The Lady's Maid (45 page)

No one spoke and all eyes were upon her. Kate faced them with a defiant toss of her head. She had never
been
so angry in her whole life. She could feel her mother’s presence in the room; it was so real that she could almost reach out and touch her. ‘You killed her,’ she said slowly. ‘All of you were in part responsible for her death. I don’t know how you can live with yourselves.’

Lady Hardy opened her mouth and closed it again. She looked to her husband, but Sir Philip and John were staring at Kate.

John was the first to speak. ‘There. Do you doubt it now, Philip? That could have been Clara speaking.’

‘I am convinced,’ Sir Philip said, rising to his feet and walking towards Kate with outstretched hands. ‘If I had any doubts initially, they are gone now. What you say is true, Kate. Perhaps I could have done more to save my little sister, I don’t know, but I’ve mourned her loss every day for the last twenty years. Can you ever forgive me, my dear?’

She went into his arms and he held her in a close embrace. ‘I should not have said those things, Uncle.’

He held her at arm’s length, smiling. ‘Uncle! That has a nice ring to it. Welcome home, Kate.’

John clapped him on the back. ‘Well said, Philip.’

‘Aren’t you forgetting one thing?’ Lady Hardy rose to her feet.

Sir Philip turned to her, his smile fading. ‘What’s that, Marjorie?’

‘The girl might be Clara’s daughter, but she is still illegitimate – a living reminder of Clara’s disgrace. No decent man will want to marry her and she will ruin our daughter’s chances into the bargain. Think of the
scandal
. Think of our good name. You must not acknowledge her, Philip. I forbid it.’

‘She will come round,’ John said, urging the horse into a trot as they drove away from the family home. ‘Marjorie isn’t a bad person, Kate. I daresay it was the shock speaking.’

‘She didn’t like me,’ Kate said. ‘She made that quite clear.’

‘My sister-in-law may have slightly old-fashioned ideas, but give her time and she will see sense.’

‘I don’t know about that, John. If the family recognises me, they will have to acknowledge an old scandal. I do understand that, and I can’t blame Lady Hardy for putting her own children first.’

‘I think you’re worrying unnecessarily, my dear. Helena and James won’t give a second thought to the circumstances of your birth, of that I am certain.’

‘I hope not.’ Kate fingered the emerald, staring into its green depths and the diamonds winking and sparkling in the sunlight. ‘But whatever happens, I am glad that I know more about my mother. I’m just sorry that she suffered so much, and it hurts my heart to know that I was responsible for her death.’

‘No, I won’t have that, Kate. It wasn’t your fault, and Clara loved you even before you were born. She must have been desperate to keep you, and that’s why she ran away. She would have been so proud had she lived to see you grow to womanhood. One day you will have a daughter of your own, and you will understand.’

Kate shook her head. ‘I shan’t marry. You heard
what
Lady Hardy said. I’m illegitimate – no decent man will look at me twice. At least,’ she added with a wry smile, ‘not with marriage on his mind.’

‘You haven’t lost your sense of humour,’ he said, reaching over to pat her hand. ‘That’s all to the good, and I think there is a man of some standing who would not give your circumstances a second thought.’

Kate stared at his profile as he concentrated on the road ahead. ‘And who might that be?’

‘A blind man could see that my good friend Harry is head over heels in love with you. And I think that you love him too.’

‘It doesn’t matter how I feel. The circumstances of my birth would always come between us.’

‘But, Kate …’

‘No, my mind is made up. Please don’t tell anyone about this, not even Josie. I’ll stay until we know for certain what happened to Sam, but when Josie is fully recovered, I’ll look for work somewhere far away from here. If I can’t find anything else, I might even accept the position of companion to Squire Westwood’s horrible daughters, but that won’t include accepting his offer of marriage. I’d rather die.’

‘My dear girl, I think you’re taking this all the wrong way.’

‘No, John. I’m being realistic. I must make my way on my own.’

‘There are many of us who love you. You can stay at the vicarage for as long as you want. Forever, if you wish.’

‘And what would your bishop think if he knew my history?’ Kate chuckled in spite of everything. ‘And Mrs Trevett might have something to say if I sullied the name of the Reverend John Hardy.’

