Adoration

‘Would you like me to help you?’ Sissy asked, launching to her feet.

‘No. No, dear. I will be fine. You stay here. I just need to lie down for a few moments, that’s all,’ Norma assured her.

Sissy remained at the bottom of the stairs. When her aunt had closed the bed chamber door she returned to the chaise and her guest. ‘I apologise for her. She loves it here. It is devastating that she has to leave it.’

‘Have you thought about living in town?’ Alicia asked.

‘I haven’t really thought about living anywhere else on account of this being Norma’s house. She loves it here,’ Sissy replied.

‘Try not to let this worry you,’ Alicia murmured. She was surprised by the graceful way Sissy had handled the entire situation. She had remained calm and, no matter what was going through her mind, had kept her thoughts and opinions to herself. Throughout it all she had behaved with an elegant charm that was a little inspiring. So much so, Alicia began to wonder if even she had complete misread Miss Sissy Finchley. There was considerably more to the young woman than she had ever believed there to be.

There was a time when I believed her to be nothing more than a bookish young woman who was too shy to ever join society. How wrong I have been.

A little shamed by her assumptions, Alicia quietly took her leave of her.

‘Don’t move without telling me where you go,’ she urged once on the doorstep. ‘I have to tell Morgan.’ She met Sissy’s eyes and saw fear hidden in the depths of Sissy’s worried look. Alicia frowned a little. ‘He isn’t going to be angry at you. He is going to be concerned for your welfare. You should know that Morgan only has your best interests at heart.’

Sissy didn’t answer.

‘What happened the other day was done by one of his acquaintances who is, shall we say, no longer one of his acquaintances.’ Alicia smiled when Sissy’s mouth fell open. ‘You are, no matter what your circumstances, acquaintances of ours. We have been friends for many years. It is not right for anybody to judge you as lacking purely because of circumstances beyond your control. You deserve consideration and respect the same as everyone else expects it from others. Morgan knows that. He was angry that his friend didn’t pay you due consideration before he so rudely brought chaos to the village. The – acquaintance – won’t be back. If you would allow me to help you, I will go to the property agent and get the particulars of houses in the area similar to this one. It might help your aunt to stop worrying if she knows that relocating won’t necessarily mean something bad.’

‘It would be very kind of you to do that,’ Sissy replied hesitantly.

‘Leave it to me,’ Alicia urged. ‘I will help you.’

Sissy nodded her thanks. She couldn’t bring herself to admit to Alicia that the money wouldn’t allow anything more than the tiniest of properties, but if the woman wanted to help then Sissy couldn’t stop her.

‘Thank you,’ Sissy replied.

‘I will call by later,’ Alicia promised and with that took her leave of her.

Before she departed, Alicia studied the tall property which looked as sparse from the outside as it was on the inside. It was neat and maintained but rather drab and uninspiring. With a shiver, she tugged the knee blanket over her knees and wondered how on earth Sissy and Norma were going to get through the next few weeks let alone the next several months. With a growing concern, she ordered Hargreaves to take her home and threw one last look at the house before she turned her attention to the next problem on her mind: Mariette.

Morgan was doing the same; contemplating how he was going to get his wayward sister to stop looking down at people who weren’t as wealthy as she was.

‘She is a child of her age,’ Ralph murmured.

‘But she should be gracious to those who are not as fortunate as she,’ Morgan persisted.

‘She needs a husband.’

Morgan speared him with a glare. ‘Are you offering?’

‘God, no. I am not that brave,’ Ralph snorted. ‘Besides, I like my life as it is. I don’t see why I should change it even for you, Morgan. I mean, you are a good friend and all that but even that is not enough for me to give up my bachelorhood. Sorry and all that.’

Morgan grinned. ‘Well, I will just have to find someone else who will take her off my hands then, won’t I?’

Ralph turned serious. ‘The problem is that all of her friends and acquaintances have the same attitude she has. She is likely to find herself a husband who will indulge her.’

‘But at least she won’t be under my roof,’ Morgan argued.

‘But won’t you just be creating a problem if you do manage to persuade Sissy to take you to task? It might be better if you deal with Mariette’s behaviour before she moves out from under your control. She is going to be less inclined to do as you tell her if she is no longer under your guardianship. I mean, Mariette might use the support of her husband do scorn Sissy, even if she is your wife.’

Morgan had to concede that Ralph had a point. ‘At the moment, she is enjoying my guardianship too much to want to even try to look for a husband.’

‘So use that to your favour and get her to lose some of her arrogance,’ Ralph snorted. ‘She is your sister. It is up to you make her do as you tell her not the other way around. It is not up to her to dictate how much she embarrasses you, nor should her opinion affect who you wish to spend the rest of your life with.’

‘I only wish it was all that easy,’ Morgan sighed.