greet his lordship and me.”
Lady Eddington was a fragile blond beauty whose oval face and small inches had endowed her with an ethereal appearance. Her limped blue eyes held an expression that bordered on the wary when they met Lady Caroline’s gaze, and her polite smile lacked genuine warmth.
“Wherever else would my sister be?” Lord Eddington asked rhetorically. He turned to the bell rope and gave it a vigorous tugging. “Where is Simpson? I requested tea to be sent in directly. I am famished for our good English tea and biscuits.”
Lady Caroline observed the slightest tightening of her new sister-in-law’s soft mouth at Lord Eddington’s offhand rejoinder, and instantly the ugly assertion that Mrs. Burlington had thrown at her head not many days past was recalled. Perhaps Lady Eddington had indeed expressed the desire that Lady Caroline be removed from Berwicke Keep.
Lady Caroline cautioned herself not to leap to spurious conclusions. More likely, she thought, Lady Eddington was simply insecure and intimidated by her new position, and when she had voiced such timidities to Mrs. Burlington, the lady had grossly exaggerated them. The new countess was, after all, very young and untried, having been brought up in a somewhat straitened household under the tutelage of a not particularly affectionate stepmother.
With these thoughts in mind, Lady Caroline set herself to make her sister-in-law at ease. “I am happy that you and my brother have returned, Lady Eddington. Please sit with me so that we may more comfortably converse.” She gestured invitingly toward the settee, and after the barest hesitation, Lady Eddington accepted with murmured thanks.
Lady Caroline seated herself and turned an interested expression to her companion. “Now, you must tell me all about your travels. I have never been out of England, though I have long wished to journey to the Mediterranean and especially to Athens, which I understand is very beautiful.”
“Yes, it is beautiful. But I think that I prefer London over any other city,” Lady Eddington said coolly.
“Too right!” Lord Eddington had joined the ladies by throwing himself into a wing chair opposite. He grimaced as he glanced across to meet his sister’s amused glance. “No, Caroline, you have no notion. It was a jolly trip and all that, of course. But it is good to be home after all that traipsing about foreign parts. And all that incessant foreign gabbling too. I was never in my life gladder of anything than to hear plain honest English speech.”
“Indeed, my lord, I never understood more than one word in ten. I was ever so happy to leave it all in your competent hands,” Lady Eddington said, bestowing a warm smile on her husband.
Lord Eddington’s flat chest expanded. “Aye, I was able to make myself fairly well understood in Cairo, was I not? I was made to study French as a lad, of course. Though I hated it at the time, I must confess that I was damned glad of it on more than one occasion. Once we got to Athens, though, the going was a bit rougher.”
“How can you say so, my lord? Why, I do not recall that you ever had the least difficulty,” Lady Eddington said. She turned to Lady Caroline, her face at last showing some animation. “You will scarcely credit it, Lady Caroline, but his lordship spoke with magnificent fluency whatever outrageous language we chanced to encounter. I was never more astonished in my life. His lordship had not told me before that he was a linguist.”
“I am impressed indeed. I had no notion of this hidden talent of yours, Ned,” Lady Caroline said.
Lord Eddington had gone red with pleasure at his wife’s extravagant praise. Now his flush deepened at the teasing note in his sister’s voice. “No, nor had I. But do you know, all those tedious hours when old Tarrybone positively drilled the Latin into my head must have taken root, for I was able to catch on pretty quickly to the natives. Believe me, it made matters much
Lady Eddington was a fragile blond beauty whose oval face and small inches had endowed her with an ethereal appearance. Her limped blue eyes held an expression that bordered on the wary when they met Lady Caroline’s gaze, and her polite smile lacked genuine warmth.
“Wherever else would my sister be?” Lord Eddington asked rhetorically. He turned to the bell rope and gave it a vigorous tugging. “Where is Simpson? I requested tea to be sent in directly. I am famished for our good English tea and biscuits.”
Lady Caroline observed the slightest tightening of her new sister-in-law’s soft mouth at Lord Eddington’s offhand rejoinder, and instantly the ugly assertion that Mrs. Burlington had thrown at her head not many days past was recalled. Perhaps Lady Eddington had indeed expressed the desire that Lady Caroline be removed from Berwicke Keep.
Lady Caroline cautioned herself not to leap to spurious conclusions. More likely, she thought, Lady Eddington was simply insecure and intimidated by her new position, and when she had voiced such timidities to Mrs. Burlington, the lady had grossly exaggerated them. The new countess was, after all, very young and untried, having been brought up in a somewhat straitened household under the tutelage of a not particularly affectionate stepmother.
With these thoughts in mind, Lady Caroline set herself to make her sister-in-law at ease. “I am happy that you and my brother have returned, Lady Eddington. Please sit with me so that we may more comfortably converse.” She gestured invitingly toward the settee, and after the barest hesitation, Lady Eddington accepted with murmured thanks.
Lady Caroline seated herself and turned an interested expression to her companion. “Now, you must tell me all about your travels. I have never been out of England, though I have long wished to journey to the Mediterranean and especially to Athens, which I understand is very beautiful.”
“Yes, it is beautiful. But I think that I prefer London over any other city,” Lady Eddington said coolly.
“Too right!” Lord Eddington had joined the ladies by throwing himself into a wing chair opposite. He grimaced as he glanced across to meet his sister’s amused glance. “No, Caroline, you have no notion. It was a jolly trip and all that, of course. But it is good to be home after all that traipsing about foreign parts. And all that incessant foreign gabbling too. I was never in my life gladder of anything than to hear plain honest English speech.”
“Indeed, my lord, I never understood more than one word in ten. I was ever so happy to leave it all in your competent hands,” Lady Eddington said, bestowing a warm smile on her husband.
Lord Eddington’s flat chest expanded. “Aye, I was able to make myself fairly well understood in Cairo, was I not? I was made to study French as a lad, of course. Though I hated it at the time, I must confess that I was damned glad of it on more than one occasion. Once we got to Athens, though, the going was a bit rougher.”
“How can you say so, my lord? Why, I do not recall that you ever had the least difficulty,” Lady Eddington said. She turned to Lady Caroline, her face at last showing some animation. “You will scarcely credit it, Lady Caroline, but his lordship spoke with magnificent fluency whatever outrageous language we chanced to encounter. I was never more astonished in my life. His lordship had not told me before that he was a linguist.”
“I am impressed indeed. I had no notion of this hidden talent of yours, Ned,” Lady Caroline said.
Lord Eddington had gone red with pleasure at his wife’s extravagant praise. Now his flush deepened at the teasing note in his sister’s voice. “No, nor had I. But do you know, all those tedious hours when old Tarrybone positively drilled the Latin into my head must have taken root, for I was able to catch on pretty quickly to the natives. Believe me, it made matters much
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