Page 18 of A Misguided Devotion

It was a personal matter to share with a new acquaintance, but it had been Laura who had brought up the subject. Why, then, had she been so reluctant to admit it? Wouldn’t it be a relief to have another female to talk to about things of the heart? These were matters girls discussed with their mothers and sisters. With their friends.

Here was her chance to make a difference. Mrs Barrington had handed Kitty over to her son like an unwanted piece of furniture, but Laura needed her. That gave her a sense of purpose.

It would take time to get the girl to confide in her, but time she had in abundance.

Kitty suppressed a sigh. Laura was not the only one in desperate need of a friend.

Once her trunk had been taken outside, Kitty took a hasty but affectionate leave of the housekeeper and joined Mr Barrington and his daughter inside their carriage.

Laura fell silent, a complete contrast to the chatterbox she had been whilst Kitty packed. The man made no comment on his daughter’s quietness. How odd. Was this how she normally behaved in her father’s presence?

Mr Barrington kept up a flow of conversation as the vehicle travelled down the incline from the village of Wyke Regis toward the sea. At the foot of the hill, Kitty was taken aback to see a stretch of water blocking the road. The only way across seemed to be by a rope ferry.

Oh my! When Laura had said Portland was not a real island, Kitty had assumed they wouldn’t have to take a boat to get there. It appeared she was wrong.

She had never travelled over the sea before, even for a short distance, and the choppiness of the waves unsettled her stomach. Fortunately, the crossing was swift, and the carriage was soon bowling along a narrow spit of land with water on both sides.

Once on the island, they passed through a village as they mounted a steep hill. Kitty gazed out the window in awe at the picturesque view back over the way they had come, the shoreline stretching for miles. The white froth like a frill down the length of the beach, with green hills rising in the distance.

At the summit, there were vast stone quarries on either side, and in front of a small hut, there was a man who appeared to be selling fossils. The carriage headed across the island and not long after, they arrived at Mr Barrington’s home, Rufus House. It was a substantial grey structure, its mullioned windows indicating it was much older than his mother’s home in Weymouth.

The entire journey had taken little over an hour, and yet Kitty felt she had been transported into another world. A world that promised more comfort than she had experienced in weeks.

As soon as they arrived, Laura scurried off to talk to the housekeeper to arrange for a bedchamber to be made up for their guest, leaving Kitty alone with Mr Barrington.

He led her into the drawing room and begged her to sit.

“I hope you will be happy here, Miss Lacey. It makes me feel somewhat guilty that my mother inherited the fortune that should have gone to my uncle—the man you knew as grandfather—and will ultimately come to me. I hold myself responsible for your welfare. To stand in the place of your brother and offer you a home is the least I can do.”

How odd that he should claim to be acting like a brother when he was old enough to be her father.

“I confess I’m hoping you can do something for me in return. You see, I have invited you here under false pretences—not just for your benefit, but for my own.”

Kitty held her breath. Was Mr Barrington about to make the sort of proposal she would have no hesitation in refusing?

“It is two years since Laura’s mother died, and I’ve been too occupied with my work to give her as much time as I should. Too often, she has been left to her own devices. Though she would benefit from a female companion, I’m asking you to be more than that. I need you to be her chaperon, to protect her innocence.”

Kitty breathed freely again. The man’s concern was all for his daughter.

“I cannot hide it from you. Laura has indulged in a great deal of freedom, wandering Portland at will, and of late, she has taken to giving her maid the slip. As you might suppose, this is not to my liking. She is altogether too friendly toward those she meets, encouraging those tempted to take liberties with such a beautiful, unchaperoned girl.”

Had Laura told him about the man who was pestering her? Is that what had prompted her father to provide her with a chaperon?

He met Kitty’s gaze. “A companion would protect her from inappropriate advances, without my having to curb her freedom. I’m hoping you will befriend her and keep her from making such mistakes. Do you think you could do that for me?”

Here was a dilemma. Could she become Laura’s friend and the chaperon her father required? Wasn’t there a conflict of interest here? Could she build the girl’s trust whilst preventing her from behaving improperly?

She didn’t know, but she had to try. It was the least she could do to repay Mr Barrington’s kindness.

“I will do my best.”

He tilted his head toward her, a satisfied smile on his lips. “That is all I ask. Now, is there anything I can do to help you feel at home here? Would you care to peruse the library before dinner?”

Kitty was tempted. It would be a delicious treat to select a new book and have time to read it, but there was one matter that pressed more keenly on her mind.

“I would like to write to my brother, Edward. To tell him where to reach me. Do you have paper and ink I may use?”

“Of course,” Mr Barrington replied. “But—dare I ask? Have you heard from him of late?”