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“My dearest girl!”
Vivianna was down the final stairs in an instant and into her mother’s arms. She had not realized, when she came to London, just how much she would miss Lady Greentree. That calm, practical woman who was always there to advise her, to discuss her problems with, or to simply offer loving support.
She needed all three of those comforts now.
“Vivianna, it’s me! I am here!” Marietta, her blond curls bouncing, claimed a hug from her sister, although she could hardly keep still at the same time. “We have left Francesca home,” she announced triumphantly, “because she is too young to come.”
“She did not want to,” Lady Greentree admitted, wiping her eyes. “Not without her dog.”
“And we could not have that smelly lurcher in the coach with us,” Marietta said, wrinkling her nose.
“Amy!” Now it was Helen’s turn to come running and throw her arms around her sister. They hugged and wept, while all about them an alarming amount of luggage continued to be brought in. When eventually order was restored and the newcomers had taken off their cloaks and bonnets, they all partook of breakfast in the breakfast room.
Vivianna had, by this time, washed and dressed and was feeling much more herself. On her way down the stairs for the second time, she had met Mr. Jardine, Lady Greentree’s trusted secretary and steward, coming up. A man of medium height with gray hair and twinkling blue eyes, he gave Vivianna a warm smile of welcome.
“I am glad to see you safe and well, Miss Vivianna.”
“And I, you, Mr. Jardine. We had no warning that you would all be coming to London.”
“It was rather sudden. Lady Greentree decided it was time she paid her sister a visit, and we set out the next day.”
“To pay Aunt Helen a visit or to check up on me?” Vivianna said drolly. “Well, I do not mind. I am so very glad to see you all.”
Above them, at the top of the stairs, Lil gave a little cry of excitement and burst
out, “Mr. Jardine, sir! I didn’t know you was coming to London. Oh, I am that pleased to see you!”
Vivianna laughed at the maid’s enthusiasm, and Lil blushed a fiery red. Mr. Jardine took the remaining stairs, and captured one of Lil’s hands, as if she were a lady, and gave it a little pat. “Dear Lil, it is I who am pleased to see you, as always. Tell me, have you seen all the sights of London yet? Or are there still some I can show you?”
“I’ve seen the Tower and the zoo, sir,” Lil said shyly.
“Well, that’s a start.”
Mr. Jardine was somewhere over forty, and still handsome, his skin browned from a life lived mostly in the West Indies. He had been an adventurer when he was young, and had made and lost a fortune, so it was said, although he spoke little of the matter himself. Now he was gazing down at Lil, a little smile on his lips—and Vivianna knew that he was very fond of her, but as a father might be fond of his daughter. He had been there when Vivianna brought Lil to Greentree Manor, and he felt a paternal responsibility toward her.
“Jacob is here, Lil. He drove the coach.”
“Oh.” Lil looked uncertain, and then she pursed her lips. “I hope he didn’t come to see me. You know I will not marry him, Mr. Jardine. I am looking higher than a coachman.”
Lil was twenty-five, a girl who had once lived on the streets and made her living from selling her body to men. She had regained her self-respect, and was fiercely loyal to the Greentree family, particularly Vivianna. Mr. Jardine had made it his task to look out for the girl, as he did all the Greentree servants, and he thought Jacob would make her a good husband. But Lil did not see it that way.
Mr. Jardine released her hand. “Well, I’d better get on, then, Lil, and leave you to your work. Miss Vivianna,” he said with a small bow. And he strode off toward his room on business of his own. Lil gazed after him, and the look in her eyes was certainly not daughterly.
“Perhaps I should marry Jacob,” Lil said miserably. “No other man’ll have me. Not the man I want, anyway.”
Mr. Jardine and Lil? Vivianna thought. Surely not. Not on Mr. Jardine’s part anyway, even if Lil did nurture hopes. The chasm between them was great indeed, too great to breach.
“Lil, you will find someone,” she said gently. “Just wait and see. If not Jacob, then another young man will come along, a handsome stranger who will sweep you off your feet!”
“You sound as if you’ve already been swept off yours, miss,” Lil replied tartly.
Vivianna frowned. “Not at all, Lil. Quite the opposite, in fact.” And she made her way down to the dining room for breakfast with her family.
“Helen has told me that things are not going very well with Lord Montegomery and the Shelter for Poor Orphans,” Lady Greentree said, sipping her coffee.
Vivianna glanced sideways at Helen, but her aunt was busily spreading toast with marmalade.
“Unfortunately, he does not seem to be as easily persuadable as I had hoped, Mama. The Beatty sisters and I have decided we will have to take advantage of his offer of the lodging house in Bethnal Green—until something better comes along.”
