Page 73 of Heartbreaker of the Ton
Most sins could be forgiven—except those committed against one’s flesh and blood. Against sons, daughters…and sisters.
And wives. Andrew shivered as he caught sight of Ralph Smith standing on the edge of the field, a mug of ale in his hand, a dark scowl on his face. There was no sign of Loveday or her children, but if Ralph was occupied with the ale stall and his wife and children were at home, then they were safe from his bad temper—at least for today.
Perhaps that explained Etty’s absence, if she was with Loveday. She had quite taken the poor woman into her care.
Andrew could slip away and pay Loveday a visit, just to check whether she was well—whether theybothwere.
“Vicar!”
Damn.
Andrew recognized the voice. The last thing he needed was for Mrs. Fulford to appoint him as her foot soldier in her quest to assert her dominance over the entire village—which, for all her professions of raising funds for the needy, was her true purpose in running the village fete.
He caught sight of Mrs. Swain and her pupils. A gaggle of twenty schoolchildren would provide more than adequate coverfor a lone vicar seeking sanctuary from a predatory female and her daughters of marriageable age.
But Andrew hadn’t considered the tenacity of a determined woman. Before he reached the schoolchildren, Mrs. Fulford appeared before him, out of breath, her eldest daughter by her side.
“Oh,thereyou are, vicar. Did you not hear me calling?”
I suspect they heard you all the way to Cromer.
“I’m afraid not, Mrs. Fulford.”
“Well, never mind that. I’m in need of you—or rather, my daughter is, aren’t you, Elizabeth?”
“Yes, Mama.”
“How may I be of assistance, Miss Fulford?” Andrew asked.
“Elizabeth is in need of a companion. I cannot have her spend the day without one.”
Andrew glanced across the field to where Elizabeth’s sisters were wandering about, arm in arm. Mrs. Fulford followed the line of his gaze.
“Sarah and Caroline are undertaking something very particular, vicar,” she said. “I’m afraid Elizabeth is on her own, and we cannot have a young woman unaccompanied, can we?”
“Miss Fulford is quite safe here, Lady Fulford,” Andrew said.
“But it wouldn’t seem right, would it?” she said. “Sir John would say the same, and, of course, I’m sure the bishop would agree.”
I’m sure the bishop would agree.Six words that, put together, formed a thinly veiled threat to remove Andrew from office if he were to disobey his patron’s orders.
One day I’ll call you out on that, Lady Fulford.
But today was not the day. He could endure the eldest Miss Fulford’s company for the fete. And it would do the conceited little miss a world of good when she bore witness to his paying Etty attention when she arrived.
If she was coming.
He offered his arm to Miss Fulford, but before she took it, a scream rang out.
“Help—help us!”
A figure was running toward the field from the direction of the cliff path, arms waving.
“Help!”
“Frannie!” Mrs. Gadd cried, pushing through the crowd. “Dear Lord—it’s Frannie! William, Jimmy—come quick!”
Andrew began to move, but Elizabeth caught his arm. “Vicar, it’s just that Gadd girl. There’s no need—”
