todream. Contrary to her aunt’s conviction, she wondered if she would see her groom again before the wedding day and came to the conclusion that it was unlikely.
In this she was wrong because he called the next afternoon, at a time when Aunt Jessica was entertaining a crowd of her bosom bows who had seen the announcement in the newspaper and were curious to discover what there was about her niece to capture the likes of Lord Portman. They found a mature young lady, dressed simply in a black taffeta sack gown trimmed with white lace, who wore her own hair simply dressed with a few curls and ringlets. Not a beauty, they decided; she was too tall for one thing and too thin, and, without powder and patch, her face was too highly coloured when the fashion was to be pale.
The old lady was in raptures over Harry’s arrival and twittered about presenting all the ladies to him and it was some minutes before he was able to greet and talk to Rosamund. ‘You are overwhelmed, I see,’ he said, indicating the crowded room, after bowing to her and kissing her hand.
‘It pleases my aunt. Please do not feel you must stay beyond what politeness dictates.’
‘You do not wish to see me?’ he asked, his voice so low only she could hear it..
‘Oh, I did not mean that. I…’ She floundered. ‘Naturally I am glad to see you.’
‘And I you, my dear. We should take every opportunity to get to know each other, don’t you think? Then we shall not have any unpleasant surprises later.’
She wondered what he meant by that. Did he think she had unpleasant habits or inherent faults? Did hehave secret vices? No doubt he drank and gambled, but what man didn’t? ‘I hope there may not be,’ she said. ‘I am as you see me.’
‘I do not doubt it. I was thinking of myself. You must wish to know more about me. And to that end, I came to ask if you would like to come for a drive. I have my phaeton outside.’
‘I can hardly abandon my aunt and her friends.’
‘I do not see why not.’ He turned to address Mrs Bullivant. ‘You will forgive me, dear lady, if I carry off your niece. I have a fancy to drive a little way into the country and would have her company.’
‘As to that, I can have no objection,’ Mrs Bullivant said. ‘But who is to chaperon her? I cannot leave my guests.’
‘I had to part with my maid, when I left Holles Street,’ Rosamund explained. ‘It was one thing I meant to ask, if you would allow me to ask her to serve me.’
‘Why, my dear, you do not need to ask. By all means, fetch her back. Where can she be found?’
‘She has gone to stay with her sister in Hampstead until she can find a new position.’
‘Then send for her at once. Better still, let us go and fetch her.’
‘My lord,’ Aunt Jessica objected, ‘Should you—’
‘Oh, no doubt I should,’ he said airily. ‘I cannot have my bride-to-be without a maid, not even for an instant. I do hope you can accommodate her for the short time Miss Chalmers will be staying with you.’
‘Yes, of course.’ She could hardly say anything else with all her friends present.
‘Good.’ He turned to Rosamund. ‘Come, my love,we shall not be overlong. I am sure these good ladies will excuse us.’ He bowed all round, took Rosamund’s hand and fairly dragged her out of the door, leaving behind six open mouths and six pairs of eyes agog.
‘My lord,’ she protested as he led her out to his carriage. ‘You have shocked those dear ladies.’
‘Oh, they will forgive me and will no doubt put it down to the great affection I have for you and my impatience to have you to myself.’
‘You are taking this play acting too far,’ she said, as he helped her into the carriage, climbed in beside her and took up the reins.
‘Nonsense. If they are going to be shocked and amused, then it shall be with me and not you.’
She was silent, unable to make up her mind if this handsome, very rich nobleman was making fun of her or not. Surely he could not
In this she was wrong because he called the next afternoon, at a time when Aunt Jessica was entertaining a crowd of her bosom bows who had seen the announcement in the newspaper and were curious to discover what there was about her niece to capture the likes of Lord Portman. They found a mature young lady, dressed simply in a black taffeta sack gown trimmed with white lace, who wore her own hair simply dressed with a few curls and ringlets. Not a beauty, they decided; she was too tall for one thing and too thin, and, without powder and patch, her face was too highly coloured when the fashion was to be pale.
The old lady was in raptures over Harry’s arrival and twittered about presenting all the ladies to him and it was some minutes before he was able to greet and talk to Rosamund. ‘You are overwhelmed, I see,’ he said, indicating the crowded room, after bowing to her and kissing her hand.
‘It pleases my aunt. Please do not feel you must stay beyond what politeness dictates.’
‘You do not wish to see me?’ he asked, his voice so low only she could hear it..
‘Oh, I did not mean that. I…’ She floundered. ‘Naturally I am glad to see you.’
‘And I you, my dear. We should take every opportunity to get to know each other, don’t you think? Then we shall not have any unpleasant surprises later.’
She wondered what he meant by that. Did he think she had unpleasant habits or inherent faults? Did hehave secret vices? No doubt he drank and gambled, but what man didn’t? ‘I hope there may not be,’ she said. ‘I am as you see me.’
‘I do not doubt it. I was thinking of myself. You must wish to know more about me. And to that end, I came to ask if you would like to come for a drive. I have my phaeton outside.’
‘I can hardly abandon my aunt and her friends.’
‘I do not see why not.’ He turned to address Mrs Bullivant. ‘You will forgive me, dear lady, if I carry off your niece. I have a fancy to drive a little way into the country and would have her company.’
‘As to that, I can have no objection,’ Mrs Bullivant said. ‘But who is to chaperon her? I cannot leave my guests.’
‘I had to part with my maid, when I left Holles Street,’ Rosamund explained. ‘It was one thing I meant to ask, if you would allow me to ask her to serve me.’
‘Why, my dear, you do not need to ask. By all means, fetch her back. Where can she be found?’
‘She has gone to stay with her sister in Hampstead until she can find a new position.’
‘Then send for her at once. Better still, let us go and fetch her.’
‘My lord,’ Aunt Jessica objected, ‘Should you—’
‘Oh, no doubt I should,’ he said airily. ‘I cannot have my bride-to-be without a maid, not even for an instant. I do hope you can accommodate her for the short time Miss Chalmers will be staying with you.’
‘Yes, of course.’ She could hardly say anything else with all her friends present.
‘Good.’ He turned to Rosamund. ‘Come, my love,we shall not be overlong. I am sure these good ladies will excuse us.’ He bowed all round, took Rosamund’s hand and fairly dragged her out of the door, leaving behind six open mouths and six pairs of eyes agog.
‘My lord,’ she protested as he led her out to his carriage. ‘You have shocked those dear ladies.’
‘Oh, they will forgive me and will no doubt put it down to the great affection I have for you and my impatience to have you to myself.’
‘You are taking this play acting too far,’ she said, as he helped her into the carriage, climbed in beside her and took up the reins.
‘Nonsense. If they are going to be shocked and amused, then it shall be with me and not you.’
She was silent, unable to make up her mind if this handsome, very rich nobleman was making fun of her or not. Surely he could not
Similar Books
