Josette (12 page)

Mrs. Egglestone burst from the front door of the tidy vicarage followed by a passel of chicks—three growing girls and two small boys, one still quite a baby.

“Josette!” cried the parish mistress, as if they had not shared one another's company in over a year. “Here you are at last!” The dancing children made Josette laugh, as she surmised the lady's excitement was in actuality, relief and gratitude.

“Come see,” she called to her nieces and nephews. The older girls, nine, seven, and six, made pretty curtsies and their four-year-old brother bowed handsomely.

“This is Henry,” Mrs. Egglestone said, holding out the toddler, not quite two, for her to examine.

Henry clapped his hands and put his arms around Josette's neck, and there it seemed they were to stay for the duration of her visit.

They fed the children early and Josette cast her inhibitions aside, singing them a mermaid song to keep them entertained while they stuffed fish in their mouths. She donned an apron too late, for Henry's sticky fingers found her lace fichu. She only laughed. There had never been enough small children at Beddingfield Park, for Amy had truly been born ready to come out.

“I want Miss Price to tuck me into bed,” cried Thomas, the little man, so Josette spent her first evening at Bedfield reaching back into her memories for funny limericks George had taught her.

It was a lovely routine they slipped into, while the weather tossed to and fro from blustery snowfall to days of tolerable sunshine. Icicles froze and melted until they dripped from the eaves.

Church was a droll affair that left Josette yearning to play rowdy with the children. They were not very well behaved, and at least twice during Mr. Egglestone's sermons his wife pinched the girls, which led to loud sniffling. Josette tried to absorb his gentle reminders about abstinence from loud laughter and frivolity, but it did not make much of a mark on her younger charges. They filed home with such relief she had to hold fast to Thomas' hand so that he did not turn cartwheels the entire way.

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Josette had just marked her second week with a long morning of fencing (with wooden swords that had shockingly found her backside) when Mrs. Egglestone and her husband introduced a topic that had been weighty on Josette’s mind.

“We had a lovely time at cards,” said the lady, referring Josette supposed, to one of Edward’s nights of games.

“Would you care to play after dinner?” Josette offered.

“If it pleases you,” Mrs. Egglestone returned. Her husband said nothing, so it was presumed he did not fancy cards to please anyone.

Mrs. Egglestone continued, “I had no idea your cousin was so fond of Miss Berclair.”

Josette's grin was sincere, for it did not perturb her at all. “Edward is fond of everyone.” Then thinking of Captain Carter, she added, “Almost always.”

“I don't think the young man has ever made an enemy. Mrs. Mulgrave thinks he would be an excellent companion for her nephew.”

“He is a shy fellow, isn't he?” Josette agreed.

“I understand Edward plans to go back to London?”

“He is anxious to return.”

“Indeed?”

Mr. Egglestone put his soup spoon down with a clatter and apologized to Josette with pressed lips hardly turned up at the corners.

His wife smiled handsomely at him, then turned back to Josette. “Will you go with him? I notice you are as fond of one another as everyone has supposed.”

Josette took her meaning and said carefully, “It hasn't been decided if we will go to London this year. Amy, of course, is eager.”

Suddenly comprehension flooded Mrs. Egglestone's rosy countenance. “Amy is as fond of Edward as I have ever seen.”

“She adores him,” Josette agreed but she would not reveal more.

Mrs. Egglestone took a sip from her cup, rolled it around her tongue then said, “Now that would be a pretty pair don't you think? And Edward has all of the love of adventure little Amy finds so appealing.”

“I don't believe Amy finds adventure as appealing as she has romanticized it to be. You should have seen her at the concert before Christmas. She was an absolute mouse.”

“Proper decorum for a young lady,” interjected Mr. Egglestone, shocking the silent end of his table.
“Much more proper than cards and silliness.”
He added a
huff
that made Mrs. Egglestone giggle.

Josette felt it her duty to defend her sister. “Amy is a good girl, silly at times though she may be.”

“You're both good girls, my dear,” Mrs. Egglestone insisted. “I've never seen a finer pair of well-mannered young women. You have a fine head for the practical, Josette, and Amy, a spirited young heart.”

I have spirit too,
Josette thought, but she shot it down, aghast at her vanity.

Mr. Egglestone said, “I’m sure Beddingfield Park can be in no better hands with her master gone to his reward.”

“We have had concerns for your family,” Mrs. Egglestone explained. “You are such an asset to the country. I'm sure your brother would be proud.”

“That I will carry on Beddingfield Park?”

The couple nodded.

“But you understand with the entailment I will have little influence.”

“You can have all the influence in the world,” Mrs. Egglestone counseled. She looked sideways at her husband as if a little uncomfortable of her opinion. “I'm sure you will do what's best.”

“I will,” Josette promised.

“I admire your fortitude,” said Mr. Egglestone in a surprising compliment.

