A Fallen Woman (27 page)

‘
Excellently,’ her father and James replied, almost in
unison.

Worsley
smiled at her, causing her heart to cavort in her chest in a most
unruly fashion. ‘Very well indeed. And you?’

She had not
slept well but she was hoping the fact did not show on her face.
‘Oh yes,’ she said blithely. ‘It was an exhausting day, was it
not?’

All
agreed it had been. Picking up a plate, Rachel helped herself to
food from the warming dishes, most of which she suspected she would
not be able to touch, lacking in appetite as she was. The
fluttering nerves within had forestalled any hope of that. She did
not expect Worsley to broach the subject again over the breakfast
table but breakfast could not last forever. As soon as was
practicable she would find a way to speak with him
privately.

It seemed
to take a frustratingly long time for the opportunity to present
itself. The leisurely breakfast was punctuated by easy
conversation, suggestions of afternoon entertainments, talk of the
weather. All perfectly normal topics of conversation that Rachel
discovered were particularly hard to sit through. She felt as
twitchy as a horse in a thunderstorm, although she schooled her
face into a mask of composure.

‘
We could go for another ride. Take James out for an airing,’
Papa suggested, smiling. ‘I do believe you’re stretching that
waistcoat a little.’

James
grinned back at him. Without the niggardly Charity at his side, he
always reverted back to the man they were familiar with and thought
it a pity that Charity could not be indisposed more frequently so
that they may have their James back, the young man who told
dreadful jokes and was inclined to be as silly as Liza upon
occasion. He was a marvelous father, or he would be if his wife
allowed him to spend a decent amount of time with his children.
Unfortunately she liked to sequester them away in the nursery and
if James wished for more time, apart from the miserly forty minutes
Charity considered suitable – when they took tea with each of their
parents – he had to slip in to see them before their bed
time.

‘
I’m up for it. Blow the cobwebs away. Rachel?
Worsley?’

‘Why
not,’ Worsley agreed and Rachel nodded, uncertain if she wanted to
go riding or if she was merely agreeing because it was the easiest
thing to do. She had not thought that occupying the same room as a
man who was threatening to marry her could be so distracting. It
was unsettling. Ridiculously so.

The rest of the family, except for the newly wedded
couple
,
drifted downstairs after a time. There was a general aura of
pleasant lethargy now that the festivities were over. Lydia dimpled
at Rachel when she caught sight of her.

‘
Are you feeling better this morning, my dear?’

So muddled was
Rachel that for a moment she could just stare at her sister-in-law
blankly. ‘I’m sorry?’

‘You
retired rather precipitously last night. I cannot blame you.’ Lydia
grimaced delicately. ‘Charity is growing worse with each visit,
don’t you think? She has been particularly prickly this time.
George and I do wish that James would crush her pretentions, just a
little. He is far too easygoing.’

Rachel made herself relax a little. It was far better that
Lydia thought her precipitous retreat the night before was because
of Charity, rather than
Worsley. Her next words banished her relief,
however. ‘Of course, this time I suppose it was inevitable that she
would be furious. Worsley is a excellent catch. George and I are
delighted for you, my love.’

Rachel
stared at Lydia in dismay. ‘Good heavens Lydia, Worsley isn’t going
to marry me!’

Lydia arched an eyebrow. ‘Indeed?
He
certainly thinks he is.’

‘
What did he say after I left?’ Rachel demanded,
horrified.

Lydia widened her blue eyes. ‘Why nothing more, really. He
merely told Charity that he was looking forward to becoming a
regular visitor at Thorncroft. And that she and James
mus
t come and
stay with him at Bromley Hall. You should have seen the look on her
face as she tried to work out the social implications.’

‘I have already worked out the social implications,’ Rachel
said firmly, determined to disabuse her sister-in-law of the idea
that she was going to wed Worsley. ‘And they are unacceptable. I
will be refusing Lord
Worsley’s offer.’

Lydia
gave her a considering look. ‘Are you sure you wish to? He seems to
truly care for you Rachel and I thought, over the past few days,
that you might be coming to enjoy his company.’

Dear God, have I been that obvious
? ‘He has been a… a charming guest,’
she sighed. ‘But we both know – everybody must know – that marriage
is out of the question.’ She saw the ‘why’ begin to form and held
up a hand. ‘It is
obvious
why such a marriage would be inappropriate, Lydia. Surely
you must see that?’

Lydia’s pink lips pursed. ‘
Not really. I suppose it would not be
easy, especially at first. But so much time has passed, Rachel.
Everybody needs to move on, don’t you think? You should talk to his
lordship about what happened with Salinger, put it behind you and
then start to think about the rest of your life.’ She touched a
hand to Rachel’s own. ‘You deserve a family, my dear, and the love
of a good man.’

Lydia was not normally so outspoken and Rachel sincerely
wished that she had not decided to be more forthcoming with her
opinion now. Frustration welled up within her. She did not
need
to talk to Worsley
about Dorian Salinger. No matter what had happened that night, it
did not affect people’s perceptions. And the perception would be
that the earl had made a dreadful mistake in marrying Rachel
Sheridan.

‘
I have to go and change,’ she said, giving the conversation up
as lost. ‘Do you wish to go riding?’

Lydia
glanced towards a window. It was not snowing but the day hardly
looked promising. ‘Thank you, but I feel time spent before a
pleasant fire talking to your mother would be far more agreeable. I
shall send George, however. Like the rest of you peculiar people,
he enjoys suffering through the elements.’

Rachel
had almost reached her bedchamber when Charity’s high, fluting
voice hailed her. Rachel turned reluctantly, positive before she
even embarked on the conversation, that she would not enjoy it.
This morning Charity was dressed in a high-necked morning gown of
pale lemon that washed any color from her skin. She would look
better in stronger colors but the woman had always favored
unforgiving pastels.

