confronted with an elderly man well into his dotage, sitting in a bath chair. He had almost white hair and was wizened and wrinkled. ‘Good I’m glad the little whore has arrived, Anthony. I dismissed the nurse this morning so she’ll have plenty to do now. There’ll be no time for balls or fucking in the bushes!’
Jessica sucked in a huge breath in shock at the ribald language of the Earl.
‘My Lord that is a gross exaggeration. At no time did I do anything in the bushes with your son!’ Jessica said coldly and speared the old man with her coldest look.
‘Who are you kidding? You misses are all the same, chasing any title you can get your hands on.’ He spluttered. ‘I heard about you at your first ball trying to get your hands on the Duke of Warwick’s title. He soon scuppered you didn’t he?’ The old man cackled like an old witch. ‘Come here and let me have a taste of your wares!’
Jessica saw the paper knife on the desk and she picked it up and pointed at the man in the chair. ‘If you so much a lay one hand on me I shall cut your throat!’
‘Don’t play the virginal miss with me!’ the old Earl shouted. ‘It doesn’t suit you.’
‘My Lord. I am a virgin and if your son had hung around after the service he would have been able to swear to it.’
‘What’s this?’ the old man looked at Anthony, who had been quietly standing in front of the fire.
‘David left immediately for Portugal from the Church, father.’
‘Why would he do such a thing? There must be an heir! I told him that he had to get her with child before he left!’
‘Well he didn’t!’ Jessica said coldly. ‘He couldn’t get out of the church fast enough. Perhaps he still had to say goodbye to Lady Saddleworth, before his ship sailed!’
‘Saddleworth?’ the old man almost screeched. ‘I told him to finish with her month’s ago!’ he spat.
‘Well, Davey didn’t listen. Who do you think he was really with in the garden at Devon’s ball?’ Anthony said scathingly.
‘Damn and blast the impertinent boy!’ the old man fumed and levelled a baleful stare at Jessica. ‘Well, I don’t care to try and change anything. If you produce an heir in eight month’s I’ll believe you are the little whore my son fucked in the gardens at Lord Devon’s ball. If you don’t I might just believe that you are being honest, but be warned. Richmond doesn’t like you and he can be a hard task master.’
‘Father? If Richmond lays a hand on her I’ll kill him myself. Make sure he understands that if she produces an heir it will be my brother’s child, not his bastard!’
The Earl of Dean muttered and grumbled but eventually nodded his head, called for Richmond and explained that she was untouchable.
Jessica was shown to her room by the housekeeper, Mrs. Herbert. It was a very nice suite, with a sitting room and bedroom, all decorated in royal blue and gold. The velvet curtains around the bed looked new as did the thick eiderdown over the mattress. All Jessica’s trunks were stacked in the corner of the room and her maid had the top one open and was sorting the clothes out into the chest of drawers.
‘This is Mary, My Lady. She will see to your needs.’
‘Thank you , Mrs. Herbert.’ Jessica said calmly.
‘You shouldn’t let the old Earl upset you with his harsh language and things, he’s really quite harmless.’
‘Yes. Thank you, Mrs. Herbert.’ Jessica said again. The housekeeper took the hint and retreated. Jessica sat in a chair beside the window and looked over the front aspect of the hall. She could see the River Wye glimmering in the distance, as it meandered past the edge of the property.
She had onl y had time to remove her cloak and bonnet, when she was summoned to the Earl’s study again. She was on her way down the stairs when she was waylaid by Richmond. He grabbed her shoulder and spun her around, his other hand grabbing at her throat and pushing her up against the wall. It was such a
Jessica sucked in a huge breath in shock at the ribald language of the Earl.
‘My Lord that is a gross exaggeration. At no time did I do anything in the bushes with your son!’ Jessica said coldly and speared the old man with her coldest look.
‘Who are you kidding? You misses are all the same, chasing any title you can get your hands on.’ He spluttered. ‘I heard about you at your first ball trying to get your hands on the Duke of Warwick’s title. He soon scuppered you didn’t he?’ The old man cackled like an old witch. ‘Come here and let me have a taste of your wares!’
Jessica saw the paper knife on the desk and she picked it up and pointed at the man in the chair. ‘If you so much a lay one hand on me I shall cut your throat!’
‘Don’t play the virginal miss with me!’ the old Earl shouted. ‘It doesn’t suit you.’
‘My Lord. I am a virgin and if your son had hung around after the service he would have been able to swear to it.’
‘What’s this?’ the old man looked at Anthony, who had been quietly standing in front of the fire.
‘David left immediately for Portugal from the Church, father.’
‘Why would he do such a thing? There must be an heir! I told him that he had to get her with child before he left!’
‘Well he didn’t!’ Jessica said coldly. ‘He couldn’t get out of the church fast enough. Perhaps he still had to say goodbye to Lady Saddleworth, before his ship sailed!’
‘Saddleworth?’ the old man almost screeched. ‘I told him to finish with her month’s ago!’ he spat.
‘Well, Davey didn’t listen. Who do you think he was really with in the garden at Devon’s ball?’ Anthony said scathingly.
‘Damn and blast the impertinent boy!’ the old man fumed and levelled a baleful stare at Jessica. ‘Well, I don’t care to try and change anything. If you produce an heir in eight month’s I’ll believe you are the little whore my son fucked in the gardens at Lord Devon’s ball. If you don’t I might just believe that you are being honest, but be warned. Richmond doesn’t like you and he can be a hard task master.’
‘Father? If Richmond lays a hand on her I’ll kill him myself. Make sure he understands that if she produces an heir it will be my brother’s child, not his bastard!’
The Earl of Dean muttered and grumbled but eventually nodded his head, called for Richmond and explained that she was untouchable.
Jessica was shown to her room by the housekeeper, Mrs. Herbert. It was a very nice suite, with a sitting room and bedroom, all decorated in royal blue and gold. The velvet curtains around the bed looked new as did the thick eiderdown over the mattress. All Jessica’s trunks were stacked in the corner of the room and her maid had the top one open and was sorting the clothes out into the chest of drawers.
‘This is Mary, My Lady. She will see to your needs.’
‘Thank you , Mrs. Herbert.’ Jessica said calmly.
‘You shouldn’t let the old Earl upset you with his harsh language and things, he’s really quite harmless.’
‘Yes. Thank you, Mrs. Herbert.’ Jessica said again. The housekeeper took the hint and retreated. Jessica sat in a chair beside the window and looked over the front aspect of the hall. She could see the River Wye glimmering in the distance, as it meandered past the edge of the property.
She had onl y had time to remove her cloak and bonnet, when she was summoned to the Earl’s study again. She was on her way down the stairs when she was waylaid by Richmond. He grabbed her shoulder and spun her around, his other hand grabbing at her throat and pushing her up against the wall. It was such a
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