Emmy gently withdrew her hand from his. ‘In fairness, it’s very good of him to allow us to live in the cottage rent free, and once I’ve gone it will be one less person for Mama to worry about.’
Jasper had been livid when Abi had first told him of Emmy’s possible move to London but now he was beginning to think that it wouldn’t be such a bad thing after all. She was bound to have time off and once she was away from her mother’s influence he could go and meet her and take her out.
‘So when will you be going?’
‘I shall start next Monday,’ Emmy answered and his heart sank. He hadn’t expected her to leave so soon, but he had many friends he could stay with in London so perhaps he could travel with her and spend some time there? He knew his father wouldn’t be pleased at the idea; he had been on at him constantly to learn the business of managing the farming recently, but he could work on his mother. He was always able to win her round; she was like putty in his hands.
‘That’s a coincidence.’ He flashed her his most charming smile. It usually worked like magic on the young ladies but it didn’t seem to have much effect on Emmy. ‘I’m going to London soon myself to spend a couple of weeks with a friend. Perhaps we could get together when you’re not working and I could show you the sights?’
His spirits plummeted when Emmy shook her head. ‘That’s really kind of you but I think I’ve seen everything there is to see in London already. Papa used to take us there regularly for weekends in the summer and we would go sightseeing while Mama was shopping. She adores the big emporiums in London and we always seemed to come back with at least twice as much luggage as we went with. Anyway, I think until the trial period is over it would be wise not to go out too much, but thank you for the offer.’
Jasper struggled to keep his smile in place. Just being so close to her was setting his pulses racing and although he knew it wasn’t right, he couldn’t seem to help it. There was something about Emmy that drew him to her like a magnet.
‘Perhaps we could meet up when you’ve settled in then?’ he said quietly.
She nodded. ‘Yes, perhaps.’ For no reason that she could explain, Emmy felt uncomfortable so she was relieved when they fell silent.
‘Thank you for the lift,’ she said politely when the carriage had got as close to the cottage as was possible. She still had the best part of a field to get over but that was nothing compared to the walk she would have had.
‘You’re very welcome.’ He helped her down, holding her hand a fraction longer than necessary, and gave a little bow as Emmy set off. It had been a long day and she would be glad to get home now.
‘So how did it go?’ Dorcas asked the second she set foot through the door.
Emmy smiled and stifled a yawn. ‘Just let me get my bonnet and shoes off – my feet are killing me – then I’ll tell you all about it.’
‘I’ll go an’ make yer a nice cuppa,’ Hetty said obligingly, heading to the sink. ‘I dare say as you’ll be ready fer one.’
Emmy smiled her thanks and once she was seated, she began to tell her mother about her day while Dorcas hung on her every word.
‘And you say that she’s ill?’ Dorcas questioned.
Emmy nodded. ‘Yes, it’s some sort of muscle-wasting disease so she said. And I believe she has a weak heart too.’
‘I see.’ Dorcas chewed on her lip. It was hard to imagine Imogen as anything other than the beautiful young woman she had once been. ‘And is the disease curable?’
‘I don’t think so,’ Emmy told her.
‘And is she still a little .?.?. strange?’
‘What do you mean by strange exactly?’ Emmy asked as Hetty pottered back to her with a welcome cup of tea.
‘She used to be heavily into spiritualism and believed that she could communicate with the dead,’ Dorcas told her. ‘Our mother used to say that if she had been born a hundred years before she would have been branded a witch, but Imogen insisted that she had “a gift”.’
Instantly Emmy remembered her aunt telling her that she often spoke to her dead husband and now she understood what she had meant, although the thought of it made her shiver. But then she supposed if it gave her aunt some comfort and she wasn’t hurting anyone there was no harm in it.
The outer door opened at that moment and Abi appeared, as eager as her mother had been to hear how Emmy’s visit to her aunt had gone.
‘Well?’ she said raising an eyebrow. ‘Did you meet her? Have you got the job?’
Emmy smiled. ‘Yes and yes. I’m to start a month’s trial on Monday.’
Abi’s face fell. It seemed so unfair. Living in London sounded so exciting compared to what she considered to be no more than a backwater hovel. And would she be expected to help with the housework once Emmy was gone? Up to now Hetty and Emmy had kept the place running smoothly between them, but was all that about to alter?
‘Don’t worry, I shall come and see you whenever I can,’ Emmy told her gently, thinking that Abi’s long face was due to the fact that she would miss her. ‘And I shall send some of my wages home too, so that will be a help.’
Abi pouted but still managed to look beautiful. ‘Oh, I’msureyou will,’ she answered petulantly. ‘Just so you can tell me what a wonderful time you are having in the capital while I am stuck here in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do and nowhere to go.’
Hetty chuckled before confirming Abi’s worst fears. ‘I shouldn’t worry about being bored. There’s more than enough to keep us busy ’ere an’ you can always start to go into town to do the shoppin’. It would be one less job fer me to do at least.’
