Читать книгу Lord Exmouth's Intentions - Anne Ashley - Страница 9

Leaning back against the comfort of the velvet squabs, Lady Exmouth stared through the carriage window at the passing countryside, recalling quite clearly a time in the not too distant past when the road to Brighton had been little more than an uncertain track, frequently impassable. All that had changed, of course, once the Regent had discovered that the air at the small, insignificant resort tended to benefit his health. Now Brighton was a centre of fashion, and could be reached by many different routes, one of which was considered by many to be the finest posting road in England.

Her ladyship had happily left all the travel arrangements, and choice of route, in the hands of her very capable son. Since the age of one-and-twenty, when he had come into the title, Daniel had displayed a natural aptitude for organisation, and a keen sense of responsibility far beyond his years. Little wonder, the Dowager reflected, that only a very small number of people had voiced certain doubts when, just two years after his father’s demise, he had calmly announced his intention of marrying his childhood sweetheart.

What a beautiful creature dear Clarissa had been! her ladyship mused, her mind’s eye having little difficulty in conjuring up a clear image of limpid blue eyes set to perfection in that lovely heart-shaped face, the whole framed in a riot of the prettiest guinea-gold curls.

The only child of an impoverished country squire, Clarissa would undoubtedly have become the toast of any Season had her father ever been in a position to finance such a venture. From the age of sixteen she had had most every eligible young bachelor in the county dangling after her at one time or another. Yet she had remained touchingly devoted to the only son of her nearest neighbours. They had seemed such an ideal couple, perfectly suited in every way. When little Hannah had been born, within a year of their marriage, their happiness had seemed complete.

It had been shortly after the birth of her first grandchild, the Dowager clearly recalled, that she had first broached the subject of her making her home in Bath. It was most touching, of course, that neither her son nor daughter-in-law would hear of such a thing, so she had remained at Courtney Place until after the birth of their second child three years later. Then no amount of entreaties had persuaded her to remain in the beautiful ancestral home, where in many ways she had continued to feel as though she was still its mistress.

She had never experienced any regrets in the choice she had made. Bath suited her very well. She had made many friends there, and was looking forward to the day when she could return to her comfortable house in Camden Place.

Much depended, of course, on how matters progressed during these next few weeks in Brighton, for she had no intention of allowing her son to return to the ancestral pile alone, once the summer was over, to continue brooding over the loss of his lovely Clarissa. If this meant that she must delay her return to the West Country to bear him company, then so be it! She could not help hoping, though, that matters would resolve themselves in a far more satisfactory manner, and that her son would soon be sharing his lovely home with quite a different lady.

Drawing her eyes away from the pleasing landscape, her ladyship darted a glance at the only other occupant of the well-sprung travelling carriage to discover her companion sitting quietly staring out of the other window, seemingly lost in a world of her own.

Daniel, the astute demon, had not been wrong when he had suggested that something had occurred to disturb the normally very calm waters of Miss Robina Perceval’s mind. Something most definitely had! If, as Daniel himself suspected, the vicar’s daughter was not at all sure that she wished to cement an alliance with the noble Courtney family, then it would, indeed, be most unfair to bring pressure to bear upon the dear girl during the forthcoming weeks to do just that.

It was so difficult to know how best to proceed in a situation such as this, her ladyship decided, absently running a finger back and forth across a faint crease in her skirts. She had no real desire to interfere in such a delicate and personal matter, while at the same time she had no intention of allowing her only child to dwindle into middle age a lonely and grieving man, when at hand was the very being who could bring great contentment back into his life, even if she failed to make him perfectly happy.

It wasn’t as if she was foolish enough to suppose for a moment that Miss Robina Perceval could ever take the place of the beautiful Clarissa in Daniel’s eyes. That would be hoping for far too much! There was no denying, though, that he had perceived something in the vicar’s daughter that appealed to him, for she was the only female he had displayed the least interest in throughout his entire sojourn in the capital.

She cast a further glance across the carriage to the opposite corner. Only this time she discovered that she was being observed in turn by a pair of blue eyes which, although of a similar hue, betrayed a deal more intelligence than the late Baroness Exmouth’s had ever done.

‘I was beginning to think you’d fallen asleep,’ her ladyship remarked for want of something better to say. ‘So quiet had you become.’

‘Oh, no, my lady. Merely lost in admiration for this part of the country. I’ve never travelled this far south before, so everything is new and interesting.’

