Clarissa and the Poor Relations by Alicia Cameron

community it will be that much more difficult to dislodge you. If he feels the acceptance of the local gentry of your position here he may find upsetting them gives him pause.’
    ‘I have long wished to welcome those of our neighbours who have called, but Sullivan has thus far denied us, until we could put the house and garden a little in order.’ said Miss Appleby.
    ‘You have all done a splendid job of it and it now behoves you to take you place in society.’
    ‘Yes,’ said Oriana, ‘But will it serve, my Lord? Mr Thorne need not care for the opinions of this restricted neighbourhood when he lives so distant.’
    Grandiston smiled. ‘Indeed. Is it so restricted? The son of a Baronet has just leased your Dower House…’
    ‘And has an Earl to stay.’ finished Mr Booth. ‘Dashed bad form to puff up your consequence, Hugo.’
    ‘Isn’t it just? But I get the feeling, from what the ladies have said that the more we puff up our consequence in Mr Thorne’s presence the better off it might be. If he sees a way into more elevated company, perhaps…’
    ‘Trust Sullivan for that.’ interjected Miss Micklethwaite.
    ‘Oh dear,’ sighed Clarissa, ‘How dreadfully vulgar this all is, but I can’t help thinking you’re right, sir. He’s a dreadful snob. He was so delighted when Juliana Sowersby befriended me when I came to stay with him last year. She’s the daughter of the finest family in his village and a sweet girl. Cornelia was furious because she’d never been invited to the Manor.’
    ‘Sowersby? Is that old Jonas Sowersby’s heiress? I never met her.’ said Charles.
    ‘I did,’ said Grandiston unexpectedly, ‘She was at Almack’s a number of times this season. Charming girl.’
    ‘That explains it. Never go there - devilish dull place. Had to squire my sisters there until they got engaged. Don’t care what you did in the Peninsular, Hugo, braving a night with my mother and sisters at Almack’s and being obliged to dance with m’mother’s friends, well, I should get a medal.’
    ‘Quite, Charles; however, we are considering the best advice to give Miss Thorne at the moment. Why don’t you invite Miss Sowersby to stay? The season is ending and she might be free to visit on her way further north, don’t you think?’
    ‘What a good idea. If Juliana were to be here when John arrived he should at least take care how he spoke to me. He would not order me to pack my bags at once, which I live in dread of him doing. But, will she come…?’
    ‘Another thing, my Lord,’ interrupted Mr Elfoy, ‘If Sullivan begins to admit callers then my Lord and Lady Staines will no doubt appear. That may not be to Miss Thorne’s advantage, since Lord Staines had desired to buy the Estate and had indeed arranged something of the sort with Mr Thorne.’
    ‘You did not tell me that, sir.’ gasped Clarissa. ‘Well, of all the cheek. This house is none of my brother’s.’
    ‘I think that between Charles and I we can endeavour to reconcile Lord Staines to the inevitability of Miss Thorne’s residence here.’
    Elfoy looked sceptical and Booth astonished, but he caught Grandiston’s eye and so said, ‘Oh, quite.’
    It was some time later, on the drive home, before Charles was able to vent his feelings, ‘How on earth are we to get Staines to approve of Miss Thorne staying in a place that he has coveted for years? Not like you to give the ladies false hope, Hugo. Come to think of it, I’m not at all sure that your stratagems for fobbing off Thorne will work. If he hopes to profit from his sister’s legacy, then a little local disapproval in Hertfordshire won’t upset him.’
    ‘The ladies require us to be knights-errant, Charles. They depend on us entirely. I’m sure that we can pull this off. The trick is to give everyone what they want.’
    The Honourable Charles’ handsome face took on an exasperated expression. ‘Of course I mean to help the gels, that is, all the ladies of course, but I still