The Ragged Heiress (30 page)

‘Mama!’ The boy hurled himself at the woman, clutching her round the legs and stopping her in her tracks.

‘I’m sorry,’ Lucetta said hastily. ‘I didn’t mean to frighten him. I only asked where I could find Mrs Cutler.’

Giles and Mary were now standing behind her, and with an angry mother looking as though she was ready to attack her, Lucetta was glad of their support.

‘We meant no harm,’ Giles said smoothly. ‘We can pay for the information we require.’

The woman moved to the edge of the quay wall. ‘Seth,’ she screamed. ‘Come here.’

‘You must be Dora.’ Lucetta moved slowly towards her, holding out her hand. ‘We’ve just spoken to your husband.’

‘What d’you want?’ Dora demanded, glancing anxiously over her shoulder as if willing her husband to come to her aid. ‘Who be you?’

‘I came looking for Sam,’ Lucetta said, hoping and
praying that Seth had not heard his wife’s cry for help. ‘I’m Lucetta Froy. I wrote him a letter.’

Dora curled her lip. ‘I read it and then I burnt it for the nonsense it was. Sam’s took you for a fool and you ain’t the first neither.’

‘Maybe, but I need to find him. Can you tell me where he might be?’

‘In the family way, are you?’ Dora tossed her head. ‘Like I said, you wouldn’t be the first.’

‘Come away, Lucetta,’ Giles said, taking her by the arm. ‘You won’t do any good here.’

Dora turned on him like a fury. ‘What’s the matter, master? Ain’t we good enough to speak to the likes of you and her?’

‘We’ve come a long way, Mrs Cutler,’ Mary said in a soothing tone. ‘Perhaps we could talk this over in private?’ She glanced over her shoulder at the crowd of women who had come out of their homes perhaps to enjoy the spectacle, or to see off the strangers who had disturbed their peace.

‘Go back where you come from then,’ Dora said, spitting on the ground at Lucetta’s feet. ‘Sam wooed me with his soft words and winning ways and then he left me on the eve of our wedding. Jilted me, he did, and made me look a fool in the eyes of the whole village. It looks like he done the same to you.’ She wiped her son’s eyes on the corner of her grubby apron, and taking him by the hand she strode off down the street.

‘We’d best go quickly,’ Mary whispered, staring nervously at the women who showed no sign of dispersing.

Giles stepped forward, addressing the crowd. ‘The show is over, ladies. We’re leaving.’

The women melted away, disappearing into their homes and closing their doors behind them. Lucetta walked down the street with her head held high. She was not going to allow the people who had known Sam to see that her heart was breaking and that her life was in ruins, all her bright hopes of love and marriage gone. She could hear Giles and Mary following close behind her and she was grateful to them for their support, but what she wanted most was to be left alone to deal with the emotions that assailed her as she attempted to absorb the Cutlers’ savage words. She was hurt and angry, but a small voice in her head kept insisting that it was all a pack of lies. Whatever Sam had done in the past, she could not bring herself to believe ill of him. She might have been a green girl then, but deep down she was certain that Sam Cutler had been sincere when he told her that he loved her and wanted her to be his wife.

Giles caught up with her as she reached the quay where they had left the boatman. ‘Are you all right, Lucetta?’

She could not look him in the face and the words stuck in her throat. She nodded her head.

‘I told the fisherman to wait for us,’ Giles continued conversationally. ‘I’ll just see if he’s ready to take us back to the cove.’

He exchanged meaningful looks with Mary, the significance of which was not lost on Lucetta. She knew they were concerned for her but their kindness was
overwhelming. She had tears in her eyes as she watched Giles striding over to the quay wall where the fisherman was sitting on an upturned lobster pot, smoking a clay pipe.

Mary laid her arm around Lucetta’s shoulder. ‘I don’t know what to say, other than I am so sorry things worked out this way.’

Lucetta forced a smile. ‘I am all right, really I am. I won’t throw myself in the sea if that’s what you’re afraid of, Mary.’

‘No, of course it isn’t,’ Mary said hastily. ‘It was just so horrid for you having to listen to all that hateful nonsense. I’m sure none of it was true.’

‘Thank you for being so understanding, Mary, but I know you don’t believe that. You and Giles have warned me often enough and I chose not to listen.’

‘But what does your heart tell you?’

