Selina covered her mouth with her hand. She blinked away the tears that threatened to fall. Finally, she moved her hand. “What did the earl say?”
“The duke told Mr. Roberts that he wanted a wagon to be in front of your home on Friday for the trip ove
r to the earl’s land. So I can only assume the earl gave his permission.”
Of course, Hartsfield would do that. “What am I to do?” Selina mumbled.
“That’s the reason I’m here, Selina.” Mrs. Roberts smiled at her. “We have a plan.”
“We?”
“The servants and I came up with a plan so that you won’t have to leave.”
Selina smiled at the kindhearted lady. “I don’t have any choice, Mrs. Roberts. His Grace can evict me.”
She waved a pudgy hand at Selina. “Pish-posh, girl. What did the duke really say?”
“He told me to leave the cottage.”
“Exactly. And so you shall.”
Selina suddenly felt like thumping her head on the table. “If I must leave then I will have no choice but to go to the earl’s land.”
“Selina, he told you to leave the cottage. He never told you to leave his land.”
Thinking back Selina was certain he had told her to leave his lands. But she desperately wanted to hear Mrs. Roberts’s plan. “But all the tenants’ cottages are occupied. There is nowhere else I can go.”
Mrs. Roberts laughed. “There is an entire house with only a few people living in it.”
“Northrop Park?”
“He never said you couldn’t live there.”
“Once he discovers me there, he will have me removed immediately,” Selina countered.
“And that might take months. That house has fifty bedchambers. We could move you to a new room every night if needed and he wouldn’t discover you for months. That will give you time to show him your worth.”
Selina looked up at the plain white ceiling. She knew it had nothing to do with her worth. “But he doesn’t want me here.”
“That man doesn’t know what’s good for him. Did he ever say you couldn’t help his tenants after you leave the cottage?”
Selina shook her head and then brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes.
“So if he sees you in the house, just tell him you are there at one of the servants’ request. If he sees you on the property, you are there to help out one of the tenants.”
This was so wrong. She knew why he wanted her off his property. And she had no doubt that when he said he wanted her gone from the cottage, he meant departed from his property. Nonetheless, she had a duty to this land that took precedence over his wishes.
“Are you certain I won’t be discovered?” she asked hesitantly.
“There are only a few servants he brought with him from London. The majority of us have lived here our entire lives. The few new servants will take orders from Mr. Roberts or myself. Every one of us will help keep you safe.”
“What about during the wedding?”
“That will only take up to a fortnight. We will hide you elsewhere if they need all the bedchambers.”
“What about after the wedding?”
“Once the wedding is over, he’ll go back to London. Mr. Roberts heard him say so.”