Free Joan Wolf by A London Season

summoned the Marquis's own physician to attend any servant who was ill or hurt.
    Consequently, there was very little change in the staff at Heathfield. Jane was usually surrounded with familiar faces there, a state of affairs that was necessary to her serenity. She was only truly comfortable with people she knew and, aside from David, the person she knew best in the world was the Marquis. Jane, who could be so incredibly oblivious to most of the human race, was quite sensitive to the feelings of those few people who mattered to her. She knew it was important to the Marquis that she like Anne. She knew it was important to him that the wedding plans should go smoothly. She knew also that he did not love Anne; her assessment of the marriage that had so shocked David had been, in fact, quite accurate. She knew, finally, that the Marquis did love her, and with the loyalty that so endeared her to the household, she grimly determined to do everything in her power to help him through one of the most important events in his life.
    So when he told her that Lady Bellerman had invited her to remain at Bellerman Hall for the month's duration of his honeymoon, she had not flared up at him.
    "That is very nice of her, Uncle Edward,” she had said politely, “but I would rather come back here."
    He sighed. “I know you would, Jane. But Lady Bellerman is quite adamant that it would not be proper for you to remain here by yourself with only the servants."
    Jane's eyes flashed white lightning. “Not proper? What does she mean?"
    The Marquis looked at her soberly. “Jane, my dear, listen to me. You are a young lady now. You are not a child anymore. There are many things that are acceptable for a child that are not acceptable for a young lady. Besides,” he hurried on as he saw her mouth begin to open, “it's only for a month. Just until Anne and I get back from our honeymoon. Then we will all come back to Heathfield for Christmas."
    The worried look in his eyes was not lost on Jane. Her lips compressed. “Very well, Uncle Edward,” she said finally. “I will stay at Bellerman Hall for November."
    He looked at her for a moment and his eyes were suddenly warm with affection. “You're a good girl, brat,” he said. “I appreciate it."
    The Marquis was in fact worried about Jane's staying at Heathfield without him, but not for the reasons of propriety put forward by Lady Bellerman. He was worried about David.
    Jane's friendship with David was of such long duration that the Marquis regarded it as perfectly natural and acceptable, as did everyone else connected with Heathfield. If he had been questioned, he would have unhesitatingly said they were like brother and sister; it had simply never occurred to him that the friendship between those two children could ever flare up into something infinitely more powerful than the uncomplicated comradeship they had shared for years.
    However, he was beginning to wonder if he had been guilty of a grave misjudgment. The first jolt to his complacency had come when the Bellerman family arrived at Heathfield for a visit in September. Lord Rayleigh's cousin, Lady Carrington, was kind enough to act as official hostess since Jane was still too young for such an onerous responsibility. Lady Carrington engaged to take care of the older members of the party; Jane's job was to see to the entertainment of Anne and her brother John. Since Jane's idea of entertaining someone was to put them on a horse, they spent a lot of time in the saddle and at the stables. And, naturally, they saw quite a bit of David.
    One evening after dinner the Marquis had taken Anne for a stroll in the garden and she broached a subject that was clearly troubling her. “If you don't mind my asking, my lord,” she said in her soft voice, “just who is David Chance?"
    He looked at her, a trifle puzzled. “David? My trainer, you mean?"
    "Yes.” Anne hesitated. “He is not exactly what one expects in a groom, is he? He speaks like a