“But there is no need. Why must he introduce us to society?”
“You are our cousins. He has taken on responsibility for you. And Oliver is a man who takes his responsibilities quite seriously.”
Mary cast him a skeptical look. “You are a pretty talker, but I don’t believe that was exactly the import of his words. He said we would not be accepted by our peers.”
“Doubtless he fears that on your account. He would not wish to see you suffer embarrassment.”
“Like our clothes last night?” Mary’s cheeks flushed at the memory.
“Exactly. You see, he did not realize the problems that would arise. Oliver was most chagrined that he did not foresee the situation.”
“Mr. Talbot—Lord—I don’t know what to call you—”
“Cousin Fitz would be best.” He grinned. “Or just Fitz. I am a great believer in American informality.”
“All right, then. Cousin Fitz. It is very good of you to take up the cudgel in your brother’s defense. However, I must tell you that it makes no difference. It is clear to me that even though the earl has accepted responsibility for us, it is not something he wishes to do. He will be well pleased that we are gone. And my sisters and I would prefer not to be where we are not welcome.”
“My dear cousin, I fear you are wrong on both counts.” Fitz’s usually lighthearted expression dropped into serious lines. “You will not prefer leaving Stewkesbury House. Where will you go? What will you do? How will you live?”
“I don’t know,” Mary answered honestly. The same thoughts had kept her awake half the night. “But we will find a way. There must be employment.”
Fitz’s eyes widened in shock. “But you are a lady. However you may have been raised, whatever you did in the United States, here it simply would not do. The only acceptable employment would be as a governess or a companion, but—I am sorry, but I must be frank—what Englishman is going to hire an American for a governess? And companions are never lively, attractive young women. There is no place where the four of you could go together, even if someone were willing to hire one or another of you.”
“We are quite capable. We can cook and clean and—”
“You are suggesting that you go into service?” Fitz could not have looked more stunned if Mary had suggested that she and her sisters take to walking the streets. “Mary! You cannot.” He shook his head in bemusement.
“Why not?”
“You would not enjoy it, I assure you.” He gazed at her solemnly for a moment, but then his usual grin lightened his countenance. “Besides, I do not believe you and your sisters have the, ah, temperament to be servants. Anyway, my brother would not allow it.”#p#分页标题#e#
“What business is it of his?”
“The Earl of Stewkesbury’s cousins living hand-to-mouth? You cannot think he would stand for that.”
“We wouldn’t say anything. No one would know we are his cousins.”
“He would.”
“Oh.”
“Oliver is a man of firm beliefs. He has accepted you as his responsibility. He would not toss you out, and he would not allow you to put yourself in that sort of position either.”
“There’s nothing he can do about it,” Mary protested. “We are grown women.”
“As far as you are concerned, perhaps he cannot do anything—other than prose on at you for hours, which I can assure you is far worse than a thrashing. However, I have seen your birth certificates, and your sister Lily is not of age. Nor, I warrant, is Cousin Camellia. Clearly, Oliver would be their guardian, and he would go to court to establish that if he had to.”
Mary stared at him, speechless.
Fitz smiled and reached across the table to take her hand. “Come, Cousin. We are family, and relatives have their little spats. But they don’t go haring off because there has been a disagreement. Think of your sisters. You cannot condemn them to a life of poverty and toil simply because of hurt feelings. Because of pride.”
Mary jerked her hand away, glaring at him. “That is exactly what my mother said!”
Fitz chuckled. “You see? Family. This is what your mother wanted you to do; she understood what sort of life it could be for you and your sisters. There is just a … small period of adjustment.” He paused. “What do you say?”
Mary set her jaw mulishly. The thought of staying galled her, no matter how diplomatically Fitz had presented it. Unfortunately, she knew he was right. She had brought her sisters here precisely because the future had been so bleak for them in America. But here, alone in a foreign country, it would be far worse. She thought of all they had done to get here. It would be extremely foolish, just as Fitz said, to throw away that effort because of her hurt pride.