Page 85 of The Secret Daughter
As predicted, when they asked Lady Scattergood whether they could hide Milly from her mother, who was trying to make her marry a man she didn’t like, she was initially delighted. “No gel should be forced into marriage,” she declared, but when she learned Milly had plans to marry a different man—a cit—she hesitated.
She raised her lorgnette. “Wealthy, is he?”
“Yes.”
“Good, that’s good. And he’ll be going abroad soon, won’t he?”
Milly looked puzzled. “N-no, not that I know of.”
Lady Scattergood frowned at that. “Then where is he going?”
Milly threw a helpless glance at Zoë. “Sheffield?”
The old lady pondered that a moment, swinging her lorgnette back and forth on its string while she considered it. “Oh well, abroad would be better, but I suppose Sheffield is far enough.”
Confused, Milly looked at Zoë, who could see she was about to ask “far enough for what,” and jumped in, saying,“Milly’s mother has arranged for her to marry the elderly Marquess of Blenkinsop.”
Lady Scattergood stiffened, outraged. “You mean to say That Woman is planning to wed a young gel like you to a terrible old lecher like Arthur Blenkinsop? Why, he’s practically old enough to bemyfather, and I’m no spring chicken.”
It turned out she’d known the marquess in her youth, when he was still the Blenkinsop heir. “Tell me, my dears, does he still talk to ladies’ bosoms? I was more abundantly endowed when I was a gel, and I often had to rap him hard with my fan on the knuckles—and on the nose several times when it threatened to delve right into my neckline—and point out to him that I was up here.” She pointed to her face. They all laughed, and Milly confirmed that he did indeed talk to her bosom and to Mama’s.
And thus Lady Scattergood gave her enthusiastic approval for the plan to hide Milly in her house. She sent the girls off to help Milly settle in and rang for her butler to give him the appropriate instructions.
Ensconced in a cozy upstairs sitting room, they then decided she should write a short note to her mother, explaining that she was very upset by her mother’s response, reiterating that she refused to marry the Marquess of Blenkinsop and that she was staying with a friend and Mama was not to worry. Izzy added, “And tell her not to make a fuss or tell anyone, as she wouldn’t want to make a scandal, would she?”
When the note was finally finished, with many pauses and worried hesitations and scratchings out and more tears, Izzy rose and plucked it out of Milly’s hand, saying, “I’ll have this anonymously delivered to your mother, Milly, which should at least minimize the fuss she is bound to make. Now I have some calls to make, so we will leave you to get settled in.” She glanced at her sisters. “Meet back here later this evening?”
“But I can’t just stay here,” Milly said worriedly. “I don’thave anything, no nightdress or—or anything. And Mama will be worried.”
“That’s the point,” Zoë said.
“And don’t worry about clothes—we’ll provide you with whatever you need,” Clarissa assured her. With Milly being on the plump side, Clarissa would be the best source of clothing.
Izzy glanced at the clock on the overmantel. “Zoë, didn’t you say you wanted to walk in the park at five? It’s almost that now.”
“Oh good heavens, yes.” She’d told Reynard she would meet him there at five. She jumped to her feet. “I have to leave now. Izzy, could you send the carriage around to the front and pick me up, please? I’ll need to put on my warm pelisse and hat.”
“But what about me?” Milly wailed.
“Don’t worry, we’re not abandoning you,” Clarissa said soothingly. “I’ll stay here and help you get settled in. We need to make a list of what you might need. And think about writing a longer letter to your mama. Oh, this is going to be so exciting.”
“I suppose so,” Milly saiddolefully.
Chapter Fifteen
The drizzle had eased earlier, and weak winter sunshine had brought a surprising number of people out promenading in Hyde Park when Zoë and Izzy arrived. They had Izzy’s driver drop them off at the gate so they could join the walkers. Zoë had told her sister about having asked Lord Foxton to take her up in an open carriage because he wanted to talk. “But I didn’t mean you to have to stand about waiting for me,” she said.
“Don’t worry about me,” Izzy said. “I won’t lack for company. There are plenty of people here that I know, and they’ll all be eager to discuss the events of last night.”
“Oh. Of course. The kick.” Zoë felt herself blushing. Perhaps it hadn’t been the cleverest idea to meet him in the park.
Izzy gave a peal of laughter. “Goose. The whole point of last night was to introduce you to all our friends, and really, your little contretemps with Lord Foxton is all to the good. People will be so intrigued by that, it won’t even occur to them to wonder whether you really are our cousin.”
“Glad to provide further fuel for gossip,” Zoë said dryly, and Izzy laughed again.
“Come on, let’s promenade.” Izzy linked arms with her, and they joined the crush of smartly dressed people moving slowly along.
Izzy did seem to know a lot of people, including quite a few strangers who she introduced to Zoë. Those who’d been at the reception the previous night were full of praise for the evening. Not a soul mentioned Zoë’s little brangle with Lord Foxton, but she was aware of their sidelong, speculative glances from time to time.
