Free The Seventh Miss Hatfield by Anna Caltabiano

least a month has passed, as her physician warned her against travelling in her condition. You’re not her,’ he stated again. ‘So who are you?’
    I looked down, suddenly knowing what I had to say. ‘I can’t tell you, but it’s important that I be here. I don’t mean any harm to you or your father, or to anyone else in this house, but I have to be here.’ It was painful not to tell him the truth, I admit, but lying was the right thing to do. I couldn’t drag him into this, and I didn’t know him well enough to judge whether I could trust him with something that was beyond unbelievable. The story of the Miss Hatfield who had been put in an asylum was still bright in my mind.
    ‘I believe you, I think. But what should I call you now?’
    I thought in silence for a minute and suddenly looked up into the clearest blue eyes I had ever seen. ‘Margaret,’ I said. ‘For now, call me Margaret.’
    He nodded. ‘Then, Miss Margaret, I don’t know why you’re doing this, and I don’t know why I’m agreeing to play along, but I won’t tell anyone. I’ll keep your secret. You can trust me.’
    I wondered if I really could. Henley only knew a small portion of the truth, but it was far beyond what anyone else knew, with the obvious exception of Miss Hatfield. I was trusting him with a part of me.

Chapter 7
    ‘Margaret, please pass the marmalade,’ the old man said.
    I’d learned from Henley that his father’s full name was Mr Charles F. Beauford. I had rushed down to breakfast after my confrontation with Henley, only to be the earliest to arrive at the table. At first, seeing the deserted seats, I thought I’d missed the meal entirely, but then Nellie walked in with pastries and other breakfast treats and apologized, saying that Mr Beauford was almost always late to meals, especially breakfast due to attending morning mass. She added that Mr Beauford expected me to start early and not wait for him or Henley. When I asked about Father Gabriel, I was told that he always preferred to take his meals alone in his room, and consequently would not be coming to breakfast. However, Miss Hatfield had instructed me that it was rude for guests and hosts alike to start eating when not all the seats were filled, so I decided to wait until Mr Beauford arrived regardless. Henley had some matters to attend to before he joined us for breakfast, and had asked me to tell his father that he’d be late as well.
    ‘Would you like some jam, too?’ I asked, smiling at the heap of food already on Mr Beauford’s plate.
    ‘Yes, please. It’s as if you just read my mind.’ He let out a deep, throaty laugh. ‘So, have you packed yet?’ he asked. Seeing my puzzled face, he added, ‘For the country, I mean. Or have you already prepared from home?’
    ‘The country?’
    ‘Haven’t you heard?’ I turned around at the sound of Henley’s voice. For a split second I wondered if he’d dare reveal my secret. ‘They lost her luggage at the station.’
    ‘Ah, yes. Someone must have mentioned something to me,’ Mr Beauford said.
    I felt slightly sorry for him as everyone around him was lying and he was oblivious to it, but then I remembered he was the only person in the room who wasn’t aware of this … abnormality in his life, and perhaps it was a blessing. That’s what I’d taken to calling myself – an abnormality in life. After all, that was what I was. I wasn’t supposed to be here. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. It would have been better if Henley still thought I was his cousin, but I had no control over what he’d worked out for himself. Besides, he only knew a very small part of the whole truth.
    ‘Then you must take Margaret shopping, Henley,’ Mr Beauford said. Henley agreed, while I tried to decline. ‘No, I insist,’ Mr Beauford declared. ‘I’ll be occupied this afternoon, unfortunately, but Henley can take you out. Surely there must be some place in this city that will make fine dresses to your