‘What! What do you mean?’
Maria blushed. ‘He’s being silly.’ She gave a little shrug. ‘Stephen hadn’t wanted to be at ’party either, or play games, and so we talked about what we did like to do. He wants to farm. He doesn’t want to go to university after he’s finished school but his father expects him to.’
Harriet exchanged glances with Fletcher, then, looking at her daughter’s glowing cheeks and sparkling eyes, said softly, ‘Don’t get any ideas above your station, Maria. His parents will have mapped out his future and it won’t include you.’
Daniel protested. ‘That’s a bit unfair, isn’t it? If Stephen—’
Fletcher cut in. ‘It might be unfair, but that’s ’way it is. We’re all equal, but there’re some who are more equal than others. I’ll tek my drink upstairs, Harriet.’
Harriet handed him his mug of cocoa. ‘I’m coming up too. Turn ’lamp down whoever’s last to bed.’
Daniel finished his drink. ‘I’m going up, Maria. Are you staying?’
‘Yes,’ she said. ‘I’m going to sit by ’fire for a bit. I’ll see to ’lamp.’
She sat by the banked-down fire and cradled her cup between her hands. Of course Daniel was only joking, but why had her mother been so swift and negative, and then her father, rebutting any suggestion of friendship between her and Stephen? They had only had a friendly talk, which she had found quite easy, and she hadn’t been shy with him, which she often was with people she didn’t know very well. But he was down to earth, she thought; quite ordinary, and unlike Charles who, although he treated her kindly, always seemed superior.
She gave a little smile as she thought of the moment when her father had arrived to fetch them home and Daniel had come to find her. Stephen had put out his hand to say goodbye, and as she bobbed her knee he had taken hers, and given it a little squeeze. ‘It’s been very nice to see you again, Maria,’ he had said. ‘I hadn’t realized that it had been so long since we last met. Perhaps I could call at your farm next time I’m home from school and we can talk again? Would your parents mind, do you think?’
She’d said that they wouldn’t, and then thought that
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