Page 46 of The Good Fortune of Miss Robbins

After three straight days of calling on Mrs. Drake’s high-society acquaintances, I declared a halt to the humiliating practice.

“But my dear Miss Robbins, why?” she said, looking aghast, with her hand over her heart.

Because most of the people we called on were either rude to me or sent their servant back to tell us that they were not home.

The only person I wanted to call on was Lord Brookhaven, and when we had called on him the day before, his servant took my card and said Lord Brookhaven wasn’t at home. When I asked to see Samuel and Annabelle, the servant said they were instructed by Lord Brookhaven to allow me to visit the children any time I wished.

So I spent an hour with them, listening to them tell me what they had been doing, asking them what kind of outing they’d like to go on with me. I was even able to tell them a short story I made up about an orphan boy living on the streets and begging for coins who was adopted by a wealthy duke, and the boy never had to go hungry again.

Hannah came then to give them their midday meal, and I left, promising to take them with me to the park very soon.

“More often than not,” I said to answer Mrs. Drake’s question, “the people are not home, or as is often the case, are only pretending to be away from home. And when they are home, they look at me as if I am some kind of bug to be examined, or as if they are suspicious of my intentions.”

“What a thing to say!” Mrs. Drake’s pressed her hand to her chest and raised her brows at me.

I was beginning to wonder about Mrs. Drake. Would she really pretend she hadn’t noticed the way the fashionable ladies looked atme? They always asked questions such as, “Who are your parents?” “Where is your family estate?” “How long have you been out in society?”

The answers were that my parents were of no consequence, there was no family estate, and I’d never been formally introduced into society. When I told them those things, I was met with cold stares. Although therewereone or two mothers of younger sons who gave me a look of potential interest.

After three days of that, I was done.

When Mrs. Drake and I took our exercise, we walked past Lord Brookhaven’s townhouse. He and Lady Derringer were the only people I cared to call on, but I was afraid of seeming as if I were clinging to them. Besides, I knew Lady Derringer had gone to take care of some business at her country estate just after Mrs. Drake had entered my employ and moved into my townhouse.

“My dear, if you wish to secure a husband, you must make your presence known. You cannot succeed if you don’t try.”

“I’m not so certain I shall marry.” I said it partly to see the look of horror on her face and partly because I was too afraid I’d already put all my hope in marrying for love and there were no guarantees that that would ever come about. “After all, I could marry someone in whose character I was mistaken, and then I would live with my regret forever, since what is done cannot be undone. Or he could squander all my money. That is why I think it best that I should take advantage of this new fortune to do what I’ve always wanted, which is to write all the stories for children that have been floating about in my head and get them printed into books.”

“Write stories for children? Whatever for?”

“Writing stories for children will give me a sense of purpose, and perhaps they will be helpful to the children who read them. Besides, writing will be an interesting way to pass time while still accomplishing something.”

Mrs. Drake continued to stare with a look of bewilderment. Finally, she said, “It is a lady’s responsibility to marry well. Aim high,or your aim will always disappoint you. I did not follow this advice and look where it has gotten me.”

She sounded slightly bitter and despairing. But I could hardly blame her.

Still, I would not call on any more of her highborn friends. It felt demeaning. But I would call on Lord Brookhaven. I missed seeing him, even though it had only been a few days, and I couldn’t imaginehewould deliberately snub me by pretending not to be home. I might be an orphan of little consequence, but I knew he cared about me as a friend, at least. But I wouldn’t throw myself at Lord Brookhaven or anyone else. I didn’t have to, because I was an heiress with fifty thousand pounds.

“Lord Brookhaven, are you well?”

Mrs. Wells, the housekeeper, stared at him.

“I asked if you’d like me to show Mr. Sullivan into your library.”

William had been staring at the card with Charlotte Robbins’s name and address, cursing himself for being away from home when she’d called.

“Show him in.”

“Yes, sir.” She left the room, and he made his way across the hall and sat behind his desk.

“Lord Brookhaven.” The short, balding man appeared in the doorway and made a slight bow.

He probably shouldn’t have trusted Mr. Sullivan, the man who’d been his solicitor until he stole two thousand pounds from him to pay his gambling debts. Lady Derringer, the only other person who was privy to William’s scheme to give Miss Charlotte Robbins a significant amount of his own fortune, had warned him that it was dangerous to take a thief like Mr. Sullivan into his confidence and trust him with this undertaking, but William had leverage with Mr. Sullivan. If he didn’t want to go to prison, he had to either pay backthe two thousand pounds, which William knew he could not, or do as he wished in this matter. Besides, Mr. Sullivan was a very good liar.

“Mr. Sullivan. Do you have news for me?”

“Yes, Lord Brookhaven. Miss Charlotte Robbins has taken the house, as you probably know, and she hired a companion, Mrs. Drake, a widow from London and the daughter of a baron.”

“Does she suspect the money came from me?”