Chapter 23 #3
‘But the reality is stark, isn’t it?’ asked Thea, turning into her. ‘More than I thought. And I cannot see an end to it. How can this be our life?’
Martha nodded out into the garden where Crumpacker now held out a cornflower to Mr Fenwick. The tutor took it and inspected its intricacies, before gazing at Crumpacker with an intensity that Thea recognised all too well.
‘Society has its challenges for us all,’ said Martha soothingly. ‘On whatever measure of its scale we inhabit. Those two would literally be strung up if anyone found out. But we can keep them safe, and you and I are together now. I honestly think I can cope with the rest.’
Thea pulled her back into the room, away from the window and encircled Martha’s waist with her arms.
‘We have one another, and that’s what matters.’
‘Yes,’ said Martha, her eyes dark. She bent down to claim Thea’s lips.
Thea leaned into it, hungry for her. These clandestine moments together were all that they had.
Martha pulled her in, cupping her cheek with one hand, clearly feeling bolder in her own home.
The kiss deepened, but she pulled away and rested her forehead on Martha’s.
‘We better stop, before we get carried away,’ she said sadly.
‘Just hold me,’ said Martha. And so she did. They managed a few blissful minutes before they heard a commotion in the corridor.
‘Aunty Martha, can we go on the boat?’ came the excited shout from Edward.
‘Don’t tell me you didn’t tear up,’ smiled Thea as they followed the children and Annie out on to the lawn. That was one interruption that she hadn’t minded.
‘I had something in my eye,’ said Martha drily.
‘It only took you four months,’ said Thea. ‘That’s pretty good, although I know you’ve been trying hard.’
‘What do you mean?’ asked Martha, eyeing her sideways.
‘I mean, I’ve seen you telling Samantha tales of the monkeys you saw in the jungle, making wooden swords for Abigail and all the weird toys you’ve had sent from your travelling contacts like that rain stick for Edward.
’ She checked around them to ensure nobody was watching and poked Martha in the ribs playfully.
‘Never mind the title Countess of Foxmore – you’ve been coveting Aunty Martha since you met them. ’
She saw a little smile tug at Martha’s lips. ‘Maybe.’
‘Come on Aunty Martha,’ shouted Samantha from by the side of the boat which bobbed in the canal.
Thea watched as Martha’s smile grew. Then Abigail, apparently fed up with waiting, wriggled free of Annie’s grasp and launched herself headfirst into the boat, her little legs flailing upwards.
Annie started towards her, but Martha was quicker.
‘Let me,’ she said, deftly stepping into the boat and scooping Abigail into her arms. ‘That was very dangerous,’ Thea heard her say as she caught up. ‘We have to be careful around water as it can be very deep.’ They swayed a little on the rocking boat as Abigail threw her arms around Martha’s neck.
‘Aunty Martha, are you a pirate?’ asked Edward seriously, still on the shore.
Martha sat down in the little boat, still cradling Abigail.
‘Maybe a little bit,’ she said to Edward, now on his level.
‘And so, if you are going to come on my boat, I am the Captain and you must do as I say, agreed?’ Edward nodded enthusiastically and Thea and Annie helped him and Samantha into the boat, before Martha got them organised where she could see them and still row.
‘Ahoy!’ she shouted, pushing them off from the bank.
‘Ahoy!’ the children all shouted together and bounced up and down in their seats making the boat wobble, before they got a stern look.
‘Don’t they love her, Your Grace?’ asked Annie to Thea, staring after them fondly.
‘I’m glad,’ said Thea. ‘They are going to need good role models in their lives.’
‘You are the best one they could have, Your Grace,’ said Annie.
Thea glanced briefly at her and smiled. Nobody mentioned George. ‘And you will be the best for yours, on the way,’ said Thea. ‘I am so sorry for the circumstances, but we can at least build the baby a good life.’ Annie went quiet. ‘Annie?’ asked Thea, suddenly worried. ‘Is everything ok?’
‘As far as I know,’ said Annie, ‘and thank you for having Doctor Speckle to look in on me, Your Grace, it was very reassuring, but I had been wanting to speak to you about what I should do.’
‘About what you should do?’ asked Thea, confused.
‘I will work up to the birth of course,’ said Annie, ‘And I understand that I can be back within the week if all goes well.’
‘You will stay at Hawkdean, of course,’ said Thea.
Annie nodded. ‘If that is alright, Your Grace, I shouldn’t wish to be an imposition.’
