Page 1 of Papa's Desires
Chapter 1
Hyacinth Mae Heathrow perched upon the naughty chair staring at the oh-so-familiar wallpaper of Miss Wickersham’s study. Of all the lovely sights and activities at Talcott House, the naughty chair was a favorite of no one. Least of all Hyacinth. And yet, there she sat, on her twenty-second birthday, no less, straining to make out the whispered conversation in thehallway.
She dared not move from the chair and with the added constraint of a book upon her head, even leaning in the direction of the discussion which obviously concerned her, was out of thequestion.
Shortly after her arrival at Talcott House four years before, Hyacinth had had the temerity to slide off the naughty chair when she believed Miss Wickersham had left the room. In fact, she knew Miss Wickersham had vacated the space because she had heard the headmistress’s brisk footsteps in the hallway. Somehow, as soon as Hyacinth’s toe touched the floor, Miss Wickersham had appeared with a scowl on her face and a ruler in herhand.
Hyacinth had learned that lesson well, the hardway.
Today, she held her breath and focused on the voices on the other side of thedoor.
“She is not ready and well you know it,” Nurse Listersaid.
“We are running out of time,” Miss Wickersham countered. “Our debts are piling up and the roof in the east wing is beginning toleak.”
“What about the monthly payment from ourbenefactor?”
Cynny heard Miss Wickersham and envisioned the worried look on her face. She had no idea money was an issue for Talcott House. What would happen if the money ran out? Although she was soon to be married, there were still many girls waiting for papas. What of her friends, Daisy andRosie?
“The funds have not yet arrived. Besides, it is not enough for a major repair. That is why Lord Kensington’s wedding donation is so urgentlyneeded.”
“But Hyacinth persists in her thieving ways. How can we be certain she will not continue to behave in such a manner once she is away from Talcott House? It is difficult enough for our young charges to be accepted in proper society as it is, if word got out that we had married off a thief to a man of Lord Kensington’s stature…” Nurse Lister’s voice trailed off and Hyacinth felt the weight of her ownshame.
Before arriving at Talcott House, Hyacinth had been part of a street gang of thieves and pickpockets. The memory filled her with both pride and humiliation. She had been the best pickpocket, her small hands able to gently retrieve coins and other valuables without anyone being the wiser. On those few occasions when she had been caught, she had used her beauty and innocence to avoid punishment. When she opened her blue eyes wide and cried as if on cue, it was impossible for her victims to believe it had been anything more than amisunderstanding.
Until that fateful day when she had slipped her hand into the pocket of Miss Wickersham’s coat. The memory of the look on Miss Wickersham’s face still sent a shiver of fear down Cynny’sspine.
But, upon learning of Cynny’s plight, Miss Wickersham had taken her home with her to Talcott House...where she was punished for her thievery and then given a bath, clean clothes, a bed of her own and, perhaps what she cherished most—friends. And soon, a papa. Miss Wickersham had recently informed her that she was betrothed to a man named Lord Kensington, and Cynny felt grateful that her guardian had finally found a match for her. At twenty-two, she was older than most of the girls in residence at Talcott House. Of course, from the whispered exchange in the hallway, she realized she had no one to blame for the delay of her marriage but herself. Some girls left Talcott House not long after turning eighteen or nineteen. If she’d been more well-behaved, perhaps she would have been matched with a papa yearsago.
The voices from the hallway brought her back to reality. Both ladies, though they could be quite stern with their charges, were also loving and caring and Cynny hated that she had caused themdistress.
“I shall speak to her. Honestly, Freya, her infractions have been almost non-existent over the past few weeks. I truly believe this latest incident was simply a reaction to the fact that Cammie is no longerhere.”
“I do not believe Cook will take as kindly to having the lock on the sugar cabinet picked,” Nurse Lister said. “We cannot afford to lose the cookeither.”
Oh dear,Cynny thought.Talcott House is in grave danger and it is myfault.
“Katrina,” Nurse Lister’s voice took on a gentle tone which caused Hyacinth to quirk her brow, “you are becoming frantic. Please, allow me to prepare a cup of tea and a chest poultice foryou.”
“Of course I am becoming frantic,” Miss Wickersham responded harshly to Nurse Lister’s offer. “Have you seen the roof on the east wing? If we do not have it repaired soon, by winter the entire wing will be uninhabitable, not to mention the additional damage to the walls and floors should rain or snow get in. If we cannot afford to repair the roof, how will we ever pay for even moredamage?”
“How much has Lord Kensingtonpromised?”
The amount which Miss Wickersham named caused Nurse Lister to gasp. “I shall review the literature on behavior correction right away. I believe we can rehabilitate our little thief intime.”
“Time is something we don’t have. Her wedding date approaches. Lord Kensington is coming to retrieve his little bride in less than a fortnight. I’ve promised him Hyacinth by name, and it would raise all sorts of questions if I try to rematch him with another girl at the last moment, when I’ve been writing him and promising his bride would soon beready.”
Perhaps Cynny should be affronted to learn the papas who married young ladies from Talcott House paid handsomely for their brides. But she supposed the money to keep the house running had to come from somewhere, and all the papas selected by Miss Wickersham had wealth and status. Had she been born a lady from a reputable house, the circumstances of her betrothal would have been so much different. She would have enjoyed at least one season in London, attending the most fashionable balls and meeting many different potential husbands. Then, once a match was made, her family would have given a dowry to her husband. But she hadn’t been born a lady. Not evenclose.
Returning her focus to the wall in front of her, Hyacinth made a silent vow to stop her light fingered ways. She was soon to have a papa, Lord Kensington, to be exact and no doubt he would not be pleased to have a criminal for a wife. Much as she hated to admit it, she had been jealous when she learned that her dear friend Cammie was to marry a lord, but now she too would have the title of Lady. LadyKensington.
The thought made her giddy. Wrapping her arms around her middle, she hugged herself andsmiled.
She imagined Lord Kensington arriving to collect her on their wedding day, showing up at Talcott House in a grand carriage and dressed in his finest attire. She would be wearing the pretty bridal gown Daisy and Rosie were helping her make, and her golden curls would be styled in an elegant up do, with several ringlets framing herface.
A single glance at one another and they would fall deeply in love. They would exchange their wedding vows in a short, private ceremony and then he would whisk her away to his lordlymansion.
Oh, it would be perfect. She couldn’twait.
