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Authors: Amanda Grange
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she was,
young girls fresh from the schoolroom are not to Philip’s taste. Besides, I had
to let him marry. Without the temporary marriage he wouldn’t be able to claim
his fortune, and I can’t wait for ever whilst his lawyers try to find another
way round his father’s will.’
‘No, that would never do,’ said Lord Hadley
sardonically. ‘Philip must have his fortune. God forbid that you should marry
him without it.’
‘What would be the point of that? Really, Robert,
sometimes you are just too stupid. If I am to become a leading member of the ton ,
if I am to have influence and power, then I must have the fortune. Rising to
the top requires money: money for clothes and jewels, money for renovating the
London house and the Yorkshire estate - what a pity it’s so far away from
London,’ she added, vexed, before continuing, ‘however, it will have to do. Money
for hosting glittering parties, money for entertaining royalty. If I am to have
money for all these things then I must have the fortune.’
‘ You must?’ he asked mockingly.
‘Philip must,’ she shrugged. ‘It amounts to the same
thing.’
‘And does he know just how mercenary you are, my dear?’
She raised her finely-drawn eyebrows. ‘Philip has few
illusions. He knows the fortune is important to me. Even so, a sensible woman
keeps the less attractive sides of her personality to herself.’
Lord Hadley laughed. ‘I have to admire you, Letitia. You
may be cold and calculating but you know what you want, and you know how to get
it.’
‘I do. And what I want most of all is to be the Countess
of Pemberton.’
‘You’re magnificent,’ said Lord Hadley admiringly. ‘Does
nothing frighten you?’
‘Nothing,’ she said, ‘except poverty and obscurity. Which
is why I have taken a few precautions, in case little Miss Delaware and Philip should get too close
to each other in the coming months. I have made sure that one of the servants
at the Manor is loyal to me. It was easy enough - a little matter of a down
payment, and the promise that he will become the new butler once I am safely
installed at the Manor. Then if Madeline and Philip get too close I will hear
about it, and I will know what to do. I am going to be the Countess of
Pemberton, Robert, and nothing - and no one - is going to stand in my way.’
The
sound of the dinner gong reverberated through Philip’s London house. With one last tweak of her gown Madeline went downstairs.
She would be pleased when her own gowns were finished. Emma’s gowns were a
little too tight for her curvaceous figure, and she would be more comfortable
in clothes that were a proper fit.
The Earl was waiting for her outside the dining-room and
they went in together, sitting in state, one at each end of the long table. To
her surprise, Madeline found that she was hungry. It had been an eventful day.
‘Did you enjoy your afternoon?’ asked the Earl, as one
of the footmen served him with a bowl of green pea soup.
‘Thank you, yes.’
Madeline had spent the afternoon at the modiste’s,
choosing a few final items for her wardrobe. The experience had been as
pleasurable as her previous visits over the last week, and she had not been
able to help making a comparison between her own and her mother’s lives. Her
mother had never been allowed to choose anything for herself, whereas Madeline
had been free to choose her entire wardrobe, selecting the styles and colours
that suited her and that she would find enjoyable to wear.
As they ate their meal, with servants serving each
course - a baked turbot with truffles, stewed venison and finally a pyramid of
sweetmeats – they talked of Madame Rouen’s ideas, and then of the topics of the
day. But when the servants had been dismissed, Madeline found her thoughts
drifting back to the wedding ceremony and the time she had spent in church.
Philip looked at her curiously and then, throwing down
his napkin, said, ‘Something is troubling you.’
‘No.
young girls fresh from the schoolroom are not to Philip’s taste. Besides, I had
to let him marry. Without the temporary marriage he wouldn’t be able to claim
his fortune, and I can’t wait for ever whilst his lawyers try to find another
way round his father’s will.’
‘No, that would never do,’ said Lord Hadley
sardonically. ‘Philip must have his fortune. God forbid that you should marry
him without it.’
‘What would be the point of that? Really, Robert,
sometimes you are just too stupid. If I am to become a leading member of the ton ,
if I am to have influence and power, then I must have the fortune. Rising to
the top requires money: money for clothes and jewels, money for renovating the
London house and the Yorkshire estate - what a pity it’s so far away from
London,’ she added, vexed, before continuing, ‘however, it will have to do. Money
for hosting glittering parties, money for entertaining royalty. If I am to have
money for all these things then I must have the fortune.’
‘ You must?’ he asked mockingly.
‘Philip must,’ she shrugged. ‘It amounts to the same
thing.’
‘And does he know just how mercenary you are, my dear?’
She raised her finely-drawn eyebrows. ‘Philip has few
illusions. He knows the fortune is important to me. Even so, a sensible woman
keeps the less attractive sides of her personality to herself.’
Lord Hadley laughed. ‘I have to admire you, Letitia. You
may be cold and calculating but you know what you want, and you know how to get
it.’
‘I do. And what I want most of all is to be the Countess
of Pemberton.’
‘You’re magnificent,’ said Lord Hadley admiringly. ‘Does
nothing frighten you?’
‘Nothing,’ she said, ‘except poverty and obscurity. Which
is why I have taken a few precautions, in case little Miss Delaware and Philip should get too close
to each other in the coming months. I have made sure that one of the servants
at the Manor is loyal to me. It was easy enough - a little matter of a down
payment, and the promise that he will become the new butler once I am safely
installed at the Manor. Then if Madeline and Philip get too close I will hear
about it, and I will know what to do. I am going to be the Countess of
Pemberton, Robert, and nothing - and no one - is going to stand in my way.’
The
sound of the dinner gong reverberated through Philip’s London house. With one last tweak of her gown Madeline went downstairs.
She would be pleased when her own gowns were finished. Emma’s gowns were a
little too tight for her curvaceous figure, and she would be more comfortable
in clothes that were a proper fit.
The Earl was waiting for her outside the dining-room and
they went in together, sitting in state, one at each end of the long table. To
her surprise, Madeline found that she was hungry. It had been an eventful day.
‘Did you enjoy your afternoon?’ asked the Earl, as one
of the footmen served him with a bowl of green pea soup.
‘Thank you, yes.’
Madeline had spent the afternoon at the modiste’s,
choosing a few final items for her wardrobe. The experience had been as
pleasurable as her previous visits over the last week, and she had not been
able to help making a comparison between her own and her mother’s lives. Her
mother had never been allowed to choose anything for herself, whereas Madeline
had been free to choose her entire wardrobe, selecting the styles and colours
that suited her and that she would find enjoyable to wear.
As they ate their meal, with servants serving each
course - a baked turbot with truffles, stewed venison and finally a pyramid of
sweetmeats – they talked of Madame Rouen’s ideas, and then of the topics of the
day. But when the servants had been dismissed, Madeline found her thoughts
drifting back to the wedding ceremony and the time she had spent in church.
Philip looked at her curiously and then, throwing down
his napkin, said, ‘Something is troubling you.’
‘No.
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