Although the poor girl might be experiencing grave doubts about this forthcoming sojourn in Brighton, it was quite evident that she was not prepared to brood about it to the extent that she became taciturn, the Dowager thought, mentally adding a further tick to that long column of Miss Robina Perceval’s excellent qualities.

‘I can recall a time, my dear child, not so very long ago, when many abandoned their attempts to reach the small fishing village, which Brighton used to be not so very long ago. Much is said these days to the Regent’s discredit, but if he had not purchased his “little farmhouse” on the coast, I very much fear that this and many other roads in this part of the country would have remained those frequently impassable tracks, full of potholes and littered with abandoned carriages.’

Evidently the vicar’s eldest daughter was much struck by this viewpoint, for her pretty face wore a very thoughtful expression, as it so often did when she was turning something over in her mind.

‘Yes, one tends to forget that not so very long ago travelling about the country was something of a dangerous undertaking, and that journeys that used to take very many hours are now completed in a fraction of the time.’

‘And in far greater comfort, too!’ her ladyship assured her. ‘Carriages are so well sprung nowadays, and there are always plenty of hostelries en route where one can refresh oneself.’

As if on cue the carriage turned off the post road a moment later and came to a halt in the forecourt of a very superior posting-house. The door was thrown wide, the steps were let down, and his lordship stood, hand held out, ready and appearing very willing, to assist them to alight.

‘Why is it, Mama,’ he remarked, guiding them into the inn, ‘that two ladies can travel the same distance, in the very same conveyance, and yet one can look none the worse for her ordeal whilst the other resembles nothing so much as a ruffled hen which has spent much of the day ineffectually flapping about a farmyard?’

‘Odious boy! No need to enquire which of us in your opinion needs to set her appearance to rights, I suppose.’ The Dowager tried to appear affronted but failed miserably. ‘Where may this overheated hen refresh herself?’

His lordship beckoned to a serving-maid, and Robina, having somehow managed to keep her countenance, accompanied her ladyship into one of the upstairs chambers to effect the necessary repairs to her own appearance.

It was by no means the first time she had heard Daniel utter some provocative remark. Her ladyship never failed to take her son’s teasing in good part, and Robina couldn’t help but feel a little envious of the special bond which existed between mother and son. She would never have dreamt of saying such things to either of her parents, especially not to her mother, who, unlike the Dowager, did not possess much of a sense of humour.

That was perhaps why she liked her ladyship so much. Lady Exmouth was such an easygoing soul, fun-loving yet in no way light-minded, though she tried, Robina had frequently suspected, to give the impression that she was a trifle featherbrained.

They had got on famously from the first, and Robina did not doubt that she would have derived much pleasure from the Dowager’s delightful company during the forthcoming weeks, had it not been for the fact that that dear lady would be bitterly disappointed if, by the end of their stay in Brighton, her son’s engagement to the Vicar of Abbot Quincey’s daughter had not been announced.

She ought to feel flattered, she supposed, that the Dowager’s son had taken such an interest in her, and maybe she would have been if she thought for a moment that she had succeeded in capturing his heart. But she flatly refused to delude herself. There was little hope of her, or anyone else for that matter, ever taking the place of his late wife.

After removing her bonnet, she took a moment to study her reflection in the glass as she tidied an errant curl. She was well enough, she supposed. At least she had been assured that she was pretty enough to turn heads, but that did not make her a beauty. Yet, there had been beauties enough gracing the Season that year, she reminded herself, her friend Sophia Cleeve to name but one. So wasn’t it rather odd that Lord Exmouth had displayed precious little interest in any one of them if he was indeed the connoisseur of beauty he was reputed to be?

‘Something appears to be troubling you, child?’

Jolted out of her puzzling reflections, Robina discovered that she was the focal point of a deceptively dreamy brown-eyed gaze. ‘Er—no, not really, my lady. I was just thinking of certain persons I had seen during the recent Season in London, and was wondering how many would be following our example by removing to Brighton.’

Robina salved her conscience by telling herself that it was not a complete lie, and fortunately the Dowager seemed to accept the explanation readily enough.

‘A great many, I shouldn’t wonder. Certainly the Carlton House set, one of whom, as you probably know, is none other than my son’s particular friend, Montague Merrell. We’ll ask Daniel who is likely to be paying a visit to the town, should we? No doubt he’ll enlighten us.’

