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‘hoydenish ways’. And surely he had played the admiring fop for years for the young ladies he now so disparaged. Maude sat back in her chair and took a sip of the brandy, perplexed at this unexpected sentiment. Not in ten years had he said anything nice to her at all. It had been all teasing and tormenting when they were younger, and snide jabs since they’d grown. In spite of herself, she smiled at him. Pleasant was better than unpleasant, after all.
John smiled back, in a comradely sort of way. “Still, Maudie,” he went on, “if you can’t see yourself prancing about at parties, I can’t see you moldering here as a spinster forever. It would be such a waste. I mean, you would make a fine mother, and children are such fun to have about.”
Now Maude was stunned. The last person in the world she expected to hear wax eloquent on the joys of children and motherhood was Cousin John, who spent no more time than necessary in any domestic pursuit. He preferred his card parties and Lord knew what other sorts of unmentionable entertainments to anything involving household or family. And she could not recall having ever seen him near a child, much less enjoying its presence.
“Well, I suppose I might marry sometime, John, but it really is nothing I wish to worry about now,” she managed to get out, covering her surprise.
“Maude,” he said in a gentle voice. “I wonder if you’ve given any thought to your financial situation. You have this nice house, of course, but are you aware of how much it takes to run such a household? The estate itself is, I’m sorry to say, insufficient to meet all the needs.”
Maude looked at him in confusion. “I don’t understand,” she said slowly. “True, I have never concerned myself with the running of the household, perhaps I have been remiss....” In fact, she had asked innocent, naive sorts of questions, such as why couldn’t they afford a new carriage or a new horse, or could she have a new riding habit and not one of Amelia’s old ones. But all of these sorts of queries had been soundly rebuffed by her aunt. “I have always assumed the estate was large enough. I mean, we’ve managed well enough over the years....”
“But that’s just it, you see,” he said. “Mama is certainly a good manager and frugal....” He gave a short, modest laugh.
Maude could have quarreled with that statement as she thought of the gowns and accessories and jewelry that had been purchased for Amelia’s Season and trousseau.
“But,” he went on, “she has never really been able to make ends meet. She has used a great deal of her own money over the years to keep us all in food and clothing, and to keep Romney Manor in good repair.”
Maude was at a loss to understand what he was saying. Was she really beholden to Aunt Claire? Did she really owe her money? It did not make sense. Aunt Claire was the sort of woman to have thrown that in her face all these years and she had never said anything. Still, why would John lie about such a thing?
“What I am trying to say, Maude,” he began again, “is that perhaps you will need to marry to keep the roof over your head. You see, Mama had to put out a pretty penny on Amelia’s Season and her dowry, and when I marry, she will settle a good bit on me.” He spoke in a gentle tone, soothingly, as if to a child.
“I don’t understand why no one has said anything to me before this,” she began uncertainly. “I had no idea. Uncle James has never mentioned that there were money problems.”
Maude was beginning to be frightened and she rather feared it showed in her eyes.
“Maudie, you know he does not pay attention to any of this. I doubt he is aware of the problem himself. Mama takes care of all the books.” He had finished his brandy and got up to pour himself another.
“I...I really don’t know what to do,” Maude finally said, bewildered and upset. She was trying to work through this thicket of new, very upsetting facts. “I
John smiled back, in a comradely sort of way. “Still, Maudie,” he went on, “if you can’t see yourself prancing about at parties, I can’t see you moldering here as a spinster forever. It would be such a waste. I mean, you would make a fine mother, and children are such fun to have about.”
Now Maude was stunned. The last person in the world she expected to hear wax eloquent on the joys of children and motherhood was Cousin John, who spent no more time than necessary in any domestic pursuit. He preferred his card parties and Lord knew what other sorts of unmentionable entertainments to anything involving household or family. And she could not recall having ever seen him near a child, much less enjoying its presence.
“Well, I suppose I might marry sometime, John, but it really is nothing I wish to worry about now,” she managed to get out, covering her surprise.
“Maude,” he said in a gentle voice. “I wonder if you’ve given any thought to your financial situation. You have this nice house, of course, but are you aware of how much it takes to run such a household? The estate itself is, I’m sorry to say, insufficient to meet all the needs.”
Maude looked at him in confusion. “I don’t understand,” she said slowly. “True, I have never concerned myself with the running of the household, perhaps I have been remiss....” In fact, she had asked innocent, naive sorts of questions, such as why couldn’t they afford a new carriage or a new horse, or could she have a new riding habit and not one of Amelia’s old ones. But all of these sorts of queries had been soundly rebuffed by her aunt. “I have always assumed the estate was large enough. I mean, we’ve managed well enough over the years....”
“But that’s just it, you see,” he said. “Mama is certainly a good manager and frugal....” He gave a short, modest laugh.
Maude could have quarreled with that statement as she thought of the gowns and accessories and jewelry that had been purchased for Amelia’s Season and trousseau.
“But,” he went on, “she has never really been able to make ends meet. She has used a great deal of her own money over the years to keep us all in food and clothing, and to keep Romney Manor in good repair.”
Maude was at a loss to understand what he was saying. Was she really beholden to Aunt Claire? Did she really owe her money? It did not make sense. Aunt Claire was the sort of woman to have thrown that in her face all these years and she had never said anything. Still, why would John lie about such a thing?
“What I am trying to say, Maude,” he began again, “is that perhaps you will need to marry to keep the roof over your head. You see, Mama had to put out a pretty penny on Amelia’s Season and her dowry, and when I marry, she will settle a good bit on me.” He spoke in a gentle tone, soothingly, as if to a child.
“I don’t understand why no one has said anything to me before this,” she began uncertainly. “I had no idea. Uncle James has never mentioned that there were money problems.”
Maude was beginning to be frightened and she rather feared it showed in her eyes.
“Maudie, you know he does not pay attention to any of this. I doubt he is aware of the problem himself. Mama takes care of all the books.” He had finished his brandy and got up to pour himself another.
“I...I really don’t know what to do,” Maude finally said, bewildered and upset. She was trying to work through this thicket of new, very upsetting facts. “I
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