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Authors: Johanna Lindsey
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me to serve the table?”
“No, you will dine with the family,” Jacob said in a patient tone.
“But I can’t do that!” Angela was becoming alarmed. “They won’t like it!”
“I am the head of this household, Angela. My family may be stubborn and spoiled, but my word is law. And I thought we agreed you would call me Jacob,” he reminded with a gentle smile.
When they appeared in the doorway, all eyes in the dining room turned to them. Angela felt her palms begin to sweat. She didn’t understand what this was all about. Why did Jacob insist she dine with them tonight? There was bound to beresentment. She saw it already, just because Jacob had dared to bring her into the room with him.
“Are we having another guest for supper, Father?”
It was Zachary Maitland who asked the question. Angela had never seen Zachary before, but she wasn’t surprised by the resemblance he bore his father. He reminded her of Bradford, except for his bright green eyes.
“Why do you ask?”
“There’s been an extra plate set at the table,” Crystal volunteered.
“The extra setting is for Angela,” Jacob replied, and looked at each person in the room to gauge their reactions.
“You can’t mean to let her eat with us just ’cause she’s white!” Crystal exclaimed indignantly. “I’ve never heard of anything so preposterous!”
“This is absurd, Father,” Zachary added. “What will the other servants think!”
“That’s enough!” Jacob pronounced. It was such a commanding tone that it brought immediate silence.
“I intend to explain,” Jacob went on in a calmer tone. “But first, Robert, my boy, be so good as to let Angela have your seat. I want her to sit next to me.”
Robert thought of Jacob Maitland as a second father. He had done so ever since he and Zacharybecame close friends twelve years before. But he did as he was asked without a word.
“You really are goin’ too far, Father Maitland. How much more of this do you expect us to put up with?”
“You will put up with anything I desire, my dear. I believe my wishes are still law in this house.”
Jacob brought Angela to the chair and pushed it in for her, then sat down at the head of the table. Angela fearfully kept her eyes lowered.
“Now I have quite a bit to say,” Jacob began in a level voice. “I informed all of you yesterday that one of my renters had passed on, and had left his daughter an orphan. I told you that I felt responsible for Angela Sherrington, having known her father all these years, and that I was bringing her to Golden Oaks to live. I told Angela exactly the same thing. Now how on earth could all of you, including Angela, come to the conclusion that I brought her here to be a servant?”
“You mean that’s not why she’s here?” Zachary asked incredulously.
“It most certainly is not!”
“Oh, Lord! Then Robby was right!” Crystal gasped. “How do you dare bring your mistress here and flaunt her in front of us?”
“For God’s sake!” Jacob stormed, his eyes suddenly alive with fire. “Where do you get these incredible notions? If I were going to be crudeenough to bring my mistress into my house, then I would be crude enough to tell you about it. And since you have already opened this tasteless subject, I will tell you that I most certainly do have a mistress, who lives comfortably in the city. She is a lovely widow in her late thirties, who has no wish to remarry, though I have asked her. That you would think me lecherous enough to seduce a child Angela’s age is unforgivable!”
“Then why have you brought her here?” Crystal asked defiantly.
Jacob sighed. “Angela is to become a member of this family, and she is to be treated as such.”
“You can’t be serious?” Zachary laughed.
“I have never been more serious in my life. I have known Angela since she was born, and I’ve always been concerned for her welfare. I feel like a father to her, and if she will let me, I would like to be just
“No, you will dine with the family,” Jacob said in a patient tone.
“But I can’t do that!” Angela was becoming alarmed. “They won’t like it!”
“I am the head of this household, Angela. My family may be stubborn and spoiled, but my word is law. And I thought we agreed you would call me Jacob,” he reminded with a gentle smile.
When they appeared in the doorway, all eyes in the dining room turned to them. Angela felt her palms begin to sweat. She didn’t understand what this was all about. Why did Jacob insist she dine with them tonight? There was bound to beresentment. She saw it already, just because Jacob had dared to bring her into the room with him.
“Are we having another guest for supper, Father?”
It was Zachary Maitland who asked the question. Angela had never seen Zachary before, but she wasn’t surprised by the resemblance he bore his father. He reminded her of Bradford, except for his bright green eyes.
“Why do you ask?”
“There’s been an extra plate set at the table,” Crystal volunteered.
“The extra setting is for Angela,” Jacob replied, and looked at each person in the room to gauge their reactions.
“You can’t mean to let her eat with us just ’cause she’s white!” Crystal exclaimed indignantly. “I’ve never heard of anything so preposterous!”
“This is absurd, Father,” Zachary added. “What will the other servants think!”
“That’s enough!” Jacob pronounced. It was such a commanding tone that it brought immediate silence.
“I intend to explain,” Jacob went on in a calmer tone. “But first, Robert, my boy, be so good as to let Angela have your seat. I want her to sit next to me.”
Robert thought of Jacob Maitland as a second father. He had done so ever since he and Zacharybecame close friends twelve years before. But he did as he was asked without a word.
“You really are goin’ too far, Father Maitland. How much more of this do you expect us to put up with?”
“You will put up with anything I desire, my dear. I believe my wishes are still law in this house.”
Jacob brought Angela to the chair and pushed it in for her, then sat down at the head of the table. Angela fearfully kept her eyes lowered.
“Now I have quite a bit to say,” Jacob began in a level voice. “I informed all of you yesterday that one of my renters had passed on, and had left his daughter an orphan. I told you that I felt responsible for Angela Sherrington, having known her father all these years, and that I was bringing her to Golden Oaks to live. I told Angela exactly the same thing. Now how on earth could all of you, including Angela, come to the conclusion that I brought her here to be a servant?”
“You mean that’s not why she’s here?” Zachary asked incredulously.
“It most certainly is not!”
“Oh, Lord! Then Robby was right!” Crystal gasped. “How do you dare bring your mistress here and flaunt her in front of us?”
“For God’s sake!” Jacob stormed, his eyes suddenly alive with fire. “Where do you get these incredible notions? If I were going to be crudeenough to bring my mistress into my house, then I would be crude enough to tell you about it. And since you have already opened this tasteless subject, I will tell you that I most certainly do have a mistress, who lives comfortably in the city. She is a lovely widow in her late thirties, who has no wish to remarry, though I have asked her. That you would think me lecherous enough to seduce a child Angela’s age is unforgivable!”
“Then why have you brought her here?” Crystal asked defiantly.
Jacob sighed. “Angela is to become a member of this family, and she is to be treated as such.”
“You can’t be serious?” Zachary laughed.
“I have never been more serious in my life. I have known Angela since she was born, and I’ve always been concerned for her welfare. I feel like a father to her, and if she will let me, I would like to be just
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