quite friendly with their maid, Jones. One morning while Jones prepared a bath for her new mistress, Thea brought up her papa's prize pigs.
"Oh, mum, I hate to gainsay you, but," the young maid twisted her apron with her hands, "my intended is a swine breeder. His piggery is considered the most superior in all of England! Why, just last week, he took the prize at our county fair. This week, he is competing against prize-winning pigs from three counties. And, he is a cert to win."
"How interesting."
"Yes'm. Why, jest ask anybody from High Wycombe, and they'll all tell you, Robert Tate's pigs be the best!" Jones added some sweet-smelling salts to the water.
"Papa would be delighted if I could aid him in his dream to produce the finest pigs in England." Thea paused to shake out her curls in preparation for her bath. "Would your intended consider selling one or two piglets?"
"Happen he may say yes, though twouldn't be usual-like, m'lady." She arose to help Lady Althea with her buttons. "Since we are trying to put by the monies to set up house, and seeing as how I do for you and all, I am cert he would be happy to oblige, ma'am."
"Then we must attend this fair. When and where is it to be held?
*
The very next morning found the two young women seated upon a gig, a groom driving them out of London proper. Emma had declined Thea's invitation to accompany them and instead said she would enjoy some time spent at Hatchard's, selecting an engrossing book. Therefore, Thea, dressed in one of her old country gowns and, Jones, wearing her very best, decided to make a day of it.
It was a relief to escape the rules and doctrines that young ladies had to obey in town, and an added inducement was some fresh country air. Thea threw back her head and took a deep breath. With each step of the horse's hooves, her spirits climbed higher.
As they arrived in the country town, she noted it was congested with farmers and tradesmen selling their wares. There were stalls with merchants selling many different beverages including ginger beer, lemonade, peppermint water, coffee, cocoa and tea. Other stalls sold hot and cold foods, sweets, and cakes. There were fortune-telling tents, baubles and trinkets for sale, games of chance and many diverse entertainments. And, of course, there were the animals.
The swarms of people and their activities were an awesome sight. Eventually, having selected a suitable location to meet up with their groom toward the edge of the fair, and incidently near a stall selling more potent libations, they made their way to the livestock pens.
Thea breathed deeply, drawing in the fulsome animal aroma. Bypassing the cows and chickens, they found the pigs. The stoat pens were constructed of low-lying enclosures, formed of rope and wood with the top portion open. Thea very much enjoyed examining the swine as she passed, occasionally stopping to comment with a comely pig's owner.
"Robert!" screeched Jones, to the detriment of Thea's eardrum. The maid waved her arms in greeting.A shy, tall, gangly fellow came forward and answered her cry.
He bowed politely to Lady Althea, tongue-tied to be presented to the daughter of an earl. But soon enough, he lost his shyness in avid discussion of his pigs. He led them to his pens and she was suitably impressed. These were fine swine indeed. After selecting a couple of likely piglets for future delivery to Steyne, Thea turned to again examine other nearby pigs. There had been one or two that had caught her eye. Perhaps another chance to enhance her papa's stock?
A series of grunts and oinks from a nearby cage drew her gaze to a comely piglet. The pig looked decidedly familiar. Her eyes narrowed as she walked closer to further examine the animal. Then her gaze settled on the blue ribbon collar encircling its neck. There was no longer any doubt when she saw the spot around his left eye. It had to be Egbert, her very own Uncle Egbert. What was he doing here? She looked about the milling crowd
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