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Chapter 17
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My Mother’s Choice Chapter 18
The day dawned uncomfortably bright and early, and Gwen pulled the hanging curtains shut against it.After her visit from the duke the previous evening, she was at a loss as to what she could possibly say in the morning. No doubt her bags were packed and waiting for her in the entrance hall. But would he think to arrange transportation, or assume that she could purchase a ticket from her own funds?She laughed bitterly. As if there were such a thing. Her purse had been emptied by the trip to ThornHill , and showed no signs of magically filling itself for the return trip. And if she should return, where would she go? Her father had made it quite clear that there was to be no turning back from this course, and while the parting had been sweet, she knew he was sincere in his desire to get rid of her, for her own safety and his peace of mind.Unless she abandoned all pride and made a living on her back, as more than one nobleman had suggested. And what fool thought it better to be the who
My Mother’s Choice Chapter 19
So her husband had left the marriage bed still cold and ran off to to London to be with his… She deliberately buttered another slice of toast and bit into the corner, chewing as it turned to sawdust in her mouth. Well, there was no reason that it need bother her in the least. She had expected something of that sort to happen. And this was neither a love match, nor she some exciting girl. ‘It is all right, Archie. Thank you. You are right. It is better to know how things stand.’He sighed in obvious relief. ‘Good. I am glad you are taking this so well. And remember, as I offered before, if you need a strong arm to support you, and my brother is nowhere to be found, you can always call on me.’‘Thank you.’ She smiled suspiciously back at him. ‘And now, my dear, I must be off. To see about the responsibilities you would have me attend to.’ He sighed. ‘To appear as idle as I do requires a surprising amount of effort.May I have the honour of joining you at supper this evening?’‘Of cour
My Mother’s Choice Chapter 20
Barrister Williams and Williams had been family friends and solicitors since the first duke, when the two names on the sign had belonged to the ancestors of the man currently in the office. Williams the elder was retired now, but his sonCharles, a man slightly older than Authur himself, kept the name on the sign out of respect and simplicity. After several years at Oxford, there would be a new Williams in the office, and it hardly seemed necessary to repaint.Charles ushered him in to the oak-panelled office and seated him in a heavy leather wing chair before taking his own seat behind the enormous desk. ‘And to what do I owe this honour, your Grace?’‘I have a problem, Charles.’‘We have a problem, then. As I must always remind you, do not feel that you need face these things alone. Your problems are ours also.’‘This one, I might. The utmost discretion is required.’ ‘Discretion is my watchword.’ Charles replied.Authur smiled. There were times at Oxford when discretion was the las
My Mother’s Choice Chapter 21
Authur entered his third stationer’s shop of the day, with a growing feeling of despair. Perhaps Charles had been right when he’d offered to make the inquiries himself. But, since there was no telling what he might find at the end of the journey, he had wanted to do the leg work himselfAnd he’d discovered that there was indeed a Lady Gwen Lewis, aged three and twenty, daughter of Sir Anthony, but that neither had been seen in years. Sir Anthony had run through the family fortune after the death of his wife, and was,rumored to have ran off to the continent like a filthy coward, or quietly put a bullet through his brain. What remained of the family goods had been sold at auction years ago, but the daughter had not been present. There was no known family, although one would have expected to hear of an aunt or female relative of some kind to step forward and claim the girl. The name Lady Danbury did not appear in any of the accompanying records, nor was it familiar to those questioned.H
My Mother’s Choice Chapter 22
The staff stood before her, terrified. Clearly, they had heard the dispute downstairs, and were all hoping that the next sacking would be someone other than themselves.She tried to return a gaze that was cool and indifferent. ‘By now, you all know the fate of Mrs Martha. This will, of course, cause a certain amount of disarray downstairs ,but…’ she paused to run a hand along the woodwork and wipe the smudge into her handkerchief ‘… I care more for the state of things upstairs , and doubt that anything I’ve done could create greater disorder than was here already.’She smiled. ‘My difficulties with the previous housekeeper were based solely on the errors in the accounts and the state of the house. I assume that these problems are now solved. If I am mistaken, I wish that you will come to me and that we can reach a solution. I will be replacing Mrs Martha shortly, and we will manage as best we can until that point.In the mean time…’ she presented a list of tasks ‘…I would have you be
My Mother’s Choice Chapter 23
Supper that evening was a very different affair than breakfast had been. After a short nap, she had composed herself and returned to the kitchen to confront the cook. The woman had been wary at first, but when she was told that she might choose her own ingredients and order what was needed to undo the artificial famine created by Mrs Martha, she seemed most happy with the change.Gwen, at Parton’s insistence, allowed her hair to be dressed and changed into her only decent gown for supper.The gown was a burgundy satin that had been much more fresh fifteen years ago, when it had been one of Lady Danbury’s ball dresses. They’d cut down the puffed sleeves, removed large amounts of skirt to hide the worn spots and managed, by trimming the train and adding some lace from another gown, to create something almost presentable.Archie met her at the dinner table and kissed her hand. ‘Enchanted as always, my dear. You look lovely this evening.’ He looked over his shoulder at the destruction on
My Mother’s Choice Chapter 24
Authur looked up at the fading paint on the inn’s sign: The Duke’s Right Arm.It sounded promising. Lucky, if he believed in luck. But the picture, which was of a dismembered arm lying on a grassy background, spoiled the image he wanted of a place that offered aid and succour. It would have been his last choice if he needed a bed for the night, or a drink, for that matter. The windows were dirty, and the door forbidding. It was his last choice now, as he’d visited all the other inns in the area.Gentle questioning of the innkeepers had revealed a thorough knowledge of the area’s great houses and their inhabitants. Everyone knew the local lords, and their families. If he combined the information gained from the various places, he had a good idea of the comings and goings of the guests in the area. Small amounts of gold, spread amongst the ostlers and stable boys, told him all there was to know about who had visited whom and what they drove to get there. And no one, anywhere, knew anyth
My Mother’s Choice Chapter 25
Gwen looked up at the workman on the ladder and resisted the intense urge to supervise him. The removal of the old hangings was not her job. Or the cleaning of the chandeliers, for that matter. But it had been so long since some of the household chores had been attended to that the process had been difficult and after the damage done to the dining-room silk she’d felt the need to take an active part in most of the major jobs. It was only eleven o’clock and she was already exhausted. And itchy, as though a thin layer of grime covered her body. The staff had been cleaning for a week and she noted with satisfaction, the improvement was beginning to show. When and if her errant husband chose to return home, he would be well pleased.‘Not still working in here, are you?’ Archie had come up from behind her, spinning her around to face him.‘It needs to be done,’ she said and stepped out of his grasp. ‘The house was really neglected.’ She complained ‘It needs cleaning, certainly, but not b
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