with your aunt!”
“Mr. Bentley is not a suitor, Emily,” Nell informed her with a frown. “And I do not at all wish to encourage him.”
“Whyever not? He seems a decent enough fellow.”
“I feel certain that he is, which is reason enough not to lead him astray.”
“Lead him astray? How could you possibly lead him astray?” Emily asked, astonished.
“It would be dishonest in me to allow him to spend time with me, believing we could develop a liking for one another. As I mentioned earlier, I have no intention of marrying.”
Emily shook her head, refusing to accept this pronouncement. “But, Nell, you must marry.”
“Oh, no. Not every woman was meant to marry, my dear Emily. Look at Aunt Longstreet.”
“You are not the least like your aunt, Nell. Marriage would be the perfect solution for you.”
Nell was not willing to argue the point with her new friend, so she said, “We shall see.” But she knew very well that decision had long since been made.
Chapter Seven
Sir Hugh had no intention of visiting the ladies in Queen Square on the day following the assembly. For one thing, he was convinced that his sister would go there to propose her idea of the dancing instruction, and he did not wish Miss Armstrong to think that he had anything to do with that proposal. For another, he was not in the mood to endure his godmother's sharp tongue. True, she had been distracted the previous evening and consequently had not managed to say anything particularly devastating on the drive home, but he had no dependence on her distracted mood lasting for more than a short while.
So he would not have come near Queen Square if he had not happened to encounter his sister in Milsom Street. And he was not at all surprised to hear that Miss Armstrong had politely rejected Emily's offer of the dancing lessons. He had expected no less. What he had not expected was Emily's account of the librarian's visit.
"One can tell he has a tendre for her," Emily insisted. "Why else would he be bringing books to that household? Certainly not to please your godmother! And he looks at her in just such a way…"
"At my godmother?" Hugh asked, laughing.
"No, gudgeon, at Nell." Emily sighed at the romanticism of it. "Do you suppose librarians make enough to support wives?"
"I'm afraid I haven't the first idea," he admitted.
"Of course there would be no difficulty if your godmother were to give her a bride portion, but I fear Miss Longstreet is not to be trusted to do any such thing."
"My dear Emily, your thoughts as usual have far outstripped the events to which they relate. This poor fellow did no more than bring some books to the ladies, and already you have him married but for the want of a bride portion."
Emily wrinkled her nose in deep thought. "Do you suppose he suspects her to be an heiress, Hugh? Do you think that perhaps he is merely ingratiating himself with the two ladies so that he can marry Nell and inherit all Miss Longstreet's property?"
"I shouldn't think so," he said, shaking his head with frustration. "Emily, my advice to you is to go home and manage your own household instead of attempting to manage the lives of three people you scarcely know."
"You would not be so cavalier if you had been there and seen Mr. Bentley's obvious intention," his sister replied haughtily. "Remember that Nell is not accustomed to the attentions of young and attractive men out there in the wilds of Westmorland. She could easily be swayed by a kind word and a thoughtful gesture."
"She did not appear to me to be a young woman so easily influenced. In fact, my impression was that Miss Armstrong is of excellent understanding and strong will. She would have to be, to scrape along with her aunt. You are quite out if you think she has a fluffy head on her shoulders."
"Oh, intelligence and will have nothing to do with love!" Emily declared passionately. "Surely you know that, Hugh. If Nell were to fall in love with Mr. Bentley, all her
“Mr. Bentley is not a suitor, Emily,” Nell informed her with a frown. “And I do not at all wish to encourage him.”
“Whyever not? He seems a decent enough fellow.”
“I feel certain that he is, which is reason enough not to lead him astray.”
“Lead him astray? How could you possibly lead him astray?” Emily asked, astonished.
“It would be dishonest in me to allow him to spend time with me, believing we could develop a liking for one another. As I mentioned earlier, I have no intention of marrying.”
Emily shook her head, refusing to accept this pronouncement. “But, Nell, you must marry.”
“Oh, no. Not every woman was meant to marry, my dear Emily. Look at Aunt Longstreet.”
“You are not the least like your aunt, Nell. Marriage would be the perfect solution for you.”
Nell was not willing to argue the point with her new friend, so she said, “We shall see.” But she knew very well that decision had long since been made.
Chapter Seven
Sir Hugh had no intention of visiting the ladies in Queen Square on the day following the assembly. For one thing, he was convinced that his sister would go there to propose her idea of the dancing instruction, and he did not wish Miss Armstrong to think that he had anything to do with that proposal. For another, he was not in the mood to endure his godmother's sharp tongue. True, she had been distracted the previous evening and consequently had not managed to say anything particularly devastating on the drive home, but he had no dependence on her distracted mood lasting for more than a short while.
So he would not have come near Queen Square if he had not happened to encounter his sister in Milsom Street. And he was not at all surprised to hear that Miss Armstrong had politely rejected Emily's offer of the dancing lessons. He had expected no less. What he had not expected was Emily's account of the librarian's visit.
"One can tell he has a tendre for her," Emily insisted. "Why else would he be bringing books to that household? Certainly not to please your godmother! And he looks at her in just such a way…"
"At my godmother?" Hugh asked, laughing.
"No, gudgeon, at Nell." Emily sighed at the romanticism of it. "Do you suppose librarians make enough to support wives?"
"I'm afraid I haven't the first idea," he admitted.
"Of course there would be no difficulty if your godmother were to give her a bride portion, but I fear Miss Longstreet is not to be trusted to do any such thing."
"My dear Emily, your thoughts as usual have far outstripped the events to which they relate. This poor fellow did no more than bring some books to the ladies, and already you have him married but for the want of a bride portion."
Emily wrinkled her nose in deep thought. "Do you suppose he suspects her to be an heiress, Hugh? Do you think that perhaps he is merely ingratiating himself with the two ladies so that he can marry Nell and inherit all Miss Longstreet's property?"
"I shouldn't think so," he said, shaking his head with frustration. "Emily, my advice to you is to go home and manage your own household instead of attempting to manage the lives of three people you scarcely know."
"You would not be so cavalier if you had been there and seen Mr. Bentley's obvious intention," his sister replied haughtily. "Remember that Nell is not accustomed to the attentions of young and attractive men out there in the wilds of Westmorland. She could easily be swayed by a kind word and a thoughtful gesture."
"She did not appear to me to be a young woman so easily influenced. In fact, my impression was that Miss Armstrong is of excellent understanding and strong will. She would have to be, to scrape along with her aunt. You are quite out if you think she has a fluffy head on her shoulders."
"Oh, intelligence and will have nothing to do with love!" Emily declared passionately. "Surely you know that, Hugh. If Nell were to fall in love with Mr. Bentley, all her
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