Page 48 of An Amiable Foe
Sarah proved worth her weight in gold as she carried on her tasks without complaint of the little help she had. The maid directed her cousin to see the chimneys swept, and Marianne was relieved to see the kind way in which he spoke to the climbing boy he had brought with him. The process took only one day, and Marianne sent him to Mr. Mercy for payment. The steward had promised to act for her in estate business.
She also had the satisfaction of witnessing Joe’s first visit to the cottage, and his first encounter with Sarah. Marianne was sitting on a bench in the hall, trimming the wicks on new candles, and she could see the front entranceway through the narrow glass panes on either side of the door. Sarah was the one to answer his knock, and she stepped outside to talk to him. Marianne saw her duck her head shyly as Joe likely thanked her for the soup she had brought him. They spoke for long enough that Marianne was convinced of his interest in the maid. It would not be long before he saw Sarah’s potential as a spouse, and her worth, both for his sake and for his children.
For Marianne, it would mean she would have to separate from Sarah, who was irreplaceable. But what kind of friend would she be if she denied Sarah—and Joe—the happiness they deserved? Indeed, if Sarah were no longer under her employ, they could perhaps be friends.
“You should speak to your maid,” Miss Fife said, as she limped by Marianne, leaning heavily on her cane on her way to the sitting room. She stopped and stared at the front door, then returned her gaze to Marianne.
“If a common serving girl thinks she can stand outside talking to men who come calling and have flirts as though she were the lady of the house, she will be good for nothing. You must nip that in the bud now.”
That was one of the drawbacks to sitting in plain view. She had to endure Miss Fife’s distempered comments, which had become constant since the spinster had been forced from the comfort of the castle.
“I don’t plan to say anything to her. And I will take it kindly if you would not either. Sarah is being kind to Joe, who is a widower with two children. The world could use a bit more kindness.” She looked pointedly at Miss Fife, who did not appear cowed by the unspoken rebuke.
Marianne fell silent again. For the hundredth time, she wondered what Perry was doing and why he had left. She had yet to take him up on his offer to treat the castle as her own and wasn’t sure why. Perhaps she was afraid the castle would seem empty without him and did not wish to go back to it and feel his loss.
The memory of his kiss had dulled with time and with his departure. There was little in the way of hope or excitement to keep the memory burning brightly. Not only did she not know when he would return, a nagging internal argument persisted that he did not feel for her the same way she did for him. There was enough evidence to the contrary, but she had become used to steeling herself against disappointment.
“You are sitting there idle. You should be up doing something.” Miss Fife had not budged from her place, bringing Marianne back to her surroundings. The oppressive atmosphere became too much for Marianne, and she stood.
“I have been meaning to visit Robert. I may as well do so now.” It was not ideal after the way they had left things, but perhaps Robert was ready to come to his senses and treat her as he had before when he’d been a mere friend.
“He should be Mr. Vernon to you unless you have an understanding. You are too old to be calling unrelated gentleman by their Christian names who are not your husband.” Miss Fife sniffed and limped forward again, headed for the sitting room.
“You are probably right,” Marianne said in a tone of indifference. She went over to pluck her bonnet from where she had tossed it and began to tie it on. Perhaps Mr. Mercy would help her find a different companion as soon as she came of age.
Miss Fifewasright, she supposed. If she called Robert by his proper name, he might think twice about pressuring her into marriage. But it was too difficult a thing to change now. Funny that Robert had not attempted to visit her again, and she supposed he had taken his promise to heart to give her space. Without Perry…without a friend here at Brindale, she would have to rely on Robert for company and hope he had dropped the idea of marrying her. Besides, she could see the foal, who must be much stronger by now.
In a short while, she was directing Sweet Nips into the stables at Grinnell. Robert was inside, and his face broke out into a grin when he saw her.
“Marianne, you’ve come to your senses and paid a visit at last. I didn’t dare come again after you sent me packing.”
This was said in a playful tone that could not give offense. It sounded much like how they were with each other before the idea of marriage had marred their relationship. He pointed into the stall and she led her mare over to peer in. Cassie was feeding from her mother, her coat glossy and her legs strong.
“Ah, she’s turning into such a beauty.” Marianne stood at his side companionably as Sweet Nips turned to the hay in a feeder on the stall next to them.
“Here, let me take your nag. Josiah, come unsaddle her and rub her down.” Robert handed the horse’s reins to his stable hand and gestured for Marianne to follow. “My mother will want to see you and have a tray of tea made up. I believe Cook has been baking this afternoon.”
True to his word, Mrs. Vernon began addressing Marianne before she had fully entered the drawing room in a torrent of words that did not allow for an answer.
“Oh, my dear. I have wondered when you would come to see us. You must have been fully occupied at the cottage, turning it out proper. I hope you’ve been safe there. I heard about that horrid break-in, and it makes me lose sleep thinking of what might become of you. As you know, you are always welcome to come here.”
She walked over to the bell pull. “I will call for tea.”
Marianne smiled. “The cottage has been very quiet, and I believe with our footman, we are perfectly safe.”
She took a seat at Robert’s side, full of relief at being back in familiar surroundings. She had been too hard on Robert. He had only wanted what was best for her, and he would soon come to see that she was not the wife for him.
If Perry proposes marriage, he will have to reconcile himself to the idea, at any rate. The thought came suddenly, causing Marianne’s heart to beat at the idea. She thought she had dampened that hope since he’d left. At least she was trying to.
The footman entered a short while later bearing a tray, laden with a wide variety of foods and sweets. Marianne helped herself when invited and spent a most agreeable hour discussing all matters of friendly local gossip, smiling and laughing more than she had in the last two days. After an hour spent in the Vernons’ company, she felt a good deal better and was almost able to forget about Perry’s absence and the fact that he had left without giving a clear idea as to his return.
“I’ll walk you out,” Robert said, after Marianne expressed she thought it time to be going back. “I can even ride back with you.”
“Thank you.” Marianne said, more kindly disposed toward him than she had in a while. He had been her only true friend since childhood. They had ridden together and played with hardly a cross word between them in all those years. Surely they could move past the idea of a marriage she was certain wouldn’t suit either of them.
They entered the stables and Sweet Nips gave a soft whinny at the sight of her. Marianne went over and stroked her neck. “You may not be a sweet-goer, but you are a sweet thing.”
“Where is Josiah?” Robert grumbled. “He is never where he’s wanted. Mary, your nag is irritated on her back. Did you notice that? It must be the saddle. Go get a blanket from the storage room, will you?”