Josette could not mislead a man who bridged the gap between herself and deity. At that moment she knew in her heart what she must do and committed to write Amy a letter of private instruction. “Yes, Mr. Egglestone. I think Amy and Edward would make a beautiful couple, and I intend to see it done.”

Her host and his wife stared back at her in surprise.

That night, Josette took her bold words to bed with her and began to think on the few attentions she had been flattered with since she had come out. Amy needed no instruction on her looks but she had never taken pains to hide her affections. How she simpered when she was gifted with compliments. It had all been to Josette's amusement until her brother's death. Now it seemed almost something to be ashamed of.

It was time for Amy Price to hold her head up high and realize her own self-worth. She did not need to play the flirt to get any man's attention. True she wasn't very rich, but she would have a comfortable income and marrying the heir of Beddingfield Park would only combine the assets. Edward would be a fool to ignore the possibilities that could support his carefree lifestyle.

Josette mulled over his libertine kisses in the library and the sudden thought that he might have treated her little sister to the same leisure shocked her right out of bed and to the inkwell. Of course she would never resort to blackmail, but Edward never needed much more than a nudge to do anything that would bring him some level of comfort.

By the low light of a burning candle, she tried to shove away an unwelcome tide of guilt. She had been intended for Edward, she suspected, well before George's accident. Since the time they were children, they had played together. As they had grown, they had shared a friendly and affectionate companionship. Was she shirking her duty to Beddingfield Park by urging her sister not to surrender hope?

Beddingfield Park, Josette realized, had been a part of her future expectations, not her dreams. Her dreams had not been any different than both George’s and Amy's. She’d wanted to explore the world, to fall in love, and someday have children just like the passel of wild ones right under this very roof. She would make a wonderful mother some day, she knew it, but practicality aside, a life of adventure held just as much appeal.

She thought of Captain Carter. According to his aunt he had found her fair, but he had found Amy all the more exciting. Could a man like him tempt her to walk away from Beddingfield Park? Her greatest virtues felt very heavy, indeed.

CHAPTER NINE

Another sermon-infested Sabbath finally faded, and Josette learned with delight that she was to accompany Mrs. Egglestone on her visits throughout the parish. The children were to be left with Manny, the Egglestone’s servant, and Josette could hardly wait to take a tour of the country and feel the spring sunshine. She took a bonnet and parasol to save what she could of her skin, but it would always be too brown to suit and worrying excessively would do no good.

They first stopped at the home of a family recently stricken with the death of their young mother. Mrs. Egglestone instructed a stew to be simmered over the small hearth while Josette tried to cheer the children with her limericks. After that somber duty, they delivered haunches of meat to two families who were tenants but did not have enough to feed themselves, and before stopping for lunch, gave a loaf of bread to a crowd of what could surely not be more than gypsies living on the edge of the woods like bandits.

Josette was not sure one driver would be enough protection should a highwayman come calling, and she wished she had at least brought Thomas' wooden sword to defend herself. She expressed her concerns when they stopped to rest the horses on the knoll overlooking the parish village.

“Does your husband ever accompany you to do your charity work?”

“It’s a responsibility I have sought and cherish.” Mrs. Egglestone waved at the pretty scene laid out before them. “I like my time with the parishioners, and it's such a pretty season.”

Josette loosened her Spencer and wished to shed it. The sun was very warm. “You feel safe then?”

Mrs. Egglestone glanced back at her man minding the horses. “I'm in no danger with Tom about. Besides, everyone knows who I am.”

“
It's
beautiful country here, and the people are so pleasant.”

“Yes. I never dreamed I would find such happiness.”

Josette took that to mean she was very happy in her marriage. “And this,” she nodded toward the village, “satisfies you?”

“I am completely fulfilled. And with my sister's children occasionally underfoot, want for nothing.”

Josette smiled. She put her chin to her hand and contemplated her friend’s circumstances.

“We will visit the
Lovejoys
after we finish our cheese.” Mrs. Egglestone took a hungry bite to accentuate the announcement. “You will not find a happier family in all of Bedfield, I must say. They have an army of children and a very small cottage, but it has a pleasant garden, and the little ones there are the best behaved I have ever known.”

“They sound wonderful.”

Mrs. Egglestone nodded, her mouth full of day old bread, but then she tossed her manners aside. “Captain Carter, you know,” she glanced back at Tom to see if he was listening to their idle conversation, “comes every quarter when he is not at sea, and when he cannot come he sends them money.” She then looked down at the hunk of crust in her hand and toyed with it.

“Captain Carter sends money to the
Lovejoys
?” Josette's mind scrambled back to a conversation she had once shared with Caroline. “His cousin, Miss Berclair, did make mention of it, if I recall.”

“He is a beautiful little boy.” Mrs. Egglestone patted Josette on the knee.
“And well cared for.”

Josette answered nothing to this, as she did not understand Mrs. Egglestone's confidence. Puzzled that her friend would expect her to do so, she kept her questions to herself.