dreadful behaviour at the seminary.’
‘What’s this?’ demanded Mr Wilkins fiercely. ‘I got a letter from that Miss Jasper saying as how some master had become spoony over my Penelope. I was angry at first, but just look at her, my lord. Ain’t she enough to turn any man’s head?’
‘Indeed, she is,’ drawled Lord Augustus. His blue eyes turned on Miss Trenton. ‘Although I must say that I was extremely shocked by Miss Trenton’s disclosure that the music master had only proposed to Miss Wilkins because he felt, having ruined her, that it was the best he could do.’
There was an appalled silence. Miss Trenton turned quite white.
‘And how did you come by this information, ma’am?’ asked Mr Wilkins awfully.
Miss Trenton gave a little choking sound.
‘I will tell you,’ said Hannah Pym furiously. ‘I will tell you, Mr Wilkins, how it came about. Miss Trenton, because of sour jealousy, made the whole thing up. Is that not so, Miss Trenton?’
‘Lord Augustus is mistaken,’ said Miss Trenton. ‘I said no such thing!’
‘Are you calling me a liar?’ demanded Lord Augustus maliciously.
Miss Trenton shot to her feet. ‘You are all horrible. All of you,’ she screamed. ‘I hate you all!’
And with that, she ran from the room.
‘There you have it,’ said Lord Augustus languidly. ‘The explanation for your daughter’s disgrace at the seminary and silly Miss Trenton’s remarks is quite simple, Mr Wilkins. Her appearance not only excites admiration but jealousy. I gather she has been kept much at home. Surely there are balls and assemblies she could attend in Portsmouth and young people of her own age she could meet? She is much to be pitied.’
‘I’ll have none o’ that,’ retorted Mr Wilkins. ‘She’s had the best of everything.’
‘In material terms, yes,’ agreed Lord Augustus.
Mr Wilkins bit back the angry reply he had been about to make. He had no desire to quarrel with a man he was already marking out as his future son-in-law.
Instead he said with a forced laugh, ‘I must be taking my puss home. Here is my address, my lord.’ He handed over his card. ‘You will no doubt be calling.’
Hannah waited hopefully.
‘I am afraid not,’ said Lord Augustus. ‘I shall be much occupied while I am here.’
Penelope felt exactly as if he had slapped her. All her fears about that kiss were true. He had only been amusing himself.
‘Coming, Papa,’ she said meekly. ‘Papa, do give Miss Pym a card and tell her to call, for she has been kindness itself.’
‘Gladly,’ said Mr Wilkins, taking out his card-case again.
Hannah hated to see Penelope leave. She felt they had all become a sort of ill-assorted family, and now the family was breaking up, with no happy ending for anyone but Benjamin.
After Penelope and her father had left, Hannah sent Benjamin up to bed, telling him to stay there in the morning until she had found the services of a doctor to attend him. Mr Cato yawned and remarked he was devilish tired and took himself off. Hannah was left alone with Lord Augustus.
‘I do not know how you do it, Miss Pym,’ said Lord Augustus admiringly. ‘I am nigh dead with fatigue, and yet you look bright as a button.’
‘I cannot help thinking you might have found time, my lord, to call on Mr Wilkins.’
‘You mean Mr Wilkins’s daughter. She is a verypretty little girl, Miss Pym. What more would you have?’
He looked down his nose at her, his eyes cold, as if defying her to suggest he should even contemplate paying court to the daughter of a chandler.
Hannah had, of course, been just about to pursue that matter further. But she abruptly changed tack.
‘I did expect you might want to call,’ she said, ‘and it was quite silly of me. Despite Mr Wilkins’s ambitions, I really cannot see him in the end throwing his daughter away on a penniless lord. I thought he seemed a man of good sense.’
‘So you do not think I am a prize in any way?’ mocked Lord
‘What’s this?’ demanded Mr Wilkins fiercely. ‘I got a letter from that Miss Jasper saying as how some master had become spoony over my Penelope. I was angry at first, but just look at her, my lord. Ain’t she enough to turn any man’s head?’
‘Indeed, she is,’ drawled Lord Augustus. His blue eyes turned on Miss Trenton. ‘Although I must say that I was extremely shocked by Miss Trenton’s disclosure that the music master had only proposed to Miss Wilkins because he felt, having ruined her, that it was the best he could do.’
There was an appalled silence. Miss Trenton turned quite white.
‘And how did you come by this information, ma’am?’ asked Mr Wilkins awfully.
Miss Trenton gave a little choking sound.
‘I will tell you,’ said Hannah Pym furiously. ‘I will tell you, Mr Wilkins, how it came about. Miss Trenton, because of sour jealousy, made the whole thing up. Is that not so, Miss Trenton?’
‘Lord Augustus is mistaken,’ said Miss Trenton. ‘I said no such thing!’
‘Are you calling me a liar?’ demanded Lord Augustus maliciously.
Miss Trenton shot to her feet. ‘You are all horrible. All of you,’ she screamed. ‘I hate you all!’
And with that, she ran from the room.
‘There you have it,’ said Lord Augustus languidly. ‘The explanation for your daughter’s disgrace at the seminary and silly Miss Trenton’s remarks is quite simple, Mr Wilkins. Her appearance not only excites admiration but jealousy. I gather she has been kept much at home. Surely there are balls and assemblies she could attend in Portsmouth and young people of her own age she could meet? She is much to be pitied.’
‘I’ll have none o’ that,’ retorted Mr Wilkins. ‘She’s had the best of everything.’
‘In material terms, yes,’ agreed Lord Augustus.
Mr Wilkins bit back the angry reply he had been about to make. He had no desire to quarrel with a man he was already marking out as his future son-in-law.
Instead he said with a forced laugh, ‘I must be taking my puss home. Here is my address, my lord.’ He handed over his card. ‘You will no doubt be calling.’
Hannah waited hopefully.
‘I am afraid not,’ said Lord Augustus. ‘I shall be much occupied while I am here.’
Penelope felt exactly as if he had slapped her. All her fears about that kiss were true. He had only been amusing himself.
‘Coming, Papa,’ she said meekly. ‘Papa, do give Miss Pym a card and tell her to call, for she has been kindness itself.’
‘Gladly,’ said Mr Wilkins, taking out his card-case again.
Hannah hated to see Penelope leave. She felt they had all become a sort of ill-assorted family, and now the family was breaking up, with no happy ending for anyone but Benjamin.
After Penelope and her father had left, Hannah sent Benjamin up to bed, telling him to stay there in the morning until she had found the services of a doctor to attend him. Mr Cato yawned and remarked he was devilish tired and took himself off. Hannah was left alone with Lord Augustus.
‘I do not know how you do it, Miss Pym,’ said Lord Augustus admiringly. ‘I am nigh dead with fatigue, and yet you look bright as a button.’
‘I cannot help thinking you might have found time, my lord, to call on Mr Wilkins.’
‘You mean Mr Wilkins’s daughter. She is a verypretty little girl, Miss Pym. What more would you have?’
He looked down his nose at her, his eyes cold, as if defying her to suggest he should even contemplate paying court to the daughter of a chandler.
Hannah had, of course, been just about to pursue that matter further. But she abruptly changed tack.
‘I did expect you might want to call,’ she said, ‘and it was quite silly of me. Despite Mr Wilkins’s ambitions, I really cannot see him in the end throwing his daughter away on a penniless lord. I thought he seemed a man of good sense.’
‘So you do not think I am a prize in any way?’ mocked Lord
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