A Reason to Rebel (2 page)

Estelle dreaded seeing the man whom she had always feared, had little respect for and privately admitted to actively disliking. But she could think of no reason to refuse to see him. Indeed, she would not dare.

“It’s all right, Peterson, I do not need announcing. Just have Martha see to Mrs. Travis’s packing. In the small parlour, is she?”

Estelle straightened a spine that was already rigidly upright, determined for once not to be intimidated by her father’s overbearing presence. Her resolve was immediately tested when she heard him giving instructions for her bags to be packed. Whatever could he be thinking of? Then her heart lifted. He must have intelligence of Marianne; there could be no other explanation. The fact that his visit coincided with Susanna’s was pure coincidence, nothing more. Marianne had been found and was asking for her. Naturally she would go to her sister at once, no matter where she was, no matter how long and debilitating the journey. Her own concerns were secondary when compared to the plight of her beloved sibling. At last she would get the opportunity to hold Marianne again and tell her how sorry she was for appearing to take their father’s side against her.

“Papa,” she said with artificial brightness when the door opened and her father’s portly figure filled the aperture. “I did not anticipate the honour of seeing you here today. I trust you are well, sir. Do you bring intelligence of Marianne?”

“Marianne?” Mr. Winthrop’s brow creased with confusion. “Why should I be here to discuss Marianne with you?”

Estelle’s brief hopes expired and she felt the agony of her sister’s disappearance as keenly as though it had happened yesterday. She felt her own guilt at being partly to blame more keenly still. “But I thought, that is to say I assumed, that only something of such moment could bring you so far out of your way.”

“Then your assumption was incorrect. I came to see how you fare and was obviously right to be concerned for your welfare.” He ran his eyes critically over her gaunt features and scowled. “You are far too thin and clearly not taking care of yourself. What do your servants do all day if not care for their mistress? You clearly allow them far too much latitude and they take shameful advantage of you.”

Estelle knew this to be true and could think of nothing to say in her own defence. “It takes time to recover from the loss of a child.”

“Stuff and nonsense, girl. Your mother lost three in succession and did not make half the fuss about it that you are doing.”

Estelle stifled the retort that sprang to her lips. She possessed more compassion in her little finger than her beautiful yet selfishly remote mother could summon in her entire body. Mama had never recovered from the disappointment of being compelled by financial necessity to marry far beneath herself, and the loss of three children would have been nothing more than a mild inconvenience to her.

“I shall ring for refreshments,” said Estelle tightly.

“Don’t trouble yourself. I have told Peterson I shall take luncheon with you and will then be on my way.”

Estelle tried not to make her relief too obvious. She had supposed her father intended to remain for several days, whilst Susanna was with her at the very least, just to stifle their reunion. The fact that he did not even plan to spend the night under her roof gladdened her heart.

“Such a fleeting visit, sir.”

“I am on my way to conduct some business in Leeds,” he said, “and came out of my way to call upon you.”

“You are too good.”

“I shall be returning through these parts in a sennight and came to give you notice that you should be ready to leave with me then.”

“Excuse me, sir, I do not understand you.”

“You will be returning to Farleigh Chase to live at home again.”

“But this is my home now.”

“No, Estelle, this is your late husband’s home, and his heir will be here before the month is out to take possession.”

“Yes, but—”

“You know very well that Travis’s son did not approve of his father’s marriage to you. His wife bears you no less hostility and will not look kindly upon your presence here.”

“But I have every right to reside in this house.”

“Which will cut no ice with her. You are a beauty, Estelle, even in your current condition, and such a vindictive woman will not welcome the competition. Good God, girl, you and she are the same age, and she will not wish her husband to daily compare the two of you and be found wanting.”

“But that is preposterous!”

“It will happen, just mark my words.”

“I do not know what you are implying, Father, or what it is that you think I am, but I can assure you that Mrs. Travis need have no fears in respect of my intentions towards her husband.”

“God’s teeth, Estelle, I credited you with more sense. There is nothing for you here now. Travis was persuaded to marry you because he needed the money I settled on you. And I sanctioned the match because I wanted you to marry well.

“I did not realize Mr. Travis needed to be persuaded into matrimony.”

“Don’t get in a taking, girl. Of course he needed to be persuaded, and it cost me a pretty penny to bring him round. He was desperate for funds, so in the end he graciously overlooked your lack of social standing. But your dowry was gambled away even before Travis was foolish enough to break his neck on the hunting field.”

Estelle gasped at the crassness of her father’s words, but he did not appear to notice how indelicate he was being and carried on in his usual blunt fashion.

“Travis’s son called upon me before you were wed trying to persuade me to call it all off. Did you know that?”

“No, I did not, but I do not see how it changes anything. I
did
marry his father on your specific instructions, and even a cold-hearted man such as his son could hardly throw me out when I am still in full mourning.”

“Perhaps not, but that does not mean he needs to make you feel comfortable. Now that the money is all gone, he will have no further use for you when he returns to claim what’s left of his inheritance. If you had been capable of birthing his step-sibling it might have persuaded me to further generosity when Travis approached me again, which he undoubtedly would have done. But since that did not happen I cannot allow you to remain here to be abused by his wife.”

“But I have no desire to return to Hampshire, Father.”

