as you say, miss.’ Jenny’s tone showed that she
didn’t like the idea. She had been with Madeline since Madeline’s childhood,
and was very protective of her mistress.
‘You don’t approve?’
‘It’s not for me to say, miss,’ said Jenny woodenly.
‘I can’t accept the Earl’s offer,’ said Madeline.
She stood up and began to walk round the room. ‘I have no guarantee he will
honour his side of the bargain. He says he will provide me with a house and an
annuity when the marriage is annulled, but I have only his word for it. Once I
am in Yorkshire I will be
alone, with no one to turn to – trapped again.’
‘And once you’re a governess?’ asked Jenny obstinately.
Madeline sighed. ‘I know. It is fraught with problems
too. The master of the house may be another man such as my uncle. And the Earl
is at least honourable.’
‘And you spent last night under his roof without coming
to any harm,’ Jenny reminded her.
Madeline nodded. She had been half afraid to go to sleep
the night before, being under the same roof as a strange gentleman and knowing
how so-called gentlemen could behave, but she had passed the night in safety
and comfort.
‘And he would have a good reason for treating you right,’
said Jenny. ‘If he didn’t, you could run away and he wouldn’t get his fortune.
He needs to present himself, with his wife, to the lawyers at the end of the
six months, I think you said?’
‘He does.’
‘So it stands to reason he’d treat you well,’ said
Jenny.
Madeline crossed the room again, more slowly this time.
Her brow was furrowed in concentration. If the Earl did as he said then her
problems were over. If not . . .
She sighed. Marriage to the Earl was risky, but it was
also her best option. He was unlikely to treat her badly because he needed her.
Even if he did not, as he had promised, provide her with a house and purchase
her an annuity, then at the end of the six months she would be no worse off
than she was now. And it was not true that she would be alone. She would have
Jenny with her, which she would not have if she took a position as a governess.
But still, could she do it? Could she take such a chance?
Her mother’s warning came back to her. Marriage is a
trap , her mother had said. But this marriage would not be a trap. This
marriage had its end built into its beginning.
Resolutely Madeline made her decision. She would accept
the Earl’s offer. However risky that offer may turn out to be.
Madeline
went downstairs. Having made her decision she acted on it straight away, and
found Lord Pemberton in his study. He was writing at his desk as she entered,
but as soon as he looked up and saw her he threw down his quill and stood up.
She straightened her shoulders and smoothed her skirt, then
she said, ‘Lord Pemberton. I have come to ask you if I can change my mind.’
‘About?’ he asked.
‘About becoming your wife.’
‘Does this mean that you accept my proposal?’ he asked.
‘I – yes. It does.’
He smiled, then sat on the edge of his desk and folded
his arms across his chest. He looked younger; friendlier. He stretched his
long, firm legs out in front of him. ‘May I ask what made you change your mind?’
‘It was Jenny.’
‘Jenny?’ he asked in surprise.
‘Yes. She told me . . . she has friends among your
servants . . . and they all speak well of you, she says.’
He gave a shout of laughter.
‘What’s so funny?’ she asked.
‘This,’ he said. ‘This situation. When you came in I was
writing you a reference so that you could take up a post as a governess, but at
the same time Jenny was giving a reference for me!’
Madeline’s face broke into a smile. ‘A commoner must
seek a reference from an earl, but an earl, being already at the top of the
tree, must go full circle and get one from his servants!’ she giggled. The
absurdity of the situation overcame her, and she collapsed into laughter. It
felt good to laugh!
But she quickly
didn’t like the idea. She had been with Madeline since Madeline’s childhood,
and was very protective of her mistress.
‘You don’t approve?’
‘It’s not for me to say, miss,’ said Jenny woodenly.
‘I can’t accept the Earl’s offer,’ said Madeline.
She stood up and began to walk round the room. ‘I have no guarantee he will
honour his side of the bargain. He says he will provide me with a house and an
annuity when the marriage is annulled, but I have only his word for it. Once I
am in Yorkshire I will be
alone, with no one to turn to – trapped again.’
‘And once you’re a governess?’ asked Jenny obstinately.
Madeline sighed. ‘I know. It is fraught with problems
too. The master of the house may be another man such as my uncle. And the Earl
is at least honourable.’
‘And you spent last night under his roof without coming
to any harm,’ Jenny reminded her.
Madeline nodded. She had been half afraid to go to sleep
the night before, being under the same roof as a strange gentleman and knowing
how so-called gentlemen could behave, but she had passed the night in safety
and comfort.
‘And he would have a good reason for treating you right,’
said Jenny. ‘If he didn’t, you could run away and he wouldn’t get his fortune.
He needs to present himself, with his wife, to the lawyers at the end of the
six months, I think you said?’
‘He does.’
‘So it stands to reason he’d treat you well,’ said
Jenny.
Madeline crossed the room again, more slowly this time.
Her brow was furrowed in concentration. If the Earl did as he said then her
problems were over. If not . . .
She sighed. Marriage to the Earl was risky, but it was
also her best option. He was unlikely to treat her badly because he needed her.
Even if he did not, as he had promised, provide her with a house and purchase
her an annuity, then at the end of the six months she would be no worse off
than she was now. And it was not true that she would be alone. She would have
Jenny with her, which she would not have if she took a position as a governess.
But still, could she do it? Could she take such a chance?
Her mother’s warning came back to her. Marriage is a
trap , her mother had said. But this marriage would not be a trap. This
marriage had its end built into its beginning.
Resolutely Madeline made her decision. She would accept
the Earl’s offer. However risky that offer may turn out to be.
Madeline
went downstairs. Having made her decision she acted on it straight away, and
found Lord Pemberton in his study. He was writing at his desk as she entered,
but as soon as he looked up and saw her he threw down his quill and stood up.
She straightened her shoulders and smoothed her skirt, then
she said, ‘Lord Pemberton. I have come to ask you if I can change my mind.’
‘About?’ he asked.
‘About becoming your wife.’
‘Does this mean that you accept my proposal?’ he asked.
‘I – yes. It does.’
He smiled, then sat on the edge of his desk and folded
his arms across his chest. He looked younger; friendlier. He stretched his
long, firm legs out in front of him. ‘May I ask what made you change your mind?’
‘It was Jenny.’
‘Jenny?’ he asked in surprise.
‘Yes. She told me . . . she has friends among your
servants . . . and they all speak well of you, she says.’
He gave a shout of laughter.
‘What’s so funny?’ she asked.
‘This,’ he said. ‘This situation. When you came in I was
writing you a reference so that you could take up a post as a governess, but at
the same time Jenny was giving a reference for me!’
Madeline’s face broke into a smile. ‘A commoner must
seek a reference from an earl, but an earl, being already at the top of the
tree, must go full circle and get one from his servants!’ she giggled. The
absurdity of the situation overcame her, and she collapsed into laughter. It
felt good to laugh!
But she quickly
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