‘Ah, yes. Mrs Trevett. We must not upset her, must we?’ He threw back his head and laughed. ‘We’ll say nothing for the present, but the truth will out, and the sooner the better, in my opinion.’ His smile faded and he gave her a searching look. ‘I’ve heard your reasoning, Kate, but now that my brother has confirmed the gypsy’s account of events, I don’t entirely understand why you want to keep this news from those closest to you, especially Harry.’

She clasped her hands tightly, staring at the road ahead with unseeing eyes. ‘I’m no good for him.’

‘Shouldn’t he be the judge of that?’

‘He’s never spoken to me of love, and he was engaged to Josie. He must have had some feelings for her, because I don’t believe he would marry simply to further his ambitions. His passing fancy for me would fade away if he did the right thing by her. If she were to go home now I’m sure she’d be welcomed with open arms. With all that wealth and the protection of her family name the scandal surrounding her birth would soon be forgotten. It’s different for someone like me. The same rules don’t apply.’

He flicked the reins so that the horse moved on at a trot. ‘I don’t agree with you, Kate. I think you’re making a terrible mistake, even though I admire your selflessness. You are my niece, I’m absolutely certain of that. You are my dear sister’s only child and I want
to
see you happy. Don’t throw away your chance because of misplaced loyalty. Josie is much stronger than you think. Can’t you see that she’s manipulating us all, even as we speak?’

‘No,’ Kate cried passionately. ‘That’s not fair. She’s loved Sam since we were children. Her heart is breaking and I owe it to him to look after her.’ She held onto her bonnet as they rounded the corner at an unnecessarily fast speed, narrowly missing a rider approaching from the opposite direction. Both horses came to a stop outside the vicarage and the rider, a messenger in uniform, leapt to the ground, shaking his fist at John.

‘What sort of speed is that, guvner? You could have killed me.’

Visibly shaken, John climbed slowly from the driver’s seat. ‘I apologise for a momentary lapse of concentration on my part.’

The realisation that he was addressing a man of the cloth dawned on the man, and his expression changed subtly. He doffed his cap. ‘Begging your pardon, your reverence, but you was driving like a madman.’ He pulled a packet from his inside pocket. ‘I’ve got a message for a Miss Kate Coggins. I was to see that she gets this urgent like.’

Chapter Twenty-six

WHILE THE MESSENGER
was revived with hot tea and slices of Mrs Trevett’s apple cake in the kitchen, Kate took the sealed packet into the garden where she sat on the wooden bench in the shade of the oak tree and opened it with trembling fingers. She had known at once that it must have come from Harry, but as she studied the closely written copperplate her feeling of relief was swiftly followed by disappointment. She was delighted to have news of him but disappointed by the tone of the letter, which was formal and to the point. He might as well have been addressing a board meeting rather than writing to the woman who loved him with all her being.

After the briefest of introductions, he went into a detailed account of the information he had discovered about the wreck of the
Kimmeridge
, which had been blown off course during a terrible storm and dashed on the rocks in Cobo Bay. It was thought, he wrote, that all hands had been lost, but it was just possible that some might have been swept ashore and cared for by local families. At least Sam’s name was not on the list of bodies that had so far been identified. There were some whose identity still remained a mystery, but Harry was certain that none of them fitted Sam’s
description
. He concluded with a promise to keep up the search until there was proof either way, signing himself, Your devoted friend, Harry Challenor.

She sighed, folding the letter and tucking it into her pocket. The only comfort she could draw from it was that he had written to her and not to Josie, but even that could be easily explained. He had known of Josie’s delicate mental state and he would not have wanted to distress her further. She looked up as she heard soft footfalls on the grass and saw John walking slowly towards her.

‘Is it bad news?’

She shook her head. ‘Not exactly, but Harry still hasn’t found any trace of Sam.’

‘Then there is still hope. I think you ought to go and tell Josie. She must face up to reality sooner or later.’

Kate stared at him in surprise. She was well aware that he had harboured tender feelings for Josie in the past, but this was the second time that he had criticised her behaviour. ‘Are you sure that’s a good idea? I mean, the doctor said …’

‘David is an old fusspot.’ He smiled gently. ‘I believe that we must all take responsibility for our own actions, and much as I care for Josie, I think she has been pampered and pandered to for most of her young life. She’s no longer a child and I think she ought to start behaving like a responsible adult, instead of running you and Molly ragged.’ He patted her hand. ‘Go to her, Kate, and don’t stand any nonsense. Remember that you are a Hardy by birth. You are subordinate to no one, except perhaps her majesty the Queen.’

