| |
* * *
The Linwood Estate
Wickham –Hampshire County, England
Adeline shivered as she entered a grand hall decorated in rich tapestries, of a very grand house. She felt as though it was familiar to her, as if she had been there before but she could not remember entirely.
“You say they have not gone to London?” William said to his butler as he handed him his coat and hat.
“No sir, your sisters remained while Mr Ashford went to London.”
“Blasted. This is Miss Simmons. She is to have the finest guest room available and will be staying for some time.”
“Yes I remember Miss Simmons from her time here. I will have her things brought to her room,” the butler said.
“And where are my sisters now?”
“I believe in the library, sir.”
“Bring tea to the blue parlour.”
Adeline looked at the butler confused as he walked away. The butler knew me?
“Come, let’s get you warm in the parlour by the fire and some hot tea to warm you until your room is ready.” William put his hand on her lower back and guided her forward just as an older maid appeared.
“Ah, Georgia. Please see Miss Simmons to the parlour and bring her refreshment. She and I will be taking a late supper as well. I must attend to some matters, Miss Simmons, and will join you shortly.”
“Yes sir,” Georgia said. “This way Miss Simmons.” The maid led Adeline down the hall as William walked away. She did not like being on her own but what could she do in the matter. She was quite tired from the journey and indeed was pleased at having some tea to warm her and some food.
The maid opened the grand doors and stepped in. Adeline froze.
“Pardon me ma’am, Miss Simmons has just arrived with your brother and asked me to escort her to the parlour,” the maid gave a curtsy and quickly ran out.
“Miss Simmons!” an elegant woman said as she stood up from the setee with a glass of sherry in hand. Another elegant woman stood across the room with a book in her hand. She placed it on the table with such voracity that the sound echoed in the parlour.
“Hello, my name is Adeline Simmons,” Adeline curtsied.
“We know who you are, you impudent fool. Can you believe the insolence, Eleanor?”
“I cannot, Louisa. What do you do here Miss Simmons?”
“I am a guest of Mr William Dawson. I am sorry but who are you?”
The two women looked at each other in shock.
“Do you pretend not to know us Miss Simmons? What game do you play? You know very much that I am Miss Eleanor Dawson and you were once our maid.”
“And that I am Louisa Ashford and the fact that you were caught red-handed, with my own husband no-less, and now you dare to insult me by pretending not to know us? I never!”
“Indeed it does, sister. To think we welcomed this harlot into our home. I cannot imagine that she has also used her feminine wiles and skills as an actress on our dear brother William,” Eleanor added.
“She has no respect for anyone. A selfish vile thing,” Louisa said in a shrill voice. “You are not permitted in this house, Miss Simmons.”
The sisters paced back and forth in the room in front of Adeline as they degraded her and lectured her about the incident that she could not remember at all. Adeline bore the bluntness of this talk, the insults, the degradation, and the lies. She had no other choice, while they released all of their anger on her. Where is William? Why has he not come into the parlour? Was this his plan all along?
“Where is our brother? What do you have to say for yourself, young lady?” Eleanor finally asked a question in which Adeline would be allowed to defend herself.
Adeline looked at the sisters, locking eyes with each of them, there was much that she wanted to say. She wanted to defend herself by saying that she had lost her memories but something told her that they would not believe her. So alas she knew that she could do none of this. She did not want to add any anxiety and stress on herself. This would only result in making her look like more of a liar than already established. Therefore, she was backed into a corner.
“I can only say that I have no interest in this person you call Mr Ashford and that I do not remember what you speak of.”
The two ladies gasped in shock. They looked to each other for comfort. “Can you believe what she is saying sister?”
“No I cannot sister. The audacity of this low-born heathen!”
“I believe we have heard enough from you Miss Simmons. Do not unpack your things; you are leaving first thing in the morning, no matter what our brother says of it.”
“Indeed you will.”
“That will be all, you are dismissed and may stay below with the servants,” Louisa said with a stern voice and her jaw locked into position.
“Louisa!” William entered and shouted. He stood proudly and had a very angry look on his face.
“Brother.”
“You will apologize to Miss Simmons immediately, the both of you.”
“But brother!”
“Now! Both of you. Miss Simmons is my guest and will be staying in the green suite for as long as I say so. You will treat her with the respect of an honoured guest. She is ill and is suffering from amnesia so she does not know how vile you two can be. You will apologize and excuse yourself for the night.”
The two women stared at each other in shock. Adeline held her head high. She felt quite proud of William in this moment.
Adeline was very well pleased that she had passed the first test that the Dawson sisters laid upon her.
Adeline had been playing her own game of hide and seek when it came to avoiding the superior sisters, but with meals being served formally, she was aquired to attend. During dinners, the tension was obvious, but William’s presence kept the sisters in line, one might say.
However with running a large estate and factories in London, William could not always be attending the serving of meals. Therefore when Adeline entered the breakfast room, she was astonished to see his chair empty, but the sisters sitting comfortably.
“Oh, I was just...” Adeline said.
“Coming to dine, yes we are quite aware,” Louisa said.
“Sit, as it is quite rude to hover over our table,” Eleanor said.
Adeline sat down, wondering if perhaps William would be entering at any moment.
“Tea, madame?” the servant asked.
“Yes thank you,” Adeline said feeling silly to have the servant Matthew speak to her in such a way because according to William, he was a servant when she was a maid in the household. Just another reason that Adeline felt quite inadequate and nervous most of the time.
In order to break the tension she decided that she would eat quickly and leave as soon as may be. Placing a slice of bread on her plate, she then spread butter on to it, deciding that she would only eat a simple and quick meal and be on her way.
* * *
chapter
