Josette (27 page)

Millerd spent some time in Amy's room talking quietly.

After her initial shyness to be seen after such an affair, she found her voice and talked herself thirsty enough to ask for something to drink.

Josette concentrated on a tambour frame, and tried not to interfere.

Millerd politely remembered her every few minutes, however, and invited her into the conversation.

The gardens at Beddingfield Park would be in bloom, the fields sprouting with life. She could hardly wait, she confessed, for a bowl of strawberries from the garden. Even Amy agreed with that.

A plate of biscuits arrived and Millerd was informed that the Captain had returned and was waiting for him in the library. He made his excuses and left with a fond smile for both of the girls.

“I wonder would Carter come up,” said Amy. She sank back as if tired, ignoring the biscuit Millerd had pressed into her hand.

“You should try to eat some more.”

“I'm not a goat, Josette.”

Josette laughed. “You are a silly animal, you are.”

Amy blinked and
found
 
something
in the sky to follow outside the window.

“Whatever were you thinking?”

After a very long pause, Amy relented. “I was not thinking at all. I just wanted to get away from it. I wanted to go home.”

“Home is not the Thames.” Josette could not keep the sternness out of her voice.

“Sometimes home does not feel like Beddingfield Park.”

“How can you say such a thing?”

“You would not understand. You had George and the Park. Everyone listens to you.”

“That makes no sense at all.”

“So you see,” Amy said with a red face, “you don't quite understand me.” She wiped away tears that sprung to the corners of her eyes. “I never felt like I belonged.”

Stung, Josette crossed the room and fell onto the bed beside her. “You break my heart to say such things. You have always been our dear little Amy.”

“Do not mind me. We are not cut from the same cloth.”

“But what is this, you have no home?”

“I belong somewhere else. I know it.” She touched her heart. “I was born to make somebody happy.”

“You make us all happy,” Josette insisted.

Amy smiled, shook her head, and sighed deeply. “Dear Jo,” she said with a sweet smile and patted her on the head.

Josette picked up the plate and carried it over to the door. “You will come down for dinner tonight?”

“If Lady Berclair will allow it.”

Josette crossed an arm over herself. “I cannot bear to sit alone with Captain Carter.”

“You won't be alone,” Amy soothed.

“But Caroline can not count.”

Amy covered her mouth and giggled softly and Josette grinned. It was what she had been waiting for.

≈
≈
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Dinner was almost pleasant. Lady Berclair appeared satisfied that her girls had weathered the storm and proud that she had fooled society completely. Clearly Edward was the Sparrow family's problem.

Josette tossed the food around on her plate. She tried not to let the presence of Carter affect her.

He spoke kindly to Amy and made no mention of the disaster.

In her reply, Amy said, “I am looking forward to going home.”

Caroline sniffed. “The Season is not half-over.”

“Mama writes and says she misses us dreadfully.”

Caroline looked at Josette to see if this were true and Josette nodded.

“And what shall I do then?” she complained. Clearly she had become used to and secretly fond of her lady friends.

“I understand there is to be a concert at the park three days hence,” Carter offered.

“And shall I go with you?”

He shrugged easily and looked at his aunt who said, “Perhaps we should all retire to Beddingfield Park.”

Josette started at the thought of Lady Berclair under her father’s roof. “We can't cheat you out of your holiday.”

“This is no holiday,” Caroline said easily. “We should have gone to Bath. Mama, why don't you take Josette and me to Bath?”

Josette looked quickly at Amy who seemed not to care a whit she had been forgotten. “I should return home with my sister.” She glanced at Carter to see if he seemed annoyed but determined it was none of his concern where she attached herself.

He cleared his throat and spoke loud enough for his aunt to understand. “I have already made arrangements for Millerd to accompany the ladies home. Your father,” he said to Amy, “expects you home on Saturday.”

“So soon?”
Caroline demanded.

Josette took a sip of her drink to keep from blurting out her own surprise. Why she did miss Beddingfield Park, but there were things in the city she would miss as well. She felt Carter studying her and braved to meet his eyes. They were unreadable.

Lady Berclair gave Carter
a
tut
!
tut
!
and
appeared very irritated indeed. “I suppose Millerd will have to do for a companion if you can't rearrange your schedule.”

“I have business.” His cold reply left no room for any more complaints. It left a chill in the room as well.

Afterward, Josette called for Molly and excused herself to see to the packing. She could bear no more than a few minutes in the drawing room knowing he wanted her to be gone.

“It's settled then,” she said to herself. “He can't bear my company, especially not a journey to Beddingfield Park. He saved Amy because he's good and brave and wonderful. But he does not love me anymore. My very presence must revolt him, must remind him of my refusal and accusations.”

