Elizabeth Bailey - Misfit Maid

‘Her tale is imbecilic. She does not wish to marry some fellow or other, and has thus fled her natural protector to come here and demand that I bring her out, on the pretext of that letter. A more stupid—’

‘Hush! Let her speak.’

Maidie threw her a grateful look, and launched once more into an explanation of her difficulties and the ingenious solution she had worked out. Unlike her great-nephew, Lady Hester listened without comment, and even managed to keep Delagarde from bursting out until Maidie had finished. Only then did she speak.

‘I think I understand. There are one or two matters I should like to clarify, however. The exact relationship between us is readily discovered.’

‘Readily discovered?’ echoed the Viscount, incensed that his great-aunt should give the time of day to the chit’s nonsensical scheme. ‘If you hunted it down through half the family tree, I dare say. Besides, I am sure there must be a dozen other males closer related to her than I am myself.’

‘But none of them, my dear Laurie, is a viscount.’

Maidie found herself the sudden recipient of a suspicious look from his lordship, and a questioning one from Lady Hester. What were they at now?

‘Why should that weigh with me?’ she asked forthrightly. ‘I am an Earl’s daughter.’

‘And may look as high as you please for a husband? I wonder just how high you are looking to go.’

Regarding Lady Hester frowningly, Maidie shrugged. ‘His rank is immaterial. It is not that which will determine my choice. I only meant that my title is bound to make it easier for me to find someone willing to marry me.’

‘Undoubtedly,’ agreed Lady Hester affably. ‘Tell me, Lady Mary, why do you wish to be settled in life?’

A sigh escaped Maidie, as the picture of her self-imposed future formed itself in her mind. ‘To tell you the truth, I had as lief not be—married, I mean. But when Eustace began plaguing me with his attentions, and then Adela must needs try to hint me into accepting him, I began to see what awaited me if I chose to remain single.’

An odd look crossed Lady Hester’s face. ‘Well, I do not ask why you wished to remain single, for that I can readily understand. I am single myself. But what was it that you feared?’

Maidie shifted her shoulders in a gesture of discomfort. ‘To be the object of incessant suits for my hand. Once word of the legacy got out, I could see there would be no peace for me. So I thought the best solution would be to find myself a complaisant husband, who would not object to my continuing interest in other matters, and so end the nonsense at once.’

Lady Hester was regarding her keenly. ‘What legacy?’

‘Oh, I discovered when I came of age that my mother’s fortune had been settled upon me.’

‘Indeed?’

‘Yes, which is why Adela suddenly changed her behaviour towards me.’

‘I imagine she might,’ came the dry comment.

‘Of course I was glad to have such an independence,’ pursued Maidie, ‘for it made it possible for me to make my own choice of occupation, rather than become a companion.’

‘A companion! Good gracious, why should you wish to?’

‘I didn’t wish to. Only I previously thought that it would have been my one path to escape from working as an unpaid drudge to Adela. But I was forced to recognise that the very independence that offered me freedom also made me a target for gentlemen seeking to marry well.’

Lady Hester was now looking very thoughtful indeed. Was she beginning to understand the motives that drove Maidie? Delagarde, on the other hand, was still frowning heavily, she noted. He caught her eye, and got up.

‘Interesting though this history may be, Lady Mary, it makes no difference to—’

‘Laurie!’

‘What is it, Aunt Hes?’

‘Pray sit down again. It happens that I find this history extremely interesting.’ She turned to Maidie as Delagarde reluctantly reseated himself. ‘Let us re-examine this question of our relationship.’

‘But you have already admitted that the Burloynes are related to the Otterburns,’ Maidie protested.

‘Yes, but I am a little uncertain of your mother’s parentage. I did hear that one of the Burloyne cousins married Shurland, now I think of it, but I don’t recall which one. If memory serves me, there were three Burloyne brothers of my generation. Their father married into the Otterburn family, through one of the daughters of my own great-aunt.’

Delagarde blinked. ‘You are very well informed, Aunt Hes.’

‘One likes to keep abreast of these things.’ She sounded casual, but Maidie, when the elder lady turned back to her, was surprised to encounter an extremely penetrating glance. ‘Which of those three brothers was your grandfather Burloyne, child?’

‘The second one, Brice.’

‘Indeed?’ A long sigh escaped Lady Hester, and she sank back into her chair. ‘Well, well. Brice Burloyne’s granddaughter. And no male relatives.’

‘No, for all the Burloynes are dead now, and I have no uncles or male cousins.’

‘Except Shurland,’ put in Delagarde stubbornly.

‘But I have told you—’ Maidie began.

‘Enough!’ broke in Lady Hester. ‘Do not fall into a pointless dispute. Now, my dear Mary—if I may call you so?’

‘Oh, please don’t,’ begged Maidie instantly. ‘No one ever calls me Mary—except Adela, and that was only to annoy. My great-uncle Reginald, when he found himself saddled with the care of me, dubbed me Maidie, and so I have remained.’

‘Very well then, Maidie, if you wish it. Tell me about this Adela. She sounds a most unpleasant sort of woman.’

Maidie wrinkled her brow. ‘I would not describe her as unpleasant,’ she said, trying to be fair. ‘Her manner is no more objectionable than Lord Delagarde’s, for example.’

Delagarde’s infuriated glance raked her. ‘I am obliged to you, ma’am.’

Lady Hester laughed. ‘She is nothing if not direct, Laurie. I don’t suppose she means to insult you.’

‘Why should he care? Besides, he has said worse of me.’

‘And you don’t give a fig, I dare say?’ smiled Hester.

Maidie lifted her chin. ‘I am not come here to gain his good opinion.’

‘No, you are come here to gain my services,’ said Delagarde. ‘Not that I have the slightest expectation of your adopting a conciliatory manner! What I wish to know is, what was Shurland doing while this Adela was constraining you to marry her brother?’

‘Yes, why did you not appeal to him?’ asked Lady Hester.

‘I did,’ Maidie told them flatly. ‘His answer was that, between us, my great-uncle and myself had wasted his inheritance, and I would get no assistance from him.’

‘Wasted his inheritance?’ echoed Delagarde. ‘On what, pray?’

‘It does not signify,’ Maidie said hurriedly. ‘The truth is that it would suit him very well for my money to come into his family, even at one remove. Were I to marry another, he could not hope to get any share of it.’

‘He is scarce likely to gain directly from his brother-in-law’s marriage,’ objected Lady Hester.

‘No, but I am sure that he and Eustace have reached some sort of agreement on the matter, for there would otherwise be no reason for him to lend his support to Adela’s scheme.’

‘But what drove you to take this drastic action, child? Not that I blame you, but Adela could hardly force you into matrimony with her brother. And she did, I think you said, offer to bring you out.’

‘Yes, she did.’ Contempt entered Maidie’s voice. ‘It was only for appearances’ sake. She was afraid of what people might say of her, if it was seen that I married her brother without choosing him from among a number of others. And Eustace himself did not wish to figure as a fortune-hunter.’