I laughed, not from mirth but incredulity at their ignorance.
‘You goose,’ I said. ‘Nobody is burnt at the stake any more and nobody believes in witches. We live in an age of enlightenment and science.’
‘People like you have duped the world,’ said Maria. ‘But we are wise to your scheme. You mean to marry Papa and have some brat of a boy to take our inheritance from us.’
When I told Lord Harville of her words, he railed against them so fiercely that I feared for the girls.
He warned them that they must knuckle down and accept me as their new mother, or he would disinherit them both entirely and send them away to earn their own livings. What a threat to make to such young girls! But he would not be moved.
It certainly ended
the accusations of witchcraft, although their demeanour remains sullen and hostile.
What is to be done? I only wish to befriend them but they turn their faces from me with every advance. I try to take their part with their father, but he says only that they must learn obedience and he will not indulge such behaviour.
I made bold to ask him if he loved them, and he was angry with me then – as angry as I have ever seen him.
I knew then that I love him truly, for the thought that all might be done with between us was more than I could bear. And he is so affectionate, so youthful, when we are alone. He even carved our initials on a tree trunk in the wooded part of the garden.
Jenna looked up at Jason. ‘I saw them,’ she said, catching her breath with excitement. ‘I saw their initials.’
‘In the garden? Go on. I’m still waiting for the dirty bit.’
‘I’m waiting for Lord Harville to stop being such a bastard to his children.’
‘You’ll be waiting a long time, I reckon.’
Jenna sighed, feeling that he was right.
‘He’s a stereotypical Victorian patriarch all right. Anyway. Back to the romantic gestures.’
‘I wear a sovereign that he gave me on a ribbon around my neck.’
‘I saw that too,’ cried Jenna. ‘I found it, by that tree. No ribbon, but there was a hole in the sovereign that it could have gone through. Oh my goodness. What an amazing thing.’
‘Might be worth a bob or two,’ said Jason.
‘I’m thinking more of the historical value. Perhaps I should give it to Lawrence Harville, as a family heirloom or something.’
‘You must be joking. You don’t go near that bastard ever again, do you hear me?’
‘I don’t want to,’ said Jenna. ‘I’d give it to his solicitor or something. I just feel that it probably ought to stay in the family.’
‘We don’t know that she is family yet,’ objected Jason. ‘They haven’t got married. No kids.’
Jenna took the hint and read on.
‘I despair of ever winning the girls round. It seems all I have to look forward to is their bare toleration of me and nothing more. It breaks my heart to think of it, for we could be such dear friends if they would only relent.’
‘Can’t really blame them,’ said Jason. ‘They’ve only known the woman five minutes. Why’s Harville in such a hurry?’
‘I imagine he wants a male heir,’ said Jenna dryly. ‘They were mad for them back then. You’d think Frances would cotton on.’
‘Too blinded by it all, I suppose. It does blow your mind a bit when somebody so far above you takes notice of you. I should know.’
‘Oh, Jason.’ A kiss broke into the conversation. ‘I felt like that,’ said Jenna, breaking off. ‘The first time somebody really famous called to invite me for brunch. No thought of why or what they might want from me. Just “Oh my God, so and so invited me for brunch, no way!”.’ She laughed.
‘Who was it?’