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Authors: Phyllis Mallett
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exclaimed. ‘Thank heaven you have no idea of what I am about to do. I hope this evil will be removed before you recover.’
She sat down beside his bed and rubbed Henry’s limp hands, gazing at his ashen face and praying that he would soon regain his senses.
The morning passed and Beth began to suffer the tortures of fear as the hour of her departure neared. When there was a knocking at the front door she tiptoed to the top of the stairs and saw Rose admitting a middle-aged woman, who set down a large box and began to remove her coat and hat. Nick entered the house at that moment, and Beth experienced a pang of hope that somehow he would be able to help her. As she descended the stairs, Nick smiled at her.
‘I’ve brought Mistress Appleyard, who will take care of Father now you are leaving,’ Nick said. ‘I’m glad you’ve come to your senses, Beth. It would have been terrible if Peake had taken possession of the manor.’
‘And that’s all it means to you,’ she responded bitterly. ‘I’ve saved the roof over your head and you give not a second thought to my plight.’
He shrugged.
‘It’s no use kicking against what has to be. If you’re ready, I’ll drive you back to Peake’s. I brought Mrs Appleyard, and have instructions to take you back with me.’
‘Will you stay here and watch over Father?’ she implored.
‘I can’t do that. Father brought this trouble down upon us, and he will have to face the consequences when he awakes. There is no way we can resist Peake so we have to make the best of it, and for you, marrying Peake is a small price to pay to save Sedge Manor.’
Beth went to the door and left the house without looking back. Descending the terrace steps, she entered Jonah Peake’s big coach. Nick and the coach driver carried down her trunk and stowed it aboard the coach. Then they departed. Beth sat silent on the trip into town, and when Nick attempted to converse with her, she pointedly ignored him until he finally gave up trying and lapsed into silence.
Rain lashed the coach as it halted at the front door of Peake’s mansion, which stood in the main street leading to the harbour overlooking Polgarron Bay. The house was surrounded by trees encompassed by a high wall, and iron gates shut off the driveway from the street. The driver humped Beth’s trunk into the house while Nick went ahead with Beth.
The housekeeper confronted them at the door. She was a tall, thin woman with a permanently sour expression on her gaunt face. Dressed in funereal black from head to toe, she sniffed as she gazed at Beth with bird-like brown eyes that were expressionless. Beth returned the gaze with a chill stare, not feeling disposed to be friendly.
‘This is Mrs Fetters,’ Nick said by way of introduction. ‘She has been the housekeeper here for many years.’
‘Miss Peake is in the drawing-room.’ Mrs Fetters spoke in an impersonal tone.
‘I am to escort you into her presence on your arrival. Follow me.’
The housekeeper crossed the hall to a door opposite, and Nick gave Beth a little push to get her moving in the same direction. Beth bestowed a withering glance upon her brother and followed the housekeeper into a long, well-furnished room that had two tall windows overlooking the bay. Glancing through the nearest window, Beth then looked around the room and saw a middle-aged lady seated in an easy chair beside a roaring fire. Jonah Peake’s sister was dressed in a plain dark-blue gown.
‘I am Matilda Peake and you are Elizabeth Farrell.’
She motioned with her hand and the housekeeper sat down on a seat by the window.
‘Come and sit by the fire,’ she continued in a tone which indicated that she would suffer no disobedience. ‘Jonah hoped to be here to greet you but had to go out on business, so we will wait together for his return. I must say that I am overwhelmed with shock at this turn of events.’
There was no warmth in Matilda’s voice, and her wrinkled face was
She sat down beside his bed and rubbed Henry’s limp hands, gazing at his ashen face and praying that he would soon regain his senses.
The morning passed and Beth began to suffer the tortures of fear as the hour of her departure neared. When there was a knocking at the front door she tiptoed to the top of the stairs and saw Rose admitting a middle-aged woman, who set down a large box and began to remove her coat and hat. Nick entered the house at that moment, and Beth experienced a pang of hope that somehow he would be able to help her. As she descended the stairs, Nick smiled at her.
‘I’ve brought Mistress Appleyard, who will take care of Father now you are leaving,’ Nick said. ‘I’m glad you’ve come to your senses, Beth. It would have been terrible if Peake had taken possession of the manor.’
‘And that’s all it means to you,’ she responded bitterly. ‘I’ve saved the roof over your head and you give not a second thought to my plight.’
He shrugged.
‘It’s no use kicking against what has to be. If you’re ready, I’ll drive you back to Peake’s. I brought Mrs Appleyard, and have instructions to take you back with me.’
‘Will you stay here and watch over Father?’ she implored.
‘I can’t do that. Father brought this trouble down upon us, and he will have to face the consequences when he awakes. There is no way we can resist Peake so we have to make the best of it, and for you, marrying Peake is a small price to pay to save Sedge Manor.’
Beth went to the door and left the house without looking back. Descending the terrace steps, she entered Jonah Peake’s big coach. Nick and the coach driver carried down her trunk and stowed it aboard the coach. Then they departed. Beth sat silent on the trip into town, and when Nick attempted to converse with her, she pointedly ignored him until he finally gave up trying and lapsed into silence.
Rain lashed the coach as it halted at the front door of Peake’s mansion, which stood in the main street leading to the harbour overlooking Polgarron Bay. The house was surrounded by trees encompassed by a high wall, and iron gates shut off the driveway from the street. The driver humped Beth’s trunk into the house while Nick went ahead with Beth.
The housekeeper confronted them at the door. She was a tall, thin woman with a permanently sour expression on her gaunt face. Dressed in funereal black from head to toe, she sniffed as she gazed at Beth with bird-like brown eyes that were expressionless. Beth returned the gaze with a chill stare, not feeling disposed to be friendly.
‘This is Mrs Fetters,’ Nick said by way of introduction. ‘She has been the housekeeper here for many years.’
‘Miss Peake is in the drawing-room.’ Mrs Fetters spoke in an impersonal tone.
‘I am to escort you into her presence on your arrival. Follow me.’
The housekeeper crossed the hall to a door opposite, and Nick gave Beth a little push to get her moving in the same direction. Beth bestowed a withering glance upon her brother and followed the housekeeper into a long, well-furnished room that had two tall windows overlooking the bay. Glancing through the nearest window, Beth then looked around the room and saw a middle-aged lady seated in an easy chair beside a roaring fire. Jonah Peake’s sister was dressed in a plain dark-blue gown.
‘I am Matilda Peake and you are Elizabeth Farrell.’
She motioned with her hand and the housekeeper sat down on a seat by the window.
‘Come and sit by the fire,’ she continued in a tone which indicated that she would suffer no disobedience. ‘Jonah hoped to be here to greet you but had to go out on business, so we will wait together for his return. I must say that I am overwhelmed with shock at this turn of events.’
There was no warmth in Matilda’s voice, and her wrinkled face was
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