Page 155 of The Fortunes of Ashmore Castle

‘So here’s what we’ll do. We’ll release each other from our engagement. And next August, when you’re of age, I’ll come and ask you again. If you haven’t accepted someone else by then.’

‘Angus, I would never—’

‘Oh, I think you might,’ he said. ‘But we’ll see, shall we?’

‘You’re – jilting me?’ she said, in horror.

‘Not at all. I’m setting you free. When you try to tame a wild animal, there has to come a point when you let it go, and see if it comes back to you of its own accord. Otherwise you’ll never know, will you?’

‘I’m not a wild animal,’ she said indignantly.

But he only smiled and walked away. And his back view was so strong and upright and manly, she felt a sob rising up her throat. He had never looked more attractive to her than at that moment.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

‘And then he just packed his bag again and left,’ said Addy, on her knees in front of the morning-room fire. ‘Went back to London.’

Mildred was leaning against the mantelpiece, housemaid’s box in hand. ‘Well, where’s he going to spend Christmas, then?’

‘Wherever he lives, I suppose,’ said Addy. ‘It’s a shame for him – he won’t be getting a feed like he’d have had here. Bread and cheese more likely,’ she added, with relish for other people’s disasters.

‘How’s Lady Rachel taking it?’

‘Daisy says she’s quiet, but not crying. More like mad, I reckon. I would be.’

‘But she’s lost her love, hasn’t she?’ Mildred said, with a sniff. ‘I’d be bawling my eyes out.’

‘Naw, she’s mad at him for telling her she can’t dance with anyone else, Daisy says. Well, what does he expect? Just because a girl’s spoken for, doesn’t mean she’s got to say no when a chap asks her to dance. Specially when he’s not around to give her a good time.’

‘I think it’s a shame,’ Mildred said. ‘He’s ever such a nice young man, ever so good-looking.’

Eddie, the house boy, arrived with a basket of logs nearly as big as him. ‘Not good enough for her,’ he joined in. ‘She’s an earl’s daughter and he works in an office.’

Addy went on laying the fire. ‘Where d’you get that idea? You never thought of that for yourself.’

‘Wilf said. The gardener’s boy. When I was getting the logs. He said Mr Allsuch said it. She’s a earl’s daughter and real beautiful, so she could have anyone.’

‘Well, if she could have anyone, how’d she end up with Mr Tullamore?’ Addy said triumphantly.

Mrs Webster was suddenly there, retribution on silent feet. ‘You’ve more than enough to do without wasting time gossiping. Mildred, stop leaning and get on with the dusting. And wipe your nose. Not on your sleeve! Addy, you’ve got the drawing-room and hall fires still to do, so stop dawdling. And Eddie, those logs are for the hall fire. You ought to know that by now. Take them away. What are you doing afterwards?’

‘Front-door brasses, Mrs Webster,’ he said, staring resolutely at the floor.

‘Hurry up, then. They’re to be done before breakfast.’

She was gone, Mildred was gone, and Eddie shuffled away with his burden. ‘How does she do that?’ Addy asked the air, as she brushed up the last trace of ash from the hearth and heaved herself to her feet. ‘Blummin’ mystery she is.’

‘I do feel sorry for the poor child,’ the blummin’ mystery paused to say to Mr Afton, as they passed on Piccadilly. ‘How is she supposed to know her own mind when she’s told what to do all the time? First she’s forbidden to marry the man, then told she can, then as I understand it, hauled about the ballrooms by her aunt to be auctioned off to anyone with a title who might take a fancy to her.’

‘That’s very harsh,’ Afton said mildly. ‘Her mother wants the best for her, as any mother would.’

‘He was a perfectly respectable match in the first place,’ said Mrs Webster grimly, ‘with a fortune to inherit. If she’d supported the match he wouldn’t have lost it.’

‘As I understand it, it was his father who opposed the match first,’ said Afton.

Mrs Webster shrugged. ‘First or last, she forbade it. She’ll have that poor girl left on her hands, and it’ll be her own fault.’

Afton patted her arm comfortingly as he moved on. ‘She’ll marry someone, sooner or later. A girl like that won’t get left on the shelf.’