The Reckoning (55 page)

‘
Annie, don't talk so shocking. You make everything worse
by your immoderate language,' Prudence intervened. 'The
fact is, Miss Morland, that Lady Grey probably did have
some idea in her mind that Fred might marry Roxane,
because she and Mama were such old friends; and out of jeal
ousy, or to protect her own interests, she told Mama – she
told her –’

Prudence evidently had difficulty in getting beyond this
point. Sophie said, ‘If some slander has been spoken about
me, I wish you will tell me, so that I can refute it. I shall not
blame
you,
I assure you. I know you would not do such a
thing.'

‘
There, Pru, I told you not to worry. You see what a good
creature she is! I told her, Sophie, that we should come and
tell you at once, because it was only fair, and what any friend
would do.'

‘What did Lady Grey say about me?’

Even Agnes looked a little pink as she tackled the subject. ‘She said – she said that though you are the eldest child, you
were born – well, before your mama and papa were married.’

Sophie said nothing, but her eyes were very bright. Agnes
coughed and continued more confidently. 'She said because
of that you won't inherit the Morland fortune – it all goes to your brother. And not only that, she said the mills are not to
go to you either. In fact she said that you're not a great
heiress at all, that you'll have nothing but a few thousand
pounds from your mama.’

Sophie looked bewildered. 'But I never said that I
was a
great heiress. Why should anyone think it?’

Agnes had recovered her spirits. 'But that's the fun of it,
don't you see? When you came here with your mama to look
at the mills, everyone assumed you were to inherit them –
otherwise why had you come? And then when Mr Farraline paid attention to you, it seemed to confirm it, for everyone
knows he needs a rich wife. So the story went from mouth to
mouth, with your fortune increasing all the time, until
everyone was convinced you were the greatest catch of the
season! When Mama found out the truth, she was furious,
thinking you'd tried to trap Fred under false pretences.
That's why she cut you – and now she's telling everyone
you're an imposter – you and your mama.’

Sophie stared in amazement and distress. 'But I never
pretended to anyone I was an heiress – and nor did Maman.
We would not do such a thing. And if anyone had asked me,
I'd have told them the truth.'

‘
But of course no-one would ever ask you,' Miss
Pendlebury said seriously. 'They have only themselves to
blame for the mistake. I'm shocked beyond mention at
Mama's behaviour. Not only is she guilty of appalling rude
ness, but she's exposing herself in the most humiliating
manner, which will reflect on all of us. To reveal so openly
that the only reason she courted you and your good mama
was for your supposed fortune –!'

‘
Oh, but it's such a good joke, don't you think, Sophie
dear? Yes, I know it's shocking and very bad, but only think,
all those young idiots hanging round you, and their mamas
whipping them on to propose to you! And Fred writing that
comical letter too! I'll bet he wishes he may sink through the
earth now!’

Sophie was deep in thought. 'So they all thought I was
wealthy, and
that
was why ... All the attention, being asked
to dance, and everything, only for the sake of an inheritance,
and not for me at all.'

‘
Oh poor Sophie!' Agnes cried, jumping up to sit beside her
and put an arm round her shoulders. 'Never mind it! You
know we love you, Pru and I! And Percy says you're a little
trump, and Harry thinks you're a very sweet girl! Anyone who matters loves you just as they always did! As for the
others – they're not worth a plucked hen.'

‘
You may comfort yourself,' Prudence said seriously, 'on
your own conduct, which has been impeccable throughout.
There can be few girls whose heads would have been as little
turned by so much attention as yours was. Indeed, you have
nothing to reproach yourself with; it is my mother who should
be ashamed, as I am ashamed of her.'

‘
Thank you,' Sophie managed to say. 'You're very kind.'
She was thinking now of Mr Farraline, and wondering
whether he, too, thought her an heiress. But his acquaintance
with her had predated this visit, so surely he might be relied
on? And yet even in Scarborough she supposed he might have
been under a misapprehension. Perhaps that was why he
talked to her in the beginning about mills, thinking she had
mills of her own to join to his.

Agnes had caught up with the same thought. 'I say, I
wonder if Lady Batchworth is another like Mama? Does Mr
Farraline know the truth, Sophie? It would be a terrible
shame to lose him as a suitor, just when everyone's saying he's
bound to speak soon!'

‘
Oh Annie, do hush,' Prudence said. 'We came to ask you,
Miss Morland, if you would come for a drive with us this
morning in the barouche? If you don't wish to, we shall quite
understand, but it would shew people that you don't care about the talk, and that we don't heed it. And in the after
noon, if you'd like, we could go and visit some of the mill-
hands who are sick and unemployed.'

