“I don’t think so.”
The old lady pursed her lips at the implication.“So, you haven’t had any second thoughts about refusing him?”
“Not one.”It was true too, Tessa thought.He’d done quite enough for her.Even if she wanted to marry again—which she emphatically did not—marriage to her would ruin him.
“Most young woman would snap him up.”
“These mushrooms are very good,” Tessa said.Would the old lady never leave the subject alone?Did she believe Tessa was playing some convoluted game of hard-to-get?Nothing could be further from the truth.
There was a short pause, then the old lady said, “I know my nephew is cold and unapproachable—”
“Cold and unapproachable?”Tessa echoed.“Clearly you don’t know him very well.I have always found him both kind and thoughtful.”She returned to her breakfast.
Lady Gosforth raised her lorgnette again and stared at her through it for a long time.Tessa affected not to notice.Having finished her eggs and mushrooms, she spread marmalade on a piece of toast, then cut it into triangles.She would not let the old lady discompose her.
Eventually the lorgnette was lowered.“Be that as it may, prepare yourself for receiving morning calls this afternoon.Visitors will start arriving at about two.”
“Morning calls?”Tessa looked up from her plate in surprise.“I won’t be making morning calls.”
“No of course not—you will be receiving them, with me.”
“But I told you I had no intention of mixing in society.”
Lady Gosforth eyed her down her long Roman nose.“You are a guest in this house, are you not?”
“Yes, but—”
“Then you will sit with me in my drawing room and meet my guests.”
“But—”
The old lady raised her lorgnette.“You wish to become a lady’s companion, do you not?”
“Yes, but—”
“Then you will need to meet ladies, and they will need to meet you.Which you will do here, under my eye.Bad enough that you vulgarly registered yourself at employment agencies,” she said acidly.“We’ll have no more of that nonsense!”
Peverill must have told her, Tessa thought.“I have applied for a position in Yorkshire.As a companion to an old lady.”It wasn’t quite true — she hadn’t yet seen Lord Alverleigh to ask for a frank.
The old lady stamped her foot.“You will do no such thing!Who is this so-called old lady?A complete stranger?A person who advertisesin a newspaper?Faugh!You know nothing about her—or him: it might not evenbea lady.No, it’s not to be thought of.”
Tessa said nothing.
“You wish to be employed by the better class of lady, don’t you?”
“I don’t really care,” Tessa said honestly.“It’s not as if I have much choice, after all.”
“Pshaw!Finish your breakfast and don’t be ridiculous.A ladyalwayshas a choice.I will expect you downstairs at two.”She turned a beady eye on Tessa and, with magnificent obliviousness, added, “And if you’re not downstairs by two, I will have a footman carry you down—understand?And for goodness’ sake wear something decent.”
#
TESSA REALLY DIDN’Twant to meet Lady Gosforth’s visitors—she knew what they’d all think of her—but she also had no intention of being carried down by a footman, so just before two she went downstairs.But far from wearing something that Lady Gosforth would consider ‘decent’ she wore a very plain dress in dull charcoal gray.
When the old lady saw her, she sniffed and sent for a maid.“Run upstairs and fetch my pink shawl—the one with the embroidery,” she told the girl.
The maid returned in a few minutes with a beautiful soft pink cashmere shawl, embroidered with a narrow black and silver design around the edge.At Lady Gosforth’s direction, she then draped it around Tessa’s shoulders.The old lady watched with a critical eye, then nodded.“There, that’s better.Don’t want people to think I’ve a crow for a guest, do I?”
Tessa didn’t bother arguing—what was the point?Besides, the shawl was beautiful and warm, and the first callers were arriving.She could hear them in the hall.She tightened the shawl around her and braced herself.
