Read Online The Reluctant Bride (Regency Undone) by Claire Firth - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Claire Firth
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Barnes said fearfully. ‘What shall we say?’
‘I am not frightened of him,’ Sophia said firmly. ‘Open the door, Mrs Barnes and let him in.’
But to Sophia’s shock, it was not Browning standing on the threshold but Ralph. For a long moment they stared at each other, neither saying a word then slowly his eyes moved round the room, taking in the dingy surroundings, the single table sitting in the middle of the room piled high with washing, the sight of his wife comforting the distraught woman.
‘What is going on here?’ he demanded.
She felt Mrs. Barnes flinch at her side and pressed her hand reassuringly.
‘Leave this with me Mrs. Barnes. I shall speak with my husband in the privacy of our home,’ this last said with a warning look in Ralph’s direction, ‘and he will tell us what is to be done. This situation cannot be allowed to continue. My Lord - if you would care to escort me?’
She thought for one moment he was going to insist on discovering the truth of the situation there and then but with a curt nod in Mrs. Barnes’ direction he followed his wife out of the little house.
‘You followed me?’ she accused in a low, angry voice as he aided her in mounting her horse. ‘Do you not trust your wife, Sir?’
‘Not when she is so obviously deceiving me and refusing to confide in me! Is that where you have been going all these weeks ... to visit that woman?’
‘Her and others like her,’ Sophia retorted angrily, aware that her secret could be kept from him no longer.
‘I cannot envisage such a thing! It is not appropriate that my wife should mix so freely with the locals – without even an escort. You place yourself at immeasurable risk in doing so.’
‘Oh stuff and nonsense!’ Sophia declared. ‘These people are your tenants ... they look to you and me for protection when they hit hard times ... and what do they get instead? Your man Browning threatening to evict them from their homes when they are too ill to go into work – stopping their wages so that they cannot afford to even put food on their tables ...’
‘Do not be ridiculous,’ Ralph said impatiently. ‘Is that what they tell you?’
‘It is true! The Barnes are not the only family to have been so ill used. I have seen with my own eyes what is going on and I cannot condone it. Nor can I stay quiet any longer. You have been away too long my Lord and left Browning to run things in a manner that is not worthy of your … our… name. Today he has made a man with pneumonia return to work or face eviction from his home. Is that the sort of reputation as a Landlord that you wish to acquire amongst your peers?’
This last was said with such disdain that Ralph flinched.
‘Browning has run the estate for the last six years. My father trusted him. I cannot believe he would abuse his position in such a manner.’
‘And how would you know ?’ Sophia demanded. ‘Have you ever visited your tenants yourself and discussed with them the situations they have to endure? I think not! Before your return here you had not visited since the death of your father over a year ago. My papa may be a gambler but he knows every one of his tenants in person – and so did I and Mama!’
‘Well that is not how things are done on this estate. I will not have my wife wandering the entire countryside without even a groom at her side. Do you understand?’
‘Oh, you…’ With an exasperated kick into her horse’s side Sophia spurred Bella furiously on, the wind in her hair doing little to relieve the angry heat in her cheeks as she took off through the woods. Hadn’t she known he would put an end to her visits - the one thing in her life that gave her pleasure and a sense of worth? Despite her best endeavours to stop them, she felt the tears well up and trickle stingingly down her cheeks. How glad she was that the wind brushed them away as quickly as they fell.
A few
‘I am not frightened of him,’ Sophia said firmly. ‘Open the door, Mrs Barnes and let him in.’
But to Sophia’s shock, it was not Browning standing on the threshold but Ralph. For a long moment they stared at each other, neither saying a word then slowly his eyes moved round the room, taking in the dingy surroundings, the single table sitting in the middle of the room piled high with washing, the sight of his wife comforting the distraught woman.
‘What is going on here?’ he demanded.
She felt Mrs. Barnes flinch at her side and pressed her hand reassuringly.
‘Leave this with me Mrs. Barnes. I shall speak with my husband in the privacy of our home,’ this last said with a warning look in Ralph’s direction, ‘and he will tell us what is to be done. This situation cannot be allowed to continue. My Lord - if you would care to escort me?’
She thought for one moment he was going to insist on discovering the truth of the situation there and then but with a curt nod in Mrs. Barnes’ direction he followed his wife out of the little house.
‘You followed me?’ she accused in a low, angry voice as he aided her in mounting her horse. ‘Do you not trust your wife, Sir?’
‘Not when she is so obviously deceiving me and refusing to confide in me! Is that where you have been going all these weeks ... to visit that woman?’
‘Her and others like her,’ Sophia retorted angrily, aware that her secret could be kept from him no longer.
‘I cannot envisage such a thing! It is not appropriate that my wife should mix so freely with the locals – without even an escort. You place yourself at immeasurable risk in doing so.’
‘Oh stuff and nonsense!’ Sophia declared. ‘These people are your tenants ... they look to you and me for protection when they hit hard times ... and what do they get instead? Your man Browning threatening to evict them from their homes when they are too ill to go into work – stopping their wages so that they cannot afford to even put food on their tables ...’
‘Do not be ridiculous,’ Ralph said impatiently. ‘Is that what they tell you?’
‘It is true! The Barnes are not the only family to have been so ill used. I have seen with my own eyes what is going on and I cannot condone it. Nor can I stay quiet any longer. You have been away too long my Lord and left Browning to run things in a manner that is not worthy of your … our… name. Today he has made a man with pneumonia return to work or face eviction from his home. Is that the sort of reputation as a Landlord that you wish to acquire amongst your peers?’
This last was said with such disdain that Ralph flinched.
‘Browning has run the estate for the last six years. My father trusted him. I cannot believe he would abuse his position in such a manner.’
‘And how would you know ?’ Sophia demanded. ‘Have you ever visited your tenants yourself and discussed with them the situations they have to endure? I think not! Before your return here you had not visited since the death of your father over a year ago. My papa may be a gambler but he knows every one of his tenants in person – and so did I and Mama!’
‘Well that is not how things are done on this estate. I will not have my wife wandering the entire countryside without even a groom at her side. Do you understand?’
‘Oh, you…’ With an exasperated kick into her horse’s side Sophia spurred Bella furiously on, the wind in her hair doing little to relieve the angry heat in her cheeks as she took off through the woods. Hadn’t she known he would put an end to her visits - the one thing in her life that gave her pleasure and a sense of worth? Despite her best endeavours to stop them, she felt the tears well up and trickle stingingly down her cheeks. How glad she was that the wind brushed them away as quickly as they fell.
A few
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