Hearing him, Joanne whirled to face Kenton. "You have no right to starve me. Tell that old harridan to step aside," she demanded angrily.

"Or what?" he asked and leaning lazily against a work counter.

"She has threatened me-says she will hit me with that-that club," Joanne protested, waving a hand at the weapon.

"Ordinarily I do not approve of violence," Kenton said easily. "But the kitchen is Mrs. Caern's domain," he added, seeing umbrage flare in his housekeeper's face. "And as such, she rules it as she sees fit."

Indignation brought a livid red to Joanne's features. "But she will not obey my orders or let me pa.s.s."

"Thus you must learn that no one ever has everything they desire," he told her, the same seriousness in his voice as whenever he made a point in their many confrontations since her arrival.

"You can't do this," Joanne screamed and stomped her foot. She cast about for something to throw.

Kenton feigned puzzlement at her ire, while he a.s.sessed the situation. "But I am doing nothing, my lady." That it had reached a physical confrontation called for a desperate solution. He had forbid his household to react to Joanne; perhaps the time had come to change that.

"Since you are having such a pleasant discussion with Mrs. Caern, I shall leave you to complete it.

"My compliments," he nodded to his housekeeper. With a smile at Lady Joanne he strolled leisurely from the kitchen. A large crock smashed to pieces against the door's frame as he pa.s.sed through it, apparently oblivious to the shower of fragments.

"That-that beast of a man. Of all the foul-"

"Watch your words, milady," Mrs. Caern threatened as she advanced. "This is enough! Lord Jason should have sent ye off to London the day ye came. Ye've done nothing but despoil his house, scream, and thrash at everyone who tries to help ye and made each meal a battleground this whole month past what with yer coa.r.s.e ways and foul mouth. I'll not have it any longer." She slowly lowered the rolling pin, The old woman's shoulders sagged tiredly. "Haven't ye any change of heart? Haven't ye seen yer reflection of late, milady-seen the improvement? Ye've the makin's of a comely maid but fer yer sharp tongue and unruly temper."

This sudden alteration in Mrs. Caern p.r.i.c.ked the bubble of anger surrounding Joanne. Confusion rushed into its place. "What?" she asked. Tears welled in her eyes. Anger, hatred, resentment she could battle with relish; this sudden concern, kindness routed her. She fled.

"Lord preserve us," Mrs. Caern muttered in relief. "What will become of all of us?"

Safe in her chamber, Joanne flung herself upon her bed. Her bile, her one protection, had deserted her.

Its companion, fear, now came to the fore. What if Lord Jason decided to return her to her father?

"Then I'd be free of his high and mighty lordship-free of this place," she snorted with a glance about the barren chamber. Its emptiness was an indictment of her unrepentant hostility.

How have I managed this long? she wondered, and the incident which had brought about the minortruce that had held till this morn flashed vividly to mind. * * * *

Lord Jason had at first been lenient-his calm voice and relaxed manner oblivious to the outrages Joanne perpetrated upon he and his staff as well as his manor.

The second week of her stay he tightened his discipline, especially in regard to her ladyship's atrocious dining habits.

On one particular eve a dish at a time had been ordered taken from the table as he noted her dislike of each-the lady being inclined to forgo the use of her utensils and grab at the food. Only the platter of beef had remained and she lunged and grabbed, securing most of the beef in her lap. Not only had Lord Jason taken this from her but decreed that henceforth she would be served a prepared plate. The next morn he tested the decree.

At breakfast, Kenton maintained a stream of pleasantries as he was served a platter of kidney pie, cold pheasant, and warm biscuits dripping with b.u.t.ter.

Lady Joanne querulously ignored him, vulgarly demanding her food. Her eyes brightened when Nell came into the dining room.

Lord Jason decided it was time for her first true lesson.

"Nell, take that tray back to the kitchen. I cannot have Lady Knoll's sensibilities disturbed so early in the morn by such a coa.r.s.e breakfast. Some thin porridge, please," he ordered.

"Are you of good appet.i.te this morn, my lady?" he asked, savouring a piece of pheasant.

Lady Joanne stared at him, her eyes wide with incredulity. Wrath grew to explosive proportions as she awaited Nell's return.

The serving maid returned reluctantly and gingerly placed the bowl before her ladyship. She retreated as Wordlessly Lady Joanne looked across the table at her tormentor. A gleam came to her eye and her tightly compressed lips eased into the hint of glee. Picking up the bowl, she flung the contents across the table into Lord Jason's face and burst into laughter as the warm milk-laced gruel dripped from his visage to join the remainder splattered across his jabot and frock coat.

Calmly Kenton dabbed at his face and called for Nell.

The young serving girl gasped at the sight he presented and looked aghast at Lady Joanne's mocking laughter.

"Please bring another bowl of porridge," Kenton told her. "There has been a minor accident with the first."

