An Indelicate Situation (The Weymouth Trilogy) by Lizzie Church Page A

‘She can be quite encouraging at times. B ... but then, at other times , it i s almost as if I do not exist. She is so love ly. I wish she would not tease me as she does.’
    ‘Yes, it does not seem quite kind,’ agreed Maggie. ‘Perhaps she does not know that she does it.’
    Mr Staveley nodded his head, though he did not look entirely convinced.
    ‘Well, I can only do m ... my b ... best to win her,’ he muttered, as if to himself. ‘Per ... perhaps if she sees that I am genuine she m ... may look on me m ... more kindly after a while.’
    ‘Perhaps she will, Mr Staveley. You cannot be blamed for trying, that’s for sure.’
    It was as they were both musing aft er this little exchange that Maggie became aware of the sound of crunching wheels once again . She peered down the terrace . The smart curricle that she had seen arri ving so flamboyantly not so very long ago was already being reins tated on the driveway . She watched idly for a moment as the tiger halted the h orses and ran to hold their heads. A seco nd later she saw the white muslin gown and dainty form of Miss Brewer emerg ing fro m the saloon in the company of the young man whom Maggie immediately recognise d as the fortunate recipient of Miss Brewer’s earlier attenti on s . The young man handed her elegantly up into the carriage, took his own place in the driver’s seat, whipped the horses on and instantly sped off noisily down the drive. Mr Staveley, too, had seen the somewhat abrupt departure. Maggie could see that he was looking rather low.
    ‘It’s that scaly Rowley - Jones again,’ he muttered , irritably . ‘ Of all the b...bad luck. I am b...beginning to wish that I’d never set eyes upon the b...bothersome, vexing prigstar.’
    Maggie smiled at him in a way that she hoped would look reassuring. She did not feel that there was much more to be said about it all, just then.
    Mrs William, determining that she was most certainly the Berkeleys’ chief guest, managed to delay the appearance of her o wn conveyance until everyone else had taken their leave but, unable to delay it any longer by dint of her husband’s increasingly urgent hints, she finally accepted the i nevitable and agreed that unfortunately , they really ought to go. However, finding that Miss Brewer had already departed, due , apparently, to a most persistent sick headache, she immediately decided that Mr Brewer’s poor horses should not be expected to undertake any further journeys up the hill. After all, Maggie and Mr Staveley being the only two guests remaining without a conveyance of their own, it w ould be no inconvenience to either of them to make the short trek back in to town on foot .
    If this had been me a nt as a sligh t by Mrs William it was destined to pass the two intended victims quite by. It was a lovely evening, after all, and Maggie, mindful of Mr Staveley’s singular dislike of riding in a carriage, was more than happy to accompany him in a gentle ramble down the hill, despite wishing that it was Mr Wright , and not him, at her side. Indeed, it was disappointing that Mr Wright had not himself suggested that Mr Staveley replace him in the carriage. Perhaps Mrs William had required her husband to escort her. So, after declining the kind offer of a carriage from their hosts and accepting their fond farewells - fonder, certainly, than the farewells just then meted out to Mrs William, a nd probably expressed with slightly more sincerity - and some brief instructions as to the best way down to the quay, Maggie and Mr Stavel ey set out together to enjoy an evening s troll .
    ‘I hope you do not m...mind, having to beat the hoof like this, M...Miss Owens,’ remarked Freddy. ‘After all, it is a little inconsiderate of my cousin to deny you the p...pleasure of a drive.’
    ‘I do not mind at all. I had much ra ther walk . I am perfectly happy to spare the poor horses yet another hard pull up that hill.’
    They left the gravel driveway behind them and set off