Cinders & Sapphires (At Somerton)
Page 18
“Lose her place?” Sebastian sounded genuinely shocked. “No, that mustn’t happen. Let me explain to them.”
They found Fiona and Charlotte in the conservatory, talking in low, furious voices.
“Mother, I’ve come to explain,” Sebastian began at once. “You’ve got the wrong end of the stick. It was my idea to take the girl out, and it was my idea entirely to kiss her. She was taken completely by surprise and cried all the way home. I won’t see her lose her place—she was not at fault, it was me.”
No one spoke for several seconds.
“Well!” Charlotte broke the stunned silence. “I must say, Sebastian, this surpasses even your low standards.”
Sebastian flushed, but answered with forced good humor. “I deserve that, I’m sure. I’m sorry that it ended up in the papers. But if you must punish someone, punish me. I deserve it, not Rose.”
“You are quite sure you have not compromised yourself?” Fiona said in measured tones. “You understand, don’t you, that that photograph could easily be used in a court of law to support a breach of promise case.”
“Rose would never do such a thing,” Ada said, scandalized.
“Don’t be naïve, Ada. She’s a poor girl, and there is plenty of money in breach of promise.” Fiona steepled her fingers and looked at Sebastian. “If you have compromised yourself with this girl, I will publicly disown you.”
Sebastian swallowed, a look of hurt crossing his face. “There won’t be any need for that. I can assure you, she is as embarrassed by my ungentlemanly behavior as you are,” he said quietly.
Charlotte gave a disbelieving sniff.
“You won’t force her to go, will you, Lady Westlake?” Ada pleaded. “Not when you’ve heard her defense from Sebastian himself.”
“Be quiet, Ada!” Fiona rapped out. Ada, shocked, was silent. “I do not think you have any idea of just how shockingly you have behaved. I am thoroughly ashamed of you, and so would your father be if he knew.”
Ada opened her mouth to protest, but Fiona surged on. “By encouraging your maid in her ridiculous pretensions, you have shown that you have no respect for the consequence of your family or mine. You have made us a laughingstock today. If you have no thought for your own reputation, will you not think of your father’s good name? He has barely recovered from the unfortunate slanders that surrounded his India career. If any hint of your part in this scandal gets beyond the family, it could do great damage to your chances this season, and thereby to his standing.”
Ada felt tears start to her eyes. She tried to speak, but no words came out. Fiona was right, she knew that. It had been thoughtless of her to allow Rose to be exposed in that way, and by encouraging her she had harmed more people than Rose herself.
“Sebastian, you are greatly at fault, but the maid is more so. She has passed the boundaries of decency for a woman and gone beyond her station. That simply cannot go unpunished. I would be failing in my duty as a parent if I allowed a woman who had become so exposed, so fallen, to remain in this house with my daughters.”
Ada stood silently, tears in her eyes. She had never felt so guilty in her life. Rose had become so important to her—such a friend. She could not bear the thought of losing her, much less in such a way.
There was only one hope left—her father. She quailed inside at the thought of his knowing about her foolishness, but there was no help for it. She had to save Rose. She turned and ran from the conservatory.
Ada found her father in the library, poring over the newspapers.
“Papa?” she said, seeing his frowning expression. “Is everything all right?”
“Ada?” He looked up with a tired smile. “The situation on the Continent gets ever more troubling—but what did you want to see me about?”
Ada took a deep breath.
“I’ve been foolish,” she blurted out. “Very, very foolish—and it has hurt someone who doesn’t deserve to be hurt. Please, Father—I need you to help her.”
Quickly, she told her father the story, wincing as she saw the expression of shock and anger in his eyes.
“Rose would never have been there if it were not for me,” she finished miserably. “She is innocent. It was all my fault.”
“And Sebastian’s!” her father exploded. He was furious, she could see that. He got up and paced back and forth. “Fiona is acting exactly as a responsible mother should. Such an incident, so public, cannot be let slide, especially on the eve of your first season. If the merest breath of scandal touches you…What were you thinking, Ada?” He turned on her. “Could you not see how vulnerable Rose would be, alone with a rake like Sebastian?”
Tears of humiliation rose to Ada’s eyes. He was even angrier than she had expected him to be. “I’m sorry, Papa. I just meant—I only wanted to help her.”
“The road to hell is paved with good intentions,” he muttered. He looked as if he were thinking deeply, or remembering something that she did not know about.
“Please, Father,” Ada said. “Rose doesn’t deserve this. You can’t let Lady Westlake turn her out without a penny in London.”
“No indeed!” Her father looked very serious, more serious than she had ever seen him. “It would mean ruin for her. I should have done something before, something to ensure her safety.”
Ada looked puzzled. Her father caught her eye and cleared his throat, looking embarrassed.
“I shall not let Fiona dismiss her until we have arrived back at Somerton and she has the support of her mother,” he said firmly. “But Ada, I don’t know if I can keep her in service with us. The damage has been done.”
