Page 15 of The Heiress's Daughter
If Miss Studley was being pursued by flocks of unknown gentlemen in the supposed security of Lady Scattergood’s home, it was Race’s duty—was it not?—as her absent guardian’s best friend, to protect her.
Chapter Three
“Did you have a pleasant outing with Lady Frobisher and her husband?” Lady Scattergood inquired when Clarissa returned home.
“Yes, it was lovely. The weather was glorious and I feel—oh, I feel as if I’ve swept all the cobwebs away.” And it was true. The combination of the fresh air and the sunshine and the rural surrounds, not to mention the company, had left her feeling wonderfully refreshed. Lord Randall and his cousin had kept them all laughing.
But she’d also come to a decision: somehow, she had to release Lord Randall from the obligation of escorting her. Oh, he put a good face on it, pretending he was enjoying it, but he was only honoring a promise to a friend.
It was mortifying to think of her pleasure this morning when he’d arranged the outing, thinking he’d gone to all that trouble just for her. It was quite depressing to realize she was merely a duty.
“Cobwebs?” Lady Scattergood raised her lorgnette andpeered up at the cornices. “I don’t see any cobwebs, but then my eyesight isn’t what it used to be.”
“No, I meant metaphorical cobwebs.”
The old lady frowned and peered harder at the corners of the ceilings. “Metaphorical cobwebs? I don’t like the sound of them.”
“There are no actual cobwebs,” Clarissa explained. “I just meant that I feel wonderfully refreshed.”
“Oh, well, why didn’t you say so? I expect you’re exhausted now, so you’d better go upstairs and lie down.”
“Thank you, but I’m not at all tired. In fact, I’m planning to visit an orphanage this afternoon. I’ll just go up and change.”
“An orphanage?” The old lady trained her lorgnette on her. “Whatever for?”
“I told you about it the other day, remember? After Izzy and Leo left on their honeymoon. My maid and I are going to choose an orphan girl and train her to become Izzy’s maid.”
Lady Scattergood nodded vaguely. “Oh yes. But you’ll have to wait. Althea’s gone out. I don’t remember where.”
Clarissa knew her chaperone would be out. She had an appointment with their dressmaker, Miss Chance, and Clarissa had chosen this time to visit the orphanage precisely for that reason. She was fond of Mrs. Price-Jones, but she did have a tendency to take over, and Clarissa wanted the choice to be hers and Betty’s.
“That’s all right,” she said, “I’ll take my maid, Betty, and a footman—perhaps Jeremiah, if he’s finished walking the dogs?” The six little dogs were snoozing in small heaps around the room, so they’d already been well walked.
Lady Scattergood pursed her lips. “I don’t know. Jeremiah is rather young…”
“And of course we’ll go in the carriage,” Clarissa said hastily, “so we’ll have the coachman.”
“And a groom.”
“Yes, so I’ll be well protected,” Clarissa said.
The old lady sighed. “I suppose so…But I don’t like it. Treadwell said that dratted rake had been sniffing around.”
“Which rake?”
“That Lord Randall.”
“Oh, did he come past while I was out riding?” Clarissa said innocently.
Lady Scattergood waved a pettish hand. “I don’t remember. Very well, go off and fetch your orphan maidservant. Though I don’t know why you must do it yourself. In my day the housekeeper saw to the staffing. An orphan asylum is no place for a lady.”
“Thank you, dear Lady Scattergood.” Clarissa rose and kissed the old lady on her rouged and withered cheek, then hurried upstairs to change out of her habit.
“I’m really looking forward to this, miss.” Betty, Clarissa’s maid, bounced on the carriage seat. “Whoever we get will be so grateful. I remember what it was like in the place I was in, and we all thought that going into service—especially as a lady’s maid—is that much better than going into one of those dirty manufactories or getting a job scrubbing floors, because that’s what they’ll get—if they’re lucky. There’s a lot worse things, too,” she ended ominously.
Betty had come from an orphan asylum herself, starting at the age of ten as a lowly scullery maid. But she was much the same age as Clarissa and Izzy, and so when they were allowed to bring one servant with them when they left Clarissa’s childhood home, and their elderly nanny didn’t want to come, they chose Betty.
But as they drew closer to the orphan asylum, Betty became more and more silent and withdrawn.
