Clarissa and the Poor Relations by Alicia Cameron Page B

maintain with great discomfort and who moreover had reduced her tiresome young son to a stuffed cabbage. When she heard her name though, she remembered the tales of Sir Fitzroy Petersham’s sister who had been the season’s beauty in a year when her own health had not permitted more than a short visit to town. Good birth then, but what was her fortune? She would send a letter to London tonight.
    Lord Staines had at last recovered himself and addressed himself to Oriana.
    ‘I am acquainted with your brother, Miss Petersham.’ He said, with a warm glance.
    Oriana’s eyes burned fiery ice and she said indifferently, ‘Oh, yes?’
    Grandiston was diverted. Poor Staines. He could not have hit upon anything less winning to say to the object of his gallantry.
    Clarissa interjected, momentarily drawing Staines eyes away from the icy, but beautiful Miss Petersham.
    ‘I believe you are acquainted with my brother also, are you not sir?’
    The Earl liked the little lady more and more - this was going for poor Staines’ throat since the only occasion he had to meet her brother was when he had hoped to arrange the sale of Ashcroft without her own consent. But his Lordship recovered well, ‘Yes, I had that pleasure whilst he was visiting the district on some business of yours, I believe.’
    Clarissa could not help herself from replying, ‘No business of mine, I assure you, my Lord.’
    There was a brief pause before Lady Staines inquired archly, ‘And how do you like the new tenants of the Dower House, my dear? Do you see much of Mr Booth?’
    For some reason the natural response to this sounded a trifle off, for both young ladies realized that their tenant and his companion had been spending rather more time with them than was usual. Unexpectedly, Miss Appleby came quite smoothly to their rescue, ‘Indeed we do. We ladies so enjoy the gentlemen’s occasional visits for we found,’ she leant forward confidingly towards her ladyship, ‘that Lord Grandiston here was Sir Ralph’s dearest friend and an old friend of Miss Petersham’s family. Was anything so fortunate? Of course the dear boys do get tired untangling our silks for us and the like.  A houseful of women such as we are poor company for London men.’ Here she smiled teasingly at Lord Grandiston who could not afterwards decide if she knew how masterfully respectable she made the gentlemen’s visits seem.
    Lord Staines thereafter tried to thaw out Miss Petersham with no success. Only for the shortest time of novelty had she enjoyed being accounted beautiful when she had gone to London. With little help from her brother she had soon tired of the fulsome compliments and disturbing attentions. Even the least silly of her suitors had seemed to wish to talk more about her beauty than her real self and she had become both bored and oppressed by it. Another suitor could not please her- especially not one who was friend to her despised brother.
    The ladies took their leave and Grandiston walked them to the carriage. As he handed Oriana up he smiled at her, ‘Strive to keep your temper in check, ice maiden. A little kindness from you may cause Lord Staines to be a little less interested in doing business so quickly with Mr Thorne.’
    She looked disgusted, ‘Grandiston, I could not be kind to that toad.’
    She looked so much like her sixteen year- old self that he gave a crack of laughter. ‘Oriana, my dear, think of Clarissa.’ he said caressingly.
    The steps were up, Oriana’s eyes flashed at him, they drove away and the Earl laughed after them.
    In the next days they visited old Sir Montague Holmes, the eldest and sweetest of the neighbourhood gentry whose bluff good humour had delighted them. He was unfortunately kept to his square manor house with bad health, but he invited the ladies to come again soon. He showed a strong disposition to flirt with Miss Appleby, which seemed to render her strangely quiet and shy instead of giddy as she had been in the presence of