This, however, he seemed unable, or disinclined, to do, when they joined him a few minutes later in a private parlour. He merely shrugged, saying, ‘You know I’m not one of the Regent’s cronies, Mama. And I cannot say that I’m in the least interested in who’ll be trailing after him this summer.’

‘For a young man who has been considered one of the ton’s most fashionable members all his adult life, you display precious little interest in what goes on in polite society,’ his mother remarked, casting an approving glance over the delicious fare awaiting her on the table.

Daniel was not slow to observe the rapacious gleam in those dark eyes, and obliged her by pulling out one of the chairs. As far as he could recall his mother had always been blessed with a healthy appetite. Which was no very bad thing, he didn’t suppose, so long as one did not permit food to become a ruling passion.

He had not been slow to note, either, that Miss Perceval had not opened that immensely kissable mouth of hers since entering the room; had noticed too that she appeared increasingly ill-at-ease in his company these days. A decidedly sorry state of affairs which must be rectified without delay!

‘Permit me to help you to a slice or two of chicken, Miss Perceval.’ He did so without offering her the opportunity to refuse. ‘You must be hungry after spending so many hours in a carriage. Travelling any great distance often makes one feel peckish.’

‘It certainly has that effect on me,’ the Dowager put in.

‘That goes without saying, Mama.’

‘Rude boy!’ she admonished good-humouredly. ‘Your dear papa did not beat you enough when you were a child.’

Daniel noticed that sweet, spontaneous smile, hurriedly suppressed, at the foolish banter, and was fairly sure that it would be no hard matter to restore the delectable Robina to her former composed state. Perhaps it might even be possible to achieve a closer bond between them before the day was out, he decided, swiftly setting himself a new goal.

‘I dare say you are right, Mama. However, permit me to point out that there is a delicious game pie lurking by your right elbow which appears to have escaped your notice.’

‘Thank you, my dear.’ A flicker of a knowing smile hovered around her ladyship’s mouth, clearly betraying to her son that she knew precisely what he was about. It appeared to be having the required effect too, for their guest began to help herself to the various tempting dishes on offer without the least prompting.

‘I must say, my dear boy, you have surpassed yourself. This is a most marvellous repast you have ordered, catering for all tastes.’

‘Nothing whatever to do with me,’ he surprised them both by admitting. ‘If you wish to express your appreciation, then thank Kendall. He was the one who bespoke this late luncheon to be served in a private parlour when he arranged for the stabling of my greys here two days ago.’

‘Have we very much farther to travel, my lord?’ Robina enquired, deciding that it was high time she added something to the conversation.

‘There’s about an hour’s journey ahead of us, certainly no more. My latest acquisitions will accomplish it easily.’

‘You are delighted with your greys, are you not, my son?’

‘Exceedingly, ma’am!’ he concurred, looking extremely pleased with himself. ‘It was very gratifying to pip no less a personage than a duke to the post in purchasing them. I was reliably informed that Sharnbrook was more than a little interested,’ he informed them in response to their enquiring glances, ‘but he delayed too long. Possibly had more important things on his mind, like his engagement to Miss Perceval’s friend, for instance.’

‘Now that rather insignificant affair surprised me,’ her ladyship remarked. ‘I do not understand at all why they held such a small party at Sharnbrook to celebrate the event. After all, the Duke is reputed to be one of the richest men in England. It’s not as if he couldn’t afford a large affair. Your friend’s papa too, Robina, is held to be very plump in the pocket, so I fail to understand why the engagement wasn’t celebrated more lavishly.’

‘It was what Sophia and Benedict both wanted,’ Robina divulged. ‘I know it was only a small party, but it was a most enjoyable occasion none the less.’

‘I’m all in favour of keeping these highly personal celebrations as small and informal as possible,’ his lordship announced, surprising his mother somewhat. ‘I could almost feel guilty now at depriving Sharnbrook of those superb greys. I should imagine we have much in common. Just because one happens to be comfortably circumstanced does not mean that one needs to make a vulgar display of the fact.’

‘You do surprise me, my son. You insisted that half the county be invited to the party celebrating your engagement to Clarissa.’

The Dowager had spoken without thinking, and cursed herself silently for every kind of a fool. She had rarely mentioned her late daughter-in-law’s name when in public, and never in front of the young woman who now sat silently at the table and who appeared totally absorbed in devouring the food on her plate.

