His Lady Mistress

Elizabeth Rolls159Plain it is that her ladyship doesn’t feel at home here yet.Maybe she misses her family.’Max spluttered at the thought of Verity missing the Faringdonsand his conscience went straight for the throat. Areyou any better?Henny was still speaking. ‘...and so kind and sweet shewas over poor Sarah, well, I didn’t know how to thank her.’The old woman dashed a hand across her eyes. ‘So understanding.A real lady, she was. Said she wouldn’t be the firstto cast stones. And telling me that I mustn’t leave... Well,after the way I treated her at first, I wouldn’t have blamedher if she’d leapt at the chance to be rid of me. But not her.Good-hearted she is, and—’Max broke in. ‘Henny, what the deuce are you talkingabout? Why were you going to leave? And what’s this aboutSarah? You mean your niece? Isn’t she waiting on LadyBlakehurst?’Mrs Henty pulled out a handkerchief and blew her nose.‘Yes, sir. So good her ladyship was. I told her I was givingnotice and I told her about Sarah, and how she’d have to bedismissed, but her ladyship wouldn’t have none of it.’Max tried to make sense of it. ‘Henny, what’s this aboutSarah? Why did you give notice?’Her jaw dropped. ‘You mean, her ladyship didn’t tell you?’He refrained from telling her that her ladyship’s last wordsto him had been to go to the devil. Instead he shook his head.‘She’s told me nothing.’Mrs Henty swallowed. ‘Then... Well, Sarah was walkingout. With Ted Granger.’Max bit his lip. ‘Oh, God, no. Was she? I’d no idea. Howis she?’‘Breeding,’ said Mrs Henty baldly. ‘About to have thebanns called they were, when he was killed. When she toldme...I...I couldn’t think what else to do except leave andhope you’d give me a decent pension so I could look afterher.’ She blew her nose again.