“Your wishes are of no consequence. You will do as I tell you.”

“I think not, sir.” Estelle contained her rising temper with the greatest of difficulty, astonished to find that she was sufficiently riled to stand up to both Mrs. Keller and her brutish father all in the same day. Marianne and Susanna would be applauding if they could but see her. “I will remain here, hand over the running of the house to Mrs. Travis and trust to luck that we may reside together in harmony.”

“I do not have time to debate the matter with you, Estelle. You will return to Hampshire with me in a week’s time and you will prepare for your marriage to Mr. Cowper when your period of mourning has come to an end.”

Estelle gaped in bald astonishment at her father. Even by his standards this was a new low. “Mr. Cowper is engaged to Marianne.”

“Marianne is gone.”

“But she will be found. I cannot accept that she is irretrievably lost to us—my heart could not bear it. What have your investigators discovered? Presumably they have news.”

“They cannot tell me anything since I have discharged them.”

“What!” Estelle could not believe what she was hearing. “My sister has been missing these four months—driven away from us by her unhappiness, only to be snatched by brigands or I know not what type of unsavoury character—and you are doing nothing to recover her? What sort of man are you, sir?”

“Enough, be silent!”

“I will not be silent.” Resentment lent her the courage to speak her mind. “Marianne has no money and must be living in squalor, too afraid to come home. And you appear content to abandon her to her fate.”

“Your sister is as undutiful as your brother. They are both dead to me.” Mr. Winthrop dismissed his missing children with an impatient swipe of his hand. “Marianne had every advantage my money could provide, and yet she balked at the prospect of marrying a respectable young man like Cowper.”

“For which I do not in the least blame her.” Estelle shuddered. “Although to my shame I did not say so and instead tried to persuade her to your point of view. And now I must find a way to live with that guilt,” she added, almost to herself. “As to Mr. Cowper, he is a cold, pretentious sort of man, full of his own self-importance, and I never could understand why you so insisted upon their union.”

“It is not for you, or for your sister, to understand but merely to obey as dutiful daughters ought. You were Cowper’s first choice, which is hardly surprising since you eclipse your sister’s beauty and possess a more compliant nature.” Mr. Winthrop pinched her chin between his fat fingers as he tilted her head from side to side. He examined her features from every angle as though she was an object being offered for sale in a shop window and he was searching for hidden flaws before agreeing to the purchase. “However, you were already promised to Travis when he asked for you. But no matter; you are free again now and you
will
enter into an agreement with him.”

“You have never tired of reminding us all, Father,” said Estelle, using the tone of voice Miss Frobisher employed when one of her pupils transgressed the rules, “that you were not born a gentlemen and achieved that status only by marrying Mother. And yet by your actions today I am reminded that gentlemen really are born and not made. You cannot force me into a marriage against my will, sir. Not for a second time. And even if you could, such suggestions should not be voiced, even in private, when I have been a widow for but three months.”

“Kindly remember whom you are addressing and refrain from adopting the moral high ground with me, girl. If it were not for your indisposition you would feel the weight of my belt for your insolence, old as you are.”

“And so we reach the crux of the matter. I am two-and-twenty, of age to do as I please.”

“You are indeed of age, but what can you achieve without money, ah? Answer me that, if you can.”

“Money is not everything.”

“Hah. If that is your opinion, then it is obvious you have never had to manage without it. Marry Cowper when your period of mourning is over and I will confirm your status as my sole heir.”

“Never!”

“Hear me out before you make your decision. In addition to making a generous marriage settlement in respect of your union with Cowper, I will also guarantee you a monthly allowance. It will be yours alone to spend as you wish. All the gowns, jewels and fripperies that your heart desires will be yours. But be warned, if you go against my wishes, I will turn you away penniless and leave all my money to charity.” He fixed her with a stern expression. “You know I do not make idle threats, Estelle, and I will have your answer now, if you please.”

“And I will not keep you waiting in that respect, sir. My decision is that I must decline your generous offer. Penniless I shall have to be.”

“You fool! You have been married and understand the protection that institution affords a lady, the latitude available to her in return for performing less than arduous duties.”

Estelle gasped at the crudity of his comment but he did not appear to notice that he was being excessively blunt.

“The alternative is to earn your living through teaching other people’s children or being a companion to some dried-up old lady, if you can find one who would hire you, that is. What sort of existence would that be for someone with your looks and abilities?”

“Preferable to being that disgusting man’s bedfellow! I will not do it, Father, and nothing you say is likely to persuade me.”

“You will do it, Estelle. I know you—you dislike the idea at the moment but unlike your siblings, you still retain a sense of duty. You will return to Hampshire with me in a week’s time. We will discuss the matter again when you are in a position to reason it through in a rational manner. When you contemplate all the material benefits that marriage to the impecunious Travis deprived you of, I know you will change your mind.”

The door opened and Peterson announced that luncheon was served. From the way he leered at her when her father’s attention was diverted, he must have been listening at the door the whole time.

She hated Peterson with a passion, which was probably why her father had foisted him upon her in the first place. But worse, she did not trust him. She felt convinced that he and Martha read her correspondence. And she could tell from his manner that he would not be above taking advantage of her if she forfeited her father’s protection.