Esther had scarcely been able to believe it when after knocking on the door of the vicarage and demanding to see Mrs Hutton, a stranger had come into the morning room where the maid had shown her. She had stared at the thin, colourless woman in front of her and the woman had stared back, before taking a deep breath and saying, ‘You wish to see me?’ her tone making it quite clear she did not expect the meeting to last long.
The woman’s barely concealed distaste had the effect of straightening Esther’s backbone and lifting her chin, but behind her cool facade her mind was racing. Where was her mother? Had her father married again? He must have. But to this frump? And if her father had taken a second wife, that must mean her mother had died.
The woman hadn’t asked her to sit down and Esther’s swollen feet were aching and her back breaking, but she gave no sign of her physical discomfort when she answered the usurper in an equally cold tone, ‘I was expecting to see my mother. I am Esther. Perhaps my father has spoken of me?’
‘Your father?’ For a moment the steely poise faltered but imm ediately the woman collected herself, gesturing at one of the small armchairs in the room as she said, ‘Please be seated. Am I to understand you are Jeremiah’s sister?’
Esther continued to stand straight and still as she inclined her head. Jeremiah. Of course. This pikestaff of a woman must be Jeremiah’s wife. ‘Where are my mother and father?’ she asked quietly but fearing the answer.
Mary was at a loss for perhaps the first time in her life. When Bridget had knocked on the door of the schoolroom where she was listening to John and Matthew’s tutor, Mr Maxwell, take the boys through the alphabet after she had settled the twins for their afternoon nap, and told her they had a visitor, she had excused herself forthwith and followed the maid on to the landing. There she had been slightly nonplussed when Bridget had practically barred her way, whispering, ‘Ma’am, it’s a – a lady – an’ she’s expectin’ a bairn. I thought you ought to know.’
Something in the way the maid had spoken had caused her to lower her own voice. ‘A lady from hereabouts?’
‘I don’t think so, ma’am. At least I’ve never seen her afore an’ she’s dressed . . .’ Here Bridget seemed to be searching for the right words. ‘She’s not dressed like folk round here, ma’am. And she wouldn’t say her name. Just repeated all haughty-like for me to fetch you.’
‘All right, Bridget.’ Mary had thought quickly. ‘I will see this lady but come immediately I ring for you.’
And now it appeared that their visitor was none other than Jeremiah’s sister who, she understood, was living somewhere on the continent having made an impetuous marriage to a Frenchman without asking her parents’ permission and thus incurring their wrath. When Mary had ventured a suggestion, shortly before they had wed, that Jeremiah might like to extend an olive branch to his sister now his parents had gone, and invite her and her husband to the wedding, he had not welcomed the idea, and the subject was never discussed again.
Making a swift decision, Mary forced a smile. ‘Shall we go through to the drawing room where it’s more comfortable?’ she said graciously. ‘And I’m sure it’s time for afternoon tea. We can talk in front of the fire.’
She only noticed the large carpet bag when Esther bent to pick it up, and said immediately, ‘Leave that. Bridget will see to it shortly.’
All that had been over two hours ago. Now, as Mary glanced at her husband as he entered the drawing room, her hazel eyes were chips of flecked ice and her lips a thin line across her face. She was angry, more angry than she had ever been in the whole of her life.
Jeremiah had lied to her. Not only that, this sister of his was an actress in the music halls in the city of London. Everyone knew what that meant. Actresses were scarlet women soliciting from the stage rather than the streets, and the music halls were beds of iniquity. She had known there was no husband once Esther had begun to divulge her story, and it had only taken a few searching questions to persuade Jeremiah’s sister to admit it. And this – this woman was her children’s aunt, related to them by blood. The whole situation was quite intolerable.