by Deborah Hale
When Miss Fairfax looked as if she meant to continue arguing, he cut her off. “It will not do, my dear. Much as I care for my friend, I cannot trade his happiness for my children’s.”
“I do not believe your children would be unhappy with Abigail Brookes for a mother.” Her tone made the statement sound more like a fact than an opinion.
Jasper shook his head. “Children cannot be happy if their parents are always at odds, especially sensitive children like Emma and Owen. You may not understand that if your parents got on well together, but I assure you it is true.”
The governess flinched, as if he had thrown the dregs of his cold coffee in her face. “Did your parents not get on well... before...?”
He gave a grunt of laughter as bitter as bile. Then he stared into the black pool at the bottom of his cup. “They fought like cats and dogs over everything and nothing. Being poor only made it worse.”
He had not thought about that in years. The devastation of the fire seemed to have drawn a curtain between his early life and everything that came after. He was not certain what brought it back to him now, except that he did not want Evangeline Fairfax to think him unreasonable. He trusted that she, of all people, would understand what deep scars early experiences could leave upon a person’s heart.
She did not reply right away. Perhaps she was trying to digest what he had told her.
At last, in a very quiet voice, she asked, “Is that part of the reason you try to ease the burden of poverty on your workers—to relieve the strain on their families?”
Jasper gave a slow nod. “I never thought of it that way, but I suppose so. It is ironic that trying to relieve that strain on my workers led to more in my marriage.”
Miss Fairfax’s bewildered look compelled him to say more than he’d meant to. “My father-in-law had made his fortune by the time Susan was born. He was determined to give her everything he’d never had, which made her accustomed to getting her own way.”
He had loved his late wife and it pained him to speak ill of her, but he needed Evangeline Fairfax to understand why he was resolved to have a different kind of marriage this time. “You may not recall the tension between us in that last year. I tried as much as possible to keep our disagreements from the children. A person is better able to do that in a house of this size than in a tiny mill cottage.”
“Do what, Papa?” asked Matthew from the boys’ bedroom door.
His son’s question made Jasper’s heart leap into his throat until he realized the boy could not have overheard much beyond that last sentence. He chided himself for speaking of such matters where the children might overhear, as they had more than once before.
He searched for a plausible, benign answer, but before he could think of one, Miss Fairfax came to his aid. “Why, hosting a party for so many guests, of course. Are you looking forward to the fair, Matthew? I believe we will have a fine day for it.”
The boy nodded as he wiped the sleep from his eyes. “Granny said she would give us each sixpence to spend.”
As his son chattered about the plans he and Alfie had made for disposing of their little windfall, Jasper and Miss Fairfax exchanged a long look. He tried to convey his gratitude for her assistance. He hoped she would realize that his disagreement with her was precisely the sort from which he was trying to shield his children.
Organizing five excited children to attend the parish fair kept Evangeline too busy to think a great deal about what their father had said to her that morning. But as the small parade of carriages set out from Amberwood to the village green, her thoughts returned to their early-morning conversation.
Mr. Chase was right—she had not been aware of any tensions in his marriage when she first took up her position with his family. She had noticed Mrs. Chase became upset when her husband went away to Manchester. But whatever quarrels or pleading might have taken place before his departure, she’d never suspected.
Perhaps her employer was right to seek a wife who shared his opinions—one with whom he could have a placid marriage. Would being kept away from Manchester be any worse for his children than being raised in a household that seethed with conflict, as he had? Possessing a comfortable income did not guarantee a harmonious family life, it only relieved some of the stresses and made differences easier to conceal.
In a strange way, it comforted Evangeline to know that Jasper Chase did not seek to dominate the woman he would marry. He only wanted to protect his children from the domestic strife he had suffered as a young child.
No one would ever guess that part of his past, today, if they watched him lift his children down from the carriage. Evangeline noted the protective way he held them and the tone of affection in his voice when he spoke to them.
