. . . tactfully mention it. Consider all the work he could do around the place.”
“With that hook? I don’t see how. He didn’t even help us move in here.”
“It will be different now, if he lives with us. I am certain there must be some tasks he can do to ease your heavy load. You do too much.”
“You’re the one who does more than you should. Fine young lady like you . . .”
Mariah huffed a laugh. “Hardly.” She said more soberly, “Remember that stormy night you were out and a strange man came to the door? I was frightened to be home alone. Having a man about the place might be wise in many respects.”
“But this man is far stranger than the last.”
Mariah held her gaze. “Looks can be deceiving, Dixon, as we both know.”
Dixon hesitated, then threw up her hands. “Where would he sleep?”
“The pantry?”
“The smell of him, the stable would better suit.”
In the end, they laid the options before Martin. He decided that as long as the weather was fine, he would make his bed in the stable loft, which was dry and private and where he might come and go as he pleased without disturbing the ladies. When the weather turned cold in the late autumn, he would resign himself to a cot in the narrow pantry, but he obviously did not look upon the prospect with relish.
“I suppose I have been spoilt all these years with your aunt. Become accustomed to having a room of my own. With not only a bed, but a desk and chair besides.”
Mariah bit her lip. “I don’t think any of us should become accustomed to our quarters here. Martin, I think it only fair to tell you, before you throw in your lot with us, that there is every likelihood we shall not be here much longer. Mr. Hammersmith has stipulated a rent beyond my ability to pay. Dixon and I are contemplating options, but I don’t know how likely we are to succeed.”
“Do you really think Mr. Prin-Hallsey would put us out?” Dixon asked.
Martin nodded. “I would not put it past him.”
“I imagine he would have done so before now had my aunt not been here to sway him.”
Dixon grimaced. “What can we do?”
Mariah straightened her shoulders. “I shall have to think of some way to endear myself to Hugh. Charm him into allowing a dear cousin to stay.”
Dixon gave her a sidelong glance. “Careful, Miss Mariah.”
“Don’t worry, Dixon. I am not about to attempt anything foolish.”
Martin cleared his throat. “I would not mention my being here, miss,” he said. “It will not aid your cause.”
The footman led Mariah into the Windrush Court library, announced her, and took his leave.
Hugh Prin-Hallsey, seated behind a large carved desk, rose. “Ah. Miss Aubrey. What a surprise.”
“Is it? I thought you might expect me.”
“Not at all. Why, I barely see you, so rarely do you venture from your seclusion en pénitence .” He gestured toward one of the chairs before the desk.
She sat and adjusted the skirt of her favorite gown of rose-pink, a color she had been told flattered her complexion. She had made a point not to wear the black. Her straw bonnet with a matching ribbon was tied beneath her chin.
She clasped damp hands in her lap. “I hoped to ask you for a bit of grace in the new rent your steward proposed. It is all such a surprise, when my aunt had so generously allowed me to live in the gatehouse gratis .”
“Your aunt is dead, Miss Aubrey. And this is not a charitable institution.”
She stared, stunned at his coldness.
He pinned her with a steely gaze. “Can you think of one reason I should forgo a reasonable income on my own property?”
She swallowed.
“You are no relation of mine,” he continued. “I obeyed my father’s wishes in providing for your aunt after his death, though it galled me to do so. Why do you think I stayed away in London so much of the time? I did not like the woman in my house. In my mother’s rooms. But now she is gone and I am rid of any obligation to her. Extending charity to
“With that hook? I don’t see how. He didn’t even help us move in here.”
“It will be different now, if he lives with us. I am certain there must be some tasks he can do to ease your heavy load. You do too much.”
“You’re the one who does more than you should. Fine young lady like you . . .”
Mariah huffed a laugh. “Hardly.” She said more soberly, “Remember that stormy night you were out and a strange man came to the door? I was frightened to be home alone. Having a man about the place might be wise in many respects.”
“But this man is far stranger than the last.”
Mariah held her gaze. “Looks can be deceiving, Dixon, as we both know.”
Dixon hesitated, then threw up her hands. “Where would he sleep?”
“The pantry?”
“The smell of him, the stable would better suit.”
In the end, they laid the options before Martin. He decided that as long as the weather was fine, he would make his bed in the stable loft, which was dry and private and where he might come and go as he pleased without disturbing the ladies. When the weather turned cold in the late autumn, he would resign himself to a cot in the narrow pantry, but he obviously did not look upon the prospect with relish.
“I suppose I have been spoilt all these years with your aunt. Become accustomed to having a room of my own. With not only a bed, but a desk and chair besides.”
Mariah bit her lip. “I don’t think any of us should become accustomed to our quarters here. Martin, I think it only fair to tell you, before you throw in your lot with us, that there is every likelihood we shall not be here much longer. Mr. Hammersmith has stipulated a rent beyond my ability to pay. Dixon and I are contemplating options, but I don’t know how likely we are to succeed.”
“Do you really think Mr. Prin-Hallsey would put us out?” Dixon asked.
Martin nodded. “I would not put it past him.”
“I imagine he would have done so before now had my aunt not been here to sway him.”
Dixon grimaced. “What can we do?”
Mariah straightened her shoulders. “I shall have to think of some way to endear myself to Hugh. Charm him into allowing a dear cousin to stay.”
Dixon gave her a sidelong glance. “Careful, Miss Mariah.”
“Don’t worry, Dixon. I am not about to attempt anything foolish.”
Martin cleared his throat. “I would not mention my being here, miss,” he said. “It will not aid your cause.”
The footman led Mariah into the Windrush Court library, announced her, and took his leave.
Hugh Prin-Hallsey, seated behind a large carved desk, rose. “Ah. Miss Aubrey. What a surprise.”
“Is it? I thought you might expect me.”
“Not at all. Why, I barely see you, so rarely do you venture from your seclusion en pénitence .” He gestured toward one of the chairs before the desk.
She sat and adjusted the skirt of her favorite gown of rose-pink, a color she had been told flattered her complexion. She had made a point not to wear the black. Her straw bonnet with a matching ribbon was tied beneath her chin.
She clasped damp hands in her lap. “I hoped to ask you for a bit of grace in the new rent your steward proposed. It is all such a surprise, when my aunt had so generously allowed me to live in the gatehouse gratis .”
“Your aunt is dead, Miss Aubrey. And this is not a charitable institution.”
She stared, stunned at his coldness.
He pinned her with a steely gaze. “Can you think of one reason I should forgo a reasonable income on my own property?”
She swallowed.
“You are no relation of mine,” he continued. “I obeyed my father’s wishes in providing for your aunt after his death, though it galled me to do so. Why do you think I stayed away in London so much of the time? I did not like the woman in my house. In my mother’s rooms. But now she is gone and I am rid of any obligation to her. Extending charity to
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