“To aspire to Boris?” Abigail said. “He has not a feather to fly with, Laura. And you know what our father was and who our stepmother is.”
“You are not angry?” Laura asked.
“Angry!” Abigail laughed merrily. “I am ecstatic. I schemed to have you the wife of Miles’s friend. And yet now there is a chance that you will be my sister.”
Laura turned away. “There can be no question of marriage,” she said, “or not, at least, for a long time. And don’t—” She held up a staying hand. “Don’t say that you will get Lord Severn to do something for us. Boris would not allow it and I would not, Abby.”
Abigail smiled. “Boris?” she said. “And you have talked of marriage? I did not realize my brother was such a fast worker.”
Laura bit her lip. “We have been out walking twice since you introduced us at the theater, Abby,” she said.
Abigail’s smile broadened. “I have a premonition,” she said, “that very soon now Boris is going to be lucky at the tables and win a fortune. He can pay off our father’s debts and bear you off to live happily ever after with him.”
Her friend’s face clouded. “Don’t, Abby,” she said. “I try not to dream too much. And I would never rest my hopes on the fortunes of a gaming table. I tell myself that five years from now I will still be here. I am fortunate. At least I have employment.”
Abigail made an impatient gesture. “Has Mr. Gill been behaving himself?” she asked. “And has Humphrey? If they have not, you must come to live with us even before we go down into the country. Miles has said we must certainly take you away if you are being molested.”
“That is kind of him,” Laura said, “but there is no need. I have been able to hold them both at bay. But oh, Abby. Poor Edna.”
Abigail looked into her friend’s troubled face. “She did not run into a door?” she asked.
“Is that what she told you?” Laura frowned. “I think Humphrey ravished her, Abby. She would not admit as much even though she was crying belowstairs fit to break my heart. She merely said that he had held her roughly and kissed her. But I think he ravished her.”
Abigail jerked to her feet and strode to the door. “Edna!” she yelled down the stairs. “Come up here immediately.”
“Yes, my lady, mum,” a voice said from below, and Edna herself came running up a moment later.
“Edna.” Abigail took her by the arm and marched her into Laura’s room. She closed the door behind her. “What did Humphrey Gill do to you? Tell me the truth now.”
Edna darted a frightened look at Laura. “He kissed me, mum,” she said, “and cuffed me when I told ’im no. I didn’t ask for it, mum. I don’t care what Cook says, I didn’t give ’im the eye. And ’e didn’t give me no money neither, mum, though Cook says ’e must ’ave.”
“I am not doubting you,” Abigail said. “I want to know what he did to you, Edna. Did he ravish you?”
“He kissed me and cuffed me, mum,” the girl said.
“Edna,” Abigail said, “if that is the truth, I shall put my nose in the air and look coldly along it like this and use all the consequence of my new position when I go and talk to Mrs. Gill. I shall see to it that it never happens again. If he ravished you, I shall take you away from here and give you a position in my own home. And I shall have the earl advise me on what can be done to punish Humphrey. Tell me the truth, now. Did he only kiss you, or did he put himself inside you?”
Laura turned sharply away and Edna’s eyes widened.
“That, mum,” she said after a silence. “What you said last, mum. But I never asked for it, I never. I’ve always been a good girl, mum. And now I won’t never ’ave no ’usband.”
“I would not lose hope,” Abigail said. “Do you want to come with me?”
“Now?” Edna said. “With you, mum? To ’is grace’s ’ouse?”#p#分页标题#e#
“He is ‘my lord,’ ” Abigail said. “He is an earl, not a duke, Edna. Do you want to come?”
“Yes, Miss Gardiner,” the girl said, wide-eyed. “I mean, my lady.”
“Then go and pack up your things,” Abigail said. “Do you have much?”
“No more than a small bundle, mum,” the girl said. And she whisked herself from the room.
“If Humphrey can swing for this,” Abigail said viciously, “I want to go and watch.”
“Abby,” Laura said. “How wonderful you are. You have been very fortunate yourself, but you have not forgotten everyone else who has been less so. What will Lord Severn say?”