When her turn came to alight, Mr. Chase offered her his hand. “Come, Miss Fairfax. You had better have a final word with the children before they scatter to the four corners of the fairground.”
He spoke warmly and smiled at her as if they had never known a moment’s disagreement. He grasped her hand with firm strength that promised to keep her from falling, yet did not clutch too tight. His touch kindled sparkling warmth that swept through her. When he let go, it felt as if something as vital as light or air had been taken away.
She must put a stop to this foolishness! With determined effort, Evangeline stood erect and imagined herself clad in an invisible suit of armor. Jasper Chase had told her plainly that he could not care for a strong-willed woman like her and he had told her why. Though she sympathized with his reasons, she could not change her nature for him or any man. Besides, she had important work to do.
“Children!” She clapped her hands to summon her pupils... and perhaps to quench the last embers of warmth their father’s touch had ignited. “I do not want any of you going off by yourselves. Make certain you stay in the company of at least one of our guests at all times. Now, go have fun!”
The children scattered like autumn leaves before a brisk wind. Joining their father’s guests, they flitted from one bunting-decked stall to another.
Evangeline made a leisurely circuit of the fairground, keeping an eye on as many of them as possible. She took vicarious enjoyment in theirs even as she tried to ignore their father. Jasper Chase escorted Miss Webster around the various displays, accompanied by Emma and Miss Anstruther.
The latter seemed desperate to divert Mr. Chase’s attention from his chosen companion by any means necessary. She made a great fuss over Emma, who appeared to find her pretense of interest uncomfortable. At last the child went off with Rosie and Miss Leveson to watch a puppet show. Miss Anstruther showed no interest in accompanying her but continued to trail after Mr. Chase and Miss Webster like a perfect gooseberry.
Evangeline vowed she would never make herself so ridiculous by pursuing a man who clearly had no interest in her. She should not pay the slightest heed to Jasper Chase now that Emma was no longer with him.
Instead, she turned her attention to Matthew and Alfie, who were investigating the wares of a pastry stall with Abigail Brookes. Evangeline wandered close enough to overhear the boys debating the merits of Blackburn cakes over gingerbread. Meanwhile, Owen and Mrs. Dawson were admiring Mr. Brookes’s skill at the ring-tossing stall. Mrs. Thorpe, Mrs. Leveson and Mr. Webster sat in the shade sipping cider. Owen soon joined them, leaving the vicar and Mrs. Dawson to stroll off on their own.
A while later, Evangeline was watching Matthew and Alfie take turns tossing a large ball into a bucket, when Miss Anstruther stalked toward her with a stormy look on her face. “You there... governess, you seem to be have your eye on everyone. Where has Verity gone?”
Though she was not well acquainted with Miss Anstruther’s companion, Evangeline felt strangely protective of the meek little widow—just as she had of her school friends. Perhaps that was due to the harsh contempt with which she’d seen Verity Dawson treated. If circumstances would not allow the vicar to propose to her, Evangeline wanted them to enjoy this outing together at least.
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br /> She did her best to give a civil answer, but it was not easy after Miss Anstruther’s sharp query. “The last I saw Mrs. Dawson, she and the vicar were admiring the needlework displays. Is there anything I can do to assist you?”
The lady turned up her nose at the very idea. “What on earth would I need with a governess? I want Verity to fetch me a cool drink. I mind this heat dreadfully.”
Evangeline thought the temperature quite pleasant. But she could not deny the other woman’s face had grown painfully red in spite of the parasol she held in one hand while fluttering her fan with the other.
Without a word of thanks, Miss Anstruther marched off in the direction Evangeline had indicated, like a battleship in full sail.
What could have put her in such a foul temper? Evangeline wondered. Had Mr. Chase finally made it clear he did not have the slightest interest in courting her? Whatever had vexed her, Miss Anstruther would likely take it out on poor Verity once she found her.
