Emma’s eyes lit up at the prospect of food. “I suppose you are right,” she said, walking towards the kitchen. “Is Father not awake?”
“I heard him leave for a meeting with Lord Dallington a short time ago,” she informed her sister.
Perking up, Emma said, “I would have liked to accompany him. I think very highly of Lady Dallington and her daughters. I read in the Society pages that Lord Dunsby was recently married. What of his brother, Lord Winston?”
Mattie entered the kitchen behind her sister and shared, “Lord Winston is not married and is residing at Brockhall Manor for the time being.”
Emma smiled. “Lord Winston has always been very kind to me.”
“Yes, he has that effect on most women,” Mattie remarked as she looked around the empty kitchen. “I am not sure where Mrs. Watson has gone?—”
Her words stopped when Mrs. Watson stepped through the back door with a basket of food in her hands.
“Mrs. Watson!” Emma shouted. “I am home.”
The housekeeper smiled warmly at her. “Yes, I can see that. How was your journey?”
“Finally, someone asked me about that,” Emma said, casting a frustrated glance at Mattie. “It was dreadfully boring, and I did not like the way the men stared at me at the coaching inns. It made me rather uncomfortable.”
“Don’t concern yourself with that. The men at coaching inns are notorious for admiring beautiful young women,” Mrs. Watson said.
“It is true,” Emma responded. “I suppose I did them a service since many of them have such pathetic lives.”
Mattie resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “Mrs. Watson, would you mind making something for Emma to eat?”
“I would be happy to,” Mrs. Watson said, placing the basket down. “Just give me one moment to start the fire.”
Emma turned back towards Mattie. “I think we should wake up Franny so we can all eat breakfasttogether.”
“And I think that is a terrible idea,” Mattie countered.
Walking towards the corridor, Emma asked, “Is she staying in your bedchamber?”
“No, we put Franny in your bedchamber since your room is larger than mine,” Mattie replied.
Emma looked put out. “I cannot wait until we reside at Darlington Abbey and I have a bedchamber befitting my new status,” she said. “Then I won’t have to share a room with anyone.”
“Franny is having a hard go of it right now. We should try to be as compassionate as possible,” Mattie encouraged.
“Why?”
Mattie frowned. “Her parents just died.”
“Was that not weeks ago?” Emma asked with a furrowed brow. “Surely she is over it by now.
“Her parents did die weeks ago, but she didn’t receive word until recently when the letter arrived from India,” Mattie explained.
Emma pulled out a chair and sat down. “Is she upset because her father died before our grandfather, meaning she won’t inherit a title?”
Mattie’s mouth dropped. “Emma, why would you say such a thing?” she chided.
“Is it not true?”
Taking a deep breath, Mattie said, “I think that is the least of Franny’s worries right now. Perhaps you should work on saying something nice when you see her.”
Emma shrugged one shoulder. “It is not that I can’t say something kind, but don’t you think she would prefer the truth?”
“Sometimes, people need kindness more than they need the truth,” Mattie responded.