"Shouldn't I first-I mean, milord, you-" Words failed as Kenton's expression hardened. "As you wish, milord." Nell swallowed and hurried to do as told. In a thrice she returned.

"Bring it to me," Kenton commanded when she hesitated before the table. "You may go. Close the doors."

"Do you mean to improve your appearance further?" sneered Lady Joanne. A shocked gasp came from her as the contents of the bowl hit her full in the face.

"I did not find it a particularly pleasurable experience," Lord Jason quietly noted. "Do not do it to someone else if you don't want it done to yourself." He rose. "I shall see you at lunch."

So began our uneasy truce, she thought. At least I learned not to confront him.

And your behaviour toward Mrs. Caern? Nell, Meg, and the others?

"They are servants," she said aloud, thumping a fist into her pillow. "They do not matter." Her words sounded unconvincing even to her.

They have never been unkind, her conscience added.

Indeed, the country friendliness of the serving maids; their happy spirits and unhesitant kindness had had an effect on Lady Joanne despite herself. She found it increasingly difficult to enjoy her tantrums, even when they were successful. Frightening and insulting others, she learned, held little satisfaction when like feelings were not returned. Her language slowly began to improve out of his lordship's hearing. Her manners were similarly affected out of Lord Jason's presence.

Petulantly Joanne admitted that this morn's outburst against Mrs. Caern was not caused by the overwhelming desire to eat but by an overpowering need to elicit some reaction from Lord Jason. His ever-enduring calm irritated, infuriated. But worse, though she could not fathom why, it disquieted her.

A knock on her door interrupted Joanne's reverie.

"His lordship is wantin' ye to come to the library, milady," Meg announced through the door. She hesitated to enter, for one never knew what type of response would come. "Lord Jason asks ye to come

"I will," Joanne answered hollowly, certain she was going to be asked to leave Kentoncombe. Oh, Lord, she thought as she dragged her feet toward the library, let me remain a little longer. I will do better.

I will die if I must return to Furness House. She shuddered, and then stiffened her resolve. Lord Jason must never know she wished to stay. That satisfaction would never be his.

Kenton was totally immersed in the problem of Lady Joanne. His hope that the atmosphere of Kentoncombe, that the good-hearted treatment and example of those surrounding her ladyship would gentle her, appeared frustratingly hopeless in light of this morn's incident.

At least they did not come to actual blows. He smiled wryly. Poor Mrs. Caern-I must do something to make up for what she has endured of late. But Lord Jason pushed away the question of what kept him from abandoning this uncivilized termagant. He dared not probe why.

"Well?" Lady Joanne demanded, closing the doors behind her.

"I have decided-" Kenton began and noticed Joanne pale slightly. What did she expect? "That it would be best if you were to-" he paused wondering again at the play of emotion across her features. "That it would be best if you were to visit Irwin Manor a few days a week and help with the children. Dr. Ames tells me five are expected any day and that there would be no danger to your health.

"It is the sort of thing you should be doing in your position in society." He turned to the windows, disturbed by her lack of response.

"I have tried to explain that certain qualities are expected of a lady. It is all very well that you can read the cla.s.sics in their original text, that your grasp of the sciences is remarkable. But these accomplishments are frowned upon by society. Madame de Genlis, in her book on educated young ladies, goes so far as to say that they 'render women singularly unsuitable for domestique life.' Women are expected to..."

The words were an indistinguishable babble. A surge of joy more powerful than any hate she had ever experienced filled Joanne. She was to stay.

Chapter Ten.

"Mrs. Caern?" Lady Joanne nervously approached the elderly housekeeper.

"Aye, milady," she answered, marvelling again at the change in the young woman since she had been going to Irwin Manor. The three weeks had seen a definite improvement. Outbursts of temper still occurred, but they were no longer daily and her ladyship had even consented to letting Lord Jason instruct her in the arts of society in their hours after supping.

"I was wondering-that is-" Lady Joanne stumbled over her words. Having never done other than demand and bully, she found her present course very difficult.

Seeing her distress, the good housekeeper rose to her aid. "Do you need help with what's in the basket?" she asked kindly. offered to take care of it." Despair tinged Joanne's eyes.

"And you don't know how to?" guessed Mrs. Caern. "Why milady, that's easily solved. Come, I'll fetch me needles and thread and soon ye'll have the right of it."

"You-you will help me?"

"'Tis no reason not to," Mrs. Caern shrugged.

Thankfulness pressed Joanne to reach out and hug the woman but hate and distrust had not been entirely washed away. She held back, but gave a wondering smile.

"How did you find the children at Irwin today?" Lord Jason asked Joanne at supper.

"Four more arrived today," she answered. "Dr. Ames said he expects a score more within the next two months. I think I shall begin going to Irwin an additional day," she added, her eyes on her plate.