by Fanny Finch
For the Earl it was simply the consequences of his actions. Things would have been different had he loved his wife better. Still, such treatment was entirely unfounded in society. Should the Earl have desired it, Mr. Eldridge would easily be punished for such behavior.
“I must ask you, my lord. Have you once given a thought to whether or not you deserve to be a father?” Mr. Eldridge asked, once more accusing him.
“I have no need to consider whether or not I am deserving,” the Earl replied. “As it is, I am a father. I am a father even as other men are not. And I do love my daughter despite the rumors that abound, spread by an angry brother.”
The force of the Earls words clearly took Mr. Eldridge back. The Earl had never spoken back to him thus. It gave him a new sense of strength and a greater desire to prove to the world that he truly cared for his daughter more than any of them knew.
Mr. Eldridge narrowed his eyes. Like a snake ready to bite, he slunk back ever so slightly.
“You dare speak back to me?” Mr. Eldridge asked angrily.
“Indeed Mr. Eldridge,” the Earl began, “It is I who should ask this question of you. After all, I am a titled man, a man of great means. And you are not. Your family married your sister to me in order to make connections in society. You were the ones that used her. I wed her as I was told.
“You cannot now accuse me of being the cause of her death. I do believe that such accusations are unfounded and you know this as well.”
“What do I know?” Mr. Eldridge forcefully spot. “I know that you were the cause of my sisters early labor. I know that were you not such a hateful man, she would not have been forced to deliver so early. And I know that that is entirely the cause of her demise.”
“You may make such accusations against me. But they are unfounded. You may speak with the doctor, but you will find no evidence to support what you say,” the Earl said with false confidence.
Despite the strength of his words, the Earl did not believe them. He agreed entirely with the hateful man who stood before him. He believed without a doubt that his wife’s death was his own fault. They had been arguing, and that had caused her to enter labor.
“Here’s what I have to say to you. Your daughter, my niece, should not have to remain with you. She has to be with her true family. Those that love her. Indeed, if I had any legal rights at all, I would take her from you in an instant,” Mr. Eldridge threatened.
The Earl was enraged at this. Mr. Eldridge, seeing the anger that he had caused, immediately turned and swiftly walked away. The Earl watched after him. As he watched he desired nothing more than to take his revenge on the man who had just accused him of something so horrific.
The Earl knew well that it was not simply the guilt of his wife’s death nor the guilt of the father he had been. Deep down, and Earl was upset with himself for the fact that he had a new interest in his governess. He had a sudden desire to speak to her more, to be in her company, to learn about her and to tell her about himself as well. It was wrong. Entirely wrong.
And yet he could not help it. When he thought back to the conversation they had previously had, all he could consider was her gentle smile, the way her words lilted on various notes, and the look in her eyes when she spoke of Grace.
She was a young woman who was entirely something more than simply a governess. And the Earl did not want to be such a man who, in desiring her company, would use his authority as her employer to force her into a friendship that she was not comfortable with. He had heard of those types of men who used their authority to demand things of their employees that ought not to be demanded, and he was certainly not one of them.
He made his way through the streets and arrived at his meeting with his anger still well intact. A bit of brandy was offered and the Earl was grateful that it helped to calm him, although it did not do all that he needed.
Surrounded by men who were his equals and betters, the Earl sat through the time only to ensure that he had been there. He was not fond of business meetings and preferred to do his work in his home where he was free from the general expectations of men in society.
But the thought of going back out, the idea that he might, once more, run into Mr. Eldridge, was a painful one. He could not bear it and would not. So remaining a little while after the meeting, playing billiards and drinking, became tempting for the first time in his life.
“Well I say, you are a better shot than I would have given you credit for,” Lord Duncy commented.
The Earl smirked at the compliment, knowing that it was true. The vast majority of these men had never seen him play billiards before.
“Why is it that you have kept your skill from us?” Lord Duncy inquired.
“Because it would mean having to spend a great deal of time around you,” the Earl shot back with a laugh.
“Ah yes, our resident Hermit of Dulshire,” Lord Duncy commented, causing the men to laugh. The Earl laughed with them, knowing it was true.
“Well that got a laugh,” Lord Duncy commented.
“You are the Lord of Dunces, are you not?” the Earl teased back, rallying the men to another hearty jab.
“I do believe I have been insulted,” Lord Duncy replied, still in good spirits.
“Perhaps you ought to allow yourself more time in your study. You may become a hermit, like me, but at least you will not be accused of a lack of intellect,” the Earl said.
