The Hungry Heart Fulfilled (The Hunger of the Heart Series Book 3) by Shannon Farrell Page A

her intentions, for Myrtle resolved that she would
    give Dalton a
    copy of the provision bill for the Pegasus and see what he
    made of it.
     
     
Myrtle was
    convinced that Emer and
    Dalton deserved a happily ever after ending, and was
    determined to help her
    friend get it.
     
     
Unfortunately,
    Madeleine had other
    ideas, and was adamant that no matter what she did, she was
    going to marry the
    fabulously wealthy and handsome Dalton Randall on Thursday,
    and remove Emer
    from their lives forever no matter what.
     
     

 
CHAPTER SEVEN
     
     
Madeleine’s plan
    for revenge took
    shape as she half-listened to her driver, Pertwee, complaining
    about how some
    people simply didn’t know their place.
     
     
“You take that
    red-haired hussy, who
    calls herself Mrs. Dillon now, and did nothing but whore on my
    last ship and
    cause trouble. Now
    as far as I’m
    concerned, that trollop wouldn’t be fit to clean your
    ladyship’s boots, let
    alone sit at the same table to dine with you and all those
    fancy society
    people.”
     
     
“What do you mean? How did you know
    her?” Madeleine gasped
    incredulously as they made their way through the narrow
    streets in her curricle
    the next morning as she went about town on her errands.
     
     
“She said she was a
    governess when
    she first came on board, and worked as a cabin boy," he
    replied over his
    shoulder.
     
     
"Very friendly with
    all the men
    she was, especially a lad called Joe, a stowaway she had
    helped hide on
    board. Some of
    us reckoned that
    Mr. Randall was having a fling with her, you know, but of
    course we had no idea
    that he was engaged to you, so it couldn’t have been true.
     
     
“Anyway, the
    Captain flogged her, so
    he did, for setting the ship on fire. She was probably carrying on
    with one of the lads in
    the galley, and got
    a different kind of fire than she bargained for, if you know
    what I mean.
     
     
"Yes, sir, a right
    little goer
    she was. Nothing
    but trouble.  She
    must have come straight off
    the ship and got her hooks into someone even richer than Mr.
    Randall to be
    where she is now. I say it’s a disgrace, a tart like that
    sitting in such
    distinguished company as yourself under false pretences,”
    Pertwee said
    emphatically.
     
     
Madeleine sat back
    in her carriage,
    gloating. At
    last, she had the
    perfect way to be rid of her.
    She
    could expose her to Quebec society for what she really was. People
    would admire
    her for her ability
    to spot a fraudulent heiress, and Dalton would merely become a
    figure of pity
    for having been taken in by such a convincing impostor.
     
     
But perhaps it
    wouldn’t come to
    that. Perhaps
    this Mrs. Dillon
    could be persuaded to disappear, and if risk of exposure
    didn’t convince her,
    hard cash would.
     
     
“Pertwee, can you
    find out where she
    lives, and escort me there when you do, while I have a little
    chat with her
    about all you’ve said? I’m
    sure if
    she's as notorious a woman as you say, then she will be most
    unwilling to have
    all of her wicked deeds brought to light. I think she can be
    convinced it is in all of our best
    interests for her
    to leave Quebec, at least until after I'm safely married to
    Mr. Randall.”
     
     
“With pleasure, my
    lady. I can go
    ask the Hearsts, since they sent the invitation to her to the
    soiree you
    attended last evening. We shall go just as soon as your
    luncheon with Mrs.
    Hargreaves is over,” Pertwee said with a smirk.
     
     
Madeleine descended
    upon Emer in the
    middle of her lessons, and was given a complete tour of the
    home by a confused
    Sissy, who thought she was looking for children to adopt.
     
     
Madeleine’s face
    was like granite
    throughout the entire tour. When some of the children tried to
    give flowers and
    presents to the pretty dark-haired lady, she recoiled from the
    innocent boys
    and girls as though they were so many snakes.
     
     
Emer couldn’t fail
    to notice her
    reaction as she came