Free Pride of the Courtneys by Margaret Dickinson Page B

was there when Millicent surprised me in her room.’
    â€˜I must go now, or else I shall be in disgrace too, and then in no position to help you.’
    And with a few more reassurances, Georgiana left.
    The night was long and I had never felt so lonely in my life. It was true I had Georgiana’s support, but I thought that the belief of a twenty-year-old girl was insufficient against the might of Lady Courtney, Millicent and, most likely, of Bassett, not to mention the Corbys, who, by their silence, must believe my guilt.
    Lady Courtney and Millicent had succeeded beyond my wildest fears in disgracing me in everyone’s eyes, and in destroying any hope of happiness I might have had.
    I remembered Bassett’s words about the Smith boy. He had no mercy for dishonesty of any kind, even for a small boy of fourteen, who merely pilfered a few eggs. What mercy, then could I, who was supposed to have stolen his most treasured possession, expect? The answer was obvious. None.
    I reached for the miniature of my mother, which always stood on my bedside table, hoping to draw some comfort from the sweet face in the picture, the face I loved and yet had never known. In the early morning light, her features were dim, but as the picture was imprinted on my memory I had no need to look at it to see her clearly. I began to wonder, yet again, what mysterious connection she had had with the Courtney family. Aunt Virginia in marrying James Courtney had undoubtedly introduced the Lloyd family to the Courtneys and it was not unlikely that Sir Hugh and his wife had met my mother. But I could not guess, however hard I tried, why Sir Hugh was so distressed when he was reminded of my mother. To be so affected, he must have known her well. Why, then, could he not give me comfort by telling me about her, the mother I had never known, the mother I so desperately needed now, in my misery.
    And so my thoughts took me through to the morning, and I arose, dark eyed and weary from lack of sleep and worry.
    I made my way downstairs as usual at breakfast time, and as I stepped into the room, my heart missed a beat. Lady Courtney was waiting for me.
    â€˜I am surprised, Louella, that you have the audacity to show your face about the house this morning. A moonlight escape would not have surprised me.’
    â€˜I have no need to escape, Lady Courtney, for I am innocent.’
    â€˜You will only make matters worse by lying, you foolish girl. You will remain in your room until Mr Bassett has decided what shall be done with you. Your meals will be brought to you, though you don’t deserve to be fed from our table. You will not communicate with anyone, least of all Georgiana. The soft-hearted girl may believe in you.’
    There was no more to be said, it was useless to argue with a biased woman like Lady Courtney. I left her and returned to my bedroom, where I sat at the window and looked upon the serene world, fresh and pure in the morning sun, and wondered what I had done to deserve this to befall me.
    Mary brought my breakfast and though she had obviously been told not to speak to me, she squeezed my hand quickly before she hurried from the room, and I knew that at least I had one other friend in the house.
    The morning dragged on. I wondered whether or not Georgiana had been able to keep her promise and speak to her brother on my behalf, though I had little hope of her success in convincing him of my innocence when he had seen me in that ridiculous plight in Millicent’s room.
    But I was wrong.
    At the very time when I had been thinking of her, Georgiana must have been confronting Bassett, for, just before noon, she knocked and entered my room, bringing an unwilling Bassett with her.
    â€˜Louella, I have convinced him. See, I said I would.’
    I rose and gaped at them both, in wonderment. Could she mean it?
    â€˜You tell her, Bassett. I can see she does not believe me. Poor thing, she has been so miserable.’ And Georgiana