A Simple Deception

XI

Susanna resisted beaming.

Cecily audibly sighed. "Dear Grace," she groaned. "Not every gentleman in London is a lecherous ogre. There are some, certainly, but not every one of them is. Susanna turned down some very amiable young men, and now she mopes about the house as though she has suffered some sort of disservice when she might have been mistress of her own house at this very moment had she but given one of them a chance."

"Grace, will you tell her?" snapped Susanna uncontrollably, her tone capturing the attention of both her sister-in-law and her mother. "Will you tell her what it is like to be in love? For she has no idea. And when she understands, perhaps she will forgive me for not selling myself to the highest bidder."

Cecily's eyes narrowed and her jaw tightened, and Susanna could see that she had hit a grievously dangerous nerve. "Do not you speak to me like that, young lady," Cecily uttered intensely. "I want you to be happy more than any other. You are the one standing in your own way as you will not tolerate any of the men that I place in front of you!"

"Perhaps because they are not the sort of men I want!" exclaimed Susanna, huffing impatiently.

"Well, pray, enlighten me!" retorted Cecily sarcastically.

Like they had so many other times this past fortnight, Susanna's thoughts uncontrollably flicked to Mr Whitfield. She saw his face so vividly in her mind that he might have been standing right in front of her.

Their conversation was interrupted as the door to the drawing room opened, and Cole entered, standing up straight as he announced, "Mrs Denham has arrived."

Mrs Denham entered the drawing room on her cane and their argument was forgotten as Cecily rose to greet her friend. Susanna swallowed her emotions as she greeted Mrs Denham, too. Mrs Denham had been recovering from a head cold for the past few weeks, Grace had informed them upon their return, and so this had been her first visit to Ashwood since Susanna and Cecily's return.

Mrs Denham soon occupied one of the armchairs as she couldn't be on her feet for very long without her once broken leg ailing her. Susanna knew that her mother had quite often offered to summon a surgeon to assist her, but Mrs Denham kept refusing. It was an ache she had grown used to, and it only really troubled her when it was going to rain. Susanna had quietly thought to herself that with England's weather, it must trouble poor Mrs Denham all the time.

Conversation quickly shifted to news of the village, and Mrs Denham shared news of Kate, Jim, and their young son, as well as how Jem, who was sixteen now, was getting on now that the school had reopened after the summer. Both Jem and Peter had left school quite young owing to the financial burdens of the Denham family. It pleased Susanna that Peter was able to better himself in London and Jem now has this opportunity to further his own study.

Susanna quietly grieved once more that poor Mr Whitfield had never had that chance. But, of course, he could learn. She wondered if he would one day.

"He is an energetic boy, our Jem, but he is bright, too," Mrs Denham said proudly. "It was his own decision to return to school. I think he was quite inspired by his older brother."

"You must talk to Adam when it comes time for thoughts on university," Cecily encouraged. "You know he would assist with that sort of thing."

"I will, I thank you," replied Mrs Denham gratefully. "And how goes Peter? He writes, of course, but we mothers would always prefer wordier letters from our sons." She laughed lightly.

"When Jack writes me, I will let you know. Thankfully Claire is a good correspondent," said Cecily with a roll of her eyes.

"Peter is doing well," Susanna answered Mrs Denham's original question. "He visited shortly before the close of the season and I did happen to see him at the publishing house as well. He is every bit the businessman, Mrs Denham."