Thea knew that Annie didn’t have family or any other lodgings apart from the rooms she provided, so nothing else was an option.
‘You are very welcome, Annie, you are an excellent governess, and we will ensure you are done for well.’ She wondered how she could repay Annie’s dedication for five years, especially now she knew that George wouldn’t tolerate a boy in the house.
But no necessity to worry Annie with that now.
She had time. ‘I will ensure you have all you need and a girl to help you, and you will have two weeks without work following the birth,’ she said.
Annie seemed delighted. ‘Thank you, Your Grace.’ she bobbed a little. ‘It will be much appreciated. But what about His Grace? I heard when this happens in noble families the babies are usually sent away.’
Thea hadn’t considered that was an option. ‘Sent away to where?’
‘To a woman who takes in children for a fee,’ said Annie, ‘usually up in town, but goodness knows what happens to them. Or to the Foundling Hospital.’
‘No,’ said Thea quickly. She remembered Frankie’s stories of her time there. ‘Neither of those.’ But for the life of her she couldn’t think of a solution. ‘I will work on the duke,’ she said, but even she knew she had little hope.
Annie obviously knew it too. ‘I’ve been talking to Frankie,’ she said. ‘She said she knows someone she trusts who wants a baby and can’t have one. I thought, if it came to it…’
Thea watched her own children on the boat and considered how she might feel if anyone had tried to take them away, because the father thought they were inconvenient, or because she couldn’t afford to keep them.
‘You will keep it with you,’ said Thea, ‘I will see to it.’ She turned to Annie.
‘Even if that means me paying you a retainer until it is old enough for you to come back to work.’
She saw Annie’s relief, even if she tried not to show it. ‘Thank you, Your Grace,’ she said. ‘Thank you.’
‘And how is Emma Fairclough,’ asked Mrs Morell at dinner that night. ‘Such a fine lady I have rarely seen when we were in town last year and she was kind enough to invite us to tea. Even prawns in bread would you believe! What did they call them Ursula?’
‘Sandwiches,’ said Ursula.
‘That’s it!’ said Mrs Morell. ‘Sandwiches.’
‘And you were ill the whole night,’ Mr Morell said. ‘So Wade told me.’
‘It was all the excitement,’ said Mrs Morell crossly. ‘I am sure. It could not have been the prawns from such a fine lady’s plate.’ She fixed her gaze back on Thea. ‘I am sure you are in regular contact as some of the richest ladies in town?’
‘Not really,’ said Thea, ‘I haven’t had word since we were in London.
’ She considered that even that contact was enough with Emma and her retinue.
‘I have heard from Harriet though, she is visiting the north of England and I believe is having an excellent time on the coast. I recommended Scarborough and Whitby most highly.’
‘Oh yes,’ said Mrs Morell cooly. ‘Mrs Henry. I am glad she is recovered from her… ordeal.’
Whilst the rumours of impropriety had been applied equally to Emma and Harriet, it was surprising how greater wealth made people forget so much faster.
‘Never mind that,’ said Ursula. ‘You haven’t told us yet what you are growing this year, Thea. You have been quite cagey about it.’ She had been quite cagey about it, as she didn’t want Ursula or her father knowing how much George limited her, but at least she could now tell them about Frankie.
‘Well,’ she said, sharing a quick glance with Martha. ‘I told you that I had a new gardener?’
‘You did,’ said Mr Morell. ‘She will be giving our Scip a run for his money!’
‘I should like them to meet,’ said Thea, ‘and share some tips.’
‘Even Scip is flummoxed about the Protea,’ said Ursula. ‘Imagine if your gardener manages to germinate it first.’
‘He would be delighted,’ said Mr Morell, ‘you know how he is, just wants to learn. In fact, I hope she does manage it first. I have no desire to be on that advisory board and have to travel all the way to London with regularity. Can you imagine having to make that journey six times a year?’
Thea smiled. Only her father would pass up better society in favour of his own study at his own house.
‘Frankie is trying all sorts of unorthodox methods,’ said Martha. ‘I can’t see them working.’
Thea shot her a look. She hoped the jealousy would dissipate, in time. ‘Anything is worth a try,’ she said, ‘when the seed is so obstinate.’
‘I am certain that if you, Martha and Frankie can’t do it, Thea, nobody can,’ said Ursula. ‘You must get a place on that advisory board. Imagine that after Martha’s paper at the Royal Society too. I am sure George would be so proud and then the men will have to sit up and take notice of women.’
Thea smiled at her sister. If only it were that simple.