Joan Wolf Read Free Page B

offer Mr. King was a mortgage on Winchcombe. Jessica then spent a week at Stevens’ Hotel.  During that time, unknown to Miss Burnley, she paid another visit, this one to Mr. Harris, the manager of the Covent Garden Theatre.
    Jessica had six months to pay back Mr. King, and she had every intention of doing so. After many hours of deep thought she had determined a course of action for herself. It was not an easy decision for her to make, but she did not have many options. Marry for money she would not do. The thought of putting herself into the power of some man for the rest of her life filled her with horror. She might as well sell herself, she thought.
    Which had brought her to her second option. She knew the amount of money her stepfather had spent on women. It appeared, she thought grimly to herself, that there was a good chance of making money by selling oneself temporarily. If anyone two years ago had told her she would consider becoming some rich man’s mistress she would have stared incredulously. But in her present situation she didn’t see any other way out.
     The world would condemn such a course of action, she knew. But then she had no intention of letting her world know what she had done. And Jessica, who had highly ethical but unusual standards, found the idea less distasteful than swearing to love, honor, and obey someone she hated and despised.
    Simply stated, she had two boys who had to be put through school, and a mortgage on her only means of income. If she lost Winchcombe there would be no Eton, no Cambridge, no future for her brothers.Orfor Miss Burnley.Or for her either if she steadfastly .refused to marry. She was not even qualified to be a governess. The only solution was to clear Winchcombe of debt and go back to raising horses.
     Before she and Miss Burnley left for London Jessica had made up her mind, and when her mind was made up an earthquake would not move her.
    * * * *
    In September Adrian and Geoffrey left for school. After they had left, Jessica received an urgent message from a distant cousin in Scotland. The cousin was very ill and wanted to see Jessica.
    “I never heard of this Jean Cameron!” protested Miss Burnley.
    “I have,” Jessica replied reassuringly. “My mother was Scottish, you know, even if she was born and raised in France. My grandfather fought at Culloden and consequently had to flee the country. He joined the French army and married another Scottish exile. My mother was their only child. This Jean Cameron is the daughter of my grandfather’s first cousin.   She is quite elderly now and apparently rather wealthy. She says something about making ‘restitution’ to my grandfather’s only grandchild for all he suffered for the ‘cause.’ “
     Jessica looked up from the letter she was holding. She knew it by heart, since she had written it herself. “It sounds as though she is thinking of leaving me some money, Burnie. God knows we could use it. I’d better go.”
    Miss Burnley had finally agreed and Jessica had packed her bags. She told Miss Burnley that Cousin Jean had arranged for a boat to take her from Dover to Perth, and she persuaded her old governess that she did not need any escort. “A friend of Cousin Jean’s will be waiting for me when I arrive in London,” she said glibly. “I shall be well taken care of, Burnie. You are needed here.” After overcoming Miss Burnley’s objections Jessica wrote a letter to her brothers giving them the same information she had imparted to the governess. She also wrote to Mr. Grassington. On September 16 she set out for London.
    * * * *
    The place she went first after settling into the inexpensive lodging she had found during her week’s sojourn in London with Miss Burnley was Covent Garden Theatre. Men looked for mistresses who were actresses or opera dancers, so Jessica’s limited worldly wisdom told her. She couldn’t be an opera dancer to save her soul, but she had, thanks to Miss Burnley, a well-trained