The adulteress

"I mean would you stop writing to her, talking to her of marriage ... for Eversleigh?"

"Please, please explain."

I said: "James Fenton will buy a farm. He wouldn't stay here with you around. There will be many things to be worked out. I have had an offer of marriage from Lottie's father. I have decided to accept. I shall live in France after I'm married ... and so will Lottie. Dickon, I am going to make over Eversleigh to you now. You are, after all, the male heir."

He stared at me. Then a slow smile spread across his face.

"Eversleigh!" he murmured and I had never seen him look so tender. I saw then that he loved the place as he could never love anything else.

I said: "You will have to put a manager in at Clavering. You will have to come to Eversleigh with Clarissa and Sabrina ... your courtiers, as it were, and you will reign supreme ... as you schemed so basely to do." I laughed suddenly. "It's virtue rewarded ... in reverse."

Dickon looked at me admiringly.

"I do love you, Zipporah," he said.