arrange for its removal myself when I return.”
The girl looked disappointed. “Oh, my lady, what a shame. I doubt you’ll have need of me now.”
Eleanor had no maid of her own; would Sally agree to accompany her? “Are you happy here? If I was able to offer you a position as my abigail, would you take it?”
“I am mostly a maid of all work, my lady, but it has been a right pleasure looking after you. I would be ever so pleased to work for you permanently.”
“In which case, Sally, I’m going to trust you with a secret.” Eleanor held out her left hand. “I am now Lady Eleanor Bentley. I shall be leaving here in less than two hours. Do you wish to come with me?”
“Lawks a mussy! Married? I’m right pleased for you, my lady. Of course I will come with you. I shall pack your trunk and then slip upstairs and get my things. Rest assured, no one will hear your news from me. Thank you for giving me this chance. I shan’t let you down.”
“I’m sure that you won’t. If Lord Thorrington sends word for me to visit him can you lie for me? Tell him I shall come at two o’clock. By then we should be away from here.”
To put on her chip-straw bonnet was the work of moments. Her newly appointed maid fussed over her in a way she was not accustomed to and she found it irksome. The girl meant well, and after all her duty was to see her mistress was turned out correctly.
She met no one on the stairs or in the vestibule and for that she was grateful. Using the side door, she hurried across the lawn to the maze in which she could hear the four children racing about in excitement. There was no good time to say farewell to her niece and nephews. God knew when she would be allowed to see them again. Leaving them happy was the best she could hope for.
Amanda spotted her first and squealed with delight. “Aunt Eleanor, we have missed you. Are you coming back to us now?”
“No, darling, I am not. I have come to tell you something very important. Boys, can you come out and join us?”
She led them over to a secluded arbour in which there was a stone seat large enough for the children to be seated. When they were settled, she smiled at them. How could she bear to leave them like this? Who would protect them if she was not there?
“I am sorry that you were obliged to lie yesterday. I had no wish for you to be involved in my crime. I should not have attacked Lord Bentley in that way. I could have killed him.”
“He was so angry, Aunt Eleanor. I could not let him hurt you like Papa does.”
“I know, Ned, you were so brave to rush to my defence. When I saw him shaking you, I acted out of instinct. The branch was within my hand’s grasp and I took it without thinking.”
Jonathan spoke up next. “ He is back. What will happen now?”
“That is what I have to tell you. I am leaving here shortly. I am now Lady Bentley. In future, I am to look after Lord Bentley’s children. I shall not be able to live with you.”
Amanda launched herself into her arms, sobbing wildly. The boys, including Ned, joined them on the ground. The children took some time to recover sufficiently for Eleanor to explain as best she could why she had decided to marry a complete stranger.
“You know how things are for me. Your father has made my life intolerable these past few years, and I honestly believe that you will be better off without me.” The wails of protest that greeted this remark told her she still had work to do to convince them she was doing the right thing. “Children, you must understand: without me, your father will not be so angry. For some reason he dislikes me and uses you as an excuse to bully me. Your mother has let things remain as they are because she knows I stand between you and your father. Now she will intervene herself.”
Even as she spoke, she knew all she had done by marrying Bentley was to transfer the problem to Jane’s shoulders. Her sister-in-law was not as strong as she was. If Edward treated her
The girl looked disappointed. “Oh, my lady, what a shame. I doubt you’ll have need of me now.”
Eleanor had no maid of her own; would Sally agree to accompany her? “Are you happy here? If I was able to offer you a position as my abigail, would you take it?”
“I am mostly a maid of all work, my lady, but it has been a right pleasure looking after you. I would be ever so pleased to work for you permanently.”
“In which case, Sally, I’m going to trust you with a secret.” Eleanor held out her left hand. “I am now Lady Eleanor Bentley. I shall be leaving here in less than two hours. Do you wish to come with me?”
“Lawks a mussy! Married? I’m right pleased for you, my lady. Of course I will come with you. I shall pack your trunk and then slip upstairs and get my things. Rest assured, no one will hear your news from me. Thank you for giving me this chance. I shan’t let you down.”
“I’m sure that you won’t. If Lord Thorrington sends word for me to visit him can you lie for me? Tell him I shall come at two o’clock. By then we should be away from here.”
To put on her chip-straw bonnet was the work of moments. Her newly appointed maid fussed over her in a way she was not accustomed to and she found it irksome. The girl meant well, and after all her duty was to see her mistress was turned out correctly.
She met no one on the stairs or in the vestibule and for that she was grateful. Using the side door, she hurried across the lawn to the maze in which she could hear the four children racing about in excitement. There was no good time to say farewell to her niece and nephews. God knew when she would be allowed to see them again. Leaving them happy was the best she could hope for.
Amanda spotted her first and squealed with delight. “Aunt Eleanor, we have missed you. Are you coming back to us now?”
“No, darling, I am not. I have come to tell you something very important. Boys, can you come out and join us?”
She led them over to a secluded arbour in which there was a stone seat large enough for the children to be seated. When they were settled, she smiled at them. How could she bear to leave them like this? Who would protect them if she was not there?
“I am sorry that you were obliged to lie yesterday. I had no wish for you to be involved in my crime. I should not have attacked Lord Bentley in that way. I could have killed him.”
“He was so angry, Aunt Eleanor. I could not let him hurt you like Papa does.”
“I know, Ned, you were so brave to rush to my defence. When I saw him shaking you, I acted out of instinct. The branch was within my hand’s grasp and I took it without thinking.”
Jonathan spoke up next. “ He is back. What will happen now?”
“That is what I have to tell you. I am leaving here shortly. I am now Lady Bentley. In future, I am to look after Lord Bentley’s children. I shall not be able to live with you.”
Amanda launched herself into her arms, sobbing wildly. The boys, including Ned, joined them on the ground. The children took some time to recover sufficiently for Eleanor to explain as best she could why she had decided to marry a complete stranger.
“You know how things are for me. Your father has made my life intolerable these past few years, and I honestly believe that you will be better off without me.” The wails of protest that greeted this remark told her she still had work to do to convince them she was doing the right thing. “Children, you must understand: without me, your father will not be so angry. For some reason he dislikes me and uses you as an excuse to bully me. Your mother has let things remain as they are because she knows I stand between you and your father. Now she will intervene herself.”
Even as she spoke, she knew all she had done by marrying Bentley was to transfer the problem to Jane’s shoulders. Her sister-in-law was not as strong as she was. If Edward treated her
Similar Books
