Page 13 of A Brooding Christmas Promise
“I can imagine.” Lord Trenton sent Miss Millerton a small, encouraging smile which the lady returned, and something pinged in Samuel’s chest. Confused, he frowned and then dismissed it, looking instead to Lady Hesterway.
“I believe that you are both acquainted with Lady Foster but do not know her in any way?” he asked, as Lady Hesterway nodded. “Though all the same, there is some difficulty there, yes?” Seeing the ladies look to each other, he quickly dropped his head. “Pray, I do not mean to pry.”
Miss Millerton let out a sigh and spread out her hands. “There is no need to apologise. Yes, there is a great difficulty there, which I am all too aware that you have overheard and now witnessed, Lord Crestwood. I am sorry for that but I am, as you know, very grateful for what you did to protect me. Lady Foster was very angry indeed and, to be truthful, I was a little worried.”
“She was certainly angry,” Samuel murmured, picking up his glass. “I thought her most improper.”
There was a brief silence, only for Miss Millerton to again look at her sister, before giving her a small nod as though to suggest that she had decided something. “Lord Crestwood, Lord Trenton, I am more than willing to be honest with you, if you should be willing to hear it! It might help you understand why it is that we desire to know as much about Lord and Lady Foster as we can.”
Samuel glanced to Lord Trenton and then returned his gaze to Miss Millerton. “If you wish to explain all to us, I would be happy to hear it.”
With a brief smile – though it did not reach her eyes – Miss Millerton took a sip of her tea and then set it back down on the China plate. “Lady Foster is sister to our stepmother. Some years ago, our father remarried – our mother passed away when we were both very young, you understand, though my father did not ever seem to think of remarrying at that time.”
“I have often thought that he must have cared for our mother very dearly,” Lady Hesterway put in, making Miss Millerton smile gently. “However, the lady that he chose to wed, while she was pleased with the match, was not pleased to have two stepdaughters. That was not made clear in all its fullness, however, until our father passed away.”
“I am sorry for the loss that must bring to you both,” Samuel said quickly. “My own parents both passed from this life to the next when I was very young. My uncle raised me instead.”
Miss Millerton’s expression softened as she looked back at him. “Then you understand the pain of losing a parent,” she said, quietly as Samuel nodded. “However, the sorrow was made all the greater as we learned just how much our stepmother disliked the two of us.” She shared another look with her sister whose lips pulled into a thin line, obviously recalling something displeasing. “Amelia had to wait to marry given that we were then in mourning. However, on the day of her marriage, our stepmother, Lady Barcsay, informed me that I could never hope to be as she was.” A light pink touched her cheeks as she looked away, making Samuel frown. Whatever did she mean by that?
“That is to say, Charlotte has, by request of our late father, decided that she must devote her life to the care of our stepmother,” Lady Hesterway explained, quickly. “Lady Barcsay stated that, in our father’s will, he made it clear that he desired for Charlotte to remain unwed and, instead, to be Lady Barcsay’s companion.”
Samuel blinked quickly, surprise rattling through his chest. “Why…” he began, only to close his mouth and shake his head. He had no reason to ask such a thing, no need to say anything about that. He did not need to know why a gentleman would lay such a heavy burden upon his youngest daughter even though, to his mind, it was the most extraordinary – and unfair - burden toplace upon her shoulders. Why should she not have the chance to marry? Why should she not have that choice?
“It did come as a surprise,” Lady Hesterway continued, her voice soft. “However, it was Charlotte’s decision to align herself with our father’s desire, even though I myself might not have thought well of it.”
“It was not forced upon you, then?”
In answer to Lord Trenton’s question, Miss Millerton shook her head. “No, it was not demanded but requested of me. However, how could I refuse my father’s last wishes?” Her eyes glistened gently and a heavy weight settled on Samuel’s heart. “He was my father and very dear to me. Therefore, I cannot imagine setting that aside to follow my own heart and my own desires.”
