Now Annie managed to shake her head. ‘I didn’t want it. But I am not really in a position to not agree, am I?’ There was a pain and helplessness in her eyes that almost broke Thea.
‘Annie, you can always say no.’
‘Youcansay no,’ said Annie, dropping Thea’s hand and turning away. ‘But sometimes they take it anyway.’
A rage rose inside Thea that she had rarely experienced. How dare Sanders take advantage of Annie in this way? And after he had apparently kept her sweet and begun to make her fall for him.
‘Where did he do it?’ she asked, quietly.
‘In the stables,’ whispered Annie. ‘Where nobody will suspect.’
‘I see,’ said Thea. ‘Of course.’
She stormed out of the nursery through the door to the kitchen, hearing Annie’s protests behind her. ‘Mrs Phibbs,’ she hollered into the housekeeper’s room as she passed. ‘Please go and see to Annie in the nursery. And take her some brandy.’ She heard Mrs Phibbs hurry to attention through the door. On the way to the stables – which seemed like as good a place as any to start – she swung into the main house, moving from servant’s quarters to opulence, and passed the library. ‘Martha,’ she shouted through the door. ‘I need you with me.’
She heard a chair scrape and someone hurry to get up, and then Martha was with her, hurrying down the west passage. ‘What is it?’ asked Martha.
‘It was Sanders,’ said Thea, and heard Martha’s step stutter at the venom in her voice. ‘But she didn't agree, Martha, and nowAnnie is with child.’ The fury was building and as she looked to Martha, she saw it writ in reflection on her face.
‘I would never have thought it of him,’ said Martha.
‘No. And yet, here we are.’
They burst out of the west door, Thea striding with as much purpose as she ever had in her life. She wasn’t sure what she was going to do with Sanders, but she knew he would regret what he had done to her kind, gentle, talented governess by the time she had finished.
‘Where is Sanders?’ she hollered to a groom as she passed. He panicked and backed into a skittish horse causing all kinds of commotion but eventually pointed into the tack room.
They strode over, feeling Martha at her heel and hearing Joan shout to her, but she was done with caution. Sanders turned as she entered the tack room, his eyes widening as he saw the fury coming towards him.
‘How dare you,’ she hissed at him, advancing so he backed up against a saddle. ‘After all these years and the trust we had.’
‘Your Grace,’ she heard behind her, but she was not to be deterred. She brandished a finger at Sanders, causing him to lean back over the leather.
‘I should have your balls on a– ‘
But she was cut off as she felt a hand on her arm.
‘Your Grace, stop.’ It was Joan, and a flicker of doubt pricked. Thea knew Joan wouldn’t interrupt for anything trivial.
‘What?’ she snapped, harsher than she meant to, but the anger was fierce.
‘It wasn’t Sanders, Your Grace,’ said Joan.
Thea blinked, looked at Sanders, and then looked at Joan. She understood immediately that the culprit was her own husband.
Chapter 23
‘How could you?’ it just fell out of her as she entered his study. This was a terrible idea, she knew, but she couldn’t stop herself.
He leered at her from his couch where he lay with a glass of port. He seemed amused at her. ‘What did I do?’
‘Annie is with child.’ she said. Might as well address it head on, she thought. He was going to be furious either way.
‘Annie who?’ he asked, taking a sip from the glass.
‘Our governess,’ said Thea, trying to remain calm. ‘The person who raises your children.’
George made a grunting sound of recognition. ‘Then you better employ another one fast – ungoverned children are a pest. Why are you bothering me with it?’
