Amy (The Daughters of Allamont Hall Book 1) Read Free

Then it would have been no hardship to leave her sisters, and her familiar home and beloved garden. To her sorrow, it had never happened. She had had suitors enough in the years she had been out. Two or three in her first season, and several since. Yet somehow, none of them had stuck. At first, they had smiled and simpered and rushed forward to claim her hand at balls, their attentions so pressing that she grew quite out of patience with them. Then they had simply faded away.
    It was only to be expected, for what did she have to attract a man? She was not pretty, like Connie or Hope. Her features were better than Belle’s — poor Belle! — but still, she had never considered herself a beauty. She had none of Grace’s liveliness, or Belle’s sturdy good sense. She could not play as well as Dulcie, or embroider like Hope. Painting and Italian conversation were beyond her. She was woefully short of accomplishments. So it was no surprise that none of her possible suitors had lingered. Somehow, she had suffered no lasting disappointment in this. On the contrary, it had always been a relief to return to her quiet life, and Papa had never berated her for her failure to find a husband.
    But now everything was changed. Papa himself had made it necessary for her to marry, and naturally she would follow his wishes. Had he not always told her that a daughter must obey her father in all things? Papa had had her best interests at heart, as always, but it was a frightening prospect.
    And now she had seventeen thousand pounds to offer, and her sisters would be doing everything in their power to help her find a husband, for they themselves could not marry until she had done so. Amy told herself she must be very brave, and do everything in her power to secure a husband, for she was determined not to stand in the way of her sisters.
    “I am a daughter of Allamont Hall,” she reminded herself, lifting her chin. “I can do this, because Papa wishes it and my sisters are depending upon me. I will do this.”
    ~~~~~
    Grace lost no time in drawing up a list of possible suitors for Amy. Each night, before they retired to bed, the sisters met in the room shared by Amy and Belle, ostensibly to hear each other’s prayers, but in practice to curl each other’s hair and gossip and whisper together for half an hour. The very first night after they had learnt the contents of the will, Grace had brought paper and ink.
    “Now, sisters,” she said, settling herself at the tiny table in the window and dipping the pen in the ink. “Let us begin. Who are the most eligible men of our acquaintance? Once I have their names in order, we may consider how best to bring one of them to the point.”
    “Grace, I wish you would not be so… so scheming ,” Amy said crossly. “Ouch! That is too tight, Belle. Oh, why could we not have hair that curls without all this effort, like Mama.”
    “You have Mama’s ears, Amy, and that will have to be enough,” Belle said. “I confess, I am inclined to take Amy’s view of the matter. We should leave it to Mama to guide us, or wait for a man to choose us. Gentlemen always know best what they want.”
    “Oh, you talk such nonsense!” Grace said. “Gentlemen have to be led by the nose, like Mr Garmin’s bull.”
    “Besides,” said Dulcie, “we cannot wait for a gentleman to fall in love with Amy. That might take forever. Connie, sit still, or I shall never get these papers in your hair.”
    Amy flushed, but before she could make a response, Belle rested a gentle hand on her arm. “Dulcie, that is most unkind, even for you. You take no account of the limited society in which we move.”
    “At least Amy and you had a proper season,” Dulcie said sadly. “She has had more opportunity than the rest of us to meet gentlemen. How are we ever to find husbands if we go nowhere?”
    “Hope is the youngest, and look how quickly she secured Mr Burford,” Grace said.
    “I do not consider a country curate much of a