plotting.’
There was a silence. A dove began to coo in the branches above their heads. It was cool in the leafyshade. ‘I am so sorry,’ Caroline said softly. ‘It must have been intolerably frustrating for you. And at your wedding,’ she prompted gently, ‘no doubt you had little chance to talk to her then…’
Annabella shook her head dolefully. ‘Oh, no, I could not!’ This was difficult, for it entailed telling something of her reasons for marrying Francis, and after her outburst to Sir William she was disinclined to discuss the painful details again.
‘There are very few opportunities for real discussion at a wedding,’ she said truthfully, ‘particularly one’s own! Besides…’ she smiled a little, remembering how James Mullineaux had made such a determined attempt to monopolise Alicia that day ‘…Alicia had matters of her own to divert her! James was very particular in his attentions!’
Caroline was surprised that Annabella had noticed that, for Alicia’s description of her sister’s behaviour at the wedding had not suggested that Annabella was anything other than a self-absorbed flirt. She eyed her more closely. As she had suspected, there was far more to this than was at first apparent, although she could understand Annabella’s reluctance to tell her the whole and awaken unhappy memories.
‘And when Alicia came to see you after your father had died,’ Caroline said, again gently persistent, ‘you still could not tell her the truth about your relationship with him? I realise that Alicia was deeply unhappy at the time because she thought that she had lost James, so that may have influenced her feelings, but she told me that…’ she paused unhappily ‘…oh dear, this is so difficult, for I see that there must have been a grave misunderstanding here! Alicia thought that youwere…that you had an interest—’ It was unusual to see Caroline Kilgaren lost for words, and Annabella came to her aid.
‘She thought me mercenary and vulgar, and only interested in her fortune!’ she finished for her.
Caroline was so startled that she forgot to be embarrassed. ‘My word! You have much of both your grandmother and Alicia in you!’
Annabella laughed. ‘I do apologise if my plain speaking offends you, Lady Kilgaren, but there is no point in beating about the bush!’
But Caroline was laughing too. ‘No, indeed! My dear Annabella—I may call you Annabella, may I not?—pray do not apologise! As you say, it is so much easier to sort matters out if one is frank! I was only taken aback because you sounded like old Lady Stansfield! But—’ she sobered ‘—since a description of you as vulgar and mercenary is fair and far out, you must tell me how such a misunderstanding occurred!’
Annabella’s smile faded. ‘Oh, it was not so inaccurate,’ she said with constraint. ‘You should know, Lady Kilgaren, that Francis—my husband—married me for my money, and when my father left me virtually penniless he was not best pleased. Then Alicia came to visit us and I think he could not bear to look at her and think of all her fortune. His insulting questions about her wealth and his obvious resentment that she had so much when I had inherited so little must have given her a disgust of us both—I tried to smooth matters over, but then I only angered him.’ She bit her lip. No need to tell Caroline of the unpleasant scene where Francis had threatened to beat her if shedid not do as he said. ‘He said that I should have a thought to secure our future so, of course, I asked Alicia a little about her plans, which made it look as though I had an eye on inheriting her money. It was all profoundly uncomfortable and I was so mortified that, when Francis died, I did not dare approach Alicia for very shame!’ She shrugged her slim shoulders. ‘And there it is—a sorry tale indeed!’ She gave a watery smile. ‘I thank you for bearing with my confessions!’
Caroline patted her hand. ‘Thank you
There was a silence. A dove began to coo in the branches above their heads. It was cool in the leafyshade. ‘I am so sorry,’ Caroline said softly. ‘It must have been intolerably frustrating for you. And at your wedding,’ she prompted gently, ‘no doubt you had little chance to talk to her then…’
Annabella shook her head dolefully. ‘Oh, no, I could not!’ This was difficult, for it entailed telling something of her reasons for marrying Francis, and after her outburst to Sir William she was disinclined to discuss the painful details again.
‘There are very few opportunities for real discussion at a wedding,’ she said truthfully, ‘particularly one’s own! Besides…’ she smiled a little, remembering how James Mullineaux had made such a determined attempt to monopolise Alicia that day ‘…Alicia had matters of her own to divert her! James was very particular in his attentions!’
Caroline was surprised that Annabella had noticed that, for Alicia’s description of her sister’s behaviour at the wedding had not suggested that Annabella was anything other than a self-absorbed flirt. She eyed her more closely. As she had suspected, there was far more to this than was at first apparent, although she could understand Annabella’s reluctance to tell her the whole and awaken unhappy memories.
‘And when Alicia came to see you after your father had died,’ Caroline said, again gently persistent, ‘you still could not tell her the truth about your relationship with him? I realise that Alicia was deeply unhappy at the time because she thought that she had lost James, so that may have influenced her feelings, but she told me that…’ she paused unhappily ‘…oh dear, this is so difficult, for I see that there must have been a grave misunderstanding here! Alicia thought that youwere…that you had an interest—’ It was unusual to see Caroline Kilgaren lost for words, and Annabella came to her aid.
‘She thought me mercenary and vulgar, and only interested in her fortune!’ she finished for her.
Caroline was so startled that she forgot to be embarrassed. ‘My word! You have much of both your grandmother and Alicia in you!’
Annabella laughed. ‘I do apologise if my plain speaking offends you, Lady Kilgaren, but there is no point in beating about the bush!’
But Caroline was laughing too. ‘No, indeed! My dear Annabella—I may call you Annabella, may I not?—pray do not apologise! As you say, it is so much easier to sort matters out if one is frank! I was only taken aback because you sounded like old Lady Stansfield! But—’ she sobered ‘—since a description of you as vulgar and mercenary is fair and far out, you must tell me how such a misunderstanding occurred!’
Annabella’s smile faded. ‘Oh, it was not so inaccurate,’ she said with constraint. ‘You should know, Lady Kilgaren, that Francis—my husband—married me for my money, and when my father left me virtually penniless he was not best pleased. Then Alicia came to visit us and I think he could not bear to look at her and think of all her fortune. His insulting questions about her wealth and his obvious resentment that she had so much when I had inherited so little must have given her a disgust of us both—I tried to smooth matters over, but then I only angered him.’ She bit her lip. No need to tell Caroline of the unpleasant scene where Francis had threatened to beat her if shedid not do as he said. ‘He said that I should have a thought to secure our future so, of course, I asked Alicia a little about her plans, which made it look as though I had an eye on inheriting her money. It was all profoundly uncomfortable and I was so mortified that, when Francis died, I did not dare approach Alicia for very shame!’ She shrugged her slim shoulders. ‘And there it is—a sorry tale indeed!’ She gave a watery smile. ‘I thank you for bearing with my confessions!’
Caroline patted her hand. ‘Thank you
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