Evangeline glanced around to make certain all her pupils were in the company of an adult then she set off after the lady at a discreet distance. She was not certain what she meant to do, but she felt compelled to be on hand in case Verity needed her.
After a brief search, Penelope Anstruther caught up with her companion and the vicar, who stood at the edge of the fairground in quiet conversation.
“I have been looking for you, Verity.” Miss Anstruther’s fan flapped hard enough to raise a gale. “Why are you hiding away like this when you should be attending to my comfort?”
“I was not hiding.” Verity Dawson offered a feeble protest. Her eyes were downcast and her cheeks flushed. “I didn’t think you would want me following you and Mr. Chase.”
Her mild contradiction seemed to inflame Miss Anstruther. “Of course you didn’t think. You never do! I could have swooned from the heat for all you would notice. Instead, you are throwing yourself at the head of a man who feels nothing for you but pity.”
Verity Dawson shrank from the other woman as if her sharp tongue were a switch and every word bit deep into tender flesh.
“N-now see here,” the vicar stammered. It was clear he wanted to defend Verity but was unaccustomed to confronting such a forceful opponent.
Penelope Anstruther dismissed him with a flick of her fan. “Do not try to be gallant, sir. It is obvious you cannot afford to marry a penniless nobody like Verity. If you had any sense you would pursue Miss Webster. At least she could improve your situation.”
Even from some distance away, Evangeline could see Verity’s lower lip begin to tremble. Outrage blazed through her in a way she had not felt since her school days. She could not bear to see the vicar and Verity bullied by this spiteful woman.
She flew to stand between them and their tormentor. “That is enough, Miss Anstruther! Request your companion’s assistance if you must, but there is no need to insult her and the vicar.”
Miss Anstruther’s nostrils flared. “How dare you speak to me that way? This is no business of yours. Even if it were, you are little better than a servant, while I am a guest in your master’s house.”
Evangeline refused to be intimidated. “I dare speak to you because it is the truth and it needs saying. You are a fine one to accuse Verity of throwing herself at a man’s head. You have been doing it to Mr. Chase for days with far less encouragement than Mr. Brookes has given her. Everyone else in the party knows he would rather wed any of the other ladies than you.”
Penelope Anstruther’s color deepened from red to a shade nearly purple. “That is not... I never threw myself... you have no right...”
Her flustered stammer made it clear she was not accustomed to being confronted, especially by someone she considered her inferior.
By contrast, Evangeline strove to control her agitated emotions and speak with firm reason, as she would to one of her pupils if they misbehaved. “If you wish to attract a husband in future, I suggest you mind your temper and your tongue.”
“Is there some difficulty?” The sound of Jasper Chase’s resonant voice made Evangeline realize what she had just done and the embarrassment she might have caused him. “I heard raised voices.”
She spun around to see him approaching. His bold features were tensed in a look of concern.
His appearance seemed to restore Miss Anstruther’s power of speech.
“There most certainly is a difficulty, sir. I have been abominably insulted by this governess of yours.” She infused the word with scathing contempt, as if Evangeline’s profession was somehow disgraceful. “If any servant of mine dared to speak to a guest in my house with such insolence, I would dismiss them on the spot.”
“Are you suggesting I do the same?” The fierce scowl on Mr. Chase’s face made Evangeline fear he might.
She had no cause to fear for her future, like most women in her position, yet Evangeline regretted not having handled this situation with greater tact. Her vigorous defense of Verity might only make the poor woman’s situation worse. Besides that, she was sorry to have embarrassed her employer.
The possibility that Jasper Chase might think ill of her dismayed Evangeline more than she could bear.
Dismiss Evangeline Fairfax? Jasper could not conceive of any action he would find more abhorrent. He had overheard enough of her exchange with Miss Anstruther to realize she had been defending Norton and Mrs. Dawson, the way she had once defended her school friends.
Admiration for Evangeline flared within him. He fought a bewildering urge to seize her and kiss her soundly. Was that because such a gesture might shock Miss Anstruther out of her wits... or could it be something more?
