The Marquess' Governess Bride: A Historical Regency Romance Novel (Regency Expedient Marriages Book 4) by Sheldon Dorothy

Author:Sheldon, Dorothy
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-11-11T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seventeen

The evening was young. Eloise was with Nanny Meekes, and the Marquess was at a ball. Emma sighed. Long gone were the days when she accepted invites to parties and balls, where she would dance with potential suitors or good friends. She and Danielle would talk until the early hours of the morning and giggle as they watched men scrabbling to get a lady’s attention.

The older mamas would roam the rooms looking for suitors for their sons and daughters, targeting the noble and wealthy. They would seek them out and keep them trapped in conversation until the gentlemen would tire of the marriage seekers and politely excuse themselves.

Emma and Danielle would hide behind curtains, trying to contain their laughter. Emma suddenly missed those days greatly, especially the company of her good friend. If only things were different, and she had not been forced to leave her home. If only her brother and her sister-in-law had been kind to her. She wouldn’t have had to leave at all then. But alas, it was not to be.

The house was very quiet, and Emma craved company. She contemplated going downstairs to talk to the many friends she had made among the servants. She was grateful to Ginny and Nanny Meekes for that. But it was their dinner time now, and she was certain they must be very tired and longed to sleep. She decided she would have to make do with her own company.

Emma’s attention fell on the letter she had received that morning and thought it was as a good time as any to catch up on her correspondence. The marking for the day was completed, and there was no one to bother with her company, so that would do as a distraction.

Sitting down at the desk, she picked up the envelope. It was from Mildenhall, from Mrs Blagdon. Dear old Mrs Blagdon! She was the housekeeper at Mildenhall, and she had always been a good friend to Emma. Before she had left for London, she had spent many hours talking to the housekeeper about her plans, asking her advice on the appropriate thing to do.

“My dear, I approve of it wholeheartedly. This house is no longer a home for you since the master and mistress have gone.” Mrs Blagdon sniffed into her apron. “Pardon me, Miss Emma. I did not mean to bring up sad events.”

“You will not regret it if I leave quietly without telling anyone? I do not want you to get in trouble,” Emma said, holding Mrs Blagdon’s hands as they sat beside the low fire. It was a warm day, but Mrs Blagdon was getting on in age and felt the cold more easily than others.

“I shall miss you,” said Emma.

“And I shall miss you, Miss Emma.”

Emma did indeed miss her childhood years at Mildenhall. She remembered that Mrs Blagdon had begun working at the house when she was perhaps two years old. She had started as a maid and worked up the hierarchy of servants, finally gaining the position as a housekeeper when the old housekeeper had sadly passed away.

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