His Lady Mistress

Elizabeth Rolls41All he wanted was some peace and quiet in which to think.To accept that he had failed Verity Scott as badly as he hadfailed her father. He had assumed that all was well, that shewas safe with her relatives. He had thought there was nothinghe could do.The silence pounded the same message into his brain overand over. He had assumed wrongly. What the hell had theydone to her? An image of Godfrey Faringdon flashed into histhoughts. Had Godfrey bullied her? Persecuted her the wayhe was apparently persecuting that poor girl, Selina?Bitterly Max accepted that he would never know. That noone would talk for fear of scandal. And he had no way offinding out where the poor child was buried. He couldn’t evendo as much for her as she had done for her father.Shutting his eyes, he saw again the despairing child’s face.He’d never even seen her clearly in the firelight. Just thebleak misery and fear in her dark eyes. And the trusting gratitude.He didn’t even know what colour they had been.Enthroned on a canopied sofa in her boudoir the followingmorning, Lady Faringdon ranted at her errant niece. ‘And justwhat did you intend by insinuating yourself into Lord Blakehurst’spresence? You conniving little slut!’ Without givingVerity a chance to respond, Lady Faringdon swept on. ‘Tothink that we have given you a home all these years, lent youour countenance! How dare you!’Verity drew a deep breath, reminding herself not to strikeher aunt’s countenance. ‘You can get rid of me easily enough,Aunt Faringdon. Write me a reference so that I can find aposition and I’ll be gone.’‘Why, you ungrateful wretch! Do you think—?’She broke off as the door opened and Godfrey walked in.A night’s sleep had not improved the livid scratches, andVerity’s satisfaction burned coldly.‘Godfrey! How frightful! Whatever happened?’ gaspedLady Faringdon.