6. Chapter 6 #2
“It is two years since Laura’s mother died, and I’ve been too occupied with my work to give her as much time as I should.
Too often, she has been left to her own devices.
Though she would benefit from a female companion, I’m asking you to be more than that.
I need you to be her chaperon, to protect her innocence. ”
Kitty breathed freely again. The man’s concern was all for his daughter.
“I cannot hide it from you. Laura has indulged in a great deal of freedom, wandering Portland at will, and of late, she has taken to giving her maid the slip. As you might suppose, this is not to my liking. She is altogether too friendly toward those she meets, encouraging those tempted to take liberties with such a beautiful, unchaperoned girl.”
Had Laura told him about the man who was pestering her? Is that what had prompted her father to provide her with a chaperon?
He met Kitty’s gaze. “A companion would protect her from inappropriate advances, without my having to curb her freedom. I’m hoping you will befriend her and keep her from making such mistakes. Do you think you could do that for me?”
Here was a dilemma. Could she become Laura’s friend and the chaperon her father required? Wasn’t there a conflict of interest here? Could she build the girl’s trust whilst preventing her from behaving improperly?
She didn’t know, but she had to try. It was the least she could do to repay Mr Barrington’s kindness.
“I will do my best.”
He tilted his head toward her, a satisfied smile on his lips. “That is all I ask. Now, is there anything I can do to help you feel at home here? Would you care to peruse the library before dinner?”
Kitty was tempted. It would be a delicious treat to select a new book and have time to read it, but there was one matter that pressed more keenly on her mind.
“I would like to write to my brother, Edward. To tell him where to reach me. Do you have paper and ink I may use?”
“Of course,” Mr Barrington replied. “But—dare I ask? Have you heard from him of late?”
“No. Not since coming to Dorset, but he’s a dreadful correspondent. As I’ve had no word of his demise or capture, I’m sure he’s just been too busy or too lazy to pen a note to his sister.”
“Then you must write again. All the supplies you need are in the writing desk over there.” He gestured to a mahogany bureau in the corner of the room. “Leave your letter on the silver plate in the hall when you’ve finished, and my butler will ensure it is posted.”
“Thank you.”
“No doubt you are tired after the trials of the last few weeks.” What a delicate way to put it.
“I’ll ask Mrs Williams to send up a tray with your dinner.
Until tomorrow, Miss Lacey.” Mr Barrington took her hand and kissed it, as if she were royalty instead of a pauper who had just been offered a home.
Kitty thanked him again. His thoughtfulness was unexpected after the manner his mother had treated her. She settled down at the desk to write her letter, but it was a long while before she put quill to paper.
Would she be happy here? Befriending a motherless young woman and protecting her from undesirable suitors was not an onerous task, but a niggling doubt remained. Why had Mr Barrington chosen her to chaperon his daughter? Despite his assurances, was that all he required of her?
That night, Kitty lay down to rest in luxury. Her mattress was stuffed with feathers, not straw, and her sheets were smooth against her skin. A heavy quilted blanket warmed her feet, and thick bed curtains kept out the draughts.
But despite the comfort, she could not sleep. In the darkness, doubts crept in, upsetting her confidence.
Contrary to what she’d told Mr Barrington, she was concerned she had received no word from Edward since their grandfather had died.
But perhaps his letter was chasing her around the country from their previous home in Pendlebury to Weymouth.
She would have to wait even longer for it to find her on Portland.
And what of her life here? Would she be able to win Laura’s confidence? Would she be the restraining influence on his daughter’s behaviour that Mr Barrington required?
After tossing and turning for what seemed like hours, she slipped out of bed and walked over to the window, which looked out onto the garden and the sea beyond.
She stared into the darkness, making little out in the gloom until moonlight broke through the clouds. The water glistened with a silver-white glow, giving it an almost magical appearance. She could stare at it all night and not grow tired of the sight.
However, if she didn’t sleep, she would not be able to keep her eyes open in the morning, so she dragged her gaze away from the sea and back to the garden below her window.
As she was turning, intending to go back to bed, a movement caught her eye. Her stomach clenched. Someone was out there. Was it a servant? An intruder? Somebody coming to steal the silver?
Don’t be ridiculous, Catherine Bruce. It’s just Laura’s father, taking a moonlit walk because he can’t sleep.
To prove her assertion, she opened the window and leaned out, hoping to identify Mr Barrington’s silhouette. But the noise had disturbed the nighttime visitor. Whoever it was had gone out of view, but whether into the house or further into the darkness, she couldn’t tell.
An unpleasant aroma hit Kitty’s nostrils, and she wrinkled her nose with distaste. Tobacco—a smell she could not abide.
Kitty pulled the window closed, hoping that no hint of the odour had penetrated her room. She would leave Mr Barrington to smoke in peace.