The men continued their sport of billiards and words. Soon the Earl of Dulshire was relatively pacified from his earlier interactions with Mr. Eldridge. The wounds had not gone entirely away, but were faded by the alcohol and company.
Nevertheless, the Earl was relieved when it was time to return home. He had called for his coach to come to the office in the hopes that he would have no further run-ins with his foolish brother in law.
The torture he felt was enough without that man causing him greater problems, still. He knew that he was deserving of better treatment. He knew that he did not have to put up with all that Mr. Eldridge worked to accuse him of.
But he would not be able to deal with the man until he had recovered from his own guilt. Once he managed to do away with it, he would be free of so much. He would be free of shame and responsibility for his wife’s death.
And he would be free of allowing that man to push him into frustrations and agonies. That was a goal worth working towards. It was a reason to push forward and prove himself a better man than the one he had been those years ago.
Chapter 9
Delia and Amy sat together in the parlor, working on their sewing. As they did, they made small talk and polite discussion about meaningless things.
As Delia worked on some of the dresses that Grace has outgrown, trying to stretch them out as needed, Amy stitched a tablecloth that had been torn.
“Oh dear. You are quite excellent at this,” Amy complimented.
“Indeed, I am nothing special,” Delia replied.
“Do not say such things. When I see talent, I say it. And Miss Caulfield, you are quite talented at your craft of tailoring,” Amy said.
“Well I think you for the compliment,” Delia replied before returning to her quiet.
“It would seem as though the household is all abuzz about you,” Amy noted suddenly.
Delia paused in her work and looked at the young woman who was starting to become a friend of hers. She considered what Amy had said and whether or not it was a good thing to be talked about. Certainly it seemed as though she had been receiving an intense amount of attention. But that was the last thing that Delia desired.
“And for what reason is the house hold abuzz?” Delia asked.
“That is quite the question,” Amy replied. “To be perfectly honest I have my suspicions, but so does everyone else. Perhaps it is their suspicions that have caused such a discussion and such a drama.”
“Yes, suspicions. I suppose those are everything in English society,” Delia remarked grudgingly.
“Oh, you have no
idea my dear,” Amy said. “Quite honestly, I do believe there is a great deal of jealousy involved for the majority of the housing staff.”
“Jealousy?” Delia asked. “Why jealousy?”
“Have you not noticed that the Earl has been rather kind to you?” Amy remarked.
“Kind to me? Is he not kind to all?” Delia inquired.
“Oh, to be sure he is kind to all. Especially those who work for him. In fact, the Earl is quite a gentle man and a man rather contrary to his station. And yet it has been noted that he has been particularly kind to you,” Amy said.
“Oh dear, that is not it all what I desire,” Delia remarked.
“Yes, I am well aware of that,” Amy said. “I have seen your character. I do not doubt your motives. But there are others, others in the home who prefer the attention from the Earl for themselves. And it is they who have decided to see ill in you.”
“And what exactly is the ill in me?” Delia asked.
Amy looked at her in a way that made Delia uncomfortable. She did not like what she assumed was to be suggested. She would rather be free from such accusations. And yet it seemed as though she had no control whatsoever over what was thought of her.
“What do you know of the Earls late wife?” Amie asked.
Delia stopped for a moment considering. “Only what you have told me,” she finally replied.
“Yes, well perhaps I have not told you enough. You see the Earl did not care for his wife. It was quite clear to all of us. In fact, it was quite clear to everyone,” Amy stated.
Delia knew that the Earl’s wife had passed away eight years before. How was it that Amy had been working at the home for that long? She was still quite young. Delia felt sad that her new friend must have come to work for the Earl at a very young age.
“You must consider that the Earl is rather well known among society. So while we saw what occurred in the home, those in society took a particular noticing of their interactions,” Amy said.
“And they did not interact well?” Delia asked.
“Indeed, they did not,” Amy replied. “After all, they did not love one another. The Earl remains in a rather horrid state of guilt over this. But few seem to recognize or acknowledge that his late wife was not fond of him either.”
“She was not?” Delia asked. There was something about the fact that burned within her. She could not understand how a woman committed to the Earl would not love him. She was envious of such a woman who had the opportunity to love him.
Such a realization and the recognition of this jealousy sparked something in Delia. She was shocked at herself for feeling that way. She wondered if she was denying something that was inside her, something that ought not to be there. Did she really care for the Earl that much?
“No indeed, she was not. In fact, she was forced into the marriage just as he was. She had other prospects, but they were not of the same status as the Earl,” Amy answered.
“And what of those prospects?” Delia asked.
“Those prospects were quite unsuitable,” Amy replied. “However, it did not change the fact that society adored the Earl’s wife. They adored who she was, and her appearance, and essentially everything about her delicate nature.”
