Page 64 of Debtor’s Daughter

Chapter 18

Jenkins is still winning. All three rounds done. I hope you’re up to his weight, Lars, for he’s a tricky bastard and extremely unpleasant. I want this done so we can get him out of our club. See you Tuesday for the final game.

―Excerpt from a letter from Mr Leo Hunt (Son of Mr Nathanial and Mrs Alice Hunt) to The Hon’ble Larkin Weston.

11th November 1850, Hyde Park, London.

“Af’ernoon, Westie!”

Larkin didn’t even blink as he entered his kitchen in search of food to discover Gideon sitting at the table there. Barnes was with him, helping the lad line up a row of tin soldiers. Larkin smiled, pleased at his forethought as he remembered the parcel that had arrived that morning.

“Master Gideon,” Larkin replied, giving his valet an amused glance.

“The lad arrived about an hour ago. I went round and squared it with Mrs Moody. Reckon she was glad to have a bit of peace,” Barnes said with a grin. “So we played catch in the garden for a bit, didn’t we, eh?” said he added, ruffling the boy’s hair.

“Yes, an’ then Sally came, and we played hide and seek. Sally and Barnes are very good at hiding,” Gideon added thoughtfully.

Larkin’s eyebrows shot up, and he levelled an enquiring look at his now red-faced valet.

“Er, well, we was just larking about, like,” he said weakly.

“Hmmm.” Larkin said, grinning, for he knew full well Barnes would never dally with the maid if he were not serious.

“Ah, there you are, sir. Thought I heard the door,” Mrs Goodall said, bustling into the kitchen. “I just popped next door for a cup of tea with Mrs Moody, seeing as how Master Gideon was being looked after by Mr Barnes. I made some scones earlier. I’ll fetch them out with some of that jam you like and make some tea, how’s that?”

“Excellent,” Larkin replied and then glanced at Gideon, whose eyes had lit up at the mention of scones.

“Bring two plates,” he called.

“Well, I’m not daft, now, am I?” Mrs Goodall retorted, and went off to see to it.

Once they’d divested themselves of coats and bonnets, Caro pushed open the door to the parlour ahead of Maggie and stopped in her tracks as she discovered Aunt Connie cuddled up on the sofa with Mr Thompson.

“Auntie!” she cried in shock.

Aunt Connie grinned unrepentantly at Maggie and Caro as they came in, then held out her hand, upon which a magnificent ring glittered. The biggest amethyst Maggie had ever seen in her life was set in gold and surrounded by diamonds, but it still didn’t sparkle as brightly as Connie.

“We’re getting married!” she exclaimed, surging to her feet to envelop both Caro and Maggie in hugs. “Cecil says he doesn’t want to waste another minute, so he’s already bought the licence. We shall be married at the weekend!”

“Oh! We’re so happy for you, Auntie!” Caro exclaimed, as Maggie kissed Mr Thompson’s cheek in congratulation, which made him blush and shuffle his feet.

“What wonderful news!” Maggie said, meaning it, for she believed that Cecil Thompson was everything he purported to be, and that Aunt Connie would be truly happy with him. She certainly deserved to be after so many years of devotion. “I am so glad to have an Uncle Cecil. Welcome to the family.”

“Thank you, Maggie,” Cecil said gravely. “I know I’m not really good enough, but Connie never seemed to mind it, so I hope you won’t neither.”

“Dear Cecil, I cannot think of anyone I would rather entrust with my aunt’s happiness,” Maggie said, as she’d seen the reverence and respect with which Cecil treated his beloved and knew he really would do anything to make her happy.

“Thank you. I’d give her the moon if she wanted it, I’ll admit, but we want you to be happy too, and Caro. I want you to know that Connie and I have discussed it, and we want you both to come and live with us in Belgravia.”

Maggie’s mouth fell open. At once it was everything she had dreamed of, though it had been Caro she had imagined marrying a wealthy man. This was even better, for she did not believe Cecil would begrudge them anything, which meant Caro had time to mature and experience the season, knowing there were more to come. Yet now Maggie found she did not wish to leave the house she had professed to hate. The idea of moving away from Larkin was a wrench she did not need right now. She scrambled for an excuse why they could not possibly do such a thing and realised at once she had the perfect reason.

“Why, that is most wonderfully kind of you, Cecil, and so very thoughtful, and Caro and I will be delighted to do so, only not just yet. Newlyweds need their privacy and, no matter how large the house, you need time to get used to married life. Let us leave things as they are for a few weeks, and then we can discuss it again.”

Cecil looked a little crestfallen at having his beneficence refused but Connie patted his arm. “Maggie is right, love. They’ll be fine here for a few more weeks. More than fine, by my reckoning,” she added in an undertone.

Maggie shot her a sharp glance, wondering what she knew, but Connie only returned an enigmatic smile and returned to her Cecil, standing on tiptoes to kiss his cheek.

Cuckoo, cuckoo, cuckoo, cuckoo!