It doesn’t matter what she looks like.
I can’t resist her.
She holds my entire life in her hands.
In so many ways.
Worse, Iwantto get into the carriage.
“Very well.”
I climb in and seat myself across from her.
She taps the carriage roof and nods to Mr. Thompson.
And then we are alone.
Chapter 11
Annabelle
Iclench my shaking hands.
I refused to let the crowd see my fear.
But I was afraid.
I hate to admit it.
Nevertheless it is true.
Worse,hesaved me.
Mr. Alfred Saintsbury.
I hadn’t been completely defenseless when he had appeared.
Simmons has worked for my family for many years, but we have no relationship of note. I could not expect him to put himself in harm’s way for me beyond the common obligations of his post.
And Mr. Thompson is not malicious by nature, but I have no illusions about his real opinions of me. I am sure he agrees in substance with the crowd’s vitriol, even if he objects to the crudeness of their expression and to the disorder of rank suggested by menacing the mistress of Trescott Abbey. If it had really come to it, Thompson would have done little to truly help me.
No, I hadn’t been completely defenseless, only perilously near it.
I need to begin carrying a weapon.
Next time, I will not be caught without a rifle in the carriage.
I am rattled.
I knew the village hated me. But I did not expect they would be ready to inflict violence upon me. The de Laceys have been the masters of Trescott for centuries and the squires have not always been popular men with the townspeople.
However, theywereall men.
For women the standards are different.
For what, after all, have I done to warrant such loathing?
Nothing that women don’t do all over England every day. But that, of course, is not why they hate me.