‘I don’t know,’ Lucetta said sadly. ‘I’m so confused, and I really don’t want to talk about it. Look, Giles is waving at us. I think the boatman is ready to take us back to the cove.’

‘Yes, of course. We’d best hurry, for it looks like rain.’

Mary’s fears were proved right and they were all soaked to the skin well before they landed in the cove. Giles stepped over the side knee deep in water and carried Lucetta ashore, returning to the boat for Mary. Lucetta tramped across the wet sand and clumps of slippery seaweed to the inn. She was met by an anxious-looking chambermaid who threw up her hands in horror.

‘Best change out of them clothes afore you catch your death of cold, miss. I’ll light a fire in your room and you can dry your things.’

Lucetta murmured her thanks, but going down with a chill was the least of her worries. She went straight to her room and as she closed the door she sighed with relief. For once she was grateful for solitude. Keeping up a light conversation with Mary and Giles during the boat ride had been agonising, but she knew that they were only trying to keep up her spirits and she had done her best to respond. She stripped off her wet garments and had just wrapped herself in a silk robe when the maid returned with kindling and a tinderbox.

‘Did you find the Cutlers’ yard, miss?’

Lucetta stared at her in surprise. ‘How did you know where we were going?’

The girl busied herself laying the fire. ‘Mr Harcourt asked my pa for directions, miss.’ She sat back on her haunches watching the flames lick round the dry sticks.

‘Do you know the Cutler family?’

‘Oh, yes, miss. Dora Cutler is my cousin, although we don’t have nothing to do with her and that man she married. Silly besom got herself in the family way by young Sam Cutler and he left her at the altar, so she married his cousin Seth.’

‘Sam jilted her when she was carrying his child?’ Lucetta could hardly frame the words, as the awful truth filtered into her brain. ‘That’s just not possible.’

‘The boy is the spitting image of Sam. Young Tommy must be coming on four now and never knew his real
pa. Still, that’s the way it goes. Can I get you a nice hot cup of tea, miss? You look awful pale.’

Later that evening after dinner in the inn parlour, Lucetta excused herself on the pretext of having a headache, but instead of going to bed she slipped out through the crowded taproom. The cool night air was fresh and clean after the fuggy, smoky atmosphere indoors and a gentle breeze caressed her hot cheeks. A large silver moon hung suspended in a dark sky studded with pinpoints of twinkling stars and a pathway of moonlight slivered across the water to the far side of the estuary. The gentle swish of the waves on the shore had a soothing effect on her shredded nerves. She had tried to appear cheerful throughout the meal, but there had been awkward silences during which Giles and Mary exchanged agonised glances until one of them thought of something else to say.

Lucetta took deep breaths of the salt-laden air. A faint waft of tobacco smoke drifted through the open windows of the taproom and she could hear the muted sound of deep male voices and the occasional burst of laughter. She turned with a start as she heard the crunch of booted feet on the pebbles. Giles smiled as he slipped her mantle, now completely dry, around her shoulders. ‘It’s chilly,’ he said simply. ‘Mary was worried that you might take a chill.’

‘Thank you, Giles. I’m sorry I was not better company at dinner.’

‘We understand, Lucetta. You have nothing to apologise for.’

‘You are both so kind to me. I don’t know what I have done to deserve such good friends.’ She turned away, unable to meet his gaze. ‘I’m sorry I dragged you and Mary down here. I should have listened to your advice.’

Giles took her gently by the shoulders, turning her to face him. ‘Does anyone ever pay attention to the advice of others? Good or bad.’

The tender smile and sympathetic look in his eyes made her lips tremble. ‘Oh, Giles.’

He drew her close. ‘Forget him, Lucetta. I was not going to say anything yet, but I can’t hold back any longer. You must know how I feel about you, my love.’

Her heart missed a beat. Of course she knew, and had known for a long time, but she had hoped that it might be just a passing fancy. ‘Please don’t say any more, Giles.’ She tried to pull away from him, but his hands tightened on her shoulders and he looked deeply into her eyes.

‘I love you.’

He was the last person on earth she wanted to hurt, but panic raged in her breast and she shook her head. ‘No, please …’

He laid his finger on her lips. ‘You are suffering, I know, but please hear me out. I know I am a few years older than you and not your first choice, but I can offer you the protection of my name and a position in society as well as my whole heart. In short, and I know I’m making a complete mess of this, but – will you marry me, my dearest Lucetta?’

