Page 60 of A Sense of Misgiving
‘Well then, you leave me with no choice.’
He pulled her away from the wall and threw her onto a daybed. Surely he would not…But the evil look in his eye made his intentions abundantly clear. Where was Lucy? But of course, there had been no visitor. That’s why the maid had looked so sullen when delivering that bogus message. This had all been so carefully orchestrated that Mary hadn’t suspected a thing. And now her virtue would be taken by a villain with a grudge to bear against her family.
She fought him like a wildcat as he lowered his heavy body over hers, but her struggles made not the slightest difference. She screamed, but knew no one would come to her rescue.
*
Flora spent the early part of the afternoon with the countess, who seemed to have recovered some of her strength.
‘Sorry to have been gone for so long. I had some private business to attend to.’
‘You look preoccupied, child.’ The countess frowned myopically at Flora. ‘Have you been crying? Who on earth has upset you? Surely not that tiresome father of yours again.’
‘In a manner of speaking.’
Flora felt a burning need to unburden herself. Aware that her charge was extremely astute and would likely give her sound advice devoid of emotion, she found herself relating all the particulars of Mr Farthingale’s visit and his astonishing revelations.
‘I like the sound of your grandmother,’ she said, when Flora ran out of words.
‘The two of you would have got along well.’
‘And you have inherited your grandmother’s second sight, have you?’
Flora waggled a hand from side to side. ‘Perhaps,’ she prevaricated, aware that Luke didn’t believe it and that he wouldn’t want his grandmother to get ideas in that regard. ‘I’m not sure. It’s all rather confusing.’
The countess sent her a sapient look, clearly not deceived. ‘Well, miss, you’ve had a shock, there’s no denying it, but you have your independence now if you want it.’ She patted Flora’s hand, as close as she would ever come to showing sympathy. ‘Shall I be rid of you at last?’
‘Heavens, no. You would be miserable without me.’
‘Ha! Much you know.’ But the old lady looked reassured by Flora’s statement.
‘Have you looked through the papers yet?’
‘No. Well just briefly. It’s all too much to take in. I need time to adjust. There are books, handwritten by both my grandparents, recording séances and situations, a lot of situations, where they used their talents to help people. And a few letters, too.’ Flora sent her charge a guilty look. ‘I confess to being a little overwhelmed by it all. But I need to know why Grandmamma considered herself to be my father’s conscience.’
‘You’d be well advised to search those papers for records of events at around the time of your grandfather’s death. There, I suspect, you will find your answers.’
‘Yes, thank you for your advice. I shall do exactly that.’
‘Don’t fret so, pet.’ The old lady again rested a gnarled hand over Flora’s. ‘There is nothing your father can do to harm you now.’
Since the countess did not know about the threat to her family’s reputation, she had no reason to think otherwise.
Sandwell interrupted them. ‘Excuse me, Miss Latimer, but we wondered if you could use your skills in the still room to help poor Maud.’
‘Maud?’ Flora frowned. ‘Ah yes, Lady Mary’s maid. What is wrong with her?’
‘She has her monthlies and the cramps something awful.’
‘Well yes, of course. The poor girl. If you sit with her ladyship I can…Just a minute.’ Flora’s expression darkened. ‘Lady Mary has gone out and Maud is supposed to have gone with her.’
Sandwell shook her head. ‘Don’t know anything about that. Maud is most definitely up in the servants’ quarters.’
Flora got to her feet, trying not to let her panic show. What the devil had Mary been thinking? ‘Stay here, Sandwell. I shall see what I can do.’
But instead of going to Maud’s aid, Flora headed straight for Luke’s library. She tried not to feel guilty about her behaviour just before she had left it a couple of hours earlier. Once the attorney taken his leave and the full impact of her situation struck home, the outpouring of pent-up emotion had been so unexpected that she’d failed to contain it. She felt the swelling of her grandparents love from beyond the grave. The only type of genuine affection she had ever known. The comfort she felt when she learned that it had not died with them had been almost too much for her to endure. She was accustomed to keeping her feelings under wraps and remaining firm in the face of her father’s increasingly frantic efforts to retain control of her every waking moment.
But now, finally, all her emotions had bubbled to the surface and she had sobbed on Luke’s shoulder, soaking his shirt with her tears. He had closed his arms around her, smoothing her back with gentle sweeps of his capable hands, until the flood turned to a trickle and then the tears dried up altogether. She had tried to apologise but he had waved aside her excuses, probably thinking that she was weak and over-sensitive. Probably highly sceptical about all the revelations too, given his lack of belief in the afterlife.