Delia considered her own nature. She was far from delicate. And she was entirely annoyed at her behavior for actually considering herself against this woman. Who is she to compare herself to such a great woman? And why would she do that? It was not as though the Earl was even a prospect for someone like her.
“And when I say that she was adored,” Amy continued, “I mean she was adored by all. Her family, society, and even the entire housing staff. She was greatly loved. A kind woman, a woman who was generous with all of us. It was rather difficult to see her go.”
“And she passed away in childbirth, correct?” Delia asked.
“Indeed, she did,” Amie replied. “It was a very difficult night. All of us, the entire staff of the home, were present. We were present when the screaming began from upstairs. The screaming between the Earl and his wife, I mean.”
“They fought?” Delia asked.
Amy scoffed. “Oh, you cannot imagine the fights that they would have. And that night was, perhaps, the very worst of them. That evening the fight was so bad, that it caused the woman to go into an early labor. Or so it seemed. The Earl is still blamed for this.”
“But was it truly his fault?” Delia asked.
“Who can say?” Amy replied wistfully. “But it would certainly seem so. It was in the midst of their screaming that her labor began. And soon her screams turned into the screams of childbirth.”
“Oh dear, that must’ve been horrific,” Delia said.
“The word horrific does not even begin to describe the events of that evening,” Amy said with tears in her eyes. “That evening was a tragedy. A tragedy that ought to have been prevented by love.”
“And you say the entire staff loved her?” Delia asked.
“We loved her far greater than the Earl ever could. We loved her as no employee has loved a mistress before,” Amy admitted.
“And what does this have to do with the hatred of me?” Delia asked.
“To be perfectly frank with you, it is my belief that some of the staff suspects that you are here in order to take the place of the Earl’s late wife,” Amy confessed sheepishly.
Delia blanched at the thought. “Whatever do you mean? How could anyone suggest such a thing? I’m a governess, nothing more.”
Delia felt angry at this. She cannot imagine why such an accusation would take place when she had done nothing to warrant it. She had been nothing but appropriate in her entire time in the house that’s far.
“Do you know nothing of the world?” Amy asked. “Do you truly believe that a man of any sort wouldn’t notice you?”
“Do you mean to tell me that you believe this as well?” Delia asked.
“I believe in no way that you are responsible. I should never think of you in such a way that you might force yourself into the Earl’s noticing. I understand that your character is simply not of the sort. But that does not mean that that Earl has not noticed you,” Amy pointed out.
“But he has not,” Delia insisted.
“How should you know?” Amy asked.
“Well he has not done any of the things which one hears about from a perverse employer, he has never behaved improperly. He has never been inappropriate with me. He has never encouraged aloneness with me. He has simply spoken with me at times when we have happened to be just the two of us. But only in reference to learning about the woman who is caring for his daughter,” Delia assured her.
“It is very fine and well that you should believe that. You know I don’t want to suggest something that I don’t believe to be true. But the reason they are being such fools is because you seem special in some way. In all the years I have been here, nearly ten, the Earl has never once asked about me,” Amy told her.
“I do not believe that. I do not believe that he has never once shown any interest in knowing a single thing about you,” Delia denied.
Once more Amy scoffed. “My dear Miss Caulfield, it would seem that you have a rather naive vision of the world. You know I don’t think these things of you, but others can be cruel. I appreciate your innocence, but you must be careful. The way they see it, you must be aware that men have desires, and at times those desires are such that could hurt a woman’s reputation. They thrive on these ideas when they speak against you.”
Delia thought about her reputation. No one here knew of her reputation. She had taken great pains to hide it. She had made every effort to ensure that her former employer had not any means of informing her new employer. Indeed, as a woman of no name, it was fairly simple to hide the truth about her reputation.
Should anyone question such a thing, Delia knew that in the very least her reputation with men was clear. She had never been accused of any such thing. And she would not allow any man not even her employer, not even the Ea
rl whom she had considered so great, to cause disrepair.
“Forgive me if I have spoken too far out of turns, Miss Caulfield,” Amy continued.
“Do you not remember that I asked you to call me Delia?” she asked in reply, trying to seem calm and unbothered. “Do not worry. What other people think of me is not my concern. I have enough thoughts about myself to occupy my mind. There is very little that Mrs. Andrews might say or do to break my spirit.”
“I am glad to hear that. You are deserving of better treatment,” Amy insisted.
“Perhaps. Perhaps not. Either way, I am delighted that you are willing to sully yourself by consorting with me,” Delia teased.