Samuel winced inwardly and pulled his lips to one side. It was clear by what the lady said that she had no real desire to remain loyal to her stepmother, to be her companion for the rest of her days but duty and honor required it of her. Indeed, there was a good deal to be admired there but, at the very same time, Samuel felt his heart grow sorrowful for her. To have been denied even thechanceof finding her own future surely must have been very difficult for the lady.
“This still does not explain our questions as regards Lady Foster, I am aware,” Lady Hesterway continued, looking a little embarrassed. “Forgive us. It is a long explanation and there is much to say still.”
“I do not think you need to apologise, my dear.” Lord Hesterway rose to his feet and, settling a hand on his wife’s shoulder for a moment, smiled down at her. “Lord Trenton and Lord Crestwood are clearly willing to listen.”
“Of course, of course,” Samuel said quickly, finding a slight hint of envy edging down through his heart at how tenderly Lord Hesterway spoke to his wife and how sweet the smile wasthat she gave him in return. Was there something about that interaction he wanted for himself?
“I thank you.” Miss Millerton spoke again, though the pink in her cheeks remained – and for the first time, Samuel found himself distracted from the conversation and, instead, noticed just how pretty the lady was. The hair he had thought was only a mere brown now appeared to be copper as the light shone on it, the color in her cheeks adding to his awareness of her. It was only as she began to speak that Samuel realized he had not been paying even the smallest bit of attention to her words.
“Therefore, when my sister extended the invitation to me to join her here for Christmas, I accepted, despite the fact that my stepmother did not want me to do so. It is not as though I have left her alone for the festive Season, however,” she added, speaking a little more quickly now. “My brother and his wife are to share the festivities with her at their estate.”
“However,” Lady Hesterway added, reaching to pick up her teacup again, “our stepmother has now involved her sister in this scheme of hers.”
Samuel frowned. “Scheme?”
Lady Hesterway nodded. “It is clear to me that our stepmother, greatly displeased at Charlotte’s refusal to do as she was expecting and staying with her at the Dower house, has now determined to make Charlotte’s time in London as miserable as possible. And thus, she has involved her sister in it.”
It took a moment for Samuel to make the connection, though Lord Trenton slapped his knee just as Samuel understood. “You mean to say that Lady Foster is Lady Barcsay’s sister?” he asked, as Samuel looked intently to Miss Millerton, seeing her nod. “And Lady Foster, therefore, has agreed to do whatever has been asked of her by Lady Barcsay?”
“Yes, that is it precisely.” With a slight sadness about her, Miss Millerton took a sip of her tea and then set down the cupagain, though there was a roundness to her shoulders which Samuel had not noticed before. “Lady Foster has stated that she intends to be my shadow during my time in London.”
“Your shadow?” Samuel repeated, frowning. “For what purpose?”
“To supposedly make certain that Charlotte is doing as she has promised and not permitting herself to be courted or the like,” Lady Hesterway interjected, flapping one hand in Samuel’s direction. “It is foolishness, is it not? I think that if my sister finds a gentleman whom she… well, that is not my place to say, is it?” She shot a glance towards her husband who, while she had been speaking, had cleared his throat gently. A flush trickled into her cheeks as she turned her attention to Miss Millerton though Samuel felt himself agreeing entirely with all that Lady Hesterway had not only said but had been about to say. “Charlotte has the freedom to live as she wishes and she has already said that she will agree to abide by our father’s wishes. However, whilst Lady Foster avers that she shall act as Charlotte’s shadow to ensure she adheres to her declarations, I am convinced that such a proclamation has been made— and will be executed— solely out of spite.”
“In order to make your time here in London miserable,” Samuel murmured, as Miss Millerton dropped her head for a moment, her shoulders rounding all the more.
Lady Hesterway exchanged a look with her husband who, with a nod, looked back to Samuel and Lord Trenton.
