Rebel Heiress Read Free Page A

hand with which Mr. Anderson had said good-bye. He would do his very best to get her passage on the
Faithful
she knew, by way of easing his conscience over her aunt’s bequest to him. In her cold and narrow bed that night she dreamed of her imagined father and of England, the unknown, the longed-for land.
    She kept herself busy all next morning sorting through the rest of her aunt’s papers. She had already found all those that concerned herself and laid them aside to be taken with her to England. For she would not let herself think that Captain Gilbert might refuse to take her. In fact, she found it best not to think at all. Instead, she opened the heavy black box in which Aunt Abigail had kept her family’s letters and began to sort through these. It was a heartbreaking enough task, for both Aunt Abigail’s brothers had died fighting the British, one at Bunker Hill and the other at Ticonderoga. Reading their last letters, Henrietta began a little to understand Aunt Abigail’s fierce hatred of the British. No wonder she had been furious when her younger sister fell in love with what she must have considered an enemy. But still — and Henrietta began systematically throwing the letters into the fire — this did not excuse what her aunt had done.
    She was interrupted by a knock at the door and hurried to admit Mr. Anderson.
    â€˜Well?’ She hardly dared ask the question.
    â€˜Successful, I hope.’ He shook a few flakes of snow off his heavy overcoat. ‘Captain Gilbert will visit you this afternoon. He sympathises with your predicament, but is all too justly doubtful of the propriety of his taking you, a single girl, on a ship with no other female.’
    â€˜Oh, fiddlestick,’ she exclaimed impatiently. ‘What must I do? Dress up as a boy to ease his conscience?’
    â€˜No, no.’ He coloured. ‘He merely wishes to convince himself that you are the model of propriety I described. I onlytrust, my dear Miss Marchmont, that you will not take him up so sharply.’
    She blushed and laughed. ‘I beg your pardon. And indeed, I cannot begin to thank you for what you have done for me. But where am I to see Captain Gilbert?’
    â€˜Oh, as to that, he has some business at the Capitol and said he would do himself the honour of calling on you here afterwards. Would you like me to give him the meeting?’
    â€˜Oh, no, I thank you. There is no need for that. If I can face him on his ship, I can face him alone here.’ And indeed, she told herself, she would do better without Mr. Anderson’s embarrassed presence. He protested a little, but finally acquiesced, admitting that he had business of his own to attend to.
    When he had gone, Henrietta flew about tidying the house. All must be shipshape and businesslike to impress the captain with her competence to deal with any situation that might arise. For the first time in her life she found herself actually enjoying the familiar task of polishing up Aunt Abigail’s collection of ugly old brassware. She even caught herself singing as she scrubbed down the already spotless front steps. She had just stopped, conscience stricken, at the second line of ‘Jenny Sutton’ when a sound behind her made her turn.
    A square-set, solid-looking man, middle-aged and weather-beaten, was considering her with piercing blue eyes. She stood up, blushing and trying at once to roll down her sleeves and take off her apron.
    â€˜Captain Gilbert?’ she asked.
    â€˜Himself. And can you be the desolated Miss Marchmont?’
    â€˜Yes.’ Furiously, she felt herself blushing. ‘I had not expected you so soon. But will you not come inside?’
    â€˜Thank you. I finished my business at the Capitol more speedily than I had expected. We sail tonight.’ He looked at her quizzically.
    â€˜Tonight?’ She could not conceal her dismay. ‘So soon?’
    â€˜Yes, I am warned that there is no time