‘Very true, Mama,’ his lordship responded, swiftly breaking the ensuing silence, and betraying no visible signs of distress at touching on such a poignant subject. ‘But a person’s taste can change over the years. ‘I would at one time never have considered driving myself above a few miles in an open carriage, but have very much enjoyed the experiences of this day.’

His dark eyes flickered momentarily in Robina’s direction. ‘Perhaps I can persuade you, Miss Perceval, to bear me company for what remains of the journey. You might find travelling in the fresh air a more pleasurable way of completing the journey. Added to which, it will permit her ladyship to close her eyes, as is her custom in the afternoons, without appearing rude.’

Robina hesitated, but only for a moment. There was no earthly way that she was going to be able to avoid his lordship’s company for any appreciable lengths of time during the forthcoming weeks, so she might as well be sensible and accustom herself to his presence at the outset.

‘Yes, my lord, I think a spell in the fresh air would be most welcome.’ She cast him a smile which somehow managed to display both a hint of shyness and a touch of roguery. ‘I might end looking slightly windswept, but at least I hope I shall avoid resembling some demented hen.’

His deep rumble of appreciative laughter succeeded in putting her at her ease to such an extent that when, a short while later, she was seated beside him in the curricle, she was more than content to be in his company, and not in the least nervous over placing her well-being in the hands of a man who had, reputedly through the dangerous tooling of a carriage, succeeded in killing his beloved wife.

It was only, after happily following the comfortable vehicle containing his mother for a mile or so, when his lordship unexpectedly turned off the main post road and on to a much narrower lane, bringing the spirited greys to a halt beneath the shade of some roadside trees, that she began to experience those stabs of blind panic which had plagued her from time to time during recent days.

‘Miss Perceval, I had a particular reason for wishing you to bear me company for the remainder of the journey,’ he announced, staring straight ahead down the deserted road, while with little effort, it seemed, masterfully controlling his spirited horses. ‘If my mother performs her duties as your chaperon conscientiously, there ought not to be too many occasions when we find ourselves quite alone together, and there is something I particularly wished to say to you before we embark on what I hope will be a most enjoyable stay for us both in Brighton.’

If Robina had not felt as if she were being slowly throttled she would quite happily have betrayed her feelings by giving vent to a loud and protracted groan. She had forced herself to come to terms with the fact that sooner or later the subject of a marriage between them would be raised, but she had hoped that the occasion would arise later rather than sooner, thereby permitting her to enjoy a brief period in Brighton without encumbrance. His lordship began speaking again, and she forced herself to listen.

‘We both know why our respective mothers wished us to spend the summer together. They are both hoping that I shall—to resort to the modern-day vulgar parlance—come up to scratch. Well, let me assure you, Miss Perceval, that at this present moment in time I have not the slightest intention of making you an offer of marriage.’

Turning his head, Daniel discovered a look of such utter bewilderment on her sweet face that he was forced to exert every ounce of control he possessed not to take her into his arms and totally confound her by kissing her breathless.

‘You look slightly stunned, Miss Perceval.’ An understatement if ever there was one. The poor girl looked as if she were about to swoon! ‘I’m sorry if my plain speaking has offended you.’

‘Er—no, not at all, sir,’ she responded so softly that he had a little difficulty in catching the words.

‘But I think we would rub along much more comfortably if we cleared up one or two matters at the outset.’ Again he was forced to exert the utmost control, only this time to stop himself from laughing. She was regarding him much as defenceless rabbit might a snake which was about to strike for a second time. ‘I think you must realise, Miss Perceval, that I have grown quite partial to your company during our time in London. I should like to think that we have become…friends.’

‘Er—yes,’ she responded guardedly.

‘And as such, I think we can be honest with each other without causing offence.’

‘It—er—would be nice to think we could, certainly,’ she agreed, in a voice that was growing progressively stronger, though remaining slightly wary at the same time.

‘As you may have gathered by now, my darling mother, together with most of my friends, has decided that it is high time I consider a second marriage.’

No response was forthcoming this time, so he continued undeterred. ‘It seems that most are in agreement that you would make me the ideal wife.’

Again there was no response.

