favourite walks. Although the cooler weather meant that capes and cloaks now shielded, or partly hid, the grander garments underneath, there was an abundance of rich velvets, feathers and fur-trimmings.
Suddenly, when the heavy drops of rain began to fall from a darkening sky, people hastened in a swirl of colour towards waiting carriages or scampered, like Hester and John, for whatever shelter the trees could afford. By chance nobody else came to the oak they had run to and as they huddled close together against the rough bark, holding his cloak across her for added protection he looked down into her rain-wet, wonderfully inviting face and the words burst out of his heart.
‘I love you! I’ll love you all my life.’
She turned pale with joy. ‘I love you, too,’ she whispered. ‘I have done ever since that first day.’ Her arms went tight about his neck as he caught her still closer to him and they kissed as never before, heedless of the drumming rain.
It was that same afternoon that Martha, listening at the kitchen door, finally overheard in a snatch of conversation the name of the man that Hester appeared to be seeing at every opportunity. She went at once to Jack.
‘It won’t do ,’ she stated firmly. ‘You must put a stop to it at once or you’ll be in danger of losing Harwood’s custom.’
‘How could that be?’ Jack was cynical.
‘My! You can be senseless at times! He is not going to think well of your sister dallying with his daughter’s betrothed. If Harwood should turn against us and the Heathcock, his acquaintances would soon follow suit. You’ve said yourself he’s not a man you’d wish to cross swords with.’
Jack accepted her reasoning while at the same time concern for Hester came uppermost in his mind. He tackled her about the matter that evening. She had known that sooner or later she would be challenged and she answered him in a forthright manner.
‘Yes, I am seeing John Bateman. Is he to be denied all other company because the Harwood family have staked some claim to him? You told me yourself that nothing was officially settled.’
‘That’s beside the point. I ain’t going to allow anyone to trifle with your affections when he’s under other obligations, official or not. Stay away from him, Hester. No good can come of it.’ He became irritated and exasperated by the whole business. ‘London is full of young men. You don’t have to hob-nob with one already spoken for.’ His forefinger with a grimed nail pointed sternly at her, his scowl matching his action. ‘I mean what I say. You’ll not see young Bateman again!’
Hester ignored his instructions completely and kept her next appointment with John as arranged. She told him of this new development as they sat side by side on a wooden bench overlooking the river. Dark clouds were streaking a sky already grey and the wind made whirlpools of the fallen leaves from the trees around them.
‘It’s happened as I feared. Until you are free of all previous commitments Jack will continue to oppose my seeing you.’ She knew he had attended a Harwood Sunday dinner since she had seen him last. ‘Have you told Caroline about me yet?’
It was the first time Caroline’s name had come into the open between them. Until now she had been a shadow that they had both chosen to ignore in their deepening love for each other.
‘Not yet,’ he replied hoarsely. At her news he had leaned forward to stare towards the river, elbows across his knees and his hands clenched, his right thumb working across his left knuckles, the skin strained over them. ‘It’s a difficult situation.’
She was disappointed he had not taken the chance when he had had it to explain matters to Caroline. Deliberately she tested her own power of attraction. ‘Perhaps it would be best if we didn’t meet again for a while.’
‘No!’ He turned to grip her hands in his. ‘I can’t say how long it’s going to be before things are straightened out. How
Suddenly, when the heavy drops of rain began to fall from a darkening sky, people hastened in a swirl of colour towards waiting carriages or scampered, like Hester and John, for whatever shelter the trees could afford. By chance nobody else came to the oak they had run to and as they huddled close together against the rough bark, holding his cloak across her for added protection he looked down into her rain-wet, wonderfully inviting face and the words burst out of his heart.
‘I love you! I’ll love you all my life.’
She turned pale with joy. ‘I love you, too,’ she whispered. ‘I have done ever since that first day.’ Her arms went tight about his neck as he caught her still closer to him and they kissed as never before, heedless of the drumming rain.
It was that same afternoon that Martha, listening at the kitchen door, finally overheard in a snatch of conversation the name of the man that Hester appeared to be seeing at every opportunity. She went at once to Jack.
‘It won’t do ,’ she stated firmly. ‘You must put a stop to it at once or you’ll be in danger of losing Harwood’s custom.’
‘How could that be?’ Jack was cynical.
‘My! You can be senseless at times! He is not going to think well of your sister dallying with his daughter’s betrothed. If Harwood should turn against us and the Heathcock, his acquaintances would soon follow suit. You’ve said yourself he’s not a man you’d wish to cross swords with.’
Jack accepted her reasoning while at the same time concern for Hester came uppermost in his mind. He tackled her about the matter that evening. She had known that sooner or later she would be challenged and she answered him in a forthright manner.
‘Yes, I am seeing John Bateman. Is he to be denied all other company because the Harwood family have staked some claim to him? You told me yourself that nothing was officially settled.’
‘That’s beside the point. I ain’t going to allow anyone to trifle with your affections when he’s under other obligations, official or not. Stay away from him, Hester. No good can come of it.’ He became irritated and exasperated by the whole business. ‘London is full of young men. You don’t have to hob-nob with one already spoken for.’ His forefinger with a grimed nail pointed sternly at her, his scowl matching his action. ‘I mean what I say. You’ll not see young Bateman again!’
Hester ignored his instructions completely and kept her next appointment with John as arranged. She told him of this new development as they sat side by side on a wooden bench overlooking the river. Dark clouds were streaking a sky already grey and the wind made whirlpools of the fallen leaves from the trees around them.
‘It’s happened as I feared. Until you are free of all previous commitments Jack will continue to oppose my seeing you.’ She knew he had attended a Harwood Sunday dinner since she had seen him last. ‘Have you told Caroline about me yet?’
It was the first time Caroline’s name had come into the open between them. Until now she had been a shadow that they had both chosen to ignore in their deepening love for each other.
‘Not yet,’ he replied hoarsely. At her news he had leaned forward to stare towards the river, elbows across his knees and his hands clenched, his right thumb working across his left knuckles, the skin strained over them. ‘It’s a difficult situation.’
She was disappointed he had not taken the chance when he had had it to explain matters to Caroline. Deliberately she tested her own power of attraction. ‘Perhaps it would be best if we didn’t meet again for a while.’
‘No!’ He turned to grip her hands in his. ‘I can’t say how long it’s going to be before things are straightened out. How
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