nothing, dearest. I oughtn't to have bothered you." She bent and planted a kiss on Nanny's shriveled cheek. Then she drew Nanny's shawl back around her shoulders and, after apologizing for disturbing her rest, begged her to go back to sleep.
A few moments later, she peeked into the schoolroom, uncertain whether she would find Pamela engaged with her governess. But apparently, Lady Pamela had not taken her mother's excuses at all seriously and had escaped once again to the stables. No one was in the schoolroom but Lady Pamela's governess, Miss Fotheringill.
She turned until Mattie could see the cool grey eyes beneath her clear brow and trim lace cap.
"Come in, Your Grace," she said, giving Mattie a serene smile of welcome. Miss Fotheringill was the only retainer, with the exception of Barlow, who always remembered to address Mattie as she should, not from any lack of familiarity or affection, but out of a strict desire to accord Mathilda the proper degree of respect due a duchess. Miss Fotheringill had instructed Mattie, too; and if, at times, she found it difficult to refrain from demonstrating too much affection for her employer, she was always careful not to reveal such an improper inclination in public.
Miss Fotheringill stretched out an elegant hand and bade Mattie sit in the chair by the fireplace. Even though spring was nearly at end, she kept a fire always burning in the grate. Her room was a warm haven, which Mattie never failed to seek when something troubled her.
"Oh, Gilly!" Mattie burst out, not bothering to conceal from her governess what she had barely hidden from her nurse. "I've had the most disturbing call!"
"Oh, dear. Not Mrs. Puckeridge again."
The rector's wife was a notorious gossip, as they had discovered within a few days of taking up residence at Westbury Manor. She called with regularity, and it was in part because of her annoying visits that Mattie had declared her policy of not being at home to anyone.
"Not Mrs. Puckeridge, no. It was Lady Westbury and her son, Lord Westbury."
"And how did they distress you? I know Lady Westbury can be rather overbearing, but I had not thought you so easily overset."
"But she was quite rude! She criticized Barlow and me and you— But that is neither here nor there, Gilly," Mattie said, putting those issues aside. "What matters is that they most particularly asked to see Pamela."
"But why should they not?"
"They practically demanded to see her! Well. . . " Mattie considered. "Perhaps it was Lady Westbury who did the demanding. But her son did nothing to discourage her. He let her bully me until I could do nothing else but call Pammy down, and then he told me how eager he was to see her! If you could have seen his smug expression!"
"Smug? About what?"
"That's just it! I could tell they were up to something. If you could have seen Lord Westbury's bland look! I was certain he was laughing at me. And his mother— why, she was behaving in the most extraordinary fashion! But I could see at once that she had designs on Pamela."
"Designs?"
Mattie hunched her shoulders miserably. "I believe she wants my Pammy for her son."
"But what does all this matter?" Gilly said, consolingly. "You would never give your consent to an early marriage, and I cannot believe that Pamela has any thoughts of one."
"That's precisely what I would have said." Mattie's heart trembled for her daughter. "But that was before I saw him."
"Saw who?"
"Lord Westbury!" Mattie stood abruptly and started pacing back and forth in front of the chimneypiece.
Miss Fotheringill observed her agitation with surprise and no small degree of concern. "Why should seeing him make any difference?" she asked, bewildered by Mattie's reaction.
Mattie slowed to a stop and raised her hands helplessly. "Because he is just what every girl dreams of," she said, a wistful note stealing into her voice. "Tall and handsome— and with such considerable address that he could persuade any girl to fall in love with
A few moments later, she peeked into the schoolroom, uncertain whether she would find Pamela engaged with her governess. But apparently, Lady Pamela had not taken her mother's excuses at all seriously and had escaped once again to the stables. No one was in the schoolroom but Lady Pamela's governess, Miss Fotheringill.
She turned until Mattie could see the cool grey eyes beneath her clear brow and trim lace cap.
"Come in, Your Grace," she said, giving Mattie a serene smile of welcome. Miss Fotheringill was the only retainer, with the exception of Barlow, who always remembered to address Mattie as she should, not from any lack of familiarity or affection, but out of a strict desire to accord Mathilda the proper degree of respect due a duchess. Miss Fotheringill had instructed Mattie, too; and if, at times, she found it difficult to refrain from demonstrating too much affection for her employer, she was always careful not to reveal such an improper inclination in public.
Miss Fotheringill stretched out an elegant hand and bade Mattie sit in the chair by the fireplace. Even though spring was nearly at end, she kept a fire always burning in the grate. Her room was a warm haven, which Mattie never failed to seek when something troubled her.
"Oh, Gilly!" Mattie burst out, not bothering to conceal from her governess what she had barely hidden from her nurse. "I've had the most disturbing call!"
"Oh, dear. Not Mrs. Puckeridge again."
The rector's wife was a notorious gossip, as they had discovered within a few days of taking up residence at Westbury Manor. She called with regularity, and it was in part because of her annoying visits that Mattie had declared her policy of not being at home to anyone.
"Not Mrs. Puckeridge, no. It was Lady Westbury and her son, Lord Westbury."
"And how did they distress you? I know Lady Westbury can be rather overbearing, but I had not thought you so easily overset."
"But she was quite rude! She criticized Barlow and me and you— But that is neither here nor there, Gilly," Mattie said, putting those issues aside. "What matters is that they most particularly asked to see Pamela."
"But why should they not?"
"They practically demanded to see her! Well. . . " Mattie considered. "Perhaps it was Lady Westbury who did the demanding. But her son did nothing to discourage her. He let her bully me until I could do nothing else but call Pammy down, and then he told me how eager he was to see her! If you could have seen his smug expression!"
"Smug? About what?"
"That's just it! I could tell they were up to something. If you could have seen Lord Westbury's bland look! I was certain he was laughing at me. And his mother— why, she was behaving in the most extraordinary fashion! But I could see at once that she had designs on Pamela."
"Designs?"
Mattie hunched her shoulders miserably. "I believe she wants my Pammy for her son."
"But what does all this matter?" Gilly said, consolingly. "You would never give your consent to an early marriage, and I cannot believe that Pamela has any thoughts of one."
"That's precisely what I would have said." Mattie's heart trembled for her daughter. "But that was before I saw him."
"Saw who?"
"Lord Westbury!" Mattie stood abruptly and started pacing back and forth in front of the chimneypiece.
Miss Fotheringill observed her agitation with surprise and no small degree of concern. "Why should seeing him make any difference?" she asked, bewildered by Mattie's reaction.
Mattie slowed to a stop and raised her hands helplessly. "Because he is just what every girl dreams of," she said, a wistful note stealing into her voice. "Tall and handsome— and with such considerable address that he could persuade any girl to fall in love with
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