‘They may possibly be correct, but I reserve the right to decide for myself. Just as I believe that you deserve the chance to make up your mind about me, without the least pressure being brought to bear upon you. That could be difficult in the present circumstances, with a certain person watching our every move, waiting with bated breath for us to announce our betrothal, unless we both work together to turn the situation in which we now find ourselves to our mutual advantage.’

She appeared merely bewildered now as she said, ‘And how do you propose that we do that, my lord?’

‘Simply by just being ourselves, and doing precisely what we wish to do. It would be foolish to attempt to avoid one another, as we’ll be residing in the same house, don’t you agree?’

‘Most assuredly.’

‘So what I suggest is that we keep the world guessing by being seen in each other’s company quite frequently, while at the same time not denying ourselves the pleasure of other people’s.’ He continued to hold her full attention. ‘Then, if by the end of the summer, when we have come to know each other a good deal better, we both decide that we should suit, all well and good, and if not…’

He reached for one of her hands and felt those slender, tapering fingers momentarily tremble in his clasp. ‘Either way, child, I want the decision to be ours, yours and mine. Not your mother’s, or mine, or anyone else’s, understand?’

It took a monumental effort, but Robina forced herself to meet his concerned and kindly gaze, and made a rather startling discovery. His eyes were not just a deep, warm brown but were flecked rather attractively with gold.

‘Yes, my lord, I do understand…And—and thank you,’ she said softly, blissfully ignorant of the fact that it had cost him dearly to suggest what he had, that the last thing in the world he had wanted was to release her from any obligations she might feel to marry him.

‘For what, silly child?’ His expressive brows rose. ‘For suggesting something that will benefit us both? Well, if you wish to show your appreciation, you can kindly stop calling me my lord. My name is Daniel.’

‘Oh, I couldn’t possibly address you like that, sir!’ She was genuinely shocked. ‘Mama would never approve.’

‘I’m not particularly interested whether she would or not,’ he returned bluntly. ‘You’ll be residing under my roof for the next few weeks, my girl, so you’ll do what I tell you, especially if you know what’s good for you.’

She gave an uncertain laugh. By repute he was a kind-hearted, considerate man, and yet some inner feminine wisdom warned her that there might be a less agreeable side to him if he was ever crossed. She had already discovered that he was not afraid to speak his mind, and couldn’t help wondering what other interesting facets to his character would emerge before this day was out.

‘Very well, little bird, we’ll compromise. When in private I insist you call me Daniel, and when in public you may call me what ever you like…’ white teeth flashed in a playful smile ‘…providing it is polite, of course.’

Giving the little hand a last reassuring squeeze, Daniel turned his attention back to the greys. ‘We had better catch up with my darling mama, otherwise she might imagine we’ve eloped.’

‘Oh, how excessively romantic!’ Robina exclaimed without thinking, and then turned a glowing crimson when she discovered herself on the receiving end of a startled glance.

‘Excessively uncomfortable, I would have thought,’ he contradicted, slowing his team down as they approached a busy little village, ‘especially if undertaken in an equipage such as this one, and it should come on to rain.’

‘People in love would not consider such a mundane thing as the weather, if they were considering running away together,’ she pointed out, rather enjoying his teasing banter, and liking too the way his eyes were brightened by that wickedly provocative glint.

‘I should,’ he argued, ‘but then I’m a practical sort of person, not given to mad starts. Besides which, having attained the great age of almost six-and-thirty, I enjoy my creature comforts and am far too old to go careering about the country. So I can tell you now, I shall never consider eloping with you.’

‘In that case, I think you were very wise to have second thoughts about making me an offer,’ she informed him quite deliberately, knowing that even half an hour ago she would never have considered saying such a thing to him. Now, however, she felt as if a very close friendship was on the verge of springing up between them. ‘It is quite evident to me at least that we would not have suited. I should very much like a gentleman to go careering about the country with me.’

‘I never said that I had had second thoughts about making you an offer, my girl,’ he corrected. ‘I merely said—What the devil!’

For a moment Robina was startled, then she saw it too—a great brute of a man beating a donkey with a stout stick, and very much appearing as if he was enjoying the exercise, while a woman, with two children frantically clutching at the folds of her skirts, was alternately shouting and pleading with him to stop.

Without a second thought Robina accepted the reins Daniel tossed into her hands, and then watched him stalk across the road. Easily capturing the stick, he proceeded to lay it about the bully’s shoulders before calmly knocking him to the ground with one superbly aimed blow to the jaw.