Rejecting Giles’ proposal was the most painful and difficult thing she had ever done, but Lucetta had left him in no doubt as to her feelings. She had taken off the gold bracelet and thrust it into his hands before fleeing to the safety of her room, where she gave full vent to her emotions in an explosion of grief. She truly felt that she had lost everything dear to her, including the man whom she had cherished as a dear friend. She was convinced that her heart was broken and would never mend.

Breakfast next morning was a stilted affair and the journey back to Stockton Lacey was completed for the most part in silence. Mary’s unspoken sympathy was hard to bear and it was obvious that she had no knowledge of Giles’ proposal, which made it even more painful. He had chosen to hire a horse and ride on ahead, making the excuse that he needed the exercise. Lucetta pleaded a sick headache, which was no lie, and she closed her eyes feigning sleep. They stopped to change horses and take some refreshment but Giles decided that they would travel on instead of putting up for the night. It was late in the evening when they finally arrived at the Grange.

If Sir Hector was surprised by their unexpectedly
early return from Devonshire he gave no sign of it. Lucetta could only guess that Giles had given him some sort of explanation when he arrived ahead of the carriage. She was too exhausted to utter anything other than a brief greeting before climbing the stairs to her room. It was sheer bliss to find that it had been made ready for her; the bed sheets turned down, a clean nightgown laid out on the coverlet, a fire lit in the grate and a jug of hot water ready and waiting on the washstand. She undressed, washed and collapsed with a sigh into the soft embrace of the feather bed. She had slept very little the previous night and now, overcome by both physical and mental exhaustion, she sank into a deep and dreamless sleep.

When she awakened next morning, she knew that it would be impossible to keep Giles’ proposal of marriage secret while they were staying in the same house. Their relationship at best must appear stilted to those who loved them, and Mary would soon realise that something was wrong. Heavy-hearted and dispirited, Lucetta climbed out of bed. The water in the ewer was cooling rapidly and after a quick wash, she put on a plain grey morning gown. Taking a seat in front of the dressing table she picked up a silver-backed hairbrush and began brushing her hair in long, slow strokes. The sun slanted through the windowpanes and outside she could hear the joyous notes of birdsong. Life would go on, although she felt that hers was already at an end. By omitting to tell her of his sordid past, whether it had been intentional, or unintentional, Sam had misled her. How could she
have any faith in his protestations of love and devotion when she knew how badly he had treated Dora and his unborn child? And how could she face Mary with Giles’ proposal of marriage still fresh in her memory?

Lucetta glared at her reflection in the mirror as she brushed the tangles from her hair. ‘Who are you?’ she demanded out loud. ‘You are nobody. You bring misfortune wherever you go. Mama and Papa might still be alive if you hadn’t wilfully disobeyed them by consorting with Sam Cutler. You fell for his sweet words and his lies, and now you are about to bring misery on the person who has done the most for you.’ She shook the hairbrush at her reflection. ‘Shame on you, Lucetta.’

A soft tap on the door made her jump. ‘Yes, who’s there?’

‘It’s Phyllis. Miss Mary sent me to see if you want breakfast brought to your room on a tray, or if you would like to join them in the dining room.’

Lucetta scowled at the pale-faced girl in the mirror. ‘Stop being a coward. You’ve got to face them sometime,’ she whispered. Rising to her feet she raised her voice. ‘I’m coming right away, Phyllis.’

Sir Hector was seated in his usual place at the head of the dining table with Mary on his left. Lucetta was quick to notice the empty place setting where Giles would normally be taking his meal. She was torn between relief that he was absent and anxiety in case he had merely overslept and might appear at any moment. With a
determined effort to act normally, she took her seat opposite Mary and was greeted by a warm smile.

‘I trust you slept well?’ Sir Hector said, wiping his lips on a starched white linen napkin. ‘I must say I would have broken the journey somewhere en route. I wouldn’t have fancied sitting all those hours in the carriage.’

‘It was Giles who was eager to hurry home, Papa.’ Mary rose to her feet, taking her plate to the sideboard where she helped herself to devilled kidneys and a slice of bacon. ‘He left for London first thing this morning.’ She returned to the table, glancing at her father with a mischievous smile. ‘I made him tell me, Papa. I knew there was something going on.’