Читать книгу A Rumored Engagement - Lily George - Страница 11

Chapter Three

“Indeed?” Paul quirked an eyebrow with amusement. “If it’s true, then why haven’t you married? And why isn’t she here with you, in Goodwin Hall? Why is she staying in a hovel?”

“’Twas meant as a way to keep her uncle Arthur from forcing her into a marriage she didn’t want. We concocted the plan.” Daniel’s fists clenched at the memory. “Her aunt was browbeating her into marrying some fat, doddering fool of a country squire. And the blackguard spent all their money. She went from being a gentleman’s daughter to an apprentice milliner. Her family left Tansley when she was still a young lass. And her parents died soon after. So within a couple of years after their passing, her life turned upside down.” He heaved a deep sigh.

“And you never married?” Paul shrugged his shoulders. “What happened that kept you apart?”

“We never had a formal plan.” There was no excusing it, or even explaining it. “I never received a letter from her, so I assumed she had found another way out. And I was enjoying my life on the sea. It was a passion of mine.”

“You’ll forgive me for saying so, but you were passionate about the wrong thing entirely,” Paul replied in a tone so dry that Daniel winced. “So, if she’s not your fiancée in truth, then she must be fair game.”

“She’s not one of your light skirts, Paul. She may have to work for a living, but she’s not what I will allow you to consider fair game.” He stalked over to the decanters and began pouring out the rich amber liquid.

Paul gave a short bark of laughter. “I don’t think of every woman in that way.”

Daniel slanted his gaze over at his friend as he handed him his drink. “Don’t you, old fellow?”

“I may have been unhappy in love, but I declare that a lady like Susannah could make a chap believe in the theory of marriage again. Those magnificent eyes...that Titian hair...”

“Enough.” He didn’t appreciate Paul cataloging Susy’s physical attributes. He couldn’t suppress the proprietary feeling that arose from deep within. Whether she admitted to it or not, he couldn’t stop thinking of her as his fiancée. And there needed to be a sense of propriety about that fact. “Anything more about her beauty and I’ll be hard pressed not to plant you a facer.”

“Fine, fine. Truce, and all that.” Paul held his palms in the air in supplication. “I shan’t say another word.” The secretive, absorbed expression on his friend’s face showed that, though he would refrain from speaking about Susannah, he’d not cease in thinking about her. “What do you intend to do now?”

“When I spoke to Susannah this morning, I alluded to our problem,” he admitted. “But she indicated that she had no interest in renewing even my friendship, to say nothing of our engagement. She’s proud, Paul. Very proud. I have to step carefully if I am to keep from offending her.”

“How did you broach the subject?” Paul took a long sip of his scotch with nary a shudder.

“Well, I...uh...” How embarrassing to rehash the disastrous conversation. Better to keep it short. “That she could come to tea here at the Hall.”

Paul shook his head gravely, rolling his eyes. “I am sure she leaped at the opportunity,” he mocked, his voice dripping sarcasm.

Daniel shrugged, concealing his annoyance at Paul’s tone. “What? I couldn’t very well profess my undying love for her. She’s got brains and is quite acute, Paul. She’d know it was a lie. I’m not going to insult her intelligence.”

“And so, instead, you invited her to a tea party?” Paul set aside his empty glass and made an impatient movement with his hands. “I quite understand that you couldn’t very well sweep her into your arms. But what of romance? Surely you should woo the lady a bit first.”

“I wouldn’t even know how to start. I don’t love her, you know.” Daniel rubbed a weary hand over his brow. How extraordinary to court one’s own fiancée. Most fellows went about it the other way around. “And I have no knowledge of happy marriages. Or of romance.”

“Plenty of marriages have been built on less.” Paul narrowed his eyes, predatory as a panther. “What do you want from her, anyway?”

“I want to help. When I went to sea, old man, I had much to keep me occupied. I had no idea where Susannah had gone, or what happened to her. I never got any letters from her, you see. So I just—” He broke off a moment, fumbling to find the right words. “I never forgot her. I just let the matter go. As I have with everything else in this blighted village.”

“I know your family life was rather awful.” Paul stood and helped himself to another tumbler of scotch. “I have been unhappy in love, but at least I grew up in a loving home. In fact—if you want my advice—don’t think of her in terms of love. Don’t seize control of anything. Simply be kind to her. It never hurts to have a pretty gel’s favor, you know.”

“Being friends. That sounds rather nice.” He cleared his throat and began anew. “How should I start?”

“Remember what she likes. Poetry, flowers and whatnot. Women like jewels, too, but that could be considered too forward if your intentions are honorable.” Paul settled back in his chair. “And if they aren’t, you certainly don’t need my advice for that.”

Daniel scowled at Paul. “Of course my intentions are honorable.”

Befriending Susannah Siddons would be no ordinary task. She wasn’t like other women, not even when she was a slip of a girl. She was sharp and bright and had a disconcerting habit of laughing at you when she thought you weren’t being sincere. So, giving her jewels and silks would be quite out of the question. He’d have to be more original than that.

