bit her tongue. It was easy to see that he was annoyed, but she could think of nothing to say that might alleviate his displeasure. It seemed such a trifling thing. Of course, if Rory truly meant to keep the little thing, it might not seem a trifling thing to Lady Agnes. She pointed this out gently.
“Pooh, Grandmama will not care a button. Once she sees him, she will know he belongs with me. And I shall see she is not troubled by him one bit. I shall attend to his feeding and care all by myself.”
Nell wondered how Rory thought such a thing would be possible with the busy social schedule they would have once the Season truly began. But the thought brought another upon its heels that nearly caused her to laugh aloud. Sadie. No doubt most of the care of the stray would fall upon her shoulders, and it would be interesting to know just what might happen the first time she asked any one of the Lindale servants to assist her. On that thought, she looked up, her eyes brimful of amusement, only to discover that Huntley was watching her again, an enigmatic expression in his own eyes. She was conscious of a wish that she could share her amusement with him.
“I believe we are nearly there,” he said almost hastily when their eyes met. There was still some distance to go, however, and he seemed disinclined to speak, so Nell passed the time listening to her niece crooning nonsense to the tiny bundle of fur in her lap.
Once they reached Number Twenty-seven, Huntley paused only long enough to escort them safely inside before taking his departure. Nell left her niece to the happy task of explaining to Pavingham that she would require a bowl of warm milk and perhaps some minced beef for her charge, while she hastened upstairs to warn Lady Agnes about the newest arrival to the house. Amazingly, her ladyship seemed not the least dismayed.
“Whatever will make dearest Aurora happy. I am persuaded that it must be a very nice kitten. I shall be interested to make its acquaintance. Now do, Nell, hand me that tambour frame. I’m of a mind to work some petit point, I believe.”
“Of course, Mama,” Nell replied, concealing astonishment. Clearly, Lady Agnes no longer feared that her granddaughter would set them all in an uproar. “Shall I get you anything else?”
“No, no, dear. You run along and take off your pelisse. You will catch cold if you let yourself get too warm. You may come back once you have tidied yourself.”
Accordingly, Nell repaired to her own bedchamber where she doffed her velvet pelisse and decided to change her walking dress as well. Without bothering to ring for Madge, she made a rapid search of her wardrobe and decided in favor of a simple moss-green frock with puffed sleeves that tied at the elbow with narrow yellow satin ribbons. While she changed her clothes, she thought back over the afternoon and wondered what the future would bring.
Rory had seemed perfectly content to wander by herself, and she had been greatly excited over the kitten. But she still expected everything to go her own way, so if Huntley had no intention of lending them his escort on a regular basis, how on earth was Nell to keep her niece in line? She would have to embroider the fact of their betrothal on every gown the chit owned! Undoubtedly, Crossways would have arranged for a notice in the London papers, but there had been none in the Brighton Herald, and she did not think she ought to arrange for one herself. She decided she would simply have to have a straightforward discussion with her niece, in hopes of avoiding some of the worst of the problems that no doubt lay ahead.
VI
D ESPITE NELL’S GOOD INTENTIONS , there seemed to be little time for a heart-to-heart chat with her niece. If she hadn’t known the thought to be a ridiculous one, she might even have suspected Rory of attempting to evade just such a confrontation. To be sure, they both had a number of things to occupy their time. Mr. Wade came to call upon them Saturday
“Pooh, Grandmama will not care a button. Once she sees him, she will know he belongs with me. And I shall see she is not troubled by him one bit. I shall attend to his feeding and care all by myself.”
Nell wondered how Rory thought such a thing would be possible with the busy social schedule they would have once the Season truly began. But the thought brought another upon its heels that nearly caused her to laugh aloud. Sadie. No doubt most of the care of the stray would fall upon her shoulders, and it would be interesting to know just what might happen the first time she asked any one of the Lindale servants to assist her. On that thought, she looked up, her eyes brimful of amusement, only to discover that Huntley was watching her again, an enigmatic expression in his own eyes. She was conscious of a wish that she could share her amusement with him.
“I believe we are nearly there,” he said almost hastily when their eyes met. There was still some distance to go, however, and he seemed disinclined to speak, so Nell passed the time listening to her niece crooning nonsense to the tiny bundle of fur in her lap.
Once they reached Number Twenty-seven, Huntley paused only long enough to escort them safely inside before taking his departure. Nell left her niece to the happy task of explaining to Pavingham that she would require a bowl of warm milk and perhaps some minced beef for her charge, while she hastened upstairs to warn Lady Agnes about the newest arrival to the house. Amazingly, her ladyship seemed not the least dismayed.
“Whatever will make dearest Aurora happy. I am persuaded that it must be a very nice kitten. I shall be interested to make its acquaintance. Now do, Nell, hand me that tambour frame. I’m of a mind to work some petit point, I believe.”
“Of course, Mama,” Nell replied, concealing astonishment. Clearly, Lady Agnes no longer feared that her granddaughter would set them all in an uproar. “Shall I get you anything else?”
“No, no, dear. You run along and take off your pelisse. You will catch cold if you let yourself get too warm. You may come back once you have tidied yourself.”
Accordingly, Nell repaired to her own bedchamber where she doffed her velvet pelisse and decided to change her walking dress as well. Without bothering to ring for Madge, she made a rapid search of her wardrobe and decided in favor of a simple moss-green frock with puffed sleeves that tied at the elbow with narrow yellow satin ribbons. While she changed her clothes, she thought back over the afternoon and wondered what the future would bring.
Rory had seemed perfectly content to wander by herself, and she had been greatly excited over the kitten. But she still expected everything to go her own way, so if Huntley had no intention of lending them his escort on a regular basis, how on earth was Nell to keep her niece in line? She would have to embroider the fact of their betrothal on every gown the chit owned! Undoubtedly, Crossways would have arranged for a notice in the London papers, but there had been none in the Brighton Herald, and she did not think she ought to arrange for one herself. She decided she would simply have to have a straightforward discussion with her niece, in hopes of avoiding some of the worst of the problems that no doubt lay ahead.
VI
D ESPITE NELL’S GOOD INTENTIONS , there seemed to be little time for a heart-to-heart chat with her niece. If she hadn’t known the thought to be a ridiculous one, she might even have suspected Rory of attempting to evade just such a confrontation. To be sure, they both had a number of things to occupy their time. Mr. Wade came to call upon them Saturday
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