Josette (4 page)

Both of Josette’s parents fell silent as if someone had slammed a door. With a look of inquisitiveness, Mrs. Egglestone repeated the query.

Sir Robert answered unreliably, “I don’t know his intentions.”

“Stay?” Amy asked. “Why would he stay? I’m sure we’re all out of frogs by now.” She batted her eyes at Carter, and he smiled faintly again.

“I enjoy Edward’s company,” Josette interjected, “I hope
he
may stay as long as
he
chooses.”

Carter did not mistake her meaning. “I take my leave in the morning. I have promised my aunt a long visit.”

“As you said yesterday,” said Amy. “But I’d hoped to change your mind. Help me, Josette.”

“I’d forgotten it completely,” Josette replied in a flat voice. She’d just attended her brother’s funeral. Was she expected to pay attention to all of Carter’s commitments?

“I had no idea you were so fond of Edward, Josette,” said Mrs. Egglestone. She put her hand to her chest in a disconcerting manner then turned to Lady Price, confirming Josette’s suspicions that an
amour
was suspected. “You must find great comfort in it.”

Before Josette could protest, Amy added, “He’s the only boy Josette ever tolerated besides George.”

Captain Carter seemed to find this little tidbit of great interest. He straightened in his chair with a bemused look.

“I assure you, ma’am,” Josette said as demurely as she was able, “I am not fond of him in the manner that you suppose.”

Mrs. Egglestone’s countenance slightly fell. “Perhaps your feelings will someday change,” she encouraged as she looked about the room at the red papered walls and the elegant old chandelier. “Being that he is to inherit Beddingfield Park.”

“Inherit?” Amy sputtered, over her soup.

Josette jerked her head toward her father and saw reluctant acknowledgement.

“Edward is to inherit Beddingfield Park?” she asked.

Her mother nodded, and with a gentle stare she silently pleaded with her daughter to hold her tongue.

“Edward will not inherit Beddingfield Park,” argued Josette, but even as she said it, she remembered it was true. The shock hit her so hard her breath seemed knocked from her body.

“Yes,” said Sir Robert to the confused faces of Mr. Egglestone and his wife. “The estate will be entailed to Edward now that George is gone.”

Josette heard the words, but she could not focus on anything but the slice of fowl in front of her. When she raised her eyes, she found Amy staring as if she’d uttered an oath. Captain Carter stared, too.

She blinked and looked away. Pity from him was unbearable, though not as painful as her father’s affirmation. Lady Price continued with an explanation of their family pedigree, but Josette could not bear the scrutiny another second. She jumped from her chair and hurried out of the room.

Beddingfield Park entailed! But of course she’d always known it. Somehow something inside of her had refused to remember.

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Once in the solitary confines of her chambers, Josette’s mind tried to grasp the meaning of her brother’s death and the procedure of the entailment that would follow when her father passed. The idea that her home would fall into someone else’s hands, even her amusing cousin’s, was beyond comprehension. Where would she go? What would happen to Hannah? Who would cherish the hidden cove with her little bench?

George had rationalized his sea service as one that would bring in money to refurbish the park. True, the estate’s income was sufficient to sustain the family and its tenants, but time had begun to wage war on the house itself.

She thought of her parents struggling to be brave in their hour of pain. They had always treated one another with an enviable respect. Despite the common knowledge that her father had not married up to secure the interests of the park, her mother’s small dowry had never mattered when it came to their affection. Would knowing George’s ambitious intentions, and that Edward was to receive the entailment, change them all forever?

One worry washed over the next until her head ached. The food she had managed to eat sat in her stomach like a heavy brick. Her heart, which lately seemed to race off on its own and at the most peculiar moments, seemed barely able to move at all.

Neither her mother, nor Hannah, came to check on her. Perhaps they thought she wanted to be alone. But she had been alone, terribly and desolately so, since Captain Carter had ridden into their lives.

When night drifted over the house, Josette slipped from her bed.
Her blankets no longer felt inviting.
The room seemed to suffocate her. Throwing on her dressing gown, she fled down the hall, her slipper-covered feet making little sound. She paused at Amy’s door.

“Amy?”

When Josette peered into the room, Amy was turning the flame up on a lamp. She jumped. “You frightened me.” She, too, had changed out of the confines of her evening dress, but with help.

“Where are you going?”

Amy carried the lamp across the floor as if on her way out.
“To George’s room.
I wanted to tell him goodnight.”

Josette smiled. “You used to creep into his room every night while he was at his desk.”

“It drove him mad. He despised interruptions.”

“Like Papa.”

“But he dealt with it far better,” Amy giggled. “George chased me back out with pillows or flying stockings, not with frowns or threats.”

