Page 88 of The Good Fortune of Miss Robbins

“Mr. Sullivan only said it was a matter of business that was quite pressing.”

“Very well. Show them into the sitting room.”

Mr. Sullivan stood when I walked into the room, and the young woman stood as well. Her eyes darted around, and her brown hair was held down with a frayed straw hat. She smelled of woodsmoke, her skin had the hue of someone who labored outdoors, and her mouth had a defiant tilt.

“Thank you for seeing us, Miss Robbins,” Mr. Sullivan said.

“Please sit down.” I nodded to the young woman.

“Miss Robbins, this is Mrs. Abigail Robbins Newman. She is the natural born daughter of your uncle, Mr. John Robert Robbins of Yorkshire, and it seems as though the fortune you inherited . . .” Mr. Sullivan paused to take out his handkerchief and wipe his face before continuing. “It seems Mrs. Newman is the rightful heir, and she is here to declare that the fortune is rightfully hers.”

My mind seemed to go blank.

“I have looked into it, I assure you,” Mr. Sullivan was saying.

My mind seemed too sluggish to form any rational thoughts. It all seemed a bit strange. Even Mr. Sullivan’s manner was strange.

“I would not have troubled you with this otherwise. This young woman is the legitimate daughter of your uncle. It is true, she was estranged from her father, but it was her own doing and not his. We had been searching for her, but she led him to believe that she had died. Now, due to the circumstances, Mrs. Newman will not require you to pay back what you have already spent of the fifty thousand pounds, but you must release what is left of it immediately. I am very sorry, Miss Robbins, but a judge will be more sympathetic to a daughter than a niece, and I am quite sure that if you try to take this to court, you will not only lose the fortune, but you will be forced to pay back every penny that you have already spent.”

I should have known this was all too good to be true. I should have known.

What had I done, accepting a fortune that wasn’t rightfully mine?

“I have children,” the woman said. “My husband broke his leg and can’t work.”

Mr. Sullivan said, “Her father didn’t approve of the marriage. That was the reason for the estrangement and why she allowed her father to think she was dead. But her claim to the fortune is legitimate. She is the daughter, and you are only the niece. I hope you understand, Miss Robbins.”

“I’ve got children to feed,” the woman insisted.

Was this young woman my cousin, my own uncle’s daughter? I at once wanted to know her and wanted to believe she had a bit more civility than she seemed at this moment to possess. The expression on her face was a combination of resentment and defiance. With her rosy cheeks and nose, she also had the appearance of someone who’d had too much to drink already this morning. But I might be wrong about that, and I didn’t want to falsely accuse her.

“I want to do the right thing,” I said, still feeling a bit numb.

“Yes, of course, Miss Robbins, and it is the right thing to do to hand over the money to its rightful owner. You understand. You will be all right. You can go back to the school where you taught, or Lord Brookhaven might give you your old position as governess.”

I felt sick. “I-I will need some time.”

“Some time? Why, we can go to the bank right now. The sooner the better, for Mrs. Newman’s sake and the sake of her young children. You don’t want to keep a fortune that is not rightfully yours, Miss Robbins.”

“I need a day or two. I will need to notify my staff and ... and my guests, and we must remove our possessions...”

“If you must. But I shall return tomorrow morning to accompany you and Mrs. Newman to the bank to make the transfer. I pray you will not force Mrs. Newman to wait longer than that. And in the meantime, the less said about the matter, the better. You do not wish to look as if you are trying to keep a fortune that is not lawfully yours.”

Mr. Sullivan stood up, and Mrs. Newman stood with him.

“It was very good to meet you, Mrs. Newman.” I held out my hand to her. She placed hers limply in mine. “I hope that, as relatives, we might become friends as well.”

The woman’s smirk faltered. She stared back at me as though bewildered.

“Thank you for understanding and being civil in this matter,” Mr. Sullivan was saying, hustling Mrs. Newman toward the door. “I will call again tomorrow.”

I let the servant lead them out.

I sank down on the sofa. What was to become of all my plans now? And most importantly, what was to become of Sarah and Joshua?

I had to tell my servants as soon as possible so that they could try to make arrangements for another position. I hated that I could not even give them a few months’ wages to help, since it might take them a while to find a new position. And I must tell Millicent and Hattie so they could make travel arrangements.

The worst part was, a decision had to be made about Joshua and Sarah. I couldn’t just send them back onto the streets for the likes of that Gilbert White to prey upon. But I also didn’t thinkMrs. Southey would allow me to bring them to her school. With my salary, I couldn’t afford to pay for their room and board, and I didn’t think Mrs. Southey was charity-minded enough to take on the expense herself. Besides, Joshua would be out of place in a school for young ladies.