Rose packed her clothes through a haze of tears. She could hardly believe this was happening to her. It all seemed like a horrible nightmare. She could not stop thinking about what her mother would say when she heard. Would she believe that it was not her fault? She shuddered at the thought of how angry and disappointed she would be.
She had few possessions; her uniforms belonged to the family. The belongings in her suitcase looked small and pitiful. She turned to the door, and started. Stella Ward stood there, watching her.
Rose dashed away the tears with the back of her hand.
“I suppose you’ve come to gloat,” she said. Stella had never liked her, that was clear.
“I did say that those who ride on high horses have a long way to fall.” Stella’s smirk made Rose tingle with the desire to slap her. She controlled herself. “But you do me wrong, Rose. I am here to help. I have an idea that could save your position.”
Rose’s laugh was a mixture of surprise and disbelief.
Stella looked wounded. “Don’t say you don’t believe me. I feel sorry for you, Rose. You were so clearly out of your depth as a ladies’ maid. I gave you good advice that first day, don’t you remember?”
Rose shook her head. She was too tired and confused by the events of the day to know what Stella was speaking about. “You will have to remind me.”
“I told you that ladies’ maids often hear things that have a certain…value to them.” She watched Rose’s face, a faint smile hovering on her own. “Now is the time to cash in that valuable knowledge. I’m sure you have some. I’m just not quite sure what it is.”
“You mean I should threaten to reveal Lady Ada’s secrets in order to keep my position?” Rose said bluntly.
“No need for you to do anything so crude. Simply tell me the secrets. If they’re juicy enough—and I’m sure they are—I promise that your situation will be saved.”
“And Lady Ada’s will be lost,” said Rose. She thought how it would be for her if the story of her relationship with Ravi got out. It would mean the end of all her chances that season, at the very least.
“What does that matter to you? She doesn’t care about you. She got you into this trouble in the first place. She’ll weep crocodile tears as she cuts you loose without a penny or a character. Do you know what happens to girls without money or character in London, Rose?” Her voice was hard.
“So you see, no one could blame you for what you are going to do,” Stella went on. “You are simply doing what you can to escape a worse stain on your soul and character.”
“You are mistaken,” said Rose. She was speaking automatically, her lips felt numb. “I am not going to do what you suggest.”
A flash of anger crossed Stella’s face. “Think, Rose! What do you owe Lady Ada? Nothing.”
Rose shook her head. “It isn’t about what I owe to Lady Ada. It’s about what I owe to myself. I could never respect myself if I betrayed Lady Ada’s confidence. My answer is no.”
Stella seemed about to answer, when there was a knock at the door.
“Yes?” Rose called, glad of the interruption.
Her eyes widened in shock as the door opened and she saw Lord Westlake.
“My lord!” She jumped almost to attention, smoothing down her dress. Stella looked as startled as Rose felt.
“Good afternoon, Rose.” He looked and sounded ill at ease. “I am sorry to intrude. May I have a word?”
Rose nodded blankly. “Of course, sir…”
“In private,” he added to Stella.
Stella backed to the door. As she stepped out, she gave Rose a last, meaningful glance. Rose met her eyes proudly. I have nothing to be ashamed of, she told herself. And I won’t sink to your level, no matter how much you want me to.
She dropped her eyes as Lord Westlake approached her. He had surely come to give her formal dismissal. Well, she would take her tongue-lashing bravely.
“I’m very sorry about what has happened, Rose.” His voice was surprisingly soft, and she was startled enough to raise her eyes. The look she had seen once before on his face—tenderness—was there again. “I don’t deny that you were foolish, but I believe that you never meant to do wrong. And Ada should never have encouraged you. She should have known better.”
Rose hung her head.
“I want you to know that you will not be dismissed until we return to Somerton,” he went on. “I would not turn a vulnerable young girl out onto the streets without money, friends, or character. You cannot continue to serve as Lady Ada’s personal maid, but I will not be the cause of your ruin, be sure of that.”
Rose looked up at him in disbelief and gratitude. “Sir, I don’t deserve your kindness—”
“And I don’t deserve yours, if you only knew it,” he replied quickly.
It was such a strange thing for him to say that she was struck silent. She simply bowed her head. She had been saved from a fate worse than death—but her future was still insecure. What would become of her once they were back at Somerton?
Stella hesitated outside Rose’s door, but she could hear nothing from inside but the low rumble of Lord Westlake’s voice. Angry and frustrated, she turned away. The little hussy managed to act superior even when she was so clearly disgraced.
She stalked away down the corridor, her mind working fast. Stella’s conscience had hardened over the years, but it still had raw spots, and these twinged now, and that made her even more angry. And an angry Stella was a dangerous Stella.
She paused by Lady Ada’s room. It was a risk, but she had begun her career this way—snooping in rooms she had no right to be in, looking through dust-bins for discarded notes that their authors might have preferred not to be seen. She was not proud of it. But with a fallen sister and a drunkard father to support, she could not be picky either. That was what Rose would have to learn, sooner or later.