“Idle threats,” Josette answered, fast to defend her humorless father. “Besides,” she said softly as they moved down the west wing toward George’s room, “George didn’t have the weight of the park on his mind. That would have come later.” Josette couldn’t keep the bitterness out of her voice with her last remark.

Amy took her hand and sighed. They tiptoed into their brother’s darkened room and to their amazement found a small fire glowing in the hearth.

“Why it’s just like he’s still here,” sighed Josette.

Amy looked up to examine the hastily patched-up ceiling. “And now it will be Edward’s.”

Josette’s emotions surged at the mention of the change of hands.

As if she had already given it much thought, Amy continued, “I suppose one of us will have to marry him. And I certainly don’t find him suitable.”

“We won’t have to marry him,” argued Josette, although the idea made sense.

“Someone will have, too.” Amy pouted. “You can’t expect it to be me. I’m only seventeen.”

“And marriage is all you’ve thought about since the day you were born. I’m not interested in that droll institution, and who says Edward will have either of us?”

“But what will we do?” cried Amy. “Where will we go?”

“Don’t be absurd.”
 

“Cousin Edward will get Beddingfield Park,” sniffled Amy. “We’ll have no fortune, and no one will want us.”

“We’ll have fortune enough.” Impatiently, Josette tried to push away the rational thoughts that deluged her. She could not think about the future now.

“I’m ruined,” hiccupped Amy after moments of mutual grief. “The Season is over before it’s begun. Why did he have to die before the Season?”

Something deep inside of Josette snapped. She seized her sister by the shoulders. “You had your Season, you selfish chit!”

Amy tugged away. “I can’t go to parties now. I’ll have to wait until Easter. He’s ruined everything.” Perfect curls shook adamantly with each thrust of her stubborn chin.

Crack!

The sound of Josette’s palm striking her sister’s cheek reverberated like lightening. “Don’t you ever say that
again.
” Her voice was hard and shaking.

Amy crumbled to the floor with hands over her face. She whimpered like a wounded puppy. In the darkness across the room, a sudden groan from the chair at George’s writing table made Josette spin about.

Captain Carter stepped into the firelight. A broad specter, his face reflected an expression of disapproval. Josette
swallowed,
mortified at what she had done and that he had witnessed it. Amy’s sobs seemed to repeat the abominable act over and over.

“Get up,” Josette said softly, but her gaze did not leave the captain’s face. She grabbed Amy by the arm and pulled her to her feet. “Go to bed.”

Amy allowed herself to be steered toward the door, unaware their quarrel had been observed. Josette waited until Amy hurried crying down the hall before shutting the door softly and whirling on Carter.

“How dare you spy on us!” she hissed.

“I was not spying.” Carter’s countenance held no remorse, yet Josette detected a glimmer of satisfaction in his eyes. They should have been black holes in the dark room but they seemed to glow.

“You could have made yourself known. That was a privileged conversation between my sister and
myself
.”

“You interrupted
me
, Miss Price.”

“And what
right have
you to be in my brother’s room?”

“As much a right as you.”

Josette felt her eyes nearly pop from her head. The man had a way of infuriating her as quickly as a blow came to sea.

“You are a guest in this house. That does not give you the right to lurk about in private chambers.” His hours spent with Amy in the drawing room came to mind. “Nor,” she added, “
does
it give you the right to dally with my sister.”

Carter stiffened. A flash of anger streaked across his face and for the first time Josette felt slightly afraid. Now she might see the man who would order ten lashes for drunkenness, or worse, the man who could run down a ship twice as large as his own.

“If you imply,
madam, that
I led her to believe I had any romantic intentions, you are mistaken.”

“Am I?” Josette gave him a challenging glare.
“And what about my father?
What are your intentions with him? Did you come for his forgiveness or do you think to take my brother’s place?”

This last query was a new idea that came into Josette’s mind from nowhere, and so considering it, she watched Carter’s face carefully. It seemed to turn with a wheel of emotions.

“I came to Beddingfield Park to pay my respects.
Nothing more.”

Josette realized she was trembling. Everything that came out of this so-called gentlemen’s mouth seemed to cut her very soul.

Captain Carter’s voice returned to its flat, emotionless timbre. “I will be gone by morning.”

“See that you are.” Josette swept out of the room with her nightdress floating behind her. When she got to her own chambers, she remembered Amy but couldn’t face her. To think that she would stoop to
striking
her own sister filled her with shame. She would tuck her sister in the next evening as promised, and for this night, force herself to forget about big, brooding Captain Carter.

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She watched him go. As soon as her room had begun to shimmer with daylight, she’d risen and wrapped herself in a shawl. At the window, dawn rose over the foggy woods while black geese flapped toward some unseen siren. She’d tossed and turned the entire night, unable to push her troubles from her mind, unable to stop thinking about
him
. The household began to hum its stretching song and not long after, his horse was brought around.