Read Online Tuesday's Child (Heroines Born on Each Day of the Week Book 3) by Rosemary Morris - Free Book Online
Authors: Rosemary Morris
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thoughts strayed too often, in the dreary room. A surge of intense sexual desire caught him by surprise. He ignored it, and turned his attention to his sister. “You are right, Gwenifer, the drawing room does need to be refurbished, so does this room, in fact –”
“All the rooms in the house need to be overhauled,” his sister interrupted.
“Yes, you may have a free hand if you agree not to redecorate in the gothic style.” To amuse her, he pretended to shudder. “Perhaps you would prefer to make arrangements for redecoration to be done while we are at one of my other parishes. The curate may supervise, it will give him something other than damnation and hell to mull over. No matter how often I remind him we should make a joyous sound unto the Lord, Henderson is determined to be dismal.”
“I would not trust him to oversee the work,” Gwenifer remarked, obviously amused by the idea. “Oh, Henderson’s heart is good enough, he visits the poor and the sick and is … er … concerned for children. Sadly, he is unpopular and lacks the wit to win the parishioners’’ favour”
Dominic sighed. “I know. By the time he finishes sermonising, the unfortunate poor are convinced it is God’s wish for them to accept the circumstances into which they are born, and not to strive to improve themselves. I pity the sick whom Henderson visits. His prophecies that, if they don’t reform, they will go to hell after they die, leaves them in a worse state than when he arrived. What’s more, the children run when they see him for fear he will inquire about the state of their souls. I found young William, the blacksmith’s son, blubbering under an apple tree in the orchard. Henderson had told him the devil would drag William into an everlasting furnace, the punishment for scrumping apples.”
Gwenifer burst into a series of unseemly giggles. “I fear you will go to hell for committing the same misdemeanour when you were a schoolboy,” she managed to say, when she could speak again. “Yet it is too bad of Henderson. He should make friends with the children, instead of frightening them so much that their mothers complain they have nightmares.”
“Just so. I don’t mind the village boys helping themselves to a few apples or pears, but, as we know, theft is a serious matter. It even leads children to the gallows, something I cannot condone, for our Lord said: Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for such is the kingdom of heaven. Education would better serve them. Sometimes, I think if I were a politician instead of a clergyman I would do more good.”
“One day you might be a bishop entitled to sit in the House of Lords where you could make your voice heard.”
“I doubt it, Dominic shrugged. “Nonetheless, I confess I am interested in reform.”
“Ah, you are thinking of Robert and what your future might hold.” Gwenifer spoke with the swift intelligence and intuition he appreciated.
He nodded, unable to speak of Robert whom he once admired.
Her eyes glazed with unshed tears, his sister reached across the table to pat his hand. “If you don’t become a bishop, and take a seat in the Upper House, it seems you might take one as a peer of the realm. In either case you could speak out in favour of many much needed changes to the law.” She sighed. “Believe me when I say the thought of young children swinging from the gallows at the crossroads shocks me.” She shivered. “I don’t care to think of it. Let us speak of other more cheerful matters. Unless there is anything I may do for you, after I consult with Cook about today’s menus, I shall visit Lady Castleton.”
“Good, I think you will like her. If you have no objection, we shall go together. I will ask her ladyship to write a reference for Bessie.
* * *
“Mister Markham and Lady Gwenifer,” Jarvis announced as they entered the drawing room.
Dominic bowed. “Lady Castleton, may I introduce my sister, Lady
“All the rooms in the house need to be overhauled,” his sister interrupted.
“Yes, you may have a free hand if you agree not to redecorate in the gothic style.” To amuse her, he pretended to shudder. “Perhaps you would prefer to make arrangements for redecoration to be done while we are at one of my other parishes. The curate may supervise, it will give him something other than damnation and hell to mull over. No matter how often I remind him we should make a joyous sound unto the Lord, Henderson is determined to be dismal.”
“I would not trust him to oversee the work,” Gwenifer remarked, obviously amused by the idea. “Oh, Henderson’s heart is good enough, he visits the poor and the sick and is … er … concerned for children. Sadly, he is unpopular and lacks the wit to win the parishioners’’ favour”
Dominic sighed. “I know. By the time he finishes sermonising, the unfortunate poor are convinced it is God’s wish for them to accept the circumstances into which they are born, and not to strive to improve themselves. I pity the sick whom Henderson visits. His prophecies that, if they don’t reform, they will go to hell after they die, leaves them in a worse state than when he arrived. What’s more, the children run when they see him for fear he will inquire about the state of their souls. I found young William, the blacksmith’s son, blubbering under an apple tree in the orchard. Henderson had told him the devil would drag William into an everlasting furnace, the punishment for scrumping apples.”
Gwenifer burst into a series of unseemly giggles. “I fear you will go to hell for committing the same misdemeanour when you were a schoolboy,” she managed to say, when she could speak again. “Yet it is too bad of Henderson. He should make friends with the children, instead of frightening them so much that their mothers complain they have nightmares.”
“Just so. I don’t mind the village boys helping themselves to a few apples or pears, but, as we know, theft is a serious matter. It even leads children to the gallows, something I cannot condone, for our Lord said: Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for such is the kingdom of heaven. Education would better serve them. Sometimes, I think if I were a politician instead of a clergyman I would do more good.”
“One day you might be a bishop entitled to sit in the House of Lords where you could make your voice heard.”
“I doubt it, Dominic shrugged. “Nonetheless, I confess I am interested in reform.”
“Ah, you are thinking of Robert and what your future might hold.” Gwenifer spoke with the swift intelligence and intuition he appreciated.
He nodded, unable to speak of Robert whom he once admired.
Her eyes glazed with unshed tears, his sister reached across the table to pat his hand. “If you don’t become a bishop, and take a seat in the Upper House, it seems you might take one as a peer of the realm. In either case you could speak out in favour of many much needed changes to the law.” She sighed. “Believe me when I say the thought of young children swinging from the gallows at the crossroads shocks me.” She shivered. “I don’t care to think of it. Let us speak of other more cheerful matters. Unless there is anything I may do for you, after I consult with Cook about today’s menus, I shall visit Lady Castleton.”
“Good, I think you will like her. If you have no objection, we shall go together. I will ask her ladyship to write a reference for Bessie.
* * *
“Mister Markham and Lady Gwenifer,” Jarvis announced as they entered the drawing room.
Dominic bowed. “Lady Castleton, may I introduce my sister, Lady
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