One thing he did know, with startling certainty, was that his children had been incredibly fortunate to have her example all these years. The way they’d reacted to hearing about conditions in the cotton industry showed they had learned well from it. Would his plan to keep them sheltered at Amberwood undermine the vital lessons they had absorbed from their courageous, compassionate governess?
Those thoughts rushed through his mind as Jasper came between the two women. He scarcely heard Penelope Anstruther’s spiteful diatribe beyond her repeated demands to send Evangeline packing, which infuriated him. “I am sorry Miss Fairfax was forced to speak to you as she did. Since I might have said precisely the same things in her place, I cannot think of dismissing her. I would feel the same even if she were not essential to the happiness of my family.”
“You defend this insolent creature?” Miss Anstruther blustered. “This insult is not to be borne! Come, Verity. We are leaving at once. I refuse to spend another night among such disobliging, ill-bred people.”
With a poisonous glare at Jasper and Evangeline, she stalked away.
The beginning of a sob broke from Mrs. Dawson’s lips but was swiftly stifled. Head bowed and shoulders slumped, she followed with obvious reluctance.
Had he and Evangeline made matters worse for the poor lady by trying to defend her? If so, Jasper regretted it, but what else could he have done? He had no intention of parting with his children’s governess a moment before he must and certainly not at the bidding of Penelope Anstruther!
“Wait!” cried Norton Brookes. The poor man looked torn in several directions at once, as if his heart were being drawn and quartered. “Verity, please, I cannot bear to see you go away with that insufferable woman.”
Penelope Anstruther turned back toward the vicar with a scornful sneer. “You should mind your tongue, sir. Of course Verity must come with me. She has nowhere else to go and there is nothing you can do about it.”
For a moment Jasper feared his friend would falter in the face of such caustic contempt. But after a brief struggle, Norton straightened to his full, lofty stature and spoke in a ringing tone that would have sounded impressive from a pulpit. “Indeed there is something I can do and I intend to do it.”
His long legs bore him swiftly to Mrs. Dawson then flexed to lower him before her on one knee. “My dear Verity, will you do me the honor of b
ecoming my wife? I can offer you little by way of material comforts, but I promise that as long as I live, you will always be treasured and treated with the kindness you deserve.”
Before her companion could reply, Miss Anstruther gave a derisive sniff. “Even Verity has more sense than to give up the advantages I can provide to make her home with a penniless clergyman and his hoyden of a sister.”
The way Norton winced at her words made it clear they echoed his worst fear.
Jasper glanced toward Evangeline to find her staring at him intently. In her eyes he glimpsed an unspoken plea to intervene on behalf of the other couple. Much as he wanted to oblige her, he could not. Some intuition warned him that if their union was to succeed, they must both be willing to fight for it.
Unfortunately, life seemed to have beaten all the fight out of Verity Dawson long ago.
Or had it? Something in her bearing as she turned to answer Miss Anstruther made Jasper wonder if he’d been mistaken.
“Advantages?” She spoke the word in a mocking imitation of the other woman’s scornful tone. “What do those advantages signify without respect or affection? I do not believe Miss Brookes is a hoyden and even if she were, I would far rather live with a hoyden than a... a... shrew!”
Miss Anstruther’s features went slack with shock. Then she gave a shriek of vexation and flounced off.
Verity turned her attention back to Norton, who looked suddenly hopeful. “Dear Mr. Brookes, I hope you have not proposed out of pity for my situation. I could not bear to be a burden to you.”
Norton clasped her hand. “I beg you, let there be no talk of pity or burdens between us. I believe with all my heart that any burdens I bear in this life will only be lightened by your support... and love.”
The lady inhaled a deep breath and braced her shoulders. “In that case, it will be my honor to marry you, Mr. Brookes.”
Norton surged to his feet and raised both her hands to his lips. “You have made me the happiest man in the world!”