“They’re most dreadfully poor, you know. From a gentleman’s daughter, she’s gone into trade,” he muttered. “Rather painful to see that. Perhaps I could help. When I saw her this morning, she was buying food.”

“That’s easy enough to handle. Send her a hamper. Load it with every delicious morsel you can think of.” Paul waved his hands as though the problem had been decisively solved.

“A good idea.” He’d ask Cook to put something together. Susannah would have something to eat. And maybe she would think kindly on him. And they could be friends.

Life wouldn’t seem so bleak then.

“Hear, hear. Go on, then. Ring the bell. And while you’re ordering the Siddons dinner, make sure to ask for something for us, too? I vow, I am feeling my liquor far too quickly, and it’s due to this empty stomach.” Paul slapped his midsection and groaned.

Daniel nodded and headed for the bellpull. Yes, this was a good plan. ’Twas the only way he could begin to bridge the gap of the past.

* * *

“We won’t accept it. Take it back.” Susannah scowled at the maid before her, drawing herself up to her full height—small though that was. “While we appreciate Mr. Hale’s generosity—”

“Sue, please.” Nan popped her head around the door frame and eyed the basket of food hungrily. “It’s a hospitable gesture and nothing more. Don’t be so missish.”

Susannah glared at her younger sister, who responded by widening her already large brown eyes appealingly. Then she swallowed, for the tantalizing smells drifting up from the basket the servant held were almost too good to endure. They’d finished the cinnamon bread at luncheon, and after a hard day of scrubbing and putting the cottage to rights, all three sisters were famished.

“Mr. Hale said he must insist.” The maid shifted her weight from one foot to the other and placed the heavy basket on the front stoop. “I’ll just leave it here and be on me way. I’m late for me own tea as ʼtis.” The maid rubbed her palms on her apron, and with a cheeky wave, set off across the dwindling path toward Goodwin Hall.

Nan scooped up the basket. “Becky, there’s food,” she called indoors. “Oh, ’tis heavy. Susannah, grab hold and help me carry it.”

Susannah unfolded her arms and grabbed one of the basket handles. Oh, gracious, was that chicken she smelled? A roast chicken? Her stomach grumbled in appreciation.

“Food? From whom?” Becky hastened forward to help, and together, the three sisters plunked the basket on the table. Susannah took a step backward as her sisters plundered the basket. As they dug out dish after dish, a scrap of foolscap fluttered to the bare wood floor. She grasped it and unrolled it carefully.

“Pies—meat and fruit. Oh, Becky, it’s fairly oozing berries. I cannot wait to try this.”

“Nan, do look! Bread and cheese, and a tin of tea. It’s too much, I tell you. We shall feast for a week on this.”

Susannah eyed her sisters as she opened the parchment. They were too busy to take any notice of her, so she strolled over to the firelight to better read the note. Good gracious, Daniel’s handwriting had grown wobbly over the years.

Dear Susannah,

I thought perhaps you’d have few provisions laid in and thought I would send a few things from the Hall. Perhaps this will help make your first few days in Tansley more enjoyable.

Please do not hesitate to call upon me if you are in need of anything.

I am, as ever,

Your humble servant Daniel

“Whatever are you reading, Sue?” Nan demanded, a loaf of crusty bread in each hand. “Come, sit down. We shall have a feast worthy of all our hard work.”

“She’s reading a love letter from her fiancé, no doubt,” Becky answered, giving Nan a wink. “After all, we owe this largesse to him.”

“Hush. Both of you.” Susannah cast the foolscap into the fire and folded her arms across her chest. “My engagement to Daniel helped us out of a dreadful situation. ’Tis no cause for levity.”

Becky bit her lip and cast her eyes down at her plate. “I’m sorry.”

Susannah sighed, looking at them both. They had worked hard all day—and they had earned a decent meal. In fact, until Daniel’s servant showed up at the door, she’d had no idea what they were going to eat for dinner. So...she would merely have to swallow her pride on this one. Let the girls enjoy a real feast. It was terribly kind of Daniel to think of them, after all.

“Enjoy your feast,” she said quietly. “You’ve earned every mouthful.”

“You, too, Sue.” Nan patted the chair beside her. “You’ll feel much better after you’ve had a bite to eat.” She bowed her head and led them in prayer.

And the remarkable thing was—she did. ’Twas amazing how a dinner of chicken, bread and cheese could take the edge off the harshness of life. And there were apples, too. She crunched into the bright red fruit happily, relishing its sweet juice. Even the thinness seemed to go out of her sisters’ cheeks and they looked positively rosy.

As darkness fell over the cottage, illuminated only by a few candles and the firelight, even its rough edges appeared more attractive. Susannah sat back in her chair, meditatively twirling the apple core on her plate. They might—just might—do quite well in Tansley. The baker had thought so, and she was a woman who had her own shop. She had started young, too. So perhaps this was no chance meeting this morning. Perhaps it was a good omen. A sign of His blessing, even.

