The Illegitimate Heir: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Hoffmeister Emmaline

Author:Hoffmeister, Emmaline
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Rhemalda | ELH Publications
Published: 2022-12-21T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

After his most unsatisfactory interview with his late uncle’s usurping bastard, Mr Adwell did not return to his home. Instead, he ordered his carriage to the Malham residence near Kensington Park.

Calvin convinced himself he visited Miss Malham out of self-interest, being penniless and in need of a wealthy spouse, but he now had ulterior motives. Since recognising Richard Fitzwilliam as the man who fancied himself in love with Miss Malham and whose suit had been rejected by her father, a plan formed in his mind. The Bastard of Blachedone, his newly proclaimed nemesis, would crumble; he would make sure of it.

Full of purpose and exuding confidence, Mr Adwell strode into the sitting room with his hat tucked under his arm. “Miss Malham, it pains me to see you cooped up indoors on such a lovely day. Would you care to join me for a walk in Kensington Park?”

“You should go, Helen,” Mrs Malham said. “You have stayed indoors too long. The exercise will do you good.”

Although Miss Malham had no wish to walk out with anyone other than Richard, she found the idea of escaping her father appealing. The two had argued again at breakfast over her choice of husband. His terrible remarks about Richard made it unbearable for her to be in the same house as him. She excused herself to put on a walking dress, tiptoeing past her father’s study lest he should hear her and call her in for another round of haranguing.

Properly attired, she met Mr Adwell in the foyer, along with the maid who was to act as chaperone.

“Shall we go?” Calvin asked, offering his arm to Miss Malham.

Helen put her arm through his and allowed him to escort her down the walk. The maid followed behind the pair at a discreet distance, ready to pounce at the slightest hint of impropriety. She knew her position depended on her diligence to her miss. The master expected flawless chaperone duties, and any maid who made a mistake would be dismissed without a recommendation.

Calvin attempted to entertain Helen with endless stories of his youth and time at university. She listened, but her thoughts wandered to Richard, as they so often did. In comparing Mr Adwell to Richard, it surprised her to realise there were so many physical similarities. They shared the same eye and hair colour, were close in height and build, and had strikingly similar voices. In terms of manner, Mr Adwell had a bit more playfulness, whereas Richard’s solemn bearing and masculinity were influenced by his military service.

Helen remembered a similar walk with Richard a few weeks ago. He had told her about growing up at Matlock Manor with his elder brother, James. The two were great friends, as close as any two brothers could be. He recounted his early military years, emphasising the profound loneliness of his first deployment abroad. She connected with him on such a level that his loneliness felt like her own. She had felt as if she were surrounded

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.