CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

Bad Behaviour

October 10th—Mr Huntingdon returned about three weeks ago. The day after he arrived, however, he announced that he planned to find a nanny to care for little Arthur. He said I was unsatisfactory as a caregiver. Soon after, Miss Myers arrived, although I was quite surprised at how quickly my husband found a nanny. She was respectful, she was quite shy, and never spoke of her past, her home, or her family. I was suspicious of this girl, as was Rachel.

At last, one morning, Rachel came into my room, with a worried look. She informed me that Mr Huntingdon and our son's nanny had been having a love affair. I decided that I must immediately leave that house with my son. Rachel told me that she would not stay in that house without my son and I. She requested to come along with us.

"I have no home, Mrs Huntingdon, but with you," she told me.

"But I can't afford to pay you, and we will no longer live in comfort and wealth."

"You'll want somebody to clean and cook, won't you? I can do all that; and you don't have to pay me, I have some savings."

"Well," I said, then paused for a moment, "then we'll all go together!"

The next day, I sent a letter to Frederick, informing him that we would soon leave for Wildfell Hall, and hoped he would prepare the house for our arrival. I then sent letters to Milicent and my dear aunt, explaining that I must leave my husband to save my son's future, or he would soon take his father's terrible, ungentlemanly habits. Meanwhile, Rachel secretly packed our things together for the departure.

Benson, one of the servants, removed the bags from the house secretly. He was quite willing to assist me, as he hates Mr Huntingdon, as most of the other servants do. After escaping from Grassdale, I would become Mrs Graham, as I must not keep my name, or Mr Huntingdon may soon find me. Graham was my mother's last name before she married my father, and therefore I feel a connection with the name.

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