She glanced across the table at her sisters. Nan had pushed her plate aside and laid her head down on the burnished wood. The slow rise and fall of her shoulders indicated that she was sleeping deeply. Susannah shook her head and a smile lifted the corners of her mouth. She’d have to move Nan soon, or her sister would awaken with a terribly stiff neck.

“Susy?” Becky murmured softly. “What made you decide to marry Daniel Hale?”

Susannah stopped toying with her apple core. “You know why. Uncle was going to make me marry that lout Sheppard. And so I asked Daniel for his help.”

“Yes, but why Daniel? There were other boys living near us. Why did you go to him above anyone else? Why did you seek him out instead of running away?” Becky tilted her head and gazed at Susannah intently.

“Well, if I had run away, I would have had to leave you two behind. So that would have been a foolish idea.” She sighed. Why had she asked Daniel? It had seemed like the natural decision back then. She hadn’t even questioned it. “Well, he was there. He had come to Bath to visit some of his family, and we could meet each other that way. It all just fell into place, you see. And I suppose I asked Daniel because he always knew how to get out of tricky situations. That was his charm. I knew I could depend on him to help me out of that mess.”

Becky leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table. “That’s nice. So why don’t you think you can depend on him now?”

Susannah flicked a glance at Nan as she lay cradling her head on the table. “Shush. You’ll wake your sister.” In truth, she didn’t want to think about the matter, much less hash it over with Becky. She couldn’t focus on the past. She had to plan for the future.

“She’s sleeping. She’ll sleep for hours like that if we let her.” Becky wound her shawl more tightly around her shoulders. “Doesn’t it seem...odd...to you that we should come home to Tansley only to find your fiancé here? Almost like fate or destiny.” Her tone grew shivery and romantic.

Susannah resisted the urge to roll her eyes and crush her sister’s romantic visions. Becky had always been the dreamer of the three, the most inclined to moon over Byron. Susannah, with her iron fist of practicality, had learned the difficult way to rein herself in around Becky over the years and not ride roughshod over Becky’s girlish ideals.

“It’s not fate or destiny. Both of our families are from the village. It’s just...common ground.” She rubbed her eyes with a weary hand. What an exhausting day it had been. “I think I’ll rouse Nan enough to help her upstairs.”

“Wait. You never answered my question.” Becky was nothing if not persistent. “Why can’t you depend on him now? Can’t you become Daniel’s wife in truth?”

“Don’t be absurd. He never thought about me in all those years. Why do you persist in making our engagement something it wasn’t?” She rose stiffly, shaking out her skirts. “He helped a long time ago because I asked for his assistance. What kind of woman would I be if, years later, I showed up on his doorstep begging for help again? I must earn my own way in this world. True independence is my only hope for freedom.”

“Hmm.” Becky smothered a yawn with her palm. “All this talk of being alone...I don’t know. He’s awfully handsome, Susy. So tall. So formidable and yet approachable. And he’s your—”

“No, he’s not.” Time to put an end to this. She had no desire to investigate her past any further. She’d already spent far too much of her day on Daniel Hale. Time that should have been spent devoted to her shop. Susannah shook Nan gently and helped her to her feet. “Take Nan upstairs and you two go on to bed. I’ll tidy up down here, and then I will be along.” She needed a few moments to compose herself.

She tucked away the leftover food in the tiny larder adjacent to the kitchen. They’d have enough to eat for a few days at least. She would never accept charity again, but in this case—well, it was certainly going to go to good use.

A sudden chill ran through her body, and she clasped her arms across her chest. She strode over to the hearth to warm herself. She could never prevail upon him for help again. Her words to Becky rang true. She couldn’t very well presume upon a relationship that obviously meant nothing to him. After all, he had never written her. Not once in all his travels around the world.

And there it was. That was the truth. She couldn’t trust him because a tiny, bitter part of her resented the fact that he’d never once checked in on her during those long years. After her first few letters went unanswered, she knew the harsh truth. Daniel was away on the high seas and had simply forgotten her. That was his way. He was as mercurial as quicksilver and would never conform to any sort of stability. Over time, the raw, impotent rage she felt at being left behind had callused over. She would never count on him again, not for anything important.

But...perhaps she could count Daniel merely as a friend. She would never venture to be more than that, and it would behoove her to keep him at arm’s length. But after being alone in this world and taking care of her two sisters for so long, it was nice to have someone one’s own age as an acquaintance. She didn’t feel quite as miserably alone now.

She dusted her hands on her apron and blew out the few beeswax candles that hadn’t burned too low. Lit only by the flickering firelight, the dining room was warm and cozy. She sat on the hearthstone and surveyed her little kingdom with pride.

She said a quick prayer of gratitude.

The trip to Tansley, which had started so poorly, was looking much brighter.