A flicker of unease stirred within her.
Worried, she called out and hurried upstairs, following the murmur of voices coming from Heather’s room.
Sure enough, Betty and Mrs Merriweather were gathered around Heather, who was in tears. Alarmed, Grace rushed to her sister’s side.
‘What happened? What is the matter?’ she demanded.
Mrs Merriweather handed her a crumpled letter. ‘She got this from Mr Smith,’ she said solemnly. ‘You may as well read it.’
Grace snatched the letter and unfolded it hastily.
Dearest Heather,
I regret to inform you that my father has arranged a marriage for me with the daughter of a prominent London solicitor. His wish is that our families’ businesses merge, and he has insisted on my immediate departure to London.
I have been forced to comply, for if I refuse, he will cut me off entirely. With no funds or resources of my own, I have no choice but to obey.
I know I have made no formal promises to you, but I had hoped—one day—to propose. That dream has now been dashed.
I am truly sorry if I have caused you any pain.
I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me.
Your servant,
Paul
Grace’s grip on the letter tightened as fury burned in her chest.
‘Everyone, please leave me alone with my sister,’ she said gravely.
Once they had gone, Grace sat beside Heather, pulling her into a firm embrace as her sister sobbed into her shoulder. She held her tightly, whispering soothing words as the tears slowly subsided. Eventually, Heather drifted into an exhausted sleep, her breath still hitching now and then.
Grace gazed at her sister’s tear-streaked face, her own emotions simmering. She did not know who she was angrier with—Mr Smith, his father, or herself for ever encouraging this in the first place.
Chapter 7
After Mr Smith’s departure, Grace visited the families of the missing girls. She was shocked by the level of hardship they had been reduced to and was grateful she had brought a hamper of food with her. However, upon questioning them, she found herself more baffled than before.
Both girls, on separate occasions, had told their families they were going for a walk to the beach and never returned. Their families had searched every pathway leading to the shore and the main roads. They had even made enquiries at all the inns along the routes to neighbouring towns, including London. Yet no one had seen them, nor was there any indication they had boarded a coach. More worryingly, neither of them had taken any personal belongings, nor had they expressed to family or friends any intention of leaving. They had simply disappeared without a trace.
A few days later, Grace received an unexpected visitor. Mary Trent was ushered in by Betty, looking distraught. Concerned, Grace invited her in and offered her refreshments. It was not long before Mary revealed the reason for her sudden visit.
‘Oh, Miss Skye! I am sorry to burden you with our troubles when I know you’ve been hard done by that relative of yours.’
‘There now, Mary,’ Grace soothed as the woman dissolved into noisy sobs. She handed her a handkerchief and murmured gentle words to calm her.
Eventually, Mary managed to speak again. ‘I didn’t know where to turn, Miss. I know my Chris wouldn’t like it if he knewI had come to you. That new steward has ordered another rent increase. We were already struggling, but we managed to keep up with the payments.’ She blew her nose. ‘Then we had that awful rain and storm, and the crops were damaged.’
‘I heard about that,’ said Grace, as Mary burst into fresh tears.
‘Aye, well, Miss, we were just about getting by until then, but now we can barely feed ourselves. So we went to see Steward Gibbs at the Manor. He was ever so harsh with Chris, but in the end, he agreed to let us off the rent for a few months...’
‘Well, that should help!’ Grace exclaimed, relieved.
But at her words, Mary exploded into a fresh wail, leaving her bewildered.
‘No, Miss, it ain’t no help to us at all! Because he only agreed on the condition that our Melissa goes to work at the Manor—and I hear nefarious things are going on up there.’