Kate rose to her feet and kissed him on the cheek. ‘Thank you, Uncle. I’ll try to remember that.’

Surprisingly, Kate’s sudden change in attitude seemed to spark some kind of reaction from Josie. Whether it was surprise or curiosity, she sat up in bed and demanded to read the letter for herself. Then, putting her head on one side like an inquisitive robin, she wanted to know what had occurred to make Kate think she could boss her about. She would not let it rest until she was told everything down to the last detail.

‘Well, you are a dark horse,’ she said, chuckling. ‘So I really am the gypsy’s child and you really were born a lady. Who would have thought it?’

Kate stared at her in amazement. ‘I’m glad you think it’s amusing, but as far as I can see we’re equals. We were both born on the wrong side of the blanket, although your misfortune need never become general knowledge if you choose to return home.’

‘Everyone in the village knows about me, and probably far beyond.’ Josie threw back the bedcovers. ‘Anyway, I won’t live under the same roof as that dreadful creature, even if he is my father.’

‘But Lady Damerell must be broken-hearted. She adored you, Josie. Haven’t you any feeling for the woman you thought was your mother?’

‘Of course I have, but I always knew I was different, and now I understand why that was. I can’t go back, Kate.’

‘Not even if it means you could have Harry? If you marry him you would be mistress of Copperstone Castle. Isn’t that what you always wanted?’

Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, Josie planted her feet squarely on the floor. ‘I thought it was, but now I realise that I was deluding myself. All I really want is to spend my life with Sam. If he’s dead then I don’t care what happens to me. I’ll go to Devon and join my people. I was never meant to be a lady, Kate, but you were. I know how you feel about Harry, and, as far as I’m concerned, he’s all yours.’ She stared at Kate’s gown. ‘Isn’t that one of mine?’

‘It is and I asked your permission to borrow it, but you said you didn’t care.’

‘It looks better on you anyway. You can have it. Where are my clothes? Ring for Molly, there’s a lamb. I feel like getting dressed and I’m starving.’

This was so like the old Josie that it made Kate laugh. ‘You’re incorrigible, Josie Damerell. And please remember that Molly isn’t your servant.’

‘No. She’s my devoted slave.’ Josie stood up and reached for the bell pull. ‘I don’t want that Hester person anywhere near me. She has hands like a bare-knuckle fighter and breath that would stun a donkey. I think I’ll come down to dinner tonight. Will you tell John? I’m sure he’ll be delighted to see me up and about.’

Kate made a move towards the door. ‘Don’t you dare flirt with my poor uncle. You almost broke his heart last time we were here, although I believe he’s recovered now. I think he’s seen through you at last.’

Josie tossed her head. ‘Well, I don’t intend to stay here much longer, so you needn’t worry about him.’

‘What are you planning in that devious mind of yours, Josie?’

‘Harry says in his letter that he’s returning soon. I’ll insist that he takes me to Guernsey so that I can search for Sam. I haven’t any money for the trip, but he has plenty. I think he owes me that much.’

‘He owes you nothing. It was you who broke off the engagement.’

‘And he should thank me for that. He never loved me. I was a ninny to think that wealth and position meant everything, but I’ve learned my lesson. Now where is that girl? And you’d better choose another of my gowns, Kate. You can’t come down to dinner looking like a milkmaid. Did Hickson pack my peach tussore? I think that would suit you nicely and it makes me look quite sallow.’

With Josie fully recovered it was just a question of awaiting Harry’s return. The hours could not go fast enough for Kate, but after a day or two the strain was beginning to tell. Everyone else had gone to Matins on Sunday morning, but Kate had slept badly and had awakened with a headache. She would have accompanied them to church, but John insisted that she stay at home and rest. Unable to sit and do nothing, she was darning a hole in one of her stockings when a loud knocking on the front door startled her so much that she pricked her finger on the needle. She set aside the mending and went to answer the urgent summons.