‘Rachel,’
she said again. ‘I have been looking for you. I wish to
have a word, if I may.’

‘Do you?’ Rachel said unenthusiastically. ‘I am about to
change to go riding. I do not wish to keep
the others waiting.’ Whatever Charity
had to say to her, it would not be either uplifting
or
complimentary.

‘
It will not take but a moment,’ Charity said impatiently. ‘Let
us go into your room.’

Rachel
smothered a grimace and opened the door, mainly because she could
not think of a reason not to. She walked across to the fireplace
and turned to face the inevitable. ‘Yes, Charity?’

‘I wish to ask you about this…
this ridiculous talk of marriage to
Worsley.’

‘
Why?’ Rachel inquired.

Charity
blinked. ‘Why do you think? You cannot marry the Earl of
Worsley.’

Despite the
fact that this echoed her own sentiments, Rachel was not inclined
to be agreeable. So far, it had been a very dissatisfactory morning
and an enforced conversation with her least favorite person was not
improving her mood in the least.

‘
I cannot marry him… because?’

Charity stared
at her for a moment before uttering a sigh. Moving across to a
chair, she sat down and arranged her skirts, settling in to hold
forth.

‘
You cannot marry Worsley because he is a man who holds a
position of respect and standing within Society. His father was a
friend of my own dear Papa. Both were regular attendees in the
House.’

Rachel
presumed she meant the House of Parliament. She could not imagine
what that had to do with anything. She wondered if Charity had held
hopes that she might take the prized position as the new Countess
of Worsley when she had been a debutante and wished again that her
brother had put more thought into his choice of bride.

‘
I am afraid I do not understand what you are trying to
say.’

Charity
frowned. ‘I would have thought that was obvious. I am saying that
if you are so reckless as to marry the man, you will be effectively
ruining his position in Society. What possessed him to make an
offer is beyond me, but clearly he has a great deal of… of maturing
to do. No doubt several weeks’ thought – and a discussion with his
friends and family – will convince him that any such alliance could
not be contemplated.’

Rachel looked at Charity. She loved her brother and knew
how difficult it would become if Charity decided to take
a stand against his
family. She did not doubt that her brother would continue to see
them, of course, but his visits must necessarily be fraught with
wifely disapproval. Drat the woman!

‘I think you should perhaps address your concerns to
Worsley, as it is he that has taken it into his head to marry
me.
I
am merely the
recipient of his lack of wisdom.’

‘You could simply say no
and put an end to the matter.’

Rachel briefly
considered telling Charity that she had done so, more than once but
that same perversity that had stopped her from explaining that she
had no intention of marrying the earl, now stopped her from saying
another word. It would give Charity too much satisfaction and that
would never do.

‘I could,
couldn’t I? But I am not sure I want to, you see. I need to think
on it,’ and then, because this was Charity and she had so few
opportunities to ruffle her feathers, she added, ‘although both
Mama and Papa seem to think it an excellent idea.’

‘
They would,’ Charity observed bitterly. ‘Your parents have no
true understanding of how Society works.’

‘They
seem to understand well enough,’ Rachel returned evenly. ‘Do you
not think I would make an admirable Lady Worsley? My knowledge of
the ins and outs of Society is sadly out of date but I am sure I
could pick it up quickly enough. I hear that Bromley Hall is a very
impressive estate. Worsley has said that he would like to entertain
frequently when we are married. I suppose, if I did accept his
offer, that I could learn how to be an exacting
hostess.’

Charity’s mouth tightened and her eyes took on a rather
hectic glitter. ‘Aren’t you forgetting something?’ she demanded,
her voice rising a little. ‘You have been
ruined
. You cannot possibly go into Society as
a… a respectable woman.’

Rachel looked
at Charity. She had always known that the woman disliked her but
there was an underlying vehemence in her sister-in-law’s voice that
took her aback.

I really do offend her. How extraordinary.

‘I would be the first person to admit that I have been
given a good deal of lenience by my family,’ she said quietly,
after a few, uncomfortable moments. ‘And never doubt that I am
deeply grateful. Not that they have ever wished for that but I am
always
conscious of my good fortune. They have also been very good
to you, Charity, although you do not make it easy. You are so very
judgemental, you see.’

Charity glared at her. ‘If by that you mean that I am
sensible to the proprieties, then yes, I am judgemental.
Your
family has none.
When James takes his place at Thorncroft I shall ensure he works
hard to win back the respect of other families in the area but I do
not anticipate it will be easy. Your parents – you! – have ruined
the Sheridan name.’

Suddenly Rachel
had had enough of the woman. She was tired from several nights of
restless sleep, anxious about her forthcoming interview with
Worsley and heartily sick of Charity’s sanctimonious nonsense.

‘
Go away,’ she said wearily. ‘Just… go. James chose you to be
his wife, so I have an obligation to be civil but I do not have to
sit here and let you try to dictate my life. Kindly leave and let
me change.’

Charity
did not budge. There were two spots of bright color burning in her
cheeks and she looked a little like she might burst with whatever
emotion was rampaging within. ‘I want your assurance that you will
not marry Worsley!’

‘
Well you won’t get it,’ Rachel returned grimly. ‘Now please
leave.’

Charity
rose, her mouth set in an ugly line. ‘I shall go and speak to
James. He will be head of this household one day and it is his
right to veto anything that might bring the family into further
disrepute.’

‘
Certainly. But you had best hurry. He is riding as
well.’

With one last,
fulminating glance, Charity flounced out of the room, a picture of
furious indignation.