Henrietta Read Online Free PDF

didn’t,” she said. “Since I shall no longer be able to take part in social occasions except as a kind of servant, I would rather forget that such a world exists.”
    And to united shouts of ‘impertinent’ and ‘ungrateful,’ she hurried from the room to indulge in yet another hearty cry. She hardly knew whether she was weeping over her future as a companion to a sick old lady or whether it was because she would never see Lord Reckford again.
    Downstairs Lady Belding was rising to take her leave. “You have done very well, Mr. Sandford, very well indeed. I shall not forget. Perhaps I was a trifle abrupt last night but Alice has set her heart on marrying Lord Reckford and since she is the only child I have, I mean to see that she gets what she wants. Pray ring for our carriage.”
    By mid-afternoon, the snow had ceased, leaving the town of Nethercote sparkling like a Christmas card.
    Henrietta watched the housekeeper, Mrs. Ballis, hurrying off with her shopping basket, and crept down to the kitchen on stockinged feet to raid the larder for food to take to her friend, Miss Mattie. Then silently pulling on her pattens and shoes, she slipped quietly out by way of the area steps and took a deep breath of cold clear air. If only she had enough money just to keep on walking and never return.
    The heroines in the novels she and Miss Mattie read would not be so poor spirited. They would become governesses and marry their employer’s handsome son or dress up as boys and become smugglers, but never, thought Henrietta savagely, would they sit and accept their fate with a meek ‘Yes, Henry.’ Well, their spirits had not been broken as hers had been and they did not live in the harsh world of reality. “If only I were a man!” muttered Henrietta through clenched teeth. Then she remembered the Beau and was heartily glad she was not.
    She suddenly thought of Mrs. Tankerton. Surely she had been a fool to throw away the chance of a fortune! Then she mentally shrugged. The old woman had simply been playing a game of power. She would probably live to a hundred, threatening and blackmailing her friends and relatives and changing her win and her mind every few days. Henry had still not even admitted to her existence.
    Miss Mattie was twittering with excitement at the prospect of hearing some delightful gossip about the ball. But her sympathetic eyes filled with their ready tears when Henrietta outlined her fate.
    “But why should your brother suddenly decide on such a cruel idea,” cried Miss Mattie.
    Henrietta told her about Lord Reckford. Miss Mattie’s eyes flashed with optimism. “There you are! He
did
fall in love with you. Now your worries are over. He will ride post-haste and
ventre à terre
to this Mrs. Grammiweather and demand that his affianced wife be released from bondage and Mrs. Grammiweather will say…”
    “Don’t make such a cake of yourself, my lord,” finished Henrietta dismally. “It’s no good, Mattie. I can’t play that sort of game any more.”
    “It’s
not
a game,” said Mattie intensely. “You must
hope
. Something will happen to you…oh…tomorrow, which will make your sun shine again!” As if in contradiction to her optimism, a gust of wind sobbed and cried in the chimney and escaped in the room where it set the flames of the tallow candles dancing.
    “I must go, Mattie, before I get snowed in. Look…it’s started falling again.” Both women looked out of the tiny window. A link boy trudged along the street and in the light of his lantern they could see the snow falling thick and fast.
    By the time Henrietta reached home, the snow was well above her ankles, she was late for dinner, and was forced to listen to a long and spiteful lecture from her brother about punctuality being the first duty of a good servant and, since she was shortly to enter that class, she should bear it in mind.
    Despising herself, Henrietta said, “Yes. Henry dear,” and wondered to herself how her brother