She was a little too far away to hear clearly what was being said, but a great deal of gesticulating, and swearing, she suspected, especially on the part of the felled bully, followed as Daniel calmly took something from inside his right boot. A moment later the pile of pots and pans which had been tied to the donkey’s back fell to the ground with a clatter, and a further heated altercation between the man and the woman ensued, before Daniel stepped into the breach once again.

Robina was only vaguely aware of what followed, for her attention was taken up with calming the greys, which had taken exception to the noise of the pots and pans clattering on the road. By the time she had them well under control again, the unkempt rogue was trudging off up the village street, carrying his wares on his own back, the two children, no longer sobbing, were leading the donkey into a paddock, and Daniel was accompanying the woman into a charming thatched cottage.

He reappeared a few minutes later, the woman at his heels this time, desperately striving to keep up with his long-striding gait, while attempting to offer her grateful thanks.

‘Not at all, my good woman. Only too pleased to be of assistance,’ Robina heard him say, before he doffed his hat, and came hurriedly across the road towards her.

‘My dear girl, I cannot apologise enough!’ There was an unmistakable flicker of concern in his eyes as he clambered up on the seat and relieved her of the reins. ‘What on earth must you think of me, deserting you in such a fashion! I sincerely trust you weren’t too nervous at being left in charge of the greys?’

‘Not at all,’ she assured him. ‘I frequently tool Papa’s one-horse gig when at home.’ She caught the slight twitch at the corner of his mouth, but didn’t attempt to enquire precisely what he had found so amusing, and merely asked for an account of what had taken place.

‘You saw what happened, I am ashamed to say, but there was little I could do to avoid your witnessing that unfortunate encounter.’ He gave the greys the office to start, once again handling the spirited pair with effortless ease. ‘I am not accounted a violent man, and yet I would be the first to admit that I have an almost pathological hatred for persons who inflict needless cruelty. It wasn’t sufficient for that oaf to pass by the gate of the donkey’s former, caring owners each day, he must needs stop to torment those children further by abusing a creature they both love, and had looked upon as a pet.’

‘How dreadful! I’m very glad we happened along. And now the donkey, I assume, has been restored to its former owners.’

‘Not quite.’ His smile was decidedly rueful. ‘He now belongs to me. I decided, all things considered, that it would be for the best.’

Robina managed to keep her countenance, but it was an effort. It was quite evident that he wasn’t precisely enthusiastic over this latest acquisition, and she could not resist the temptation to tease him a little.

‘I have observed during my weeks in London that it is not unusual for a gentleman of—how shall I phrase it?—an eccentric nature to indulge in rather queer starts from time to time. I suppose you suddenly discovered that you had need of a beast of burden?’

‘I am beginning to discover that there is a strong teasing element in your nature, my girl!’ The swift, narrow-eyed glance he cast her managed to betray both amusement and faint exasperation. ‘No, you provoking little baggage! I did not suddenly take it into my head that I wished to own such a creature. And if you dare to tell another living soul, you’ll regret it! I would become a laughingstock, and the talk of the clubs for weeks!’

She did not suppose for a moment that he would care a jot what the world at large said or thought about him, but she gave her solemn promise none the less, before demanding to know why he had taken it upon himself to make such an odd purchase.

‘Because I discovered that it was in fact that poor woman’s idle husband who sold the beast, before calmly going off and leaving her and their children to fend for themselves. She hasn’t seen him since and doesn’t expect to. There is, however, always the chance that he’ll turn up again, like the proverbial bad penny, and repeat the procedure, leaving her without the means to transport her goods to market, and depriving the children of their pet. So to overcome this possibility, I have given her a letter which states that, on condition she takes good care of the animal, she has my full permission, as its owner, to use the donkey to transport her goods to the local market, but on no account must my property be sold without my written consent.’

How exceedingly kind and considerate he was! Robina decided, as they rejoined the post road and she caught sight of her ladyship’s carriage in the distance. He had been generous to three perfect strangers and no less generous towards her.

By demanding only friendship, he had now made it possible for her to enjoy the weeks ahead without fear that at the end of her stay she would be asked for recompense.

So why then, she wondered, a frown of puzzlement creasing her brow, wasn’t she feeling deliriously happy at this precise moment? Furthermore, why had she suddenly developed this peculiar hollow feeling deep inside?