She thought grimly of George and his young child. Her brother had not been as saintly as she had believed. In fact, he obviously shared vices with their cousin, one that included ungentlemanly pursuits of a female persuasion.

Perhaps now Captain Carter realized the disgrace of marrying into such a family, where elder sons shirked their duties and went off to sea, and the daughters mooned over every gentleman who offered them a kind word. “Bother,” she whispered, but the words choked her up as tears pooled in her eyes.

Molly dropped a handful of stockings and rushed to hold her. “Don't cry, Miss Josette. You will come visit us again.”

She let the girl believe what she would and shed a few more tears. What did it matter if the whole household thought her distraught? It seemed to happen so often lately that she was becoming quite good at it. It was better, she decided as sobs bubbled up out of her chest, to leave her distress behind rather than take it home and start over with it hanging from her heart.

An unexpected sound at the door caused both Molly and Josette to jump.

With a commanding thump of her cane, Lady Berclair swept into the room and dismissed the maid in a voice not to be contended with. She ordered her to shut the door, and when they were alone, plodded over to Josette’s writing table and dropped down with a plop into the chair beside it.

Collecting her emotions, Josette bent over a trunk to hide her wet face and tried to look busy. After a moment of uncomfortable silence, Lady Berclair said in an easy tone, “You will never be any good at cards.”

Josette looked up in surprise.

“You wear your every thought on your face.”

“I pride myself on keeping my feelings inside,” Josette said stubbornly. She reached up and rubbed her cheeks not caring anymore if she was splotched red.

“Unlike your sister,” the woman agreed. “But I am talking about your expressive eyes.”

“I’ve never been told my eyes were anything but brown.”

“My nephew finds your eyes very pretty.”

“That is a surprise to me.” Josette’s stomach began to reel.

“I am unhappy to see you and your
sister go
. No one is the wiser for your cousin’s dastardly affair, and it is widely accepted that your sister has fallen ill to a cold.”

Josette put her hands together in an attitude of thanks and looked at Lady Berclair directly. “Please accept my heartfelt thanks. If it weren’t for you and Captain Carter, I should have lost my sister, too.”

Lady Berclair eyed her steadily. “I was very fond of your brother, you know. Truth be told, I admire any man who chooses to serve the kingdom when he is under no obligation.”

This revelation surprised Josette, as the lady complained about officers as much as she did her vapors.

“And know this, young lady, I admire you as well.”

Not knowing what to say, Josette curtseyed slowly.

“Your cousin is a silly man. In time perhaps he may settle down, what with that clever Sparrow girl to tame him, but I had no intention of letting a girl of your intellect and open mind waste her life on such a fool. Your entailed estate is in no
danger,
he cannot sell it or gamble it away. It will be better, Miss Price, if you pursue what is in your heart. Now, allow me to tell you what is in mine.”

Here the woman seemed to fade a little bit. Her features seemed to age though her eyes were as sharp as they had ever been. “I was not unlike your sister in my day. I married for a title. Fortunately, there was the benefit of an arrangement that would allow me to keep my money and my husband’s property should he die. It was not a happy union.” She blinked, the only sign of any emotion then continued on. “I learned the hard lesson that there is no escaping the eyes of Society. I determined that if I could not have my way, then I would play their game and at least laugh last. Indeed, I have no intention of forcing Caroline into anything less than a passionate marriage, if at all. My nephew on the other hand, I only wish to be happy. And he seems to think that there is no possibility of that without you.”

Blushing and flattered, Josette dropped the lid of the trunk behind her and sat down. Lady Berclair, from the very first moment they had met, seemed to come into perfectly clear focus in her mind, and she suddenly made a wonderful kind of sense. “Your nephew and I,” Josette said carefully, “will never be more than acquaintances. I am sorry to tell you that.”

“You still blame him for your brother’s death.”

“No. I do not.” Flustered, Josette tried to make her understand. “I blame no one, most especially not Captain Carter. In fact, I will be forever fond of him, and I am sorry that I have to go away.” Josette inwardly cringed at the thought that Lady Berclair knew of her refusing Carter in Bedfield. And that she should have invited her and Amy into her home was utterly amazing.

“Phillip will not inherit a title, but he has more money than even your own park. His career is acceptable and gentlemanly. I’m very proud of my nephew.”

“I have never known a better gentleman in all my life,” Josette agreed. The sincerity she felt in her heart caused her eyes to moisten again, and she turned back to her packing.

Behind her, Lady Berclair stood. “I would admonish you to give heed to my advice, Josette Price. Persuade your sister to open her mind to the attentions of Mr. Millerd, but not to romanticize herself into feeling what is not there. And as for yourself, comfort your parents in their time of need but do not neglect or obligate your own future. If you do, you will regret it forever.”