Page 104 of The Heir
Sir John took the tray and dismissed the maid. Instead of putting the tray across her lap, however, he set it on the table by the window. He did, however, pour her a cup and hand it to her.
Victoria drank. “Are you playing lady’s maid now, Sir John?”
“I do whatever is necessary, ma’am. You should know that by now.”
She took another swallow. The night had been dry and cold, and the tea was welcome. “It’s too sweet.”
“It will be a cold day, ma’am. Sweet tea is more warming. Now.” Sir John opened the folio and laid it in front of her.
There was the letter. The one he had written to the king, in which “Victoria” pleaded to be allowed to stay under her mother’s care until she was twenty-one.
The one that designated Sir John her private secretary.
“What is this?” Victoria demanded. “I told you I would not sign that thing.”
“You will.” Sir John brought out an ink bottle and pen. He dipped the pen and held it out to her.
“Why don’t you sign my name for me?” she inquired. “You wrote it for me. Why not finish it?”
He smiled thinly. “Sign and be done. You will in the end.”
“I want some more tea.” She held out the cup.
“You can have it as soon as you sign.”
Victoria closed the folio and shoved it toward him. Sir John shrugged. He collected ink and pen. He picked up the folio. He set them all on the tea tray and took the tray out of the room.
That was the first morning.
Chapter 49
Liza had tried to warn Jane that being able to stay home was very much a mixed blessing.
If you think running Mother’s errands and paying Mother’s calls and writing Mother’s letters—not to mention giving the orders to Cook and Mrs. Pullet because she simply cannot be bothered—is a grand way to spend your time, you’re welcome to try it.
Liza, as usual, had been right. Even with Father gone, there were a thousand household tasks to be done every day. There were all the orders for meals and laundry and shopping to be given, and Jane didn’t know any of the routines, and the housekeeper’s sympathies stretched only so far.
Then there were all the calls to be made, because the social ties had to be maintained, but it seemed that Mama did not actually like any of the ladies she called friends and so did not choose to exert herself on a regular basis. But, of course, it was vital that she be available for calls to be paid on her. So, for Mother’s “at-home” days, Jane had to sit in the parlor, to pour the tea and usher the ladies in and out.
At another time, Jane would have found all of this insufferably dull, but now she threw herself into it. Because while she was doing Mother’s work for her, she wasn’t thinking about Ned and the duel and the blackmail.
Wasn’t thinking about how she could find a way to talk to Mr. Rea or what she would say when she finally did.
Thankfully, with Father gone, Ned seemed to find he had an even greater license to do exactly as he chose. Most nights he did not come home at all. That meant Jane did not have to see him or sit with him and keep silent about all the suspicions that rubbed her heart raw.
Because I don’t know anything.
And she wouldn’t know anything until she talked to William Rea, and yet she was afraid what would happen once she did.
So, to her shame, Jane dithered. She told herself she had time. The princess would be gone for almost the entire month. She and Victoria had whispered about Jane trying to come and meet the tour at Ramsgate, the last stop before they returned to Kensington. There they could enact a tear-filled reunion.
“We’ll have to make sure whatever we’ve quarreled over will keep you in your father’s good graces,” Victoria had said. “That way he’ll permit you to stay with us at Ramsgate so we can talk and decide what we will do next.”
But that meant that even if there weren’t any delays during the princess’s progress, there were two whole weeks until Jane needed to find a way to travel to meet the royal household. She could take her time. She could plan her own maneuvers.
Then Liza came home.
It happened remarkably quietly. Jane was in her sitting room, reviewing the dinner menu. Because the morning was fine, she had opened the window, and so she heard when a carriage pulled up in the street. She glanced out the window and then jumped to her feet and ran to see.
