Read Online Hester Waring's Marriage by Paula Marshall - Free Book Online Page B

with the child again, and remembered her evident affection for the little ones she had been teaching when he had seen her in the classroom. He remembered also the sudden bright eye which she had turned on him in the middle of their ridiculous conversation, which she had obviously enjoyed as much as he had. The desire to provoke her, to see her spring to life, to hear her ripostes to the nonsense he so gravely treated her to, grew on him each time that he met her. Only her thin, pinched face still troubled him—for surely she could afford good food now.
    That’s it! I do believe that the poor creature would be quite pretty if she got some good food down her, was given a little affection and some new clothes. She’s already beginning to display much more spirit since she became a schoolteacher. She’s not my style, of course, being little and dark instead of big and fair like Mary Mahoney and the others. But what of that? I’m not in any danger of losing my heart to her.
    What was it Mary had said to him before they parted? Marry a lady. Well, Hester Waring’s a lady, though shewon’t be if she falls any further. But no lady of the first flight would marry me. She’s a sensible little thing, clever, too, by the ingenious way in which she answers me when I tease her. I thought that she was capable when we interviewed her. Yes, she’d make an excellent housekeeper, and a wife who would know what’s what, the right fork to use and what to say and do. There’s a thought!
    But the idea of getting into bed with any man, especially me, would send her scurrying away like a hare. She nearly turned and ran when she saw me today, for all her brave face. Her dreadful father might have made her frightened of me, but, judging by the way she looks at them, he’s made her scared witless of any man she meets.
    A slow grin spread over his face. Well, I know a trick or two, and one of them might bring Hester Waring to a place she might not have fancied originally!

Chapter Four
    â€˜I want a word with you, Jardine.’
    Jardine rose and bowed as Tom entered. He was a conscientious man of indeterminate age, not an ex-felon, who held a number of small appointments under the Governor.
    All of these offices brought him into contact with a large number of people in Sydney and Tom found it useful to talk to him when there was anyone or anything about whom he thought that he needed information. He was careful not to appear to bribe him, but Jardine had more sense than to enquire who it was who left the occasional bag of groceries or the odd bottle of whisky propped up against his back door.
    Jardine had grown used to Tom’s ways, and he wondered what information he needed now. He was surprised when, after nodding his assent to Tom’s request, Tom said brusquely, ‘Hester Waring. I take it that her salary is being paid promptly?’
    Jardine knew better than to bridle. ‘Of course—why do you ask?’
    â€˜Because the girl looks more thin and harried than ever. She’s still not getting enough to eat. I should have thought she’d be plumper by now on what we’re giving her.Where’s the money going? I know it’s not going to Mrs Cooke. She’s getting that room for a peppercorn’s rent.’
    So here was something Tom Dilhorne did not know. Probably because he had never cared enough before what Hester Waring was doing.
    â€˜There’s a perfectly reasonable explanation,’ Jardine began.
    â€˜There is?’ Tom was satiric. ‘I should like to know what it is.’
    â€˜You are aware that Jem Larkin does a little business in buying up debts—’ He got no further. Tom was there before him.
    â€˜By God, you’re telling me that Larkin is dunning her to pay her father’s debts—and she’s fool enough to pay them.’
    â€˜Exactly, and Larkin’s upped the interest since we appointed her—or so I’ve