suggestion seemed to penetrate her absorption in what she took to be her duty. Amanda decided at last that she was holding on in a determination to make the most of a post that gave her importance and tended to prolong her stay at Monteigne.
Amanda had at last, in the middle of the afternoon, given up trying to sleep and taken up a copy of The Lady of the Lake when the sound of a carriage was heard in the drive.
“Who can it be?” Marta said and moved with a surprising quickness to the window looking out over the gallery. From behind the muslin curtains she stared down at the drive. Amanda, as she watched her, wondered if her own arrival only the day before had caused such naked interest.
“It is a man,” Marta informed her. “He is in his own gig. He is a gentleman. He wears a dark brown suit with a cream waistcoat and green breeches … and also a little hat like a bowl with a brim.”
“The … gig … is it black with red wheels … and is the horse black with a blaze and stocking feet?”
“Ja, ja. Do you know this man?” Marta turned toward her.
“I … think it must be Nathaniel Sterling, my fiance.”
“Your … but what would he be doing here?”
“Looking for me, I would imagine. He will be furious that I came here without telling him.”
“Do not distress yourself. I will not allow him to upset you. If he wants to take his temper out on someone…”
“Oh, Nathaniel never loses his temper. He has too much self-control.”
“I see,” Marta said in a grim tone.
“No, I don’t think you do. Nathaniel isn’t at all unreasonable. I will explain, and it will be all right”
“That is not the way he appears to me. Hah!”
The last exclamation was for the barking that erupted below as Cerberus challenged the new guest. There was shouting and a yelp.
“What is happening?” Amanda cried as Marta hurried back to the window.
“I think Cerberus has torn the arm of your fiance’s suit, and it looks as if he has struck the dog with his cane. Now he is back outside the gate, but Jason approaches from the barns. He will bring him safely in.”
Amanda threw back the covers. “I must get up.”
“Why, fraeulein?” Marta exclaimed, hurrying to put a restraining hand on her arm.
“I can’t let Nathaniel find me like this. It will be odious enough to have to tell him of it, much less having to lie flat on my back while I do it.”
“Now, Fraeulein Amanda. Only lie back down. You will find you are not as strong as you think.”
That was certainly true enough, for at the too quick movement her head had begun to whirl and the dull far-off ache at the back of her skull had moved forward. She allowed Marta to ease her back against the pillows.
“Tell Marta that you don’t wish to see this man, and I will stand guard at the door, nicht?”
Amanda raised one hand and then let it drop in a small gesture of futility. It would do no good to keep Nathaniel out. The facts must be faced some time. She had come on a fool’s errand, trusting too much to luck and her own competence. No doubt Nathaniel would not go so far as to tell her so, but she would see the truth, and the disappointment, in his eyes.
It was a short while later that Sophia tapped on the door and then stepped into the room.
“You have a visitor,” she told Amanda, an arch amusement lacing her voice.
“I know, Marta saw him from the window,” Amanda admitted.
“Then do you want to receive him or not?”
“I … perhaps it would not be the thing?” she suggested doubtfully.
“Your fiance? Unexceptional, I would think. It would not do if he were only a suitor, but in this case I don’t see how it can hurt, especially if you are in company…”
“I take your point. You will stay then?”
“Gladly,” Sophia answered promptly, not bothering to hide her curiosity.
Accordingly, while Sophia went to show Nathaniel upstairs, Marta fetched her dressing gown to put around her shoulders and cover her nightgown. Amanda
Amanda had at last, in the middle of the afternoon, given up trying to sleep and taken up a copy of The Lady of the Lake when the sound of a carriage was heard in the drive.
“Who can it be?” Marta said and moved with a surprising quickness to the window looking out over the gallery. From behind the muslin curtains she stared down at the drive. Amanda, as she watched her, wondered if her own arrival only the day before had caused such naked interest.
“It is a man,” Marta informed her. “He is in his own gig. He is a gentleman. He wears a dark brown suit with a cream waistcoat and green breeches … and also a little hat like a bowl with a brim.”
“The … gig … is it black with red wheels … and is the horse black with a blaze and stocking feet?”
“Ja, ja. Do you know this man?” Marta turned toward her.
“I … think it must be Nathaniel Sterling, my fiance.”
“Your … but what would he be doing here?”
“Looking for me, I would imagine. He will be furious that I came here without telling him.”
“Do not distress yourself. I will not allow him to upset you. If he wants to take his temper out on someone…”
“Oh, Nathaniel never loses his temper. He has too much self-control.”
“I see,” Marta said in a grim tone.
“No, I don’t think you do. Nathaniel isn’t at all unreasonable. I will explain, and it will be all right”
“That is not the way he appears to me. Hah!”
The last exclamation was for the barking that erupted below as Cerberus challenged the new guest. There was shouting and a yelp.
“What is happening?” Amanda cried as Marta hurried back to the window.
“I think Cerberus has torn the arm of your fiance’s suit, and it looks as if he has struck the dog with his cane. Now he is back outside the gate, but Jason approaches from the barns. He will bring him safely in.”
Amanda threw back the covers. “I must get up.”
“Why, fraeulein?” Marta exclaimed, hurrying to put a restraining hand on her arm.
“I can’t let Nathaniel find me like this. It will be odious enough to have to tell him of it, much less having to lie flat on my back while I do it.”
“Now, Fraeulein Amanda. Only lie back down. You will find you are not as strong as you think.”
That was certainly true enough, for at the too quick movement her head had begun to whirl and the dull far-off ache at the back of her skull had moved forward. She allowed Marta to ease her back against the pillows.
“Tell Marta that you don’t wish to see this man, and I will stand guard at the door, nicht?”
Amanda raised one hand and then let it drop in a small gesture of futility. It would do no good to keep Nathaniel out. The facts must be faced some time. She had come on a fool’s errand, trusting too much to luck and her own competence. No doubt Nathaniel would not go so far as to tell her so, but she would see the truth, and the disappointment, in his eyes.
It was a short while later that Sophia tapped on the door and then stepped into the room.
“You have a visitor,” she told Amanda, an arch amusement lacing her voice.
“I know, Marta saw him from the window,” Amanda admitted.
“Then do you want to receive him or not?”
“I … perhaps it would not be the thing?” she suggested doubtfully.
“Your fiance? Unexceptional, I would think. It would not do if he were only a suitor, but in this case I don’t see how it can hurt, especially if you are in company…”
“I take your point. You will stay then?”
“Gladly,” Sophia answered promptly, not bothering to hide her curiosity.
Accordingly, while Sophia went to show Nathaniel upstairs, Marta fetched her dressing gown to put around her shoulders and cover her nightgown. Amanda
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