Page 39 of The Society Catch
Chapter Nineteen
Joanna slept so deeply that when she finally roused it was several moments before she could recall where she was. When she realised that she was safely at Tasborough she lay rubbing her eyes and watching the play of sunlight through the gap in the drawn curtains. Images and memories of the past few days ran dreamily through her mind. Eventually she roused herself sufficiently to tug the bell pull beside the bed.
The maid who usually looked after her when she stayed at Tasborough popped her head around the door with a speed which made it obvious that she had been waiting in the dressing room.
‘Good morning, Miss Joanna.’ She threw back the drapes with both hands, letting in a flood of light and a view across the beech woods towards the Vale. ‘I’ll have the hot water brought up directly. The hip bath is all set out in the dressing room. The Colonel said you would be wanting a hot, deep bath.’
She whisked out again as rapidly as she had entered, leaving Joanna staring after her.
‘Gilessaid I would want a hot bath? Why on earth…ouch!’ She struggled to sit up against the pillows, every muscle and joint complaining. ‘My word, I am stiff,’ she said to Polly as the maid came back holding out a pale cream wrapper. ‘I had forgotten just how far we rode yesterday. What a pretty wrapper, Polly. Is it one of her ladyship’s?’
‘No, Miss. It is one of the new things Mrs Fulgrave sent over for you,’ the maid explained, leaning over the bath to check the temperature of the water. ‘There are some lovely gowns and a parasol and all sorts.’
New clothes?Joanna shed her nightgown and climbed into the steaming, herb-scented water. She must be well and trulyforgiven if Mama had sent what sounded like an complete new wardrobe. The gift itself was wonderful, but she was far more thankful for the forgiveness, being at odds with her family had been one of the hardest things to bear about the entire situation.
‘What time is it, Polly?’
‘Nine o’clock, miss. Her ladyship said, would you care to take breakfast with her in her room? She usually has it at half past the hour.’
‘Please will you send to say I would love to join her. Does anyone go down to the town with post in the morning? I really must write to my parents.’
‘John will go down at ten. There’ll be just time after your bath.’
Clad in one of three charming new muslin gowns, with a pair of thin kid sandals on her feet, Joanna sat down to pen the second note to her mother since she ran away. This one had just as many tear stains as the first, but they were happy tears. Having seen the wardrobe her mama had sent Joanna could not be in any doubt she was forgiven, even if she had not read the short affectionate note Hebe had given her.
And please give my most dutiful love to Papa and assure him that I am all too aware of the distress and anxiety I must have caused you. I will do my best to make myself useful here at Tasborough and look forward to seeing you all again very soon. With all my love, your affectionate daughter, Joanna.
She conned the two pages of closely written words and hoped that they conveyed her regrets. And yet… She folded the pages and wrote the address of the Bath hotel on the front before handing it to Polly to seal. And yet she would do it again if she had to. She would most certainly not allow herself to be coerced into a loveless marriage, that was for certain, whatever the next Season held for her.
Hebe looked up from the fashion magazine she was scanningas Joanna walked into the room and said immediately, ‘You look so fierce, whatever is the matter?’
‘Good morning, Hebe.’ Joanna bent to kiss her cousin’s cheek and joined her at the little table set in the wide bay window of the bedchamber. ‘I am sorry if I was scowling, it was simply that I am resolved not to allow myself to be pushed into marriage, however grateful I am that I appear to be forgiven.’
‘The clothes?’ Hebe rang the silver bell beside her plate. ‘Yes, I wondered about those. They are a notable peace offering indeed. You may serve breakfast now, Starling, thank you. Has John taken the post? Miss Hebe will have a letter.’
‘I have already given it to Polly, thank you, Starling.’ Joanna took ham from the proffered plate and allowed Hebe to pour her a cup of coffee.
When Starling had left the room her cousin asked bluntly, ‘Why did you not come to me in the first place, Joanna? You know I will do everything I can to help.’
‘Mama said your confinement was near, and from something she said it sounded as though you were very tired and perhaps Alex was a little worried about you.’ She broke off and eyed Hebe anxiously. ‘You are all right, aren’t you?’
‘Absolutely fine,’ Hebe assured her, buttering a roll. ‘It is just that this seems to be the biggest baby in the world and the weather is so hot. And Alex will fuss over me. IfonlyGiles had not put the idea of twins into his head. I am delighted to see you and I want to do everything I can to help.’
‘I am not sure anyone can,’ Joanna said ruefully. ‘I ran away to think, but all I succeeded in doing was putting Giles to a great deal of trouble, inconveniencing some complete strangers – the Geddings, who are delightful people by the way – almost ending up in a London brothel and distressing my family.’
‘A brothel?’ Hebe dropped her bread roll and stared at her, aghast. ‘I wondered what she was so very tactfully avoiding inthe letters I had from your mama.’
‘I had better explain.’ Joanna recounted the tale of her adventures from the moment she crept away from Charles Street in the dawn light to her rescue by Giles and arrival at the Geddings’ house. ‘And, Hebe, we must do something about those poor girls who have been already forced into prostitution in those places. I cannot, as an unmarried girl, but you could.’
‘Yes, of course, we must discuss it soon, after the baby,’ Hebe said distractedly. ‘Joanna, I had no idea you had been in so much danger, it must have been terrifying. But why did you run away in the first place? And why did you not come to me from the Geddings’? Your mama had agreed to that, after all.’
‘I did not come because Mrs Gedding had found a horrible chaperone who guessed I was in disgrace and who was going to read me religious tracts all the way here. And I knew Alex would be furious with me for worrying you and I could not bear…’ Her voice trailed away.
Hebe leaned over and took her hand. ‘Could not bear what? Surely you did not think I would lecture you?’
‘You and Alex are so happy. And there’s little Hugh and the baby coming and now I am never…’
Hebe passed over a square of fine linen. ‘So it is a man? The reason behind all this?’