‘
I wouldn't call that much of a treat,' Agnes said, 'but Pru
really thought you'd like it, and I'm willing to come along
with you as chaperone, so that your mama won't worry.'

‘
Thank you, I should like it very much. I accept both your
invitations,' Sophie said.

Thanks to Prudence, her thoughts had taken a happier
turn: even if all her suitors had been pursuing her for an
imaginary fortune, Mr Hobsbawn had always known that she
was not an heiress. What liking he had shewn for her must,
therefore, have been genuine.

*

The drive was a revelation to Sophie. On Agnes's insistence,
she put on her very smartest bonnet and pelisse, and in the
open barouche they drove slowly along all the main thorough
fares, ending up at the Exchange for some trifling purchases
of fringe and needles for Agnes and a pair of gloves for Prud
ence. They were thus exposed to the view of almost every
person of fashion in Manchester.

It was plain that tongues had been busy, and that society
was already dividing into camps. The Pendleburyites comprised those like the Spicers who toadied to Mrs
Pendlebury or depended on her patronage for their place in
society; and those like the Ardwicks whose daughters had
been neglected at balls for Sophie's sake, and who were now
resentful that such a little black monkey of a person could
have given herself such airs. These were joined by some of the
young men who felt they had been lured into making cakes of
themselves, and hadn't the self-possession to admit the
mistake was their own. All of this camp believed quite firmly
that Sophie and her mother had deliberately set out to
deceive Manchester in order to get Sophie a husband.

The Morlandites comprised those who disliked Mrs
Pendlebury and were glad to see her discomfited, the parti
cular friends of the Droylsdens, and those whose loyalties were
to neither family, but who liked a good joke, especially at
someone else's expense. Both the drive and the stroll through
the Exchange were marked by pointed displays of friendliness
and hostility, the battle-lines drawing themselves up with such readiness that Sophie was half-inclined to believe it
really had nothing to do with her, and that they had only
been waiting for an excuse to go to war. She wished she had
Agnes's robust self-confidence so that she could see some
humour in the situation. From her heart she pitied Miss
Pendlebury, who was evidently much distressed at her own
position, finding herself obliged to side against her own mother, with whom she still lived and on whom she was
entirely financially dependent.

When Agnes felt they had displayed themselves enough, they drove back to Hobsbawn House to refresh themselves
with a nuncheon before going out again. In the morning-
room they found Héloïse, returned from her visit to the
attorney, and reading a letter which had been delivered by
hand while they were out.

Agnes and Prudence, in their different ways, repeated to
Héloïse the explanations and assurances they had made to
Sophie, and Sophie told her mother of the morning's experi
ences.

‘
Oh dear, my poor little one!' Héloïse said with dismay.
‘What a horrid thing to happen! I thought people were
looking at me strangely this morning as I walked along Pall
Mall. It is all such nonsense – but how cruel to take it out on
you, my Sophie. As if anyone could suppose you were capable
of such a deception.'

‘
It will all be forgotten soon enough, ma'am,' Prudence said. 'I am sorry and ashamed that my own family should
have been at the bottom of it, but these things blow over very
quickly, as I'm sure you know.’

Héloïse looked at her thoughtfully. 'Yes, you are right. I'm afraid it is you, Miss Pendlebury, who will suffer most from
this. I am very grateful to you for standing by my Sophie so bravely. I know what it must cost you.’

Miss Pendlebury's mouth tightened. 'Thank you, ma'am.
But I shall weather the storm. I'm afraid this is only the latest
instance of a growing rift between my mother and me. We
have differing views on so many things.’

Héloïse became aware of the letter she was holding. 'This
becomes much clearer now,' she said wryly, holding it up. 'I
had been puzzling over this letter – it is from Lady Batch-
worth, Sophie, very formal and correct, saying that sudden
urgent business calls her away. She departs at once, and will
therefore not be able to give herself the pleasure of calling on us to say goodbye. I suppose she has gone back to Grasscroft,
now there is no prize to be won here.'

‘
And Mr Farraline?' Sophie asked in a subdued voice.

Héloïse reached out to touch her hand comfortingly. 'Yes,
Mr Farraline too. Oh my Sophie, I'm so sorry. It is a hateful
thing to happen.'

‘
It doesn't matter, Maman,' Sophie said.

Miss Pendlebury said, 'I'm surprised at Mr Farraline's
taking this action, ma'am. I had thought better of his judge
ment than to expose himself to the charge of being a fortune-
hunter.’