Willoughby made her a new gown.”
“Is this right, Mrs. Eden?”
Saskia inclined her head.
“My dear!” Fothergill took her arm and lead her aside. “Do you consider this to be judicious? I mean, you hardly know the man. Had I known you had a predisposition for dancing I would gladly — ”
“Thank you, Mr. Fothergill.” She detached her arm from his grasp. “I’m perfectly at ease with the arrangement.”
“You look really nice, Mr. Beaumont — ”
“Like a Prince — ”
“Do you like dancing?”
“What are the twins doing in here at this hour?” Fothergill transferred his anger to them.
“Mama said we could see her dress — ”
“Speak when you’re spoken to!” Fothergill glowered at them. “Off to bed with you immediately.”
“Mr. Fothergill, you forget yourself.” Mrs. Eden swept him with a contemptuous look that made Felix want to applaud. “Again.”
Fothergill pretended not to hear her and returned his attention to the twins.
“Did you hear me, you two?”
“The whole room heard you, Fothergill,” Felix said mildly, casually turning his back on him and crouching down to face the twins. “Now then, who wants to be carried up?”
“Me, please!” Amy ran into Felix’s outstretched arms. Felix laughed, ruffled her hair, and swept her from the floor. “You’re a little too big now to be carried, don’t you think?” he said, winking at Josh.
“Oh yes. Amy’s the same age as me, but it’s all right for her because she’s a girl.”
“I don’t think this is at all appropriate,” Fothergill said. “You’re undoing all my good work by encouraging them to act impulsively.”
“Of course it is,” Felix said to Josh, ignoring Fothergill’s interruption. “Now then, say goodnight, children. Would you like me to take them up for you, Mrs. Eden?”
“Yes please, if it’s no trouble. I’ll follow directly, children, to listen to your prayers.” For the first time that evening she smiled at Felix.
“Well, I don’t know about the rest of you,” Fothergill said over dinner, “but now that I think of it, the notion of dancing rather appeals to me.”
Felix ran his eyes scathingly over Fothergill’s shabby coat but said nothing.
“It is an age since I last graced the floor,” Mrs. Jennings said wistfully.
“Wouldn’t it be too much for you, what with your delicate constitution?”
Mrs. Eden posed the question with genuine-seeming concern, but Felix thought he could detect a glimmer of mischief in her eye.
“Well, now that you mention it, perhaps I shouldn’t think about — ”
“Stuff and nonsense,” said her spouse. “Fothergill’s in the right of it. You need something to distract you from your ailments.”
“Do you really think so?”
“Always enjoyed treading a measure myself,” Captain Fanshaw said, still chewing his mutton.
Felix remained silent, not extending the invitation to join them that Fothergill was angling after. As soon as the last of the plates was removed, the ladies made to withdraw. Felix rose with them, and offered Mrs. Eden his arm.
“Ready, m’dear?” She nodded. “In that case we’ll wish you all a good evening,” he said. “Good evening to you, Mrs. Rivers.”
“And good evening to you, sir. Take good care of my niece and enjoy yourselves.”
Felix assisted Mrs. Eden with her evening cape and opened the front door for her. His curricle was drawn up in front of the house, the horses being held by a lad from the livery yard. Felix flipped a coin at the boy. He caught it one-handed, doffed his cap, and disappeared into the night. A groom from the same yard was waiting beside the conveyance and clambered up behind. At a country ball Felix could get away with appearing with Mrs. Eden unchaperoned, but to drive alone with her at night could compromise her reputation. Felix hadn’t lost sight of his reasons for being in Burton Bradstock to that extent. He assisted her into the conveyance, took up the ribbons,
“Is this right, Mrs. Eden?”
Saskia inclined her head.
“My dear!” Fothergill took her arm and lead her aside. “Do you consider this to be judicious? I mean, you hardly know the man. Had I known you had a predisposition for dancing I would gladly — ”
“Thank you, Mr. Fothergill.” She detached her arm from his grasp. “I’m perfectly at ease with the arrangement.”
“You look really nice, Mr. Beaumont — ”
“Like a Prince — ”
“Do you like dancing?”
“What are the twins doing in here at this hour?” Fothergill transferred his anger to them.
“Mama said we could see her dress — ”
“Speak when you’re spoken to!” Fothergill glowered at them. “Off to bed with you immediately.”
“Mr. Fothergill, you forget yourself.” Mrs. Eden swept him with a contemptuous look that made Felix want to applaud. “Again.”
Fothergill pretended not to hear her and returned his attention to the twins.
“Did you hear me, you two?”
“The whole room heard you, Fothergill,” Felix said mildly, casually turning his back on him and crouching down to face the twins. “Now then, who wants to be carried up?”
“Me, please!” Amy ran into Felix’s outstretched arms. Felix laughed, ruffled her hair, and swept her from the floor. “You’re a little too big now to be carried, don’t you think?” he said, winking at Josh.
“Oh yes. Amy’s the same age as me, but it’s all right for her because she’s a girl.”
“I don’t think this is at all appropriate,” Fothergill said. “You’re undoing all my good work by encouraging them to act impulsively.”
“Of course it is,” Felix said to Josh, ignoring Fothergill’s interruption. “Now then, say goodnight, children. Would you like me to take them up for you, Mrs. Eden?”
“Yes please, if it’s no trouble. I’ll follow directly, children, to listen to your prayers.” For the first time that evening she smiled at Felix.
“Well, I don’t know about the rest of you,” Fothergill said over dinner, “but now that I think of it, the notion of dancing rather appeals to me.”
Felix ran his eyes scathingly over Fothergill’s shabby coat but said nothing.
“It is an age since I last graced the floor,” Mrs. Jennings said wistfully.
“Wouldn’t it be too much for you, what with your delicate constitution?”
Mrs. Eden posed the question with genuine-seeming concern, but Felix thought he could detect a glimmer of mischief in her eye.
“Well, now that you mention it, perhaps I shouldn’t think about — ”
“Stuff and nonsense,” said her spouse. “Fothergill’s in the right of it. You need something to distract you from your ailments.”
“Do you really think so?”
“Always enjoyed treading a measure myself,” Captain Fanshaw said, still chewing his mutton.
Felix remained silent, not extending the invitation to join them that Fothergill was angling after. As soon as the last of the plates was removed, the ladies made to withdraw. Felix rose with them, and offered Mrs. Eden his arm.
“Ready, m’dear?” She nodded. “In that case we’ll wish you all a good evening,” he said. “Good evening to you, Mrs. Rivers.”
“And good evening to you, sir. Take good care of my niece and enjoy yourselves.”
Felix assisted Mrs. Eden with her evening cape and opened the front door for her. His curricle was drawn up in front of the house, the horses being held by a lad from the livery yard. Felix flipped a coin at the boy. He caught it one-handed, doffed his cap, and disappeared into the night. A groom from the same yard was waiting beside the conveyance and clambered up behind. At a country ball Felix could get away with appearing with Mrs. Eden unchaperoned, but to drive alone with her at night could compromise her reputation. Felix hadn’t lost sight of his reasons for being in Burton Bradstock to that extent. He assisted her into the conveyance, took up the ribbons,
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