and all but thrown him from her house and at the time, he had promised that he would have as little to do with her throughout the rest of the investigation, as was possible.
Now, a fter speaking with Charles Howard’s friends at the club, then to his mistress, he found himself quite fascinated with the woman. They had used a number of verbs to describe Damaris to him, including intelligent, generous, extraordinary, bright, gifted, and kind to a fault; nothing at all like the experience he had of her character.
He might have blamed her bereavements for the change in her character, since many people hadn’t had much contact with her in recent times, except for the fact that her father’s mistress still visited with her for two weeks out of every year, and spoke most highly of her.
The mistress, Marissa, also wasn’t at all what he might have expected. She was exceptionally pretty but very demure, almost chaste, but once she learned that he was a friend of Damaris (only a small white lie, he felt) she was very open with him.
She came from a well to do family but they were without wealth and as such, when a wealthy young Lord, whom she refused to name, appeared interested in courting Marissa, her mother did her best to push them together. The result was Marissa’s disgrace as it soon became clear to everyone, after he had compromised her, that she was a mere dalliance to him and he had never truly been interested in her as a potential wife.
T o save her sisters and the rest of her family disgrace, she had left before what happened became common knowledge. She had managed to save some of her pin money each week but once she got to London, it didn’t go anywhere near as far as she expected.
When Charles Howard came upon her one day, offering her his assistance since she was out alone, she had explained that she was an orphan and looking for a position. He had no position to give her but did offer to provide for her and feeling that she had little option, she accepted.
When he didn’t require her favours in return, she was shocked, having come to think the worst of all men. He found apartments for her and visited her frequently. She came to trust him and confided the truth of her situation, which he took very well and continued to visit. He began to confide in her also, telling her of his fine daughter, and his less than fine sons and wife.
They fell in love, she claimed, and Nathaniel was inclined to believe her.
Although they did not meet until after Charles died, the picture she painted of Damaris from Charles’ description was of a very lively young woman, who was exceptionally talented at any number of things.
Charles was unable to provide for Marissa in his will and even if he had, his estate hadn’t been settled yet since his body was only recently discovered. He had however, left a letter for Damaris with his lawyer, which was to be given to her in the event of his death. After a month without hide nor hair of Charles, the lawyer took it upon himself to forward the letter to Damaris, with explanations. He knew some of its contents and he worried that Charles’ wishes were not being observed.
The letter asked her to take care of Marissa and since Damaris had so recently given bi rth, Marissa was summoned to Wellesley Hall.
Marissa was very taken with the young woman and it seemed, Damaris was quite taken with her. Since Marissa‘s London address might be known to people who had the wrong impression of her character, Damaris had arranged for her to have a small house and servant on the outskirts of town, and provided her with a large enough allowance that Marissa was now free to live without a gentleman.
She spent her days writing but had only sent her stories to Damaris as she felt she had little talent. Damaris had asked on many occasions, to let her send the manuscripts to publishing houses and even offered to fund a book herself, but Marissa felt that she was not talented enough for that.
All in
Now, a fter speaking with Charles Howard’s friends at the club, then to his mistress, he found himself quite fascinated with the woman. They had used a number of verbs to describe Damaris to him, including intelligent, generous, extraordinary, bright, gifted, and kind to a fault; nothing at all like the experience he had of her character.
He might have blamed her bereavements for the change in her character, since many people hadn’t had much contact with her in recent times, except for the fact that her father’s mistress still visited with her for two weeks out of every year, and spoke most highly of her.
The mistress, Marissa, also wasn’t at all what he might have expected. She was exceptionally pretty but very demure, almost chaste, but once she learned that he was a friend of Damaris (only a small white lie, he felt) she was very open with him.
She came from a well to do family but they were without wealth and as such, when a wealthy young Lord, whom she refused to name, appeared interested in courting Marissa, her mother did her best to push them together. The result was Marissa’s disgrace as it soon became clear to everyone, after he had compromised her, that she was a mere dalliance to him and he had never truly been interested in her as a potential wife.
T o save her sisters and the rest of her family disgrace, she had left before what happened became common knowledge. She had managed to save some of her pin money each week but once she got to London, it didn’t go anywhere near as far as she expected.
When Charles Howard came upon her one day, offering her his assistance since she was out alone, she had explained that she was an orphan and looking for a position. He had no position to give her but did offer to provide for her and feeling that she had little option, she accepted.
When he didn’t require her favours in return, she was shocked, having come to think the worst of all men. He found apartments for her and visited her frequently. She came to trust him and confided the truth of her situation, which he took very well and continued to visit. He began to confide in her also, telling her of his fine daughter, and his less than fine sons and wife.
They fell in love, she claimed, and Nathaniel was inclined to believe her.
Although they did not meet until after Charles died, the picture she painted of Damaris from Charles’ description was of a very lively young woman, who was exceptionally talented at any number of things.
Charles was unable to provide for Marissa in his will and even if he had, his estate hadn’t been settled yet since his body was only recently discovered. He had however, left a letter for Damaris with his lawyer, which was to be given to her in the event of his death. After a month without hide nor hair of Charles, the lawyer took it upon himself to forward the letter to Damaris, with explanations. He knew some of its contents and he worried that Charles’ wishes were not being observed.
The letter asked her to take care of Marissa and since Damaris had so recently given bi rth, Marissa was summoned to Wellesley Hall.
Marissa was very taken with the young woman and it seemed, Damaris was quite taken with her. Since Marissa‘s London address might be known to people who had the wrong impression of her character, Damaris had arranged for her to have a small house and servant on the outskirts of town, and provided her with a large enough allowance that Marissa was now free to live without a gentleman.
She spent her days writing but had only sent her stories to Damaris as she felt she had little talent. Damaris had asked on many occasions, to let her send the manuscripts to publishing houses and even offered to fund a book herself, but Marissa felt that she was not talented enough for that.
All in
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