She pushed open the door of Lady Ada’s room and slipped in. No one saw her. No one saw her look into the dustbin and take out all the waste paper that had been thrown there. No one saw her sorting through it, reading quickly, now and then glancing at the door nervously. And no one saw her when she paused at certain scraps of mauve paper, covered in neat, ladylike handwriting.
She placed the pieces on the dressing table and jigsawed them into place. A smile came over her face as she looked at the message written on the paper.
“Not such a waste of a day after all,” she said to herself. She swept the paper back into the bin and went to find Miss Charlotte.
It was the first real day of spring, and Oxford students were punting along the river, looking smart in their boaters and striped jackets. Their shouts and laughter echoed up the tree-clad banks, and the clatter of carriages and motorcars echoed from the bridges they passed under. The spires of the city were faintly hazy in the mist of the afternoon sunshine.
As Ada walked along the bank of the river, her folded parasol in her hand, many of the Oxford students turned to look at her. They were not used to seeing women in the university precincts, except for the occasional visit by their sisters and mothers, and the few women students who had braved the walls of the academic fortress. And they were certainly not used to seeing such an elegantly dressed, pretty, and seemingly well-bred girl walking alone in the shade of the willows.
Ada did not notice the admiring and inquisitive glances that followed her. She was too nervous, her mind too caught up in other things. The meeting she had just had with Miss Gorman, the mistress of Somerville, had gone better than she could have hoped. But as soon as she allowed herself to become exhilarated by that thought, she was brought crashing down again by the thought of the obstacles that stood in her way. Now that she was in disgrace for getting Rose dismissed, it was even less likely that she could persuade her father to let her go to Oxford. It hardly mattered if the mistress of Somerville was encouraging if she had really no chance of coming here.
And then there was Ravi. Ever since she had met Emily at the station, she had been looking around for him, nervous and anxious lest they should bump into each other. Half of her ached to see him, the other half scolded her for her weakness. It could only complicate matters. She had said they must never meet again, and she should stick to her words.
And then there he was, coming toward her along the path, handsome in his white linen suit.
If she had had a moment to think about it, she might have been able to walk past, pretending she hadn’t seen him, but he registered her at the very same second that she saw him. His face lit up with startled pleasure, and she couldn’t stop the smile breaking over her own face. The eye contact was enough. It felt as if a sheet of ice covering her heart, which she hadn’t even known was there, had cracked and melted at the soft touch of his gaze.
He came to a halt as he reached her, his smile uncertain, both joyful and anxious. They stood on the path while around them the world went on without their notice. “I somehow thought we might meet like this,” he said softly. “I knew that could not be the last time we saw each other. Life could not be so cruel.”
She lowered her eyes, remembering the last time they had kissed, the passion, the bite of the snowflakes on her bare arms.
“I want to apologize for the way I behaved,” he went on. “I was a jealous fool.”
She looked up quickly. “And I never meant to provoke you,” she said. “I have no feelings for Lord Fintan. There had to be some excuse for me to be able to attend the dinner and see you, and he was it.”
“I believe you. I’m ashamed that I let my insecurity get the better of me.”
“And I’m ashamed that I let my temper get the better of me.”
They smiled at each other. Ada thought she had never felt so happy.
“May I accompany you?” he asked. “Are you here alone?”
She nodded. “That is, I c
ame to see Lady Emily Maddox. She was kind enough to arrange a meeting with Miss Gorman.” She continued walking, and he paced beside her. Their arms were close but not quite touching. Ada tried to drive the memory of his embrace from her mind.
“And?”
“It went well. She was very encouraging, but it all depends on my father….” She sighed.
“You don’t think he can be persuaded?”
“I don’t know. I can only try. And I will try. Being here has strengthened my resolve to come and study here. For so long I’ve thought of Oxford as a dreamland, and now it’s real and solid. I can hardly believe it.”
“In some ways it is a dreamland,” he said.
Ada thought he did not sound entirely happy, and hurried on, not wanting anything to spoil the moment. “The process sounds dreadfully complicated. It seems I can take one of two exams, the Oxford Seniors or the Scholarship. I suppose I shouldn’t try for the Scholarship. It’s only for the most promising candidates.”
“Why on earth shouldn’t you try? I got a scholarship. And you are just as intelligent as I am, so I don’t see why you shouldn’t.”
Ada blushed. “I wouldn’t want to risk it. If I failed, it would be all over.”
“Sometimes one has to take risks,” said Ravi.
Ada, noticing something in his tone, said, “But what about you? Tell me what you have been doing since we last saw each other.”
“Studying. That, and attending a lot of meetings.”
“Political meetings?”
“Yes. A chapter of the INC meets in London.” He glanced at her. “I know you don’t approve—”
“I was frightened for you,” she broke in. “Such awful things are said about the hot faction. I don’t want you to come to harm.”
He placed a hand comfortingly on her arm.
She stopped walking and looked up at him pleadingly. “Please, Ravi. Are you sure you are doing the right thing, getting mixed up in this business of Indian independence? Can’t you be happy as you are?”