Miss Merton's Last Hope (Miss Mayhem 4)

She’ll need a thicker coat for winter.

“What am I doing?” he muttered to himself. He glanced down. For heaven’s sake, the woman can take care of herself. She doesn’t even want a man in her life; much less have me fussing over her. Let it go!

He nodded and then checked the quality of work on the rear windows. By the time he was done with his inspection, so was she.

Her firm nod of approval brought relief. “They’ll manage well enough here. Have the chimney’s been swept in recent time? A good fire will warm up the space enough that they will be very cozy indeed.”

He glanced around. “That is what I hoped for too, so the sweeps were here last week.”

She stopped at his side, a little behind him, as the vicar approached. “Well, this is quite a fine house for the widow until she remarries,” the vicar enthused.

“I doubt she will ever remarry. Mrs. Clemens loved her husband dearly and keenly feels his loss.” He expected the family to need support for some time to come, at least until the elder children found work. “It will suit for the winter and then in the spring, we will see what else can be done.”

He gestured for Melanie to precede him from the house and she hurried away from the vicar and his dark scowls.

The vicar held him back when he would have followed. “I do not like the way that woman constantly sticks her nose where it is not wanted.”

Melanie’s interest in those less fortunate than herself was one of the few things Walter had always liked about her. Despite her haughtiness, she was always very willing to show kindness to widows and children. More than one little girl in Brighton wore a pretty new smock embellished with Melanie’s stitches. He couldn’t understand why she would not want to have her own offspring to spoil. “Is that so?”

“Indeed. She’s hardly the sort to set a good example, the way she taunts proper gentlemen.” The vicar glanced toward the door. “She should be minding a husband’s concerns by her age.”

“Pease!” Walter warned in a low voice. “You are aware that Miss Merton is my neighbor, and my friend’s sister, are you not?”

“Yes, well, I don’t doubt that places you at a disadvantage.” Pease grimaced. “But a man must be free to speak his mind. I’m sure it will be impossible to send her away.”

“Indeed it would be, since I have no wish to do so. Any gossip you may have heard of her is completely false and a product of a small minded and petty individual I assure you.” Walter scowled and ushered him to the door so he could lock the house. “Do not feel you must accompany us to see Mrs. Clemens. Good day, sir.”

He strolled to Melanie, wrapped her arm about his, and steered her away from the man. “Mr. Pease will not be joining us.”

She peered over her shoulder. “He does not approve of me.”

“You heard.”

She sighed and put a distance between them. “It is impossible not to hear someone used to delivering sermons and every other word at the top of his lungs. You’ve no need to speak up for me, or accompany me to see Mrs. Clemens. I can go alone.”

“Impossible. I was going to see her now myself. We might as well walk there together.” He glanced over his shoulder. Assured they’d left the odious man behind, Walter slowed his pace. “I didn’t realize you were acquainted with Mrs. Clemens.”

“She was Andy’s friend. We used to visit her when I was a girl.” Melanie worried at her lip. “We’ve never moved in the same circles, of course, but after Andy died, every Christmas and at Easter, I have made something new for Mrs. Clemens and her girls.”

“I see,” he murmured. He was touched she’d been so generous to an old friend of her governess’s. “Once Mrs. Clemens is settled in her new home, I must broach the subject of he

r children’s futures with her, but perhaps you know the family better than I and could offer advice.”

“There are so many.” An odd catch in her voice when she spoke of the children made him wonder if she ever regretted her decision about not having her own.

“Mr. Clemens was devoted to his wife and she was devoted to him. With such affection, it is inevitable that an abundance of children would follow,” he murmured.

“I’ve been to visit her several times since the accident.” She glanced up at him. “The elder pair of children might suit as a maid or footman if only they were a little older.”

The elder girl was also very pretty, and could easily end up in the wrong sort of company if her mother didn’t keep a watchful eye. “I thought so too. Unfortunately, I don’t know of anyone in need of a maid or footman so young at the moment.”

“Julia does.” Melanie frowned. “Or perhaps it would be correct to say I could need a new servant. My maid now tends to Julia first.”

“That is a very good suggestion. I will speak to Valentine about it tonight.”

“You cannot. I fear Mrs. Clemens would be upset if her eldest child was taken into employment so soon after losing her husband. She quite relies on the girl.”

Economics demanded someone in the family had to find employment, and soon. “At your brother’s house, she will not be so far away as to trouble Mrs. Clemens’s heart, and if there was still concern, perhaps she would be reassured if the girl tended to you instead of Julia.”