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retire three governesses in the past nine months. And last week, even the housekeeper threatened to quit!’

      ‘Good Lord, Mrs Mortonby? Whatever for?’

      ‘It seems that she found a reptile in her bed.’

      ‘A reptile?’

      ‘A snake.’

      ‘Oh, dear. Common garden variety, I hope.’

      Antonia blinked. ‘Does it matter?’

      ‘Well, yes, my dear, I rather think it does. After all, one would be considerably more alarmed at finding a viper in their bed than a harmless—’

      ‘The fact that she found any manner of snake in her bed—and that it was put there by those dreadful children—is reason enough for me to wish to stay well away from them, Papa,’ Antonia interrupted, aware that her father was just as like to embark on a biological discussion as he was to give her a straightforward answer. ‘Goodness knows, a lady of weaker constitution might have…expired from the discovery of such a creature in her bed.’

      ‘Ah. Well, in that case, I doubt that Mrs Mortonby was in any real danger,’ said Mr Hadley as he set the smudged spectacles back on his nose. ‘Of the two, I would wager that the snake was the more terrified. However, given that no one was hurt, I do not see that there is any reason for endowing what was obviously a childish prank with any malicious intent. Certainly, I was not above doing such things when I was their age.’

      ‘Which is the only reason I can think of for you to have suggested that I look after them in the first place,’ Antonia said wryly. ‘I thought I had been a better daughter to you than to warrant being condemned to such a cruel fate as that.’

      ‘You have been the best of daughters, my dear, and I would not knowingly condemn you to any fate but one of your own choosing,’ her father replied fondly. ‘But in all sincerity, I cannot be happy about this notion of yours to seek a position with the Earl of Carlyle.’

      Antonia sighed as she crossed to the window seat and picked up her copy of La Belle Assemblée. This was not turning out at all as she had hoped. In her opinion, Lady Cruikshank and Lady Haversham were two of a kind, which was likely the real reason for Miss Marchmaine’s departure. Both women possessed an uncanny knack for retiring any and all manner of domestic help with alarming haste and disturbing regularity.

      ‘Well, my dear?’ Mr Hadley said. ‘You have not yet answered my question. Is it your intention to approach the Earl with regard to this position?’

      ‘I am not sure that I know what to do any more, Papa,’ Antonia replied in all honesty. ‘While teaching the Earl’s daughter how to ride would be eminently preferable to serving as a companion to Lady Haversham, or as a governess to Lady Cruikshank, it is obvious that it would cause you more grief than the other two put together, and I certainly have no wish to do that.’

      Mr Hadley sighed. ‘What grieves me the most, Antonia, is that you feel the need to seek any manner of employment. You are a beautiful and accomplished young woman. One whom any man would be proud to call his wife. To my mind, you should be thinking about marrying the Earl, not seeking employment in his household!’

      ‘Marry the Earl!’ Antonia gasped. ‘Gracious, Papa, what an alarming thought.’

      ‘You find the thought of becoming a Countess alarming?’

      ‘I find the thought of becoming Carlyle’s Countess alarming,’ Antonia replied without hesitation. ‘He is a cold and arrogant man who cares little for the feelings of others, and who takes no trouble to conceal it. I cannot think of any man to whom I would less wish to be married.’

      ‘Goodness, a harsh condemnation indeed,’ Mr Hadley observed. ‘But one, I wonder, which is based upon your own assessment of the gentleman’s character, or upon the opinions of others? For unless I am mistaken, you have not had occasion even to see Lord Carlyle these past eight years, let alone speak with him.’

      Antonia felt her cheeks grow warm. ‘It is not always necessary to speak to a gentleman to know the manner of his character. I have heard from more than one source that Lord Carlyle is an exceedingly arrogant man who is very much aware of his position in society, and who prefers not to associate with people of a lesser social consequence as a result. Which means that he is no more likely to notice me than he is…a fly upon his wall.’

      The remark brought a smile to her father’s face. ‘I think that the stories which have reached your ear have been somewhat exaggerated, my dear. I have not heard tales of such colossal arrogance myself. But tell me, if Lord Carlyle were to notice you, and if he were to seek you out, would you entertain his suit?’

      ‘No.’

      ‘No. You would refuse a peer of the realm simply because of something one of your friends had said?’

      ‘I would refuse him because I do not like him, Papa,’ Antonia said, wishing she could make her father understand. ‘We have absolutely nothing in common. Everyone knows that Lord Carlyle despises the country. He has made no secret of the fact that he prefers to live in London, where he keeps a very fine house and a veritable army of servants to dance attendance upon him. Whereas I, on the other hand, can think of nowhere I would rather live than here at Buntings Hill with you.’

      ‘Bless you for saying so, my child, but the fact that Lord Carlyle prefers to live in London cannot be held against him,’ Mr Hadley said reasonably. ‘He is the Earl, after all, and entitled to the privileges of his rank. I do not see that as being a valid reason to reject him outright.’

      ‘No, but that is not the only reason, Papa.’ Antonia turned her eyes towards the lush green hills that were visible through the window, and sighed. ‘When you consider that he has no feelings for his child—’

      ‘I beg your pardon? Lord Carlyle not care for Clara? Now that I must take exception to.’ Mr Hadley’s brows drew downward in a frown. ‘Where in the world did you come by such a ridiculous notion as that?’

      ‘It is not ridiculous, nor am I the only one who believes it,’ Antonia said in her own defence. ‘Lord Carlyle took Clara to Ashdean immediately following his wife’s death, and left her there for two years. And in all that time, how many visits has he paid her?’

      ‘Few enough, I admit, but the paucity of his visits cannot be interpreted as a lack of affection on his part,’ Mr Hadley objected. ‘A parent’s love for his child should never be measured by the frequency—or infrequency—of his visits. I am sure that the Earl would have wished to spend more time with Clara, but for his position in life—’

      ‘His position in life does not justify negligence towards his child,’ Antonia said tersely. She rose from the window seat and began to pace back and forth in front of her father’s desk. ‘Your charity does you credit, Papa, but in this instance, I find I cannot agree with it. If Lord Carlyle truly cared about his daughter, he would have found the time to visit her. Instead, he continues to leave her in the country, all but abandoned to the care of servants, and only makes his presence known when it pleases him to do so. Hardly commendable behaviour for a father to my way of thinking!’

      Mr Hadley studied his daughter’s angry face, whilst an expression of amusement appeared on his own.

      ‘Antonia, if you dislike the man so intensely, why are you even thinking about working for him?’

      ‘Because I like his daughter very much and I know that she needs my help.’ Antonia’s voice gentled as it always did when she spoke of the Earl of Carlyle’s daughter. ‘Lady Clara is a sweet and intelligent child who is quick to respond and remarkably eager to learn. But she is lonely, Papa. She lives in that great house all on her own, with only the servants and her spaniel for company, and her father seems quite content to leave it that way. Well, I am not. A six-year-old child needs love and affection, and I believe that the opportunity of teaching Clara how to ride would be a wonderful experience for both of us. And that, I can assure you, is the only reason I would consider working for

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